• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.97-103
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• 2006

Severities of musculoskeletal diseases (MSDs) have been recognized at the regular work such as manufacturing but incidence of MSDs are increasing also at the atypical work. The examples of those are health medical workers, office workers and service workers etc. Nurses among health medical workers are accomplishing to manage and recover the patients' health in the first place. Therefore, they are exposed to very stressful work conditions during caring the patients. This study was performed to analyze the musculoskeletal burdened work among nurses at a university hospital, in order to grasp the realities of the MSDs, analyze and prevent MSDs. We surveyed risk factors for ward, intensive care unit, delivery room, newborn room, operation room, function test room and central supply room at a university hospital in Seoul. It was executed for 2 months as the field study that was composed of simulation, real measurement, work motion assessment and subjective assessment. And the results were analyzed into ergonomics techniques. Works according to the criteria of musculoskeletal burdened work by the Ministry of Labor were scrub in operation room and heart ultrasonic function test. And a lot of works that need attention and management were also detected. So it should be required the education and systematic managements of MSDs for nurses.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.71-76
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• 2017

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the musculoskeletal diseases (MSDs) that occur in heavy industrial workers according to the occupational category, prevalence, environment, and number of physical therapy visits. Design: Retrospective cohort study. Methods: For this study, data was collected of workers who were engaged in heavy industry in Korea and who visited the company physicians and received physical therapy in 2016. Data was collected from 855 subjects and was analyzed. With the data collected, analysis of the type and prevalence of MSDs and the number of physical therapy visits that have occurred according to the occupational category and environment was performed. Results: The most common MSDs were lumbar sprains and spasms (31.1%), and shoulder sprain and spasm (19.4%). In addition, the most common type of MSDs according to the occupational category and environment (occupational type) were lumbar sprain and spasms in 11 occupations, including white collar workers, and in milling, inspection, crane operation, and finishing jobs, shoulder muscle sprain and strain were the most common disorders. Also, the prevalence of MSDs according to occupational category and environment (occupational type) was the highest in workers involved with welding, which was 29.7%. Conclusions: Through this study, the type and prevalence of MSDs according to the occupational category and environment of heavy industrial workers have been confirmed. Further studies are necessary to study the future types of the work patterns of industrial workers and to develop a system for preventing and managing MSDs that may occur.

• 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 Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.31-45
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• 2014

Objective : This study was intended to provide information pertaining to reasonable consumption of medical services based on comparative analysis of the characteristics of musculoskeletal diseases(MSDs) among outpatients of Korean medical institutes, and furthermore help lay groundwork for mapping out effective Korean medical policies. Method : Based on the data of 3,889 outpatients of Korean medical institutions which were obtained from the Ministry of Health and Welfare's 2011 Report on usage of Korean medicine, the analysis was carried out by using the SAS 9.2. Results : 68.2% of subjects were found to use Korean medicine(KM) for the treatment of MSDs. Patients with MSDs were older than those with nonmusculoskeletal diseases(NMSDs). And married state, education, employed state and incomes are effected on MSDs and NMSDs. Subjective health status, number of outpatient treatments, medical cost, medical treatment satisfaction, and habitue status are depend on MSDs or NMSDs. Acupuncture and physical therapy is Major treatments of subjects investigated to have the highest treatment effect. It was found that they had high degree of satisfaction with Korean medicinal outpatient treatments, and those with MSDs were found to have significantly greater satisfaction than those with NMSDs. Conclusion : Although aforesaid results suggest significant satisfaction with KM and high treatment effects for MSDs. Accordingly it is considered necessary to develop various services related to KM for treatment of MSDs and to plan for cost down of KM. Moreover, in-depth research into NMSDs is required for utilization growth of KM.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.20 no.3 s.71
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• pp.202-211
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• 2005

Musculoskeletal Disorders(MSDs) have been a growing problems with higher incidence rate every year. The 65% of all work-related diseases in the US has been MSDs since the middle of the 90s according to BLS(Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1995). The MSDs in Korea has been increased in recent 10 years as well. This study has tried to focus on job stress associated with MSDs that has not been usually studied before. Specifically job stress of workers at automobile manufacturing industry and relationship between job stress and symptoms of MSDs have been major concerns in this study. The workers had higher stress with longer working experience, longer working hours, and worse working environment. The job stress had strong association with the symptoms at hand, wrist and low back. Specifically, job stress factors such as job requirement and job future ambiguity had more effects on the symptoms of MSDs.

• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.5-17
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• 2009

The objective of this study was to analyze the factors regarding work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in fruit-growers and offer the fundamental data for work improvement. The 587 fruit-growers (409 males and 178 females) working with 5 kinds of fruit: apple, pear, peach, grape, and mandarin participated in a questionnaire survey regarding MSDs and health condition in 2004 and 2005. The results are as follows: 1. Smoking rate was highest in apple growers. 2. Drinking rates were highest in male peach growers and in female grape growers. 3. Regular exercise rates were higher in pear and mandarin growers. 4. Physical and mental fatigue was higher in females than in males in most cases. 5. The prevalence rate of medically diagnosed diseases was highest for osteoarthritis (16.4%), herniated nucleus pulposus (HNP, 13.5%), and chronic gastritis/gastric ulcer (10.5%). As well as, the prevalence of dermatosis was higher in pear and mandarin growers. 6. The prevalence rate of musculoskeletal symptoms among the various pain areas was highest for lower back, shoulders, and knees. The prevalence rate was also high for lower back, shoulder, and knee pain in apple and grape growers. 7. The significant indexes used determining the musculoskeletal symptoms were BMI, working period, and regular exercise. These results can be practically used for work improvement for the fruit-growers to prevent MSDs.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.525-534
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• 2011

This paper describes the current status of musculoskeletal disorders(MSDs) and its ergonomic risk factors, including the preventive intervention in terms of the working conditions and health promotion among agricultural workers. Korean agricultural workers have been exposed to the poor working condition. They have suffered from a variety of work-related injury and diseases more than the general population or the other occupational group. MSDs are one of the most prevalent problems threatening the agricultural worker's health and quality of life. Low back pain, osteoarthritis of hip and knee joint and carpal tunnel syndrome are well known MSDs that was found easily and frequently among agricultural workers. MSDs are worsened by poor ergonomic working conditions such as heavy weight lifting, repetitive movement and awkward posture which involves squatting with long sitting work on the ground, long working hours and heavy workload which are inherent in the greater part of agricultural works. Even though Korean agricultural workers are very weak population in terms of occupational safety and health, no many studies were conducted in the past and no many social and institutional supports were provided sufficiently. We need more interests and efforts in agricultural fields to improve its working condition and to promote health status of agricultural workers.

• 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 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 the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.100-106
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• 2013

According to the Statistics Korea, in 2011, people over the age of 65 years old accounted for 11.8% of Korea's population. This number is expected to rise to 15.0% by 2019, making Korea an "aged society". As age increases, physical ability degrades to the point that the workload must be adjusted limitations. However, workloads are given regardless of workers' ages or abilities. In addition, a decline in work efficiency due to aging also increases the risk of work-related injuries. Furthermore, the cases of stress related diseases along with musculoskeletal disorders(MSDs) rise as main factors of industrial disasters and excessive job stress gives negative influence not only on mental health but also on physical health so that job stress becomes a hot issue as a main cause of work ability falloff and turnover. The purpose of this research is to examine how the sociodemographic characteristics, MSDs symptoms and musculoskeletal workload of workers in the manufacturing industry of automobile parts influence work ability and job stress. As a result of the research, job ability showed significant differences statistically according to age, working year, sex, marital status and musculoskeletal workload and job stress showed significant differences statistically according to age, working year, marital status and musculoskeletal workload. In addition, it showed that as the worker's job ability decreases, job stress increases.