• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.30 no.4 s.59
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• pp.764-778
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• 1997

To find the medical insurance utilization of workers when suffering from low back pain, an analysis was made toward the data of medical insurance benefits matched with the general characteristics of 10,183 workers, who were registered continuously from 1993 to 1995 at a medical insurance cooperation for industrial workers. The results were as follows; 1. The period prevalence of the medical insurance utilization for low back pain for 3 years from 1993 to 1995 was calculated as 17.1% for male workers and 19.4% for female workers. Most common cause of utilization was other dorsopathies including the herniation of lumbar discs. 2. The utilization rate increased significantly as the present age and the age joining the company got older(p<0.001). As the duration of employment got longer, the utilization rate of the male showed the tendency to increase and that of the female increased significantly(p<0.05). Among male workers employed at cement and concrete manufacturing companies showed higher utilization rate and among female laborers showed significantly higher utilization rate than clerical workers(p<0.01). 3. Annual utilization rate for low back pain didn't show any difference, but the portion of other dorsopathies among cause of utilization showed the tendency to increase from 1993 to 1995. 4. The mean number of claims for outpatient medical care for low back pain differed significantly by age, working duration, type of industries, income level(p<0.05), and the mean of total visiting days for care of low back pain differed significantly by working duration. In conclusion, considering the fact that the medical insurance utilization for low back pain increased annually and other dorsopathies including the herniation of dorsopathies were increasing, an effective preventive or management program for low back pain toward worker employed at industries were required.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.31-42
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• 2012

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to determine the psychological fatigue and analyze muscle activity of production workers who are performing processes jobs while standing for prolonged time periods. Methods: The psychological fatigue experienced by the workers was obtained through questionnaire surveys. Meanwhile, muscle activity has been analyzed using surface electromyography (sEMG) measurement. Lower extremities muscles include: erector spinae, tibialis anterior, and gastrocnemius were concurrently measured for more than five hours of standing. Twenty male production workers in a metal stamping company participated as subjects in this study. The subjects were required to undergo questionnaire surveys and sEMG measurement. Results: Results of the questionnaire surveys found that all subjects experienced psychological fatigue due to prolonged standing jobs. Similarly, muscle fatigue has been identified through sEMG measurement. Based on the non-parametric statistical test using the Spearman's rank order correlation, the left erector spinae obtained a moderate positive correlation and statistically significant ($r_s$ = 0.552, p < 0.05) between the results of questionnaire surveys and sEMG measurement. Conclusion: Based on this study, the authors concluded that prolonged standing was contributed to psychological fatigue and to muscle fatigue among the production workers.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.31-37
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• 1979

By evaluating the health status of 152 male workers engaged in a metal-product factory by Cornell Medical Index in conjunction with their experience of industrial accident, I attempted to find out whether any health condition may effect on the occurence of industrial accident. Differences in frequency of complaints in each section of CMI between control workers and accident workers were statistically tested by T-test. On the other hand, influence of neuropsychiatric factors (section M-R) on the occurence of accidents was analyzed by $X^2-test$ with Fukamachi's classification. The followings were the results obtained in this study. 1. The average number (26.42) of physical complaints in accident group is significantly more than in control group (18.70). 2. The average number (17.70) of mental complaints in accident group is very significantly more than in control group (11.70). 3. Differences in frequencies of complaints by sections between accident group and control group was all significant except C (cardiovascular system), H (genitourinary system), I (fatigue) & J (frequency of disease). 4. frequency rate of neurotic workers who were identified by Fukamachi's classification was significantly higher in accident group (72%) than in control group (51%).

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.97-107
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• 2014

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examined the association between unemployment and suicidal ideation in Korea. Methods: We analyzed data from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (KNHANES) IV, conducted in 2009. Statistical analysis methods used in this study were $x^2$-test, Hierarchial logistic regression analysis and other basic statistics using SPSS version 19.0. Results: The suicidal ideation of unemployment workers was 24.7% in male and 35.9% in female. After adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics and health-related characteristics, the risk for suicidal ideation of unemployment workers was significantly higher than employment workers. In men, the OR for suicidal ideation of the employed workers compared with the employed was 2.13, and in women, the OR was 1.31. Conclusions: The findings suggest the impact of unemployment status on suicidal ideation and the need for further prospective investigation that lead to interventions should be required to introduce of suicide prevention program for unemployment worker.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.234-242
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• 2009

