• Title/Summary/Keyword: Consumer Health

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The Hazard of Nanoparticles and Safety & Health Measures (기획특집 - 나노물질의 위험성과 안전보건대책)

  • Lee, Hyung-Sub
    • Journal of the Korean Professional Engineers Association
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    • v.42 no.5
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    • pp.37-40
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    • 2009
  • Engineered nanoparticles are materials purposefully produced with at least one dimension between 1 and 100 nanometers. Nanotechnology has the potential to dramatically improve the effectiveness of a number of existing consumer and industrial products and could have a substantial impact on the development of new products in all sectors. However, nanoparticles is little known about what effect these properties may have on human health. This materials provide an overview of what is known about the potential hazards of engineered nanoparticles and measures that can be taken to minimize workplace exposures.

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Attitudes and Acceptability of Smart Wear Technology: Qualitative Analysis from the Perspective of Caregivers

  • Park, Soonjee;Harden, Amy J.;Nam, Jinhee;Saiki, Diana;Hall, Scott S.;Kandiah, Jay
    • International Journal of Human Ecology
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    • v.13 no.2
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    • pp.87-100
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    • 2012
  • Smart wear integrates computing technology into fabric or a garment for additional functionality. This research explored the attitudes and opinions of the use of smart wear from the viewpoint of caregivers. Thirty two individuals including care providers of children and adult family members with health problems participated in focus group interviews. Participants reported being interested in smart wear because of the potential to detect the location (GPS) of a dependent (e.g., child, elderly) and to monitor vital signs. Participants indicated perceived advantages of smart wear such as identifying geographical location and effectiveness. Perceived concerns mentioned were privacy/security issues and accuracy of data. Participants taking care of dependents without a specific disease were hesitant to adopt and pay for smart wear. However, caregivers of elderly individuals expressed positive adoption intentions and willingness to reasonably pay for smart wear. They indicated expectations that potential insurance would provide coverage for cost savings. Caregivers expressed the need of specific requirements for future adoption such as customizability, and comfort/safety. Specific to smart wear clothing, most respondents preferred it be an undershirt or a jacket with a sensor located in the shoulder area. The findings from this study can be used in product development, promotion and marketing of smart wear.

Improvement in the Medical Dispute Mediation System of Korea Consumer Agency (한국소비자원 의료분쟁 조정제도의 개선방안)

  • Jeon, Byong-nam
    • The Korean Society of Law and Medicine
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    • v.16 no.1
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    • pp.255-288
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    • 2015
  • It is desirable to prevent medical accidents because they bring about irretrievable outcomes to patients, as they are directly related to each patient's life, and health. However, once medical accidents occur, it is appropriate to resolve them quickly without conflict before the feelings of directly involved people are intensely confronted with each other. Korea Consumer Agency carries out medical dispute mediation to address such disputes quickly, fairly, and efficiently, and so does Korea Medical Dispute Mediation and Arbitration Agency. Although there has been constant debate on a merge between the two agencies because of duplicated work and consequent inefficiency, it is desirable to maintain the two agencies to ensure consumers' options and to promote the mutual development of the agencies through competition. Therefore, there should be legal and systematical support for Korea Consumer Agency to have fair competition with Korea Medical Dispute Mediation and Arbitration Agency. This is not for Korea Consumer Agency, but ultimately for consumers.

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Consumer Perception and Purchase Behavior of Han-gwa (Traditional Korean Confection) -Focus on Housewives in the Seoul and Gyeonggi area- (한과에 대한 소비자 인식 및 구매 행동 연구 -서울, 수도권 거주 주부들을 중심으로-)

  • Lee, Jin-Young;Kwon, Yong-Suk;Choe, Jung-Sook;Park, Young-Hee;Lee, Hye-Won
    • Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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    • v.28 no.6
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    • pp.594-602
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    • 2013
  • This study investigated consumer perception and purchase behavior regarding Han-gwa (traditional Korean confection) in housewives residing in the Seoul and Gyeonggi area. This study was conducted by self-administered questionnaires. Out of 839 questionnaires, 713 questionnaires (85.0%) were used for statistical analyses including frequency analysis, the Chisquare, and one-way ANOVA. Based on the data collected, independence variables were divided less than 40 years (<40), 40s, 50 years or higher (50) by age. The major findings were as follows; Firstly, 72.1% of the total respondents had the experience of purchasing Han-gwa. Gangjeong was the most popular item among purchased. As the purpose of purchasing, holiday gift and snack was on the highest rank. Hypermarkets / discount stores (48.9%) was the most common place for the place of purchase. Secondly, there was a significant difference in the perception of Han-gwa by age; respondents aged 50 years or older showed more positive perception in Han-gwa in 3 factors among total of 11 factors. Thirdly, for the popularization of Han-gwa, 'too sweet taste (44.2%)' and 'small portion size (22.9%)' were pointed to be improved by respondents. Results of this study indicate that 1) Yu-gwa and Yak-gwa require new product development based on age segmentation, and health and food safety are important variables considered when housewives purchase Han-gwa.

