Comparison of Proportional Mortality Between Korean Atomic Bomb Survivors and the General Population During 1992-2019

Sep 24, 2026

Uploaded by Eliana

Comparison of proportional mortality was conducted between Korean atomic bomb survivors and the general population across 1992–2019, using death counts by age group in the population and registered survivors from the Korean Red Cross. Causes of death were categorized with the Korean Standard Classification of Diseases, and ratio, Cochran-Armitage trend, and chi-square tests assessed differences. Circulatory diseases, neoplasms, and respiratory diseases were leading causes among survivors, while respiratory, nervous system, and other diseases showed higher proportional mortality than the general population. Survivors exposed closer to the hypocenter died at younger ages than those exposed farther away. Overall, proportional mortality for respiratory and nervous system diseases was elevated, and further studies were recommended.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages13

Reading Time33 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Methods

Results

Conclusion

J Korean Med Sci. 2023 Apr 3;38(13):e110 [https://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2023.38.e110](https://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2023.38.e110)[ ](https://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2023.38.e110)eISSN 1598-6357·pISSN 1011-8934 Original Article Comparison of Proportional Mortality Preventive & Social Medicine Between Korean Atomic Bomb Survivors and the General Population During 1992–2019 Ansun Jeong ,1 Seong-geun Moon ,2 Yunji Han ,3 Jin-Wu Nam ,4,6 Mi Kyung Kim ,2 Inah Kim ,5 Yu-Mi Kim ,2 and Boyoung Park 2,6 1Department of Health Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul, Korea 2Department of Preventive Medicine, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea 3Institute for Health and Society, Hanyang University, Seoul, Korea 4Department of Life Science, Hanyang University College of Natural Sciences, Seoul, Korea 5Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea 6Hanyang Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hanyang University, Seoul, Korea Received: Jul 26, 2022 ABSTRACT Accepted: Dec 28, 2022 Published online: Mar 28, 2023 Background: Atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan in August 1945 Address for Correspondence: were estimated to have killed approximately 70,000 Koreans. In Japan, studies on the health Boyoung Park, MD, PhD status and mortality of atomic bomb survivors compared with the non-exposed population DepartmHanyangeUntniovPrersitvyeCntolivleegMee odfeieic, ine, 222 have been conducted. However, there have been no studies related to the mortality of Korean Wangsimni-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul 04763, atomic bomb survivors. Therefore, we aimed to study the cause of death of atomic bomb Korea. survivors compared to that of the general population. Email: [hayejine@hanmail.net](hayejine@hanmail.net) Methods: Of 2,299 atomic bomb survivors registered with the Korean Red Cross, 2,176 were © 2023 The Korean Academy of Medical included in the study. In the general population, the number of deaths by age group was Sciences. calculated from 1992 to 2019, and 6,377,781 individuals were assessed. Causes of death were This is an Open Access article distributed categorized according to the Korean Standard Classification of Diseases. To compare the under the terms of the Creative Commons proportional mortality between the two groups, the P value for the ratio test was confirmed, Attribution Non-Commercial License ([https://](https:// and the Cochran-Armitage)[ and the Cochran-Armitage](https:// and the Cochran-Armitage) trend test and χ2 test were performed to determine the cause of crewhiacthivecopermmimtsounnsre.osrgtr/insenosn/-yo-nm4.0erc/ia)l death according to the distance from the hypocenter. use, distribution, and reproduction in any Results: Diseases of the circulatory system were the most common cause of death (25.4%), medium, provided the original work is properly followed by neoplasms (25.1%) and diseases of the respiratory system (10.6%) in atomic cited. bomb survivors who died between 1992 and 2019. The proportional mortality associated with respiratory diseases, nervous system diseases, and other diseases among atomic bomb OARnCsuIDnJiDeosng survivors was higher than that of the general population. Of the dead people between 1992 [https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1973-0009](https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1973-0009 and 2019)[ and 2019](https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1973-0009 and 2019), the age at death of survivors who were exposed at a close distance was younger than Seong-geun Moon those who were exposed at a greater distance. [https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5019-3483](https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5019-3483) Conclusion: Overall, proportional mortality of respiratory diseases and nervous system Yunji Han diseases was high in atomic bomb survivors, compared with the general population. Further hJittnp-s:WoNrca .org/0000-0003-2351-5456 studies on the health status of Korean atomic bomb survivors are needed. [htt

FAQs

What was the study’s main objective?

To compare the proportional mortality and causes of death among Korean atomic bomb survivors versus the general population during 1992–2019.

How were deaths and causes of death analyzed?

Deaths were categorized according to the Korean Standard Classification of Diseases, and statistical tests including the ratio test, Cochran-Armitage trend test, and chi-square test were used.

Which causes of death were most common among survivors?

Diseases of the circulatory system were most common (25.4%), followed by neoplasms (25.1%) and diseases of the respiratory system (10.6%).

Did exposure distance affect age at death?

Yes. Among those who died between 1992 and 2019, survivors exposed at a close distance had younger ages at death than those exposed at a greater distance.

Sep 24, 2026

Uploaded by Eliana