• Journal of Korean Clinical Nursing Research
• /
• v.15 no.2
• /
• pp.115-126
• /
• 2009

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the frequency and characteristics of occupational blood and body fluid exposure for operating room personnel during surgical procedures and identify risk factors. Methods: A self-report questionnaire was used to survey 519 operating room personnel who participated in 132 surgeries in an acute care hospital in Seoul between April 12 and 20, 2006. Results: The response rate was 82% (530/646) and analyzed total 519 except for improper 11 questionnaires. Exposure rate was 45.5% (60/132) during operations and 20.4% (106/519) for operating room personnel. By job categories, the exposure rate was as follows; anesthesiologists and nurses 31.2% (44/141), operators and assistants 22.1% (32/145), circulating nurses 12.0% (11/92), scrub nurses 11.4% (14/123). The mucous membrane-eye exposure with a high risk of transmitting infection was 6.6% (7/106) and the most frequent route of exposure was blood and body fluid touching unprotected skin. In multivariate analysis, the risk factors of exposure were services, duration of operation, a patient who had a peripheral arterial catheter line, and job category. Conclusion: Educational programs and appropriate use of personal protective equipment are necessary to prevent operating room personnel from being exposed to blood and body fluid.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
• /
• v.33 no.4
• /
• pp.502-516
• /
• 2023

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate occupational exposure to chemical and health status of foreign workers in Korea. Methods: The data were collected from survey of general characteristics, job-related characteristics, work environment-related characteristics of 180 foreign workers who have been working at manufacturing industries in Korea in 2022. The data were analyzed using Rex. Results: Among the 180 participants, men accounted for more than women by 71.7% (129 people). Most of them are Vietnamese or Filipino and most of them graduated from high school. 116 of all participants are exposed to chemicals at work. The most prevalence rate of subject's health problems were backache (61.0%), headache (53.9%), fatigue (68.0%). Controlling for age, the number of physical health problems experienced in the last year was associated with BMI (r=0.184, p=0.049), and the number of mental health problems experienced in the past year (r=0.056, p<0.001) and all showed significant positive (+) correlations. The number of chemical products handled under age control showed a significant negative (-) correlation with working hours (r=0.207, p=0.027) and BMI (r=0.214, p=0.022) and showed a significant positive (+) correlation. Conclusions: The results of this study provided the latest update on the health status of foreign workers in Korea. It is also the first survey to attempt to assess the exposure of foreign workers to chemicals.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
• /
• v.11 no.10
• /
• pp.333-341
• /
• 2011

To compare between calcium scoring CT (CSCT) and Low-dose CT (LDCT) image finding for coronary artery calcification (CAC) in screening of lung disease by MDCT. A total of 61 subjects who retired-workers exposed to inorganic dust were performed LDCT and CSCT by using a MDCT scanner on the same day, after be approved by the institutional review board, and obtaining the written informed consent from all subjects. LDCT images were read for detecting lung diseases as well as CAC by a experienced chest radiologist, then the subjects were divided either the positive group with CAC or the negative group without it. The CSCT was used to quantify and detect the presence of calcification in the coronary artery, and score of CAC calculated by using a Rapidia software (ver 2.8). In all coronary arteries, calcium score of positive group was higher better than that in negative group, especially in the total calcium (13.7 vs. 582.9, p=0.008) and the left anterior descending artery (3.2 vs. 249.0, p=0.006). CAC findings between CSCT and LDCT image were showed excellent agreement in cut-off point 100(K-value=0.80, 95% CI=0.69-0.91) from total calcium score. CAC findings on LDCT images showed the higher relation with CSCT. Therefore, the obstructive coronary artery disease could be predicted by CAC on LDCT images for screening of lung diseases.

