• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.16 no.10
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• pp.6627-6640
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• 2015

This study was performed to determine the complaint rates of musculoskeletal symptoms and its association with related factors among manufacturing workers. The self-administered questionnaires were given to 856 male with 50 or less employees in manufacturing industries. As a results, complaint rates of work-related musculoskeletal symptoms of the body sites was 61.2% for shoulders, 55.4% for low back, 55.3% for neck, 38.6%, for legs/feet, 32.2% for hands/wrists/fingers and 26.9% for arms/elbows. In logistic regression analysis of significant factors related with musculoskeletal symptoms of body sites, neck was related with marital status, subjective health status, smoking, drinking coffee and occupational stress, shoulders was related with job tenure, shift work, visiting out-patient department and occupational stress, arms/elbows was related with sleeping time, experience of sick absence and occupational stress, hands/wrists/fingers was related with age, smoking, drinking coffee, working hour, job position, job tenure, visiting out-patient department and occupational stress, low back was related with educational level, BMI, sleeping time, job position, job tenure, visiting out-patient department and occupational stress and legs/feet was related with marital status, job position, job tenure, history of hospitalization and occupational stress.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.390-402
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• 2009

This study aimed to examine the general characteristics of individual workers, psychosocial working environment, and ergonomic risk factors which affect the status of musculoskeletal disorders. Self-report was carried out for musculoskeletal symptoms and ergonomic risks in working environment in 856 production workers in 16 small to medium sized manufacturing companies. Musculoskeletal symptoms were examined with a standardized questionnaire, and ergonomic risks were evaluated with a qualitative self-administered instrument for the tasks related to musculoskeletal disorders. Major findings were as follows: 1) Complaint rate for musculoskeletal symptoms was higher in female, aged, married workers with longer working hours, less leisure/hobby activity, longer household working hours and history of disease or accident. 2) Complaint rate for musculoskeletal symptoms was significantly higher in workers with dissatisfaction, difficult tasks, and no self-control at work. 3) Complaint rate for musculoskeletal symptoms was significantly higher in workers involved in tasks with major ergonomic risk factors, and handling heavy equipment. 4) Explanatory power increased the model with the musculoskeletal symptoms as dependent variable and demographic variables, psychosocial working environment and ergonomic risk factors included, and total explanatory power of 18.6% revealed the significant effect. Based on the results, we can conclude that musculoskeletal symptoms in manufacturing workers are associated with individual demographic characteristics, psychosocial working environment and ergonomic risk factors.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.362-372
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• 2016

Purpose: This study intended to grasp real context of Cardiovascular disease (CVD)-related factors of Korean blue-collar workers, especially CVD-related knowledge, perception, beliefs, benefits and barriers of behaviors according to the health belief model. Methods: We interviewed twenty two workers working in two small-sized companies and performed two series of focus group interviews. Data were analyzed by deductive content analysis approach based on Elo & $Kyng{\ddot{a}}s$. Results: Excepting participants who have CVD risk factors, most participants had lower level of CVD risk perception. The level of CVD knowledge was low but there was difference by gender. CVD-related beliefs were 'fatal disease', 'caused by lifestyle' and 'difficult to prevent by themselves'. The risk reduction behaviors were motivated by current or family history of hypertension. But there were barriers to interfere practice of preventive behaviors such as poor quality of food provided by cafeteria in the workplace, frequent overtime, victim mentality as one of vulnerable social group, housework and financial burden, lack of facilities for rest and physical activity in the workplace. Conclusion: To develop intervention for reducing CVD risks in Korean blue-collar workers, we need to focus on improving CVD knowledge and perception and modifying work-related environments such as low quality of food and lack of facilities for rest and physical activity in the workplace.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.9-20
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• 2013

Background: This study was conducted to provide preventive measure for the musculoskeletal disorders in automobile parts manufacturing workers. Method: The author surveyed to the musculoskeletal symptoms prevalence and its related factors from 10th to 17th April 2011 with structured self administered questionnaires. 223 out of 225 collected questionnaires were used for final analysis, excluding 2 questionnaires with no valid response. Based on the diagnostic criteria of NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational and Health), an investigation was made into the prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms as well as into the factors related to individual items. Results: The prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms according to the criteria of NIOSH was the highest in the shoulder (52.9%), followed by the neck (39.%), the hand/wrist (35%), the waist (29.6%), the arm/elbow (24.7%), and the leg/food (23.8%). One-way analysis showed that among general characteristics, age was the musculoskeletal risk factor with the greatest effect. Whereas among work-related characteristics, significant risk factor didn't find. Yet it was shown that among ergonomic work postures, high degree of musculoskeletal risk was shown by the posture involving frequent and repetitive movement of the arm and the hand/wrist and also by the posture involving standing for a long time. Multiple regression analysis showed that musculoskeletal risk was 1.795 times higher in those age 50 and over than in those under age 50; 1.67 times higher in the high risk stress group than in the low risk stress group; and 1.131 higher in the group involving the repetitive use of the hand/arm than in the other groups (p<.05). Conclusion: The prevalence and stress score of automobile parts manufacturing workers were higher than other occupation workers. Among general characteristics, drinking and smoking were shown to be related to stress score; while age was shown to have significant effect on musculoskeletal risk.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.29 no.1 s.52
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• pp.91-102
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• 1996

