• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.25 no.3 s.39
• /
• pp.247-268
• /
• 1992

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of VDT work on eyes and vision among workers in a TV manufacturing plant. The study subjects consisted of 264 screen workers and 74 non-screen workers who were less than 40 years old male and had no history of opthalmic diseases such as corneal opacities, trauma, keratitis, etc and whose visual acuity on pre-employment health examination by Han's test chart was 1.0 or above. The screen workers were divided into two groups by actual time for screen work in a day : Group I, 60 workers, lesser than 4 hours a day and group II, 204 workers, more than 4 hours a day. From July to October 1992 a questionnaire was administered to all the study subjects for the general charateristics and subjective eye symptoms after which the opthalmologic tests such as visual acuity, spherical equivalent, lacrimal function, ocular pressure, slit lamp test, fundoscopy were conducted by one opthalmologist. The proportion of workers whose present visual acuity was decreased more than 0.15 in comparison with that on the pre-employment health examination by Han's test chart was 20.6% in Group II. 15.0% in Group I and 14.9% in non-screen workers. However, the differences in proportion were not statistically significant. The proportion of workers with decreased visual acuity was not associated with the age, working duration, use of magnifying glass and type of shift work (independent variables) in all of the three groups. However, screen workers working under poor illumination had a higher proportion of persons with decreased visual acuity than those working under adequate illumination (P<0.05) . The proportion of workers whose near vision was decreased was 27.5% in Group II, 18.3% in Group I, and 28.4% in non-screen workers and these differences in proportion were not statistically significant. Changes of near vision were not associated with 4 independent variables in all of the three groups. Six out of seven subjective eye symptoms except tearing were more common in Group I than in non-screen workers and more common in Group II than in Group I (P<0.01). Mean of the total scores for seven subjective symptoms of each worker(2 points for always, 1 point for sometimes, 0 point for never) was not significantly different between workers with decreased visual acuity and workers with no vision change. However, mean of the total scores for Group II was higher than those for the Group I and non-screen workers (P<0.01). Total eye symptom scores were significantly correlated with the grade of screen work, use of magnifying glass, and type of shift work. There was no independent variable which was correlated with the difference in visual acuity between the pre-employment health examination and the present state, the difference between far and near visions, lacrimal function, ocular pressure, and spherical equivalent. Multiple linear regression analysis for the subjective eye symptom scores revealed a positive linear relationship with actual time for screen work and shift work(P<0.01). In this study it was not observed that the VDT work decreased visual acuity but it induces subjective eye symptoms such as eye fatigue, blurred vision, ocular discomfort, etc. Maintenance of adequate illumination in the work place and control of excessive VDT work are recommended to prevent such eye symptoms.

