• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.250-258
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• 2023

The effectiveness of mindfulness techniques in addressing mental health conditions in workers is uncertain. However, it could represent a therapeutic tool for workers presenting with such conditions. Our objective was to assess the effects of mindfulness-based practices for workers diagnosed with mental health conditions. We conducted a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Participants included were workers with a mental health condition. Interventions included any mindfulness technique, compared to any nonmindfulness interventions. Outcomes were scores on validated psychiatric rating scales. A total of 4,407 records were screened; 202 were included for full-text analysis; 2 studies were included. The first study (Finnes et al., 2017) used Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) associated or not with Workplace Dialogue Intervention (WDI), compared to treatment as usual. At 9 months follow-up, for the ACT group, depression scores improved marginally (standardized mean difference [SMD]: -0.06, p = 0.021), but anxiety scores were worse (SMD: 0.15, p = 0.036). Changes in mental health outcomes were not statistically significant for the ACT + WDI group. In the second study (Grensman et al., 2018), no statistically significant change in mental health scales has been observed after completion of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy compared to cognitive behavioral therapy. Substantial heterogeneity precluded meta-analysis. This systematic review did not find evidence that mindfulness-based practices provide a durable and substantial improvement of mental health outcomes in workers diagnosed with mental health conditions.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.71-83
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• 2009

Objective: This study was conducted to compare health conditions and problems, health promoting behavior, and risky environment of industrial workers. Methods: The subjects of this study were 1,075 workers in 40 factories, located in Daegu, Korea. Survey data were collected from April 17th, 2006 to April 28th, 2006. CMI (Cornell Medical Index) Health Checklist was used to assess the health problems, Health Rating Scale for health status, HPLP II for health promoting behavior, and environmental risk assessment tool for risky environment. The data were analyzed by One-way ANOVA and Pearson Correlation Coefficient using SPSS 12.0 for windows. Results: The results indicated a significant difference in health problems (F=4.70, p=.000), health conditions (F=2.47, p=.022), health promoting behavior (F=5.67, p=.000), and risky environment (F=14.75, p=.000) among these industrial workers. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that there is a need to develop customized health care programs for each company to provide differentiated health care to different types of work places. Further studies are required to assess differences in work environment among different types of work places for measures to reduce harmful factors to the environment.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.44-60
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• 1981

In Korea, the position of health among the sectors of everyday life lies behind the others. The inhabitants don't consider health so important and immediate as food and shelter. Primarily, it seemed more important for them to eat something and to educate their children than to secure health. Under this situations we must take into consideration their health status and health problems in terms of the social system. Health cannot be maintaned by itself. It inter acts with a set of social conditions such as income, knowledge about health, health institution, health insurance, social class, culture and etc. But the community health projects which have carried out in Korea since the beginning of 1970s focused mainly on the medical care and medical delivery itself regardless the background of health care. According to the existing results of socio-epidemiological and medico-sociological researches, a set of social conditions has a great effect on the inhabitants' health status and health care. So, such conditions will be considered primarily in Korea University Health Project. This paper is prepared as a preliminary step for such a program. In this paper we mainly inquired into the relationship between health and the attitudes of inhabitants.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.329-336
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• 2018

Purpose: This study analyzes the effects of smoking behaviors of women of reproductive ages in terms of maternal conditions and conditions arising during the perinatal period in Korea. Methods: We used the National Health Insurance Corporation's medical panel data. Subjects included 382 individuals suffering from maternal conditions and conditions arising during the perinatal period from 2013 to 2014. A t-test was used to analyze the individual differences between maternal conditions and conditions arising during the perinatal period-A hierarchical regression analysis was performed in two steps to measure the effects of smoking behaviors on diseases. Results: The amount and duration of smoking are significant factors causing maternal conditions and conditions arising during the perinatal period. In the regression analysis, the explanatory power of model was significantly increased by adding smoking behavior to the maternal conditions and conditions arising during the perinatal period. Smoking behavior during pregnancy displayed a significant influence on diseases. Conclusion: Results of this study showed that the effects of smoking behavior on maternal conditions and conditions arising during the perinatal period were significant. Therefore it is necessary to develop a smoking cessation education program for pregnant women in Korea.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.111-116
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• 2013

