@article{ref1,
title="Pesticide poisonings in South Korea: Findings from the National Hospital Discharge Survey 2004-2006",
journal="Human and experimental toxicology",
year="2012",
author="Kim, Hyun Joong and Cha, Eun Shil and Ko, Yousun and Kim, Jaeyoung and Kim, Soon Duck and Lee, Won Jin",
volume="31",
number="8",
pages="751-758",
abstract="Objectives: Pesticide poisoning stands as a major public health issue worldwide. The objective of this study was to examine the epidemiologic characteristics of pesticide-related hospitalizations in South Korea. Methods: Data from the Korea National Hospital Discharge Survey were analyzed to describe the epidemiologic characteristics of pesticide poisoning among hospitalized patients from 2004 through 2006. Pesticide-related hospitalizations were identified using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision codes. National estimates of pesticide-related hospitalizations were calculated using sampling weights for number of hospitalizations. Results: A total of 25,982 pesticide-related hospitalizations were estimated during the years 2004-2006, yielding an average annual pesticide-related hospitalization rate of 17.8 per 100,000 population in South Korea. Age-specific rates for pesticide-related hospitalization increased with age, with the highest rate noted among those aged 70 or above. The majority of pesticide-related hospitalization was cases of intentional poisoning in rural areas. Seasonal variation in the rate was observed, with summer being the highest among both men and women. Conclusions: Pesticide-related hospitalization is prevalent and demonstrates demographic and seasonal and regional variations. More effective strategies to reduce pesticide-related hospitalizations are required in South Korea.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0960-3271",
doi="10.1177/0960327111431709",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0960327111431709"
}