• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.17 no.10
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• pp.569-581
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• 2016

The purpose of this study was to determine factors affecting self-rated health status among the elderly in urban areas. The study subjects were 390 persons aged 65 years and older who had lived more than 5 years in D city. Interviews from the questionnaire were conducted from June through August 2016. The distribution of self-rated health status was rated in terms of dependent variables, with odds ratios and their 95% confidence intervals calculated using unconditional logistic models. As a result, 67.2% of the study subjects answered that they were healthy, whereas 32.8% were unhealthy. In the logistic regression analysis, disability and lowered IADL greatly lowered self-rated health status. The group without an occupation, living expenses from governmental subsidies, frequency of relative contents is seldom, anxiety is high, subjective sleep quality is low, satisfaction of daily life is low, had low levels of self-rated health status. Above results suggest that the self-rated health status of the elderly in urban areas is closely related to sociodemographic characteristics, physical health status, social activity participation, and psychosocial factors.

• 한국노년학
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.1239-1261
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• 2010

The main purposes of the study were to identify factors affecting health-related quality of life of elderly stroke survivors, and to suggest social work interventions for improving their quality of life. The participants were 328 elderly stroke survivors over 55 years old recruited from 18 long-term care hospitals and 13 nursing care facilities in Chung-Nam Province, Korea. The data was collected through a direct survey method from Dec. 16, 2008 to Jan. 17, 2009. Statistical analysis revealed that the overall health-related quality of life among participants was relatively low, especially in the social relationships domain. As a result of hierarchical multiple regression analysis, depression emerged as the most significant predictor of elderly stroke survivors' health-related quality of life, followed by financial burden in future, activities of daily living, acceptance of disability, comorbidity, and major financial supporter(spouse). Health-related quality of life of elderly stroke survivors in long-term care facilities was affected by a variety of variables from disease-related factors to environmental ones. Particularly psychosocial variables were the most powerful factors to predict HRQOL of elderly stroke survivors. Based on the results, social work implications were discussed in the context of developing clinical strategies to alleviate elderly stroke survivors' health-related quality of life in long-term care facilities. Living with chronic illness and disability is a great challenge to the elderly. Most of all long-term residence in care facilities can cause deterioration of quality of life in old age. From now on, studies on health-related quality of life of elderly with chronic illness and disability should be activated in social work field.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.347-353
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• 2016

Background: This study aimed to investigate the relation between key strike forces and musculoskeletal symptoms (MSS). Moreover, this study presents a key strike force measurement method to be used in a workplace setting. The correlation between key strike force characteristics and MSS was previously studied, but the measurement methods used either a single-key switch or force platforms applied under the keyboard. Most of the studies were conducted in a laboratory setting. The uniqueness of measurement methods in the current study is their ability to measure forces applied to a specific key in a workplace setting and to provide more information about specific key strike forces during typing. Methods: Twenty-four healthy computer workers were recruited for the study. The demographic questionnaire, and self-reported questionnaires for psychosocial status (General Nordic Questionnaire for Psychological and Social Factors at Work) and for detecting MSS were filled up, which later helped in dividing the participants into two groups (12 participants with pain and 12 without pain). Participants typed a predetermined text that utilized the instrumented keys multiple times. The dynamic forces applied to the keys were recorded and collected, using four thin and flexible force sensors attached to the preselected keys according to their location. Results: The results demonstrated that participants with high levels of MSS, specifically in the back and neck, in the last year exerted significantly higher key strike forces than those with lower levels of symptoms (p < 0.005). Conclusion: The key strike force exerted while typing on a keyboard may be a risk factor for MSS, and should therefore be considered in ergonomic evaluations and interventional programs.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.313-320
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• 2011

Objectives: To analyze the association between changes in perceived physical and psychosocial working conditions and change of sickness absence days in younger and older (< 50 and ${\geq}50$ years) food industry employees. Methods: This was a follow up study of 679 employees, who completed working conditions survey questionnaires in 2005 and 2009 and for whom the requisite sickness absence data were available for the years 2004 and 2008. Results: Sickness absence increased and working conditions improved during follow-up. However, the change of increased sickness absence days were associated with the change of increased poor working postures and the change of deteriorated team spirit and reactivity (especially among < 50 years). No other changes in working conditions were associated with the changes in sickness absence. Conclusion: Sickness absence is affected by many factors other than working conditions. Nevertheless, according to this study improving team spirit and reactivity and preventing poor working postures are important in decreasing sickness absence.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2023

Background: Firefighting involves exposure of firefighters to risks related to this activity, serious injuries, and occupational diseases are recorded. There are other consequences such as thermal and emotional stress. This systematic review is proposed in order to analyze the risks and consequences faced by these workers and thus provide elements to improve safety management systems in institutions. Method: A descriptive observational study of systematic literature review on the risks and consequences of exposure to firefighters' activity was proposed, and the information was analyzed and described based on the available data and according to the variables determined. Results: The studies showed data on mechanical, physical, chemical, psychosocial risks, workers' perception and resilience, and epidemiological data. Information related to firefighters' activity on falls and slips, exposure to noise, and high concentrations of carbon monoxide is detailed. In addition, the relationship between burnout, cognitive, and physical fatigue as adverse effects on health and performance is mentioned. Conclusions: Among the preventive measures, the use of personal protective equipment is suggested, incorporation in prevention programs of information on exposure to risk factors, as well as the implementation of models that can predict the perception of workers, additionally, the generation of management systems with safety climate models for fire departments.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.82-88
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• 2009

