• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.173-183
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• 2020

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify factors associated with the mental health-related quality of life (MHQoL) of Korean workers. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of 192 Korean pay workers who worked in the Daegu and Gyeongbuk Province, Korea. Data were collected from May 15 to July 2, 2019, through selfreported questionnaires. The survey had a total of 87 questions including individual, organizational, and psychosocial factors. MHQoL was measured using short form-36 version 1. Data were divided into four domains of MHQoL and analyzed using a hierarchical linear regression model. Results: From the hierarchical linear regression analysis, when the psychosocial factors were included in the regression model, the R² change in the four domains of MHQoL increased significantly by 19~47%. A common predicting factor associated with the four domains of MHQoL was identified as perceived stress symptoms. Other factors affecting MHQoL showed slight differences in each domain. Conclusion: Based on the study results, it is necessary to monitor the psychosocial symptoms to improve MHQoL of Korean workers. Considering each factor affecting the four areas of MHQoL, workplace-based interventions to improve MHQoL should be provided to workers.

• Journal of environmental and Sanitary engineering
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.52-63
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• 2003

This paper investigated Taxi drivers physical subjective symptoms and what factors were interviewed caused the symptoms. The 600 owning taxi-drivers in Seoul during four months from August 1st, 2003 to November 30th, 2003. 1. The average age of the owning taxi-drivers was generally quite high 54 years old. It was very high index compared with the Todai Health Index(THI) and Cornell Medical Index(CMI) of health check tables. 2. According to the age in THI health check table, the complains of mental subjective symptom by reason of age was high among 31 to 40 years old. People who belonged that age group showed high fabrication(L), digestion(C) and aggressiveness(F). The results showed the complains of mental subjective symptom. All items except tiredness(I), melancholia(N), and hypersensitivity(P) were commonly reported by people in their sixties. On the other hand, melancholia(N) and hypersensitivity(P), people in their forties were investigated highly. Statistically, the items of heartㆍblood stream(C) and digestion(D) systems were similar between the two ages, but anger(Q) was different. (p<0.05) 3. From the complains of mental and physical subjective symptoms about work satisfaction on the THI health check table, all items except eyeㆍskin trouble(B) showed strong dissatisfaction. From the complains of mental and physical subjective symptoms about work satisfaction on the CMI health check table, the items of respiratory system(B), digestion(D), nervous system(G), miscellaneous(K), inadequancy(M), and anger(Q) showed similar results. Otherwise, heartㆍblood stream(C) showed statistically different. 4. From the complains of mental and physical subjective symptoms on salary satisfaction in the THI health check table, in the case of people receiving around 1 million won, the complains of physical symptoms showed high among all items except for the respiratory(A) and digestion(C) systems. The eyeㆍskin trouble(B) item showed statistical similarity. The complains of mental and physical subjective symptoms according to a salary degree on the CMI health check table was completely different from the above results. In people received around 1~1.5million won, all items except anxiety(O) showed high. The hypersensitivity(P) item showed statistically different.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.39-46
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• 2019

Background: As of now, the impact of low back pain (LBP) and its chronic state, chronic low back pain (CLBP), on mental health-related quality of life (HRQOL) has never been investigated among police officers. The present investigation aims at studying this relationship using a biopsychosocial model. Methods: Between May and October 2014, a Web-based cross-sectional study was conducted among Quebec police officers (Quebec, Canada). Mental HRQOL was measured using the role emotional (RE) and the mental health (MH) domains of the SF-12v2 Health Survey. The impact of CLBP on mental HRQOL (as opposed to acute/subacute LBP or no LBP) was studied with a multivariate linear regression model. Results: Of the 3,589 police officers who participated in the study, 1,013 (28.4%) reported CLBP. The mean age of respondents was $38.5{\pm}8.7years$, and 32.0% were females. The RE (44.1/100) and MH (49.0/100) mean scores of the CLBP group were comparable with the scores found in populations suffering from cancer or heart diseases. Compared to officers without LBP, the presence of CLBP was significantly associated with lower RE (${\beta}$: -0.068; p = 0.003) and MH (${\beta}$: -0.062; p = 0.002) scores. These relationships were not found in the acute/subacute LBP group. Conclusion: Our results underscore how frequent CLBP is among police officers and how burdensome it is. Considering the importance of good physical and mental health for this occupational population, police organizations should be aware of this issue and contribute to the efforts toward CLBP prevention and management in the workplace.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.66-72
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• 2022

