• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
• /
• v.17 no.1
• /
• pp.17-25
• /
• 2006

Purpose: The goals of this research are to find out factors influencing the duration of work-related disability and to present implications for policies to prevent delayed recovery. Method: The subjects of this study were 238 workers who had been proved to be industrial disaster victims for occupational low back pain between January 1 2000 and December 31 2003. Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate the proportion of duration of disability associated with low back pain, and Cox proportional hazards analysis was used to identify factors predicting it. The model distinguished main symptom variables affecting acute(${\leq}90\;days$) and chronic phase of disability (>90 days). Result: Fifty percent of the workers had not recovered in 408 days. The results of Cox regression show that delayed duration of disability was predicted by diagnosis, pain radiation (in chronic phase), sex, the size and labor union of the workplace, scheduled rest, compensation from the company, and operation. Conclusion: Duration of disability associated with compensated low back pain is influenced not only by factors related to the company and compensation system but also by individual factors. Thus, future efforts to reduce duration of disability may need to take into account all these factors.

• Physical Therapy Korea
• /
• v.18 no.3
• /
• pp.76-84
• /
• 2011

The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlations between pain intensity, physical impairments, disability, and psychological factors according to the difference in duration of low back pain. This study was a cross-sectional survey of 102 participants with low back pain, divided into two groups equal in number: The first group consisted of patients with acute and subacute low back pain, while the second group consisted of patients suffering from chronic low back pain. The results showed that gender, age, pain intensity, physical impairment, disability and Fear-Avoidance Beliefs (FABs) for work activities were not significantly different between two groups. FABs for physical activities of the first group were significantly more prevalent than in the second group. More than moderate correlations were found between pain intensity, physical impairment, and disability in the first group. Less than moderate correlations were found between pain intensity, physical impairment, disability, FABs, and depression in the second group. These findings suggest that we must consider psychological factors in the treatment of patients with chronic low back pain. Regression analyses revealed that pain intensity and FABs for work activities significantly contributed to the prediction of disability in the first group. Also, pain intensity and FABs for physical activities significantly contributed to the prediction of disability in the second group. Pain intensity was most important predictor of disability in two groups.

• Physical Therapy Korea
• /
• v.16 no.3
• /
• pp.60-68
• /
• 2009

Psychsocial factors appear to play an important role in the maintenance and development of chronic disability from low back pain. Fear of pain may be more disabling than the pain itself in patients with nonacute low back pain. The purpose of this study was to identify the contribution of gender, age, depression and pain-related fear to pain intensity and disability in nonacute low back pain patients. This was a cross-sectional survey study of eighty four patients who had low back pain for at least 4 weeks. More than moderate correlations were found between pain intensity, disability, fear-avoidance beliefs and depression. Regression analyses revealed that disability ratings and fear-avoidance beliefs for work activities significantly contributed to the prediction of pain intensity, even when controlling for age, gender and pain duration. Also, fear-avoidance beliefs for physical activity, pain intensity, age and depression, significantly contributed to the prediction of disability, even when controlling for gender and pain duration. These findings suggest that disability scores and fear-avoidance beliefs for work activities are important determinants of pain intensity. They also suggest that fear-avoidance beliefs for physical activity, pain intensity, age and depression are important determinants of disability.

• Safety and Health at Work
• /
• v.1 no.2
• /
• pp.158-166
• /
• 2010

Objectives: This study aimed to find gender distinctions in terms of the sociology of the population; to determine work-related factors; to analyze gender differences in daily living, work, sports, and art performances; and to identify gender-related factors that limited performance of daily living and work activities. Methods: A questionnaire was designed that included disabilities of the arm, shoulder, and hand (DASH), accident history, disease history, work duration at current workplace, marital status, job satisfaction, job autonomy, and physical demands of the job. Out of 1,853 workers surveyed, 1,173 questionnaires (63.3%; 987 males, 186 females) included responses to DASH disability and DASH optional work and were judged acceptable for analysis. Results: Upper extremity functional limitation during work and daily living was higher for females than males. The limitations for males increased according to their household work time, accident history, work duration, job satisfaction, physical demand, and job autonomy. Meanwhile, female workers' upper extremity discomfort was influenced by their disease history, job satisfaction, and physical demands. In addition, the size of the company affected male workers' upper extremity function, while marriage and hobbies influenced that of female workers. Conclusion: This study addressed sociodemographic factors and work-related factors that affect each gender's upper extremity function during daily living and working activities. Each factor had a different influence. Further studies are needed to identify the effect that role changes, not being influenced by risks at work, have on musculoskeletal disorders.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
• /
• v.31 no.2
• /
• pp.99-109
• /
• 2014

