• Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
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• v.35
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• pp.38.1-38.10
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• 2023

Background: Hearing loss (HL) is linked to an elevated risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). The pathogeneses of HL and CVD commonly involve inflammatory responses. Previous studies investigated elevated levels of inflammatory biomarkers in subjects with HL, however, their findings did not demonstrate statistical significance. In our cross-sectional and longitudinal study, we investigated the correlation between HL and increased high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) levels to determine how HL is associated with CVDs. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study with workers aged over 18 years who underwent health check-ups at our institution between 2012 and 2018 (n = 566,507), followed by conducting a longitudinal study of workers aged > 18 who underwent health checkups at least twice at our institution between 2012 and 2018 (n = 173,794). The definition of HL was as an average threshold of ≥ 20 dB in pure-tone air conduction at 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 kHz in both ears. The incidence of increased hsCRP levels throughout the follow-up period was defined as a level exceeding 3 mg/L. Logistic regression and generalized estimating equations were performed to estimate the risk of increased hsCRP levels according to the occurrence of HL in groups stratified by age. Results: In the cross-sectional study, the multivariate-adjusted odds ratio (OR) was 1.17 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.02-1.34); the OR was 0.99 (95% CI: 0.80-1.22) in those under 40 and 1.28 (1.08-1.53) in those over 40. In the longitudinal study, the multivariable-adjusted OR was 1.05 (95% CI: 0.92-1.19); the OR was 1.10 (95% CI: 0.90-1.35) in those under 40 and 1.20 (1.01-1.43) in those over 40. Conclusions: This cross-sectional and longitudinal study identified an association between HL and increased hsCRP levels in workers aged over 40 years.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.81-90
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• 2006

As aging society makes rapid progress, various social problems arise. The drop of productive labor and the increase of welfare cost can be taken as examples. From this point of view, a use of aged labor is a matter of great Important to national productivity improvement. But, the participation rate of the aged in economical activity amounts to 49.8 percent and their unemployment rate does 2.1 percent. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the deterioration of skill and the lowering of adaption to new working environments due to aging. Since the aging effect is closely related to worker's productivity, it should be properly measured and analyzed. The coordination tester is used to find out activity limitations. Experimental results show that the expert skill of the workers can be improved through the effective of their experience. Therefore we can say that some operation is not influenced by aging.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.55-60
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• 2022

The effect of motion taping on the grasping power of the wrist is investigated and here Based on the data obtained from the This study was conducted to provide a theoretical background for the study. Motion taping was performed on the wrist for middle-aged people between 50s and 60s, and the change in wrist gripping power through an electronic dynamometer was tested. According to the wrist grip test results, it was investigated that the application of motion taping has a great effect on the gripping power of the wrist. It is hoped that motion taping will be a tool to reduce musculoskeletal industrial accidents, and it will be helpful to improve the quality of life of workers by reducing the labor intensity or softening the wrist through motion taping.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.312-329
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• 2004

