• Journal of Family Resource Management and Policy Review
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.95-114
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• 2009

This study compared demographic, economic and career characteristics between a traditional retirement group and a gradual retirement group. From the 2005 Korean Retirement and Income Study (KReIS), 780 traditional retirees and 265 gradual retirees were selected. A t-test, chi-square test and logistic regression analyses were completed. The findings of this study were as follows: First, there are gender and age differences between the traditional retirement group and the gradual retirement group. The gradual retirement group has a high proportion of male workers and older workers compared to the traditional retirement group. Second, members of the traditional retirement group have more income, more assets and less debt than members of the gradual retirement group; therefore, their financial structure is comparatively stable. Third, there is a large percentage of blue-collar workers (e.g., technical service, repair, operatives) in the gradual retirement group. Members of the gradual retirement group had worked for a shorter period during their career and had a lower wage rate than members of the traditional retirement group. Finally, male workers who are in their 60s and 70s, who do not have a public transfer income but have a higher level of career income, and are older when they end their career, are less likely to retire gradually. As they also have a higher level of debt, the probability of these workers selecting a gradual retirement route is high.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.183-192
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• 2006

Predicting energy expenditure (EE) is important to prevent work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs). The problem to predict EE is that the standard of EE is based on western data. The authors checked average EE by job categories to provide basic data for suggesting proper work intensity for Korean workers. This study was conducted from 2003 to 2005. Study subjects were recruited from 4 car parts assembly plant, 2 car assembly plant, 2 Heavy machine manufacturing plant and 2 shipyards. Total study subjects were 515 male workers. To estimate VO2max, sub-maximal test was conducted to measure VO275%max by bicycle ergometer (Combi Co, Aerobike 75XL II). Heartbeats were recorded with heartbeat recorder (Polar Electro Co, Finland, S810) during work. EE of work was calculated by recorded heartbeat and individual regression equation which was derived from sub-maximal test. Subjects were classified into 4 industry and 8 work posture, 23 job task categories. Mean EEs (S.D.) according to industry classification (kcal/min) were 4.9 (0.7), 4.8 (0.7), 4.9 (0.7), 5.0 (0.9), and 4.0 (0.5) for Car Part manufacture, Car Assembly, Ship Building, Heavy Machinery Manufacture, and Hospital Office, respectively. The results suggest that Korean male workers of exceeding to the NIOSH criteria will be needed to plan for job rescheduling to maintain $worker^{\circ}$Øs health. Further study to establish Korean work intensity standard would be needed.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.57-68
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• 2016

This study has been conducted to determine the fatigue symptoms(MFS) and its convergence association with occupational stress(KOSS) among small scale manufacturing male workers. The self-administered questionnaires were given to 428 workers employed in 14 work places under 50 members of manufacturing industries during the period from September 1st to 15th, 2015. As a results, the level of fatigue symptoms(MFS) was positively correlated with occupational stress(KOSS). Hierarchial multiple regression analysis revealed that the factors of influence with explanatory powers of 34.1% on fatigue symptoms(MFS) included sex, BMI, subject health status, smoking, regular exercise, drinking coffee, visiting out-patient department, sense of satisfaction in job life, and occupational stress(KOSS). Above results suggested that the level of occupational stress(KOSS) is so convergence influenced by variable factors as well as sociodemographic characteristics, health related characteristics and job-related characteristics, to a greater extent, by occupational stress(KOSS).

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.30 no.3 s.58
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• pp.540-554
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• 1997

The effects of cigarette smoking on the psychosocial distress, the absenteeism, the occupational injuries, and on the prevalence for the accidents were assessed in 795 male workers who had been employed since March 1994. The results show that the prevalence of current smokers were higher in young men, lower educational level, lower income, single men(unmarried or divorced), alcohol drinkers, and blue collar workers. In the bivariate analyses, the workers with the high job demand and low work control were more likely to smoke, although the relationship was not strong. Those who reported lower satisfaction on his job tended to smoke more. Mean scores of psychosocial well-being index(PWI) were higher in current smokers than nonsmokers. For the hierarchical multiple regression analyses, interaction terms between cigarette smoking and job stressors(job demand and work control) were not significant. For smokers, the odds ratios for the occupational injuries, and the accidents were 1.40(95% confidence interval 0.77-2.57) and 1.96 (95% confidence interval 0.75-5.09), respectively. The mean absent day were 4.13 for smokers, 3.65 for nonsmokers, although the differences were not statistically significant. It seems that cigarette smoking had not caused any crucial effects on the psychosocial well-being status and the occupational risks. Some considerations for the further research on the relationship of cigarette smoking on the mental health status and the occupational risks were also discussed.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.26-32
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• 2020