• Journal of Distribution Science
• /
• v.10 no.4
• /
• pp.13-20
• /
• 2012

The "flextime" system, which was initially designed to maintain a balance between work and personal life, has recently received much attention as an alternative form of work, enabling employees to fully exert their creativity. Most studies show that the effects of flextime on performance, productivity, attitude toward the organization, absenteeism, and turnover differ between managerial and non-managerial workers. This suggests that workers' personal characteristics affect their preference for flextime by directly or indirectly influencing its result variables. As most Korean companies have not adopted the flextime system, little research has been conducted on it in Korea. Recently, Korean companies have been discussing flextime as one of several measures for enhancing international competitiveness. Therefore, this study aims to offer a theoretical framework for the introduction of the system by analyzing the effects of the precedent factors on the preference for flextime. Though not statistically significant, a higher preference for flextime is noted among workers over the age of 36. Older workers usually are more conservative and less adaptable to change but here the older Korean workers may be anxious and resistant. Additional research on workers in different types of businesses using improved research methods will lead to more meaningful results. Married workers display a lower preference to flextime than single workers. In Korea, the current atmosphere focused on a happy home encourages married workers to prefer regular work hours, enabling them to go to and from work on a regular schedule. This means that normal working hours, from morning to evening, are preferred as it is the most suitable system for families. However, this is not so in the case of single workers. Unmarried singles tend to prefer flextime for investing in self-development toward future prosperity, over the benefits of regular working-hours. Flextime is designed to meet their needs to some extent as it is helpful in maintaining a balance between work life and self-development. If flextime is selected, workers can spend mornings on self-development and work in the afternoons. Therefore, when flextime is introduced in Korea, it would be desirable to start with unmarried workers, to increase corporate creativity and productivity and develop individual potential. In particular, when the five-day workweek, the main concern for companies and labor unions, is adopted, synergy with flextime could be expected and a gradual implementation of flextime will be effective. Gender difference shows similar results to marital status with male workers displaying a higher preference for flextime. It is inferred that male workers' attitudes toward flextime are more favorable than female workers' because flextime enables self-development and work life to coexist. A relatively weak, though statistically significant, correlation exists between control position and flextime preference with inner-control-oriented workers displaying favorable attitudes toward flextime. Generally, inner-control-oriented workers tend to attribute the consequences caused by any person or partner relationship to themselves. Thus, when a new system is introduced they are likely to have less reluctance and fear than outer-control-oriented workers, because they think it is important to deal with the new system. A weak but slight correlation exists between the desire for achievement and flextime preference. People who have a higher desire for achievement are willing to consider the new system, especially if significant success is reasonably expected. This result is derived from a reasonable judgment that flextime offers an individual the time for self-development while the organization benefits from the resulting creativity and performance enhancements. Although not the primary analysis, a high correlation is found between control position and the desire for achievement, which is consistent with the results of previous research. The regression analysis not only supports the preceding ANOVA and correlation analysis but also shows the existence of a causal relationship. Married workers have a weak preference for flextime, which is consistent with the results of the preceding ANOVA. Relative to men, women have a weak preference for flextime. No statistically significant correlation was noticed for age. Inner-control-oriented workers prefer flextime more than outer-control-oriented workers as the former view the consequences of change to be their own responsibility. However, the preference for flextime seems to be weak. As expected, people with a higher desire for achievement have a stronger preference for flextime, presumably because the greater the desire for achievement, the stronger the spirit of challenging an uncertain future. No significant correlation exists between job satisfaction and flextime preference.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing Administration
• /
• v.5 no.3
• /
• pp.477-500
• /
• 1999

Korean labor market has showed remarkable change of the increase in the amount of unemployment and contingent employment since IMF bailout agreement. There is a theoretical position to explain this increase in contingent employment at hospitals with the notion of flexibility. The high flexibility of employment due to the increase of contingent employees is becoming very important part in new business strategy of hospitals. The types of contingent employment of the nurse are part-time employment temporary employment, fixed-term employment, and internship which was introduced in early 1999. Recently, Korean health care industry managers have paid attention to the customer oriented service, rationalization of business administration, service quality control so that they can adjust their business to outer environment. Especially their efforts concentrate on the wage reduction through efficient and scientific control of man power because wage shares about 40% of total cost. This dissertation aims at verifying the phenomena of the contingent employment of the nurse and analyzing the related factors and problems. To rephrase these aims in ordinal: First, verifying the phenomena of contingent employment of the nurse. Second, verifying the problems of that phenomena. Third, analyzing the related factors of the contingent employment of the nurse. To accomplish these research goals, a statistical survey was executed. in which 384 questionnaires-66 for manager nurses, 318 for contingent nurses - were given to nurses working at 66 hospitals-which have at least 100 beds-in Seoul. Among them, 187 questionnaires-38 from manager nurses, 149 from contingent nurses'- 'were returned. Then, the data coded and submitted to T-test, $X^2$ -test, variance analysis(ANOVA), correlation analysis, multiple regression analysis, Logistic Regression with SAS program. The research results of the contingent nurses are followings: 1. The average career term at the present hospital 8.4 months: duty-on days per month are 24.2 days: working time per day is 7.9 hours. These results showed little difference from regular nurses. 2. Their wage level is about 70% of regular nurses except for internship nurses whose wage level is 41% of regular nurses. To break down the wage composition, part-time nurses and internship nurses get few allowance and bonus. And contingent nurses get very low level of additional pay except for fixed-term nurses who are under similar condition of employment to regular nurses. These results show that hospital managers are trying to reduce the labor cost not only through the direct way of wage reduction but through differential treatment of bonus, retirement allowance, and other additional pay. 3. The problem of contingent employment: low level of pay; high level of turn-over rate: weakening of union; low level of working condition: heavy burden of work; inhuman treatment. The contingent nurses consider these problems more seriously than manager nurses do. What manager nurses regard problematic is the absence of feeling-belonged and responsibility of the contingent nurses. 4. The factors strongly related with the rate of the number of contingent nurses for the number of regular nurses; gross turn-over nurses; average in-patients per day; staring wage of graduate from professional college: the type of hospital ownership; the number of beds; the gap between gross newcomer nurses and gross turn-over nurses. The factors related with their gross wage per month; the number of beds; applying of health insurance; applying of industrial casualty insurance; applying of yearly-paid leave; the type of hospital ownership; average out-patients per day; gross turn-over nurses. The meaningful factors which make difference by employment type: monthly-paid leave; physiological leave. The logistic regression analysis using these two factors shows that monthly-paid leave is related with the type of hospital ownership; the number of beds; average out-patient per day, and physiological leave is related with the gross newcomer nurses; gross turn-over nurses; the number of beds.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
• /
• v.3 no.1
• /
• pp.5-10
• /
• 2003

