• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.18-29
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• 2000

Back injury is frequent in industry workers and is a common cause of productivity loss. It has been reported that the insured of industrial accident insurance tend to stay in hospital longer than that of other types of insurance. The purpose of this study was to identify factors affecting the length of hospital stay for the treatment of back injury in the workers under industrial accident insurance. The results of this study help insurers develop reasonable industrial accident insurance policy for back injury claims and prevention strategies of work-related back injury. A total of 2,949 patients whose industrial accident insurance claim has been approved for the treatment of work-related back injury from January to December 1999 were included in this study. Relationship between the length of hospital stay and characteristics of patient, work place, back injury, and hospital were assessed using ANOVA, t-test, simple linear regression and multiple resgression. The major findings of this study are as follows : 1. The average length of hospital stay(LOS) was 91.82 days, respectively. 2. Characteristics of Patient LOS of male patients was longer than that of female patients, there was positive correlation between age and LOS and between average wage and LOS. Working period was negatively correlated with LOS. Distance from resident to hospital was positively correlated with LOS and LOS was significantly different dependign on type of duty. 3. Characteristics of Work Place LOS was significantly different depending on types of industry and geographical region of work place. Size of work place was positively correlated with LOS. 4. Characteristics of Back Injury Occupational back pain required shorter LOS compared with back injury due to electric shock. Number of concomitant illnesses and severity of disability were positively correlated with LOS. 5. Characteristics of Hospital Patients treated in community hospitals required significantly longer LOS. Treatment in hospitals with rehabilitation program required decreased LOS. This was more prominent as number of physicians specialized in rehabilitation. 6. Multiple regression analysis revealed that distance form resident to hospital, geographical region of work place, size of work place, number of concomitant illnesses, severity of disability, and type of hospital were factors affecting LOS.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.48-58
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• 2004

Purpose: To identify the factors which are related to compensated low back pain disability. These include individual. workplace. economic and injury factors. Method: Data collection was performed at 13 office of Korea Labor Welfare Corporation and 29 hospitals from 23th June to 4th August 2003. This study used 212 workers with compensated low back pain. Result: From the bivariate analysis, industry kind, type of employment, rest schedule, Job control, compensation, payment of company, diagnosis, cause of occupational injury, duration of compensated low back pain, pattern of pain, operation, other injury is related to low back pain disability. From the multiple regression analysis, rest schedule, compensation, diagnosis, pattern of pain, other injury have statistically significant effect on the low back pain disability. Conclusion: In order to reduce low back pain disability, occupational rehabilitation nursing intervention is necessary to workers with compensated low back pain.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.15-31
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• 2000

The aim was to evaluate the prevailing ergonomic and psychosocial conditions regarding low back injury in an automobile assembly system. This study consisted of two parts. In the first part of the study, analytic biomechanical model and NIOSH guidelines were applied to evaluate risk levels of low back injury for automobile assembly jobs. Total of 246 workers were analysed. There were 20 jobs having greater back compressive forces than 300kg at L5/S1. Also, there were 44 jobs over Action Limit with respect to 1981 NIOSH guidelines. This might in part be explained by the ergonomic conditions of the company analysed generally being good, with a relatively low duration of 'combined' extreme work posture. The relationship between psychosocial factors and low back injury was examined in the second part of the study. It has recently been recognized that overall reaction to working conditions was influenced by a range of factors, some of which were physical and some psychosocial. The psychosocial environment surrounding the work place may contribute to the perception of risk and eventual ill-health. A battery of questionnaires concerning the psychosocial stress based on PWI(Psychosocial Well-being Index) and musculoskeletal pain symptoms at low back was completed by 246 workers at the same plant. Results showed that 207 out 246 workers experienced the symptoms and 27 workers were diagnosed as patients. Two groups(low stressed, high stressed) based on PWI score had no significant relationships with both symptoms and results of diagnosis. However, sensitivities for symptoms and diagnosis by PWI were 91.3% and 92.6% respectively. Finally, relationships between physical work load and psychosocial stress were analysed. Specifically, some postural factors {vertical deviation angle of forearm, horizontal deviation angle of upperarm, vertical deviation angle of thigh, etc) were highly correlated with psychosocial stress. The results illustrated that PWI scores were associated with some physical workloads. However, psychosocial stress levels couldn't be well related with the pain symptom as well as the actual incidence of low back injury since pain or discomfort regarding low back injury were more complex than that of other musculoskeletal disorders.

