• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SC
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.43-49
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• 2010

Autonomic nervous system (ANS) acts as a control system functioning largely below the level of consciousness, and controls visceral functions. The activity of the ANS has been assessed by means of the heart rate variability (HRV). It has been reported that HRV is dependent on sex, age, body mass index, and smoking, etc. However, the effects of posture and sleep deprivation on HRV have rarely been reported. Objective of our work was to find out which posture is appropriate for stable HRV. We measured the number of sleep deprivation and HRV using power spectrum in six stages for 30 minutes. Increased low frequency (LF) power and high frequency (HF) power indicate enhanced sympathetic and parasympathetic activity, respectively. We determined the LF/HF ratio to minimize individual difference. It was found that sleep deprivation by awakening up subjects was affected by posture, which resulted in changes of LF/HF. Although LF/HF varied with time, it was more stable in sitting than in supine. In conclusion, we recommend sitting posture when measuring HRV because of less sleep deprivation resulting in less variation in LF/HF.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.86-89
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• 2010

Brown leaf spot caused by Phyllosticta cruenta from 2007 to 2009 occurred severely in an herbs exhibition on Doonggulle (Polygonatum odoratum) at Gangju pond in Jeongchon-myon, Jinju city, Gyeongnam province, Korea. The typical symptoms of this disease were appeared on the brown leaf spot of leaves. Lesions on the leaves were appeared elliptical or irregular with 2~8 mm in size. Infected leaves were wilted, blighted and eventually died. Pycnidiospores and pycnidia of the fungus were abundantly formed on PDA. The optimum temperature for mycelial growth was $20{\sim}{25^{\circ}C}$. Pycnidiospores were not readily formed on PDA, colorless in color, globose~subglobose in shape, $10{\sim}18{\times}5{\sim}12{\mu}m$ in size and appendage hanged $4{\sim}15{\mu}m$ in size. Pycnidia were globose~subglobose in shape, dark brown in color and $60{\sim}162{\times}70{\sim}174{\mu}m$ in size. On the basis of mycological characteristics and pathogenicity test on host plants, the fungus was identified as Phyllosticta cruenta (Kunze: Fries) Kickx. This is the first report on the brown leaf spot of Doonggulle caused by P. cruenta in Korea.

• Journal of Technologic Dentistry
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.89-112
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• 2000

Although dental laboratory technicians are prone to be exposed to various work-related health hazardous materials such as dusts, chemicals, etc., the prevalence and nature of work-related health problems of them have not been a matter of great concern in the field of occupational health service in Korea. The purpose of the present investigation was to describe a collected profile of subjective health symptoms and their attributable factors in Korean dental laboratory technicians. A questionnaire listing five groups of health symptoms and five health symptom-related factors was mailed to randomly selected 1,900 dental laboratory technicians. Among them, 1,344 dental laboratory technicians filled out the questionnaires and returnde them. Five groups of health symptoms included musculoskeletal symptom, dermal symptoms, respiratory symptoms, eys symptoms, and ear symptoms. Five health symptom-related factors were occupational environment-related health risk factors, work history, health related habits and status, use of personal protective equipment and general characteristics. Detailed parameters of health risk factors were work posture, vibration, and chemical or physical hazards such as dust, fume, vapor, solvent, light, and noise for occupational environment-related factors; work place, area, number of employees, work hours, career, work part, and work load for work history; Broca's index, hours of sleep, eating, smoking, alcohol, exercise, health examination, and self assessed health status for health habits and status; face masks, goggles, and so on for use of personal protective equipment, and; age, sex, marital status, and education for general characteristics. Before the start of main survey, a pilot survey was carried out for validity and reliability tests of the questionnaire. All the data obtained were coded and analyzed with PC/SAS 6.12 program. The prevalence of health symptoms was the highest in musculoskelton (87.3%), and followde by eyes (78.9%), respiratory organs (64.3%), ears (57.8%), and skin (52.2%) in descending order. Statistically significant risk factors by multiple logistic regression analyses were sex, health examination, self assessed health status, and hand/finger posture in musculoskeletal symptoms; sex, self assessed health status, career, acid gas, and hand contact with resin mixture in deraml symptoms; Broka's smoking, exercise, self assessed health status, and face mask in respiratory symptoms; sex, hours of sleep, self assessed health status, work hours, work load, plaster dust, inadequate lighting, and goggle in eys symptoms, and eating, smoking, self assessed health status, and work load in ear symptoms. With the above considerations in mind, prevalence of subjective symptoms among Korean dental laboratory technicians was relatively high, and they were attributable to most of the occupational environment-related factors, work history, use of personal protective equipment, health habits and status, and general characteristics. Particularly, it is suggested that health promotion programs for promoting self- assessed health status and smoking cessation, preventive measures for protection of the female technicians’health, and reducing work load be necessary, since those factors were associated with more than one subjective symptom.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.195-211
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• 2004