Objectives : Our objective was to examine and evaluate the psychological health of the residents of Taean during the cleanup of the Hebei Spirit(HS) oil spill and to review some factors associated with the results. Methods : A community survey of 71 men and women was conducted 8 weeks after the HS oil spill. Questionnaires used were the PWI(Psychological Well-being Index) scale for psychosocial distress, the CES-D(Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression) scale for depressive symptoms, and a questionnaire created to assess suicidal impulses. Results : The overall prevalence of high-risk psychosocial distress among the study group was 64.2%. The percentages of respondents with scores on the CES-D Scale above 16 and above 21 were 77.6% and 62.7%, respectively. The percentage of respondents categorized as having suicidal impulses was 18.3%. When compared with unexposed groups in the general population taken from various sources, the residents of Taean were 6.5 times as likely to have high stress and 9.4-9.7 times as likely to be depressed. No significant difference in the rate of suicidal impulse was found between the residents of Taean and the general population. Factors associated with high stress, depression, and suicidal impulses were age, a change in income, educational level, number of days working on the cleanup, and positive responses to questions about "affected daily activity" and "hospital visit due to work on cleanup". Conclusions : The results suggest that the HS oil spill had a significant impact on the psychological health of residents of Taean, but the comparability of the unexposed groups is a limitation of the study.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare Studies
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.419-441
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• 2011

Cancer is a disease that threatens the individual's life. This is why the cancer patient goes through psychosocial pain in the form of a trauma. Thus, the previous researches have only focused on the cancer patient's psychosocial distress. However, the cancer patients who have grown more mature and brought upon positive changes in their lives have been clinically observed. Because of this, researches regarding the ways that social welfare can intervene in order to examine the cancer patients' positive changes and growth which breaks away from the previous pathological point of view of the cancer patients are being actively conducted in other countries. But it turns out that there aren't enough basic researches related to this topic and thereby the need to lay out the basis for social welfare intervention. Therefore, this research examines positive changes and growth that may result from the traumatic experience of having a cancer. The predictable factors regarding this are analyzed in order to provide the basic information that may promote clinical intervention for cancer patient's posttraumatic growth. For this, the information from 206 cancer patients who have agreed to participate in the research have been used to predict and evaluate the predictable factors for the cancer patient's post-traumatic growth and hierarchy multiple regression haven been analyzed. As the result of the research, main factor of the post-traumatic growth is found to be social support and coping. The positive reconstruction of coping has been discovered to be the strongest predictable factor for cancer patient's posttraumatic growth. Based on this result, the advice for further research and implications for social welfare have been given.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.687-694
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• 2012

Objective: This study aims to survey the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders(MSD) among Korean hospital workers and to analyze the relationship of MSD symptoms and workload perceived by workers. Background: Despite of high exposure to the MSD risk factors and high MSD symptom prevalence among health care workers, there were not enough studies of MSD prevalence among the hospital workers. Method: This study designed a survey based on Nordic questionnaire to obtain MSD symptoms and the degree of four perceived workloads: work repetition, urgency, physical exertion and satisfaction. In this survey, 1,846 workers in a hospital participated. The prevalence of MSD was analyzed for each body part, and MSD cases, which were predetermined in this study, were identified. The relationship between the MSD cases and each perceived workload was analyzed using chi-square test. Results: The pain in the shoulder was the most prevalent among the workers as 52%, and the low back(37%) and leg discomfort(36%) followed. The MSD cases, in which degree of pain was more than severe, were also the most prevalent in the shoulder(13%). Female workers had higher rate of MSD cases than the males. Among the four workload variables, the physical exertion was the statistically related to MSD cases for all the body parts. In addition, the others also had significant relation to MSD cases except one or two body parts. Conclusion: This study found that Korean hospital workers had MSD symptoms mainly in the shoulder, low back and legs in order, and the perceived workload surveyed in this study was highly correlated with MSD symptoms. Application: This study provides another evidence that subjective physical exertion perceived by workers is an important factor to explain MSD cases as same as the objective one.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.60 no.4
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• pp.231-251
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• 2008

Academic interest has been drastically increased for the health disparities due to socioeconomic factors. For those who have a chronic illness such as diabetes, various psychosocial barriers related to illness management might affect and aggravate this disparity. This study focused on illness management barriers experienced by people with diabetes, and examined the differences by their Medicaid beneficiary status. The between group differences in illness management barriers, family support and health status were examined as well as the association between illness management barriers and health status. The sample of this study consists of 144 community dwelling adults who have diabetes, recruited from an outpatient diabetes clinic and a community welfare center. Medicaid beneficiaries reported poorer health status, and experienced more illness management barriers compared to their counterparts. Statistically significant differences were observed in barriers due to mental health, financial status, and lack of support. The between group difference in health status remained significant after controlling for the effect of demographic characteristics and illness related factors. Social work practitioners working with this population should address these illness management barriers to reduce socioeconomic health disparity.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.565-570
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• 2022

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation between activity of daily living and social psychology and work mind of office workers with non-specific chronic neck pain (NSCNP). Design: Crossed-sectional study Methods: 86 patients with NSCNP were recruited for this study. Neck disability index (NDI) and Numerical pain rating scale (NPRS) were used to check the pain intensity and disability of patients with neck pain. To find out the occupational factors of the subjects, the Korean version of Latack Coping Scale was used. And,To find out the socio-psychological factors of the subjects, the Korean version of depression anxiety stress scale (DASS-21) was used. We performed correlation for each variable. Results: The correlation between NPRS and NDI and DASS-21 Scale were clear positive correlation (p<0.05). There was no statistical significance between the LATACK control group and the pain and disability index (p>0.05). A clear positive correlation was established between the avoidance group of LATACK and pain (p<0.01). Conclusions: Through this study, it is necessary to have time to manage depression, anxiety, and stress in the treatment of neck pain in office workers who spend a lot of time sitting. In addition, it is thought that there should be the ability to control oneself about one's duties in the workplace.