• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.202-212
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• 2021

Objectives: The reproductive health of female workers has been extensively investigated in South Korea and other countries worldwide. However, few studies have discussed the reproductive health of male workers. In this study, we reviewed the recent literature that reports on the effects of occupational exposure on the reproductive health of male workers and the health of their children. Methods: In May 2020 we used the PubMed search engine to search the literature over the last 10 years and chose case-control, cohort, and cross-sectional studies and reviews. We selected epidemiological studies that investigated the association between pre-pregnant occupational exposure and the reproductive health of male workers and the health of their children. We excluded case reports, non-epidemiological studies (animal experiments, cellular-level experiments, and similar articles), and studies that described postnatal occupational exposure. Results: We eventually selected 23 studies. The studies that included exclusively male workers reported that those employed in the agricultural sector or those exposed to pesticides showed lower blood levels of reproductive hormones and a high risk of lympho-hematopoietic system cancer in their children. Male workers exposed to complex organic solvents and organic compounds showed a high risk of poor semen quality, increased time to pregnancy, decreased blood levels of reproductive hormones, and a high risk of lympho-hematopoietic system cancer in their children. Male workers employed in occupations that involved significant social contact, or in the leather and livestock industries, and in occupations with high levels of exposure to lead and organic solvents showed a high risk of malignancies, including lympho-hematopoietic system cancer, neuroblastoma, and central nervous system tumors in their children. Studies that investigated both male and female workers reported that children of male smelters showed a high risk of premature birth, and children of male workers exposed to metals showed a high risk of hypospadias and cryptorchidism. Children of male welders and workers employed in the glass, ceramic, and tile industries showed a high risk of premature birth. Conclusion: The findings of this study will serve as basic data for further research on male workers' reproductive health and provide a scientific basis for the development of strategies to protect the reproductive health of males employed in high-risk occupations. Moreover, the results of this study may provide guidelines to improve the understanding of and knowledge on male workers' reproductive health.

• Korea journal of population studies
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.179-209
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• 2011

This study explored the relationships among such variables as work-family compatibility, gender attitude, reasons for low birth rate, and education level, using a sample of 2,678 from the '2009 National Survey for Marriage and Birth Trend'. The purpose of this study was to identify the ideas about how to support married couples' work-family balance, and how to change gender attitude to promote childbirth. The results are as follows. The type of ideal work-family balance was different by education level, but not by gender. Low level of education was associated with choice of the full time work without a child. Male singles, compared to female singles, preferred the role of a man as a bread winner, and a woman as a house worker. Female singles had the higher level of hope for husband's capability of caring children. This trend was intensified by choice of the full time work with 2 children. Singles who prefer working as a full time worker with 2 children worried more about low birth rate in Korea than singles who prefer working as a part time worker with one or two children. The most frequently cited reason for low birth rate was 'high cost of both child care and education'. The next was 'difficulty in buying a residence, followed by 'increase in the number of career woman'. Female singles who want to work full time with 2 or more children worried more about the burden of child caring and education than male singles. Implications and suggestions were provided based on the results.

• Korea journal of population studies
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.75-97
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• 2008

Recently Korea is expected with the decrease of population in working ages and also population structure, especially age structure, has changed as aging goes faster. This study focuses on the relationship between age structure and wage structure to analyzes the cohort size effect on the change of age-earnings profile. Our empirical analysis based on Wright(1991)'s model takes weighted OLS regression using the male worker's data of Ministry of Labor 'Wage Structure Survey'($1990{\sim}2006$). In pooled data, we take the conclusion that the cohort size effect was found in high school and college graduate workers, but the effect is different between them. The labor market entry effect of high school graduate workers is negative(-) and his persistent effect is positive(+). On the other hand, the cohort size effect of college graduate workers have appeared the opposite directions in contrary with the existing results of Welch(1979) and Wright(1991). This results are seen as the possibility that college graduate worker has the benefit of wage level by his relative cohort size in spite of high unemployment of young graduate. It will be the sign of need that we should interest in the change of age structure with balancing the labor supply side approach and the demand side study which the previous studies was mainly tended to focus on.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.469-491
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• 2014

