• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.203-209
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• 2014

Background: Coal mining is of significant economic importance to the Australian economy. Despite this fact, the related workforce is subjected to a number of psychosocial risks and musculoskeletal injury, and various psychological disorders are common among this population group. Because only limited research has been conducted in this population group, we sought to examine the relationship between physical (pain) and psychological (distress) factors, as well as the effects of various demographic, lifestyle, and fatigue indicators on this relationship. Methods: Coal miners (N = 231) participated in a survey of musculoskeletal pain and distress on-site during their work shifts. Participants also provided demographic information (job type, age, experience in the industry, and body mass index) and responded to questions about exercise and sleep quality (on-and off-shift) as well as physical and mental tiredness after work. Results: A total of 177 workers (80.5%) reported experiencing pain in at least one region of their body. The majority of the sample population (61.9%) was classified as having low-level distress, 28.4% had scores indicating mild to moderate distress, and 9.6% had scores indicating high levels of distress. Both number of pain regions and job type (being an operator) significantly predicted distress. Higher distress score was also associated with greater absenteeism in workers who reported lower back pain. In addition, perceived sleep quality during work periods partially mediated the relationship between pain and distress. Conclusion: The study findings support the existence of widespread musculoskeletal pain among the coal-mining workforce, and this pain is associated with increased psychological distress. Operators (truck drivers) and workers reporting poor sleep quality during work periods are most likely to report increased distress, which highlights the importance of supporting the mining workforce for sustained productivity.

• 한국노년학
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.109-126
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• 2005

Recently it has been encouraged in developed countries that labor force participation of the elderly is one of the means to cut down the cost of social welfare for them. However, empirical studies have rarely explored how work in later life contributes to national economy. Especially, even though 56.6 percent of elderly workers aged 65 and older engaged in agriculture and forestry in Korea, their contribution has been socio-economically overlooked. This study aims at examining the effect of farming labor in later life on social welfare expenditure. For this purpose, social welfare expenditure was defined as social benefits provided for the elderly by the social security in public sector and measured as transportation allowance, pension, livelihood aid, medical aid, and health insurance in 2003. Data were obtained from National Health Insurance Cooperation and 37 town/village offices and analyzed by 3 age groups; 65~74, 75~84, and 85 and over using SPSS/PC windows program. Results showed that both livelihood and medical support in all age groups were expended more to non-farm than to farm workers. The amount differences per person between them were 113,959~361,132 won in livelihood support and 15,644~51,418 won in medical support. Also, participation in farming influence reduction of livelihood expenditure for the group 65~74 and 75~84 and that of medical expenditure only for the group 65~74. Based on these results, it was estimated the amount of social welfare expenditure reduced by farming labor in later life. The limit of this study and the policy implications of the results are discussed.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.74-83
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• 2016

The purpose of this study was to identify the educational and ecological factors (environment and infra-structure) associated with workers' participation to safety and health education at work (SHEW) based on the PRECEDE constructs. A total of 590 workers (484 in manufacturing and 106 in construction companies) finished the self-administered survey. Survey packets were delivered to the safety and health manager (SHM) in survey companies and the SHMs conducted the self-administered survey in their companies. The questionnaire includes demographics, epidemiological constructs, and educational and ecological constructs based on the PRECEDE model. Participation to SHEW was better in the manufacturing sector than in the construction sector (p<.001). Environmental, reinforcing, and enabling factors were better in the manufacturing companies than in the construction companies. Male worker, better perceived efficacy of SHEW, higher social support for SHEW, assignment of SHM at work, and better safety and health management level at work were significantly associated with workers' better participation to SHEW (p<.05). Those factors accounted for 45.9% of total variance of workers' participation to SHEW.

• Journal of Family Resource Management and Policy Review
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.121-145
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• 2013

The purpose of this study is to understand married female immigrants' life adjustment process in Korea by explaining the resources to which they have access and how they use them. The data were collected through in-depth interviews with ten female participants who have more than one child, have participated in programs of the multicultural family support center, have work experience, can communicate with Koreans, and live in Daegu. The major findings are as follows. The participants' personal resources differed. English language skills were very useful resources for making money and for earning the respect of family members and others. However, the participants without English language skills had sincerely and actively tried to learn the Korean language and gain bilingual competence. The participants obtained diverse family resources from their husbands and parents-in-law after adapting themselves to perform their gender role. Further, the participants used the social resources offered by public support systems as a starting point for learning the Korean language in their early adaptation process, and formed personal networks with staff members at the multicultural family support center. The results show that the participants used many kinds of resources for acculturation by interacting positively with their environment. Moreover, the resources from diverse levels of their environments affected their acculturation process.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.1-20
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• 2008