The purpose of this study was to examine how medical personnels in the field of dentistry perceived the introduction of the yearly income system in an effort to determine some of the right directions for that and find out in which way that could be vitalized. For that purpose, literature concerned and relevant materials were reviewed, and a survey was conducted on 95 medical personnels, who were working at dental hospitals and clinics throughout the nation, for approximately five months from April through August 2002. After the collected data were analyzed, the following findings were acquired; (1) Regarding their awareness of the yearly income system by the type of institute, the workers from the dental hospitals found the yearly income system, more than the others from the dental clinics did, to enlarge their sense of involvement in management (p<.001), further work productivity(p<.01), awake their target-oriented sense of mission(p<.01) and make them feel uneasy about their future(p<.05). (2) As to differences between the dentists and dental hygienists, the former group had a higher opinion about that system(p<.01) and its effect on impartial performance appraisal(p<.01), encouraging medical personnels to deploy their abilities(p<.01), furthering work productivity(p<.001), intensifying a target-oriented sense of mission(p<.001). (3) Concerning their perception by career, those who had longer experience to work in that field considered it to strengthen work severity(p<.05) more than the others who had shorter experience did, and the former group thought that system was more likely to concentrate on a short-term achievement (p<.05). The workers who had been working for three to five years were more conscious of change in office hours (p<.01), and those who had been working for two or less years viewed that system most favorably(p<.05). (4) In order for that system to be successful, impartial performance appraisal was most widely called for(31.6%), followed by trust between labor and management(26.3%), worker's positive attitude toward that system(16.8%), CEO's firm belief in that(12.3%), and setting up a feasible target. The workers from the dental hospitals put more stress on medical personnel's favorable attitude toward that system(p<.05) than the others from the dental clinics did. And the dentists placed more stock in setting up a feasible target, which was a criteria of determining the amount of annual income, than the dental hygienists did.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
• /
• v.38 no.4
• /
• pp.229-242
• /
• 2013

Objectives: The objective of this study was to identify the influence of shift work on sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, and perceived errors during nursing work among hospital nurses. Methods: The study subjects were 209 hospital nurses working in two general hospitals in South Korea. The data were collected through self-administered questionnaires in May 2013. Sleep quality was measured using Korea Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI-K), daytime sleepiness was measured using Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), and perceived errors in past 6 months during nursing duty hours with the tool developed in this study. Results: The sleep quality was significantly worse among rotating shift nurses when compared to fixed day duty nurses. However, the odds ratio (OR) of 1.92 [95% confidence interval(CI): 0.58-6.37] adjusted for sociodemographic variables, health behaviors, and working environment in logistic regression was not significant. There was no significant difference in the daytime sleepiness between rotating shift nurses and fixed day duty nurses in both simple and multivariable analyses. There were significantly more perceived errors in rotating shift nurses than fixed day duty nurses. However, the OR of 1.26 (95% CI: 0.38-4.21) adjusted for sociodemographic variables, health behaviors, working environment, sleep quality, and daytime sleepiness in logistic regression was not significant. Depression (OR=3.31, 95% CI: 1.11-9.84) and daytime sleepiness(OR=1.18, 95% CI: 1.07-1.30) were significantly associated with perceived errors in logistic regression. Conclusion: This study suggested shift work among hospital nurses had no independent influence of sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, and perceived errors. However, daytime sleepiness had independent influence of perceived errors. More studies are warranted to achieve more reliable conclusion.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.22 no.3 s.27
• /
• pp.389-397
• /
• 1989

