An Epidemiological Study for Desirable Health Habits Affecting Workers' Health Status

This study identified the health habits affecting health status of industrial workers. Data was collected from 965 workers in 58 companies at Buchon. The research conducted a self-administered questionnaire survey and obtained the workers' health examination records. The results were as follows: 1. Among 965 respondents, men were 82.4%, women were 17.6%, 44.5% were of the 30${\sim}$40 age group, the married were 67.4%, the single were 30.8%, high school graduates were 81.1% and 38.8% were of people who worked between 1 and 5 years 2. As far as the seven health habits, current smokers were 52.8%, people who regularly exercise was 28.5%, 7${\sim}$8 hour of sleep, on the average were 71.4%, people eating breakfast nearly every day were 8.8%, and people eating between meals almost every day were 46.5%. Heavy drinkers who drink 3${\sim}$4 times or more per week were 14.2%, 1${\sim}$2 times per week were 32.6% and the obese were 9.3%. 3, Health status of A and B, estimated by doctors in the health examination were 80.8% and C, D1, D2, the unhealthy were 19.2%. For men, those who reported more than women in unhealthy groups and the results regarding health status reflects those for gender, educational level and age. That is to say that, lower educational level group and over 30 years of age group perceive their health to be worse than the higher educational level and under 30 age group. And these differences were statistically significant. 4. The relationship between health habits and health status were examined based on the odds ratio. Current smokers had a consistently worse health status than a non smokers with a 1.98 odds ratio. The workers who reported eating breakfast rarely or never were more associated with the unhealthy group than the regular breakfast eating group with a 2.96 odds ratio. One or more drink per week had a worse health status than a never or a little drinker with a 1.56 odds ratio. 5. General health habit score and duration of work were selected as significant factors influencing health status from the result of logistic regression analysis. According to the results of this model, the odds ratio of good health status was 2.08 for good health habit score, 1.63 for workers who worked five years or more duration at work. In summary, good health habits were associated with good health status. In particular, the workers who had 5 or more desirable health habits had a significantly better health status than the workers who had 4 or less than 4 good health habits. Therefore, in order to provide the health promotion programs to workers it is necessary to organize clear health management plans based on effective health education and health service perspective. If further research examines health habits and health status using a prospective study design, More precise findings for health promotion program development in the worksite and worksite health management planning.