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of accidental events, depression, and anxiety among workers with industrial accidents in South Korea. Methods: The participants were 510 workers with industrial accidents. Data were collected by personal interviews with structured questionnaires for three months from August to October in 2005. For analyses, frequencies and means were utilized. Results: The participants' average age was 44.9 years, and about 91%of them were male. Also, they had a greater risk of poverty after being injured. The most frequent cause of accidents was fall (32.2%), and the most frequent injured body area was extremities (73.9%). For around a half of the participants, the treatment period was 12 months or shorter. The participants were at great risk of experiencing a negative impact due to events, depression, and anxiety. Conclusion: It is necessary to develop: (a) strategies for injured workers to be financially stable during recuperation; and (b) supporting systems for them not to suffer and exacerbate mental health problems after being injured.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Industry Convergence
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• v.26 no.2_2
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• pp.349-358
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• 2023

This study aimed to identify factors influencing awareness and interest in male nail care and nail art among people in their 20s and 30s, using a survey that included 390 men and women. The survey consisted of sub-factors, including awareness of appearance management, interest in nails, perception of male nail care and nail art, behavioral factors in nail care, and image factors in nail care. The results showed that the overall average interest in male nail care and nail art was 3.76, which fell between "average" and "yes". Women showed higher interest in male nail care than men did. While there was no statistically significant difference in the average value, interest in male nail care and nail art was higher among those in their 30s than those in their 20s. Unmarried individuals showed more interest in male nail care than married ones, and higher levels of education were associated with higher interest. In terms of occupation, service workers showed the highest interest in male nail care and nail art. In conclusion, the findings suggest the need for marketing research that caters to the development of services and programs targeting the male nail industry. The study also highlights the importance of segmenting and differentiating marketing strategies that target male and female customers with a high interest in male nail care and nail art. Based on these findings, this study aims to provide direction for the male nail care industry and serve as a basis for the development of customized programs. Additionally, it aims to provide basic data to aid in the development of the nail industry in Gyeongnam.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.239-248
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• 2010

Objective: Despite the increasing number of female participation in employment, blue-collar women have been exposed to higher health risk. This study is to describe the prevalence of chronic diseases, health behaviors, and medical service utilization of female blue-collar workers. Methods: Data were derived from the 2001 Korea National Health and Nutrition Survey (KNHANES). The sample was made up of 37,108 male and female participants aged 20 or over selected nation-wide by probability sampling from Korea. This study applied the logistic regression for nominal variables such as disease prevalence and health behaviors and with the regression for continuos variables such as the length and costs of medical services. Results: In general, women's prevalence of chronic illness and uncured rate were significantly higher than male, and especially female blue-collar workers had the highest prevalence, uncured rate, unhealthy status, and perceived stress. However, the medical care cost was the lowest in female blue-collar workers. Conclusions: The findings suggest that female blue-collar workers were more likely to experience health problems, and that despite the highest health risk, health service is not effectively utilized, and health policy maker should take consider of special status of female blue collar workers who are in health inequality.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.388-396
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• 2007

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the differences in employment status and self assessed health in Korea. Methods: We analyzed 4 year follow-up data generated by the Korean Labor and Income Panel Study(KLIPS), which was conducted on 1,207 men and 582 women who had undergone a change in employment status. The study subjects were placed into 1 of the following 4 groups based on their employment history; Non-precarious workers, Precarious to non-precarious workers, Non-precarious to precarious workers and Precarious workers. Logistic regression was then used to examine the relationship between the changes in employment status and self assessed health. Results: When males were considered, self assessed health was better among the precarious to non-precarious workers (OR 1.58, 95% CI=1.57-1.60) and the precarious workers (OR 1.29, 95% CI=1.28-1.30) than in the non-precarious workers, after adjusting for age, socioeconomic status (education level, occupational class, marital status, average equivalent household income and average number of hours worked per week), health behavior (smoking, drinking and exercise) and medical service access (regular medical examination, have chronic disease or hospitalized within 1 year). When female workers were considered, the precarious to non-precarious workers (OR 1.89, 95% CI=1.86-1.92), non-precarious to precarious workers(OR 1.24, 95% CI=1.23-1.26) and precarious workers (OR 1.27, 95% CI=1.25-1.28) all reported poorer health than the non-precarious workers after adjusting for the aforementioned factors. Conclusions: This study showed that changes in employment status were associated with differences in self assessed health among men and women. Specifically, the results of this study showed that a corresponding positive outcome based on self assessed health was greater for employees that changed from precarious to non-precarious jobs and for male employees with precarious jobs., whereas female employees with non-precarious jobs had higher self assessed health. However, additional longitudinal studies on the health effects of employment status should be conducted.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.208-214
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• 2005