Effect of Broccoli Powder on Consumer Perception and Sensory Characteristics of Cookies

  • Lee, Jun-Ho;Lee, Hye-Young
    • Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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    • v.15 no.4
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    • pp.335-339
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    • 2010
  • The effects of baking with broccoli powder on the consumer perception and sensory characteristics were investigated using a model system of cookies incorporated with broccoli powder as a value-added food ingredient. Broccoli powder was incorporated into cookie dough at 5 levels (0%, 1%, 2%, 3%, and 4%, w/w) by replacing equivalent amount of wheat flour of the cookie dough. After aging and sheeting, cookies were baked at $170^{\circ}C$ for 8 min in an oven. The baked cookies were cooled to room temperature for 1 hour and packed in airtight bags prior to all measurements. Control received the most favorable mean score, which was not significantly different from samples with 1% broccoli powder for color preference (p>0.05). Results of the consumer preference on taste showed a similar trend. Consumers did not find any significant differences on aftertaste and flavor among samples prepared by replacing wheat flour with up to 2% broccoli powder (p>0.05). Overall, incorporation of 1% broccoli powder in the formulation would result in the most favorable broccoli cookies for the consumers without sacrificing the sensory qualities, while still taking advantages of health benefits of broccoli. Correlation analysis indicated that broccoli powder concentration was significantly negatively correlated with the consumer preference for color, taste, aftertaste, flavor, overall acceptability and positively correlated with sensory color, taste, and flavor (p<0.05). Consumers' color, taste, aftertaste, and flavor were well correlated with the overall acceptability (p<0.05). Sensory intensity results are also presented.

Satisfaction of industrial health care managers regarding the work of industrial hygiene engineers: a cross-sectional study

  • Byung Sik Choi;Min Keun Kim;Joon Sakong
    • Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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    • v.40 no.1
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    • pp.58-64
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    • 2023
  • Background: A group health service is a system that delegates workplace health management to an entrusted institution. There have been various studies on group health services to date, but recent changes, such as an increase in foreign workers, are rapidly changing industry characteristics. Methods: Satisfaction was assessed using a 27-question survey distributed among 203 workplaces employing health professionals. The survey items consisted of general characteristics, comprehensive satisfaction, requirements for health professionals' work, and satisfaction with work environment management, ergonomic management, and healthcare management. Multiple regression and frequency analyses were performed. Results: The comprehensive satisfaction was 4.08 points on average, out of 5. The comprehensive satisfaction of health professionals in the industry was positively correlated with each factor. Hazardous materials and chemical management (material safety data sheets, MSDSs) were the most common requirements. Conclusion: A low level of satisfaction with work environment management indicates high demand for healthcare management. The working environment should be improved by identifying characteristics of the workplace, examining harmful substances, inspecting equipment, and enhancing worker methods. The shorter the work experience of health professionals, the more dependent they are on group health services. The variables affecting comprehensive satisfaction were the period of work, healthcare management satisfaction, and work environment management satisfaction. Most of the requirements of health professionals in the workplace were practical improvement case presentations, MSDSs, and legal document management.

A Study on the Function and Intention of the Health Care Application in the Analysis of Smartphone Usage Behavior (스마트폰 사용행태 분석과 헬스케어 어플리케이션의 기능 및 사용의도에 대한 연구)

  • Yang, Jae Min;Hyun, Byung Hwan;Ok, Jun Woo
    • Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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    • v.15 no.4
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    • pp.303-315
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    • 2020
  • The development of ICT is spreading various contents to enhance health care and management efficiency through convergence between mobile and healthcare, but it indicates consumer acceptance and imbalance of mobile healthcare, and there is a lack of empirical research on functions and acceptability required according to consumer behavior and characteristics. This study sought to understand whether users were aware of and how to address the risks associated with smartphone use, and to conduct research on the acceptability and function and price of healthcare applications. For the purpose of the study, the data prepared in depth 1:1 survey for those who participated in and attended the 'BIO 2018 in Boston' exhibition was used for the actual analysis. The collected sample data included frequency analysis, technical statistical analysis, speech only correlation, chi square test, one-way analysis, and accuracy test. As a result, the more you realize the wrong attitude, the higher the awareness of risk and willingness to take action to solve problems. Second, it is necessary to increase satisfaction with the functions of healthcare apps, as well as to utilize health care and healthcare apps. Third, focus should be placed on systems or functional implementations centered on user behavior changes. Fourth, it is necessary to develop services that can enhance visual motivation. This study is meaningful in that it identifies a variety of consumer characteristics and provides directions for development of functions, and can be used as a basis for providing efficient healthcare applications in the future.

