• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.55 no.4
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• pp.276-283
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• 2023

The Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute is currently evaluating spirometry tests used for worker health examinations by applying the 2005 American Thoracic Society (ATS) and European Respiratory Society (ERS) spirometric test standardization guide and reviewing the application of the 2019 ATS/ERS guide. To compare results obtained using the new evaluation criteria with previous results and determine whether it is appropriate to apply them to Korean workers' health examinations, we reviewed spirometry results from 325 special health examination institutions. Although evaluation criteria such as extrapolation volume, correction error, and forced inspiratory vital capacity were applied more strictly, institutions had higher reliability scores. Primarily because the acceptability and repeatability of forced expiratory volume in 1 second and forced vital capacity were judged separately, and thus, deduction width was reduced. The study shows that adopting the new evaluation criteria would reduce the possible use of inappropriate data, increase tester and doctor understanding of result selection and interpretation, increase result reliability, and reduce the testing burden.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.340-357
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• 2019

The purpose of this paper is to help develop a comprehensive understanding of the humidifier disinfectant disaster from diverse perspectives based on a critical review of the relevant academic research papers published so far in the fields of both natural and social science. The authors reviewed pertinent articles in the six academic areas of law, social science, humanities, medicine, toxicology, and environmental health. A proper understanding of the issue of humidifier disinfectant is a challenging task because diverse aspects of it have become related over the more than two decades since such products were first released to the market in 1994. Technical and esoteric issues such as the complex system for relief and compensation for health damages and the approval of chemical toxicity are known to be major impediments to viewing the bigger picture regarding this tragedy. The authors believe that experts need to consider a comprehensive perspective going beyond their individual research arena to gain a better understanding of this issue, especially since it was an alarm signal on ethics and the role of experts and scholars in Korean society. Besides the two professors arrested by the prosecutor's office, it should be remembered that medical doctors recommended patients use humidifiers and disinfectants, and the media was inactive in reporting on this issue. Furthermore, the current paucity of examination of the social and political implications of this tragedy calls for more active engagement by researchers in the humanities and social sciences. In this regard, this paper is a work of self-examination and self-criticism by the authors that could resonate with the overall academic community.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.103-111
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• 2011

Objectives : This study of oral health problems was conducted to 311 students in Special Schools in order to inquire into the state of their oral health behaviors, to find out the main obstacles against dental services, to secure dental reasonable basis for oral health promotion. Methods : A questionnaire survey was conducted in the Special School of the 311 students in the area of the metropolitan Seoul. By means of Chi-squared test and Fisher's exact test, oral hygiene habits for each type of the subjects, the contents of dental care services, the prerequisites to improve oral health, were inquired. To evaluate the effects to the current oral health status of types of disability, 2-way ANOVA was practiced. Results : The handicapped with Visual impairment, mental retardation, multiplicity with disabilities, answered negatively in their own oral health status. 47.4% of the deaf can do brush for theirselves without the inconvenience, but in other types of disability they showed that they were helped by others. Subjects did not use the secondary oral hygiene necessaries because, except brain damage, almost of types of disability impeded the convenient use. 60 to 88.2 percent of the total respondents were the recent visitors to dental clinique within 1 year, and the most common motives of the visiting dentist, is a routine medical examination, their movements to the dentist in all types of disabilities, needed helps of others. Most of them received medical treatment at a private dentist, the handicapped preferred the private care and place(49.8%). Only in the case of the brain disorders, extremely much of the disabled answered that they were needed the preventive treatment, and the another cases of disability were largely needed the treatment of the decayed teeth. To improve the oral health of the people with disabilities, at the opening of the clinics and hospitals over a certain size, the mandatory medical facilities for the care of the disabled should be preceded and followed by the improvement of dental insurance system so as to reduce the burdens of the cost of dental care. Conclusions : The improvement of oral health policy for the disabled are needed inevitably: Development of secondary oral hygienic easy to use for the disabled, the building systems of medical dental hospital with the disabled facilities, by the improvement of the insurance system, the reduction of the burden of payments.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.143-156
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• 2008