Low back pain patients and controls of shipyard workers were surveyed between June 1995 and September 1995 to identify risk factors of industrial low back pain. The patients were 17 male workers who had got medical treatment for over 3 days because of industrial back pain. Controls were 51 male workers who had not have musculoskeletal disorder for one year before the survey. By univariate analysis, the workers who did overtime work 4 times or more for the last 2 weeks showed odds ratio of 3.67 on low back pain with the workers who did less overtime work. Carrying heavy materials was also associated with the low back pain and the odds ratio increased with the increase of carrying weight. Work space and work posture were not associated with the low back pain significantly. The welder had higher odds ratio than the other workers on low back pain. The duration of employment and job satisfaction did not affect the risk of low back pain. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that frequency of overtime work for the last 2 weeks and carrying heavy materials among the risk factors were associated significantly with the low back pain. We found that important risk factors of low back pain of shipyard workers are work intensity factors such as overtime work and carrying heavy weight.

• Journal of the Korean Dietetic Association
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.326-335
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• 2003

This study was carried out to collect information to establish a framework for meal management and nutritional service for prevention of chronic degenerative disease in the industrial workers. We investigated the health concerned life-style, nutrient intakes, anthropometry and biochemical parameters in the male workers in Korea by work condition. Anthropometric parameters of height, weight, waist, hip and triceps skinfold thickness were measured and biochemical parameters including Urine pH, hemoglobin, blood glucose, total cholesterol, GOT, GPT, $\gamma$-GPT and blood pressure were determined for 101 subjects(50 office workers : 33.9yr, 51 laborers : 34.4yr). To assess the nutrient intakes and diet quality of workers, dietary intake was measured by one day 24-hour recall method. Result of anthropometric parameters of height(p<0.01), weight(p<0.05), hip(p<0.05), TSF(p<0.01) were significantly higher in office workers than in laborers. Biochemical parameters were not significantly difference in both of them. Average daily nutrient intakes of both groups was higher than the Korean RDA and report on 2001 National Health & Nutrition Survey. The calcium(p<0.01), iron(p<0.05), vitamin A(p<0.01), vitamin B1(p<0.01) and niacin(p<0.05) intakes in laborers were significantly higher than in office workers. Nutrition adequacy ratio(NAR), mean adequacy ratio(MAR) and index of nutritional quality(INQ) of laborers were higher than those of office workers. This results indicated that the onset possibility of chronic degenerative disease appeared higher in office workers. Therefore, meal menagement and nutritional service for prevention of chronic degenerative disease of industrial works needs to be more variant guidelines.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.131-140
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• 2012

Though there might exist not a few differences between cyclic works and atypical works, many researchers have applied the same assessment techniques that used for repetitive works, which may result introduce bias in their conclusions. This research aimed to verify whether there exist non-negligible work characteristics and/or dissimilarity among works with different work nature and whether one of the most prevalent assessment techniques for assessing ergonomic hazards of musculoskeletal disorders, REBA, can be applied to atypical works. For a general hospital, an automobile repair shop, and two auto-part assembly plants which manufactures quite different parts, a questionnaire survey and field investigation and ergonomic assessment were carried out and analyzed statistically with reference to the 3rd Quantification technique. The results showed that there exist remarkable difference between physical factors in cyclic works and atypical non-cyclic works. As for repetitive work, body posture was significant factors affecting on musculoskeletal disorders while atypical works seemed to have none which implied that the necessity of taking psychosocial factors into account for assessment of hazards. Complain rate in repetitive works was highest shoulder, back, and neck or wrist in sequence. However, there existed no consistent trend in complain rate in atypical works. And, though weight of manufacturing objects was a common factor that can partly explain musculoskeletal complain, time duration was significant in atypical work whereas repeatability and body posture were significant in repetitive works. As being the results, to summarize, it could be said that application of conventional ergonomic assessment techniques regardless of repetitiveness would be fruitless, and that the necessity of a unique methodology focused on atypical non-cyclic works should not be neglected.

