Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science

Original articles

Social and Family Medicine
Culturally adapted wearable mobile health intervention for physical activity and cognitive function in middle-aged Koreans: a pilot feasibility study: Woo-young Shin, Seungju Baek, Sei Young Lee, Changwon Lim, Kwangsu Moon, Sunmee Jang, Jung-ha Kim; J Yeungnam Med Sci. 2026;43:53. Published online August 10, 2026; DOI: https://doi.org/10.12701/jyms.2026.43.53 [Epub ahead of print]

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Abstract PDF: Background
Middle adulthood (45–64 years) represents a critical window for the primary prevention of cognitive decline and chronic diseases, with physical activity capable of reducing later cognitive decline by 20% to 35%. However, most evidence on mobile health (mHealth) interventions for physical activity originates from Western populations, with limited evaluations of culturally adapted approaches for Asian middle-aged adults, particularly in rapidly aging societies such as South Korea.
Methods
This 12-week, single-arm, pre-post pilot feasibility study enrolled 304 community-dwelling adults aged 45 to 64 years from Dobong-gu, Seoul, South Korea. The intervention combined a Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 with a custom mobile application incorporating culturally adapted features (mountain-climbing gamification based on famous Korean peaks, adaptive goal setting, and context-aware notifications) developed through systematic focus groups. The primary outcomes were weekly step count and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), while the secondary outcomes included subjective cognitive function assessed using a validated self-report scale, exercise behavior stages, depressive symptoms, and app usability.
Results
Of the 304 participants, 302 (99.3%) completed the intervention. Weekly step count increased by 16.9% from 78,334 to 91,531 (p<0.001) and weekly MVPA increased by 83.3% from 56.0 to 102.6 minutes (p<0.001). The proportion of participants meeting the World Health Organization physical activity guidelines increased from 23.2% to 42.1% (p<0.001). Selective improvements were observed in executive function-related cognitive domains and depressive symptoms, and a dose-response relationship emerged between app engagement and step count gains.
Conclusion
This culturally adapted wearable mHealth intervention demonstrated high feasibility and acceptability for promoting physical activity in Korean middle-aged adults, supporting its further evaluation as a scalable strategy for the primary prevention of cognitive decline and chronic diseases.

Public Health, Environmental, and Occupational Health
Factors that determine the Work Ability Index of street cleaners: Jung Won Kim, Seonhee Yang, Insung Chung, Mi-Young Lee; Yeungnam Univ J Med. 2019;36(3):219-224. Published online May 9, 2019; DOI: https://doi.org/10.12701/yujm.2019.00199

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Background
Korea has shown a rapid pace of aging and has become an aged society in a shorter period than Western countries. Therefore, it is important that middle-aged workers maintain their ability to work in the industrial field at the maximum level while maintaining their health. The purpose of this study was to analyze the factors affecting work ability and to use this data to maintain the working ability of middle-aged workers in the future.
Methods
From 2015 to 2017, we surveyed 371 street cleaners who visited a health center for health promotion in a metropolitan city. The relationship between the general characteristics of the survey subjects and the Work Ability Index (WAI) was confirmed by a univariate analysis. Statistically significant (p<0.2) factors were selected and a multiple linear regression analysis was conducted with WAI scores as a dependent variable.
Results
Age, body mass index, body fat percentage, the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Korea (AUDIT-K) scores, the Psychosocial Well-Being Index-Short Form (PWI-SF) scores, maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max), and hypertension showed statistically significant correlations with the WAI in the univariate analysis. In the multivariate analysis, the VO2max, AUDIT-K scores, and PWI-SF scores were included in the regression equation. VO2max had the greatest effect on the standardization coefficient indicating the relative contribution of independent variables, followed by the AUDIT-K scores and the PWI-SF scores.
Conclusion
Programs to increase workers’ physical work ability and alleviate psychosocial stress and drinking habits should be developed and implemented in the future.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

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