• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.104-117
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• 2004

Objectives: To propose the basic data for the development of the optimum health promotion program (HPP) for the workers in a petrochemical industry complex. Methods: The subjects were 553 workers who worked at the six plants in a petrochemical industry complex. From February to March 2003, questionnaire survey was conducted by the nurses with occupational health specialty about the life styles, interests, self-cognitions, practices of health behavior, subjective symptoms thought to be related the working environments, burden to the own health, needs and intentions to participation of the HPP. Data analysis was done using SPSS program (ver 10.0) with ${\alpha}=0.05$ of statistical significance. Results: The mean age and tenure of the subjects were 39.7 years and 14.2 years, respectively, and proportion of smokers was around 50%. Two of third (66%) satisfied their own job, and 58% recognized themselves healthy. The most frequent health behavior were exercise (60%) and regular health check (87%) in individual and job based, respectively. About half of them (58%) had at least one of the symptoms thought to be related the working environments, and the most frequent one was odor (21%). These symptoms were more frequent in case of the shorter career. The needs of HPP was relatively higher in exercise (66%), cancer prevention (51%), stress control (47%), and intention to participation was also the highest in exercise (64%). Job satisfaction was higher in case of the higher interests and cognitions to their own health, and thought that the ownership's interest to workers' health be high (p<0.01), but no associations with the subjective symptoms. The mean level of burden to the own health were $14.1{\pm}13.9$ of physical, $11.7{\pm}13.6$ of emotional, $9.1{\pm}10.7$ of behavioral as out of one hundred. They felt the more burden in case of office workers, the lower interests and cognitions to their own health, the lower satisfaction to their job, the frequent drinking group, and complained the subjective symptoms (p<0.05). Abnormal results of the regular health check was higher in the frequent drinking group (p=0.083). Conclusions: For the optimum HPP for the workers in the petrochemical complex, the ownership's interest to workers' health would be enhanced, and the priority would be focused on exercise and drinking habits control.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.71-85
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• 2003

Objectives: The present study was directed at revealing the influence of various life styles on the subjective well-being and depressive states, and their related factors among the elderly. Methods: The interviews were given to 454 elderly people aged over 65 (197 male and 257 female) in rural areas of Chungnam Province during the 3-month period from July 1st to Sep. 30th, 2002. The interview contents for the elderly included social demographic characteristics, activities of daily living(ADL) whether independent of others or not, subjective well-being, Zung's self-rating depression scale(SDS), etc. Results: The male elderly showed significantly higher scores in subjective well-being than the female, and with regard to Zung's depression scores, they were significantly higher in the female than the male elderly. Based on the correlation between scores of subjective well-being and its related factors, there was a significant, positive correlation in both sexes with whether or not participation in the social gatherings and the degree of satisfaction with subjective health status. The factors shown to be negatively correlated with depression scores in both sexes were whether or not participation in the social gatherings, the degree of satisfaction with the subjective health status, economic conditions, and ADL scores. The factors influencing on the subjective well-being included depressive states, eating habits, dwelling states, ADL scores, and physical activity. Those influencing on the depressive states were the degree of satisfaction with the subjective health status, physical activity, sexes, smoking, ADL scores, economic conditions, eating habits and whether or not participation in the social gatherings. Conclusions: Consequently, the subjective well-being as well as physical activity and economic conditions were shown to be the important factors for the healthy elderly life.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.345-359
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• 1993

This study was conducted to identify the factors related to the blood pressure in school children. The study subjects were 144 boys and 140 girls aged 10 years old, 4th grade student of one elementary school in Taegu City. Blood pressure and 18 variables for 284 school children were measured in May 1992. A weight-for-height index, R$\ddot{o}$hrer index(weight/$height^3$) was calculated for each individual as a measure of obesity. Body fat percent, fat weight, and lean body mass were measured by impedance fat meter(Model SIF-891). Serum total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, triglyceride, uric acid, total protein, and electrolyte were measured by automated clinical chemistry analyzer(Hitachi 4020). Low-density lipoprotein and atherogenic index were calculated by the equation. The variables assessed were sex, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure. R$\ddot{o}$hrer index, body fat percent, body fat weight, lean body mass, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, uric acid, total protein, serum electrolyte and blood glucose. The mean systolic and diastolic blood pressures for boys were 104.1mmHg and 66.6mmHg and those for girls were 102.9mmHg and 67.5mmHg. Systolic blood pressure of boys was positively correlated with height, weight, R$\ddot{o}$hrer index, fat weight, lean body mass, and triglyceride. Systolic blood pressure of girls was positively correlated with height, weight, lean body mass, and uric acid. Diastolic blood pressure of boys was positively correlated with weight. R$\ddot{o}$hrer index, and lean body mass. Diastolic blood pressure of girls was positively correlated with height, weight, fat weight, and lean body mass and negatively with total serum protein. In multiple regression analysis for the systolic blood pressure, the significant independent variables were R$\ddot{o}$hrer index and serum sodium in boys, and serum uric acid, fat percent, and R$\ddot{o}$hrer index in girls. In multiple regression analysis of the diastolic blood pressure, the significant independent variables were R$\ddot{o}$hrer index in boys and total serum protein in girls. This study indicated that important factors influencing blood pressure in school children were R$\ddot{o}$hrer index, fat percent, serum sodium, uric acid, and total protein. R$\ddot{o}$hrer index was most important among these. It is recommended to enforce the nutritional education for diet control of obesity to prevent hypertention in children and to adopt healthy life-styles that promote good health and prevent development of cardiovascular risk factors.