• Journal of the Korean Dietetic Association
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.230-247
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• 2023

This study aimed to investigate the association between awareness of having a chronic disease with food habits and dietary quality among 320 male manufacturing workers in their 40s. Participants were categorized into groups. The first group comprised workers who were aware of having chronic diseases (ACD, n=160) and had been diagnosed with any one or more of the following major chronic diseases: Metabolic syndrome, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, obesity, and cardiovascular disease. The second group comprised those who had experienced none of the above diseases were classified as a group of people who were a ware of not having chronic diseases (ANCD, n=160). The mean age of the subjects was 44.2 years. The mean weight (P<0.001) and body mass index (BMI; P<0.01) were significantly higher in the ACD than in the ANCD group. The frequency of alcohol consumption and the number of current smokers were not significantly different between the two groups. Dietary attitudes were not significantly different between the two groups. The frequency of egg consumption was significantly higher in the ACD group (P<0.05). Picky eating, vegetable intake, checking nutrition labels, and healthy eating behavior were not significantly different between the two groups. The frequency of exercise was significantly lower in the ACD group compared to the ANCD group (P<0.05). The mean nutrition quotient (NQ) score was 51.9, with no significant difference between the two groups. Based on these results, the awareness of suffering from chronic diseases was not significantly related to dietary attitudes, food habits, and overall dietary quality among production workers. Therefore, there is a need to develop and implement nutrition education programs to inculcate an awareness of health status that can lead to dietary changes.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.217-226
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• 2024

Manufacturing workers face increased fatigue and stress due to environmental factors in workplace such as noise and vibration. Addressing this issue requires creating conducive rest spaces; however, the existing conditions of rest spaces in manufacturing workplace are subpar and lack sufficient scholarly evidence. This study investigated the effect of nature-based rest spaces on the physical and emotional recovery from fatigue on manufacturing workers. Three manufacturing complexes with nature-friendly rest spaces were selected, and 63 manufacturing workers participated in the study. The measurement tools included the Multidimensional Fatigue Scale (MFS) for fatigue levels, physiological indicators (blood pressure and heart rate), and emotional indicators (Zuckerman Inventory of Personal Reaction Scale; ZIPERS, Perceived Restorativeness Scale; PRS, Profile of Mood States; POMS and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory; STAI). The study compared recovery levels during a 7-minute rest between a space without plants and a space with natural elements. The results indicated a significant reduction in systolic and diastolic blood pressure of participants in green rest spaces compared with those in conventional rest spaces. Regarding fatigue levels, green rest spaces showed a decrease in systolic blood pressure in the middle-fatigue and high-fatigue groups. Positive feelings increased in green spaces, whereas negative emotions decreased, suggesting that short breaks in nature-friendly environments effectively promote workers' physical and emotional recovery. Furthermore, this study emphasizes the importance of green space in various work environments to promote well-being in workers.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.42 no.8
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• pp.1318-1324
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• 2013

The purpose of this study was to improve the satisfaction of industry contracted foodservice customers by analyzing the correlation between satisfaction with foodservice and customer loyalty. To accomplish this, a questionnaire was distributed to 300 customers at five industry contracted foodservice establishments. The average customer satisfaction score was 3.51/5.00, and customer satisfaction was highest with sanitation, followed by service, food, and environment. Blue collar workers showed significantly higher foodservice satisfaction than white collar workers with respect to menu, service, sanitation, and environment (P<0.01). The average customer loyalty score was 3.46/5.00 and revisit intentions, word-of-mouth intentions, and intentions not to switch were 3.60, 3.52, and 3.46, respectively. Blue collar workers had significantly higher customer loyalty than white collar workers for word-of mouth intentions and intentions not to switch (P<0.01). Revisit intentions correlated significantly (P<0.01) with food (r=0.649), service (r=0.636), sanitation (r=0.648), and environment (r=0.579). Word-of mouth intentions and intentions not to switch showed significant (P<0.01) positive correlation with service. The explanation power ($R^2$) of foodservice satisfaction and revisit intention was 0.483, word-of-mouth intention was 0.526, and intention not to switch was 0.3641. The sanitation satisfaction had the highest positive influence on revisit intentions (P<0.01). Service and food satisfaction had a significant (P<0.01) positive influence on word-of-mouth intentions and intentions not to switch.