• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.91-100
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• 2011

Main motivation for this study was to identify the relationship between high-risk hospital jobs and their symptoms associated. This study has three objectives; 1) Evaluate major jobs of hospital workers based on Criterion(Notification number 2003-24 from Ministry of Labor in Korea) for high-risk musculoskeletal disorders(MSDs), 2) Relate each jobs in criterion and the hospital jobs considered in this study, 3) Relate each jobs in criterion and MSDs symptoms of hospital workers. A total 141 hospital jobs was evaluated. Specifically, a total 688 hospital workers participated in the questionnaire survey in this study. There were two most jobs belonged to the numbers 2 and 4 from criterion. Most hospital workers participated in this study thought that the numbers 1 and 2 from criterion were associated with their jobs. In terms of MSDs symptoms, the numbers 1 and 2 from criterion were associated with their jobs as well. Further study for hospital jobs should be focused on breaking down quantification levels of each numbers in the criterion due to its atypical and non-repetitive job characteristics of hospital jobs.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.126-133
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• 2017

Background: There are many mechanisms in which stress can lead to weight gain thus high a BMI. The endocrine and inflammatory pathway can directly increase abdominal adiposity. Another way in which stress leads to weight gain is through changes in health behaviors. The study aimed to investigate the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) among healthy students of Ahlia University, and to determine the relationship between the development of MSDs and academic stressors and body mass index. Methods: Self-administered questionnaires were distributed to 94 students aged 18-26 years who were enrolled at various Ahlia University colleges and met other inclusion criteria. The students responded to the standardized Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire and the modified College Student Stress Inventory regarding musculoskeletal symptoms and academic stressors. Height and weight measurements were also obtained to determine body mass index. Results: A total of 77.66% reported MSDs in one or more body part, with the prevalence being higher among women than among men. The 7-day prevalence of MSDs severe enough to interfere with activities of daily living was 60.64%, and 44.68% by female and male students, respectively. There was a significant relationship between academic stress and MSDs in the neck, shoulders, lower back, and hips, while the relationship between MSDs, and body mass index, academic stress, and grade point average was not significant. Conclusions: The prevalence of MSDs among Ahlia University students was found to be high. Apart from the positive correlation between academic stress and MSDs in certain body parts, other correlations were not significant.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.7-15
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• 2009

The objective of this study is to survey the working environmental conditions and musculoskeletal workload(DMQ) in red pepper farmers. 155 full-time farmers(males=91, females=64) lived in Chungnam and Jeonbuk participated in the study. To offer the fundamental data for agricultural improvement of red pepper farms, information about working farm conditions, health condition, musculoskeletal disorders(MSDs), labor intensity and musculoskeletal workload was obtained by questionnaire and interviews. The results are as follows: 1. The farmers reported sunlights, high temperature and cold/ draught as uncomfortable work environment. 2. Physical and mental fatigue in females is higher than that of males. 3. The prevalence rates of medical diagnosed diseases are higher in order of osteoarthritis, herniated nucleus pulposus(HNP), and chronic gastritis/gastric ulcer. 4. Prevalence rates of musculoskeletal symptoms more than standard 1 among the various pain areas are higher in order of low back, shoulders and knees. These results can be used practically for agricultural improvement of red pepper farms to prevent MSDs.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.79-88
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• 2017

The purpose of this study is to analyze the effects of personal, job, and health care characteristics of firefighters on musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and job stress. This survey was participated 591 firefighters in jeonnam and Busan city. The survey consisted of 1) personal, job, and health care characteristics measurement, 2) job stress measurement (KOSS, Korean Occupational Stress Scale), 3) musculoskeletal disorders symptoms mesurement. The analysis of the data was using SAS 9.1 Ver. The statistics analysis was performed the frequency, percentage, average, and standard deviation for each survey item. The Chi square analysis was performed to analyzed the effects of personal, job, and health care characteristics on MSDs and job stress. According to the results of the study on musculoskeletal disorders symptoms, 49.6% of the subjects perceived pain related to musculoskeletal diseases. The total score for job stress was 51.6 (SD 12.9), which was the highest 50% when compared to the Korean job stress standard (male). Age, department, work experience, working type, position, and sleeping time were found to affect musculoskeletal disorders and job stress.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.49-61
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• 2008

