• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.90-102
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• 1993

A study on the factors affecting subjective symptoms of labor working in textile industries was carried out from June I to 30 in 1991. A total of 870 laborers were selected from the textile industries at Taegu, Kyungbuk in Korea. The purpose of this study was to determine the factors affecting subjective symptoms and improve the health condition of the labor in the industries. The results of this study can be summarized as follows: 1. 72.5% of the respondents were females and 27.5% were males. 45% of them were in the age group of between 20 and 29 years old, 25.7% were between 10 and 19 years old and 14.4% were between 30 and 39 years old. 57.6% finished high school level education, 70.6% were single, 31.2% had religion of Buddhism and 57.3% lived in the dormitory. Financially, 45% of them partially supported their family members. 2. 34.5% of the respondants were working in the administrative areas and the rest were working in the production areas. The period of working was 1~4 years. 64.7% of them owned their houses. 72.9% worked for a shift. 15.9% were satisfied with their job and 17.1% were not satisfied with their job. 3. 44.0% of the respondants complained about eye problems and more females than males complained about problems. 4. The laborers in the age group of between 40 and 49 years old complained about serious headache and younger laborers complained about respiratory problems. 5. 50% of unmarried laborers complained about eye problems, 40% of night workers felt aches in their empty stomach. 6. 54.4% of the respondents working in manufacturing department complained about eye problems, 29.5% of working in processing department complained about headache and 43.4% of the respondents working in spinning department complained about shoulder ache. 7. Most laborers went to the drug stores for their health. 8. 60.7% of teen ages complained about their irregular menstruation. 51.7% of the in twenties complained about pain during the period. 45.8% of the respondents in thirties complained about nervous system. The women working nights show 74.1% in all three and highest complaint rate. According to the conclusion of this study, it is recommended that more money should be spent on better health education for the laborers in textile industries. Also it is recommended that the policies and supports for them should be strengthened.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.20 no.9
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• pp.495-503
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• 2019

The purpose of this study was to investigate the general characteristics, work overload, work life balance, job engagement of working adolescents and the factors affecting job engagement. We examined 1,772 working adolescents under the age of 24 years in response to the fifth Korean Working Conditions Survey. Technical statistics, t-test, ANOVA, and regression analysis were used. The study results showed that men had high-level job engagement when they were professional, self-employed, 41-52 hours per week, and never experienced employment discrimination. For women, job engagement was high if they were under 19 years of age, college graduates, professions, temporary work, 41-52 hours a week, and had never experienced gender discrimination, and employment discrimination. In addition, the job engagement of both men and women was higher when work overload was less and work life balance was good. This study is meaningful in that it examined the job engagement of working youth by using the Korean Working Conditions Survey representative of Korean workers. However, it has limitations in that it does not take into account specific circumstances such as academic status or military service. Based on the study results, it can be used as basic data for developing educational programs to manage job engagement and understanding of working adolescents.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.49 no.6
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• pp.495-505
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• 2016

Purpose: This study was conducted to investigate and analyze the association between stress from shift and non-shift work as well as the effects living habits have on eating habits in order to identify why and how workers can improve their health and form proper eating habits for higher working efficiency. Methods: The subjects of this study were 361 workers from K manufacturing company from April 7 to 11, 2014 and they were surveyed using a questionnaire. The subjects were divided into two groups according to working pattern: shift workers (n = 216) and non-shift workers (n = 110). Results: In the general characteristics, there were significant differences in age, work career, work time, marriage, monthly income, and education levels between the two groups. For healthy behaviors, significant differences in subjective health status, moderate physical activity, drinking, smoking, and sleep time were observed between shift workers and non-shift workers. For eating habits, scores of non-shift workers having a regular mealtime, balanced meal composition, and vegetable and seaweed intakes were significantly higher than those of shift workers. The sum score of dietary habits in non-shift workers was also significantly lower than that in shift workers (p < 0.05). Total job stress score did not significantly differ between the two groups. Conclusion: The sum of eating habit scores according to work types was $16.1{\pm}0.6$ in non-shift workers and $14.0{\pm}0.3$ in shift workers. These results suggest that it is necessary to provide food suitable to characteristics of different workers according to work type which should be provided along with daily nutrition counseling to help subjects recognize their status.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.85-91
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• 2001