Stress is a primary health promotion issue in worksite research because psychological distress is closely related not only to workers' health status but also to their job performance. This study identified the significant health behaviors affecting workers' job-related stress in Korean manufacturing industry with the national survey data conducted by the Korean Occupational Safety and Health Agency in 2003. A total of 7,818 factory workers in 1,562 manufacturing companies participated in the Korean nation-wide occupational health survey and 3,390 workers answered that they had any stressors in their workplace among the 7,818 workers finally participated in the analysis. Participants were selected by the stratified proportional sampling process by manufacturing industry classification, company size, and company locations (8 metropolitan and 8 non-metropolitan regions) in Korea. Trained interviewers visited the target companies and interviewed the factory workers randomly selected in each company. Smoking, drinking, weight control, exercise, sleeping, break time at work, and perceived fatigue were included in the health behavior construct. Stress symptoms was consisted of physical and psychological stress with 8 items. All survey responses were anonymously coded into the SPSS statistical program and testified using stepwise multiple regression analysis. Male workers were 73.5% and the 30s were 40.0% among the age groups. The married and the high school graduate were majority with 52.1% and 61.8% each. Current smokers were 44.7% and More than 50% of the participants drank alcohol sometimes. No exercise group was 59.3% and the participants who dissatisfied with their daily sleeping hours were 43.5%. In t-test and analysis of variance, the significant general characteristics associated with physical and psychological job stress were young age (p<0.001), single marital status (p<0.001), and short working period at the present company (p<0.001). The health behaviors related to physical job stress were current smoking, weight change during the past one year (p<0.001), weight control effort (p<0.001), exercise (p<0.001), daily sleeping dissatisfaction (p<0.001), break time, and perceived fatigue (p<0.001). All 10 health behavior factors were significantly associated with psychological job stress (p<0.05). Weight change, weight control effort, exercise, daily sleeping dissatisfaction, little break at work, and high perceived fatigue were significant factors affecting job stress. Daily sleeping dissatisfaction, little break at work, little exercise, weight change for the past one year and young age were selected as the significant health behavior and general factors affecting physical job stress symptoms in stepwise multiple regression analysis. The five factors explained 18.9% of the physical stress score variance. Six factors were selected as the significant health behaviors affecting psychological job stress: daily sleeping dissatisfaction, little exercise, frequent drinking alcohol, high perceived fatigue, little break at work, and little weight control effort. The six factors explained 10.6% of the psychological stress score variance.

• The Journal of Pediatrics of Korean Medicine
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.55-74
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• 2003

Objective : The purpose of this study was to investigate the back shape and self-conscious symptoms of the students in S High school using the phase-shifting scanning grating projection Moire interferometer and Questionnaire investigations. Methods : In this study the subjects consisted of 317 pupils[168 boys(53%), 149girls(47%)] attending S high school in Sungnamsi, Kyoungkido in 2002. Their ages ranged from sixteen to eighteen. With the phase-shifting scanning grating projection moire interferometer, the posterior views of the body were taken to see if there are correlation of remainder value of the height spot of left & right shoulder blade and gluteal region in Moire topography. And using questionnaire investigation, we investigated the self-conscious symptoms. Results : 1. In questionnaire investigation, we observed that the ratios of self-conscious symptoms of girls are more than that of boys. The ratios of headache, neck pain, lower back pain, digestive symptom were more than 70% in boys and girls. 2. In Moire topography, more frequent findings of scapular region were observed that left scapular area were higher than right(in boys 69.3%, 60%, 100%, aged 16,17,18, in girls 66.8%, 40.5%, 58.8% aged 16,17,18). 3. More frequent findings of gluteal region were observed that left scapular area were higher than right(in boys 75.2%, 60%, 36.4% aged 16,17,18, in girls 61.1%, 46.8%, 64.7% aged 16,17,18) 4. More frequent findings of reminder value of the vertical lines of cervical and buttock region in Moire topography were observed that the vertical lines of cervical region were inclined to left than the vertical lines of buttock(in boys 73.3%, 92.2%, 100% aged 16,17,18, in girls 72.2%, 77.2%, 73.5% aged 16,17,18) Conclusion : From these results, we found that the self-conscious symptoms were more than in girls than boys; the ratio of headache, neck pain, Lower back pain, digestive symptom was more than the others; the back shape of high school students were not balanced in scapular and buttock region; necks were inclined to left than buttock.

