• Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
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• v.35
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• pp.18.1-18.7
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• 2023

South Korea has the highest policy priority for working hour regulations because it has longer annual working hours than other Organization for Economic Development Co-operation and Development countries and has fewer holidays. According to the results of the Working Conditions Surveys between 2006 and 2020, in 2020, 6% of wage earners worked for > 52 hours weekly. The percentage of workers exceeding 52 hours weekly has decreased over time; however, disparities exist based on age, industry, occupation, company type, and company size, particularly in service-, arts-, and culture-related occupations and workplaces with fewer than 5 employees. South Korea's working hours system is greatly influenced by the 52-hour weekly maximum; sometimes, a maximum of 64-69 hours, including overtime, is theoretically possible. To ensure healthy working hours, it is important to actively protect workers who fall through the cracks, such as those in businesses with fewer than 5 employees.

• The Korean Journal of Health Service Management
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.123-135
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• 2018

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of welfare workers who are economically active as wage earners after undergoing industrial accidents on their turnover intention in terms of demographic, working environment, and health characteristics. Methods : The data were analyzed in this study with the chi-square test and logistic regression using SPSS ver. 22.0 to analyze the factors influencing the turnover intention of industrial workers(PSWCI, 2016, N=1,083). Results : Model 1 included age, education, average wage, and union, Model 2 includer the number of workers in the workplace, average number of working days, overtime, and employment status were statistically significant. Model 3 included characteristics of health, Model 4 includer education, average wage, union, average number of working days, overtime, employment status were statistically significant. Conclusions : It is necessary to develop tools, indicators, and systematic and step-by-step programs to evaluate the stable work environment in the workplace, as well as to improve workers' return to work.

• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.149-156
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• 2017

In this paper, we propose to enhance a Physical working conditions to decrease absence from work. we demonstrated the correlation of worker's absence with various environmental factors in workplace by surveying 6,962 workers. As result, first, concerning exposure to physical work factors, most of them complained of vibration, and concerning exposure to improper working posture, most of them complained of repetitive arm and hand motions. Second, the absence experience had correlations with age, monthly income, smoking, number of employees, long term working, and shift work, and of the physical factors, hand vibration, noise, high temperature, low temperature and improper working posture had correlations with physical pain posture, movement of people and carrying heavy materials. Third, experience of exposure to hand vibration, noise and low temperature of the physical factors had impact on absence, and of the improper working posture, physical pain posture and carrying heavy stuff had impacts on absence. Through this study, it was found that of the work factors of Korean workers, physical factors and improper working posture had impacts on absence. The results of this study confirmed that physical factors and inappropriate working posture among work factors influenced the absenteeism. Therefore, it is required to improve the work environment regarding physical risk factors and prepare a systematic management plan.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.171-176
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• 2012

Objective: The goal of this study was to assess work ability of Korean workers in the shipbuilding industry. Background: Old age is associated with inevitable time-dependent losses in physical capabilities. However the maintenance of physical capabilities is essential for continuing independence in old age. The work ability index(WAI) was constructed to reveal how well a worker is able to perform his or her work. Method: The WAI is a kind of survey methods developed to estimate the work capacity of aged workers by the Finish Institute of Occupational Health(FIOH) in 1998. The difference of the WAI between groups in each category was tested using the Kruskal-Wallis test, and the relationship between the WAI and the workers' ages was tested by the Correlation test. Results: This study surveyed 2,709 persons working in the shipbuilding industry in Korea. The average WAI score for all workers was 40.0 denoting a Good Level. Also, workers in the shipbuilding industry had lower work ability, as compared to the results of other industries. The WAI was analyzed for different age groups(${\leq}29$; 30~34; 35~39; 40~44; 45~49; 50~54; ${\geq}55$). The results of Kruskal-Wallis test showed that significant difference was identified on the effect of aging(p<0.05). Conclusion: Advanced countries like the Finland showed decreasing tendency in good and excellent levels as aged, but there was no decreasing tendency in Korean population. The results may be attributable to the general characteristics of Korean society, such as poor social security and burden caused by role of the patriarch. It may bring forth higher work ability in aged population even their physical condition is getting worse. Application: This finding could be used for developing more accurate assessment tool of work ability for working environment.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.53-61
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• 2015

