• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.345-351
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• 2024

Background: A decrease in physical fitness with age can impact work ability. Exploring the role of physical fitness is important for identifying interventions to enhance work ability among aging workers. We sought to determine the association between physical fitness and physically demanding work ability in aging workers. Methods: We recruited workers aged 45-65 years from eight departments of a university hospital in Bangkok, Thailand. Work ability was assessed using the work ability index (WAI), and physical fitness components were evaluated through various tests. Associations between work ability and physical fitness were examined using a multivariable regression analysis. Results: The response rate was 46.4% (n = 216). The mean WAI score was 41.6. Participants with an overweight or obese body mass index (BMI) had 1.8 (95% CI -3.1, -0.4) points lower WAI scores than did those within a healthy BMI range. A handgrip strength test revealed that participants in the good/very good group had 2.5 (95% CI: 0.6, 4.3) higher WAI scores than did those in the very poor/poor group. For a single-leg stance test, participants in the above-average group had 2.1 (95% CI: 0.7, 3.5) points greater WAI scores than did those in the below-average group. No significant associations were found between work ability and 3-min step, chair stand, or sit-and-reach test scores. Conclusion: The overall work ability of the participants was good. Body composition, muscle strength, and balance were associated with work ability. Promoting physical fitness is a viable strategy for enhancing work ability among aging workers.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.297-306
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• 2009

The purposes of this study were to investigate whether the program of health promotion and follow up feedback by periods could improve physical fitness related to work ability of the middle-aged and aged workers. Subjects were composed of two groups; workers aged below forty five and forty five and over who had measured their health-related physical fitness twice for 2 years (2006 & 2007) through the program of health promotion operated by Korea Occupational Safety & Health Agency. Paired t-test was used to evaluate the difference between the first measurement and re-measurement of health-related fitness which was operated after six to twelve months from the first one. We used 0.05 level for statistical significance. The results of this study were as follows. All measurement items including body fat ratio(%), $VO_2max$, grip strength, sit-up, and trunk flexion were significantly improved in both groups. The improvement(%) of $VO_2max$, grip strength of workers of forty five and above was lower than those of workers of below forty five. Servicing the program of health promotion and follow up feedback by periods may help workers' improvement of health-related physical fitness related to work ability.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.473-478
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• 2010

For the medical approaches of work-related musculoskeletal diseases, it is important to consider occupational relatedness and occupational fitness. Clinical approach includes physical examination, radiologic tests and other related tests and we should choose proper management which is suitable to workers' status for the prevention of early disease's progression and later disabilities. Also, it suggests that occupational prevention program consultation for work-related musculoskeletal diseases considering workers' variable circumstances should be done via occupational relatedness and occupational fitness.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.252-260
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• 2009

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of physical fitness improvement program on work intensity of persons with Down syndrome. For this, 8 adults with Down syndrome participated in program and were evaluated. The physical fitness improvement program consisted of grasp, lifting, carrying exercise for 12 weeks, 1 day a week for 2 hours per session. Compared with pre-program conditions, participants in program improved significantly in right grasp power, lifting ability but there was not significant improvement in carrying ability. In view of work intensity, work intensity level of two subjects was changed from average to hard in lifting. One subject was changed from very light to average and two subjects was changed from light to average in carrying. This results suggested that physical fitness improvement program was helpful for promotion the intensity of adults with Down syndrome.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.501-508
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• 2021

The purpose of this study is to qualitatively analyze the perceptions of aesthetic values of working women taking ballet fitness classes and to find ways to properly establish ballet fitness classes according to the opinions of the study participants. Participants in the study were 9 working women taking ballet fitness classes at local educational institutions, and FGI (Focus Group Interview) was conducted, and the interview was conducted based on a semi-structured questionnaire. Subsequently, the categorization content was derived through expert review and peer review. As a result, first, the study participants expressed their dissatisfaction, hoping that the ballet fitness class helped improve their daily enjoyment and pain, and even watched ballet performance with interest. Second, the participants of the study were actively publicizing the benefits of ballet fitness classes to their families and nearby acquaintances, and hoped that this exercise would help improve the difficult image of ballet. Based on this study, ballet fitness classes were expected to be sufficiently established as a hobby exercise for working women.

• Journal of Digital Contents Society
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• v.18 no.7
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• pp.1465-1474
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• 2017

The study analyzed how the user uses the smart mobile device to assess the effects of the user's acceptance factor and user-factors affecting the work performance of Public Agencies. And Prove that leveraging smart devices can improve your business performance, It was aimed at making strategic recommendations to improve the suitability of smart mobile devices and Tasks. Smart mobile devices User Innovation has affected Usefulness, such as B=.296. p.000, it also affected Perceived Ease-of-Use, such as B=.326, p.000. job fitness has affected Perceived Ease-of-Use, such as B=.261, p.001. Usefulness and Ease-of-Use had a positive affect on work performance. Each of affect on much of B=.382 and B=.488(p.000). At the conclusion, it has been validated that the effects of smart mobile devices user Innovation and job fitness on work performances are mediated by perceived usability and perceived ease of use of the smart mobile device.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.36-41
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• 2017