• The Journal of the Korean life insurance medical association
• /
• v.22
• /
• pp.99-120
• /
• 2003

그 동안 지속적인 경제성장을 바탕으로 한국의 생명보험산업은 양적으로 성장하였다. 그러나 내면을 살펴보면 외형을 떠받칠 만큼 내실있게 성장했는지에 대해서는 많으 의구심을 갖게 한다. 현실적으로 경제성장을 바탕으로 한 외형성장은 한계를 맞을 수 밖에 없으며, 이제는 질적인 내실을 기하기 위해 그 동안 소홀히 했던 보함산업의 전반의 체질개선이 필요하다. IMF이후 경영이 부실한 보험사들이 퇴출되면서 전면적인 개편이 이루어졌고, 또한 보험사 내부에서도 전반적인 개혁의 필요성을 인식하여 여러 방면으로 방안을 구체화하고 있다. 본 논문은 이러한 상황하에서 생명보험산업의 기존 문제점 개선방안의 일환으로, 보험산업의 가장 핵심분야라 할 수 있는 언더라이팅 분야의 국내현황을 살펴보면서 보험선진국의 제도 및 운영현황과 비교 분석하여 부문별 문제점을 도출하고, 그에 따른 개선방안을 제안하게 되었으며, 본 논문에서 제시된 개선방안을 요약해 보면 다음과 같다. 첫째, 언더라이팅을 신속 정확하게 수행하고 도덕적 위험을 배제하기 위하여 개선된 정보교환시스템 제도를 구축해야 하며, 사정자료의 수집업무를 전문기관에게 아웃소싱함으로써 비용절감을 기하여야 한다. 이와 아울러 모집인의 전문성을 제고시켜 보험계약 청약서와 모집인 보고서가 정확하게 작성되도록 하고 언더라이팅 실적과 연계한 인센티브제도에 의하여 모집수당이 지급되도록 하여 언더라이팅이 효과적으로 수행되도록해야 할 것이다. 둘째, 언더라이팅기법의 선진화를 기함으로써 위험에 상응하는 보험료를 부가하여 위험에 노출되어 있는 가망고객의 보험가입율을 높이고, 보험사고 발생시 실질적인 보험혜택을 누리도록 하여야 한다. 이를 위한 실천방안으로 의적 직업적 재정적 언더라이팅 선진기법을 도입하여 각 부문의 역량을 강화해야 할 것이다. 특히 제도적으로 개인신용정보의 언더라이팅 활용이 제한되어 있는 현실에서 이를 법제도 내로 흡수하면서 개인의 사생활 유지라는 목적을 동시에 달성되도록 하는 재정적 언더라이팅 기법의 강화가 특히 중요하리라 생각된다. 아울러 언더라이팅 업무를 효과적 효율적 수행을 통해 일관성 있는 의사결정이 이루어질 수 있도록 지원하는 언더라이팅 시스템구축을 통해 정형화된 인수과정은 결정시스템화하고, 복잡한 위험의 경우 자문 시스템으로 운영하여 간단한 언더라이팅 업무는 구축된 시스템을 통해 즉각 해결함으로써 시간을 절약할 수 있고, 언더라이팅 인력은 보다 전문적인 부문에 집중하도록 해야 할 것이다. 마지막으로, 비표준위험시장의 활성화를 위해서는 현재의 제약조건인 생명보험 상품개발을 세트형에서 조립형으로 전환하고, 재보험으로 위험을 분산하여 비표준위험의 인수를 증대하여야 할 것이다. 이와 더불어 언더라이팅 과정에서 얻어진 피보험자의 사정자료를 활용하여 고객에게 필요한 의료정보 등을 제공함으로써, 피보험자와 유대관계를 돈독히 하여 기존계약이 계속 유지되도록 하며, 추가계약이 이루어지도록 해야 할 것이다. 이상과 같은 비표준위험의 언더라이팅 개선방안이 보다 효과적으로 수행되고 발전하기 위해서는 통계축적 및 관리, 전문 언더라이터 양성, 전산을 이용한 언더라이팅 확대 등이 이루어져야 하므로 향후 이에 대한 집중적인 연구가 있어야 할 것이다.