• Journal of Korean Society of Industrial and Systems Engineering
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• v.15 no.26
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• pp.125-136
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• 1992

Primary prevention of low back injury in industry has focused on assessing the person's ability to perform physical labor. If the job to be performed is known to require lifting and moving of materials which could stress the low back, then special consideration is given to the health and functional capability of the person, s back. The major pursuit in lifting task of research is to provide objective criteria based upon all of the relevant mechanical parameters which describe both man art task so as to minimize the probabilities of injury within the economic constraints of each organization. The purpose of this study is to predict the back compression of persons asked to lift objects while assuming different position by computer simulation. The primary result of this study is that the incidence of low back injury is correlated with higher lifting strenth requirements as determined by assessment of both the location and magnitude of the load lifted. It is, therefore, recommended that load lifting be considered potentially hazardous, and the action limit and the maximum permissiable limit be used to guide corrective action.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.40-52
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• 2000

The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevailing ergonomic conditions regarding low back injury in an assembly factory, In this study, analytic biomechanical model and NIOSH guidelines were applied to evaluate risk levels of low back injury for automobile assembly jobs. Total of 246 workers were analysed. There were 10 jobs with greater back compressive forces than 350kg at L5/S1. Also there were 44 jobs over Action Limit in terms of 1981 NIOSH guidelines. This could in part be explained by the ergonomic conditions of the companys analysed as not hazardous, with a relatively low duration of 'combined' extreme work posture. However, more ergonomic intervention could be done based on those results.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Automotive Engineers
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.130-138
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• 2000

The position of the automobile seat back is very important for the neck injury in the rear-end collisions. The effects of the position have been evaluated experimentally. A sled simulator is utilized with a velocity of 33 km/h. The position is varied by the angle of seat back from 25 to 65 degrees. All the configurations of the seat are fixed except the angle. The neck injuries are calculated by the equations accepted in the industries. Also, the sled tests with other velocities are carried out for the comparison study. Using the results of the test, the effects of seat back strength are discussed to minimize the occupant neck injury in rear end collisions.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.186-196
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• 2007

Background : The aim of this study was to confirm the risk factors for low back pain and injury to improve the prevention and treatment of lower back pain. Materials and Methods : An epidemiologic study of low back pain and injury was performed with questionnaires distributed to 471 women working at Yeungnam university hospital. The differences in low back pain and injuries among various hospital departments were analyzed by a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and the relevant factors included in the questionnaire were determined by a factor analysis. Results : The frequency of low back pain in women in the department of diet and in the maintenance department was higher than among the other departments. The frequency of low back pain was mainly related to the frequency of psychosomatic symptoms. In addition, the low back pain was partially related to the frequency of psychosomatic symptoms and partially related to the frequency of pushing during the workday. The degree of disability from low back pain was increased by lifting and hard physical work and was related to the frequency of psychosomatic symptoms and the degree of work dissatisfaction. The frequency of low back injury was increased by increased standing time during work and hard physical work. The frequency of low back injury was related to advancing age and in part to psychosomatic symptoms. Conclusion : Lower back pain and its associated complications are related to psychosomatic factors and type of work. Lower back injury is related to physiological factors such as age. For the prevention and treatment of lower back pain, a multidisciplinary approach is required.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.222-228
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• 2023

