• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.193-200
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• 2023

Background: International evidence shows that mining workers are at greater risk of suicide than other workers; however, it is not known whether this applies to the Australian mining sector. Methods: Using data from the National Coronial Information System, rates of suicide among male mining workers were compared to those of three comparators: construction workers, mining and construction workers combined, and all other workers. Age-standardized suicide rates were calculated for 2001-2019 and across three intervals '2001-2006', '2007-2011', and '2012-2019'. Incidence rate ratios for suicide were calculated to compare incidence rates for mining workers, to those of the three comparative groups. Results: The suicide rate for male mining workers in Australia was estimated to be between 11 and 25 per 100,000 (likely closer to 25 per 100,000) over the period of 2001-2019. There was also evidence that the suicide rate among mining workers is increasing, and the suicide rate among mining workers for the period 2012-2019 was significantly higher than the other worker group. Conclusions: Based on available data, we tentatively deduce that suicide mortality among male mining workers is of concern. More information is needed on both industry and occupation of suicide decedents in order to better assess whether, and the extent to which, mining workers (and other industries and occupations) are at increased risk of suicide.

• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.93-107
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• 2001

The purpose of this study was examine the health and food intakes of industrial workers who worked day and night. The questionnaire asked them about their health, stress, knowledge of nutrition, food habits, food intakes and frequency. The night-time workers had a stomachache compaired with day-time workers. Male day-time workers were more prone to stress than night-time workers in the area of job. In the areas of nutritional knowledge and food habits, there were no significant differences between day-and night-time workers for both male and female. Intakes of rice, bread, noddle, meat, fish. beans, vegetables in night-time workers were less than day-time workers. Also the male night-time workers consumed more milk and carbonated drinks than the day-time workers. The night-time workers were worse than the day-time workers and the female night-time workers were the worst. Considering the above results, the night-time workers should correct their food habits and have a well-balanced diet.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.347-352
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• 2020

Background: Low self-esteem can be an issue among health-care workers due to the hierarchical medical system. Health-care workers are also in a high pressure environment that can lead to stress and burnout. This study was conducted to estimate the proportion of health-care workers with low self-esteem, high stress, and burnout and the factors associated with these in a private hospital in Bangalore city. Methods: This cross-sectional study included a random sample of health-care workers of various cadres - doctors, nurses, nursing aides, technicians, and workers in ancillary departments such as laundry, dietary, central sterile supply department, and pharmacy, with probability proportional to size. Rosenberg Scale for Self-esteem, Cohen's Perceived Stress Scale, and Shirom-Melamed Burnout Measure were used as study tools. Results: Among the 306 health-care workers, there were high levels of low self-esteem (48.4%), stress (38.6%), and burnout (48.7%), with the lowest levels being among doctors. Those aged younger than 30 years had significantly lower self-esteem and greater stress. Conclusions: Health-care workers with low self-esteem were nearly thrice more likely to suffer high stress, Odds Ratio (OR) = 2.84 (1.36-5.92), and those who were stressed had more than three times higher chance of experiencing burnout, OR = 3.6 (2.02-6.55). Path analysis showed that low self-esteem among health-care workers had a direct effect on burnout, as well as an indirect effect through stress (mediator variable). This study indicates the need for screening and counseling for low self-esteem, stress, and burnout as part of a periodic medical examination of all cadres of health workers.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.1005-1014
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• 2013

Objectives : The purpose of the study is to obtain the basic data for an industrial oral health project enhancing the quality of life and oral health. Methods : Questionnaire consisted of 17 questions including 7 questions of general characteristics, 5 questions of oral health awareness, and 5 questions of the behavior of oral health. A self-reported questionnaire was carried out from September 1 to September 28, 2012, The subjects were 400 male and female sanitation workers in private corporations in Jeonju. A total of 354 questionnaires were analyzed using SPSS windows ver. 12.0 (SPSS Inc. Korea). Results : The majority of the subjects were male in 50's. Temporary contract workers are older aged and 2 to 5 years of career workers were the majority of the cleaners. Average monthly income was less than 2 million Korean Won. Those who had a higher academic background and permanent position tended to have oral health knowledge (p<0.05). Female workers had healthier subjective oral health status than male workers. Those who were in older age, single, temporary position, and 2 to 5 years of career tended to have healthier subjective oral health status (p<0.05). Those who were in older age, married, and long period of employment were worrying about their health (p<0.05). The subjective oral health knowledge was high in 49.7% of the workers because they were not able to brush teeth during work hours. They were able to brush their teeth only after dinner. It was low in female and older aged workers (p<0.05). The brushing method included a combination of top to bottom and from the side to side. Conclusions : This study showed the influencing factor of oral health in street workers. Work environment, education, age, monthly income, and types of employment were the important factors to oral health care. It is necessary to provide the right oral health care program for the workers in the near future.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.384-388
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• 2019