Purpose: It is important to identify problems in elders' health through health examination as a part of health service for elders and to execute health education so that elders have appropriate abilities to manage and protect themselves. This study was attempted to assess the need of health education in the elderly and to analyze factors affecting the need of health education. Method: The participants in this study were 354 elderly people living independently in the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province of Korea, and a questionnaire survey was conducted through personal interviews from June 25 to July 26, 2007. The methodology was a descriptive study. Data were collected and analyzed using SPSS Win 12.0. Results: As for the contents of education, elders preferred most the area of 'prevention and management of elderly diseases.' Detailed education contents preferred by elders were the prevention of accidents, diet habits, exercise and weight management, mental health and stress management, complementary and alternative therapies, management of drinking and smoking, etc. Conclusion: According to elders' concerns and needs, systemic health education for the elderly should provide right health knowledge, health maintenance, health promotion and setting of appropriate health education.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.28 no.3 s.51
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• pp.576-587
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• 1995

Authors purposed to observe activities of occupational health nurses and it's related factors, and to suggest the way that induct better occupational health nurses' activities with questionaire to 87 occupational health nurses who individually work as health manager in the plant. The questionaire included type of plant and number of workers, general characteristics, work conditions, activities, etc. Major findings are as follows. 1. 82.8% of occupational health nurses were third decade. 93.1% graduated junior college or college. And 82.8% were not married. 2. General work conditions: 40.2% were belonged to safety-health section, 98.85% were mere clerks. 60.9% worked less than weekly 44 hours, and an annual salary of 50.6 % was between 10 million and 14 million won. 3. Work condition related to health manager work: there was separated health care room in 94.3%, working period as health manager(occupational health nurse) was less than 5 years in 70.1%, 49.4% had the out-of-health manager work. In 87.4%, occupational physician was appointed, only 6.9% of them were full time, 52.9% of them worked little in the plants. The problems related to workers' health were discussed with industrial nurses in 88.5%. 4. Attitude for their work: 88.5% were thought that their work is important for workers' health care, 57.5% satisfied to work as health manager. In 51.7%, motive to being industrial nurse were the appropriate aptitude. 5. Activities: General medical care in 100% were carried out, in 97.7% works related to general health examination, in 100% works related to special health examination were carried. But works related to use of protective apparatus were carried out in 20.8%. 6. Factors related to level of activities: In cases who solved the health related problems by themselves, the level of activites was significantly higher than in others. In cases there were full time occupational physician, the level of activities was significantly lower. 7. Occupational health nurse's needs: 100% wanted regular education, 89.7% wanted the qualifying examination. As the results, author suggests that the right of self-control is given to occupational health nurses and the work of occupational physician is clearly defined for the induction of the better activities of occupational health nurses.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.38-44
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• 1993

The purpose of this study was to identify the status of health management from Dec 5, 1992 to March 10, 1993. The data. was. collected from 30 industrial nurses, through a structured questionnaire. The results were as follows : 1. 1.50%. of the companies surveyed were manufacturing companies, 24% of them were research center. 2. The sizes of the companies were as follows: 300-499 employees 11(37%). more than 1,000 employees 4(13%). 3. 18 companies(60%) had organized safety and health committees. 4. 25 companies(83%) had there own health clinics. 5. 60% of companies had a Health center assigned as were hospitals 83%. 6. Practical nurses were employed by all industries, 10 companies had their own physicians, and 3 had their own industrial hygienist. 7. The primary health examination rate was 96% and workers who took follow up examinations were 8.5% out of them, 73.6% were evaluated at the C & D grade. Follow Up management to D. evaluations was performed about 50%. 8. 13 personnel(43%) required, special examinations. 9. The relation between the workers health score and the health status, score was negative and not significant. Therefore the better health management the higher health level score.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.70 -77
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• 2023

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to identify information on the workers at major industrial health institutions. Methods: The subjects were employees at work environment measurement institutions, specialized health management institutions, special health examination institutions, and health checkup institutions. Data on these employees was identified by age, career, region, and qualification. Results: The sample totaled 6,449 workers at major industrial health institutions. The number of doctors, nurses, and industrial hygienists was identified at 4,609. For their age groups, 34.1% were in their 30s, and 56.3% had less than five years of work experience. The distribution by region was 24.3% in Gyeonggi-do Province, 12.7% in Seoul, and 8.7% in Gyeongsangnam-do Province. Conclusions: Information on occupational health human resources has been published irregularly and is limited by specialty. Therefore, it is necessary to systematize information on human resources and disclose it regularly so that supply and demand conditions can be predicted when establishing industrial accident prevention policies.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.1-18
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• 1997

