• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.53-58
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• 2024

Background: As social distancing persists and interest in work-life balance grows, more companies are adopting flexible work policies. While there have been studies on sleep disorders associated with different types of work, such as shift work, research exploring the relationship between flexible work schedules and sleep disorders is still limited, particularly among Korean workers. Methods: We performed a secondary analysis of the 6th Korean Working Conditions Survey, focusing on 31,243 paid workers out of a total of 50,538 participants. We defined flexible workers as those who set their own working hours. Sleep disorders were divided into three categories: 'difficulty falling asleep,' 'frequent waking during sleep,' and 'waking up feeling exhausted and fatigued.' Using scores derived from three specific symptoms, the Minimal Insomnia Symptoms Scale (MISS) was calculated to assess the prevalence of insomnia. We used chi-square tests to analyze demographic and job-related differences. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was employed to identify any relationship between flexible work schedules and sleep disorders. Results: Significant differences were found between flexible and non-flexible workers regarding age, income level, education level, and job type. Flexible workers reported sleep-related symptoms significantly more often. The odds ratio for insomnia was 1.40 (95% CI 1.21-1.61). For males, the odds ratio was 1.68 (1.36-2.08). Conclusion: This study establishes a correlation between flexible work schedules and sleep disorders among Korean salaried workers. Potential causes could include changes in circadian rhythm, increased work demands, and extended working hours. To precisely determine causality and associated diseases, further research is required.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.60-67
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• 2023

This study identified hazard exposures, health problems, and job satisfaction among elderly agricultural workers. A total of 1,340 agricultural workers (1,079 males and 261 females) were extracted from the 6^th Korean Working Conditions Survey data. Three age groups (A: 40s or below, B: 50s, and C: 60s or above) were statistically compared in hazard exposures, health problems, and job satisfaction. Elderly agricultural workers (60s or above) had significantly more exposure to ergonomic hazards, severe health problems, and lower job satisfaction than young agricultural workers. The study findings may help understand the characteristics of hazard exposures, health problems, and job satisfaction of elderly agricultural workers and will be useful for improving these conditions.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.11 no.8
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• pp.2906-2916
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• 2010

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to identify musculoskeletal symptom and pain related working posture with operation-room workers. Methods: The subjects of this study were 73 people who were working from hospital operating-room. A questionnaire consisting of general characteristics, pain symptoms, and pain frequency was given. Objective working posture analysis was done by using REBA after recording moving images in hospital operating-rooms. Results: The result were as follows. The risk level of musculoskeletal symptom related working posture was high, and the management level was at the least 2; 'some management was required for musculoskeletal symptom'. The frequency of pain was 3~4 times/week and the severe pain were experienced from legs, neck, and shoulder. The result of relation of general characteristics and pain were significant variable with sex, age, marital status, weight, past working history, average working time(hr/day), working style, and working department. Conclusion: These results contribute to a better understanding of operation-room workers have high possibility of musculoskeletal disease and are severe musculoskeltal pain related working posture.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.229-239
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• 2014

Objective: This research provides a guideline for working area design in the electronic industry, considering gender differences of physical characteristics. Background: Co-work in the electronic industry requires workers of various physical properties to work cohesively in the conveyor line for mass production. This stresses the need for a worker-centered design of the workplace convenient for all the workers. Method: In this research, the $6^{th}$ Size Korea (National Anthropometric Survey in Korea) report is referred to obtain the design measurements according to age and gender varieties. This information is used to provide the working area guideline concerning conveyor line workers of both genders aged 20 to 40. Results: Physical properties of workers and workplace design principles were obtained for application in the assembly, inspection, and material handling process in the electronic industry. Conclusion: Applying ergonomic design principles can provide safe and comfortable workplace for both genders. Application: This research can be fundamentally used in designing worker-centered workplaces.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.25-35
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• 2015