Background: Police work is generally sedentary although there may be situations that require physical endurance and strength, such as foot chases and arresting suspects. Factors such as excessive body fat can impede an officer's physical ability to deal with such occurrences. Our objective was to examine associations between officers' body fat percentage (BF%) and performance on a standardized fitness protocol. Methods: Data were obtained from fitness screening among 1,826 male and 115 female officers in a large US police agency. The screening consisted of a 2.4-km run, push-ups, sit-ups, and sit-and-reach test. Sex-specific body fat percentages were estimated from skinfold thickness measured using calipers. Linear regression models were used to examine unadjusted and adjusted mean scores of fitness tests across BF% tertiles. Results: The prevalence of overall fitness was 4.3 times greater in male officers and 3.6 times greater in female officers having the lowest BF% tertile compared with the highest tertile (30.3% vs 7.1% and 46.0% vs 12.8%, respectively). BF% was linearly and positively associated with the time of 2.4-km run (p < 0.001), and linearly and inversely associated with the number of push-ups (p < 0.001), sit-ups (p < 0.001), and the distance of sit-and-reach (p < 0.001) in men. Similar associations were observed in women with the exception of sit-and-reach (p = 0.122). Associations were independent of age, race/ethnicity, rank, and duty station. Conclusion: Overall, BF% was inversely associated with fitness levels in male and female officers. Future longitudinal studies should be initiated to explore the potentially causal relationship between BF% and fitness in law enforcement officers.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.183-188
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• 2017

Background: Recommendations have been proposed for minimum aerobic fitness among firefighters but it is unclear if those criteria relate to performance on the fireground. Less fit individuals fatigue more quickly than fit individuals when working at comparable intensity and may have gait changes, increasing risk of falls. We evaluated the effect of fatigue during a live burn evolution on gait parameters and functional balance comparing them to aerobic fitness levels. Methods: A total of 24 firefighters had gait and balance tested before and after a live burn evolution. Data were stratified by aerobic fitness of greater/less than 14 metabolic equivalents (METs). Results: Analysis of gait cycles measurements before and after the live burn evolution revealed that single leg stance, cycle, and swing time decreased (p < 0.05) but there were no differences in the other measures. There were no differences in time to complete the functional balance test, or errors committed before or after a live burn evolution. When firefighters were sorted by fitness level of 14 METs, there were no differences for errors or time before or after the live burn evolution. Balance data were analyzed using a linear regression. Individuals with lower fitness levels required more time to complete the test. Conclusion: A 14-MET criterion failed to distinguish gait or balance characteristics in this group. However, less fit firefighters did require more time to complete the balance test (p = 0.003). Aerobic fitness alone does not predict gait changes among firefighters following a live burn evolution but does appear to influence functional balance.

• 한국노년학
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.135-147
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• 2009

Recently, The number of hypertension is increasing with westernized diet and lack of exercise. Many researchers are trying to treat and prevent hypertension by exercise therapy. However, not only did most of studies analyze the effect and usefulness of exercise related to lowering hypertension, but also there is no analysis of the difference of fitness with regard to hypertension according to ages. It is assumed to be important research work to be continued to identify, from the public health's point of view, the difference of fitness with regard to hypertension according to ages can be a essential data for treating and preventing hypertension. Thus, this study is to identify the difference of fitness according to hypertension of adult female over 20s and emphasize the importance of fitness level to the hypertension. Also, this study is to devise valuable study by examining the difference of cardiovascular function. Subjects were 8889 of adult female over 20s. Subjects visited promotion of health center at Y Gu public health center and took comprehensive medical test including hypertension test in Seoul in Korea. It was divided into normal, prehypertension, stage I hypertension and stage II hypertension group by JNC7. The evaluation of cardiorespiratory function was by resting heart rate and lung capacity, the evaluation of fitness was by cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular endurance, muscular strength, power, agility, balance, and flexibility, and the difference of fitness was analyzed by ANCOVA revising independent variable of BMI, drinking, and smoking which affects hypertension. At result, there was significant difference between normal and hypertension group according to most ages in two variable of all cardiorespiratory function, seven fitness variable. Through this study, it was defined that hypertension group had lower cardiorespiratory function and fitness than normal group.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.49 no.6
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• pp.1250-1258
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• 2017

The multigroup transport theory is the basis for many neutronics modules. A significant point of the cross-section (XS) generation procedure is the choice of the energy groups' boundaries in the XS libraries, which must be carefully selected as an unsuitable energy meshing can easily lead to inaccurate results. This decision can require considerable effort and is particularly difficult for the common user, especially if not well-versed in reactor physics. This work investigates a genetic algorithm-based tool which selects an appropriate XS energy structure (ES) specific for the considered problem, to be used for the condensation of a fine multigroup library. The procedure is accelerated by results storage and fitness calculation speedup and can be easily parallelized. The extension is applied to the coupled code SIMMER and tested on the European Sustainable Nuclear Industrial Initiative (ESNII+) Advanced Sodium Technological Reactor for Industrial Demonstration (ASTRID)-like reactor system with different fitness functions. The results show that, when the libraries are condensed based on the ESs suggested by the algorithm, the code actually returns the correct multiplication factor, in both reference and voided conditions. The computational effort reduction obtained by using the condensed library rather than the fine one is assessed and is much higher than the time required for the ES search.