• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제5권1호
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• pp.7-12
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• 2014

Background: In Japan, more than 60% of employees are reported to suffer from anxiety and stress. Consequently, Japanese society has begun to address such important issues as psychogenic disability and job-related suicide. Furthermore, given the aging of society and the surge in the number of elderly people requiring care, it is necessary to adequately and proactively support employees who care for their elderly relatives. The purpose of the present study was to investigate caregiver burden in caring for elderly relatives and work-related stress factors associated with mental health among employees. Methods: We studied 722 men and women aged 18-83 years in a cross-sectional study. The K10 questionnaire was used to examine mental health status. Results: The proportion of participants with a high K10 score was 15% (n = 106). Having little conversation with their supervisor and/or coworkers significantly increased the risk of depression [odds ratio (OR) 1.8], as did high job overload (OR 2.7) and job dissatisfaction (OR 3.8), compared with employees who frequently conversed with their supervisor and/or coworkers. Caring for elderly relatives as a prominent characteristic of an employee was a significant risk factor for depression (OR 2.1). Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that employees who were caring for elderly relatives were significantly associated with an increased risk of depression. To prevent depressive disorders, it may be important to focus on reducing the work-caregiving role conflict, as well as enhancing employees' job control and better rewarding their efforts in the workplace.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제5권1호
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• pp.27-31
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• 2014

Background: Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a common work-related peripheral neuropathy. In addition to grip force and repetitive hand exertions, wrist posture (hyperextension and hyperflexion) may be a risk factor for CTS among workers. However, findings of studies evaluating the relationship between wrist posture and CTS are inconsistent. The purpose of this paper was to conduct a meta-analysis of existing studies to evaluate the evidence of the relationship between wrist posture at work and risk of CTS. Methods: PubMed and Google Scholar were searched to identify relevant studies published between 1980 and 2012. The following search terms were used: "work related", "carpal tunnel syndrome", "wrist posture", and "epidemiology". The studies defined wrist posture as the deviation of the wrist in extension or flexion from a neutral wrist posture. Relative risk (RR) of individual studies for postural risk was pooled to evaluate the overall risk of wrist posture on CTS. Results: Nine studies met the inclusion criteria. All were cross-sectional or case-control designs and relied on self-report or observer's estimates for wrist posture assessment. The pooled RR of work-related CTS increased with increasing hours of exposure to wrist deviation or extension/flexion [RR = 2.01; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.646-2.43; p < 0.01: Shore-adjusted 95% CI: 1.32-2.97]. Conclusion: We found evidence that prolonged exposure to non-neutral wrist postures is associated with a twofold increased risk for CTS compared with low hours of exposure to non-neutral wrist postures. Workplace interventions to prevent CTS should incorporate training and engineering interventions that reduce sustained non-neutral wrist postures.

• 대한치과의사협회지
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• 제57권11호
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• pp.644-653
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• 2019

Since 2013, adults aged over 20 can receive national health insurance scaling once a year in South Korea. In this study, we analyzed the usage status of national health insurance care service for periodontal disease in 2010-2018 by using Healthcare big data of the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service. The increase rate of the dental care users was very high at 7.8 and 11.2% in 2013 and 2014, respectively. These are higher than the increase rate of all medical institution users, which is between -1.7 and 3.7%. In 2017, the rate of dental use was 44.4%, which has increased more than 10% compared to 2012. Percent receiver of national health insurance scaling was 19.5% in 2017. The 20s had the highest rate of 23.2%. The rate decreased with age. Based on these results, it can be evaluated that the expansion of national health insurance coverage for scaling improves accessibility to dental care. A more long-term assessment of the effect of periodic dental examination and scaling on reducing the prevalence of periodontal disease is needed. National health insurance coverage should be extended to oral hygiene education and supportive periodontal therapy in order to prevent periodontal disease.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제8권1호
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• pp.29-35
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• 2017