Background : It goes without saying that cumulative trauma disorders is spreading to various types of occupation in many advanced countries including America, and it forms considerable rate of total occupational disorders already. and as the result of it, the seriousness of worker health problem and economic loss owing to production loss, recuperation expense, etc. are on the increasing trend through whole society. In case of Korea, the related measures as well as accurate fact-finding survey data on cumulative trauma disorders aren't prepared in detail, so it implies forward problem would be serious. Purpose : The purpose of this study is to draw the risk factor of cumulative trauma disorders in production factory, to forecast the rate of occurrence of cumulative trauma disorders on the basis of subjective symptoms, and to present forward realistic and effective prevention measures by showing the risk of cumulative trauma disorders, objecting the production factory of a domestic riding automobile assembly shop, by estimating in the aspect of human-engineering through the analysis of risk factor being a cause of cumulative trauma disorders. Methods : For this study, I investigated work type and on-duty hours, breathing time, and subjective symptoms of cumulative trauma disorders through questionnaire, objecting the workers in press. car body, coating, and outfit factory. Results : As a result of research, 81.2% of workers were in the physical burden due to present working, and the highest prevalence by part of body is an waist. The higher a rule score, The higher the number of workers complaind for working intensity, and the higher age work duration, tool used time, the higher prevalence of subjective symptoms by part of body. The number of workers complaind subjective symptom for treatment is the highest in drugstore.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.43-52
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• 2007

This study was designed to investigate the difference of airborne lead concentration by type of lead industries and type of lead exposure and to evaluate their association with lead biomarkers of lead workers in 11 lead using industries. Total of 182 lead workers (male: 167, female: 15) from 11 lead industries were participated for this study from March, 2004 to August, 2005. Airborne lead concentration were measured by representative personal sampling of workers in each unit workplace and applied same concentration value to the workers in the same unit workplace who did not measure their airborne lead with personal air sampling. Tibia lead, blood lead, zinc protoporphyrin in whole blood, ${\delta}$-aminolevulinic acid in urine, hemoglobin and hematocrit were selected as study variables of indices of lead exposure. Information about type of lead exposure (fume or non-fume other), age, work duration, smoking & drinking habit were also collected. Significant differences were seen in the means of zinc protoporphyrin, blood lead and tibia lead in lead workers by different airborne lead concentration in workplace. While blood lead and tibia lead in lead workers were significantly higher in secondary smelting than other types of lead industries, zinc protoporphyrin, ${\delta}$-aminolevulinic acid in urine and airborne lead concentration were significantly higher in litharge manufacturing. While the mean blood lead was significantly higher in the lead workers working in fume type unit workplace than those of non-fume lead workers, the mean airborne lead concentration of fume workers was significantly lower than non-fume lead workers. In the multiple regression analysis of airborne lead concentration and the type of lead exposure on tibia lead and lead exposure indices after adjustment of related covariates, airborne lead concentration was statistically significantly associated with blood lead and tibia lead, but the type of lead exposure was only associated with blood lead. To verify the causal association of airborne lead concentration on blood lead and tibia lead, further studies are needed.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.27 no.3 s.47
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• pp.597-608
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• 1994

