• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.301-312
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• 2011

Firefighters and police officers have the third highest prevalence of obesity among 41 male occupational groups in the United States (US). However, few studies have examined the relationship of firefighter working conditions and health behaviors with obesity. This paper presents a theoretical framework describing the relationship between working conditions, health behaviors, and obesity in firefighters. In addition, the paper describes a detailed study plan for exploring the role of occupational and behavioral risk factors in the development of obesity in firefighters enrolled in the Orange County Fire Authority Wellness Fitness Program. The study plan will be described with emphasis on its methodological merits: adopting a participatory action research approach, developing a firefighter-specific work and health questionnaire, conducting both a cross-sectional epidemiological study using the questionnaire and a sub-study to assess the validity of the questionnaire with dietary intake and physical activity measures, and evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of the body mass index as an obesity measure in comparison to skinfold-based percent body fat. The study plan based on a theoretical framework can be an essential first step for establishing effective intervention programs for obesity among professional and voluntary firefighters.

• Korea journal of population studies
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.73-101
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• 2012

This study attempts to assess the effects of childcare facilities and private education expenses on birth rate and also, to examine whether or not the quality and reliability of childcare facilities affect birth rate. Private education expenses are proxied by the number of private educational institutes or their employees. The study measures the quality and reliability of childcare facilities either by the number of employees per childcare facility or by the ratio of childcare facilities with less than 10 employees to total facilities. Empirical analysis is carried out with a cross-sectional data of 232 areas (si/gun/gu) in 2009. Empirical results indicate that the number of childcare facilities or their employees tended to increase birth rate, while private educational expenses had no effects on birth rate. It appears that the presence of good and reliable childcare facilities contributed to an increase in birth rate. The results provide several policy implications for an increase in fertility.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.390-395
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• 2021

Background: Health-care providers typically undergo shift work and are subjected to increased stress. Night shift work may induce disturbed sleep cycles and circadian rhythm. The objective of this study was to explore if night shift workers (NSWs) show an increased risk of abnormal thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 574 employees without thyroid disease and abnormal TSH at baseline who underwent annual check-ups between 2007 and 2016 in a medical center. NSWs were defined as those with working time schedules other than daytime hours. We calculated the incidence rate and estimated the adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for incident abnormal TSH and subclinical hypothyroidism compared with non-NSWs using a Cox regression model. Results: A total of 56 incident abnormal TSH cases and 39 subclinical hypothyroidism cases in NSWs were identified during 3000 person-years of follow-up. In models adjusted for age, sex, obesity, and working departments, we found no increased relative risk for incident abnormal TSH (HR: 0.72, 95% confidence interval: 0.33-1.60) or subclinical hypothyroidism (HR: 0.52, 95% confidence interval: 0.19-1.45) when comparing NSWs to non-NSWs; nor were incidence rates significantly different among exclusively medical employees after excluding administrative staff. Conclusion: In this hospital-based nine-year follow-up retrospective cohort study, NSWs were not associated with increased relative risk of incident abnormal TSH and subclinical hypothyroidism, in contrast to previous cross-sectional studies.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.12 no.9
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• pp.323-330
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• 2021

Purpose: This study aimed to identify the maternal functioning and related factors among early postpartum women. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 243 women recruited from three women's hospitals. Participants completed a structured questionnaire in on-line or off-line between 6 and 12 weeks postpartum. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the t-test, analysis of variance, Pearson correlation coefficients, and stepwise multiple regression with SPSS for Windows ver. 25.0. Results: The mean score for the maternal functioning was 73.28±16.78 out of 120 points. Maternal functioning was associated with postpartum depression (r=-.57 p<.001), and spousal and family support (r=.54, p<.001). According to the stepwise multiple regression, postpartum depression (β=-0.43, p<.001), spouse and family support (β=0.39, p<.001), employment (β=0.12, p=.012) and delivery method (β=-0.10 p=.026) had a significant relationship with the maternal functioning among postpartum women. These variables had an explanatory power of 49.0% for maternal functioning. Conclusion: It is necessary to develop and implement a maternal intervention program focused on alleviating postpartum depression and improving spouse and family support. This study will be the starting point for various studies by identifying the maternal functioning of postpartum women for the first time in Korea.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.256-264
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• 2021

Purpose: This study investigated the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on women's health nursing clinical practicums in undergraduate nursing schools in Korea during the spring 2020 semester. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey on clinical practicum teaching experiences in the spring 2020 semester was distributed to members of the Korean Society of Women Health Nursing (KSWHN) who taught undergraduate nursing. One faculty member from each of 203 institutions was requested to respond and there were no duplicate participants. Seventy-nine participants (38.9%) responded and 74 responses were analyzed. Descriptive statistics were presented for all survey items. Results: Fifty-two faculty members (70.3%) belonged to universities and 22 (29.7%) taught at colleges. Thirty-eight (51.4%) answered that their institutions had affiliated teaching hospitals. More than half (52.7%) conducted hospital-based clinical practicums either entirely (n=20) or partially (n=19), whereas the rest of them (47.3%) conducted clinical practicums at school or home via online teaching. The typical teaching methods for offline or online education were case conferences, tests or quizzes, scenario studies, nursing skill practicums, (virtual) nursing simulations, and simulated patient education. Most of faculties (93.2%) supported the development of an educational platform to share educational materials and resources, such as case scenarios. Conclusion: Nursing faculty members utilized various teaching methods to enhance clinical skills and mitigate limited clinical exposure during the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic. The KSWHN should move forward to develop an education platform and modalities for members who face many challenges related to the accessibility and quality of nursing education contents.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.49 no.8
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• pp.689-698
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• 2021

The development of modern warfare detection technology is increasingly threatening the survivability of aircraft. Among them, IR-seeking missiles greatly affect the survivability of aircraft and are a main factor that reduces the success rate of aircraft missions. In order to increase aircraft survivability, studies on shape-modifying nozzles with added curvature are being actively conducted. In this study, we selected a double serpentine nozzle among shape-modifying nozzles to increase aircraft survivability. We then investigated the effects of the location of the maximum area change rate of the nozzle. It was confirmed that the location of the change rate of area affects the thrust and exit temperature of the nozzle. In addition, it was shown that the thrust penalty was reduced as the position of the change rate of the maximum area was located at the rear of the nozzle.