This study investigates the influences of factors such as type and degree of family leisure among parents with five day work weeks on adolescents' perceived family strengths. Its findings are based on questionnaires collected from 525 male and female parents of middle school students. Factor analysis and MANOVA were employed for data analysis and $Scheff{\acute{e}}$ tests for post-hoc analysis. The main findings were as follows. First, adolescents whose parents work five days a week were at a higher level than other adolescents in terms of finances, family ties, communication, and social ties. Second, there were no significant differences concerning adolescents' family strength by type of family leisure. Third, adolescents with more family leisure activities scored higher than others in the areas of manageable strengths, financial levels, family ties, communication, and family social ties. Fourth, among families following the five day working system, adolescents who had more family leisure activities scored higher than the others in regards to manageable strengths, financial levels, family ties, communication, and family social ties. Additionally, where adolescents thought they had fewer family leisure activities, family-oriented adolescents tended to be engaged in higher physical-activity-oriented and hobby-oriented activities in relation to manageable strengths, financial level, family ties, and communication and hobby-oriented adolescents engaged in higher than average amounts of physical-activity, strengthening family social ties in the process. Fifth, concerning families not adhering to the five day working system, adolescents who had more family leisure activities scored higher than others in terms of manageable strengths, financial levels, family ties, communication, and family social ties. As the above results indicate, family leisure activities appear to be a key factor influencing family strength. Therefore, further support should be extended toward developing new forms of family leisure and additional studies should be devoted to the subject.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.66 no.2
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• pp.51-74
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• 2014

This study aimed to examine a multiple mediator model in which stresses affect self-criticism. The self-criticism, in turn seemed to affect the feelings of loneliness, and this had an effect on over 65 years living alone. Furthermore, whether social support had any moderating effects in the pathway from the loneliness to suicidal ideation on our pass model were also investigated. Data were collected from 572 samples of persons 65 years of age and older living alone in Seoul. For the analyses of the mediating effects and moderating effects, structural equation modeling was used. The results were as follows. First, the pass model was identified to fit the observed data. This mean that self-criticism increased as stress rises, the increased levels of self-criticism increased loneliness, and the increased levels of loneliness increased the levels of suicidal ideation. Second, social support moderated the relation between loneliness and suicidal ideation on our model. These results suggested that interventions which deal with loneliness and suicidal ideation were needed, in order to reduce suicidal ideation caused by the stress. These imply, additionally, that when social workers try to reduce the suicidal ideation, they should consider the levels of social support at work as influences.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.338-344
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• 2015

Background: The present study aims to investigate job stressors and stress relievers for Korean emotional laborers, specifically focusing on the effects of work conditions and emotional labor properties. Emotional laborers are asked to hide or distort their real emotions in their interaction with clients. They are exposed to high levels of stress in the emotional labor process, which leads to serious mental health risks including burnout, depression, and even suicide impulse. Exploring job stressors and relieving factors would be the first step in seeking alternatives to protect emotional laborers from those mental health risks. Methods: Using the third wave data of Korean Working Conditions Survey, logistic regression analysis was conducted for two purposes: to examine the relations of emotional labor and stress, and to find out job stressors and relievers for emotional laborers. Results: The chances of stress arousal are 3.5 times higher for emotional laborers; emotional laborers experience double risk-burden for stress arousal. In addition to general job stressors, emotional laborers need to bear burdens related to emotional labor properties. The effect of social support at the workplace is not significant for stress relief, unlike common assumptions, whereas subjective satisfaction (wage satisfaction and work-life balance) is proven to have relieving effects on emotional laborers' job stress. Conclusion: From the results, the importance of a balanced understanding of emotional labor for establishing effective policies for emotional laborer protection is stressed.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.410-419
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• 2007