Background: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the psychological well-being (PWB) during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in workers of a multinational company. Methods: Employees (aged ≥18 years) were recruited from Latin American, North American, New Zealand, and European sites of a multinational company operative during all the pandemic period. The self-reported Psychological General Well-Being Index was used to assess the global PWB and the effects on six subdomains: anxiety, depressed mood, positive well-being, self-control, general health, and vitality. The influencing role of age, gender, geographical location, COVID-19 epidemiology, and restrictive measures adopted to control the pandemic was explored. Results: A total of 1335 workers completed the survey. The aggregate median PWB global score was in a positive range, with significantly better outcomes detected in the Mexican and Colombian Latin American sites compared with the other worldwide countries (p < 0.001). Among the European locations, a significantly higher PWB score was determined in Spain compared with the German and French sites (p < 0.05). Comparable geographical trends were demonstrated for all the PWB subdomains. Male workers had a significantly better PWB compared with females (p < 0.05), whereas a negative correlation emerged with aging (p = 0.01). COVID-19 epidemiology and pandemic control measures had no clear effects on PWB. Conclusion: Monitoring PWB and the impact of individual and pandemic-related variables may be helpful to clarify the mental health effects of pandemic, define targeted psychological-supporting measures, also in the workplace, to face such a complex situation in a more constructive way.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare Studies
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.113-138
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• 2016

This study aims to examine whether the relationship between client violence and turnover intentions is mediated by job stress among community mental health social workers. Data of a sample of 1,429 drawn from a study of nation-wide mental health promotion centers in 2013 was analyzed in order to verify both the direct and mediating effects between client violence, turnover intentions, and job stress. The study found that 67.2%(n=961) of the sample experienced client violences in the workplace. Furthermore, the experience of client violences had a direct effect on turnover intentions and job stress had a partially mediating effect on the relationship between client violence and turnover intentions. Based on the results, implications were discussed to reduce the extent of job stress of mental health social workers and to provide a safer work environment.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.187-192
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• 2020

Background: This study investigated the relationship between verbal aggression against school teachers and upper extremity (neck, shoulder, upper limb, and/or upper back) musculoskeletal pain. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of 525 elementary school teachers from Jaboatão dos Guararapes, Northeast Brazil. Results: The prevalence of upper extremity musculoskeletal pain among teachers who reported verbal aggression in the past six months (67.7%) was higher than that among those who did not report verbal aggression (51.7%): (prevalence ratio = 1.21; 95% confidence interval = 1.04-1.40). The prevalence of upper extremity musculoskeletal pain was associated with verbal aggression, sex, and common mental disorders, controlled by skin color, age, monthly income, teachers' education, years working as a teacher, workload, and obesity. Furthermore, the measure of the association between verbal aggression and upper extremity musculoskeletal pain was modified by sex and common mental disorders, considered altogether. Teachers who suffered verbal aggression, of the feminine sex, and also having common mental disorders reported high prevalence (85.4%) of upper extremity musculoskeletal pain. Conclusion: The association between verbal violence in the school and complaints of upper extremity musculoskeletal pain was strong and modified by teachers' sex and common mental disorders.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.650-661
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• 2010

