• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.183-191
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• 2013

Objectives: In Korea, the proportion of deaths due to alcohol is estimated at 8.9%, far exceeding the global estimate of 3.8%. Therefore, this study was performed to examine the factors associated with low-risk, moderate-risk, and high-risk drinking patterns in Korean adults and to identify target populations for prevention and control of alcohol-related diseases and deaths. Methods: We analyzed data from 230 715 Korean adults aged 19 years and older who participated in the 2009 Korean Community Health Survey. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to examine associations between socio-demographic and health-related factors and patterns of alcohol use. Results: A substantially larger proportion of men than women engaged in high risk (21.2% vs. 3.4%) and moderate-risk alcohol use (15.5% vs. 8.2%). In both sexes, moderate- and high-risk uses were associated with younger age, higher income, being currently employed, smoking, being overweight/obese, and good self-rated health. Conclusions: Given the large proportion of the population that is engaging in moderate- and high-risk drinking and given the social norms that support this behavior, public health policies and campaigns to reduce alcohol consumption targeting the entire population are indicated.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2010

The Finnish risk assessment practice is based on the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act aiming to improve working conditions in order maintain the employees' work ability, and to prevent occupational accidents and diseases. In practice there are hundreds of risk assessment methods in use. A simple method is used in small and medium sized enterprises and more complex risk evaluation methods in larger work places. Does the risk management function in the work places in Finland? According to our experience something more is needed. That is, understanding of common and company related benefits of risk management. The wider conclusion is that commitment for risk assessment in Finland is high enough. However, in those enterprises where OSH management was at an acceptable level or above it, there were also more varied and more successfully accomplished actions to remove or reduce the risks than in enterprises, where OSH management was in lower level. In risk assessment it is important to process active technical prevention and exact communication, increase work place attraction and increase job satisfaction and motivation. Investments in OSH are also good business. Low absenteeism due to illness or accidents increases directly the production results by improved quality and quantity of the product. In general Finnish studies have consistently shown that the return of an invested euro is three to seven-old. In national level, according to our calculations the savings could be even 20% of our gross national product.

• Anxiety and mood
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.92-100
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• 2022

Objective : The purpose of this study was to investigate the association among the fear of COVID-19, depression, risk perception, health belief, and preventive health behaviors related to COVID-19 among university students in Jeonbuk region. Methods : A cross-sectional study was conducted using an online questionnaire survey. The questionnaire included The Korean Version of Fear of COVID-19 Scale, the Korean Version of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and measurement tools adapted from previous studies for risk perception, health belief, and preventive health behaviors of subjects. We analyzed data using Pearson's correlation analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and path analysis using SPSS 22 and AMOS 21. Results : The fear of COVID-19 showed significant positive influence on health belief as well as risk perception. Depression had a significant negative impact on preventive health behaviors and risk perception. Health belief showed a significant positive impact on preventive health behavior. Conclusion : Rresults revealed that the higher the level of depression was, the lower risk perception and performance of preventive health behavior were among university students in Jeonbuk region. As the level of the fear of COVID-19 became higher, the level of health belief and risk perception became higher. The higher the level of health belief was, the higher the performance level of preventive health were. Thus, it is prudent to increase the level of health belief, and lower the level of depression, in promoting preventive health behavior.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.207-214
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• 2010

Toxicity identification and quantification are important factors to evaluate the effect of industrial effluent on the aquatic environment. In order to measure the potential and real toxicity of mixed chemicals in the effluents, the biological method (i.e., WET test) should be used as well as chemical analysis method. In this study, we conducted WET test for various kinds of industrial effluents using aquatic organisms such as water flea (Daphnia magna), algae (Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata), fish (Oryzias latipes, Danio rerio), and microorganism (Vibrio fisheri). In addition, we carried out chemical analysis and TIE (Toxicity Identification Evaluation) for effluents in order to identify the substances causing toxicity. Among the 30 kinds of wastewater, S13 showed the highest eco-toxicity and $Ca^{2+}$ and $Cl^-$ ion were suspected as major compounds causing toxicity for aquatic organisms. In order to confirm these suspected compounds, various confirmation procedures need to be carried out.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.413-420
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• 2005

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify health risk behaviors in adolescents according to grade in school and to of for basic data to develop a health promotion for adolescents. Methods: A descriptive survey design was used and the SPSS 12.0 program was used for the data analysis, which included Chi-square test and Spearman correlation coefficients. The instrument for this study was based on the 1999 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Results: The results indicate that adolescent have an average of 2 risk behaviors out of 10 health risk behaviors categories. There are various types of risk behaviors, which art: different for each grade, such as physical fights, using alcohol, using heroin, weight control, and the lack of AIDS education. Physical fights, and the lack of AIDS education are common in the 9th grade, using alcohol, heroin, and weight control are common in the 11th grade. Physical fights were correlated with using cigarettes and sexual intercourses. Using alcohol was correlated with using cigarettes, heroin, sexual intercourses and weight controls. Using heroin was correlated with sexual intercourse and weight control. Conclusion: For the promotion of health in adolescents, different approaches to health education and prevention of health risk are needed for each grade because the health risk behaviors differ between grades.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.356-367
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• 2022