Purpose: This study is a descriptive survey to find out musculoskeletal symptoms in care workers working at medical welfare facilities for elders and factors affecting such symptoms. Methods: Data were collected from 115 care workers selected through convenient sampling from 6 medical welfare facilities in Seoul and Gyeonggi-do during the period from May 15th to May 19th. 2006. The Korean version of Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ) were used. Result: Of the subjects, 81.7% complained of musculoskeletal symptoms in two or more parts of their body. The frequency of body parts with musculoskeletal symptoms was high in order of shoulder, leg/foot, waist, neck/hand/wrist/finger and arm/elbow. The average job insecurity instability in the age group of 50-59 was 9.19, the average degree of regular exercise was 59.68. and the average job demand in those diagnosed with musculoskeletal diseases was 47.06, and the average job demand in those wounded during exercise or by an accident was 47.78, and all these were statistically significant. The heavier physical load in their work was, the higher their complaint of musculoskeletal symptoms was. In the lower social support group, the degree of complaint on musculoskeletal symptoms was remarkably high. Conclusion: The physical load of their duty and social support worked as the factors affecting musculoskeletal symptoms in care workers.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.190-199
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• 2003

This study was conducted to determine the factors affecting job satisfaction in workers by using the Job Stress Model proposed by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Data were collected from December 1 to December 30, 1999. The subjects were 2,133 workers employed at 155 work sites, who were examined using NIOSH Job Stress questionnaire translated by the Korea Occupational Safety ${\pounds}|$ Health Academy and Occupational Safety ${\pounds}|$ Health Research Institute. SAS/PC program was used for statistical analysis using descriptive analysis. Pearson's correlation coefficient, ANOVA, and Stepwise multiple regression analysis. The results of this study were as follows. 1. According to general characteristics of the subjects, job satisfaction was high in those with less number of children. 2. By work condition, job satisfaction was higher in those who were working in a permanent job position, were working with regular time basis than with shift basis, were working in regular shift hours than in changing shift hours, were working for a short period, and were working less hours and overtime works per week. 3. In terms of physical work environment, job satisfaction was significantly related to 10 physical environmental factors. In other words, job satisfaction was high in workers who were working in an environment with no noise, bright light, temperature adjusted to an appropriate level during summer and winter, humidity adjusted to an appropriate level. well ventilation, clean air, no exposure to hazardous substance during work hour, overall pleasant work environment and not crowded work space. 4. By work-related factors, job satisfaction was high in those with less ambiguity about future job and role, high job control/autonomy, and less workload. On the other hand, job satisfaction was low in those with little utilization of competencies, and much role conflict at work and workload. 5. As for the relationships between job satisfaction and the non-work related factors, job satisfaction was high in workers who were volunteering at different organizations or active in religious activities for 5-10 hours per week. 6. In the relationships between job satisfaction and buffering factors, significantly positive correlations were found between job satisfaction and factors such as support by direct superior, support by peers, and support by spouse, friend and family. 7. There were nine factors that affected job satisfaction in the workers: age, number of children, work hours per week, noise, temperature at the work site during summer, uncomfortable physical environment, role ambiguity, role conflict, ambiguity in job future, work load, no utilization of competencies and social support from direct supervisor. These nine factors accounted for 26% of the total variance in the multiple regression analysis. In conclusion. the following are proposed based on the results of this study. 1. The most important physical environmental factors affecting job satisfaction in workers were noise, role ambiguity, and work load, suggesting a need to develop strategies or programs to manage these factors at work sites. 2. A support system that could promote job satisfaction is needed by emphasizing the roles of occupational health nurses who may be stationed at work sites and manage the factors that could generate job stress. 3. Job satisfaction is one of the three acute responses to stress proposed in NIOSH job stress model (job satisfaction. physical discomfort and industrial accidents). Therefore, further studies need to be conducted on the other two issues.

• Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.45-55
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• 2009

Background: This thesis aims at suggesting the direction for the introduction of public free treatment support system according to the establishment of [Special Education Law] and the right settlement of therapeutic support service. Method: It introduced the characteristics and the contents of school based PT & OT, diagnosis and evaluation, and operation method. It set up question items and presented intervention plan, and substantial intervention, beginning from the request of whole process. The diagnostic evaluation was described from 4 aspects, which are consideration matters in the time of document drawing and diagnostic evaluation, chiefly centering around SOAP. The flow of overall treatment support service, the allocation of 16 handicapped children for 1 therapist, and the weekly treatment frequency according to the treatment support location and environment were suggested in the concrete operation method. Result: The concrete method should be explored in order to provide handicapped students with requisite services, which are offered by various experts in the amended 'Special Education Law'. In addition, work condition and social welfare, which are equal to school teachers, should be provided for all experts. Conclusion: Along with these things, special education support center should establish the road-map for the education rehabilitation of the handicapped children from the evaluation of early diagnosis of the handicapped children to treatment support and lifelong education.