• Title/Summary/Keyword: Occupational environment

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Facilitators and barriers to achieving dietary and physical activity goals: focus group interviews with city bus drivers and counseling dietitians (식습관 및 운동 목표 달성의 촉진요인과 방해요인: 시내버스 운전자와 상담 영양사의 포커스그룹 인터뷰)

  • Yongmin Jo;Suhyeun Cho;Young-Hee Han;Taisun Hyun
    • Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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    • v.28 no.5
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    • pp.376-391
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    • 2023
  • Objectives: Our previously published study showed that a workplace nutrition intervention program with personalized goal setting and smartphone-based nutrition counseling improved dietary habits and physical activity in city bus drivers who were overweight/obese. This study explored the facilitators and barriers that participants faced in achieving their dietary and physical activity goals six months after the intervention. Methods: The study included bus drivers and dietitians who participated in the intervention program. Three focus group interviews were conducted with 10 bus drivers (divided by two groups based on their achievement of set goals) and five dietitians who had provided nutrition counseling. Results: Willpower was the most important intrapersonal facilitator for drivers to achieve their goals. Other factors that promoted behavioral changes were nutrition counseling by dietitians, trackable physical activity using smartwatches, and setting of practical and achievable goals. Meanwhile, the most important barriers identified were occupational factors such as long driving hours, short breaks, and shift work. Other barriers were environmental factors such as availability of snackable food, accessibility to convenience stores, and cold weather. Family and colleagues were perceived as both facilitators and barriers. In addition, dietitians identified a lack of knowledge about healthy diet as one of the barriers. Conclusions: Our results suggested that the workplace environment should be improved and that nutrition intervention programs at the workplace could encourage bus drivers to practice healthy eating habits. The facilitators and barriers identified in this study should be considered when planning a nutrition intervention program for bus drivers.

The Effects of Work Sense, Job Stress, Job Satisfaction on Turnover Intention of Caregivers in Long-Term Care Hospitals (요양병원 간병인의 직업의식, 직무스트레스, 직무만족도가 이직의도에 미치는 영향)

  • Hyeon-Suk Han;Wang-keun Yoo;Eun-Su Do
    • Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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    • v.28 no.4
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    • pp.23-32
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    • 2023
  • Purposes: Caregivers are placed in a poor working environment because there is no special legal basis or definition in the current medical system, and they have difficulty in supplying manpower due to frequent job change and retirement. Therefore, this study aimed to find out the effect on job consciousness, job stress, job satisfaction, and turnover intention of caregivers in nursing hospitals for the elderly. Methodology: In this study, a survey was conducted from May 2nd to 16th, 2022, targeting caregivers with more than 6 months of work experience working at 10 nursing hospitals in D City. Data were collected through convenience sampling, and a self-administered questionnaire method was used, in which subjects filled out a questionnaire. A total of 240 questionnaires were distributed, and 220 copies were considered for the final analysis after excluding non-response or inappropriate questionnaires for data use. Data analysis used t-test, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and multiple linear regression analysis, and the main results are as follows. Findings: Job stress and job satisfaction showed a significant correlation with the level of turnover intention, and were also found to be major determinants. On the other hand, among the occupational characteristics of the study subjects, employment type, job motivation, service period, number of patients, injury experience, and license status showed a significant difference from turnover intention. Conclusion: As a result of the above research, in order to prevent job turnover and retirement by improving job stress and job satisfaction of caregivers engaged in nursing hospitals, it is necessary not only to legalize caregivers, but also to secure an appropriate level of caregivers for nursing hospitals and improve specific treatment for caregivers. Ultimately, a policy alternative that can provide quality nursing service is required.