The objective of this study is to survey the risk factors of greenhouse vegetables farmers' work-related musculoskeletal disorders(MSDs). To offer the fundamental data for agricultural improvement of greenhouse vegetable farms, the questionnaire of MSDs and heath condition were carried out. A group of 736 workers(males=492, females=244) in 6 branches constitutes the population and database for the analysis between 2004 and 2005. The sample branch was chosen based on paper are watermelon, strawberry, tomato, melon, cucumber, lettuce. The results are as follows: 1. Smoking rates in cucumber and tomato is the highest. 2. Drinking rates in strawberry, cucumber and lettuce is the highest in males, watermelon and melon are the highest in females. 3. Regular exercise rates in melon are the highest. 4. Physical and mental fatigue in females is higher than that of males in most crops except melon. That of strawberry and tomato is the highest. 5. The prevalence rates of medical diagnosed diseases are higher in order of osteoarthritis, herniated nucleus pulposus(HNP), and hypertension. That of strawberry, melon, and cucumber is high in case of osteoarthritis; Strawberry, melon, and watermelon are high in case of HNP. 6. Prevalence rates of musculoskeletal symptoms among the various pain areas are higher in order of low back, knees, and shoulders. That of tomato and watermelon is high in case of low back; strawberry and tomato are high in case of knees. These results can be used practically for agricultural improvement of greenhouse vegetables farms to prevent MSDs.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.275-283
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• 2011

The purpose of this study is to investigate the performance status of the ligal examination of risk factors of musculoskeletal disorders(MSDs). The study was based on in-depth interviews with the persons in charge of the examination in 63 sampled companies, which are various in location, type of industry and size. The interviews were carried out based on detail questions as well as a predefined checklist. The main findings are as follows: 1) More than half of the companies did not properly comply with the laws in performing the examination of MSDs risk factors; 2) In about 60% of the companies, the examination has been carried out by their own persons; 3) 38% of the companies conducting the survey of musculoskeletal symptoms did not diagnosed musculoskeletal symptoms based on the survey; 4) Most companies performed the prevention activities for MSDs such as education/training, stretching, etc.; 5) It was revealed that the 11 high-risk tasks were not considered to be properly defined by the people in the industries, which results in some difficulties such as ambiguity in defining the 11 tasks and unit tasks; 6) The period of the examination of risk factors, classification of periodic and occupational examinations and legalization of employers' obligation for preventing MSDs are considered to be acceptable or desirable, while it was pointed out that regulations for the method of the risk assessment and the person who in charge of the examination need to be modified.

• Proceedings of the Safety Management and Science Conference
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• 2008.11a
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• pp.329-341
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• 2008

The psychosocial stress and musculoskeletal disorders(MSDs) have been one of major health problems for hospital workers. This study tried to understand the relationship between symptoms associated with MSDs and risk factors such as working posture, job stress, psychosocial stress and fatigue. A total number of 655 hospital workers participated in this study. Specifically, REBA was applied for evaluating working posture and a checklist prepared by KOSHA(Korean Occupational Safety and Health Agency) was used for symptom survey. A questionnaire from KOSHA was also used for collecting data associated with job stress, psychosocial stress and fatigue. All these data were formulated and modeled by path analysis which was one of major statistical tools in this study. Specifically, path analysis for the data we collected came up with several major findings. The risk scores from working posture based on REBA had indirect effects via fatigue factor(MFS) as well as direct effects on symptoms. The factors associated with job stress(KOSS) and psychosocial stress(PWI-SF) had significant effects on symptoms. Specifically, indirect effect of job stress factors via fatigue factors(MFS) had bigger than that of direct effect of job stress on symptom.