Background: Hong Kong's construction industry currently faces a manpower crisis. Blue-collar workers are a disadvantaged group and suffer higher levels of chronic diseases, for example, cancer, than the wider population. Cancer risk factors are likely to cluster together. We documented prevalence of cancer-associated lifestyle risk behaviors and their correlates among Hong Kong construction workers. Methods: Data were collected from workers at 37 railway-related construction worksites throughout Hong Kong during May 2014. Tobacco use, alcohol consumption, unbalanced nutrition intake, and physical inactivity were included in the analysis. Latent class analysis and multivariable logistic regression were performed to identify the patterns of risk behaviors related to cancer, as well as their impact factors among construction workers in Hong Kong. Results: Overall, 1,443 workers participated. Latent class analysis identified four different behavioral classes in the sample. Fully adjusted multiple logistic regression identified age, gender, years of Hong Kong residency, ethnicity, educational level, and living status differentiated behavioral classes. Conclusion: High levels of lifestyle-related cancer-risk behaviors were found in most of the Hong Kong construction workers studied. The present study contributes to understanding how cancer-related lifestyle risk behaviors cluster among construction workers and relative impact factors of risk behaviors. It is essential to tailor health behavior interventions focused on multiple risk behaviors among different groups for further enlarging the effects on cancer prevention.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.100-109
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• 2011

Purpose: This study was conducted to identify the factors that predict a current smoking behavior and higher emotional stress among male patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Methods: The study was approved by an institutional review board from a university hospital, 2010. A face to face interview using questionnaires was performed with 185 first-time ACS male patients who were undertaken a percutaneous coronary intervention at a cardiovascular care unit. Data were analyzed using SPSS/WIN 15.0. Results: About 54% of the study subjects were currently smoking. The current smokers had dyslipidemia and reported bad eating habits compared to the non-smokers. The current smokers were younger, living alone, and reported lower perceived benefit on smoking cessation than the non-smokers, and 15% of them did not consider quitting (precontemplation stage). Smoking status was not significantly related to emotional stress. Logistic regression analysis revealed that being employed including professional or labor increased the odds of current smoking four or three times compared to the non-employed or retired. Low income or dyslipidemia also increased the likelihood of current smoking 2.8 and 2.1 times, respectively. Blue collar workers or heavy drinkers had 2.9 and 2.8 times more risks of having higher level of stress. Conclusion: An occupational background and health habits should be considered to develop an effective educational strategy for smoking cessation and stress reduction among male patients with ACS.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.95-101
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• 2007

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of unintentional-injury and to identify factors related to the high incidence of unintentional-injury in the community in order to provide useful data for the development of prevention and intervention programs aimed at reducing unintentional-injury incidence. Methods: This study utilized data obtained from cross-sectional national surveys conducted for the 2001 National Health and Nutrition Survey targeting 37,769 individuals aged between 0 and 99 years old, which was performed using a face-to-face interview method. Demographic characteristics, unintentional-injury experience, types of injury, and attributes of health behavior were included in the study instruments. Results: About 1.3% of the subjects had experienced unintentional injury that required hospitalization at least once during the past year. Age older than 40 years, male gender, lower education, lower income, and blue collar workers were all significantly and positively associated with increased risk of unintentional-injury. Among the health behavior variables, sleeping less than 6 hours, drunk driving, and binge drinking were significantly associated with unintentional injury, while traffic accidents and falls/slips constituted 80% of all unintentional injuries. Conclusion: Public health efforts to reduce unintentional injuries should target high-risk populations such as males, those with low income and education levels, and binge drinkers.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.307-317
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• 2008