• Journal of Korean Ophthalmic Optics Society
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.79-85
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• 2014

Purpose: This study investigated accommodative changes by measuring accommodative response, appearing on the normal and convergence insufficiency Group, by using both eyes open-view auto-refractometer (Nvision-K5001, shin-nippon, Japan). Methods: It carried out objective and subjective refractions, targeting 74 college students (54 males and 20 females) aged between 19 and 29 ($21.59{\pm}2.53$), spherical equivalent OD $-2.28{\pm}2.03$ D, OS $-2.18{\pm}2.01$ D, by measuring accommodative responses at full correction and under correction with plus lens +0.25, +0.50, +0.75 arbitrarily added. Results: In the group of normal and convergence insufficiency, the shorter fixation distances were, the greater accommodative lags showed. The group of convergence insufficiency showed the lesser changes of accommodative response than those of normal. But we found that the convergence insufficiency group had a little larger accommodative amplitude in the total fixation distances. The full correction of convergence insufficiency group and the under correction (+0.50 D) of normal were alike in the accommodative responses. We have also investigated that the correlation between accommodative responses and fixation distances was decreased steeply at the excessive low vision correction. Conclusions: Under correction (+0.50 D) in a near distance is expected to avoid unnecessary accommodative responses, make eyes relaxed and comfortable.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.45-52
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• 2005

Objectives : To investigate the fatigue subjective symptoms and VDT related risk factors in bank workers. Methods : A total of 2178 workers (62.8% male, 37.2% female) were surveyed with a self-administered and structured questionnaire consisting of 30 fatigue symptoms and other VDT related factors regarding work characteristics, work postures, work environments, personal medical histories, etc. Fatigue subjective symptoms were divided into 3 groups of 10 questions each: a dull, drowsy and exhausted feeling (Group I), a mental decline of working motivation (Group II), or a feeling of incongruity in the body and dysfunction of autonomic nervous system (Group III). Each question was weighted as 0 for 'none', 1 for 'sometimes', and 2 for 'always'. Results : Mean age was $35.8{\pm}7.2$ years ($38.9{\pm}6.0$ in males, $30.6{\pm}5.8$ in females), Mean work duration was $7.7{\pm}7.1$ years ($8.4{\pm}7.4$ in males, $6.5{\pm}6.4$ in females). Mean symptom score in males was $11.0{\pm}8.1$ ($4.9{\pm}3.1$ in Group I, $3.0{\pm}3.1$ in Group II, $3.1{\pm}2.8$ in Group III) and in females was $17.5{\pm}9.5$ ($7.0{\pm}3.8$ in Group I, $4.6{\pm}3.5$ in Group II, $5.9{\pm}3.4$ in Group III). Mean scores were higher in the order of Group I>III>II. Females had significantly higher scores than males in all three groups (p<0.001). Most common symptoms complained of as 'always' or 'sometimes' were feel strained in the eyes' (85.4%) among Group I, 'find difficulty in thinking'(54.2%) among Group II, and 'feel stiff in the shoulders (72.3%) among Group III. In multiple regression analysis, female, non-straight spine at workstation, more VDT work hours, history of physical therapy, glare of screen, overtime work, young age, and non-horizontal elbow position were significantly related with high score of symptoms. Conclusions : More supportive VDT work environment and education for correct work postures for VDT workers are recommended.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.352-360
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• 2017

Objectives: This study aimed to determine the effects on musculoskeletal symptoms of both social demographic features and detailed characteristics of each task category of care workers who offer visiting home-help services. And to establish the measures that can reduce musculoskeletal symptoms among care workers. Methods: This study was conducted among 192 care workers from welfare centers C and K located in city P. After participants completed the task burden checklist regarding the scale of musculoskeletal symptoms and the details of their duties, the data collected were analyzed using the SPSS 21.0 program. Results: According to the degree of observable musculoskeletal symptoms in care workers, the highest figures were observed for back and shoulder pain. Based on the results of assessing the effect of detailed task category characteristics on musculoskeletal symptoms, "helping patients eat, helping patients move, helping patients bath, and changing body positions" were found to have an effect from the physical care category, "providing physical therapy assistance, treating bedsores" from the health care category, and "cleaning and doing laundry" from the facility management category. Conclusions: Due to the high proportion of patients requiring burdensome physical labor from care workers such as moving patients who have trouble doing so on their own, helping them change positions, and so on, it is highly likely that pain will occur in the low back, which carries most of the physical weight. So, education on human epidemiological positions that can reduce overload on areas prone to pain such as the low back and shoulders is essential. Proper equipment and personnel support must be provided for dangerous tasks. Further, multidimensional social support is required consistently.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.1-9
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• 2012