Objectives: This study was performed to examine the factors affecting re-smoking in male workers. Methods: A self-administrated questionnaire survey was conducted during April 2003 to examine the smoking state of 1,154 employees of a company that launched a smoking cessation campaign in1998. Five hundred and eighty seven persons, who had stopped smoking for at least one week, were selected as the final study subjects. This study collected data on smoking cessation success or failure for 6 months, and looked at the factors having an effect on re-smoking within this period. This study employed the Health Belief Model as its theoretical basis. Results: The re-smoking rate of the 587 study subjects who had stopped smoking for at least one week was 44.8% within the 6 month period. In a simple analysis, the re-smoking rates were higher in workers with a low age, on day and night shifts, blue collar, of a low rank, where this was their second attempt at smoking cessation and for those with a shorter job duration (p<0.05). Of the cues to action variables in the Heath Belief Model, re-smoking was significantly related with the perceived susceptibility factor, economic advantages of smoking cessation among the perceived benefits factor, the degree of cessation trial's barrier of the perceived barriers factor, smoking symptom experience, recognition of the degree of harmfulness of environmental tobacco smoke and the existence of chronic disease due to smoking (p<0.05). In the multiple logistic regression analysis for re-smoking, the significant variables were age, perceived susceptibility for disease, economic advantages due to smoking cessation, the perceived barrier for smoking cessation, recognition on the degree of harmfulness of environmental tobacco smoke, the existence of chronic disease due to smoking and the number of attempts at smoking cessation (p<0.05). Conclusion: From the result of this study, for an effective smoking ban policy within the work place, health education that improves the knowledge of the adverse health effects of smoking and the harmfulness of environmental tobacco smoke will be required, as well as counter plans to reduce the barriers for smoking cessation.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.67-80
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• 1982

In order to evaluate the psychosomatic health status of metal manufacturing industries workers and their working environments, the present study was conducted from March 1, 1981 to the end of September 1981. The data was obtained from the samples of metal manufacturing industries in Kyung-In Area and their 1, 162 employees. In addition, the 803 urban residents including students, office clerks, and general publics were sampled as control groups to compare with factory employees in psychosomatic analysis. The basic tool employed in the present study was the Todai Health Index (THI) which modified CMI and was developed by Tokyo University Research Team of Japan. The results of the present study were summarized as follows: 1. Working environments of the factories 1) The data shows that fabrication shop produced the highest noise level ranging from 91 to 96 dB (A) and iron and steel shop had the lowest noise level ranging from 81 to 86 dB (A). 2) Dust concentration was the highest in iron foundry shop ($3.8 mg/m^3$) and the lowest in fabrication shop ($1.2 mg/m^3$). 3) WBGT above threshold limit values (T.L.V.) was noted in steel shop (38$\circ$C) and iron foundry shop (34$\circ$C) 4) The concentration of Sulfur dioxide ($SO_2$)was 30.5ppm at steel shop and 12.0ppm at iron foundry shop. 5) The concentration of carbon monoxide (CO) was 140.0ppm at steel shop and 110.5ppm at iron foundry shop. 6) The atmospheric lead concentration was $0.49 mg/m^3$ at soldering shop. 2. The responses of psychosomatic complaints were much higher in steel shops group than in other manu-facturing group, except the response of aggressiveness. 3. The responses of psychosomatic complaints were much higher in industrial workers than in urban residents, except the responses of depression and aggressiveness (p < 0.01 ). 4. The psychosomatic symptoms which industrial workers and urban residents complained frequently were nervousness. agressiveness and lie scale in order. 5. The responses of psychosomatic complaints by sex were much higher in female group than in male group, except the response of aggressiveness. 6. The responses of psychosomatic complaints by age were that both the female and male group showed an increasing tendency in the all items, except the response of depression as age was increasing. 7. The responses of psychosomatic complaints by the length of services were that both the female and male group showed a tendency of increasing in physical symptoms as work years increased. 8. The responses of psychosomatic complaints were higher in unmarried group in the score of nervousness, aggressiveness, mental irritability and irregular life.