• Korean Journal of Family Medicine
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.364-369
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• 2018

Background: Compared with other chronic diseases, hearing loss is generally overlooked from the perspective of disease burden. However, hearing loss is emerging as an important issue in the current society. The objective of this study was to investigate disease burdens and marginal utilities associated with hearing loss and other chronic diseases. Methods: This study analyzed the cross-sectional data of 32,986 participants aged 19 years and older who completed the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys between 2009 and 2013. Additionally, this study used the pure tone audiometric test, European Quality of Life-Five Dimensions Questionnaire, and chronic disease status. The data were analyzed using a multiple linear regression method. Results: The data of 23,297 people who underwent a pure tone audiogram and completed the European Quality of Life-Five Dimensions Questionnaire were used in this analysis. The marginal utility of hearing loss ranked fifth among nine chronic diseases. The estimated loss of quality-adjusted life years associated with hearing loss was -93.69 years per 100,000 people, which is similar to other chronic diseases. Conclusion: This study assessed the marginal utilities and public burdens of hearing loss and eight chronic diseases in a South Korean population. Although the values may vary depending on country and race, this study may provide an indispensable foundation for more detailed studies on hearing loss.

• Korean Public Health Research
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.25-34
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• 2018

Objective : This study aimed to examine the association Self-Rated Health(hereafter SRH) and Activities of Daily Living(hereafter ADL), Independent Activities of Daily Living(hereafter IADL) among Korean elderly. Methods : Using nationally representative cross sectional studies called 2014 Survey of living conditions and welfare needs of Korean elder persons. We used SRH as an independent variable, disabilities of ADL and IADL as dependent variables. Logistic regression was implemented and potential confounders such as socio-economic status, demographic characteristics and others were adjusted. Results : It was revealed that people who were female(than male) and 75 or more years old(than less than 75 years old) were shown to have poor SRH and disabilities of both ADL and IADL. In logistic regression model, poor SRH was associated with ADL and IADL disabilities. Especially, their association was more remarkable among male than among female. It can be understood that socio-economic contexts affect quality of life among elderly and SRH can be differently perceived by gender. Conclusions : Our notable findings showed that gender perspective is needed to understand SRH and daily living among elderly.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.23-31
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• 2019

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: A large number of studies on anemia have focused mostly on pregnant women or children. The vegetarian population, which is another potential risk group for anemia, remains largely unexplored. Therefore, this cross-sectional study examined the associations of the sociodemographic, lifestyle, nutritional, and psychological factors with the anemia status among female adult vegetarians. SUBJECTS/METHODS: A total of 177 female vegetarians were recruited from a Buddhist and Hindu organization in Selangor, Malaysia. The participants completed a self-administered questionnaire, which analyzed their sociodemographic characteristics, physical activity level, sleep quality, depression, anxiety, and stress. The body weight, height, waist circumference, and body fat percentage of the participants were also measured. A 3-day dietary recall was conducted to assess their dietary intake. Blood samples (3 ml) were withdrawn by a nurse from each participant to determine the hemoglobin (Hb) level. RESULTS: The findings revealed 28.2% of the participants to be anemic. The age group (AOR = 2.46, 95% CI = 1.19-5.05), marital status (AOR = 2.69, 95% CI = 1.27-5.71), and percentage of energy from protein (AOR = 5.52, 95% CI = 1.41-21.65) were the significant predictors of anemia. CONCLUSIONS: Anemia is a public health problem among female vegetarians in this study. Health promotion programs that target female adult vegetarians should be conducted to manage and prevent anemia, particularly among those who are married, aged 50 and below, and with an inadequate protein intake.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.51-59
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• 2019

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to estimate the mediating effect of subjective unmet healthcare needs on poor health. The mediating effect of unmet needs on health outcomes was estimated. Methods: Cross-sectional research method was used to analyze Korea Health Panel data from 2011 to 2015, investigating the mediating effect for each annual dataset and lagged dependent variables. Results: The magnitude of the effect of low income on poor health and the mediating effect of unmet needs were estimated using age, sex, education level, employment status, healthcare insurance status, disability, and chronic disease as control variables and self-rated health as the dependent variable. The mediating effect of unmet needs due to financial reasons was between 14.7% to 32.9% of the total marginal effect, and 7.2% to 18.7% in lagged model. Conclusions: The fixed-effect logit model demonstrated that the existence of unmet needs raised the likelihood of poor self-rated health. However, only a small proportion of the effects of low income on health was mediated by unmet needs, and the results varied annually. Further studies are necessary to search for ways to explain the varying results in the Korea Health Panel data, as well as to consider a time series analysis of the mediating effect. The results of this study present the clear implication that even though it is crucial to address the unmet needs, but it is not enough to tackle the income related health inequalities.