The purpose of this research is to examine the factors influencing on worker's job-satisfaction analyzing the influence of emotional support from fellow workers, resiliency of self-efficacy, stress and job-performance. A total of 456 completed questionnaire, consisted of small business workers 253 (male 89, female 164) and middle school teachers 203 (male 44, female 159). The questionnaire showed relatively high reliability, with Cronbach α ranging from .83 to .91. The results of the path analysis and effect analysis showed very similar pattern in the group of small business workers and middle school teachers. Based on the path analysis, emotional support from fellow workers had a positive influence on the workers resiliency of self-efficacy. Consequently, the enhanced resiliency of self-efficacy increased the job-performance, however decreased the stress, which in turn contributed to increase the job-satisfaction significantly. Based on the effect analysis, resiliency of self-efficacy showed the most big size of positive total effect to worker's job-satisfaction, followed by job-performance and emotional support. On the other hand, stress showed negative effect on job-satisfaction.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.15 no.12
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• pp.615-623
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• 2017

The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors affecting quality of sleep among middle-aged male workers. The participants of this study were 127 middle-aged male workers working in Jeonnam region, and the data were collected through self-reported structured questionnaire. Descriptive statics, t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficient and step wise multiple regression with SPSS/WIN 18.0 were used to analyze the data. According to the results, among the variables related to sleep quality, job stress showed a positive correlation, and job satisfaction showed a negative correlation. In addition, the factors such as job demands, occupational climate, job itself explained the quality of sleep at 24.5%. Based on the findings from the study, in order to improve the quality of sleep program for middle-aged male workers should be combined both strategies to increase job satisfaction and to decrease job stress. It is believed that the effort to reduce the amount of work needed to improve the quality of sleep will be necessary and the efforts among members of the organization will be necessary to establish a healthy workplace.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.267-271
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• 2023

Background: The objective of this study is to identify the working conditions and health status of Vietnamese male migrant workers in Republic of Korea, in comparison to the Korean general population. Methods: We conducted our survey through the Migrant People Center, and we received completed questionnaires from 87 male Vietnamese migrant workers. The questionnaire employed was identical to those used in the Korean Working Conditions Survey and the 2020 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The collected data from the Vietnamese migrant workers was then compared with the Korean reference population using indirect age-standardization. Results: Vietnamese male workers demonstrated a higher prevalence of health problems including hearing problems (age-standardized prevalence ratio (aSPR) 13.22, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 8.07-20.4), skin problems (aSPR 13.49, 95% CI: 8.07-20.4), and low back pain (aSPR 8.40, 95% CI: 6.50-10.69). Elevated exposure to workplace hazards such as chemicals (aSPR 2.36, 95% CI: 1.51-3.51), organic solvents (aSPR 2.22, 95% CI: 1.44-3.28), handling of heavy objects (aSPR 1.67, 95% CI: 1.24-2.21), and high temperatures (aSPR 1.96, 95% CI: 1.46-2.57) was observed among them. Additionally, they faced a higher risk of no personal protective equipment (aSPR 2.53, 95% CI: 1.26-4.52) and a greater prevalence of unmet medical needs (aSPR 7.14, 95% CI: 4.74-10.32). Conclusion: Our findings highlight the elevated workplace hazards, health problems, and unmet medical needs among Vietnamese male workers compared to the Korean reference population. These findings underscores the urgency for enhanced scrutiny over working conditions and protective equipment provision, coupled with efforts to improve healthcare accessibility and worker education.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.10 no.10
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• pp.405-413
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• 2012