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of the Second Korean Working Conditions Survey (KWCS), focusing on its validity and reliability. Methods: The external validity was evaluated by the assessment of sampling procedures and the response rate, in order to investigate the representativeness of the sample. The content validity was evaluated by the assessment of the development of the questionnaire, and the consistency of questions for the selected construct. The test-retest method was used to evaluate the reliability by means of a phone call survey of 30% of the respondents, who were randomly selected. The respondents' satisfaction regarding the survey procedures and interview time were analyzed to evaluate the quality of survey data. Results: The external validity was assured by an acceptable sampling procedure, rigid multi-stage stratified cluster random sampling. The content validity was also guaranteed by a reasonable procedure for the development of the questionnaire with a pretest. The internal consistency of the questions for work autonomy was maintained, with 0.738 of Cronbach's alpha. The response rate of 36% was lower than that of the European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS), with a contact rate of 66%, compared to 76% for the EWCS. The matching rates of the five retested questions were more than 98% reliable. Conclusion: The quality of the second KWCS was assured by the high external and content validity and reliability. The rigid sampling procedure and development of the questionnaire contributed to quality assurance. The high level of reliability may be guaranteed by the sophisticated field survey procedures and the development of a technical manual for interviewers. The technical strategies for a high response rate should be developed for future surveys.

• Journal of Korean Academic Society of Home Health Care Nursing
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.356-371
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• 2020

Purpose: This study was conducted to assess the working conditions of home health nurses in hospital-based home health institutions nationwide. Methods: A secondary data analysis study was conducted based on the survey data on the working conditions of home health nurses, jointly conducted by the Korean Home Health Care Nurses Association and the Academic Society of Home Health Care Nurses in September 2020. Results: Of the home health nurses respondents, 82.4% worked in tertiary hospitals and general hospitals. Most of the working hours of home health nurses were 40 hours a week. Traffic accidents accounted for a significant proportion of accidents experienced by the home health nurse while performing their duties. Most of welfare and benefits systems applicable to home health institutions were in place. The time allocated to provision of home health nursing services was usually more than 30 minutes but less than 1 hour. The type of position of the individual in charge of home health care differed according to the type of medical institution. Conclusion: It is recommended that continuous investigation and analysis be conducted in order to establish a direction for improvement of home health nurses' working conditions, based on the related accumulated data.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.170-183
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• 2022

Purpose: This descriptive survey-based study aimed to identify the factors associated with obese adults' quality of life (QOL) using a secondary analysis of data collected through the 8th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2019). Methods: In this study, factors affecting the health-related quality of life of obese adults were analyzed by categorizing them into three independent variables: general characteristics, health behaviors, and mental health characteristics. Using t-test and analysis of variance (ANOVA), an analysis was performed to determine the differences in obese adults' QOL depending on their general characteristics, health behaviors, and mental health conditions. A hierarchical regression analysis was performed to identify the factors that affect obese adults' QOL. Results: In obese adults' general characteristics, the risk factors for QOL were older age, male, lower-income level, presence of spouse, and occupation. With regard to health behaviors, the risk factors were lack of exercise. In terms of mental health conditions, the risk factors were stress and suicidal ideation. Conclusion: Obese adults' QOL was affected by age, sex, income level, absence/presence of a spouse, occupation, health behaviors (e.g., exercise), and mental health conditions (e.g., stress and suicidal ideation).