To identify the problems in child rearing practice of employed mothers in urban poor area, all of 201 women with children under 6 years old living in Yun San 3 Dong, a poor area of Pusan city, were interviewed with a questionnaire by a trained interviewer from 10th April to 10th May 1989. Among 201 women, 51 women were employed and 150 women were unemployed. Of the employed mothers 78.5% got their jobs because of economical need and 31.4% of them worker for 60-69 hours per week. Their average monthly income was 100,000-190,000 Won in 33.4% and 200,000-290,000 Won in 25.4% Breast milk was fed in 66.0% of the children of unemployed mothers while 49.0 of the children of the employed mothers were breast-fed (p<0.05). The most common reason for not breast feeding was shortage of breast milk among unemployed mothers (58.9%) but that of the employed mothers was their job(63.6%). The basic immunization for children was completed in 70.5% of children of employed mothers as compared with 82.0% of the children of the unemployed mothers were completely immunized (p>0.1). Accident experience rate of children among the employed mothers was 23.5 a and that of the children of the unemployed mothers was 17.3% . The most common cause of acident in children of the unemployed mothers was carelessness while they were playing(34.6%) but in children of the employed mothers it was traffic accident(25.0%) and falling(25.0%). Most of the traffic accidents took place while the children's brother or sister of age under 14 years were baby sitting. When the accident took place 73.1% of the unemployed mothers were just at home, but 58.3% of the employed mothers were out of home for work. In case of the employed mothers, 58.7% of their children were looked after by an adult mainly grandparents, 15.7% by the children's brothers and sisters under 14 years old, and 3.9% of the children were left alone. A majority of the unemployed mothers wanted to get a job if someone could take care of their children. To facilitate the women employment and for the safety and health of the children, good nurseries for working mothers need to be established at a cost they can afford.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
• /
• v.12 no.6
• /
• pp.666-674
• /
• 2012

The purpose of this study was to examine the job-related characteristics of dental hygienists affecting their job satisfaction and turnover possibility. The subjects in this study were 297 dental hygienists who worked in dental hospitals and clinics in the metropolitan area. The dental hygienists who worked for three to less than five years, who were unmarried and who didn't benefit from any incentive systems expressed a greater satisfaction, and those who were married, whose workplaces were established jointly with other dental institutions in the form of a network and whose workplaces offered incentives were more likely to change their employment. As for influential factors for job satisfaction and turnover possibility, the respondents whose workplaces were established jointly with other dental institutions were less satisfied, and a larger number of patients and better communication led to higher satisfaction. Those who worked in general hospitals were more likely to change their employment, and better welfare benefits, more appropriate length of working hours and a larger number of patients led to lower turnover responsibility. The findings of the study ascertained that working environments were one of the factors to impact on job satisfaction and turnover possibility, and both of hospitals and dental hygienists should make an effort to improve working environments.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
• /
• v.9 no.2
• /
• pp.77-85
• /
• 2006

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to develop the basic curriculum for the nurses who work at hospice and palliative care settings. Methods: Seven curricula of hospice and palliative care for the nurses in Korea and other countries were reviewed, and Education Need for hospice and palliative care was surveyed from 162 nurses by mailing the questionnaires to hospice palliative care settings. Results: 1. The curricula of hospice and palliative care for the nurses in Korea and other countries in common include 'understanding of hospice and palliative care', 'understanding of lift and death', 'pain and symptom management for person with terminal disease', 'on-the-spot study and practical training', 'management of hospice and palliative ward', 'hospice and palliative care at home', 'physical assessment', 'therapeutic communication skills', 'children's hospice', 'administration and management of hospice and palliative care', 'interdisciplinary team of hospice and palliative care', 'ethics and laws in hospice and palliative care', 'psychological, social and spiritual care', 'care of the dying', 'bereavement care', etc. 2. The scores above 3.3 were marked for 34 items in education Need Survey. The highest scores were given in the order for the items 'understanding of death and dying', 'attitude and response to death and dying', 'understanding and assessment of pain' etc. respondents marked that they have been trained for 'pain and symptom management', 'ethics and laws in hospice and palliative care', 'building the system for cooperation and publicity activities in hospice' etc. 3. The basic curriculum of hospice and palliative care for the nurses requires 78 studying hours for 17 subjects, comprising 48 hours of theory education and 30 hours of practical training. The education methods are lectures, discussions, and case studies. Conclusion: The efforts of developed basic curriculum should be evaluated after educating nurses. It is necessary to develop the standard curriculum and regularly update it based on the result of education Need Survey for actively working nurses in hospice and palliative care settings.