• Management & Information Systems Review
• /
• v.39 no.2
• /
• pp.127-143
• /
• 2020

As customers' irrational, rude behaviors are often covered by media recently, the issue is becoming a more serious social issue. Workers' stress in the service industry is very severe because they have to face and interact with customers with rude behaviors in-person due to the nature of the job. As a result of customers' rude behaviors, workers even desire to leave their organization because they feel doubts about their job and have negative emotions such as unpleasantness, depression, and fear. Considering that customers' rude behaviors directly impact service industry workers' ability to offer proper service, it is necessary to have appropriate measures against their rude behaviors. This research examined the impact of customers' rude behaviors on service industry workers' emotional dissonance, its impact on job stress, and the impact of job stress on organizational deviance, life violations and creativity. The study also analyzed the moderating effects of stress management education in emotional dissonance and job stress relationship to device ways to manage job stress more positively. To collect data, the study conducted a survey on medical service workers in the customer service sector of large general hospitals and small or medium-sized hospitals in Busan, and the results were as follows. First, rude behaviors had a significant positive(+) effect on emotional dissonance, which had a significant positive(+) effect on job stress. Third, job stress had a significant positive(+) effect on both organizational deviance an life violations. Fourth, job stress had a negative(-) significant effect on creativity. Fifth, there was no moderating effect of stress management education in the relationship between emotional dissonance and job stress.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
• /
• v.47 no.3
• /
• pp.181-188
• /
• 2022

Objectives: The prevalence of diabetes mellitus was approximately 16% in populations of over age 30 years, and deaths from diabetes mellitus became the sixth most prevalent cause of death by disease. To assess the relationship between HbA1c and heavy metal level in blood and urine, targeted residents were evaluated in a vast steel industrial complex. Methods: We selected 414 subjects for analysis after applying the following exclusion criterion: 18 persons with diabetes mellitus. They took part in a questionnaire survey and underwent blood and urinary assessments. HbA1c and lead (Pb) level were measured in blood and, cadmium (Cd), inorganic arsenic (iAs) and mercury (Hg) were evaluated in urine. Two subgroups were divided by HbA1c 6.5%. Each subgroup was divided by 10th, 20th, 30th, 40th, 50th, 60th, 70th, 80th and 90th percentile levels of biological exposure index of the heavy metals for logistic regression. Results: Odd ratios have a tendency to increase as they go from the 90th to the 10th percentile of cadmium. However, lead, arsenic and mercury did not have significant relationships with HbA1c. In correction of age, region, gender and smoking history, a higher distribution in the subgroup with cadmium above 0.8318 ㎍/g creatinine (30th percentile) was demonstrated in the subgroup with HbA1c levels above the 6.5%, with an odds ratio of 5.26 (95% C.I. ; 1.44~19.17). Conclusion: This study found a significant correlation between urinary levels of cadmium and HbA1c in correction of several factors. It is meaningful that this outcome may be used as a basis for a study to establish the acceptable limit of urinary cadmium in Korea.

• 한국사회정책
• /
• v.25 no.4
• /
• pp.71-104
• /
• 2018

This paper adopts a distributive performance process model of in-work poverty based on labor markets, households, and welfare states and analyzes the 4-11 waves of the Korean Welfare Panel Study during 2008-15. Previous studies on in-work poverty have focused on the definitions and concepts of in-work poverty by analyzing employment and unemployment persistence and repetition dynamics, but rarely paid attention to institutional distributive performance. In this regard, this study preforms a stepwise analysis of labor markets, households, and welfare states as a process of income generation in labor markets, satisfaction of welfare needs and income pooling at households, and deduction of social security contribution and income tax as well as receipt of public transfer income at welfare states. Results of empirical analysis show that in-work poverty had been on increase during 2008-11, followed by a decrease between 2012-15. At labor market stages, full time status had the most prominent impact on in-work poverty process, while status by employment and contract type have generated a huge variation as well. At household stages, household work intensity and number of earners contributed to reduction of in-work poverty, but the relations did not seen to be straightforward. However, welfare state played little role in lifting employees out of in-work poverty. In terms of institutional distributive process, in-work poverty was prevalent in either household-welfare state stage or labor market-household-welfare stage. Non-vulnerable group in terms of in-risk poverty was around 80% of the sample during the period of analysis, the size of which has remained constant.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.43 no.10
• /
• pp.1467-1476
• /
• 2014

