• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.447-454
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• 2023

Objective: This study aims to investigate the impact of changes in working conditions on job-related stress and musculoskeletal disorders using the results of seven surveys conducted at a single workplace from 2004 to 2022 regarding factors hazardous to the musculoskeletal system. Additionally, the study aims to propose alternative methods of investigating factors hazardous to the musculoskeletal system. Methods: A car parts manufacturing plant where the same survey was taken seven times from 2004 to 2022 was selected and the survey data was analyzed. The main contents of the survey were weekly working hours, Borg's scale, work intensity, job-related stress, and the prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms. The statistical analysis was performed using SAS (version 9.4). Results: The results of this study are as follows. Firstly, changes in working conditions have an impact on job-related stress. Secondly, changes in working conditions have an impact on work intensity indicators. Thirdly, changes in working conditions have an impact on the prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms. Fourthly, even with an increase in age and length of service, job-related stress and musculoskeletal symptoms were alleviated when working conditions were improved. Conclusions: In order for measures to reduce musculoskeletal disorders to be successful, working conditions must not deteriorate, and it is necessary to demand revisions to regulations, etc. to reflect these points in the investigation of hazardous factors to the musculoskeletal system.

• Journal of Navigation and Port Research
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• v.30 no.5 s.111
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• pp.405-414
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• 2006

The purpose of this study was to find out morbidity rate and pattern of occupational disease and affect of variables related disease of Fishing crew The subjects this study were 624 Fishing crew who took education course in Korea Institute of Maritime and Fisheries Technology. This questionnaire was focused on finding the basic data for prevention of occupational disease and promotion health on the Fishing crew The collected data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics, Chi-square, cross tab by SPSS package. The result of this study are as follow. 1)The morbidity rate within recent 12 months was 70.2%. there were significant differences of occurred disease in age, rank, perceived health status, fatigue symptoms, rest time, workload, overtime duration 2) the more aging(p<0.01), perceived fatigue(p<0.01), workload(p<0.01), overtime(p<0.05) and the less perceived health status(p<0.01), rest time(p<0.01), the higher morbidity rate 3) Considering disease unable to work more than 4 hour, the number of those who had musculoskeletal disease were 20.9%, which revealed the highest rate, digestive disease 14.3%, traumatic disease 13.5%.

• Journal of Korea Entertainment Industry Association
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.311-320
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• 2019

Discogenic pain which develops during the degenerative process of intervertebral disc is an intractable disease of musculoskeletal system. Unlike other diseases in modern medical science, it is not clinically confirmed through objective imaging and clinicopathologic index. Moreover, current technology has been facing difficulties finding fundamental treatment. This study examined through reviewing literature whether the therapeutic rationales of interventional procedures for the discogenic pain, such as nerve block, intradiscal electrothermal therapy and nucleoplasty, are valid and whether safety reviews such as preclinical tests are carried out faithfully during the technology development process. As a result, it is presumed that there is not yet an interventional treatment for discogenic pain, whose therapeutic rationale has been objectively verified. And there are some cases of interventional treatment that have not been adequately equipped with the preclinical test steps necessary to review the safety of the procedure during the technology development process. In conclusion, since there is still no interventional treatment for discogenic pain which has clear therapeutic rationale, it is necessary to recognize that a more careful approach is needed to judge whether the procedure is performed in clinical settings. And medical ethical issues may arise for some interventional treatment that are deemed to have been carried out without a thorough review of safety.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.9 no.spc
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• pp.107-122
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• 2003

The object of this study is to evaluate the prevailing physical and psychosocial conditions regarding occupational low back injury. This study consists of two parts. In the first part of the study, analytic biomechanical model and NIOSH guidelines are applied to evaluate risk levels of low back injury for automobile assembly jobs. Total of 246 workers are analysed. There are 20 jobs having greater back compressive forces than 300kg at L5/S1. Also, there are 44 jobs over Action Limit with respect to 1981 NIOSH guidelines. The relationship between psychosocial factors and low back injury was examined in the second part of the study. A battery of questionnaires concerning the psychosocial stress based on PWI (Psychosocial Well-being Index) and musculoskeletal pain symptoms at low back was completed by 246 workers at the same plant. Results showed that 207 out 246 workers experienced the symptoms and 27 workers were diagnosed as patients. Two groups(low stressed, high stressed) based on PWI score had no significant relationships with both symptoms and results of diagnosis. The relationships between physical work load and psychosocial stress were also analysed. Specifically, some postural factors(vertical deviation angle of forearm, horizontal deviation angle of upperarm, vertical deviation angle of thigh, etc) were highly correlated with psychosocial stress. The results illustrated that PWI scores were associated with some physical workloads. However, psychosocial stress levels couldn't be well related with the pain symptom as well as the actual incidence of low back injury since pain or discomfort regarding low back injury were more complex than that of other musculoskeletal disorders.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.65-77
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• 1999