The purpose of this study was to investigate how work-family spillover differed by employment status of married women and to identify factors related to the differences. This study drew a sample of 332 self-employers, 181 unpaid family workers, and 1,053 wage workers from the 2014 Korean Longitudinal Survey of Women and Families. It was found that negative work-family spillover did not differ by employment status of married women. However, positive work-family spillover was found the lowest in family workers. The regression analysis showed that the difference remained after controlling socio-demographic characteristics, average working hours, and the number of days off per week. The factors related to negative spillover were age, the presence of young children, working hours, and the number of days off. Findings from this study suggest that family workers are most disadvantaged in terms of work-family spillover. Yet there is no policy developed for them. Family policy needs to take them into account in planning and implementing services.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.27 no.2 s.46
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• pp.242-257
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• 1994

In Korea, female workforce has reached more than 40% of total working population, but the effects of work on spontaneous abortion are yet to be examined. This study as conducted to investigate the occupational effects on spontaneous abortion. Medical insurance claim data were used to examine the effects of the employment status and industry of employment on spontaneous abortion. The study population was composed of females, aged $15{\sim}44$, who were the beneficiary of medical insurance in the month of June, 1993. The working females covered by medical insurance for industrial workers, had the highest age-adjusted Spontaneous Abortion rate (SAB rate=claim frequency of spontaneous abortion/claim frequency of complication of pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium), 6.65% whereas female dependants of medical insurance for industrial workers had the lowest age-adjusted SAB rate, 4.54%. Among industrial workers, the workers in manufacturing industry had the highest age-adjusted Spontaneous Abortion ratio(SAB ratio=claim frequency of spontaneous abortion/claim frequency of completly normal delivery), 43.2/100 whereas those in financing and service industry had age-adjusted SAB ratio, 16.2/100 and 20.5/100, respectively. The results of the study suggest the adverse effect of manufacturing Industry on reproduction. Work environments such as chemical exposures, overwork, awkard posture, and job stress should be further studied for their effects on reproductive functions of female.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.49 no.6
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• pp.372-379
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• 2023

Background: Laundry workers are known to be exposed to organic solvents in various works including dry cleaning. Long-term exposure to organic solvents may cause adverse health effects among laundry workers. Objectives: To investigate the association between exposure to organic solvents and symptom of headache or eyestrain among laundry workers. Methods: The subjects were total 267 laundry workers who participated in the 6th Korean Working Conditions Survey (KWCS). Responses to exposure to 'inhalation of vapor from organic solvent' was categorized into two (non-exposed: rarely or absolutely not exposed during working hours; exposed: ≥1/4 working hours) or three (non-exposed; low exposure: 1/4 of the working hours; high exposure: ≥1/2 working hours) groups. Logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the association between exposure to organic solvents and symptom of headache or eyestrain in the last 12 months among laundry workers. Odds ratios (ORs) and the 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated for experience of the symptom of headache or eyestrain with adjustment for age, sex, education, workplace size (by the number of workers), working hours per week, and current working period (year). Results: The proportions of exposure groups, i.e., non-exposed, low exposure, and high exposure, were 80.4%, 11.1%, and 8.5%, respectively. The proportion of those who had symptom of headache or eyestrain in the last 12 months was 18.7%. There was a significant association between exposure to organic solvents and experience of headache or eyestrain (OR=3.2, 95% CI=1.4~7.4). And, the proportion of those who experienced symptom of headache or eyestrain tended to increase significantly as the level of exposure to organic solvents increased (P_trend=0.002). Conclusions: Our results suggest that exposure to organic solvents are associated with symptom of headache or eystrain among laundry workers in Korea. However, further studies with more relevant design is needed to replicate the association.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.144-152
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• 2006