Objectives: The seroprevalence of hepatitis E virus (HEV) among high-risk groups overseas is high, but studies in these groups are rare in South Korea. We conducted the present study from April to November 2012 to obtain data on the seroprevalence and associated risk factors for HEV among slaughterhouse workers in South Korea. Methods: Slaughterhouse workers from 80 workplaces nationwide were surveyed in South Korea in 2012. The subjects comprised 1848 cases: 1434 slaughter workers and 414 residual products handlers. By visiting 80 slaughterhouses, which were mixed with 75 of which also performed residual products handling, we conducted a questionnaire survey for risk factors and obtained blood samples in order to determine the seropositivity and seroprevalence of HEV. Anti-HEV IgG and IgM were measured using HEV IgG and IgM enzyme-linked immunospecific assay kits and HEV antigen was measured by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Results: The seropositivity of anti-HEV IgG was 33.5% (slaughter workers 32.8% and residual products handlers 36.2%), and among the seropositive individuals the seroprevalence of anti-HEV IgM was 0.5% (slaughter workers 0.5%, residual products handlers 0.7%). The response rate of HEV-antigen as measured by RT-PCR was 0.2%. Risk factors significantly related to anti-HEV IgG seropositivity were age, sex, and working duration (slaughter workers only). Conclusions: There were significant risk factors (sex, age, and working duration) for HEV identified in our study. All three positive cases for HEV-antigen by RT-PCR were related to pig slaughter but without statistical significance. To prevent HEV, an educational program and working guidelines may be needed for high risk groups.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.212-220
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• 1999

This study was designed to determine anxiety factors and levels of anxiety of foreign industrial workers. One hundred and seventy five workers were researched who were working in Guro Working Complex, Ansan City and Sungnam City Working Complex asking 60 questionnaires from Feb. 25, 1996 to April 12, 1996. The results were as follows ; 1. The 30.3% of foreign workers were from Nepal. 17.7% from Bangladesh 10.9% from Srilanka, 14.9% from Philippines, 1.1% from Ghana. 80% of foreign workers were male, 77.7% were single and most of then were in the age from 25 to 34. 37.1% of foreign workers had not lived in Korea less than 12 months, 58.8% graduated from college, 33.7% from highschool, and more than half lived in a dormitory. 2. On the anxiety level related to subject workers' general characteristics, the workers level from Nepal recorded the highest point 2.70 statistically showing a significant difference(P=0.0003). On the physical anxiety level, the workers from Nepal recorded a significantly low point comparing with Jamaica, Burma, Vietnam and Nigeria(P=0.01). 3. Emotional anxiety level marked the highest on the workers living as a tenant comparing with the workers in dormitory. 4. On anxiety factors, the emotional anxiety recoded the highest, the social anxiety and the somatic anxiety. 5. On the relation between the anxiety factor, the somatic anxiety factor had a relation with emotional, environmental, and occupational factors and on the other relation between the anxiety factor and emotional factor had a relation with environmental, social, cultural factors. Moreover, the environmental factor had a relation with the cultural factor, social factor had a relation with the cultural factor, and cultural factor was related to the occupational factor.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.118-124
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• 2020

Background: The poultry industry in Pakistan has flourished since the 1960s; however, there are scarce data regarding the impact of occupational exposure on the pulmonary health of farm workers in terms of years working in the industry. The objective of the present study was to assess the effect of poultry environment on the health of occupationally exposed poultry farmers in countries of warm climatic regions, such as Pakistan. This study will also show the effect of exposure to poultry facilities on the health of poultry farmers in the context of low-income countries with a relatively inadequate occupational exposure risk management. Materials and methods: The lung function capacity of 79 poultry workers was measured using a spirometer. Along with spirometry, a structured questionnaire was also administrated to obtain information about age, height, weight, smokers/nonsmokers, years of working experience, and pulmonary health of farm workers. The workers who were directly involved in the care and handling of birds in these intensive facilities were considered and divided into four groups based on their years of working experience: Group I (3-10 months), Group II (1-5 years), Group III (6-10 years), and Group IV (more than 11 years). The forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and the FEV1/FVC ratio were considered to identify lung function abnormalities. Statistical analysis was carried out using independent sample t test, Chi-square test, Pearson's correlation, and linear regression. Results: Based on the performed spirometry, 68 (86 %) of workers were found normal and healthy, whereas 11 (14 %) had a mild obstruction. Of the 11 workers with mild obstruction, the highest number with respect to the total was in Group IV (more than 11 years of working experience) followed by Group III and Group II. Most of the workers were found healthy, which seems to be because of the healthy survivor effect. For the independent sample t test, a significant difference was noticed between healthy and nonhealthy farmers, whereas Chi-square test showed a significant association with height, drugs, and working experience. Linear regression that was stratified by respiratory symptoms showed for workers with symptoms, regression models for all spirometric parameters (FVC, FEV1, and FEV1/FVC) have better predictive power or R square value than those of workers without symptoms. Conclusion: These findings suggest that lung function capacity was directly related to years of working experience. With increasing number of working years, symptoms of various respiratory problems enhanced in the poultry workers. It should be noted that most of the poultry workers were healthy and young, the rationale being that there is a high turnover rate in this profession. The mobility in this job and our finding of 86% of the healthy workers in the present study also proposed healthy worker survivor effect.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.17-42
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• 1997

