• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.348-354
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• 2011

Objectives: This cross-sectional study was performed in the Dental School of Prince of Songkla University to ascertain noise exposure of dentists, dental assistants, and laboratory technicians. A noise spectral analysis was taken to illustrate the spectra of dental devices. Methods: A noise evaluation was performed to measure the noise level at dental clinics and one dental laboratory from May to December 2010. Noise spectral data of dental devices were taken during dental practices at the dental services clinic and at the dental laboratory. A noise dosimeter was set following the Occupational Safety and Health Administration criteria and then attached to the subjects' collar to record personal noise dose exposure during working periods. Results: The peaks of the noise spectrum of dental instruments were at 1,000, 4,000, and 8,000 Hz which depended on the type of instrument. The differences in working areas and job positions had an influence on the level of noise exposure (p < 0.01). Noise measurement in the personal hearing zone found that the laboratory technicians were exposed to the highest impulsive noise levels (137.1 dBC). The dentists and dental assistants who worked at a pedodontic clinic had the highest percent noise dose (4.60 ${\pm}$ 3.59%). In the working areas, the 8-hour time-weighted average of noise levels ranged between 49.7-58.1 dBA while the noisiest working area was the dental laboratory. Conclusion: Dental personnel are exposed to noise intensities lower than occupational exposure limits. Therefore, these dental personnel may not experience a noise-induced hearing loss.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.599-610
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• 2013

This study was carried out to analyze the effect of a diet program for adult women on weight loss, BMI, eating habits, sleeping habits, health related indices. The subjects was 415 participants of the 10 weeks (20 time participation program). The data was collected by basic somatometry and HRV (Heart Rate Variability) / APG (Accelerated Plethysmograph) Analyzer. The average age, height, weight and BMI were 28.6 years, 162.1 cm, 62.8 kg and 23.9 $kg/m^2$, respectively. Their body types by BMI were under weight (1.2%), normal (45.8%), overweight (24.8%), mild obesity (22.7%) and obesity (5.5%). There were significant reductions of average weight (4.6 kg) and average BMI (1.75 $kg/m^2$) on the 10th week. There were positive changes in vascular age (50.4%), stress index (44.6%), fatigue index (43.9%), health index (54.5%) of the subjects during the program. There was a meaningful difference of the average variation for the vascular age, stress index, fatigue index, and health index between two groups; one improving the eating habit and the other did not (p<0.05), and also there was a meaningful difference of the average variation for the fatigue index in both groups improving the sleeping habit (p<0.05), but was not a meaningful difference of the average variation for the vascular age, stress index, and health index between two groups. There was a meaningful difference of the average variation for the vascular age, stress index, fatigue index, and health index between two groups improving both eating and sleeping habit (p<0.05). In conclusion, the weight loss program was effective on the weight loss and BMI reduction and health related indices.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.811-814
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• 2015

Background: North East India has a high prevalence of tobacco consumption, but only few individuals seek help for tobacco cessation. Impact of community based tobacco cessation intervention in this part needs more research. Materials and Methods: Retrospective analysis was done on the dataset from a community-based tobacco cessation intervention pilot project conducted in Guwahati metro during 2009-10. Subjects, both male and female tobacco users, age > 15 years, permanent residents of these blocks giving consent were included in the study. Results: The sample was 800 tobacco users, of whom 25% visited any health care provider during last 12 months and 3% received tobacco cessation advice. An 18% quit rate was observed at six weeks follow up, more than the National average, with a 47% quit rate at eight months, while 52% of subjects reduced use. Conclusions: Higher tobacco quit rate and reduced tobacco use, no loss to follow up and negligible relapse was observed with this community based intervention design. Such designs should be given more emphasis for implementation in specified communities with very high tobacco consumption rates, cultural acceptance of tobacco and less motivation towards quitting.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.41-49
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• 2023

Objectives: To obtain audiologic basic data to diagnose the noise induced hearing loss of workers in fisheries. Methods: The charts of the referred fishermen with noise induced hearing loss from November 2022 to February 2023 at a general hospital were retrospectively reviewed. Pure tone audiometry, speech audiometry, auditory brainstem response test and auditory steady state response test were conducted. Results: All of them were men over 60 years of age, and the average duration of exposure to noise was 38.9 ± 10.8 years, and the average symptom duration of hearing loss was 13.4 ± 4.3 years. Although the hearing thresholds in the high frequencies were higher than thresholds in the low frequencies, the audiogram showed a down-sloping pattern without rebound at 8 kHz. 10.5% of the cases had thresholds greater than 75 dB in high frequencies, but 57.9% had thresholds greater than 40 dB in low frequencies. Other hearing test results of fishermen were similar to those of general noise-induced hearing loss. Conclusions: Although the fishermen were exposed to noise for a long time, they recognized hearing loss late. The hearing threshold in lower frequencies of the fishermen was higher than expected. Further studies will be needed to analyze the audiologic characteristics of noise-induced hearing loss of the fishermen after confirming noise exposure by conducting a survey on the working environment, such as the noise level and working hours.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Railway
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• v.10 no.3 s.40
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• pp.278-283
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• 2007

