• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.396-402
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• 2021

Background: Styrene is one of the aromatic compounds used in acetonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) producing petrochemicals, which has an impact on health of workers. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the health risks of styrene emitted from the petrochemical industry in Iran. Methods: Air samples were collected based on NIOSH 1501 method. The samples were analyzed by the Varian-cp3800 gas chromatograph. Finally, risk levels of styrene's health effects on employees were assessed by the quantitative method of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) and the semiquantitative way by the Singapore Occupational Safety and Health Association. Results: Based on the results, the employees had the highest average exposure to styrene vapors (4.06 × 10^-1mg.(kg - day)^-1) in the polybutadiene latex (PBL) unit. Therefore, the most top predictors of cancer and non-cancer risk were 2.3×10^-4 and 7.26 × 10^-1, respectively. Given that the lowest average exposure (1.5 × 10^-2mg.(kg - day)^-1) was in the dryer unit, the prediction showed a moderate risk of cancer (0.8 × 10^-6) and non-cancer (2.3 × 10^-3) for the employees. The EPA method also predicted that there would be a definite cancer risk in 16% and a probable risk in 76% of exposures. However, according to the semiquantitative approach, the rate of risk was at the "low" level for all staff. The results showed that there was a significant difference (p < 0.05) between the units in exposure and health risk of styrene (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Given the high risk of styrene's health effects, appropriate control measures are required to reduce the exposure level.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.304-311
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• 2018

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to compare the self-reported symptoms of occupational asthma, occupational rhinitis, and respiratory symptoms between a direct exposure to flour dust group and a non-exposure group from the bakery industry. Methods: The participants were 62 workers directly exposed to flour dust and 30 non-exposed workers. The survey was composed of questions related to general characteristics. Korean self-reported respiratory symptoms(SNU-93), occupational asthma, and occupational rhinitis data was collected from April to July 2017. Results: The smoking rate among the direct exposure to flour dust workers was 67.7% and the mean of working hours(11-12) was 96.8%. The SNU-93 questionnaire revealed that respiratory symptoms in the chest and wheezing or whistling were significantly higher among the direct-exposure group than non-exposure group. The response for occupational asthma symptoms was significantly higher in the direct exposure group(2.4 points) than in the non-exposure group(1.6 points). Conclusion: In order to decrease the symptoms of these respiratory diseases among bakery workers exposed to flour dust, it is necessary to reduce working hours and the smoking rate. The performance of periodic medical examinations is needed to find abnormal respiratory diseases. In addition, workers who have been diagnosed with asthma and rhinitis should consider switching to a process that is not exposed to flour dust.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.63 no.5
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• pp.623-630
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• 2020

Objective : A primary degenerative sagittal imbalance has been considered because of unique lifestyles such as the prolonged crouched posture during agricultural work and performing activities of daily living on the floor. Previous papers have reported that sagittal imbalance disease is often seen distinctly in the farming districts of "oriental" countries such as Korea and Japan. However, this finding was only evaluated with the use of X-ray, and other factors such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), muscle volume, compression fracture, and laboratory results were not considered. Thus, using these, we evaluate the agricultural work-associated factors for Korean elderly spinal sagittal imbalance. Methods : We recruited 103 Korean participants who had a sagittal vertical axis (SVA) of >5 cm in this Korean Elderly Sagittal Imbalance Cohort Study. The following were evaluated : radiological parameters, MRI, compression fracture, vitamin D, parathyroid hormone, C-terminal telopeptide, osteocalcin, bone mineral density and muscle fatty change, muscle volume, and health-related quality of life from patients' survey. Moreover, in this survey, the farmers' annual working hours were investigated. Subsequently, we analyzed the associated factors for spinal sagittal imbalance depending on occupation. Results : A total of 46 participants were farmers, and the others were housewives, sellers, and office workers. The farmer group had more SVA (141 vs. 99 mm, p=0.001) and pelvic tilt (31° vs. 24°, p=0.004) and lesser lumbar lordosis (20° vs. 30°, p=0.009) and thoracic kyphosis (24° vs. 33°, p=0.03) than non-farmer group. A significantly positive correlation was noted between the working hour and SVA in the farmer group (p=0.014). The visual analogue scale score for back pain (8.26 vs. 6.96, p=0.008) and Oswestry Disability Index (23.5 vs. 19.1, p=0.003) in the farmer group were higher than that in the non-farmer group, but the Short Form-36 score was not significantly different between the two groups. The Mini-Mental State Exam score was significantly lower in the farmer group than in the non-farmer group (24.85 vs. 26.98, p=0.002). Conclusion : The farmer group had more sagittal imbalance and back pain in proportion to the working hours even though the muscle and bone factors and general laboratory condition were not significantly different between the two groups. These results supported that the long hours spent in the crouched posture while performing agricultural work were a risk factor for severe sagittal imbalance.

• Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
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• v.35
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• pp.12.1-12.12
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• 2023

Background: The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between job stress and impaired fasting glycemia (IFG) of male workers in a manufacturing industry. Methods: Data were collected from 5,886 male workers in a manufacturing industry who participated in the medical examination from June 19 to August 14, 2020 through self-reported questionnaires. The general characteristics of the subjects, shift work, high blood pressure, dyslipidemia, and job stress were included. Job stress was measured using the Korean Occupational Stress Scale (KOSS) consisting of 8 items and 43 questions. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the IFG association with job stress. Results: Among the various factors that can cause job stress, only high job demand was associated with a risk of IFG (odds ratio, 1.43; 95% confidence interval, 1.13-1.82) especially in non-shift worker. For all other factors, no statistically significant results were obtained. Conclusions: In this study of male workers engaged in the Korean steel manufacturing industry, the 'job demand' item among job stress of non-shift worker was related to IFG.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.504-512
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• 2001

For the purpose of grasping the actual condition of low back pain in women workers, 166 women in two neighboring factories were studied using questionnaire, 60% of the workers complained of low back pain. and 63% of them responded that their low back pain come from their job. About the severity, 77% marked the moderate, and 15% said absences owing to the pain. But 60% of them have not sought medical help. The low back pain occurred mainly in the workers of sitting posture and in the workers of treating heavy objects. And the workers who have worked over three years are dominant(44%) in the pain group. Comparing the pain group with the non-pain group, two variables - whether the worker treats heavy materials or not, and how heavy the materials are - showed statistically significant differences. So. there must be concern over the low back pain of women workers. In operation allocation. treating heavy objects and lifting up should be carefully considered. And for the prevention of low back pain. the workers need education and pain exercise.

• Convergence Security Journal
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.49-58
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• 2009

In medical Institution, Electronic Health Record (EHR) is "must access information" to medical staff considering it as medical information. However, this unnecessary exploration of personal information must be treated confidentially because the information is highly related to other's private concerns. It is necessary that medical workers should be also restricted to their access to EHR depending on their roles and duties. As the result, this article explains that "EHR access control will be executed by differentiating authorized medical staff from non medical-related staff as well as EHR access will be only permitted to authorized medical staff depending on their work status conditions. By using Advanced RBAC model on medical situation, we expect to minimize unnecessary leak of EHR information; especially, emergency medical care is needed, access control is highly required depending on a person in charge of the cases or not, and restricted medical information defined by the patient one-self is only allowed to be accessed.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.239-247
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• 2013

Objectives : The direction for qualitative improvement of our country's workers' by arranging data necessary for improving oral health program and system aiming to promote workers' oral health in the future is suggested in this study. Methods : The questionnaire by self-administrated method, which was selected by convenience sampling method, was carried out from October 4th to December 31th, 2011 targeting 424 workers from 6 working places in Jellabuk-do Province. Results : 1. It was indicated that workers' interest in oral health is higher than moderate and that workers are perceiving oral health as one of critical problems and thinking that the level of their oral health knowledge is low and oral health status is under moderate. 2. It was indicated that the rate of workplace oral screening is high, but the dissatisfaction ratio with workplace oral examination is high. Non-screening of medical treatment was indicated to be the highest after oral examination. 3. Factors of having influence upon the workplace oral examination included age, marital status, appearance, educational level, work-life term, and average monthly household income. Conclusions : It is judged to be likely important to make them have positive attitude toward oral health care through the accurate publicity of workplace oral examination and education on prevention of oral disease by reflecting workers' high interest in oral health.

• Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
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• v.34
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• pp.33.1-33.13
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• 2022

Background: Circadian rhythm disturbance caused by shift work has adverse effects on the metabolic homeostasis of the liver. Disruption of the metabolic homeostasis of the liver causes fat accumulation in the liver. The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between shift work and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) among male workers in the steel manufacturing industry of Korea. Methods: Based on medical examination data collected in June 2020, 2,511 male subjects from one steel manufacturing company in Korea were selected in total. NAFLD was evaluated using abdominal ultrasound, which was performed by two experienced radiologists. The multinomial logistic regression analysis was performed by adjusting for age, physical activity, smoking history, alcohol consumption, body mass index, waist circumference, blood pressure, blood glucose, lipidemia, liver function test, employment duration, and hepatotoxic materials exposure status. Results: Compared to daytime workers, the odds ratio (OR) of moderate-severe NAFLD in shift workers was 1.449 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.028-2.043). Compared to daytime workers, the ORs of moderate-severe NAFLD were significantly higher for the group that engaged in total shift work for more than 20 years (OR, 2.285; 95% CI, 1.051-4.970), the group that was not allowed to sleep during night shift work (OR, 1.463; 95% CI, 1.030-2.078), and the group that consumed food during night shift work (OR, 1.580; 95% CI, 1.093-2.284). Conclusions: There was a correlation between shift work and moderate-severe NAFLD in male steel manufacturing workers. There will be a need for more research related to the correlation of shift work with steatohepatitis and cirrhosis in the future.

• The Journal of the Korea institute of electronic communication sciences
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• v.7 no.5
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• pp.1197-1203
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• 2012

This study was to identify the influence of job satisfaction on the role clarity perception of the personnels except medical staffs of hospitals. The study subjects of this study were 486 personnels employed in the supporting departments of hospital. As the result of multiple regression analysis, policy decision showed the highest explanatory power on job satisfaction, We would conclude that in order to improve the performance level of hospital by increasing the job satisfaction of their non-medical personnels, the hospital managers should make efforts to raise the role clarity of them. Our study had some limitations. Especially, because measurement scale on job satisfaction used in our study didn't consist of subdivision, our findings would not show which area was more important in improving job satisfaction.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.28 no.4 s.51
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• pp.911-923
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• 1995

With increased use of neurotoxic agents in manufacturing industries, hazardous effects of neurotoxic agents pose significant problems in protecting health of workers who work in these industries. A normal range of neurobehavioral performance is required to study hazardous effects of neurotoxic agents among workers. However, such reference for Korean population is not available yet. The objective of this study is to estimate a normal range of neurobehavioral test performance of female workers in Korea. Data for neurobehavioral test performance developed by the World Health Organization were obtained from 165 female workers. Study subjects, 140 production workers and 25 clerks, who voluntarily participated in this study were not occupationally exposed to neurotoxic agents. The mean age and the mean education years of them were 32 years and 10.9 years, respectively Santa Ana dexterity, pursuit aiming, digit symbol, simple reaction time, and Benton visual retention tests among the Neurobehavioral Core Test Battery(NCTB) were included in the evaluation. Subjects were interviewed by a trained interviewer for their detailed occupational history $Mean({\pm}SD)$ performance of the participants were: $45.7{\pm}7.1\;and\;41.9{\pm}6.4$ in the Santa Ana dexterity test of the preferred and non-preferred hands; $45.7{\pm}7.1\;and\;41.9{\pm}6.4$ in correct dot of the pursuit aiming test; $57.7{\pm}16.0$ in the digit symbol test; $274.8{\pm}44.6$ msec in the mean simple reaction time and $70.5{\pm}69.0$ msec in the mean standard deviation of it; and $7.8{\pm}1.7$ in the Benton visual retention test. Most neurobehavioral performance scores were correlated significantly with age and educational level. Educational level was found to be a significant independent variable which was associated with all test scores. Age was significantly associated with scores of pursuit aiming and digit symbol tests.