This study was examined 718 workers who had consistent blood pressure results in 2001 and 2002 general health examinations that were held at a work places managed by a health care agency in Seoul. Significant results are found as follows by analysing SPSS 11.0 on the result of self-recorded questionnaires investigated from Mar 1, 2003 to April 30, 2003. 1. A sampled healthy group and a sampled unhealthy group had significant differences in four variables out of possible nineteens that are sex, age, marriage and occupation. The unhealthy group had more males than females, more aged (over 50 years old) than youngers (under 50 years old), more married than singles, more manufacturing workers than non-manufacturing workers. In the case of systolic blood pressure, as the healthy group had 16.52mmHg while that of the other group had 149. 58mmHg, 33.06mmHg of difference between those groups were detected. In the case of diastolic blood pressure, 74.93mmHg of the healthy group and 96.53mmHg of the unhealthy group yielded 21.60mmHg of difference between them. This result implies that a guidance of health care is required to be aware of 20-30mmHg volatility in blood pressure rate or to understand and treat properly own blood pressure. as it is difficult to detect hypertension in early stage due to no initial symptom. According to the result. an establishment of management system of workers, companies and health care agencies is required for consist health care. 2. In terms of risky habits to health, the unhealthy group had more proportion of past smokers, over-twice-a-week drinkers, people with higher obesity rate. However, in terms of excercise, the proportion of regularly exercising people is higher in the unhealthy group while that of non-exercising people is higher in the healthy group. On the other hand. the average grade of health practicing behaviour in two groups are not significantly different as the health group had 3.00 out of possible 6.00 while the other had 3.10. This result means that as workers are not interested in health practicing behaviour. health promoting programmes must be developed in such a way of various method of motivations and incentives. Particularly this implies that distortional objectives of exercises should be readjusted through health guidance. 3. Systolic blood pressure in the healthy group can be explained by sex and the obesity rate while that in the unhealthy group can be explained by subjective health awareness and the obesity. Diastolic blood pressure in the healthy group can be explained by sex and the obesity rate like the former. The obesity rate was significant variable affecting the blood pressure of both groups, and particularly the effect to the unhealthy group was remarkably higher than that to the healthy group. Therefore, this research identified that the health care on the blood pressure of workers is not only limited to hypertension patients, but also extended to all workers. In order for consistent care, an establishment of management system of workers, companies and health care agencies is required.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.319-334
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• 1995

To investigate the risk factors of low back pain, an epidemiological study was carried out among male workers aged 20-55 employed in an automobile industry in Korea during the time period from February 1993 to October 1995. Workers participated to this study were divided into low back pain group(LBP) and control group, according to the self-reports by written questionnaires. General characteristics, medical history, work related factors, fatigue, and MMPI were compared between two groups. To clarify the relationship between job related low back pain and radiologic features of lumbar spine, radiographic study was carried out. The resultant data were processed for $x^2-test$, t-test, and stepwise logistic regression to confirm the adjusted odds ratios. The results were as follows: 1. History of back disease, lifting and carrying work, excessive physical fatigue, and weakend back strength of individual workers were directly associated with low back pain. Odd ratios of these 4 risk factors of low back pain were 5.07, 3.34, 1.49, and 1.22 respectively. 2. The frequency of low back pain history was significantly higher in LBP group. 3. Back muscle strength of lumbar spine of LBP group were significantly lower than control group. 4. The workers in LBP group revealed high fatigue symptoms. 5. In MMPI test LBP group showed higher scales in hypochondriasis, depression, hysteria, psychopathic deviate, paranoia, psychasthenia, schizophrenia, and hypomania. 6. LBP group were more frequently involved in lifting and carrying, working in awkward position, bending, twisting and using lower extremities. 7. LBP group were exposed more to vibration during working. 8. In the Analysis of radiographs of lumbar spine, Jacob's line not crossing fourth lumhar disc space, transitional vertebrae and lumbar displacement more than 4.4mm in standing lateral view were more frequently observed in LBP group than control group. Through these results, it is concluded that identification of previous history of back problem, change of work or working environment for workers with previous back problem and measures to relieve both physical and psychological fatigue of the workers are required for optimal management of work-related back problems among workers. In the present study, several results were different from the previous reports: Jacob's line not corssing fourth lumbar disc space, lumbarization, and vertebral slipping (spondylolisthesis) more than 4.4mm are related to backache. Meticulous studies are required to elucidate the difference.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.350-362
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• 2019

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of job characteristics and health on accident experience by analyzing the data of transportation workers according to age. The analysis used data from 'the fourth Korean Working Conditions Survey(KWCS)'. A total of 1,997 transport workers data were finally analyzed, and correlation analysis, crossover analysis and logistic regression analysis were performed. It was confirmed that there was no correlation between the age of the transport workers and the accident experience. In the relationship between the characteristics of transportation workers and the experience of the accident, it was found that, in the case of older workers, there was a significant effect in the order of 'at mistake someone else hurt', 'musculoskeletal problem', 'cardiovascular problem' and 'repetitive movements of hands or arms', the model explaining power was 56.9%(p <.01). In the case of non-older workers, it was found that 'depression and anxiety disorder', 'relationship between job and safety', 'at mistake someone else hurt' and 'labor union', the model explaining power was 21.8%(p <.01). Therefore, in order to promote prevent accidents of transportation workers in future, it is necessary to consider various variables such as health and job characteristics besides age.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.329-337
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• 2023