Purpose: Work-related anxiety and depression are frequent work-related mental health problems. In this study the relationship between workplace violence and work-related anxiety and/or depression among Korean employees was evaluated. Methods: Data were obtained from the Korean Working Condition Survey of 2006. Participants were 9,094 Korean workers aged 15-64 yr. Multiple logistic regression using SAS version 9.1 was used. Results: The incidence of work-related anxiety, work-related depression and workplace violence were 4.5%, 3.5%, and 1.8% respectively. When personal and occupational risk factors were adjusted, workplace violence was significantly associated with work-related anxiety and depression (OR for anxiety: 4.07, CI: 2.62-6.34; OR for depression: 4.60, CI: 2.92-7.25). Work-related anxiety was significantly related to type of employment, working period at present workplace, work time, shift work, job demand, and social support from superiors. Factors influencing work-related depression were gender, education, alcohol consumption, company size, type of employment, working period at present workplace, work time, shift work, and job demand. Conclusion: To promote psychological health in workers there is a need to develop work-related anxiety and depression prevention programs and to decrease in workplace violence. In developing these programs, consideration should be given to personal factors, working conditions, and psychosocial working environments.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.213-219
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• 2022

Objective: The Job Demand & Resources model suggests work characteristics are related to mental well-being and work engagement. Previous work describes the development of a combined construct 'engaged well-being at work' (EWB). To what extent changes in measures of this construct are responsive to changes in job demands and resources or associated with changes in job-related attitudes has not been established. Methods: Longitudinal employee-level data from three waves (German Linked Personnel Panel) were used. Logistic and linear fixed effects regression analyses explored longitudinal associations between changes in EWB for participants over a three-year period with changes in job demands and resources and job-related attitudes (job commitment, satisfaction, and turnover intentions). Results: While job resources were associated with increased odds for a change into a healthier and/or more engaged category of EWB, job demands reduced them. Job resources were more strongly related to higher EWB (OR_range = 1.22 - 1.61) than job demands (OR_range = 0.79 - 0.96). Especially psychological job demands showed negative associations with improved EWB (OR = 0.79). A change from the least desirable category 'disengaged strain' to any other category of EWB was associated with greater odds by up to 20.6 % for increased commitment and job satisfaction and lower odds for turnover intentions. Discussion: Improving work characteristics, especially job resources, could increase employees' EWB, emphasizing the importance of job characteristics for a healthy workplace. Because EWB seems to be associated with job attitudes, an improvement of this indicator would be relevant for employees and employers.

• Anxiety and mood
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.7-13
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• 2018

Objective : To determine the association between occupational stress and disordered eating problem in Korean female employees. Methods : We studied 1,452 female employees who attended mental health screenings. Using the Korean Occupational Stress Scale-Short Form (KOSS-SF) and 26-item Korean version of Eating Attitude Test, occupational stress and disordered eating problem were evaluated, respectively. Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of those with disordered eating problem were examined. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to determine which subscale of KOSS-SF was associated with disordered eating problem. Results : Disordered eating problem was associated with interpersonal conflict [odds ratio (OR) 1.882, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.138-3.112] among various kinds of job stresses. Lack of reward (OR 7.164, 95% CI 1.139-45.043) and insufficient job control (OR 1.953, 95% CI 1.119-3.411) were associated with disordered eating problem in the underweight and normal weight group, respectively. Conclusion : There is an association between occupational stress and disordered eating problem among Korean female employees.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.249-255
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• 2015

Background: Stressed workers suffer from severe health problems which appear to have increased. Poor leadership is especially considered a source of stress. Indeed, supervisors might perceive their subordinates to be similar to them as far as stress is concerned and this might more widespread in organizations than previously thought. Methods: The present research investigates the relationships between leaders' health, in terms of work-related stress, mental health, and workplace bullying and their evaluation of subordinates' stress. Five regression models were formulated to test our hypothesis. This is a cross-sectional study among 261 Italian leaders, using supervisor self-assessment and leaders' assessments of their subordinates. Results: Leaders' health was related to their evaluation of staff stress. Job demand, lack of job control, and lack of support by colleagues and supervisors evaluated in their subordinates were particularly associated with the leaders' own health. Conclusion: Implications for developing healthy leaders are finally discussed.