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.83-92
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• 2011

Purpose: This is a descriptive study that provides basic material to improve occupational health nurses' work conditions and industrial performance status. Methods: The 955 nurses who participated in the training program to understand the purpose of this study from January 2009 to December 2010 conducted by the Korean Association of Occupational Health Nurses agreed to be subjects for the study. The questionnaire included the general characteristics, work conditions and performance of occupational health management. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, and multiple regression analysis. Results: Occupational health management performance of the subjects averaged 3.11 points and detailed area by health management 3.64 points, environment management 2.91 points and occupational management 2.77 points. Health management performance of those factors affecting the duration of occupational health nurse (${\beta}$=.199), type of industry (${\beta}$=.126), average annual income (${\beta}$=-.277) to 11.4% (F=3.175, p<.001) were found to be a significant determinant. Conclusion: Occupational health nurses are the core workforce of occupational health through the prevention of occupational disease and industrial accidents. Findings of this study can be an important resource to increase appropriate occupational health nurses' work conditions and performance of occupational health management.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.75-82
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• 2015

Objective : The objective of this study is to analyze various factors of how mental health, self esteem, and stress affect health living conditions aimed at college students who have a low level of self-awareness. This study can provide college students the vitality lifestyle by developing and applying customized healthy living program. Furthermore, it can benefit preventing disease and improving health condition. Method : This study is aimed at college students in Daegu. The research subjects' distributions consist of male of 138 and female of 144, which totaled 282. The collected data was analyzed by SPSS 18.0, statistical program.4 Results : The result of the study indicated that the main factors that affect self esteem, stress, and mental health condition are allowance and part time jobs. It shows that health characteristic doesn't have relationship with self esteem. However, stress are mental health have a close relationship with drinking, health conditions, sleeping hours, and exercise. Conclusion : College Students should manage and lead healthy living style as a role model of family and society; as a result, healthy living style in the college becomes very important time period in the life time. Therefore, college students need to improve self esteem and reduce stress in order to benefit their mental health. College faculty members also need to put an effort on educational health programs regarding the practice of healthy life such as campaign for antismoking, moderating in drink, and exercising.

• The Journal of Korean Society for School & Community Health Education
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.67-82
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• 2019

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to analyze how the different lifestyles between Koreans and Korean Americans have significant effects on their health. Despite being the same race, Koreans and Korean Americans have different health conditions and health attitudes due to the acquired environmental factors such as social-economic factors, lifestyle risk factors, healthcare systems, and medical utilization. It is crucial to examine how the different lifestyle habits between Koreans and Korean Americans lead to various health conditions for establishing an effective health promotion policy. Methods: In this study, a comparative analysis was conducted using the National Health and Nutrition Survey of Korea and CHIS data of the United States in 2005 and 2015 to provide valuable insights when establishing such a policy. Results: The specific research purpose is as follows: First, socioeconomic factors, such as (1)living habits risk factors, (2)health satisfaction levels, (3)disease outbreaks, and (4)medical uses, are analyzed to find the distinct characteristics among Koreans, Korean Americans, and Americans. Second, the three groups --Koreans, Korean Americans, and Americans-- were compared based on their exposure to disease-related lifestyle risk factors related to their body mass index and their general health condition. The research results are as follows: First, all three groups improved health conditions in 2015 better than in 2005. Koreans maintained relatively higher general health conditions compared to other groups: their prevalence rate of chronic diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and asthma was lower than that of U.S. residents. Second, in regards to health behavior factors, the lifetime smoking experience for Koreans and Americans both decreased in 2015 compared to 2005, while the lifetime smoking experience for Korean Americans increased slightly. The number of smokers for Koreans has greatly decreased over a decade while that of Americans has moderately increased. Third, according to the results of the multiple regression, the general health conditions, which is a dependent variable, suggests that the number of men who answered they are healthy is greater than that of women in Korea, compared to the United States. Conclusions: In conclusion, the acquired environmental factors had more significant impacts on health than the racial factors did. Compared to 2005, the health behaviors and health levels of Korean Americans in 2015 gradually became more similar to those of Americans.