• Journal of environmental and Sanitary engineering
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• v.21 no.4 s.62
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• pp.19-28
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• 2006

The purpose of this study was to investigate the related factor for the prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms among 212 sewing worker. The survey was performed with self-administered questionnaire for the risk factors related to musculoskeletal disorders(MSDs) from August 5 to 7 in 2005. The prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms were 75.8% and the those of the local symptoms were 71.7 % for shoulder, 60.4 % for neck, 35.8 % for arm and 50.9 % for wrist. The risk factors related the self-reported MSDs had not shown in general characteristics. But, there was a significant difference between daily working hour and wrist, working speed and neck, the degree of satisfaction and wrist for work related factor. Also, it was shown the significant difference between chair height and neck, the height of sewing machine and wrist among the space below work station, neck, waist for the prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms. The significant correlation was shown for daily working hour and wrist, working speed and arm, work load and shoulder and the degree of satisfaction and arm for work related subjective symptom. Considering above results, it is suggested the ergonomic design be provided to working hour, the height of chair and work station as well as daily working hour even there is a significant difference for the prevalence of symptoms in each body part for sewing workers.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.371-382
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• 2014

Objectives: This study was undertaken in order to examine how musculoskeletal disorder(MSD) symptoms were affected by particular factors and then to explore control strategies to prevent MSDs in general hospital nurses. Materials: This, as part of a large study, was conducted using a set of information on literature review, questionnaire survey and focus group interview. It obtained prevalence and factors of MSD symptoms and examined how MSD symptoms were distributed and affected by the factors in nurses working at 15 general hospitals across Korea. The factors were personal factors, work organization, nursing tasks, physical factors and psychosocial factors. Results: A total of 501 nurses were determined as subjects. The highest MSD symptom prevalence was 61% for the shoulder, among body parts, followed by leg/feet(55%), low back(51%), neck(42%), wrist(38%), and elbow(21%). Prevalence for the whole body was 80%. Odds ratios ranged from 0.4 to 22.4 in logistic regression analyses. The symptoms were significantly attributed to factor variables such as body mass index, current health status, daily work time, nursing task, pooled-physical factors, ergonomic factors, work load, interpersonal conflict, and job insecurity. Conclusions: Two or more factor variables were significant, depending on body part, for MSD systems in the general hospital nurses. It was noticeable that physical factors, such as pooled-physical factors, ergonomic factors or work load, were selectively significant for MSD symptoms in all body parts, indicating that such information should be used for prevention of MSDs in the hospital sector.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.91-100
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• 2007

The purposes of this research are to survey work-related risk factors of musculoskeletal disorders(MSDs) in various departments and tasks at general hospitals in non-manufacturing sectors, and to use basic data derived from the survey results in preventing work-related MSDs in hospital workers. Investigation started in March of 2006 and continued for 6 months in 220 general hospitals at Seoul, Incheon, Kyeongi, and Kangwon area. Investigators visited and interviewed workers in hospitals to identify the presence of tasks of musculoskeletal burden, the investigation results of ergonomic risk factors required by the Occupational Safety and Health Law, statistical analysis from questionnaire for musculoskeletal symptoms, and major departments and tasks that have such risk factors. Twenty-seven percents of hospitals finished the investigation of ergonomic risk factors, and 69% did not do the investigation while remained 4% did not have such factors in their hospitals. The rank order of major departments that had such musculoskeletal burdens was kitchen rooms of 143, managing departments/computer rooms/dispensaries of 137, physical treatment rooms of 109, nursing departments of 96, radiological and clinical laboratories of 63. Eighteen hospitals that did not hold legal duties by the section 148 of labor minister decree practiced prevention programs of MSDs according to the labor-management cooperation. Nursing departments ranked in the first place for the numbers of musculoskeletal symptoms of 438. Managing departments/computer rooms/dispensaries, kitchen rooms, and medical treatment departments held 127, 52 and 45 symptoms, respectively. The magnitude order of physical symptom areas followed shoulder of 185, backs and waist of 166, hand wrists of 120, necks of 110, and legs/feet of 106. The departments and jobs that had major work-related ergonomic risks were patient transporting, central supplying, patient nursing (moving patients into wheel-chairs, changing of patient posture and sheet alteration), manual transporting, operation, and managing/computer departments.