• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제2권3호
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• pp.250-259
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• 2011

Objectives: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a significant global public health concern, affecting 5.3 million US individuals annually. An estimated 1 in 3 women globally are abused by an intimate partner in their lifetime, and the effects carry over into the workplace. This article examines employers' perceptions of IPV in the workplace, targeting supervisors of Latina employees. Methods: Fourteen employers and supervisors of small service-sector companies in Oregon were interviewed using semi-structured interviews. Interpretive description was used to identify themes. These qualitative interviews preceded and helped to formulate a larger workplace intervention study. Results: The following themes were found and are detailed: (1) factors associated with recognizing IPV in the workplace, (2) effects of IPV on the work environment and (3) supervisors' responses to IPV-active vs. passive involvement. Also, supervisors' suggestions for addressing IPV in the workplace are summarized. Conclusion: These findings demonstrate the need for more IPV-related resources in the workplace to be available to supervisors as well as survivors and their coworkers. The needs of supervisors and workplaces vary by site, demonstrating the need for tailored interventions, and culturally appropriate workplace interventions are needed for Latinas and other racially and ethnically diverse populations.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제8권4호
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• pp.402-406
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• 2017

Transit workers constitute a blue-collar occupational group that have elevated smoking rates relative to other sectors of employed adults in the United States. This study analyzed cross-sectional tobacco survey data from 935 workers (60% African American; 37% female) employed at an urban public transit agency in California. Prevalence of current and former smoking was 20.3% and 20.6%, respectively. Younger workers were less likely than older workers to be current or former smokers. Having a complete home smoking ban was associated with decreased likelihood of being a smoker [odds ratio (OR) = 0.04, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.01-0.17], as were neutral views about whether it is easy for a smoker to take a smoking break during their shift (OR = 0.50, 95% CI 0.28-0.88). Current smoking among the sample is > 50% higher than the adult statewide prevalence. Potential points of intervention identified in this study include perceived ease of worksite smoking breaks and establishing home smoking bans. Tailored cessation efforts focusing on older transit workers more likely to smoke are needed to reduce tobacco-related disparities in this workforce.

• 대한약침학회지
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• 제27권3호
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• pp.253-263
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• 2024

Objectives: Nurses face mental health issues like emotional labor, stress, and depression, increasing the risk of medical errors. This study assesses the mental health and medical errors among nurses in Korean medicine clinics in South Korea. Methods: The cross-sectional analysis involved 83 nurses, examining relationships between emotional labor, stress, depression, cognitive failure, Hwa-byung (HB) (a syndrome of suppressed anger in Korean culture), and medical errors. It identified factors associated with HB and medical errors using multiple regression analysis, presenting their odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: The findings revealed a current HB prevalence of 19.28% and a 6-month medical error prevalence of 16.87% among participants. The regression analysis showed that higher levels of depression (OR = 1.368, 95% CI = 1.098 to 1.703, p = 0.005), cognitive failure (OR = 1.072, 95% CI = 1.011 to 1.136, p = 0.020), and HB trait (OR = 1.136, 95% CI = 1.005 to 1.284, p = 0.041) significantly correlated with HB presence. Conclusion: This groundbreaking study on this previously under-researched nurse workforce highlights the critical need for comprehensive mental health care, with the objective of significantly enhancing their mental well-being and improving their overall work environment.

• 한국직업건강간호학회지
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• 제20권1호
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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.

• 보건교육건강증진학회지
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• 제15권2호
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• pp.43-53
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• 1998

The National Health Promotion Law passed in 1995 was a milestone for initiating a national health promotion program in Korea, and government officers and health professionals are working on how to approach health promotion issues. The purpose of this study was to analyse methods and use of constructivist paradigm in health promotion and education. The health promotion area needs community empowerment, building community partnerships, and community capacity. To meet these health promotion requirements health promotion workforce should be trained through professional preparation programs that contains communication skills, group process skills, and management of programs in advanced countries such as the United States and Australia. Skills and responsibilities of those who are in charge of providing health promotion services have not yet been clearly defined in Korea because the area of health promotion is a multi-academic field, and needs a different approach, constructivist approach. Constructivist paradigm requires relativism, reasoning skills, collaborating, and motivation. These components are needed for community empowerment. Constructivism also has been applied to the field of education. Problem-based education, outcome-based education, performance-based education came from the constructivism. These educational methods are student-centered method. As the modernizing society becomes more complicated, traditional or conventional teacher-centered education cannot meet the needs of students. Students need to learn skills necessary to make healthy decisions with individual value system. So these interactive, self-learning methods can serve much more to the learner. Constructivist educational methods can be applied to educational programs in computers, too. To expand and differentiate the area of health education and health promotion from other health related fields, it is crucial to devote efforts in application and development of constructivist methods.

• 보건행정학회지
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• 제22권1호
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• pp.85-108
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• 2012

One of the ways to achieve the principle of equal access for equal needs, availability and geographical accessibility of health care resources regardless of resident sites is important. The purpose of this paper is to measure socioeconomic inequities in distribution of health care resources among regions in the Republic of Korea (hereafter Korea). Data were extracted from regional statistics of National Health Insurance, Community Health Survey, Korea Social Science Data Archive, and Korean Statistical Information Services at the same period of 2009. The dependent variables were the number of health workforce and health care facilities in each region. The proxy indicator of regional socioeconomic status was local tax per person. To identify whether inequalities among regions, we examined the concentration index(CI) and indirectly standardized CI by controlling each region's demographics and need factors. Total observations were 232 districts in nationwide, and we analyzed separately Seoul(25 districts) and non-Seoul areas(207 districts). The standardized CI values of health care resources were positive(favoring the rich region) across the nation in almost all kinds of resources. Especially the number of specialist, dentist, dental clinics, clinics, oriental medical clinics, pharmacists, and pharmacies were statistically significantly favoring the rich region. But the CI for the number of long-term care hospitals, public health centers were negative(favoring the poor region). The tendency of CI presenting positive values were increased in Seoul area. But in the case of non-Seoul, the CI indexes were nearly zero. The results suggest that except the Seoul area, little regional socioeconomic-related inequalities were observed in the distribution of health care resources in Korea.