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On the Countermeasure for Preventing the Accident of Cargo Handling in Port (항만하역관할의 원인분석 및 예방대책에 관하여)

  • 박용욱;이철영
    • Journal of the Korean Institute of Navigation
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    • v.17 no.3
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    • pp.57-68
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    • 1993
  • The economy of Korea has grown up significantly in its scale. It has, therefore, become imperative to develop countermeasures to prevent work related injuries and occupational illnesses resultining from haza-rdous working conditions and handling harmful substances. A lot of cargo handling accident in port have occurred due to the characteristics of poor working environment, diversity of working place and method, fluctuation of the amount of cargo and handling of heavy, long, harmful and dangerous cargo, etc. According to '91 industrial accident analysis carried out by the ministry of labour, the number of the stevedores injured by cargo handling accident in port were 1, 432 persons (the death accident : 22 per-sons), the amount of industrial accident compensation in port was 6.7 billion won (the amount of economic loss : 33.6 billion won), and the injury occurance rate of the stevedoring industry was higher than that of the whole industry. This paper, therefore, aims to the actual status of the stevedoring industry and to extract the main cau-ses of the accidents related to cargo handling in port through factor analysis using the data of the accide-nts in the whole habour from 1990 to 1992, and to suggest the countermeasures to prevent such accident. The main causes of the accident and countermeasures are found to be as follows through the factor analy-sis : Factor1, factor2, and factor3 related to a defect of human being and management, a defect of state and environment, and an insufficiency of education and law are extracted. The short-term countermeasures to prevent these accidents are 1) to consolidate the safety and health organization in the working spot, 2) to secure a safe condition in working spot before dock work, 3) to strengthen a dock worker's safety educa-tion. The long-term countermeasures are 1) to promote a decasualisation of dock workers, 2) to modernize the cargo working methods through constructing exclusive pier and introducing exclusive cargo handling equipment, 3) to establish a exclusive dock accident prevention organization and the dock workers law. Factor 4, factor5, factor6, and factor7 related to an unfitness, a deficiency of technical knowledge, a nonfu-lfilment of safety measures, and a bad arrangement are extracted. The countermeasures to prevent these accidents are 1) to perform a complete safety inspection of cargo handling equipments and tools and to carry out the dock work according to a working plan, 2) to publish and supply technical safety books, safety instruction book, safety check list, etc., 3) to strengthen the safety patrol at the working spot in habour and to activate a safety fund, 4) to maintain always a clean workshop with the safety consciousness in which the good arragement of the working spot is considered to be the beginning of safety.

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Comparison of OC and EC Measurement Results Determined by Thermal-optical Analysis Protocols (열광학적 분석 프로토콜에 의한 유기탄소와 원소탄소 측정값 비교)

  • Kim, Hyosun;Jung, Jinsang;Lee, Jinhong;Lee, Sangil
    • Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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    • v.31 no.5
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    • pp.449-460
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    • 2015
  • Carbonaceous aerosol is generally classified into OC (organic carbon) and EC (elemental carbon) by thermal optical analysis. Both NIOSH (National institute of occupational safety and health) with high temperature (HighT) and IMPROVE-A (Interagency monitoring of protected visual environments) with low temperature (LowT) protocols are widely used. In this study, both protocols were applied for ambient $PM_{2.5}$ samples (Daejeon, Korea) in order to underpin differences in OC and EC measurements. An excellent agreement between NIOSH and IMPROVE-A protocol was observed for TC (total carbon). However, significant differences between OC and EC appeared and the differences were larger for EC than OC. The main differences between two protocols are temperature profile and charring correction method. For the same charring correction method, HighT_OC was 10% higher than LowT_ OC, while HighT_EC was 15% and 33% lower than LowT_EC for TOT (thermal-optical transmittance) and TOR (thermal-optical reflectance), respectively. This difference may be caused by the temperature of OC4 in He step and possibly difference in POC (pryorilized OC) formation. For the same temperature profile, OC by TOT was about 26% higher than that by TOR. In contrast, EC by TOT was about 50% lower than that by TOR. POC was also dependent on both temperature profile and the charring correction method, showing much distinctive differences for the charring correction method (i.e., POC by TOT to POC by TOR ratio is about 2). This difference might be caused by different characteristics between transmittance and reflectance for monitoring POC formation within filters. Results from this study showed that OC and EC depends on applied analysis protocol as shown other studies. Because of the nature of the thermal optical analysis, it may not be possible to have an absolute standard analysis protocol that is applicable for any ambient $PM_{2.5}$. Nevertheless, in order to provide consistent measurement results for scientists and policy makers, future studies should focus on developing a harmonized standard analysis protocol that is suitable for a specific air domain and minimizes variations in OC and EC measurement results. In addition, future elaborate studies are required to find and understand the causes of the differences.

