• The Journal of Advanced Prosthodontics
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.43-51
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• 2012

PURPOSE. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of sociodemographic factors on quality of satisfaction towards denture treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS. One hundred subjects (filling inclusion criteria) who were wearing a denture for at least two months were enrolled and divided into five groups on the basis of sociodemographic variables (age, gender, literacy level, socio-economic and marital status). Questionnaires consisting of 38 questions (positive and negative attitude towards denture satisfaction) related to patients' perception of clinical outcome in different domains such as mastication, appearance, speech, comfort, health, denture care and social status were scored by the subjects. Questions reflecting positive attitude were scored as 2, 1, or 0 (yes, uncertain and no, respectively) and reversely for the negative questions. Statistical analysis was done by using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (${\alpha}$= .05). RESULTS. Level of denture satisfaction was higher in age subgroup belonging to 45 - 65 years of age in relation to comfort, health and denture care. Female and male showed significant priority for denture treatment because of esthetic and function respectively. Level of satisfaction was statistically significant with literacy level. Upper high income group showed significantly higher level of satisfaction only in case of social status. Married group showed significantly higher satisfaction level only with comfort. CONCLUSION. Patients' sociodemographic variables were influential factors on denture satisfaction.

• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.141-155
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• 2013

The purpose of this study is to identify consumers' needs and purchase intention of high-functional sportswear according to sports participation motivations. Internet survey was done for data collection and the subjects were 300 consumers in their 20-39's who participated in sport activities at least once a week. Factors of sport participation motivations were ostentation, social interaction, self development, mental health, and physical health. Consumers were segmented into the motivation retard group, the multi-purpose pursuit group, the health pursuit group, and the extrinsic motivation pursuit group. And factors of consumers' needs for high-functional sportswear were practicality and comfort function, body protection and physical function, and skin protection and health function. The multi-purpose pursuit group showed strong needs for active and comfort, body protection and physical function, and skin protection and health function but the motivation retard group showed the lowest needs for high functional sportswear. Purchase experiences of high-functional sportswear, accomplishment, and duration period of sport activity affected positively on the purchase intention of high-functional sportswear.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.107-117
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• 2023

Background: Thermophysiological comfort in a cold environment is mainly ensured by clothing. However, the thermal performance and protective abilities of textile fabrics may be sensitive to extreme environmental conditions. This article evaluated the thermal insulation properties of three technical textile assemblies and determined the influence of environmental parameters (temperature, humidity, and wind speed) on their insulation capacity. Methods: Thermal insulation capacity and air permeability of the assemblies were determined experimentally. A sweating-guarded hotplate apparatus, commonly called the "skin model," based on International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 11092 standard and simulating the heat transfer from the body surface to the environment through clothing material, was adopted for the thermal resistance measurements. Results: It was found that the assemblies lost about 85% of their thermal insulation with increasing wind speed from 0 to 16 km/h. Under certain conditions, values approaching 1 clo have been measured. On the other hand, the results showed that temperature variation in the range (-40℃, 30℃), as well as humidity ratio changes (5 g/kg, 20 g/kg), had a limited influence on the thermal insulation of the studied assemblies. Conclusion: The present study showed that the most important variable impacting the thermal performance and protective abilities of textile fabrics is the wind speed, a parameter not taken into account by ISO 11092.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.10-16
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• 2018

Background: A detailed evaluation of the underground mine climate requires extensive measurements to be performed coupled to climatic modeling work. This can be labor-intensive and time-consuming, and consequently impractical for daily work comfort assessments. Therefore, a simple indicator like a heat stress index is needed to enable a quick, valid, and acceptable evaluation of underground climatic conditions on a regular basis. This can be explained by the unending quest to develop a "universal index," which has led to the proliferation of many proposed heat stress indices. Methods: The aim of this research study is to discuss the challenges in identifying and selecting an appropriate heat stress index for thermal planning and management purposes in underground mines. A method is proposed coupled to a defined strategy for selecting and recommending heat stress indices to be used in underground metal mines in the United States and worldwide based on a thermal comfort model. Results: The performance of current heat stress indices used in underground mines varies based on the climatic conditions and the level of activities. Therefore, carefully selecting or establishing an appropriate heat stress index is of paramount importance to ensure the safety, health, and increasing productivity of the underground workers. Conclusion: This method presents an important tool to assess and select the most appropriate index for certain climatic conditions to protect the underground workers from heat-related illnesses. Although complex, the method presents results that are easy to interpret and understand than any of the currently available evaluation methods.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.370-376
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• 2019