The purpose of this study is to explore the standards and directions of professional competency and proficiency of social workers in Korea through a review of British cases. In particular, in the face of a super-aged society, this study aimed to improve the proficiency of social workers in the field of elderly welfare in Korea by examining the complacency and proficiency standards of the British Association of Social Workers and the Health Care Professionals Council related to the care of the elderly. With the structure of a Professional Capabilities Framework, the UK promotes the acquisition of competency-based qualifications by specifically presenting the competency of social workers at each stage of qualification. In addition, general and detailed standards of proficiency of social workers in the care field are presented at each qualification stage. In order to improve the competence and proficiency of Korean social workers through a case study in the UK, this study presented the need for a standard that connects "common competencies, professional competencies, and proficiency of social welfare professionals." This study also suggested the necessity of the role of Social Welfare Education Association and Association of Social Workers for this purpose

• Journal of Family Resource Management and Policy Review
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.39-56
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• 2013

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of the resilience of families of middle-aged married men upon the perception of family stress. The subjects were 301 married men age 40.54 living in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province, Korea. Participants were selected using a purposive sampling method and a convenience sampling method. The data were statistically processed using the SPSS 18.0 program. First, participants who perceived family stress less and had higher family resilience tended to be better educated, have higher average family incomes, have permanent employment, be religious, and have no experience of unemployment. Participants who had low-paying, physical labor-based jobs or who were contract workers perceived family stress more and had lower family resilience. Second, among the variables that affected family resilience, those that most influenced the perceptual extent of family stress were the sense of belief system's family control, having a positive perspective, flexibility with regard to morality, religion, and organizational patterns, connectivity, family resources, communication-oriented mutual cooperative problem-solving, and emotional response. Third, the influence of family resilience upon the perception of family stress measured at 44.2% based on regression analysis and was statistically significant (F=4.606, ***p<.001).

• International Journal of Advanced Culture Technology
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.28-33
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• 2022

This study aims to investigate factors that affect elderly poverty based on a comprehensive and universal perspective, suggesting some alternatives for improving the poverty rate of the elderly. The comprehensive and universal approach to the poverty of the aged that this study attempts can give a better understanding of the elderly poverty beyond the contribution of the existing literature, with the research model including individual, family, labor, and income factors as the causes of old-age poverty from the comprehensive and universal perspective on the causes of poverty of the elderly. In addition, the study attempts to input variants of variables into the equation for the causes of elderly poverty by using panel data from the 8th Korean Retirement and Income Study. This study employs decision tree analysis to determine the cause of the poverty of the elderly using CHAID. The decision tree analysis shows that the most vital variable affecting elderly poverty is making income. For the poor elderly without earned income, public pensions, educational careers, and residential areas influence elderly poverty, but for the poor elderly with earned income, wage earners and gender are variables that affect poverty. This study suggests some alternatives to improve the poverty rate of the aged. The government should create a better working environment such as senior re-employment for old people to be able to participate in economic activities, improve public pension or social security for workers with unfavorable conditions for public security of old age, and give companies that create employment of the aged diverse incentives.

• Proceedings of the ESK Conference
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• 1992.10a
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• pp.113-120
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• 1992

In this paper, a mathematical model of learning curve is proposed to study the finger's reaction time. The model is a logarithmic linear type which represents a learning curve appropriately, and parameters are estimated by the linear. The learning coefficient and percentage of a reaction time can be easily computed in the mathematical model. This quantitative approach provides an important information to be used for the working capability qualification for re-employment as well as for the adaptability estimation of aged workers.