Background: The emergence of new infectious diseases threatens public health, increasing socioeconomic damage, and national risks. This study aimed to develop an evidence-based risk assessment tool to quickly respond to new infectious diseases. Methods: The risk elements were extracted by reviewing the risk assessment methods of the World Health Organization, United States, Europe, United Kingdom, and Germany, and the validity and priority of elements were determined through expert meetings and Delphi surveys. Then, the scale and level for each risk element were defined and a final score calculation method according to the risk evaluation result was derived. The developed risk assessment tool was verified using data at the time of domestic transmission of an emerging infectious disease. Results: In case of spread of actual infectious diseases, priority is determined based on the criticality of the elements in each area of transmissibility and severity, from which the weighted score of the risk assessment is derived. Then, the risk score for each element was calculated by multiplying the average value of the risk evaluation by its weight and the evaluation risk assessment score for the two areas was calculated. At last, the final score is plotted in a matrix where the x-axis indicates the transmissibility and the y-axis the severity and plotted on the coordinate plane for time series use. Conclusion: With respect to transmissibility and severity, this risk assessment method to respond to new and re-emerging infectious diseases enables rapid and evidence-based evaluation by quantitatively and qualitatively assessing various risk elements.

• Journal of environmental and Sanitary engineering
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.11-24
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• 1993

Methodology for health risk assessment has been developed by governmental agencies and research institutions in the United States concerning environmental and industrial health such as Environmental Protection Agency, Pood and Drug Administration, and Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The basic concept, process, and scientific rational of the health risk assessment are discussed in order to introduce this field of research for future application to risk assessment and management in Korea. As environmental criteria for most of the environmental carcinogens and nonfarcinogens are set based on the quantitative risk assessment, this quantitative methodology should be emphasized and studied in Korean situation.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.345-352
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• 2015

Background: Goal-oriented communication of risk of hazards is necessary in order to reduce risk of workers' exposure to chemicals. Adequate training of workers and enterprise priority setting are essential elements. Cleaning enterprises have many challenges and the existing paradigms influence the risk levels of these enterprises. Methods: Information on organization and enterprises' prioritization in training programs was gathered from cleaning enterprises. A measure of enterprises' conceptual level of importance of chemical health hazards and a model for working out the risk index (RI) indicating enterprises' conceptual risk level was established and used to categorize the enterprises. Results: In 72.3% of cases, training takes place concurrently with task performances and in 67.4% experienced workers conduct the trainings. There is disparity between employers' opinion on competence level of the workers and reality. Lower conceptual level of importance was observed for cleaning enterprises of different sizes compared with regional safety delegates and occupational hygienists. Risk index values show no difference in risk level between small and large enterprises. Conclusion: Training of cleaning workers lacks the prerequisite for suitability and effectiveness to counter risks of chemical health hazards. There is dereliction of duty by management in the sector resulting in a lack of competence among the cleaning workers. Instituting acceptable easily attainable safety competence level for cleaners will conduce to risk reduction, and enforcement of attainment of the competence level would be a positive step.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.359-364
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• 2006

Objectives: The object of this study is to assess the relationship between socioeconomic factors and the predicted 10-year risk of cardiovascular disease by using health risk appraisal of ischemic heart disease. Methods: The study population was taken from The 2001 Korea National Health and Nutrition Survey, and it consisted of 1,566 men and 1,984 women aged 30-59. We calculated 10-year risk using the risk function of ischemic heart disease as developed by Jee. The educational level and equivalized household income were dichotomized by a 12 years education period and the median income level. Occupation was dichotomized into manual/non-manual work. We stratified the population by age(10 years) and sex, and then we rated the risk differences according to socioeconomic factors by performing t-tests for each strata. Results: There were gradients of the predicted 10-year risk of ischemic heart disease with the educational level and the equivalized household income, and thet was an increasing tendency of risk differences with age. Manual workers didn't show significant risk difference from non-manual workers. Conclusions: There was definite relationship between low socioeconomic position and the predicted risk of ischemic heart disease in the future.

• 대한예방의학회:학술대회논문집
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• 1994.02a
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• pp.405-411
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• 1994

Hazardous wastes released into the general environment are of concern to the public and to public health authorities. In response to this concern, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, as amended (commonly called Superfund), was enacted in 1980 to provide a framework for environmental, public health, and legal actions concerning uncontrolled releases of hazardous substances. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) was created by Superfund to address the public health issues of hazardous wastes in the community environment. Two key Agency programs, Public Health Assessments and Toxicological Profiles, are designed to assess the risk to human health of exposures to hazardous substances that migrate from waste sites or through emergency releases (e.g., chemical spills). The Agency's public health assessment is a structured process that permits ATSDR to identify which waste sites or other point sources require traditional public health actions (e.g.. human exposure studies, health studies, registries, health surveillance, health advisories). The ATSDR qualitative public health assessment complements the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's quantitative risk assessment. For Superfund purposes, both assessments are sitespecific. ATSDR's toxicological profiles are prepared for priority hazardous substances found most frequently at Superfund sites. Each profile presents the current toxicologic and human health effects information about the substance being profiled. Each profile also contains Minimal Risk Levels (MRLs), a type of risk assessment value. This paper covers ATSDR's experience in conducting public health assessments and developing MRLs, and it relates this experience to recommendations on how to improve chemical risk assessments.