Background: Despite our knowledge of the causes of cancer, millions of workers are involuntarily exposed to a wide range of known and suspected carcinogens in the workplace. To address this issue from a policy perspective, we developed a policy framework based on a prospective health policy analysis. Use of the framework was demonstrated for developing policies to prevent cancers associated with diesel engine exhaust (DEE), asbestos, and shift work, three occupational carcinogens with global reach and large cancer impact. Methods: An environmental scan of existing prospective health policy analyses was conducted to select and describe our framework parameters. These parameters were augmented by considerations unique to occupational cancer. Policy-related resources, predominantly from Canada, were used to demonstrate how the framework can be applied to cancers associated with DEE, asbestos, and shift work. Results: The parameters of the framework were: problem statement, context, jurisdictional evidence, primary prevention policy options, and key policy players and their attributes. Applying the framework to the three selected carcinogens illustrated multiple avenues for primary prevention, including establishing an occupational exposure limit for DEE, banning asbestos, and improving shift schedules. The framework emphasized the need for leadership by employers and government. Conclusion: To our knowledge, this is the first proposal for a comprehensive policy framework dedicated to the primary prevention of occupational cancer. The framework can be adapted and applied by key policy players in Canada and other countries as a guide of what parameters to consider when developing policies to protect workers' health.

• 지역사회간호학회지
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• 제11권2호
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• pp.513-525
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• 2000

This study was to investigate medication management and the level of awareness about separation of prescribing and dispending at small-to-medium sized workplaces which have less than 300 employees in Korea. The data were collected by questionnaires from May to June in 2000. The number of subjects were 127 workplaces and 130 employees. The SAS PC Program was used for the descriptive statistics. The results are as follows; 1. The over the counter(OTC) drug was provided sufficiently(91.1 %). but medication management was not performed systematically. 2. On drug-providing rate and drug-using rate, the latter was high in the workplace and Health care management's nurses consume all of the over the counter drug provided. 3. When the separation of prescribing and dispending starts, employees shall be medically examined, treated and prescribed by physicians and drugs shall be dispended by pharmacists. It is necessary to make it possible to visit health care institutions whenever they want to. (eg. lunch time or after work) They should change their drug-dependent behaviour. We should focus on strengthening Health Promotion Program to prevent disease by making habitual of health promotion behaviour.

• 한국산학기술학회논문지
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• 제11권11호
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• pp.4338-4345
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• 2010

본 연구는 일부 강원지역 고등학생을 439명을 대상으로 구강건강인식도와 구강관리습관을 알아보기 위하여 실시하였다. 학생들이 하루 평균 양치질을 하는 횟수에 대해 살펴본 결과 하루 평균 양치질을 세 번 이상 하는 학생이 54.4%로 가장 많았으며, 학생들이 식사나 간식 후 30분 ~ 1시간 이내에 양치질을 하는 학생이 47.6%로 가장 많았다. 학생들이 이를 닦는 주된 이유는 구강 청결을 위함이 45.1%로 가장 많았으며, 충치 예방을 위해 칫솔질을 올바르게 하려 노력하는 학생이 54.2%로 가장 많았다. 구강보건에 관한 지식은 학년별로는 1학년 학생이 구강보건지식이 가장 높았고, 한달 용돈별로는 한달 용돈이 적은 학생일수록 높게 조사되었다. 올바른 구강관리와 구강보건 교육이 강화되어야 할 것이고 올바른 구강건강인식을 가지고 구강관리습관이 정착될 수 있도록 고등학생들의 구강보건교육이 더욱 더 필요할 것이다.

• 한국학교보건학회지
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• 제18권1호
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• pp.71-82
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• 2005

Purpose: This study was undertaken in order to examine relations of eating disorders, health locus of control of college women, and to determine factors affecting eating disorders of college women. Method: The subjects were 282 students at a university in Busan. The instrument used for this study was a questionnaire on general characteristics, eating disorders (24 items), health locus of control (11 items) and self-esteem (10 items). Data were analyzed using means, percentages, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficients and stepwise multiple regression with a SPSS WIN 11.0 program. Result: Depending on BMI, there was no obese subject, 62.0% of the subjects were underweight, and 37.9% were normal. Over 40% of the subjects perceived them to be overweight while 62.1% of the women were underweight as defined by BMI. The total mean score of anorexia was higher than bulimia nervosa. There were significant differences in eating disorders according to BMI, perceived view of appearance, body satisfaction, experienced weight-control, and predictors of weight control method. Eating disorders showed a significant negative correlation with health locus of control and self-esteem. Stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed that the most powerful predictor of eating disorders was BMI. Experienced weight control, health locus of control and self-esteem and body appearance had significant effects on eating disorders. These predictive variables of eating disorders explained 27% of variance. Conclusion: The result of this study showed that eating behaviors among college women developed into eating disorders or were seriously disturbed. Therefore, to prevent eating disorders, health education should be provided to college women in relation to eating behaviors for health management.