Background: Respirator fit testing is a method to assess if the respirator provides an adequate face seal for the worker. Methods: Workers from four Norwegian smelters were invited to participate in the study, and 701 respirator fit tests were performed on 127 workers. Fourteen respirator models were included: one FFABE1P3 and 11 FFP3 respirator models produced in one size and two silicone half masks with P3 filters available in three sizes. The workers performed a quantitative fit test according to Health and Safety Executive 282/28 with 5-6 different respirator models, and they rated the respirators based on comfort. Predictors of overall fit factors were explored. Results: The pass rate for all fit tests was 62%, 56% for women, and 63% for men. The silicone respirators had the highest percentage of passed tests (92-100%). The pass rate for the FFP3 models varied from 19-89%, whereas the FFABE1P3 respirator had a pass rate of 36%. Five workers did not pass with any respirators, and 14 passed with all the respirators tested. Only 63% passed the test with the respirator they normally used. The mean comfort score on the scale from 1 to 5 was 3.2. The respirator model was the strongest predictor of the overall fit factor. The other predictors (age, sex, and comfort score) did not improve the fit of the model. Conclusion: There were large differences in how well the different respirator models fitted the Norwegian smelter workers. The results can be useful when choosing which respirators to include in respirator fit testing programs in similar populations.

• Journal of the Korean Society of School Health
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.293-303
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• 1995

Health has occupied a position of importance in the human history, whether it be in the East or in the West, and it is a subject in which people have been constantly interested. The concept of health has changed continuously as the society has developed, industrialized and become more structured. The perception of health concept can be an esential factor which is to determine the health behaviors. This study is a descriptive inquiry done to identity high school students' perception of health and what they do as health behaviors. The subject consisted of 503 voctional high school seniors, 129 boys and 374 girls, from a school located in An-san Si, kyong-gi Do. The instruments used for this study were open-ended questionnaires and data were collected by having the students fill out the questionnaires which took 10 minutes, in their first class, April 6, 1995. The collected materials were classified and recorded on the cards according to each question using the terms which students had written. After putting statements which had common meanings together, the representative categories were labelled. The results obtained are as follows. 1. Categorizing and labelling of health concepts What high school students descripted as health concepts were classified as the absence of illness, physical comfort, strong physical strength and physique, not having a deformity, resisting power, self control mental-rest(or psychological comfort), wholesome ideas, self-control, harmony in body and in mind, maintenace of daily life, pleasant life, good friends, peaceful family life and realizing objectives. 2. Categorizing and labelling of health behaviors These were classified as preventive life, good dietary habits and regimen, maintenance of clean body, exercises, preventing obesity, rest, environmental balance or control of environment, limit one's tastes, making use of leisure, peaceful mind, sound thought and regular living habits. The result indicates that the health concepts were positive and included not only absence of illness but also harmony in body and in mind and pleasant life; health behaviors which had high frequency were good dietary habits and regimen, exercises and sound thought. It is hoped that these findings well serve as practical references for teachers when they counsel with, and provide the students with guidance programs which include health care.

• Clinical Pain
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.70-79
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• 2020

Objective: We evaluated the efficacy of a newly-developed spinal orthoses (V-LSO) by comparing the stabilizing effect, abdominal pressure, and comfort of 3 different semirigid LSOs (classic LSO, V-LSO, and Cybertech^®) during various body movements. Method: Thirty healthy volunteers (23~47 years, 24 males, 6 females) were selected. A dual inclinometer measured the range of motion (ROM) while the participants performed flexion/extension and lateral flexion of the lumbar spine with 3 LSOs. The LSO's pressure on the abdominal surface was measured using 9 pressure sensors while lying, sitting, standing, flexion/extension, lateral flexion, axial rotation, and lifting a box. Comfort and subjective immobilization were analyzed by a questionnaire. Results: V-LSO had a statistically significant effect on flexion over Cybertech^®. No significant differences were noted during extension and lateral flexion between the 3 LSOs. The abdominal pressure showed no significant differences while supine. While sitting, standing, and lifting a box, the mean abdominal pressure for V-LSO were significantly higher than those for Cybertech^®. During lumbar flexion, the mean abdominal pressures for classic LSO and V-LSO were significantly higher than that of Cybertech^®. For extension, lateral flexion and axial rotation, the abdominal pressure for V-LSO was significantly higher than those of classic LSO and Cybertech^®. In the subjective analysis, V-LSO and Cybertech^® scored best for comfort. Conclusion: The V-LSO and Cybertech^® were more comfortable than the classic LSO, and hence, may have improved compliance with decreased discomfort. V-LSO may be superior to the other LSOs in restricting lumbar movement and increasing intraabdominal pressure.