This study was carried out to reveal the status of health examination among farmers and to attract more attention to the health care system for farmers. Ten pre-trained medical students interviewed the rural residents 18 years of age and older in eight villages which were randomly selected from a county near Taegu city in Korea, in August 1996. Finally 751 persons were interviewed of whom the percentages of male and female were 41.8%, 58.2% respectively. Among the subjects, 361(48.3%) were fully engaged in farming, 184(24.4%) were partly engaged, and the remaining 206(27.3%) were not engaged in farming at all. The overall prevalence of farmer's disease was 23.0% and there was no significant difference between the group of fully engaged in farming(23.3%) and the group of not-fully engaged(22.9%). But the prevalence of farmer's disease in female subjects(27.8%) was significantly higher than that in male(16.2%)(p<0.01). Among the 288 farmer engaged in spraying pesticide, 113(39.2%) had experienced one or more pesticide related symptoms during last one year, but only 18(15.9%) of them had visited medical facilities due to their symptoms. The experience of receiving education about pesticide was significantly correlated with the degree of wearing protectors during pesticide spraying(p<0.001). Among the 736 persons excluding non-respondents, 281(38.2%) received health examination during last one year ; 176(62.6%) of them received free health examination, and 105(37.4%) received charged one. Among the 533 persons 40 years age and older, only 124(23.3%) had received the 'health examination for the elderly' during last one year, which is provided for the 40 years age and older by Korea medical insurance corporation and medical insurance societies. Most of all beneficiaries of self-employed medical insurance thought the imposed contributions as very expensive(77.4%) or moderately expensive(13.2%). The great majority of farmers are exposed to various health risk factors including pesticide, high temperature, overwork etc. comparable to industrial workers. But farmers are excluded from the regular yearly worker's health examination because of not belonging to a company despite they pay relatively more medical insurance contributions compared with the industrial workers and the urban self-employed medical insureds. It is necessary to develop special health management program for farmers such as the special health examination for the industrial workers exposed harmful agents.

• Korean Institute of Interior Design Journal
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• v.15 no.5 s.58
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• pp.193-201
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• 2006

In according as the social action of women is active, the average life span is longer than male, not only woman's social position is higher, but also the construction of the more professional woman special hospital Is increased. In occasion to the recent woman special hospital, give medical treatment about pediatrics and the breast surgery as well, and the sphere is increasing as compose the variety network, from the health medical center to check the woman's physical to the postpartum care center. The trend of the lobby is arranged the more service area as the concept of the woman hospital is changed, the sphere is increasing. Accordingly, this study research and analyze the service zone and design elements on the focus the lobby of the internal woman special hospital, have an intention of guideline about the interior design of the after woman hospital. As the subject of study, selected the hospital that lobby serves to show the identity of total space, and the woman special hospital that is introduced to the relation journal with architecture or interior design, is opened after 2000 years, below the 100 bed. As the study method, understand the composition of lobby space through floor analysis, examination by the visit, analyzed the arrangement constituent, the design trend. The direction of lobby space mentioned in the study result is that secure the publicness, guarantee the privacy zone, and is important that the adequate arrangement of commercial space contribute to client's mental stability, desire that inflected as the more positive communication place.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.46-54
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• 2021

Objectives: This study explored the relationship between shift intensity and insomnia among hospital nurses. Methods: The participants were 386 female hospital nurses who underwent a special health examination for night workers in 2015. The Korean Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), indices of shift work intensity, and other covariates such as amount of exercise, level of alcohol consumption, employment duration, and hours worked were extracted from the health examination data. The indices for shift intensity were (1) number of 3 consecutive night shifts and (2) number of short recovery periods after a previous shift, both assessed over the prior 3 months. Multiple logistic regression analysis adjusted for the aforementioned covariates was performed to evaluate the association of shift intensity with insomnia, defined as an ISI score of ≥8. Results: The nurses with insomnia tended to be younger (p=0.029), to have worked 3 consecutive night shifts more frequently (p<0.001), to have experienced a greater number of short recovery periods after the previous shift (p=0.021), and to have worked for more hours (p=0.006) than the nurses without insomnia. Among the other variables, no statistically significant differences between groups were observed. Experiences of 3 or more consecutive night shifts (odds ratio [OR], 2.33; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.29 to 4.20) and 3 or more short recovery periods (OR, 2.01; 95% CI, 1.08 to 3.73) were associated with increased odds of insomnia. Conclusions: The results suggest that decreasing the shift intensity may reduce insomnia among hospital nurses working rotating shifts.