• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.75-78
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• 2018

Background: To identify work sectors with high risk for work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in Korean men and women. Methods: We analyzed nationwide data to identify ergonomic risk factors in Korean employees. In particular, we analyzed data on exposure to five ergonomic risk factors (painful/tiring postures, lifting/moving heavy materials, standing/walking, repetitive hand/arm movements, and hand/arm vibration) according to employment sector, sex, and age, using the 2014 Fourth Korean Working Conditions Survey. We also used workers' compensation data on work-related MSDs in 2010, which is available by sex. Results: The different work sectors had different gender distributions. "Manufacturing" (27.7%) and "construction" (11.3%) were dominated by males, whereas "human health and social work activities" (12.4%), "hotel and restaurants" (11.7%), and "education" (10.4%) were dominated by females. However, "wholesale and retail trade" and "public administration and defense" employed large numbers of males and females. Furthermore, the work sectors with a greater proportion of work-related MSDs and with multiple ergonomic risk factors were different for men and women. For men, "construction" and "manufacturing" had the highest risk for work-related MSDs; for women, "hotel and restaurants" had the highest risk for work-related MSDs. Conclusion: Ergonomic interventions for workers should consider gender and should focus on work sectors with high risk for MSDs, with multiple ergonomic risk factors, and with the largest number of workers.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.9
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• pp.5325-5329
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• 2013

Objectives: Although there are many reports about the risk of breast cancer, few have reported clinical factors including history of breast-related or other diseases that affect the prevalence of breast cancer. This study explores these risk factors for breast cancer cases reported in Beijing in 2009. Materials and Methods: Data were derived from a Beijing breast cancer screening performed in 2009, of 568,000 women, from 16 districts of Beijing, all aged between 40 and 60 years. In this study, multilevel statistical modeling was used to identify clinical factors that affect the prevalence of breast cancer and to provide more reliable evidence for clinical diagnostics by using screening data. Results and Conclusion: Those women who had organ transplants, compared with those with none, were associated with breast cancer with an odds ratio (OR)=65.352 [95% confidence interval (CI): 8.488-503.165] and those with solid breast mass compared with none had OR=1.384 (95% CI: 1.022-1.873). Malignant tendency was strongly associated with increased risk of breast cancer, OR=207.999(95% CI: 151.950-284.721). The risk of breast cancer increased with age, $OR_1$=2.759 (95% CI: 1.837-4.144, 56-60 vs. 40-45), $OR_2$=2.047 (95% CI: 1.394-3.077, 51-55 vs. 40-45), $OR_3$=1.668 (95% CI: 1.145-2.431). Normal results of B ultrasonic examination show a lower risk among participants, OR= 0.136 (95% CI: 0.085-0.218). Those women with ductal papilloma compared with none were associated with breast cancer, OR=6.524 (95% CI: 1.871-22.746). Therefore, this study suggests that clinical doctors should pay attention to these high-risk factors.

• Journal of Convergence for Information Technology
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• v.9 no.7
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• pp.85-93
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• 2019

The purpose of this study is to identify the influence of demographic characteristics such as inappropriate lifestyle, stress, and health status among health risk factors of early adolescents according to gender. There is a gender difference in the perception of mental and physical health of early adolescents, and the result can be different in behavior patterns between men and women. This study was conducted to identify the health risk factors as independent variables for early adolescents in Daegu and Gyeongbuk area, and to analyze the determinants of gender (male, female) differences by parents, family environment, friends, academic background, appearance, grade, location, school grades, family situation, and health status as demographic factors. And, the Odds Ratio of the early adolescents was analyzed through logit analysis and the differences according to the influence relationship of each of them were examined. As a result of the analysis, the more the sleep and physical activity, parents, home environment, friends, academic background, and appearance are increased, the more the influence is likely to become on the male students. On the contrary, the rest of the health risk factors can increase, and the threat to the health risk factors is likely to become severe to the female students.Among them, it is necessary to develop a pre-preventive program for early adolescents' health risk factors, provide basic data for practical application in the field, and seek a detailed program according to the gender of early adolescents.