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to analysis the relationship between hours of smartphone use and neck pain in university students. Methods : A survey of 2,353 university students was conducted in Gyeonggi province and Incheon city using a self report questionnaire from April 1 to 11 2013. The questionnaire of questions regarding the hours of using smartphone, mainly used function in participant's smartphone and neck discomfort degree. Neck disability index(NDI) was used to evaluate degree of pain. The collected data were analyzed with the t-test and Kendall's tau test using the SPSS 21.0 program and R 3.1.0, respectively. Results : 1. Almost all of the survey participants(99.07 %) were smartphone users. 66.97 % of them answered that they use their smartphone daily more than 2 hours and 48.18 % of them answered that they use their smartphone 10 to 30 minutes everytime they use it. 2. The overall distribution of NDI scores was 'no disability(0~4 score, 62.92 %)', 'mild disability(5~14 score, 32.85 %)', 'moderate disability(15~24 score, 1.19 %)'. As a result of t-test, we found that the average NDI score for female students was significantly higher than the average NDI score for male students(p<0.05). 3. The Kendall's tau test revealed that total time spent daily using smartphones has a strong positive correlation with 'pain intensity', 'lifting', 'reading' 'headache', 'concentration', and 'driving'(p<0.05) in NDI. Also, time duration of one time smartphone usage has a strong positive correlation with 'pain intensity', 'lifting', 'reading', 'headache', 'concentration', 'work', and 'recreation'(p<0.05). 4. The Kendall's tau test revealed that total NDI scores have a significantly strong positive correlation with both of total time spent daily using smartphones(p<0.05) and time duration for one time smartphone usage(p<0.05). This results imply that long-time use of smartphone has a strong relationship with neck pain. Conclusions : The results of the study would be a good starting point for future studies to reduce the risks of chronic neck pain caused by smartphone usage.

• Journal of muscle and joint health
• /
• v.21 no.1
• /
• pp.65-74
• /
• 2014

Purpose: This study examined gender differences on Musculoskeletal disease (MSD) medical status, the characteristics of the approved patients in workers, and the factors affected approval. Methods: Claim data for the MSD to the Korea Worker's Compensation & Welfare Services (2011) were employed. The medical status by gender was analyzed using t-test, chi square-test and multivariate logistic regression models. Results: The number of claims for MSD has continuously increased in females but not in males since 2006. The severity measured by the care duration, surgery experience and disability grade has been substantially higher in males than in females. Age, size of company, types of occupation, work duration and the weight of materials handled daily were associated with the approval. When males were considered, the work duration, the weight of materials handled daily and parts of the body were statistically significant predictors of approval in males. In case of female, there were meaningful predictors in types of industry and parts of the body. Conclusion: These findings suggest that gender-specific risk factors of MSD should be measured and the management program for MSD should be developed.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
• /
• v.7 no.3
• /
• pp.149-157
• /
• 2016

For workers, industrial accidents exert a bad effect on the productivity, quality of life, and depress the morale. This study aimed to examine the overall influence on job performance of employees who returned to work after industrial accidents. This was a cross-sectional study using the data of 2013 and 2014 Panel Study of Worker's Compensation Insurance (PSWCI), and we performed logistic-regression analysis to analyze an affinity between general characteristics and job performance as independent variable and outcome variable, respectively. As a result, the major factor depressed the job performance were the 1 - 7 degree of disabilities and injuries with convalescence period for 6 to 9month or more than 12 months. In other words, this study shown that job performance was decreased as higher degree of disability and longer convalescence period. Job performance is the factor to identify indirectly worker's successful return to work, and it is important in follow-up of workers who returned to work after industrial accidents. Stable job performance of an industrial disaster victim is the key factor to maintain worker's comfortable and qualitative life as well as increase of productive capacity.

• Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
• /
• v.1 no.2
• /
• pp.235-241
• /
• 1994

Myofascial pain syndrome is a common cause of physical disability and reduces the activity of the patient. The purpose of this study was review and analysis efficiency of myofascial pain syndrome with low back pain on 50 case who were treated at the Tae Jon Nam, Myung Ho rehabilitation clinic, from January 1, 1994 to May 31, 1994. The results of this study are as follows : 1. of the 50 cases, 24(48.0%) were male and 26(52.0 %) were female. The most common age group was 40 to 30 years old. 2. The most common duration of the treatment and onset were more than 25 months with 22(44.0 %) and less : 3. As for a major causative disease of low back pain with myofascial pain sndrome, without known cause(30.0 %), lifting object(16.0 %), post exercise(14.0 %) and heavy work(12.0 %). 4. Involved muscle with low back pain reviewed I. C. L(31.0 %), Q. L, Gluteus and others muscle(23.0 %). 5. Disease history and treatment duration were proportioned. 6. Involved muscle distribution for causative disease was 26.0 % post exercise to I. C. L, 33.5 % lifting object to Q. L, 40.0 % without known to gluteus. 7. Low back pain with syndrome was buttock and thigh Pain with 44.0 %, only low back pain with 36.0 %. 8. The improvement by physical therapy on the low back pain was good 24.0 %, fair 56.0 % etc respectively. * I.C.L : Iliocostalis lumborum * Q.L : Quadratus lumborum.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
• /
• v.64 no.4
• /
• pp.359-381
• /
• 2012

This Study aims to investigate the patterns and causes of the time to return-to-work(RTW) of the injured workers. This study collected data with structured questionnaires and finally included 791 injured workers. The Kaplan-Meier method is used for describing the patterns of the time to RTW after the injury and after claim closure. And the Cox regression is used to identify significant factors on the time to RTW after the injury and after claim closure. The results show that amom the all respondents, the 2.65% returned to work within 1 month, 28.82% within 6 months, 50.95% within 1 year, 71.69% within 2 years after the injury, and the 29.46% of the all repondent returned to work before claim closure or directly after the claim closure, the 36.41% returned to work within 1 month, 56.64% within 6 months, 67.54% within 1 year after the claim closure. And the Cox regression results of the time to RTW after the injury show that the time to RTW affected by gender, age, income, the retirement during the treatment, the RTW to the company at injured time, injury type, surgery, the claim duration, disability ratings, vocational training. Also, the Cox regression results of the time to RTW after the claim show that the time to RTW affected by gender, age, income, the return to the company at injured time, disability ratings, vocational training. As a result, some implication and policies are suggested for reducing the time to RTW of the injured workers.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.31 no.4 s.63
• /
• pp.801-813
• /
• 1998

This study was carried out for the burden of disease of major cancers assessment using years of lives with disability in Korea. With the years of lives with disability, this indicator was applied in order to estimate burden of major cancer disease. For this work, We also estimated incidence rate, remission rater case fatality rate, average age of onset, expected duration with disability in each cancer disease. As sources of information, national health insurance data and national mortality registration data were analyzed. The results of the study are as follows; The top five causes of the burden of major cancer disease are evaluated as stomach cancer, liver cancer, colon and rectum cancer, esophageal cancer, lung cancer in male. The top five causes of the burden of major cancer disease are evaluated as stomach cancer, esophageal cancer, liver cancer, uterine cervix cancer ovarian cancer in female. The process of evaluating the burden disease of major cancers in Korea has not finished with this paper. This study should be seen as the first in a series in Korea. It is necessary to analyse with more accuracy the assumptions behind the methodology.