Impact of the Smoke-free Law on Secondhand Smoke in Computer Game Rooms (금연정책 시행이 전국 PC방의 간접흡연에 미치는 영향)

  • Guak, Sooyoung;Lee, Kiyoung;Kim, Sungreol;Kim, Sungcheon;Yang, Wonho;Ha, Kwonchul
    • Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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    • v.41 no.1
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    • pp.11-16
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    • 2015
  • Objectives: This study assessed the impact of the smoke-free law on secondhand smoke exposure in computer game rooms by measuring concentrations of particulate matter smaller than $2.5{\mu}m$($PM_{2.5}$). Methods: Indoor $PM_{2.5}$ concentrations were measured in 56 (during the smoke-free guidance period) and 118 computer game rooms (after the law went into effect) in four cities (Seoul, Cheonan, Daegu and Kunsan) in Korea. The number of smokers in the computer game rooms was also counted every five minutes. Results: Although a smoking ban had been implemented nationally, smoking was observed in 47% of the computer game rooms. Smoking density decreased from 1.62 persons per $100m^3$ during the guidance period to 0.32 persons per $100m^3$ after the smoke-free law. There is no statistically significant difference of $PM_{2.5}$ concentrations before and after the smoking ban. The $PM_{2.5}$ concentration was two times higher than the US NAAQS of $35{\mu}g/m^3$. The $PM_{2.5}$ concentration in computer game rooms without smokers was two times higher than the outdoor concentration. Conclusion: The smoke-free law in computer game rooms was complied with, even after the guidance period, in Korea. Indoor $PM_{2.5}$ concentration after smoke-free law implementation was high due to this non-compliance. High $PM_{2.5}$ concentration in computer game rooms without smokers might be due to smoking booths. The complete prohibition of smoking in computer game rooms should be implemented to protect patrons from secondhand smoke exposure.

A Study on the Environmental Radiation Dose Measurement in the Nuclear Medicine Department (핵의학과에서 환경방사선량 측정에 대한 연구)

  • Kang, Bo-Sun;Lim, Chang-Seon
    • Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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    • v.11 no.6
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    • pp.2118-2123
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    • 2010
  • Korean individual occupational exposure control is focused on the retrospective service to the over-exposed person by the reading of personal dosimeter. Since the radiophamaceuticals using in the nuclear medicine department are uncontained radiation sources, the potential exposure at working environment is very high. Moreover, a patient remains radioactive for hours or even days after the administration of a radiopharmaceutical for diagnosis or treatment. Thus, the proper working environmental exposure control must be established and executed to protect not only the affiliated employees, but also guardians accompanying patients and temporarily visiting public from the exposure by the patients. Japanese radiation protection law regulates working environmental radiation exposure by regularly measuring and filing the environmental dose for years. This study was aimed at measuring working environmental radiation dose in the nuclear medicine department of an university hospital located in Daejeon, Korea. We measured the accumulation radiation dose in air at 8 locations in the nuclear medicine department by using the same method as in Japan with glass dosimeters. The highest dose rate, 0.23 mSv per month, was measured at the waiting room, and the second one is at reception desk. Even though the doses were lower than the Korean constraint dose rate (0.3 mSv/week) at the boundary of the radiation controlled area, it was over the dose limit of public (1 mSv/y) and environment (0.25 mSv/y). Conclusionally, it was found that the new or additional procedure was necessary to less the exposure dose to the receptionist and guardians by the environmental radiation dose in the nuclear medicine department.

