Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health

Original Articles

Assessing Hospital Surgical Functions in Korea: A Functional Analysis Using the Disease Control Priorities, 3rd Edition Essential Surgery List (2013-2022): Haibin Bai, Jin-Hwan Kim, Yukyung Park; J Prev Med Public Health. 2025;58(6):635-646. Published online September 23, 2025; DOI: https://doi.org/10.3961/jpmph.25.407

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Abstract Summary PDF Supplementary Material: Objectives
Korea has achieved near-universal health coverage through a predominantly privatized healthcare system. However, this structural fragmentation has created significant ambiguity regarding the roles of different healthcare organizations, particularly in ensuring equitable provision of essential surgical services across geographic and institutional boundaries.
Methods
We conducted a retrospective study using the full national health insurance claims database provided by the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service (2013-2022). Essential surgical procedures from the Disease Control Priorities, 3rd edition Essential Surgery List were mapped to insurance claims codes, and their provision was analyzed across healthcare facilities and regions. Functional capacity was defined using minimum annual volume thresholds of 12, 24, 60, and 120 procedures.
Results
Essential surgery more than doubled between 2013 and 2022, increasing from 2.79 million to nearly 6 million cases. Superior general hospitals and general hospitals consistently delivered high volumes of essential surgeries, while hospital-level facilities experienced marked functional decline, particularly in obstetric services. We observed increasing centralization of surgical services in higher-tier and metropolitan facilities, alongside selective decentralization for lower-risk procedures such as cataract surgery. Regional disparities were especially pronounced for obstetric care.
Conclusions
Functional capacity for essential surgery remains highly uneven across hospitals and regions, undermining equitable access. Policy efforts should focus on strengthening lower-tier hospitals in underserved areas and implementing minimum functionality standards tailored to local needs. Clarifying institutional roles within Korea’s mixed healthcare system is essential to improving accountability and ensuring equitable distribution of essential surgical services.; Summary

Korean summary
본 연구는 DCP3 Essential Surgery List를 한국의 건강보험 청구자료(2013–2022)에 적용하여 필수수술 제공기관의 기능적 변화를 평가하였다. 전체 필수수술 건수는 크게 증가했음에도 불구하고 이를 제공하는 의료기관 수는 지속적으로 감소하며 지역 간 격차도 확대되고 있었다. 필수수술 접근성을 강화하기 위해서는 우선 의료기관 수준별로 제공해야 할 필수 기능을 명확히 규정하는 정책적 가이드가 필요하며, 이를 기반으로 지역 단위의 종합병원·병원급 기능을 지속적으로 모니터링하고 관리하는 체계를 마련해야 한다.

Key Message
This study applies the DCP3 Essential Surgery List to South Korea’s national health insurance claims data (2013–2022) and shows that, despite a substantial rise in essential surgery volumes, the number of institutions providing these procedures has declined, widening regional disparities. Strengthening access to essential surgery requires first establishing clear guidance on the functions expected at each level of care, followed by systematic monitoring to ensure that general and hospital-level facilities maintain the capacity to deliver these core services. Such a combined approach is critical for securing equitable and regionally sustained surgical access.

An Exploratory Study of Health Inequality Discourse Using Korean Newspaper Articles: A Topic Modeling Approach: Jin-Hwan Kim; J Prev Med Public Health. 2019;52(6):384-392. Published online October 25, 2019; DOI: https://doi.org/10.3961/jpmph.19.221

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3 Crossref

Abstract Summary PDF Supplementary Material

Objectives
This study aimed to explore the health inequality discourse in the Korean press by analyzing newspaper articles using a relatively new content analysis technique.
Methods
This study used the search term “health inequality” to collect articles containing that term that were published between 2000 and 2018. The collected articles went through pre-processing and topic modeling, and the contents and temporal trends of the extracted topics were analyzed.
Results
A total of 1038 articles were identified, and 5 topics were extracted. As the number of studies on health inequality has increased over the past 2 decades, so too has the number of news articles regarding health inequality. The extracted topics were public health policies, social inequalities in health, inequality as a social problem, healthcare policies, and regional health gaps. The total number of occurrences of each topic increased every year, and the trend observed for each theme was influenced by events related to its contents, such as elections. Finally, the frequency of appearance of each topic differed depending on the type of news source.
Conclusions
The results of this study can be used as preliminary data for future attempts to address health inequality in Korea. To make addressing health inequality part of the public agenda, the media’s perspective and discourse regarding health inequality should be monitored to facilitate further strategic action.

