• Journal of Korean Society of Disaster and Security
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.1-7
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• 2021

Although the working environment has changed significantly compared to the past, such as the implementation of the five-day work week and the aging of the population, it is not reflected in the current industrial accident index calculation such as frequency rate, severity rate, and safe T-score. In this study, statistical data were used to understand time-series trends such as increase in life expectancy, working age, shortening of working hours, and average age of death by accident. As a result of time series trend analysis of statistical data, life expectancy increased to 83.3 years, and the legal working age was raised to 65 years due to the aging of the population. Also, with the advent of the 5-day work week since 2001, the average annual working hours decreased to 2008.1 hours. It can be confirmed through statistical data that these phenomena are applied to the current working environment due to a complex action, and these environmental changes affect the calculation results of the industrial accident index.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.143-151
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• 2020

Objective: Bidi is an inexpensive, low-processed, hand-rolled tobacco product. In Bangladesh, especially in Rangpur, tobacco farming and bidi processing are common. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the impact of bidi making on children working in bidi factories. Methods: This qualitative(walk-through survey) and quantitative(questionnaire-based survey and a urine cotinine level quantitation) study was conducted in Rangpur, Bangladesh in 2017. Study population included child-workers aged ≤14 years who were regularly employed as bidi makers. Findings: The results of the walk-through survey revealed hazardous working environments at bidi factories. For the quantitative survey, 171 child-workers were categorized into "less-working"(<5 hours/day) and "more-working"(≥5 hours/day) groups; additionally, "forced-working"(forced into work by parents) and "voluntary-working"(working voluntarily) groups were delineated within the same population. In the logistic regression analysis, odds ratios(ORs) of respiratory symptoms and unusual absence(absent ≥5 days/month) were higher in the "more-working" group than in the "less-working" group(unusual absence: OR, 2.91; 95% confidence interval[CI], 1.43-5.94), and this association became higher in the "forced-working" group with longer working hours(OR, 5.68, 95%CI 2.30-14.00). Conclusions: Cheap, hand-rolled tobacco(bidi) is harmful to the health of bidi-making child-workers. Children in poverty bow to the demands of cheap labor and poverty and jeopardize their health and future prospects by working in bidi factories. Tobacco control policies should consider the social effects of tobacco beyond its biological effects.

• Korean Medical Education Review
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.67-76
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• 2014

Few studies have examined burnout among the faculty of medical schools in the Republic of Korea. The aim of this study was to determine the level of burnout and its associated factors among the faculty members of three medical schools in the Busan-Gyeongnam area, and to summarise the available literature on burnout. We conducted the survey using a validated questionnaire that incorporated the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS) as well as questions about demographic characteristics, working experience, health, lifestyle, most time spent and most difficult work, and suicidal ideation and job quitting ideation of the survey participants. MBI-HSS scores were analysed in the three dimensions of emotional exhaustion (EE), depersonalization (De), and personal accomplishment (PA). Through the survey, the 186 professors, 49% among the total, provided data which were included in the present analysis. More than thirty per cent (37.1%) of the professors reported at least 1 symptom of burnout. For burnout dimensions, 11.8% of the respondents scored high for EE burnout, 25.3% for De, and 14.5% for PA, with 1.6% scoring high on all three dimensions of burnout. High burnout was found to be strongly associated with several of the variables under study, especially hours worked per week, self-rated health, career (range, 4 to 9 years), and age (range, 50 to 59 years). The EE score was highest for the professors who chose 'patient care' as the most difficult type of work. This study showed that just over one-third of professors have at least 1 symptom of burnout and working more hours per week, short length of work (years), and especially suicidal ideation seem to be associated with the burnout of medical school faculty members in the Busan-Gyeongnam area. In summary, a greater risk of burnout of physicians (including medical professors) seems to be associated with specialties at the front line of care, working more hours per week, work-life imbalance, low self-efficacy, depression, and conflicts with colleagues and patients.

• Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.223-234
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• 1994

To investigate the affecting factors to the fatigue and subjective symptoms of adult women, the author analyzed the data from 300 women from 3 groups, manufacture workes, clerical workers and service workers, from august 31, 1993 to the September 30, 1993. Followings are the results there from. 1. For the physical symptoms of fatigue, more than 50 % of respondens comiained were "eye strain" with 73.7 %, "malaise" with 67.0 % "went lay down side" with 60.7 %, "yawing" with 60.3 % and "feel sleep" eith 50.3 % in that order. There was no statistically significant difference between labor woker group, but the fatiger rate was highest among office group. For the mental symptoms. There was no symptom over 50 % of responders complained. For the neurotic symptoms, more than 50 % of respondents complained were "backache" with 53.7 %, "headache" with 49.7 % "shoulder pain" with 54.0 % and "unconfortable" with 43.3 %, in that order, "backache" was higest in manufacture group, but the other symptoms were highest among office group. 2. For the most fatigue weekday, most women answered monday with 56.0 % thursday with 16.3 % and friday with 12.0 % in that order, but saturday was 2.0 %, and sunday was 2.05 labor worker group answered monday was the most fatigue day. 3. 37.7 % of respondents answered afternoon was the most fatigue hours, but 22.0 % was answered evening difference among groups. 4. Nothing to do with the general characteristics, such as age, residence, sleep hours, personality, health status, and exercise, and working conditons such as means to attend office, time to attend office, job satisfaction, work hours, and work years, the mean scores of subjective symptoms of fatigue was highest among office group.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.139-154
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• 2002