• 한국학교보건학회지
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• 제31권2호
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• pp.117-126
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• 2018

Purpose: The leading cause of death among teenagers in Korea is suicide. Also, it is known that mental health of Korean adolescents identified based on the levels of perceived stress or depression is very poor. The purpose of this study was to examine the current status of student mental health programs in Korea and the associated problems and to explore ways to make the programs more effective. Methods: The subjects of the study were a total of 115 school nurses and school counselors in elementary, middle and high schools. The study examined the current status and the associated problems of school mental health programs as well as the needs for teacher training programs related to student mental health. Results: Few mental health programs other than counseling for at-risk students were being carried out. The problems associated with student mental health management were, in terms of management, 'accountability in case of incidents such as student suicide' and 'parents uncooperative in their kid's mental health management (visit to hospital, etc.)' and, in terms of manpower, 'unclear R&R between school nurses and school counselors' and, more fundamentally, 'the lack of human resources.' The needs for teacher training programs related to student mental health were very high and the content required most was 'ways to manage stress of students and teachers themselves,' followed by 'interpersonal conflicts management & conservational skills,' and 'ways to manage student mental illness.' Conclusion: In conclusion, to increase the effectiveness of student mental health programs, we should move on from the current system which focuses only on early discovery and intervention to a more comprehensive system that includes preventive approaches, while having clearer R&R and more workforce dedicated to student mental health programs and attracting more parental cooperation and support.

• 한국치위생학회지
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• 제14권2호
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• pp.173-179
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• 2014

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to provide the basic data for the development of oral health education program and to make schoolchildren practice the right oral health care behaviors. Methods : Data were collected from 259 elementary school students including 134 boys and 125 girls in Busan from November 26 to December 20, 2012. The groups were tooth brushing group and dental clinic group. All statistical analyses were analyzed by frequency analysis and chi-square test using SPSS 18.0 program. Results : School dental clinic group showed higher awareness level of fluoride and sealant effect of prevention(p=0.000). Toothbrushing facility group showed higher awareness level of brushing tooth(p=0.011). School dental clinic group showed higher awareness level of fluoride toothpaste(p=0.000). Both school dental clinic group and toothbrushing facility group showed higher awareness level of oral health education(p=0.001). School dental clinic group showed higher awareness level for tooth brushing method after education(p=0.000). Both school dental clinic group and toothbrushing facility group showed higher level of education. Conclusions : School dental clinic group showed higher level for oral health knowledge and toothbushing facility group showed high level for oral health behavior. Both School dental clinic group and toothbrushing facility group showed higher level of oral health education and tooth brushing method after education. Both school dental clinic group and toothbrushing facility group proved to promote oral health. Activation of school toothbrushing facility is very important to change the oral health workforce.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제46권3호
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• pp.134-138
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• 2013

This road map aims to establish a stable and integrated healthcare system for the Korean Peninsula by improving health conditions and building a foundation for healthcare in North Korea through a series of effective healthcare programs. With a basic time frame extending from the present in stages towards unification, the roadmap is composed of four successive phases. The first and second phases, each expected to last five years, respectively, focus on disease treatment and nutritional treatment. These phases would thereby safeguard the health of the most vulnerable populations in North Korea, while fulfilling the basic health needs of other groups by modernizing existing medical facilities. Based on the gains of the first two phases, the third phase, for ten years, would prepare for unification of the Koreas by promoting the health of all the North Korean people and improving basic infrastructural elements such as health workforce capacity and medical institutions. The fourth phase, assuming that unification will take place, provides fundamental principles and directions for establishing an integrated healthcare system across the Korean Peninsula. We are hoping to increase the consistency of the program and overcome several existing concerns of the current program with this roadmap.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제27권2호
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• pp.242-257
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• 1994

In Korea, female workforce has reached more than 40% of total working population, but the effects of work on spontaneous abortion are yet to be examined. This study as conducted to investigate the occupational effects on spontaneous abortion. Medical insurance claim data were used to examine the effects of the employment status and industry of employment on spontaneous abortion. The study population was composed of females, aged $15{\sim}44$, who were the beneficiary of medical insurance in the month of June, 1993. The working females covered by medical insurance for industrial workers, had the highest age-adjusted Spontaneous Abortion rate (SAB rate=claim frequency of spontaneous abortion/claim frequency of complication of pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium), 6.65% whereas female dependants of medical insurance for industrial workers had the lowest age-adjusted SAB rate, 4.54%. Among industrial workers, the workers in manufacturing industry had the highest age-adjusted Spontaneous Abortion ratio(SAB ratio=claim frequency of spontaneous abortion/claim frequency of completly normal delivery), 43.2/100 whereas those in financing and service industry had age-adjusted SAB ratio, 16.2/100 and 20.5/100, respectively. The results of the study suggest the adverse effect of manufacturing Industry on reproduction. Work environments such as chemical exposures, overwork, awkard posture, and job stress should be further studied for their effects on reproductive functions of female.