Community noise, especially a rail traffic noise has been serious social issues in Korea. Our society needs practical tools to reduce noise levels for public who live near the railway lines. This paper proposes a noise reducer for railway traffic noise. At the beginning, various types of reducers are discussed, with the advantages and disadvantages with respect to acoustical phenomena. Then, the acoustic effects are discussed based on an insertion loss measurement. After several types of reduces are installed at fields, the noise level is monitored with and without the reducer. The result shows that the proper selection of reducers affects the noise level by 6 dB. The statistics of the mean and a standard deviation turns out to be 3.2 dB and 0.8 dB, respectively. Noise reducers are strongly recommended for the place where apartments are densely constructed alone the railway. Installation of noise reducers seems to be an effective and practical solution for the community traffic noise reduction.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.37-45
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• 2023

PURPOSE: The coexistence of age-related skeletal muscle mass loss and obesity poses a substantial health risk for individuals because it combines the detrimental effects of muscle mass reduction associated with aging and the health complications from obesity. This study aimed to identify the incidence rate and key influencing elements among Korean men in their thirties. METHODS: A cross-sectional study involving 934 male participants was performed using complex sampling analysis. Various influencing elements were investigated, including age, height, weight, body mass index, waist circumference, skeletal muscle mass index, smoking and drinking behaviors, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, fasting glucose levels, triglyceride, and cholesterol levels. RESULTS: The incidence rate was 2.90%. The key influencing elements were age, height, weight, body mass index, waist circumference, skeletal muscle index, systolic blood pressure, fasting glucose, triglyceride, and total cholesterol (p < .05). CONCLUSION: This study identified the incidence rate and key influencing element for CALSMO among Korean younger community-dwelling men.

• International Journal of Advanced Culture Technology
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.19-25
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• 2017

The research is to identify social networks of problems that have an influence on the quality of ageing people's lives by using social network analysis, based on the premise that there are differences in networks of ageing problems in urban and rural areas. From analyzing network of ageing people's problems using NodeXL, vertices in the networks of both urban and rural areas are well-connected. For urban areas, financial poverty is the core problem related to the quality of life. It has direct connections with illness and health, family responsibility, housing, role loss in community, and employment, which have positive or negative interactions with the quality of older people's lives. For rural areas, on the other hand, role loss in community is the major problem. It has direct connections with the elderly abuse, financial poverty, leisure activity, divorce, isolation and loneliness from society, education, and suicide. As a result, the research shows that the problems of ageing people have strong linkages and interactive effects with a structure of network, and the networks are different depending on types of places for living.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.172-179
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• 2018

Objectives: To review the status of newborn hearing screening (NHS) and to investigate the effect of the examiners on NHS tests to help the quality control of NHS at a general hospital in a city. Methods: The charts of newborns from January 2015 to March 2016 and from August 2016 to October 2017 were retrospectively reviewed. We compared the results of tests performed by several examiners(group 1) with those performed by one audiologist (group 2) using the same automated auditory brainstem response test. Results: The screening rate and referral rate were not significantly different between group 1 and group 2. The confirmatory test rate was higher in the group 2, but it was not significant. In group 1, the number of tests performed 3 or more times in one ear at one time was significantly higher. The number of tests performed in only one ear at one time was higher in group 2. The screening rate within one month after birth was 64.21%, referral rate was 7.32%, confirmatory test rate within 3 months after birth was 21.74%, and the prevalence of hearing loss was 1.46%. Conclusions: There was no significant difference of results depending on the examiners. In order to make proper screening test, it is necessary to periodically educate the examiner and to instruct the examiner by the supervisor doctors.

• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.637-653
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• 2011

Over the last 20 years, women's development has been ambiguous. According to Freud, the mother-daughter relationship has been considered as an essential component of women's development. This study investigated how the mourning experience from daughters who were separated from their mothers by death offers any meaningful idea to women's life. For Hermeneutic phenomenology, researchers collected data from three women who have lost their mothers through in-depth interviews and drawing pictures with each of them. As a result, this study found that daughters started to fight with their mothers' death from the moment when they were informed. They also experienced a symbolic death until the moment of their mothers' death and even after the confirmation of their mothers' death. Daughters experienced symbolic death, both emotionally and physically as well as familiar experiences with their mothers through the repeated confirmation of death. However, these experiences encouraged daughters to adapt to the reality that was the absence of their mothers through the processes such as "Reflection," "Living in the Center of My life," and "Another Embrace." Through this new perspective, attempts, and relationships, daughters form a new identity and experience 'rebirth'. These daughters' changes were paradoxically strengthened through their resistances towards changes of reformation of themselves.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.29 no.11
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• pp.1079-1088
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• 2020

The Shinbulsan wetland, located in Yangsan-si, Gyeongsangnam-do, South Korea, was designated as a conservation area in 2004. The area was monitored from 2015 to 2019 to investigate the community characteristics and changes of benthic macroinvertebrates. Between 2015 and 2016, several insects of the orders Ephemeroptera, Odonata, and Hemiptera were identified, but their numbers decreased significantly in 2017 and 2018 following the loss and recovery of the moor owing to drought. During this period, there were relatively more insects of the order Diptera. Within this order, three functional feeding groups, gathering-collectors, plant-piercers, and predators were investigated. Predator species were the most abundant (83.3%), whereas gathering-collectors accounted for the largest proportion of individual insects (50.5%). Between 2015 and 2016, when the moors were stable, groups I and III had the highest community stability. After 2017, when the moors had dried up, group III effectively disappeared because of its lower relative resistance and resilience, and only taxa belonging to group I remained. The results of this study indicate that benthic macroinvertebrates that adapt early during moor formation inhabit the Shinbulsan wetland.