• Quality Improvement in Health Care
• /
• v.1 no.2
• /
• pp.44-59
• /
• 1994

Medical consumers(patients) want evening-clinic because of busy work. For patient's convenience and improving service, hospital should accept it. Considering payment system and patient's demand, personnel expenses, hospital can not accept. The practice of shift system to accept patient's demand and hospital's economic aspect was made. To analysis the effect of the system and probability to alternative to evening clinic this study was done. This study was composed of basal study, intervention, evaluation of effect. The basal study were composed of studying demand on evening clinic, the number of beds, doctors employee, the time table of practice and work, and the number of patients at arrival time. The intervention composed of changing of practice time, changing of working time by the number of patients at arrival time, increasing of employee. The evaluation of effect were composed of evaluating the number of patient at time, the effect of shift system, the comparison of the number of in and out patients and questionnairing the practice of shift system. In the practice time at 2 shift system First team works 7-15 hours and Second team 12-20 hours. there are no lunch and supper time. At 18-20 hours the number of patients were 25-30. The number of patient a depart were 6-7. The number of out-patient increase in 13% and inpatient increase in 10% before the system. Doctors(100%), employee(94.6%), and patients(86.4%) approved this system. The advantage of this system were utilization of surplus time, lengthen the practice time, even distribution of patients and shortening of waiting time, rapid treatment of emergent patients. The disadvantage of this system were shortage of manpower, not all depart practice, continuity of practice, no lunch and supper time, irregular rounding. At present because of small Demanding on evening clinic, this shift system was economical. To succeed this study more effectively all depart in hospital participate. But because of economical reason it is impossible for hospital to do it. If the government assist the economic loss that all depart participate in this system it is very helpful for hospital to succeed in implementing this system more early.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
• /
• v.33 no.6
• /
• pp.883-890
• /
• 2015

The soilborne fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lilii (Fol) is a serious threat to all lily cultivars, especially infecting bulbs and flowers. It has become increasingly important to develop varieties resistant against the bulb rot disease. Genetic diversity of cultivars and reliable screening methods are required for this purpose. Here, an efficient in vitro screening system for evaluating resistance to Fol in 38 in vitro-grown lily plants was investigated. Various factors including culture conditions of Fol, inoculum density, appropriate plant materials, inoculation method and duration, and incubation period of plant materials after inoculation were combined to optimize the screening method. As a result, we suggest optimal conditions for an in vitro screening system for the selection of Fol-resistant lily cultivars as follows. Fol was grown on potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium for 6 days at $25^{\circ}C$ in darkness and used as working inoculation. Spore suspensions were prepared (inoculum density: $1.0{\times}10^4$ $spores{\cdot}mL^{-1}$), and then leaf segments $1.5{\times}2.0cm^2$ were inoculated by dipping for 22 hours at $25^{\circ}C$ in dark. Later, leaves were cultured on 0.6% agar plates at $25^{\circ}C$ and 50% humidity with a photoperiod of 16 hours light/8 hours dark (fluence rate of $40{\mu}mol{\cdot}m^{-2}{\cdot}s^{-1}$) to examine the progress of bulb rot. After 7 days, disease levels were classified into indices 1 (no symptom) to 6 (serious bulb rot). Soil inoculation of Fol carried out with resistant or susceptible lily cultivars that had been selected through in vitro screening confirmed the reproducibility of results. Therefore, the in vitro screening method established in this study is efficient and reliable for selection of lily cultivars resistant against bulb rot disease.