This study was conducted to examine to causes and symptoms of stress and factors influencing stress management of workers in beauty shops. 811 people who were working in the shops located in Daegu City and Kyungbuk Province were selected as subjects of this study. Data were collected from April 10, 2000 to July 10, 2000. The results of this study can be summarized as follows. According to general characteristics of the respondents, female was 90.8%. 42.1 % of them was in their twenties and 73.7% of them did not marry. 57.5% of the respondents grew up in big cities and 41.1% had no religion. 63.6% was graduated from junior colleges. 44.6% of them worked for below I year and 33.9% earned below four hundred and ninety thousand won per month. 55.8% of them was satisfied with their work aptitude, while 34.2% was not satisfied with it. In the case of satisfaction level with working environment, ‘common level’ was 46.3%, while 12.8% of them was unsatisfied with it. In the case of stress level by factors of stress related to working, male was higher (9.34 $\pm$ 2.38 points). Those who grew up in towns or villages and those who belonged to the middle class showed high stress level. Those who married and those who graduated from high school also displayed high stress level. It also appeared that monthly income influenced the stress level related to working.. The extent of stress level influencing physical causes appeared in order of health condition, education level, sex, satisfaction level with work aptitude, economic status, and working hours. The extent of stress level influencing whole organizational level appeared in order of satisfaction level with work aptitude, working hours, education level, health condition, and sex. The extent of stress factors influencing depressed feeling of stress symptom appeared in order of working hours, sex, amount of smoking, absence due to stress, age, health condition, and education level. The extent of influencing factors on active stress management appeared in order of satisfaction level with work aptitude, health condition, size of the shop, drinking, sex, and the number of day off. The extent of influencing factors on avoidable stress management appeared in order of age, absence due to stress, drinking, health condition, and sex.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.107-118
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• 2012

Objectives: This study examines the occurrence of disease resulting from low back pain and factors of working environment meaningfully influencing the occurrence of lumbago as well as analyzes '2nd Korean Working Condition Survey (KWCS)' conducted in 2010 so as to establish the prevention and improvement measures. Methods: The analysis method is that it is to compare the prevalence rate of low back pain according to working environment via odds ratio and to implement the test about the factors having the difference in working environment between low back pain group and normal group through weighted t-test. Results: As a result, it indicates that there is a meaningful difference for prevalence rate of low back pain according to age, status in employment and education level which are socio-demographical factors. The analysis in working hours shows that the period of work is a factor raising the prevalence rate of low back pain rather than weekly working hours. The analysis in the work risk factor indicates that the increase in prevalence rate of low back pain takes place to either workers with repetitive movement and continuously standing posture or those with heavy stress and emotional labour. Conclusions: Workers with low back pain have suffered from accident, depression, anxiety disorder and sleep. The factors in which the prevalence rate of low back pain decrease are to provide information on health and safety and working speed, and enough rest.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Fisheries and Ocean Technology
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.34-44
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• 2021

In order to collect basic information of response behavior of red seabream (Pagrus major) during pilling, works for constructing wind power station in Byeonsan Peninsular, Korea were investigated. Four cultured red seabream CRB1 to CRB4 [total length (TL): 27.1 ± 1.0 cm; body weight: 359 ± 30 g] were tagged with an acoustic tag and used in experiment. CRB1 and CRB2 to CBR4 were released on the sea surface at same time around the constructing site of the wind power plant on September 22, 2017 and July 18, 2018, respectively. The tracking of the CRB1 to CRB2 and CRB3 to CRB4 were conducted for two hours, approximately, using VR100 receiver including a directional hydrophone and VR2W receivers array consisted of 19 presence/absence receivers (VR2W receivers), respectively. The underwater noise level before (no pile driving works) and during pile driving works was measured 116.0-118.0 dB (re 1��Pa) and a maximum of 160 dB (re 1��Pa), respectively. CRB1 moved about 6.0 km with average swimming speed of 80.2 ± 20.5 cm/s for 2.1 hours without pile driving work. The average water depth of the sea bed on the route of CRB1 was 9.1 ± 0.4 m. CRB2 moved about 7.3 km with the average swimming speed of 96.8 ± 27.1 cm/s for 2.1 hours with pile driving work. The water depth of the sea bed on the route of CRB2 was 11.9 ± 0.6 m. At results of the Rayleigh's z-test two fishes CRB1 and CRB2 showed significant directionality in the movement (p < 0.01). Movement mean angles of CRB1 and CRB2 were 92.7 and 251.8°, respectively. CRB2, CRB3 and CRB4 exhibited the escaping behavioral response from the noise of source during the pile driving work. The swimming speed of the CRB2 exposed on the heavy underwater noise stimuli due to the pile driving work was 1.21 times faster than that of the CRB1 exposed on the ambient underwater noise in the study site.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.63 no.5
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• pp.623-630
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• 2020