The horse stable hand workers are one of the most important occupations in horse-racing industry. However, suicide problem of the horse stable hand workers in Korea has raised the necessity of new study on how these workers experience mental health problems such as occupational stress and depression in organizational situation. Therefore, this study investigated the occupational stress and depression level of the horse stable hand workers and identified the structural relationship in the horse-racing industry through a detailed interview. A total of 207 horse stable hand workers participated in this study, and occupational stress and depression level were surveyed using the Korean Occupational Stress Scale (KOSS) and Korean version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D). The results of this study showed that the occupational stress level of horse stable hand workers was higher than the median of Korean population. The significant difference in occupational stress among the detail job grade was also identified. In addition, 34% of the horse stable hand workers showed high risk of depression, and job demand, organizational system, and inappropriate compensation as the subfactors of occupational stress were showed to mainly affect depression. Although there are some limitations according to the field survey, this study also has significant meaning in that it identifies the relationship between the occupational characteristics of the horse stable hand workers and the mental health. It will be necessary to study the diverse organizational situation and individual mental health for new occupations.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.191-201
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• 2008

Purpose: The purpose of this study were to investigate the health status and to identify the influencing factors on health status by gender among service workers. Method: Data were collected from the self-reported survey of 781 service workers in sales, food & lodging industry. The data were analyzed by descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression analysis using SPSS Win 10.0. Result: The influencing factors of male workers' health status were job satisfaction, standing hour during work time, physical work environment, job demand and family support. The influencing factors of female workers' health status were job satisfaction, emotional labor, physical work environment, regular exercise, standing hour during work time, social support and age. Conclusion: Gender specific occupational Health program for service workers should be developed in consideration of these influencing factors.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.290-295
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• 2017

Background: Safety climate and occupational stress are related with occupational accident. The present study tried to identify the differences in safety climate and occupational stress according to occupational accidents experience and employment type (e.g., direct workers and subcontract workers). Methods: In this study, we conducted a survey using safety climate scale and Korean Occupational Stress Scale and classified the participants into four groups: direct workers working for accident-free departments, direct workers working for accident departments, subcontract workers working for accident-free departments, and subcontract workers working for accident departments for 2 years within the same workplace in the shipbuilding industry. Results: The direct workers and subcontract workers showed diverse results in subscales of safety climate and occupational stress. This result is supported by existing studies; however, further study is necessary for more supporting evidence and elaborative methodological approach. Conclusion: The necessity of management for safety climate and psychosocial factor such as occupational stress for both direct workers and subcontract workers as a whole is suggested by this study.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.63-72
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• 2015

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship of occupational stress and psychosocial stress to health promotion behaviors depending on characteristics of female office workers and emotional labor workers for sales. Methods: A survey of 207 female service workers engaging in sales of cosmetics in major department stores and 149 females working in the offices of cosmetics companies was carried out using a self-administered questionnaire. Results: It showed a significant difference in job demand and insufficient job control which are sub-domains of stress. The percentage of emotional laborers exposed to a high risk of psychosocial stress was higher than office workers. In office workers, occupational stress stemmed from insufficient job control and low reward of work was significantly related to psychosocial stress. But in emotional labor workers, stress from job insecurity, and organizational system were added. The relevant factors that affect health promotion behaviors were type of occupational stress, psychosocial stress, marital status, educational level and working career. Conclusions: Occupational stress and psychosocial stress were closely associated with health promotion behaviors. It was suggested that the development of health promotion programs which reduce the stress in female office and emotional labor workers.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.471-484
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• 2023

Objectives: This study aimed to confirm the relationship between occupational safety and health information and self-rated health among precarious workers. Methods: A cross-sectional explanatory study design was conducted using data from the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency's 6th Korean Working Conditions Survey. The participants were 1,569 precarious workers living in South Korea. Descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation analysis, and hierarchical regression were used for data analyses by SPSS (version 25.0). Results: As a result of the study, occupational safety and health information had a significant positive effect on the self-rated health of precarious workers. The results suggest that occupational safety and health information contributes to the self-rated health of precarious workers. Conclusions: Therefore, it is suggested that policies should be developed to improve occupational safety and health information in workplaces. In addition, strategies should be developed to promote the usefulness of occupational safety and health information to precarious workers.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.117-130
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• 2009

This study was attempted to suggest fundamental data to take health care plan in terms of oriental medicine by evaluating the health-related quality of life according to the Sasang constitutional medicine (SCM) of factory workers. General characteristics, living habits, and health-related quality of life were investigated through self-administration questionnaire in the course of oriental health examination for 1,870 male workers at a manufacturing company located in the Jeollabuk-do region, and the Sasang constitution of each worker was identified and analyzed through questionnaires and oriental doctor's medical examination. For Sasang constitutional medicine, So-eum person(少陰人) was found to be the most, and then So-yang preson(少陽人), Tai-eum preson(太陰人), and Tai-yang preson(太陽人) in order; for lifestyle, smokers were most found in So-yang person workers, non-smokers in Tai-yang person workers, drinkers in Tai-yang person workers, and non-drinkers in So-eum person workers. For the general health score by the Sasang constitutions, Tai-yang person workers were found to be 42.73 in general health area, Tai-eum preson workers 41.69, So-yang person workers 40.87, and So-eum person workers 40.42; in the vitality area, Tai-eum person workers were found to be 45.14, So-yang person workers 44.16, So-eum person workers 43.02, and Tai-yang person workers 41.34. Specially, it was found that regular exercise improved physical health factors, drinking adversely affected mental health factors, and the mental health factors of Tai-eum person workers who have regularly exercised showed the highest values, while those of Tai-yang person workers who have not exercised showed the lowest values. There was difference in lifestyle by Sasang constitutions, and accordingly, the quality of life might be different Therefore it is deemed that health care plan is required to be taken by Sasang constitutions and lifestyle for health promotion and care of blue-collar workers in the future.