Summary

Korean summary
건강불평등 해소는 한국사회의 중요한 목표이다. 이 연구에서는 건강불평등을 다룬 신문기사를 추출, 토픽모델링 기법을 적용해 공공의료, 사회경제적 요인에 따른 건강불평등, 사회문제로 불평등, 보건의료정책, 지역건강격차의 다섯 가지 주제를 도출하였다. 언론이 건강불평등을 다루는 방식은 학술적 연구에서 건강불평등을 다루는 방식과는 유사하였으나, 건강취약지역의 저소득층의 인식과는 차이가 있었다.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

Information Landscape on Cervical Cancer: An Analysis of News and Online Platform Data in the Republic of Korea
Hye-Sun Lee, Gyeong-U Hong, Wonjeong Jeong, Kyounghee Oh, Jae Kwan Jun
Health Communication.2025; : 1. CrossRef
Digital health policy decoded: Mapping national strategies using Donabedian's model
Tahereh Saheb, Tayebeh Saheb
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Regional Health Disparities in Hypertension-Related Hospitalization of Hypertensive Patients: A Nationwide Population-Based Nested Case-Control Study
Woo-Ri Lee, Jun Hyuk Koo, Ji Yun Jeong, Min Su Kim, Ki-Bong Yoo
International Journal of Public Health.2023;[Epub] CrossRef

The Association of Perceived Neighborhood Walkability and Environmental Pollution With Frailty Among Community-dwelling Older Adults in Korean Rural Areas: A Cross-sectional Study: Mi-Ji Kim, Sung-Hyo Seo, Ae-Rim Seo, Bo-Kyoung Kim, Gyeong-Ye Lee, Yeun-Soon Choi, Jin-Hwan Kim, Jang-Rak Kim, Yune-Sik Kang, Baek-Geun Jeong, Ki-Soo Park; J Prev Med Public Health. 2019;52(6):405-415. Published online October 24, 2019; DOI: https://doi.org/10.3961/jpmph.19.166

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160 Download
16 Crossref

Abstract Summary PDF Supplementary Material

Objectives
The aim of this study was to evaluate the associations of frailty with perceived neighborhood walkability and environmental pollution among community-dwelling older adults in rural areas.
Methods
The participants were 808 community-dwelling men and women aged 65 years and older in 2 rural towns. Comprehensive information, including demographics, socioeconomic status, grip strength, polypharmacy, perceived neighborhood environment (specifically, walkability and environmental pollution), and frailty, was collected from participants using face-to-face interviews conducted between June and August 2018. Perceived neighborhood walkability was measured using 20 items that were selected and revised from the Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale, the Neighborhood Walkability Checklist from the National Heart Foundation of Australia, and the Physical Activity Neighborhood Environment Survey. The Kaigo-Yobo Checklist was used to assess participants’ frailty.
Results
The overall prevalence of frailty in this community-dwelling population was 35.5%. Sex, age, cohabitation status, educational attainment, employment status, grip strength, and polypharmacy were significantly associated with frailty. In the logistic regression analysis, frailty was associated with low perceived neighborhood walkability (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.881; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.833 to 0.932; p<0.001) and severe perceived neighborhood environmental pollution (aOR, 1.052; 95% CI, 1.017 to 1.087; p=0.003) after adjusting for sex, age, cohabitation status, educational attainment, employment status, monthly income, grip strength, and polypharmacy.
Conclusions
More studies are warranted to establish causal relationships between walkability and environmental pollution and frailty.

Summary

Korean summary
본 연구는 우리나라 농촌지역 노인들이 인지하는 지역 환경과 노쇠의 연관성을 확인하기 위하여 자기보고식 설문지로 인지된 보행편의성 및 환경오염을 측정하였고, Kaigo-Yobo 평가척도로 노쇠를 평가하였다. 연구 결과, 노쇠에 영향을 미칠 것으로 예상되는 변수들을 통제한 후에도 인지된 보행편의성의 감소와 인지된 환경오염의 증가는 노쇠와 관련성이 있었다.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

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Herney Rengifo-Reina, Tonatiuh Barrientos-Gutiérrez, Nancy López-Olmedo, Brisa N. Sánchez, Ana V. Diez Roux
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