A Study on Labeling Regulation for Reliability and Understanding Improvement of Health Functional Food (건강기능식품의 신뢰도 및 이해도 향상을 위한 표시제도 연구)

  • Kang, Eun-Jin;Kim, Ji-Yeon;Kwon, O-Ran;Kim, Myung-Chul;Kim, Gun-Hee
    • Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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    • v.23 no.1
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    • pp.51-61
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    • 2008
  • This study was performed to improve of Health Functional Food(HFF) through investigating the label system. The logo on HFF to increase the reliance, understanding and quality warranty for consumers was developed through competition. In order to investigate the consumer's awareness about HFF label system a nationwide survey was conducted in metropolitan areas (6 cities) and middle-sizes cities (6 cities). The subjects was 2000(male 519, female 1481) adults aged 20 over, and information was collected by in-person interviews. The major results were as follows. 63.0% of consumer responded they need certification mark for HFF and trust function information of text/graphic format than text format. 85.3% of consumers chose the long claim including the mechanism because 38% reported that they could confide the information, 36% reported it is easy to understand and 26% reported that they thought it is more effective than short claim. As 58.8% of the total consumers answered that the manufacturers marked the nutrition function claim without the permit of the KFDA, a reliable certification mark developed by this research is expected to contribute in improving the label system of HFF, rising reliability and perception of consumer.

A Study on the Difference in Consumer Demand of Leports Wear and Its Implication for Apparel Development by the Types of Motivation to Participate in Marine Leisure Sports

  • Yu, Cheon;Cha, Su-Joung
    • Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
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    • v.27 no.12
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    • pp.239-249
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    • 2022
  • This study attempted to categorize the motivation for participation in leisure sports and analyze the difference in consumer demand for leisure sports wear according to the type. As a result of the analysis, the functionality of the preferred material consisted of movement, comfort, and body temperature maintenance. When purchasing, the factors to consider were extracted such as basic emphasis, emphasis on flaunting, and emphasis on practicality. The improvement requirement was composed of basic function improvement and various function additional factors, and the purchase satisfaction factor was composed of three factors: brand, practicality, design, and functionality. Motives for participation in marine leisure sports were grouped into mania, leisure, and health types. As for the functionality of the preferred material, the mania type and leisure type preferred movement, comfort, and body temperature maintenance functionality over the health type. As for the factors to consider when purchasing, the mania type and leisure type had higher consideration for the factors of basic emphasis, ostentation, and practicality than the health type. In the improvement requirements, both basic function improvement and various function additions had the highest mania type and the lowest health type. In terms of purchase satisfaction factors, practicality and brand were found to have a high leisure type, and functional factors were found to have a high mania type. For the enthusiastic group, it is thought that product development should focus on functionality and additional functions, and health types should be focused on design and utilization.

Agenda and Alternatives for Home Health Care Policy in Low Fertility and High Aged Society of Korea (저 출산 고령 사회에 대비한 재가 간호사업 정책 과제와 대안)

  • Ryu, Ho-Sihn
    • Journal of Home Health Care Nursing
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    • v.14 no.1
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    • pp.11-17
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    • 2007
  • The purpose of this study was to describe the policy agenda and alternatives for the home health care system in Korea. The home health care system development was not fully integrated while the medical laws were established in 2000, community health law in 1995, and elderly long-term health insurance law in 2007. Because of the increasing population of people over the age of 65 and dramatically decreasing fertility rate, the burden of various health-care expenses has become a great obstacle for the Korean government. Under these circumstances, the home of home health care system in has taken on an important role under the mandate of the national health care system. The types of home health care system in Korean shows a greater contrast from those utilized in other more industrialized countries, such as, U.S. or Japan. In conclusion, the strategy in overcoming the obstacles to enhance home health care system under the national health system would be developing it as a comprehensive and exchangeable consumer-focused organization.

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