Epidemiol Health.
2017;39:e2017051. 10.4178/epih.e2017051.
Differences in agricultural activities related to incidence of scrub typhus between Korea and Japan
- Affiliations
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- 1Department of Environmental Science, Fukuoka Women's University, Fukuoka, Japan.
- 2Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Wonkwang University School of Medicine, Iksan, Korea. pmokj@wku.ac.kr
- 3Department of Medical Administration, Wonkwang Health Science University, Iksan, Korea.
- 4Graduate School of Public Health, Wonkwang University, Iksan, Korea.
- 5Department of Korean History Education, Wonkwang University College of Education, Iksan, Korea.
- 6Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Chungnam National University School of Medicine, Daejeon, Korea.
- 7Department of Preventive Medicine, Chosun University Medical School, Gwangju, Korea.
- KMID: 2406655
- DOI: http://doi.org/10.4178/epih.e2017051
Abstract
OBJECTIVES
The purpose of this study was to establish a basis for improving or strengthening the preventive strategy against scrub typhus in Korea by comparing and analyzing the difference of prevention behaviors contributing to the occurrence of scrub typhus in Japan and Korea.
METHODS
The survey was carried out in Jeollabuk-do, which is a high risk and high incidence area, and Fukuoka Prefecture, which is a high risk and low incidence area. The study included 406 Korean farmers and 216 Japanese farmers. Data were collected through face-to-face surveys by interviewers who had completed standardized education.
RESULTS
Korean farmers have a higher percentage of agricultural working posture that involved contact with weeds than Japanese farmers (p < 0.05). The frequency and proportion of weeding were lower in Korean farmers than in Japanese farmers (p < 0.05). The level of knowledge about scrub typhus was significantly higher among Korean farmers than among Japanese farmers (p < 0.05). Mostly, the behavior of agriculture work was more appropriate for Japanese farmers than for Korean farmers (p < 0.05). The total average level of agricultural work was lower in Korea than in Japan, lower in men than women, and lower in part-time farmers than full-time farmers (p < 0.05).
CONCLUSIONS
This study suggests that it is reasonable to develop and provide a program that can improve the level of preventive behavior taking into consideration the characteristics of the subject in order to reduce the incidence of diseases in high-risk areas for scrub typhus.
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