Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine

  • Volume 34
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  • Pages.31.1-31.14
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  • 2022
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  • 1225-3618(pISSN)
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  • 2052-4374(eISSN)
The Korean Society of Occupational & Environmental Medicine (대한직업환경의학회)
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Approval status and characteristics of work-related musculoskeletal disorders among Korean workers in 2020

  • Eun-woo Cha (Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital) ;
  • Sae-mi Jung (Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital) ;
  • Il-ho Lee (Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital) ;
  • Dae Hwan Kim (Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Inje University Haeundae Paik Hospital) ;
  • Eui Hyek Choi (Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Inje University Haeundae Paik Hospital) ;
  • In-ah Kim (Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Hanyang University College of Medicine) ;
  • Yong-kyu Kim (Korea Workers' Compensation & Walfare Service Incheon Hospital) ;
  • Kyung-joon Lee (Korea Workers' Compensation & Walfare Service Incheon Hospital) ;
  • Yang Won Kang (Korea Workers' Compensation & Walfare Service Ansan Hospital) ;
  • Ho-gil Kim (Korea Workers' Compensation & Walfare Service Ansan Hospital) ;
  • Young-ki Kim (Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital)
  • Received : 2022.03.18
  • Accepted : 2022.09.27
  • Published : 2022.12.31
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Abstract

Background: This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) in occupational disease claims and identify patterns of WRMSDs for each body part by industry and occupation. Methods: This study analyzed the raw data of occupational disease claims for musculoskeletal disorders deliberated by the Occupational Disease Decision Committee of the Korea Workers' Compensation & Welfare Service in 2020. The data was classified into 6 body parts with the highest numbers of occupational disease cases by using the complete enumeration data on principal diagnoses and 4 types of subdiagnoses in the raw data. The characteristics and approval rates of WRMSDs by body part, industry and occupation were examined and summarized. Results: A total of 13,015 occupational disease cases for WRMSDs were classified, and lumbar spinal (back) diseases accounted for the largest proportion of claimed diseases, followed by shoulder, elbow, wrist, knee, and neck diseases in a descending order. The occupations with the highest and second highest numbers of occupational disease cases by body part were found to be automobile assemblers and production-related elementary workers for the neck, school meal service workers and cooks for the back, construction frame mold carpenters and school meal service workers for the shoulder, elementary workers in mining and food service workers for the elbow, food service workers and automobile parts assemblers for the wrist, and ship welders and school meal service workers for the knee. Conclusions: This study examined the characteristics and approval status of WRMSDs by body part and occupation. Based on the study results, management strategies for the prevention of WRMSDs should be established regarding occupations with a high risk of WRMSDs for each body part.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

This research was supported by 2-year Research Grant Pusan National University (2021).

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