• Anxiety and mood
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.80-91
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• 2022

Objective : Hospital workers' mental health has deteriorated because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of hospital workers and its determinants. Methods : Two surveys were conducted among employees working in a hospital that received COVID-19 patients from the early phase of the pandemic in South Korea. Data on demographics, perceived threat, workplace evaluation, resilience, and mental health status were collected using the Korean General Health Questionnaire-20 in the initial phase (February 2020) and during the third wave of COVID-19 (December 2020) for 467 and 545 workers, respectively. The mental health of hospital workers in the two phases was compared, and the risk and protective factors during the third wave were investigated. Results : The proportion of patients in the psychiatric high-risk group increased from 2.8% in the initial phase to 11.4% during the third wave. The perceived threat, workplace evaluation, and resilience of respondents deteriorated. Risk factors for mental health during the third wave included the perceived threat items of job stress, loss of control, and considering resignation. Protective factors included presence of children, workplace satisfaction, and hardiness in resilience. Conclusion : Hospital workers' mental health deteriorated as the pandemic progressed. General stress and tension such as job stress, loss of control, considering resignation rather than COVID-19-specific stress had negative effects on mental health of hospital workers. Therefore, care for work stress itself can be helpful to maintain the mental health of hospital workers. Also, governance to improve workplace satisfaction or hardiness in resilience can be a potential protective factor for hospital workers' mental health during the prolonged pandemic.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.14-20
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• 2012

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate and quantify the risk of both individual and combined health behaviors on premature mortality in middle aged men in Korea. Methods: In total, 14 533 male subjects 40 to 59 years of age were recruited. At enrollment, subjects completed a baseline questionnaire, which included information about socio-demographic factors, past medical history, and life style. During the follow-up period from 1993 to 2008, we identified 990 all-cause premature deaths using national death certificates. A Cox proportional hazard regression model was used to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) of each health risk behavior, which included smoking, drinking, physical inactivity, and lack of sleep hours. Using the Cox model, each health behavior was assigned a risk score proportional to its regression coefficient value. Health risk scores were calculated for each patient and the HR of all-cause premature mortality was calculated according to risk score. Results: Current smoking and drinking, high body mass index, less sleep hours, and less education were significantly associated with all-cause premature mortality, while regular exercise was associated with a reduced risk. When combined by health risk score, there was a strong trend for increased mortality risk with increased score (p-trend < 0.01). When compared with the 1-9 score group, HRs of the 10-19 and 20-28 score groups were 2.58 (95% confidence intervals [CIs], 2.19 to 3.03) and 7.09 (95% CIs, 5.21 to 9.66), respectively. Conclusions: Modifiable risk factors, such as smoking, drinking, and regular exercise, have considerable impact on premature mortality and should be assessed in combination.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.529-538
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• 2001

Purpose: This study purposed to examine the disease-related knowledge level and compliance with good health behavior in patients with myocardial infarction according to the atherosclerotic risk factors. Method: The subjects consisted of 72 patients with myocardial infarction and the data were collected by interviewing the subjects with questionnaires and reviewing their medical records from September, 15, 1999 to July 31, 2000. Data were analyzed using the SAS program. Results: 1) With regard to atherosclerotic risk factors: of the subjects, 91.7% lacked regular exercise, followed by smoking (61.1%). 2) The average knowledge score of the patients was 19.7 and the average compliance score was 53.9. 3) There were no significant differences in the total knowledge scores according to the patients' atherosclerotic risk factors. 4) Non-diabetics were significantly higher in knowledge scores on domain of risk factors than the diabetics. 5) The overweight patients were significantly higher in knowledge score on domain of nature of disease than the normalweight patients. 6) The total compliance scores of the non-smokers were significantly higher than those of the smokers. 7) The total compliance scores of the patients who do regular exercise were significantly higher than those of the patients who forgo regular exercise. 8) The non-smokers were significantly higher in compliance scores on domain of diet than the smokers. 9) The diabetic patients were significantly higher in compliance scores on domain of smoking cessation than the non-diabetics. 10) Patients who do regular exercise were significantly higher in compliance scores on other domains than the patients who forgo regular exercise. Conclusion: According to the above findings, it can be concluded that intensive nursing care and education should be provided to patients who have atherosclerotic risk factors such as smoking, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, lack of exercise, over weight, or hypercholesterolemia to increase disease related knowledge level and to improve compliance with good health behavior.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.167-177
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• 2005