This study was conducted to evaluate the relationships between the environmental exposure and biological monitoring among workers exposed to metallic mercury We interviewed each workers to get the medical history including previous hazardous occupational history. We measured the respiration rate and tidal volume of each worker in order to calculate the 8-hour inhaled mercury of workers. And we wafted to evaluate the effect of exposure duration to mercury concentrations in blood and urine as biologic exposure indices of metallic mercury. The regression and correlation analysis were done to the relationships of 8-hour inhaled mercury and mercury in blood and urine. The results were as follows; 1. The subjects were 35 fluorescent lamp manufacturing workers. The mean age of subjects was .24.8 years old, and the mean work careers of workers was 1.19 years. 89% of the total was consisted man. 2. The correlation coefficients between 8-hour inhaled mercury and mercury in blood and urine were higher than that of only considered air mercury concentration. 3. The correlation coefficients of 8-hour inhaled mercury and mercury in blood and urine were above 0.9 in workers who had exposed to mercury more than 1 year 4. The R-square value and -value of regression analysis between the 8-hour inhaled mercury and mercury in blood and urine was also higher in workers who had exposed to mercury over 1 year than in workers who had less than 1 year working experience. The important results of this study were that relationships between the 8hr-inhaled mercury and mercury in blood and urine was very high than that with air mercury concentration only. And the results were very apparent when considering workers 1 year or more. Therefore we concluded that the work career and respiratory volume of each individuals should be considered in evaluation the, results of biological monitoring of workers exposed to metallic mercury.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.289-297
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• 2019

Objectives: To identify the positive rate of and the risk factors associated with latent tuberculosis infection(LTBI) in mine workers, the objectives of the present study evaluated those among former mine workers. Methods: Between January 2015 and May 2017, former male mine workers who had been subjects for epidemiology research for work-related chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD) and had received QuantiFERON-$TB^{(R)}$ Gold In-Tube(QFT-GIT) from the Institute of Occupation and Environment(IOE) under Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service(KCOMWEL) were selected as the study subjects. To identify significant variables for increased risk of LTBI, logistic regression analysis was performed. Results: A total of 736 male former mine workers were selected as study subjects. The positive rate of LTBI among subjects was 69.2%(509/736). The current smoking[odds ratio(OR), 2.3; 95% confidence interval(CI), 1.1-4.9], COPD(OR, 1.4; 95% CI, 0.9-2.3), department loading(OR, 1.8; 95% CI, 0.9-3.4) and mining(OR, 1.5; 95% CI, 0.9-2.5), and working duration of over 20(OR, 1.6; 95% CI, 0.9-3.1) and over 30 years(OR, 2.2; 95% CI, 0.9-4.9) were associated with increased risk of LTBI. The interferon-gamma(IFN-${\gamma}$) level after stimulation with Mycobacterium tuberculosis(MTB)-specific antigens showed a significantly negative correlation with age(r=-0.126). Conclusions: The present study determined that the high positive rate of LTBI among mine workers was associated with not only the host factors but also the occupational exposure to mine dust.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.62-82
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• 1998

The purpose of this study is to assess the cause and level of conflict arising within and between departments among administration office workers who work in a recently established tertiary hospitals of a major cooperation or related non-profit cooperation: The study also aimed to find methods for resolution of such conflicts by comparing with other existing university hospitals. The subject population included 299 business administration office workers randomly selected from two cooperate related tertiary hospitals of less than 3 years in its existence and two university hospitals over 700 beds in Seoul and Kyong In area. Data were collected through a survey questionnaire. To define related factors for the level of conflict among departments in each hospitals multivariate regression analysis was conducted. Independent factors were characteristics of subjects, conflicting factors within and between the departments. The results are as follows: 1. Those in the 30-39 rears of age group demonstrated significantly higher level of conflict between departments. Those working in the new hospitals, who were older and had long-term tenure, and those with short-term job experience at current working hospital had higher level of conflict between the departments with statistical significance. 2. Concerning the involvement of conflicting factors and the level of conflict in the administration there was statistically significant positive correlation between reliability and job-related intra- and interdepartmental level of conflict in existing hospitals. There was a significant positive correlation between intradepartmental conflicting factors of mutual dependence, difference in goal/orientation and intra- and interdepartmental level of conflict. 3. In multivariate regression analysis, women more than men, and those who had worked for many years in hospitals had statistically significant influence on factors involved in interdepartmental level of conflict, explaining 51.0% of the model. 4. In existing hospitals, gender was a significant factor with women showing a higher level of interdepartmental conflict compared to men. Among the interdepartmental factors, mutual dependence had statistically significant influence and showed a positive relationship with interdepartmental level of conflict. In the new hospitals, job position was a significant factor which showed that those in high position such as section chief or above, compared to those in managerial or general position had higher level of conflict. Among the interdepartmental characteristics, factors of mutual dependence and goal/orientation had statistically significant influence and showed a positive relationship with interdepartmental level of conflict. In the new hospital setting efforts to reduce conflict in areas among workers with high position, old age, and long tenure and those in Purchasing, Material and Computer Department should be made and prudent management and planning for improved manpower and increased budget or efficient allocation and clear definition of job description are necessary to adequately assess and make improved efforts for rapid stabilization of the premature hospital system from its inception, In the existing hospitals a lack of conflict within and between departments may give rise to stagnation or inefficiency of the organization. Future study are needed with respect to the relationship between interdepartmental level of conflict and the effectiveness of the hospital organization for improved resolution of conflict in the organization and hospital management.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.57-65
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• 2021