PLCE1 Gene in Esophageal Cancer and Interaction with Environmental Factors

  • Guo, Li-Yan;Zhang, Shen;Suo, Zhen;Yang, Chang-Shuang;Zhao, Xia;Zhang, Guo-An;Hu, Die;Ji, Xing-Zhao;Zhai, Min
    • Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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    • v.16 no.7
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    • pp.2745-2749
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    • 2015
  • Objective: To study the PLCE1 gene rs2274223 polymorphism with regard to esophageal cancer and its interaction with diet, lifestyle, psychological and environmental factors in Southwest Shandong province. Materials and Methods: A case series study (case-case) was conducted. Questionnaire data were collected and 3 ml-5ml venous blood was drawn for DNA extraction among the qualified research subjects. PLCE1 gene polymorphism was detected after PCR amplification of DNA. SPSS 13.0 software was used for statistical analysis of the data. Results: The three genotypes A/A, A/G and G/G PLCE1 gene rs2274223 was 31, 16 and 4 cases, accounting for 60.8%, 31.4%, 0.08% respectively. The difference of three genotypes (AA/GA/GG) proportion between negative and positive family history of patients was statistically significant, ${\chi}^2=6.213$, p=0.045. There was no statistically significant relationship between PLCE1 gene rs2274223 polymorphism and smoking, drinking, ${\chi}^2=0.119$, p=0.998, and ${\chi}^2=1.727$, p=0.786. There was no linkage of the three rs2274223 PLCE1 gene genotypes (AA/GA/GG) proportion with eating fried, pickled, hot, mildew, overnight, smoked, excitant food, eat speed, salt taste or not (p>0.05). or with living environment pollution and nine risk factors of occupational exposure (p>0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in TS scores between different genotype of rs2274223 PLCE1 gene. Conclusions: The PLCE1 rs2274223 polymorphism has a relationship with family history of esophageal cancer, but does not have any significant association with age, gender, smoking, alcohol drinking, food hygiene, eating habits, living around the environment and occupation in cases.

A Study on the Knowledge, Attitude and Practice about Industrial Health Care Services of workers -Kwang-ju City and Chonnam Province- (근로자의 산업보건관리에 대한 지식, 태도, 실천 조사연구 -광주, 전남지역-)

  • Kang, He-Young;Park, In-He;Oh, Mi-Sung;Choi, Young-Ae;You, Su-Ok;Choi, Hee-Jung
    • Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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    • v.4 no.2
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    • pp.139-145
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    • 1993
  • The purpose of this study was to identify the degree and the relationship of the Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of industrial health care services of workers. This information will provide useful data for an effective industrial health care service. The was collected from 600 data employees in Kwang-ju city & Chonnam province. The data was gathered by questionnaire from Dec 20, 1992 to Jan 20, 1993. The questionnaire was developed by the Academic Affairs of Community Health Nursing Academy. Data was analyzed by using the statistical computer package, SPSS to manipulate the data along with percentages, means, standard deviations, modes, t-test and ANOVA. The results in this study were summarized as follows: 1. General characteristics of workers: Distributions of workers was laborer(76.2%). in the 25-34 age group(50.2%), married(63.3%), males comprised(77.5%), the educational level with the highest percentage was high school graduates (71.1%), with a monthly income of 300-700 thousand won(43.8%), and has been working in the present career over seven years (31.5%). 2. The Knowledge, Attitude and Practice levels of employees about industrial health care services The levels were measured according to a five point scale. The total mean score of knowledge was 2.92 points out of 4. The following are the scores of Knowledge of special medical examination and location of industrial clinic(3.48), periodic medical examination (3.18), occupational disease(3.08), personal protective equipment (2.92), and health education(1.37). The total mean score of Attitude was 2.77 point out of 4. The following are the scores of Attitude in order of working environment (3.35), necessity of periodic medical examination and health education(3.15), the worker's perception influence on the working environment to health was high(3.11). But, the level of satisfaction in the content of periodic medical examination was low(2.19). The total mean score of Practice was 2.70 points out of 4. The scores of Practice in order were, practice of periodic medical examination(3.70), utilization of industrial clinic(2.92), and to participate in health education(1.47). 3. The relationship of general characteristics to Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of workers: Knowledge had a significant difference by sex (P<.01), marital status(P<.01), education level (P<.05) and monthly income(P<.01). Attitude was significantly different with sex(P<.05) and Practice was significantly related to monthly income (P<.01).