Objectives: This research was aimed 1) to find out various subjective symptoms cancer patients had, 2) to find out the quantitative difference of symptoms occurring according to the area of cancer, current treatment methods, and relapse of the cancer and 3) to analyze the relationship between the occurrence of symptoms. Methods: This study was a survey about the various subjective symptoms cancer patients had. The subjects were 48 cancer patients in a double-blinded randomized controlled trial about the effectiveness of Korean Red Ginseng (KRG) treatments. Surveys were examined before Korean Red Ginseng (KRG) treatments. The questionnaire consisted of demographic research, patient history and accompanying symptoms. The symptoms part consisted of 4 questions on general symptoms (vertigo, hot flush, rash, insomnia), 2 questions on digestion symptoms (anorexia, dyspepsia), 2 questions on excretions (diarrhea, constipation), and 5 questions on symptoms in different body parts (headache, dryness of lips, chest pain, aphthous ulcer, nose bleeding). The questionnaire was used to research presence of symptoms and relationships between the occurrence of symptoms. Results: A total of 48 patients took part in this survey. Dizziness was the most frequent subjective symptom patients had (64.58%), followed by dry mouth (43.75%), headache (43.75%), insomnia (41.67%), anorexia (37.5%) and chest discomfort (37.5%). The presence of these subjective symptoms was partially related to the patient's history details - type of cancer, method of cancer treatment (chemotherapy, radiotherapy), termination of treatment, presence of pain, fatigue and recurrence, etc. Factor analysis was conducted to analyze the relationship between the occurrence of symptoms. It suggested 5 factors as a result, but there was a limitation that only a low level of correlation was shown among them. Conclusions: We were able to analyze the occurrences and the relationships among them for accompanying subjective symptoms in cancer patients. However the results of the study are limited in that only 48 patients participated. The symptoms in cancer patients showed a tendency for clustering, occurring simultaneously or continuously rather than occurring alone. The study of these symptom clusters is worth further study, for it is similar to the Symptom Differentiation System in Traditional Korean Medicine. For effective approach to the treatment of cancer in Traditional Korean Medicine, further research on the Korean traditional view of cancer patients should be done based on this research, regarding various symptoms and those relationships on a larger scale.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.14-29
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• 2006

Purpose: The purposes of this study were to survey the extent of pain and discomfort in the musculoskeletal system among visiting housekeepers, above all concerning neck, shoulder, back, wrist, knee, and arm pain and to find possible relations between symptoms and various working conditions. Method: A questionnaire was answered by 174 woman visiting housekeepers living in Kyeonggi-do and Seoul from December 1, 2003 to February 30, 2004. The symptoms of musculoskeletal system were coded by the pain index which illustrates the extent of the symptoms, and analyzed in view of NIOSH guideline and Kim, et. al.'s notion. Result: 1. As to the complaint rate of subjective musculoskeletal symptoms by body region, the figure was the highest for shoulder with 78.2%, followed by back with 66.7%, knee 53.6%, neck 56.3%, wrist 40.2%, and arm 29.2%, respectively. The logistic analysis showed shoulder pain and arm pain have no relation with working and health conditions, and back pain was significantly related to current health condition. In same way, knee pain and wrist pain were found to be mainly related to marital status. 2. Following the NIOSH guideline, the positive rate of subjective musculoskeletal symptoms was found out in following order: shoulder 69.5%, back 59.2%, knee 54%, neck 46%, wrist 32.8%, and arm 25.3%. To investigate the main cause of each disease, the symptoms were classified by pain index, where the value of more than 3 comes to the NIOSH case, and analyzed in term of complaint rate using discrete logistical method : shoulder pain was highly related to the housekeeping time after work, back pain was to current health condition and the heavy weight carrying and neck, wrist, arm pain were commonly related to the ordinary health condition. For knee pain, working speed was a main cause. 3. In view of Kim et. al.'s standard, where the pain index is over 7, the positive rate was showed in order slightly different from previous analyses : shoulder 33.3%. knee 29.9%, back 28.2%, neck 17.2%, wrist 17.2%, and 16.7%. From the logistical analysis, insufficient rest was shown as the main cause of shoulder, back, arm and wrist pain. For neck pain, ordinary health condition was mainly related. In case of knee pain, any apparent relation is not found. Conclusion: According to the logistic regression analysis of musculoskeletal system, there was strong suggestion that the less insufficient physical rest, the more significant disorder complaint. This means that the most musculoskeletal symptom among the visiting housekeepers can be prevented and cured by sufficient physical resting.