In this study, we investigated the elementary school students' perceptions of the scientific and technological professions by using the 'drawing scientific and technological workplaces'. The subjects were 401 students of 4th and 6th grades at three elementary schools in Seoul. The results revealed that many students drew the interiors of laboratories or factories as scientific and technological workplaces, and explained the nature of the work- place, but students' images were superficial and general. Most students' drawings also exhibited the stereotypical images of science and technology as androcentric and negative perceptions. Students were mainly inclined to perceive that the works relevant to science were experiments, and the works relevant to technology were productions and repairs. Most students answered more than two examples of scientific and technological professions, but their responses were not various and were biased toward basic scientists, blue-collar workers, and repairers. Educational implications of these findings were discussed.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.54 no.5
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• pp.352-359
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• 2021

Objectives: The aim of this study was to examine the geographic distribution of diabetes mortality in Japan and identify socioeconomic factors affecting differences in municipality-specific diabetes mortality. Methods: Diabetes mortality data by year and municipality from 2013 to 2017 were extracted from Japanese Vital Statistics, and the socioeconomic characteristics of municipalities were obtained from government statistics. We calculated the standardized mortality ratio (SMR) of diabetes for each municipality using the empirical Bayes method and represented geographic differences in SMRs in a map of Japan. Multiple linear regression was conducted to identify the socioeconomic factors affecting differences in SMR. Statistically significant socioeconomic factors were further assessed by calculating the relative risk of mortality of quintiles of municipalities classified according to the degree of each socioeconomic factor using Poisson regression analysis. Results: The geographic distribution of diabetes mortality differed by gender. Of the municipality-specific socioeconomic factors, high rates of single-person households and unemployment and a high number of hospital beds were associated with a high SMR for men. High rates of fatherless households and blue-collar workers were associated with a high SMR for women, while high taxable income per-capita income and total population were associated with low SMR for women. Quintile analysis revealed a complex relationship between taxable income and mortality for women. The mortality risk of quintiles with the highest and lowest taxable per-capita income was significantly lower than that of the middle-income quintile. Conclusions: Socioeconomic factors of municipalities in Japan were found to affect geographic differences in diabetes mortality.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.10-17
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• 1978

Recently this writer has conducted a comprehensive survey of 38 private businesses where group feeding is practiced, with a view to determining the condition of nutrition intake by the blue collar workers of these businesses firms as well as gaining an indication of their facilities management along with their sanitary precautions. The survey has revealed, among others, a number of interesting data such as shown below. 1. There are a total of 1,054 workers being fed in groups daily at each of the above business companies, with only one nutrition specialist regardless of the number of workers to be fed or the number of times they are fed daily. The average number of cooks comes to 2.7 persons per 100 workers, while 42.2% of the companies provide four meals a day including mid-night supper, with the result that the workers are fed 3.13 times a day on an average. 2. The average feeding cost amounts to 151 won per meal per person, of which 86 won is payed by the workers themselves and 115 won by the companies involved. 3. The average fbod intake has been found to be 490 grams which can be further broken down into 44grams of animal food and 446grams of vegetable food. These figures are higher than those revealed by the 1975 investigation of the nation's average nutrition intake. 4. The survey also shows the daily calorie consumption per person to be as high as 896 calories including 37 grams of protein which is further broken down into 11 grams of animal protein and 26grams of vegetable protein. With respect to other types of nutrients excepting Vitamin-A, the companies concerned are believed to prorids more than what the survey of the nation's nutrition has revealed or the amount recommended by Korea FAO assoc!ation as desirable. 5. As for facilities management, there is still much room for future improvement. Some 97.4% of the companies surveyed are not equipped with the steam table, which indicates lack of concern along this line as well as a very how degree of equipment utilizations. Distribution of the food in the dining room is generally depedent on self-service method. 6. Speaking of sanitary precautions taken by those businesses involved, some 76.3% are found to have their compounds haunted by rats and other insects. Some 73.7% of them are dependent on boiling method for disinfection of kitchen utensils, which is conducted by 50% of those industries only two or three times a week. It seems hardly feasible to conduct disinfection everyday.