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Comparison Between Right and Left Muscle Activities of Hip and Trunk During Manual Task in Asymmetric Weight-Bearing Posture (비대칭적 입식자세에서 상지 조립 작업 시 체간 및 둔부 근육의 좌우 근활성도 비교)

  • Choung, Ji-Yun;Jeon, Hye-Seon;Lee, Chung-Hwi;Lee, Jeon-Won
    • Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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    • v.29 no.3
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    • pp.279-286
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    • 2010
  • The purpose of this study was to compare the electromyographic(EMG) activities of trunk and hip muscles between right and left sides while subjects performed prolonged manual task in asymmetric and symmetric weight-bearing posture. Fifteen healthy male college students were recruited for this study. The subjects were asked to perform bimanual upper extremity task for 6 minutes in two different standing postures. In the symmetric weight-bearing posture, the subjects were standing with evenly distributed body weights to both legs. In the asymmetric weight-bearing posture, the subjects distributed about 90% of their body weight onto their preferred(supporting) leg and 10% of their body weight onto the opposite leg while they were standing. EMG activities of the right and left internal oblique, erector spinae, gluteus maximus, and gluteus medius were measured and normalized as % MVIC. Then the EMG data were statistically analyzed using paired t-tests. The EMG activities of all measured muscles were not significantly different between the right and left side in the symmetrical weight-bearing posture(p>0.05). However, the EMG of the supporting side internal oblique was significantly lower than the opposite side(p<0.05), and the EMG of the erector spinae, gluteus maximus, and gluteus medius were significantly greater on the supporting side(p<0.05). The results of this study support that unbalanced use of right and left muscle possibly causes the changes in muscle length which results in asymmetry of trunk and hip muscles. Furthermore, the uneven weight support onto right and left legs will cause a distortion of viscoelastic ligaments around hip and sacroiliac joints in the long run. Further studies to determine the effect of various manual tasks on the trunk and hip muscles as well as the effect of asymmetrical weight-bearing standing posture on hip and back muscle fatigue may be required.

A High-resolution Numerical Simulation and Evaluation of Oak Pollen Dispersion Using the CMAQ-pollen Model (CMAQ-pollen 모델을 이용한 참나무 꽃가루 확산 고해상도 수치모의 및 검증)

  • Oh, Inbo;Kim, Kyu Rang;Bang, Jin-Hee;Lim, Yun-Kyu;Cho, Changbum;Oh, Jae-Won;Kim, Yangho;Hwang, Mi-Kyoung
    • Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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    • v.33 no.1
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    • pp.31-44
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    • 2017
  • The aim of this study is to evaluate the accuracy and variability of the oak pollen concentrations over the Seoul metropolitan region (SMR) simulated by the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ)-based pollen dispersion model, which is the CMAQ-pollen model integrated with the improved oak pollen emission model(PEM-oak). The PEM-oak model developed is based on hourly emission flux parameterization that includes the effects of plant-specific release, meteorological adjustment, and diurnal variations of oak pollen concentrations. A 33 day-run for oak pollen simulation was conducted by the CMAQ-pollen model with a 3 km spatial resolution for the SMR during the 2014 spring pollen season. Modeled concentrations were evaluated against the hourly measurements at three Burkard sampling sites. Temporal variations of oak concentrations were largely well represented by the model, but the quantitative difference between simulations and measurements was found to be significant in some periods. The model results also showed that large variations in oak pollen concentrations existed in time and space and high concentrations in the SMR were closely associated with the regional transport under strong wind condition. This study showed the effective application of the CMAQ-pollen modeling system to simulate oak pollen concentration in the SMR. Our results could be helpful in providing information on allergenic pollen exposure. Further efforts are needed to further understand the oak pollen release characteristics such as interannual variation of the oak pollen productivity and its spatio-temporal flowering timing.