Objective: Training-related injuries and attrition put an additional burden on police and military institutions. Preventing and minimizing musculoskeletal injuries is the primary concern of the Abu Dhabi Police. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the correlation between functional movement screen, lower-limb strength, Y-balance test, grip strength and vertical jump and the incidence of musculoskeletal injuries among Abu Dhabi police recruits. Design: Observational analytical study. Methods: An observational study was conducted on 400 male police recruits of Abu Dhabi Police Academy. Physical performance was assessed before the 16-weeks basic police training. Spearman's correlation evaluated the correlation between the performance parameters and the outcome measures and logistic regression predicted the risk factors associated with musculoskeletal injuries. Results: 149 (34.4%) participants reported at least one injury during the basic police training. Comparison between injured and non-injured participants showed significant difference in mean right Y-balance, back-leg-chest dynamometer, and vertical jump (p=0.02, p=0.02, and p=0.04, respectively). Spearman's correlation showed a significant negative correlation between risk of injury and back-leg-chest dynamometer and right Y balance (ρ= -0.11, p=0.03). Logistic regression showed that back-leg-chest dynamometer and right Y balance were significant predictors of injury (p =.036 and p=0.037; Odds ratio=0.96; 95% CI (0.92, 0.99) and Odds ratio=0.99; 95% CI (0.98,0.99). Conclusions: Our findings suggest functional movement screen and grip strength may not independently predict injury rates, balance and lower-limb strength needs to be considered in injury prevention strategies to reduce musculoskeletal injuries.

• Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.163-172
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• 2003

Background and Purpose. Physical therapists are at risk for work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs). Little understand the characteristics of work in physical therapist or the effort they take to prevent injury. The purpose of this study was to investigate the characteristics of work in physical therapist and the efforts for prevent injury Subjects. Standardized questionnaire was administered to 103 physical therapist in Pusan association. Methods. An questionnaire was given to each subject. Questions investigated the characteristics of work in physical therapist, efforts and caring of injury prevention. Chi-square Test used to assess the association of general characteristics with the characteristics of work in physical therapist. AVONA and T-test used to assess the association of efforts of prevent injury in independent variable Results. Physical therapist was reported a higher prevalence of WMSDs in most body areas. These attributes sometimes resulted in behaviors that contributed to the development of their WMSDs.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.29 no.2 s.53
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• pp.347-357
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• 1996

Although occupational low back pain accounts for $20\sim40%$ of all occupational illness and injury, there are limited numbers of studies regarding the effectiveness of back school program. The objective of this study was to evaluate the economic benefit of back school program for early return to work of occupational low back pain patients in the current occupational injury compensation and management system. The cost-benefit analysis in this study was conducted to evaluate the relative magnitude of benefit to cost. The total cost was estimated by calculating the value of components in back school program according to governmental budget protocol. The back school program was consisted of three major approaches, pain center, work-hardening program and funcional restoration program and each of components had various facilities and experts. The total amount of cost was estimated as 250,866,220 won per year. The most promising type of back school program were quite intensive (a 3 to 5-week stay in a specialized center), therefore, if we adopted the 5-week stay course, 10 courses could be held in a year. Following to the medical act, 20 patients per doctor could participate in a each course, ie, total 200 patients in a year. As a result, we could estimate the cost of 1,254,331 won a patient. We estimated the benefit by using data of a few local labor offices about average medical treatment beneficiary and off-duty beneficiary of 46 occupational low back pain patients in 1994. Ullman and Larsson (1977) mentioned that the group of chronic low back pain patients who participated in back school program needed less time to recover by 48.4% of beneficiary duration. And in the trying to estimate the benefit, we asked 10 rehabilitation board certificate doctors about reduction proportion of treatment cost by introducing back school program. The answered reduction proportions were in the range of $30\sim45%$, average 39%. As a final result, we could see that the introduction of back school program in treatment of chronic occupational low back pain patients could produce the benefit to cost ratio as 3.90 and 6.28. And we could conclude that the introduction of back school program was beneficial to current occupational injury compensation and management system.