In order to estimate the utilization pattern of a rural health subcenter, and to identify the recognition for it among the farmhouse members in a suburban area, a questionnaire survey was carried out for objects of 696 population. The results observed were as follows: The annual utilization rate of rural health subcenter for a basic health service unit was 25.0 per 100 persons, and annual mean visiting times was 0.22 times. And the most frequent disease by annual health subcenter utilization illness was musculoskeletal disease(30.6%), and the next was respiratory disease(14.1%), gastrointestinal disease(13.9%) by order. Favorite reason for community health subcenter utilization were near distance from living place(49.6%), lower disease severity(18.9%) and lower medical cost(18.1%) by order. But disfavoring reasons for it were absence of specialist(20.2%), non effective treatment(19.2%) and insufficient equipment(14.7%) by order. And insufficient items about community health subcenter utilization were restriction of treatment limit(40.7%), lower reliance(22.5%) and difficulty in traffic(13.4%) by order. The results of logistic regression analysis suggested that statistically significant factors in health subcenter utilization was educational level. The desirable works for the health subcenter in a suburban area were disease control of elderly and disease preventing service. These results suggested that to increase the utilization of rural health subcenter in a suburban area and to promote the accessibility of rural residents to primary health care, there must be considered public relation about health subcenter, improvement of medical quality and change of priority about health subcenter's works.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.27-35
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• 2008

Recently, many studies have reported the fact that an excessively accumulated psychological and physical burden induced from physical labor conducted routinely in home and industry can be one of main reasons of musculoskeletal disorders in the working population. This fact makes increase interests in studies to reduce a risk of musculoskeletal disorders through grafting ergonomic considerations on working environment. However, there are currently limited methodologies in quantitative evaluations of new ergonomic suggestions to reduce a risk of musculoskeletal disorders. The current study is therefore performed to evaluate quantitatively effects of a design of washing machine as a new ergonomic suggestion onto prevention of musculoskeletal disorders, through application of a biomechanical evaluation methodology. For this, three-dimensional motion analysis by using musculoskeletal models with Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA), which has been generally used for a simple evaluation of a degree of harmfulness of the human body at specific working postures to be considered, was performed. The results of REBA did not give us enough information and their results were somewhat simple and inaccurate, but the results of the three-dimensional motion analysis give us enough information such as alteration of main muscle forces and joint moments required during washing work. All results showed that the main muscle strengths and joint moments were decreased effectively for reduction of a risk of musculoskeletal disorders during the washing work with newly designed washing machine evaluated in the current study, compared with those generated during the washing work with general washing machine. From these results, it can be concluded that a risk of the musculoskeletal disorders, which may be induced by a repetitive washing work, may be reduced through using the washing machine designed ergonomically and newly. Also, it is thought that if our ergonomic design can be applied for improvement of working environment in lifting and laying works conducted repeatedly for a treatment work of goods, which have a strong resemblance to the behaviors generated frequently during the washing work, a possibility of occurrence of the musculoskeletal disorders by the lifting and laying works may be reduced highly.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.11 no.9
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• pp.277-285
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• 2020

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of wearing Head-Mounted Display (HMD) on the cervical range of motion (CROM), neck muscle thickness, and pain in healthy young adults. The HMD group(male=16, female=7) was asked to perform sitting comfortably in a backless chair with hands on their knees with the HMD was worn on their heads to watch the video for 30 minutes. The control group(male=15, female=8) was asked to sit in the same posture as the HMD group for 30 minutes. CROM, neck muscle thickness, and pressure pain threshold (PPT) of both the upper trapezius and levator scapulae were measured before and after intervention. CROM and PPT of the upper trapezius and levator scapulae in the HMD group were significantly decreased and the thickness of the muscles in the HMD group were significantly increased more than in the pre-test (p<.05). There was no significant difference in CROM, muscle thickness, and PPT in the control group. Wearing HMD for a long time can cause a decrease in CROM and PPT and an increase in muscle thickness, and there is a risk of developing musculoskeletal disorders in the neck and shoulder. Therefore, this study recommends maintaining the correct posture of the neck and shoulder and using HMD only for an appropriate time.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.377-382
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• 2021