Recent studies have shown that insufficient or deficient vitamin D status may be linked to increased risk of depressive conditions or depression. The aim of this study was to review all available evidence on vitamin D, depression, and any association between them. Cross-sectional, case-control, and cohort studies have reported contradictory results. Some have reported that low levels of vitamin D may be associated with higher risk of depression or depressive symptoms while others reported that vitamin D status may not be related to depression. Recent clinical trials examining the effects of vitamin D supplementation on depression have also showed discrepant results. However, meta-analysis study results are consistent regarding the beneficial effects of vitamin D. Several mechanisms that account for these beneficial effects of vitamin D on depression have been reported but remain largely speculative. Vitamin D deficiency is very common, and prevalence of depression is increasing in the Asian population, especially females. However, limited literature is available on this population. Considering research results of a potential inverse association between vitamin D level and prevalence of depression, it is important to advance our understanding of the role of vitamin D in depression and conduct well-designed prospective trials in the Asian population.

• Journal of forensic and investigative science
• /
• v.3 no.1
• /
• pp.60-73
• /
• 2008

The purpose of Emergency Medical System(EMS) is what a patient returns to society with recovering mental tone in the shortest time as giving prompt and proper medical treatment to patient in emergency situation, and the Correctional Administration(CA) is purposed for the convict to return and settle down to society after release from prison in success as executing schooling, enlightenment activity, vocational training to convict who was quarantined from the society for the term of imprisonment. The EMS and CA will coincide each other which is reverting people to society in safety. This study aims to suggest the developmental program of EMS in correctional facilities through the cause of emergency situation, system, human resources, establishment, medical equipments, state of budget and the point issue for safety of victim who has many chances that is exposed to physical damage and disease because of particularity of lower culture in correctional facilities and the staff who works there. First, in the view of the correctional facility security system, a proper number of the emergency rescuers should be employed. Second, the effective transportation system along with some emergency medical equipment needs to be established. Third, the correctional officers and the prisoners should be learned the first-aid training which is realistic, practical and systematic. Fourth, the cooperative system should be established such as 1339 emergency medical information center in society. Fifth, the Ministry of Health and Welfare must increase EMS budget for correctional facilities.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
• /
• v.4 no.2
• /
• pp.224-239
• /
• 1994

In this study we examined several subjective symptoms in an exposed group and an unexposed group to perchloroethylene. The exposed group consists to 30 workers employed in 23 dry-cleaning establishments located in Chung Cheung Do, whereas the unexposed group consists of 42 officers employed in a certain university. This study was conducted from October, 1993 to March, 1994. Also we investigated personal exposure levels and area concentration of PCE, and performed hematological and biochemical examination in blood and urine samples from the exposed group. The results are : 1. The exposed group highly complains several subjective symptoms, particularly in neuropsychiatry, eye, respiratory system and digestive system, compared with the unexposed group. But complaint rates in the exposed group are not related with PCE exposure levels. 2. PCE exposure levels for all dry-cleaning establishment varied widely, from 0.18 to 37.58ppm. The mean exposure level for centers of chain was 16.85ppm, and for local laundries was 8.83ppm, while for self-service establishment it was 3.07ppm. Eighty three percent of the workers were exposed less than the half-level(25.0ppm) of the Korea 50.0ppm standard for eight-hour PCE exposure. Seventeen percent of them exceeded the half-level of the Korea TLV. 3. Statistical correlation exists between the work load(number of operation cycles of equipment and the mass of processed textiles) and the personal exposure levels to be observed. 4. In hematological examination the values of WBC, RBC, Hgb, Hct, MCV, MCH, MCHC and PLT in the exposed group were within normal ranges. In biochemical examination(GOT, GPT, ALP, U-A and LDH) most of the items were within normal ranges. From this surveys conducted on 23 dry-cleaning establishments, the complaint rates of the exposed group to PCE in several subjective symptoms were higher than those of the unexposed group, and PCE exposure levels in all dry-cleaning establishment were below the Koera standard 50.0ppm. In hematological and biochemical examination the significant abnormalities by occupational exposure to PCE were not observed. However, the workers employed in dry-cleaning establishments are always faced with risk, becauses they are also exposed to several organic solvents used to remove stains. Therefore, various measures to improve occupational environment in dry-cleaning establishment should be considered.