• 한국전산유체공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.207-208
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• 2003

Increasing interest in indoor air quality (IAQ) control has been found because of its serious effect on human health. To evaluate IAQ, thermal comfort in terms of temperature and velocity distributions of indoor air has to be analyzed in detail. Choice of location for installation of air-conditioner in a building will affect the performance of cooling effect and thermal comfort on the occupants, which in turn will affect the indoor air quality (IAQ) of the building. In this paper, we present a discussion on the proper location of the air-conditioner in order to obtain good thermal comfort for occupant of a typical bedroom in Macao. A set of carefully designed numerical experiments is run with the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software FLOVENT 3.2 [1]. Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes equations are solved with finite volume technique and turbulence effects upon the mean flow characteristics is modeled with the k - & model. Assumption of steady state environment is made and only convective and conductive heat transfer from the occupant and air-conditioner are being concerned.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.41-50
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• 2006

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determined that the efficacy and comfort of iontophoretic transdermal delivery of lidocaine by comparison of local anesthetic duration, sensory threshold, pain threshold and pain tolerance levels according to four different cleansing regimes. Methods: Forty healthy volunteers were randomly assigned to four groups; oil cleansing group, lotion cleansing group, solution cleansing group and alcohol cleansing group. All subjects were received lidocaine iontophoresis on the forearm using direct current with 4 mA for 10 minutes. All subjects were measured the duration of local anesthesia after lidocaine iontophoresis, also evaluated the sensory threshold, pain threshold and pain tolerance level during iontophoresis. For comparisons of the efficacy and the sensory characteristics of iontophoresis within the groups, an one-way ANOVA was used. Results: The duration of local anesthesia were found significant difference between groups (p<0.001). The anesthetic duration in solution and alcohol cleansing groups were significantly longer than oil and lotion cleansing group by post hoc (p<0.05). Statistically significant difference were noted in respect to all sensory characteristics such as sensory threshold, pain threshold and pain tolerance between groups (p<0.001). The sensory threshold in solution and alcohol cleansing group were significantly lower than oil and lotion cleansing group by post hoc using Duncan multiple range test (p<0.05). The pain threshold and pain tolerance in solution and alcohol cleansing group were significantly higher than oil and lotion cleansing group by post hoc (p<0.05). Conclusion: These results demonstrated that cleansing regimes have affected the efficacy and discomfort of iontophoretic transdermal delivery of lidocaine. These findings indicate that cleansing agents without oil ingredient contributed to more comfort, and more successful achievement of the iontophoretic transdermal delivery.

• Quality Improvement in Health Care
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.26-42
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• 2021

Purpose: This study aimed to explore frontline nurses' experience of patient-centered care and understand the factors affecting its implementation in hospitals. Methods: Four focus group interviews were conducted with 30 nurses in two university hospitals. The following theoretical framework of patient-centered care was used: 1) Respect for patients' values, preferences, and expressed needs, 2) Care coordination and integration, 3) Information, communication, and education, 4) Physical comfort, 5) Emotional support and alleviation of fear and anxiety, 6) Involvement of family and friends, 7) Care transition and continuity, and 8) System issues. We performed a directed content analysis. Results: The most frequent patient-centered nursing practices of the hospital nurses were "promoting physical comfort" in inpatient settings and "providing information and communicating" in outpatient settings. The factors influencing patient-centered nursing included the health professionals' mindfulness, work overload and staff shortage, and unreasonable social demands and regulations. Conclusion: A more comprehensive patient-centered nursing practice should be implemented by improving "care transition and continuity," "family/caregiver involvement," and "system building." Health professionals' mindfulness is significant, and organizational supports addressing work overload and staff shortage are needed alongside change in social awareness.