From September 2, 1995 through October 31, this questionnaire was made by the 1, 200 industrial workers who work for 15 enterprises of 5 types of business. And it was for helping to devise a policy and to develop a program for industrial workers' health promotion by understanding the consciousness behavior level of industrial workers in our country and the related factors which are under the influence of it and health promotion behavior. The summary and conclusions are as follows. 1. In health promotion score level by related factors, the health diagmosis level score was 7. 37(81.9/100) of the perfect score 9, nutrition level score was 7.00(77.8/100), health education behavior level score was 6.00(66.7/100), exercise behavior level score was 6.01(66.8/100), occupational disease knowledge level score was 6.00(66.7/100). 2. Health diagnosis behavior level was significantly high when the age is older, when the occupation term is longer, when the economic status is better. And wjem tje satosfoed degree for vocational aptitude, working environment, and the education contents. 3. Nutrition (dietary habit) status level was high in men, in the age group of 40 over, in the group of having their spouse, in the group of being paid over one million won a month, in the upper economic classes (P〈0.001). It was also high in graduates middle school and in daytime workers (P〈0.05). 4. Health education behavior level was high in the older ahe hroup, in a single life (separation by death, divouce, separation) and in the longer occupation term(P〈0.001). 5. Exercises behavior level was high in men, in the workers who are paid 500～990 thousand won a month, in the better economic classes(P〈0.01). 6. Knowledge level on an occupational disease was high in men, in the older age group, in the group of having a spouse, In the workers who are paid 500～990 thousand won a month, in the group of having a longer occupation term, and in the residents living not in a large city(P〈0.01). 7. When health status was higher, health promotion behavior, behavior level, health diagnosis (P〈0.001), nutrition(P〈0.05), health education behavior (P〈0.05), exercise behavior(P〈0.01) and the knowledge level on an occupation disease was high. 8. The main factors which are under the influence on the degree of practicing healthy life were the level of knowledge and behavior, sex, his/her health status, and the satisfied degree of working environment. These variables could explain it 18.0%. 9. The factors which are under the influence on health promotion behavior and behavior levels were the variables of the satisfied degerr of education contents, sex, health knowledge, economic status, health status, occupation terms, monthly income, working tiredness. These variables could explain it 21.3%. By these results, it is inportant for industrial workers' health promotion to level up the health diagnosis behavior, dietary habit considering nutrition, behavior on health education, behavior for exercise, and knowledge on an occupational disease. Especially we should develop the proper program considered sex, health status, satisfied degree of working environment and education contents, economic status, eccupation terms, knowledge on health, and behavior level. Because health promotion business gies in gear with productivity promotion.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.23 no.3 s.75
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• pp.115-126
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• 2005

The purpose of this study were to analyze the factors that influence the economic outcomes of small self-employed business and the job satisfaction among self-employed workers. A sample of 321 was selected from self-employed workers living in Daegu. For data analysis, multiple regression was used. The major findings were as follows: 1. The self-employed workers' income was affected by their gender, age, perception of present economic status, and working years of business, and amount of capital at the beginning, as well as whether they hired other employees. 2. The factors that influence job satisfaction for self-employed workers were previous experience in self-employed business, level of positive vision with future household economy, level of income, length of working hours per day, and the level of empowerment with their self-employed work.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.1-23
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• 1996

This study was conducted to investigate health management and health awareness of industrial workers and use the information for the development of health education program and the guidline of health management for industrial workers. The survey was carried out on 1,200 workers who were selected from Incheon, Ulsan, Pohang, Masan, Changwon city from Oct. 2 to Oct. 31. 1995. The main results are summarized as follows. 1. With regard to health behavior after regular physical examination, 48.3% of subjests answered "consulting with medical doctors or health workers" and 7.9% answered "non action anything", 2. As for need of environmental control of work, of the total subjects, 96.1% answered "need". 3. As for participation of health education, 61.2% of the subjects were positive, which was higher in male, in higher age groups, in middle school graduates, in healthy group by self assessment than other groups respectively. 4. As for knowledge level of the disease, the average score was $4,97{\pm}1.41$ point to 7 point full mark (71 point to 100 point full mark), the score level was higher in male higher economic, in office workers, in higher education groups, in working period longer groups, in healthier groups, in higher age groups than other groups respectively. 5. As for attitude level of the disease, the average score was $4,70{\pm}1.25$ point to 7 point full mark (67.1 point to 100 point full mark), which was lower, in higher age group, in longer education level, in healthier groups in longer working period than other groups respectively, while the score was higher in male, in day-time workers, in urban residence than other groups respectively.han other groups respectively.