Oriental melon (Cucumis melo L.) is generally cultivated on the ground by creeping culture. A farmer has a higher workload for training stems. This study was conducted to find out a new cultivation of oriental melon to reduce a workload and improve the quality of fruit. There were three treatments for training stem of oriental melon; upward stem growing, downward stem growing, control (creeping stem growing). The results of the plant growth and the net photosynthesis showed higher in upward stem growing. The root activity was higher in downward stem attract. The yield was not significant as 4,055kg/10a in upward stem attract and 3,983kg/10a in downward stem attract. According to the results of the ergonomic agricultural workload evaluation, in the case of the working posture, the working posture of creeping cultivation methods (squatting, bending) showed a higher risk level than the upward and downward cultivation methods. Therefore, it is recommended the upward stem attract of oriental melon is a new cultivation as well as an alternative method for creeping stem attract in terms of improving the plant growth and yield, and reducing the workload.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.25-39
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• 1985

This study was conducted to assess the morbidity and medical facilities utilization patterns of the residents in urban low income area. Study population included 2,002 family members of 468 households in the low income area (LA) of Nam-san 4 Dong, Jung Gu of Taegu city and 1,709 family members of 374 households in surrounding neighbourhood control area (CA). Well trained nursing school students interviewed mainly with housewives according to the pretested questionaire between July 1 and July 30, 1984. Age-sex distribution of the study population in LA was similar to that in CA. The average monthly income of a household in LA was 236,000 won and 356,000 won in CA. Educational level of the residents in LA was lower than that in CA; average years of school education of the 20 years old or above in LA was 6.9 years compared with 8.5 years in CA. The average family members per room in LA was 2.6 and 2.2 in CA, and proportion of Medicaid program beneficiary was 29.4% in LA and 1.9% in CA. Prevalence rate of illness during 15-day period was 131 per 1,000 population in LA and 71 in CA(p<0.01) and that of the chronic illness for 1 year was 134 per 1,000 population in LA and 89 in CA(p<0.01). The most common illness experienced during 15 days was respiratory disease(24.0% in LA ana 29.8% in CA) and followed by gastro-intestinal disorders(21.0% in LA, 20.6% in CA). Injury or poisoning was 10.3% in LA and 3.3% in CA. Castro-intestinal disorder was the most common chronic illness in both LA (22.7%) and CA (21.7%), and followed by musculoskeletal disease in LA and neuralgia in CA. Mean activity restricted days among the persons with illness during 15-day period was 4.0 days in LA and 2.2 days in CA. Among persons with illness during 15 days, 17.9% in LA and 11.6% in CA did not seek any medical treatment and the most frequently utilized medical facility was pharmacy in LA (35.5%) and local clinic or hospital OPD in CA (42.1%). Among persons with chronic illness, 15.2% in LA and 9.2% in CA did not seek for medical treatment, and residents in LA as well as residents in CA utilized local clinic or hospital OPD more frequently than pharmacy or drugstores, especially those who have medical insurance. The most common reason for not treating illness experienced during 15-day period and chronic illness was economical constraint in both LA and CA. The higher prevalence rate of illness during 15-day period and chronic illness in LA than that in CA seems to be highly correlated with their lower economic status and educational level and crowded living condition. The utilization pattern of medical facilities was associated with the medical security status. A program to improve the economic status and living condition should be integrated with the health program to promote the health of the population in low income area.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.153-159
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• 2002

Objectives : To evaluate the accuracy of the registered cause of death in a county and its related factors. Methods : The data used in this study was based on 504 cases, in a county of Chonnam province, registered between January and December 1998. Study subjects consisted of 388 of the 504 cases, and their causes of death were established by an interview survey of the next of kin or neighbor and medical record surveys. We compared the registered cause of death with the confirmed cause of death, determined by surveys and medical records, and evaluated the factors associated with the accuracy of the registered cause of death. Results : 62.6% of the deaths were concordant with 19 Chapters classification of cause of death. external causes of mortality, endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases, neoplasms and diseases of the circulatory system showed the good agreement between the registered cause of death and the confirmed cause of death. The factors relating to the accuracy of the registered cause of death were the doctors' diagnosis for the cause of death (adjusted Odds Ratio: 2.67, 95% Confidence Interval: 1.21-5.89) and the grade of the public officials in charge of the death registry (adjusted Odds Ratio: 0.30, 95% CI=0.12-0.78). Conclusions : The accuracy of the registered cause of death was not high. It could be improved by using the doctors' diagnosis for death and improving the job specification for public officials who deal with death registration.