Purpose: This study was conducted to understand the effects of daily hassle stress on the psycho-social health of male workers in manufacturing industry. Methods: Daily hassle stress and psycho-social health in manufacturing industry workers were estimated by using the Daily Hassles Scale for Korea Workers (DHS-KW) and general health questionnaire (GHQ), respectively. Results: The subjects were 553 male workers who had never been occupationally exposed to hazardous chemicals, were mean age 39.6 years and mean work duration was 15.66 years. DHS-KW total mean score had significantly higher in young ages (twenties and thirties ages), office workers, managers and daytime workers than other groups. GHQ total mean scores were significantly higher in un-married, daytime and overtime workers than others. DHS-KW and GHQ score correlated that they were negative correlation with age and working years, but was positive correlation with working hours and overtime work. The significant correlation between DHS-KW and GHQ were observed almost variables of DHS-KW and GHQ except a domestic and daily problem in DHS-KW variables. Domestic and daily problems were only significantly correlated with anxiety and insomnia of GHQ variables. Conclusion: This study indicated that physical health was associated with work condition and psychsocial health was mainly associated with domestic and daily problems of DHS-KW variables. Thus, the study on Daily Hassles stress and related with work stress should be further investigated for the comprehensive health program including stress management and coping behavior.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.41-54
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• 2001

This study was designed to assess the relationship between occupational stress and health status in a study group of 197 workers employed in four newspaper publishing companies, using a self-adminstrative questionnaire. The types of occupation of them were reporters(79), clerical workers(54), and engineers (64). The studies on workers' health have been focused mainly on the physical, chemical, and biological diseases in our country. Therefore, the study of mental health, especially of occupational stress, is to be carried out. I consider stress as a factor having an effect on the health status of the newspaper employees, who have been well known to have high stress due to time pressures. I expect that this research will be helpful not only for understanding of health status by occupation, but also for making clear the issues that have been raised continuously from the previous researches. The results of this study are as follows; 1. The mean values of stress by occupation were statistically significant; the reporters had the highest stress symptom scores, and the engineers had the lowest levels of stress. The mean values of stress symptoms were higher in the workers who had long working hours. 2. The health status by occupation showed significant differences in gastrointestinal systems and in depression. The clerical workers were healthier than the engineers in gastrointestinal systems, and the reporters were more depressed than the engineers in depression. 3. The health status by the general characteristics, there was a statistical significance as for a gender, marital status, and absenteeism in the gastrointestinal systems. The men, the married, and the workers who had not been absent were more healthy. Only absenteeism had an effect on the problems in optical-dermal systems and in oro-fecal systems. Gender, marital status, absenteeism, and working hours were related with health status : the men. the married, the workers who had not been absent, and the workers who had longer working hours were more healthy. In mental stability, gender had a significant effect : the men were more healthy than the women. In general condition, the men, the older, the married, and the workers who had not been absent were more healthy. 4. Stress level had an effect on the health status in the respiratory systems, optical-dermal systems, oro-fecal system, depression, mental stability, general condition, and health condition. The workers who perceived more stress had more problems in their health status. 5. In the results of the multiple regression analyses, age in the respiratory systems, absenteeism in the optical-dermal systems, occupation and absenteeism in the gastrointestinal systems and in the oro-fecal systems, gender in depression and in mental stability, gender, age, absenteeism, and working hours in the general condition, absenteeism in the health condition had an effect on the health status of the workers.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.117-127
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• 2010

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors that influenced the preparation for later life of the age group of 30s, 40s, and 50s in production workers. Methods: The participants for this study were 320 men working in 2 workspaces of Ulsan city. The data was collected from May to July, 2010 using structured questionnaires. Chi-square, One way ANOVA, Duncan test, Pearson's Correlation Coefficient and multiple regression with the SPSS WIN 17.0 program were used to analyze the data. Results: There were statistically significant differences among 30s, 40s, and 50s workers regarding the preparation for later life, health promoting behavior, knowledge and attitude of cerebrocardiovascular (CVD) diseases. 50s workers were significantly more higher than 30s and 40s regarding the preparation for later life, health promoting behavior, cognition and attitude of CVD diseases. The model including variables related to the preparation for later life explained variance of 42.3% of 30s, 36.0% of 40s, and 28.5% of 50s workers. Finally, cognition of CVD diseases and social support were predictors in explaining the level of the preparation for later life among production workers. Conclusion: Based on the findings of the study, nursing interventions should be developed to improve the preparation for later life of production workers according to age differences.