Objectives: This study was performed to examine the clustering of lifestyle risk factors for chronic diseases in urban poor and rural adults. Methods: As a cross-sectional study, a questionnaire survey was conducted in 2003. Data was collected from 468 urban poor adults and 385 rural adults. And 848 persons data was used for final analysis. We surveyed their smoking habit alcohol consumption, exercise habit education and disease histories. Result: In mea about 25% of the urban poor subjects and about 20% of the rural subjects had three lifestyle risk factors(Prevalence ratio was 1.29). And, in women, about 1.5% of the urban poor subjects and about 0.5% of the rural subjects had three lifestyle risk factors(Prevalence ratio was 4.00). Especially in men, clustering of smoking and excessive alcohol consumption was strongest both the urban poor and rural subjects(Observed/Expected ratio(O/E): 1.4 in the urban poor subjects, 1.3 in the rural subjects). Conclusions: These findings show that the lifestyle risk factors cluster among the urban poor and rural adults. And the clustering is stronger in the urban poor adults than the rural adults. This tendency was important for health education and health promotion. We suggest that more intensive health promotion strategies for the urban poor adults are needed.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.355-365
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• 2004

Purpose: The aims of this study were to develope a structural model of health insensitivity and to verify the model of health insensitivity. Method: There were three theoretical variables in the hypothetical model. The endogenous variable was health insensitivity which is a concept including bluntness of health risk perception and unhealthy behavior. The exogenous variables were composed of personal factors and socio-cultural factors. In personal factors, neuroticism, external health locus of control, blunting style of information-seeking, deficit of self-efficacy, knowledge deficit related to health, health-related experience, age and education were included. Whereas socio-cultural factors include perceived group size of unhealthy behavior and stereotypes of unhealthy behavior. Result: Personal factors and sociocultural factors were significant in explanation of the health insensitivity. Relationship between personal factors and sociocultural factors was significant, too. However, the optimistic bias as part of health insensitivity was not supported by these data. GFI, AGFI and PGFI were .95, .92, .65, respectively. Therefore, this model was verified to be a good fit to the data and parsimonious. Conclusion: Nursing to change unhealthy behavior has focused on personal factors rather than sociocultural factors. Based on this result, however, the sociocultural factors should be considered as well.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.46-61
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• 2008

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of nutrition counseling on improving metabolic syndrome (MS) risk factors. Sixty-eight subjects were grouped according to their numbers of MS risk factors. Subjects who have three or more risk factors of MS were defined as "High risk", subjects who have two risk factors of MS were defined as "low risk", and subjects who have below two risk factors of MS were defined as "no risk" group. All groups finished nutrition counseling every three weeks for 12 weeks. Anthropometric, dietary assessments (24 hr-recall) and blood samples were measured at 0 and 12 weeks nutrition counseling. After 12 weeks of intervention, anthropometric data (weight, BMl, body fat (%), and waist/hip ratio) were significantly decreased (p < 0.05) in all groups. Daily consumption of calorie was decreased significantly (p < 0.05) in the group of low risk and high risk. Blood level of fasting plasma glucose was significantly decreased (p < 0.001) in all groups after 12 weeks of intervention. Significantly, the fasting plasma glucose level was returned to normal range in the high risk group. The number of people who have three or more risk factors of MS (high risk group) was decreased from 25 to 12. Sum of MS Criteria decreased from 85 to 52 in the group of MS and decreased from 143 to 99 in all groups. These results indicate that nutrition counseling for male workers at the worksite proved to be helpful by reducing the risk factors of MS and thereby reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. Continuing and systematic nutritional management programs should be developed and implemented for male workers at the worksites.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.26-35
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• 2012

Purpose: Emergency operations for perforated peptic ulcer are associated with a high incidence of postoperative complications. While several studies have investigated the impact of perioperative risk factors and underlying diseases on the postoperative morbidity after abdominal surgery, only a few have analyzed their role in perforated peptic ulcer disease. The purpose of this study was to determine any possible associations between postoperative morbidity and comorbid disease or perioperative risk factors in perforated peptic ulcer. Materials and Methods: In total, 142 consecutive patients, who underwent surgery for perforated peptic ulcer, at a single institution, between January 2005 and October 2010 were included in this study. The clinical data concerning the patient characteristics, operative methods, and complications were collected retrospectively. Results: The postoperative morbidity rate associated with perforated peptic ulcer operations was 36.6% (52/142). Univariate analysis revealed that a long operating time, the open surgical method, age (${\geq}60$), sex (female), high American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score and presence of preoperative shock were significant perioperative risk factors for postoperative morbidity. Significant comorbid risk factors included hypertension, diabetes mellitus and pulmonary disease. Multivariate analysis revealed a long operating time, the open surgical method, high ASA score and the presence of preoperative shock were all independent risk factors for the postoperative morbidity in perforated peptic ulcer. Conclusions: A high ASA score, preoperative shock, open surgery and long operating time of more than 150 minutes are high risk factors for morbidity. However, there is no association between postoperative morbidity and comorbid disease in patients with a perforated peptic ulcer.