• 한국직업건강간호학회지
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• 제30권4호
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• pp.145-155
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• 2021

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of customer violence experiences, protection systems, and monitoring systems on the subjective health status of salespersons and electronic machine repairers. Methods: A total of 934 persons were sampled nationwide, including 582 salespersons and 352 electronic machine repairers, from March 2~30, 2020 and asked to fill out a self-reported questionnaire. Results: The findings show that electronic machine repairers were more exposed to customer violence and had a weaker protection system than salespersons. They also experienced severe control from management through a monitoring system. The regression analysis revealed that verbal violence had a negative impact on the subjective health status of electronic machine repairers (p=.021). A worker protection system had significant effects on the improved subjective health status of salespersons (p=.009). Depression and fatigue had negative impacts on the subjective health status of both salespersons (depression: p<.001, fatigue: p<.001) and electronic machine repairers (depression: p<.001, fatigue: p=.002). Conclusion: These findings put a greater emphasis on the need for worker protection systems to prevent workplace violence and a health promotion program to manage depression and fatigue in workplaces.

• 지역사회간호학회지
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• 제33권3호
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• pp.269-278
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• 2022

Purpose: This study analyzed the retention factors of Korean community health practitioners who sustained over 20 years based on a multi-dimensional framework. This study suggests global implications for nurses working in rural or remote areas, even during a worldwide pandemic. Methods: The participants were 16 Korean community health practitioners who worked in rural or remote locations for over 20 years. This study identified nurses' key retention factors contributing to long service in rural and remote areas. This is a qualitative study based on the narrative method and analysis was conducted using grounded theory. A semi-structured questionnaire was conducted based on the following: the life flow of the participants' first experience, episodes during the work experience, and reflections on the past 20 years. Results: First, personal 'financial needs' and 'callings' were motivation-related causal conditions. The adaptation of environment-work-community was the contextual condition leading to intervening conditions, building coping strategies by encountering a lifetime crisis. The consequences of 'transition' and 'maturation' naturally occurred with chronological changes. The unique factors were related to the 'external changes' in the Korean primary health system, which improved the participants' social status and welfare. Conclusion: Considering multi-dimensional retention factors was critical, including chronological (i.e., historical changes) and external factors (i.e., healthcare systems), to be supportive synchronously for rural nurses. Without this, the individuals working in the rural areas could be victimized by insecurity and self-commitment. Furthermore, considering the global pandemic, the retention of nurses is crucial to prevent the severity of isolation in rural and remote areas.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• 제36권1호
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• pp.15-21
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• 2023

Purpose: Dental avulsion injuries have a poor prognosis that largely depends on the immediate steps taken to manage the avulsed tooth. A lack of knowledge about the initial management can lead to tooth loss, with further adverse implications for esthetics, phonetics, and overall growth and function. Hence, the present study aimed to assess parents' knowledge regarding dental avulsion and the variables associated with their knowledge of avulsion injuries. Methods: A series of closed-ended questions on parents' knowledge regarding avulsion, such as immediate management, storage media, handling, and urgency of visiting the dentist, was asked. Univariate associations between the outcomes were assessed using the Pearson chi-square test. The chisquare goodness-of-fit test was used to check whether the sample data were representative of the population. Results: In total, 211 mothers and 149 fathers were included, of whom 46.7% had experienced dental trauma during their own childhood. Sixty-one percent of mothers believed that they knew everything necessary about tooth avulsion and its management. A significant number of participants who thought that they had a good level of knowledge about avulsion chose water, tissue, or paper wrap to transport the tooth, and preferred tap water, alcohol, or antiseptic to clean the avulsed tooth. Conclusions: Both mothers and fathers had poor knowledge about tooth avulsion, indicating that there is an immediate need for educational programs focusing on this issue. Since a substantial proportion of participants believed incorrect information, it is vital to disseminate accurate information.