Background: The objective of this study was to elucidate the relationships musculoskeletal pains with combined vulnerability in terms of age, gender, and employment status Methods: The fifth European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS) in 2010 (43,816 participants aged 15 years and over) analyzed for European employees and the third Korean Working Conditions Survey (KWCS) in 2011 (50,032 participants aged 15 years and older) analyzed for Korean employees. In this study, three well known vulnerable factors to musculoskeletal pains (older age, female gender, and precarious employment status) were combined and defined as combined vulnerability. Associations of musculoskeletal pains with combined vulnerability were assessed with prevalence ratios (PRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) estimated by Poisson regression models with robust estimates of variance. Results: The prevalences of musculoskeletal pains were lower but the absolute and relative differences between combined vulnerabilities were higher among Korean employees compared with the European employees. Furthermore, the increased risk of having musculoskeletal pains according to combined vulnerability was modestly explained by socioeconomic factors and exposure to ergonomic risk factors, especially in Republic of Korea. Conclusions: The results of this study showed that the labor market may be more unfavorable for female and elderly workers in Republic of Korea. Any prevention strategies to ward off musculoskeletal pains, therefore, should be found and implemented to mitigate or buffer against the most vulnerable work population, older, female, and precarious employment status, in Republic of Korea.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.75-86
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• 1995

This study was performed to investigate the negative side effects of video display terminal (VDT) work on the human body and to provide data for preventing VDT syndrome. A questionnaire survey was made to 339 VDT workers at 22 offices in Taegu, Kyungpook and Kyungnam areas from July 1 to August 31, 1994, and 280 of them were finally used for statistical analysis. The VDT syndrome in the present study inclhded five factors, namely as eye-related symptom, psychological symptom, general body symptom, musculoskeletal symptom, and skin-related symptom, and the estimates of Crombach coefficients of the five factors were 0.954, 0.952, 0.953, 0.957, and 0.955, respectively, showing very high reliability. In view of socio-economical characteristics, the symptoms of female were higher than those of male in the order of musculoskeletal symptom, eye-related symptom, skin-related symptom and psychological symptom. The age group of 30 years or less was higher than the older groups in the order of musculoskeletal symptom, eye-related symptom, psychological symptom and skinrelated symptom. The group of lower education level showed higher skin-related symptom. The psychological symptom and skin-related symptom increased as the amount of smoking increased. Higher eye-related symptom was observed in the group without glasses. In the job-related variables, the group of working on programming and data input showed higher eye-related symptom and psychological symptom. The group of working on programming and graphic design showed higher musculoskeletal symptom and skin-related symptom. The skin-related symptom increased as the total time of VDT operation per day increased. The group of working 2-4 hours followed by 15 minutes rest was higher in musculoskeletal symptom and psychological symptom. Higher musculoskeletal symptom was observed from the group working on Friday and Sunday. The group of 1 year or less working showed higher in skin-related symptom. In relation with the VDT type, all symptoms except skin-related symptom were higher in the group using monochrome monitor. As showed above, the questionnaire could be a tool for evaluating VDT syndrome and prevention of the syndrome would be possible by a comprehensive consideration of factors including socio-economic characteristics, job-related variables and VDT type.