This study of male workers of small manufacturing companies with 50 or less determine the level of job stress and Investigated the relevance of these demographic characteristics, health behaviors, and job-related characteristics. The study subjects were 856 male workers, health checkups and screening agencies are engaged in small manufacturing companies with 50 or less people. Data collection period from April 1, 2010 until June 30, during the self - administered questionnaire through a survey was done. The Study results, several demographic characteristics, health-related behavioral characteristics and job-related characteristics of the variables and job stress is surveyed, there was a significant association. Drinking status, occupation, hours of sleep, leisure activities, whether working position, duration, number of hours per week, for inpatient and outpatient experience, whether in the workplace satisfaction, especially those affecting the job stress factors, such as has been pointed out, Therefore, in order to reduce job stress, health-related behaviors and the work environment, and efforts to improve the content of the job.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.297-306
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• 2018

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a smoking cessation healing camp for male workers. A single group pre-test post-test design was used. An experimental group (n=28) allocated into a smoking cessation healing camp which was provided for two days and one night. Effectiveness of the intervention was measured at soon after smoking cessation healing camp. There were significant differences between pre-test and post-test on readiness to quit smoking(t=-2.64, p=.013), smoking cessation self-efficacy(t=2.42, pp=.022), nicotine dependence(t=2.55, p=.017), and depression(t=2.85, p=.008). In conclusion, the smoking cessation healing camp is effective for male smokers in workplace settings by providing insightful antismoking information and encouraging smoking cessation self-efficacy and readiness to quit smoking.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.86-93
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• 2017

Purpose In this study, radiation workers who work in nuclear medicine department were analyzed to find the cause of differences of radiation exposure from General Characteristic, Knowledge, Recognition and Conduct, especially females working on nuclear medicine radiation, in order to pave the way for positive defense against radiation exposure. Materials and Methods The subjects were 106 radiation workers who were divided into two groups of sixty-four males and forty-two females answered questions about their General Characteristic, Knowledge, Recognition, Conduct, and radiation exposure dose which was measured by TLD (Thermo Luminescence Dosimeter). Results The results of the analysis revealed that as the higher score of knowledge and conduct was shown, the radiation exposure decreased in female groups, and as the higher score of conduct was shown, the radiation exposure decreased in male groups. In the correlation analysis of female groups, the non-experienced in pregnancy showed decreasing amount of radiation exposure as the score of knowledge and conduct was higher and the experienced in pregnancy showed decreasing amount of radiation exposure as the score of recognition and conduct was higher. In the regression analysis on related factors of radiation exposure dose of nuclear medicine radiation workers, the gender caused the meaningful result and the amount of radiation exposure of female groups compared to male groups. In the regression analysis on related factors of radiation exposure dose of female groups, the factor of conduct showed a meaningful result and the amount of radiation exposure of the experienced in pregnancy was lower compared to the non-experienced. Conclusion The conclusion of this study revealed that radiation exposure of female groups was lower than that of male groups. Therefore, male groups need to more actively defend themselves against radiation exposure. Among the female groups, the experienced in pregnancy who have an active defense tendency showed a lower radiation exposure. Thus, those who have never been pregnant need to have a more active defensive conduct for the future possibility of pregnancy.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.340-351
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• 2015

To investigate male office workers' dietary habits and their perception and intake of health functional foods, 234 male employees were surveyed by questionnaire. The results were categorized into three age groups: under 35 years, 35 and 45 years, and over 45 years. The over 45 years group had significantly better dietary habits than the others (p<0.05). The most common reason for skipping breakfast was lack of time. Frequency of drinking alcohol was higher in the older group, where tiredness after drinking was lower in the younger group. The perception score of health functional foods was highest in the over 45 years group. Perception of health functional foods was more positive as the age of the groups increased (p<0.01). The number of health functional foods consumed, duration of intake, and beneficial health effects were higher in older groups. Although older people are more concerned about health than relatively younger people, they did not necessarily have reduced the amounts of smoking and drinking. Instead, they simply showed higher intakes of health functional foods to prevent and cure disease and improve their health. Therefore, older people need to receive education about their dietary and living habits instead of simply eating health functional foods. It is necessary to provide correct information about health functional foods by nutritional education.