Objective : A primary degenerative sagittal imbalance has been considered because of unique lifestyles such as the prolonged crouched posture during agricultural work and performing activities of daily living on the floor. Previous papers have reported that sagittal imbalance disease is often seen distinctly in the farming districts of "oriental" countries such as Korea and Japan. However, this finding was only evaluated with the use of X-ray, and other factors such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), muscle volume, compression fracture, and laboratory results were not considered. Thus, using these, we evaluate the agricultural work-associated factors for Korean elderly spinal sagittal imbalance. Methods : We recruited 103 Korean participants who had a sagittal vertical axis (SVA) of >5 cm in this Korean Elderly Sagittal Imbalance Cohort Study. The following were evaluated : radiological parameters, MRI, compression fracture, vitamin D, parathyroid hormone, C-terminal telopeptide, osteocalcin, bone mineral density and muscle fatty change, muscle volume, and health-related quality of life from patients' survey. Moreover, in this survey, the farmers' annual working hours were investigated. Subsequently, we analyzed the associated factors for spinal sagittal imbalance depending on occupation. Results : A total of 46 participants were farmers, and the others were housewives, sellers, and office workers. The farmer group had more SVA (141 vs. 99 mm, p=0.001) and pelvic tilt (31° vs. 24°, p=0.004) and lesser lumbar lordosis (20° vs. 30°, p=0.009) and thoracic kyphosis (24° vs. 33°, p=0.03) than non-farmer group. A significantly positive correlation was noted between the working hour and SVA in the farmer group (p=0.014). The visual analogue scale score for back pain (8.26 vs. 6.96, p=0.008) and Oswestry Disability Index (23.5 vs. 19.1, p=0.003) in the farmer group were higher than that in the non-farmer group, but the Short Form-36 score was not significantly different between the two groups. The Mini-Mental State Exam score was significantly lower in the farmer group than in the non-farmer group (24.85 vs. 26.98, p=0.002). Conclusion : The farmer group had more sagittal imbalance and back pain in proportion to the working hours even though the muscle and bone factors and general laboratory condition were not significantly different between the two groups. These results supported that the long hours spent in the crouched posture while performing agricultural work were a risk factor for severe sagittal imbalance.

• Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
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• v.35
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• pp.46.1-46.12
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• 2023

Background: As unpredictable work schedule (UWS) has increased worldwide, various studies have been conducted on the resulting health effects on workers. However, research on the effect of UWS on workers' well-being in Korea is still insufficient. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between UWS and work-family conflict (WFC) using 6th Korean Working Conditions Survey (KWCS). Methods: Both UWS and WFC were measured using self-reported questionnaires, using data from the 6th KWCS conducted between 2020 and 2021, including 31,859 participants. UWS was measured by questions regarding the frequency of changes in work schedules and limited advanced notice. WFC was measured by questions regarding work to family and family to work conflicts. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to investigate the association between UWS and WFC. Results: The prevalence of UWS was higher among men, those under 40 years old, service and sales workers and blue-collar workers, and those with higher salaries. Workplace size also influenced UWS prevalence, with smaller workplaces (less than 50 employees) showing a higher prevalence. The odds ratio (OR) for WFC was significantly higher in workers with UWS compared to workers without UWS after adjusting for gender, age, marital status, occupation, salary, education, weekly working hours, shift work, company size, and having a child under the age of 18 years, employment status (OR: 3.71; 95% confidence interval: 3.23-4.25). Conclusions: The analysis of nationwide data revealed that UWS interferes with workers' performance of family roles, which can lead to WFC. Our findings suggest that it is crucial to implement policies to address unfair work schedule management, promoting a healthier work-life balance and fostering a conducive environment for family responsibilities.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.289-297
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• 2004

Purpose: This study was conducted to determine factors affecting workers' physiological somatic complain using the Job Stress Model proposed by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Method: Data were collected from the 1st to the 30th of December 1999. The subjects were 2.123 workers employed at 155 work sites. Collected date were analyzed through SAS/PC program. Result: According to individual characteristics, younger and women groups showed significantly higher physiological somatic complaint than elder men groups. By work condition, groups with higher physiological somatic complaint included workers of irregular shift work. Dark lighting, improper temperature in winter, improper ventilation, inappropriate humidity, unpleasant work environment and crowded work place were significantly related with physiological somatic complaint. By work-related factor, physiological somatic complaint was high in those with higher variance in work load, quantitative work load, role conflict, job burden, role ambiguity and future ambiguity. On the other hand, physiological somatic complaint was low in those with little underutilization of ability. As for the relationships between physiological somatic complaint and non-work related factors, physiological somatic complaint was high in workers who had a side job, were bringing up infants alone, cleaned the house alone, cared for the elderly and disabled persons, were studying, were volunteering at another organization, and were spending 5-10 hours in religious activities per week. Physiological somatic complain was in significantly negative correlations with overall social support, supervisory support and family support, but in significantly positive correlations with co-worker support. Conclusion: The main predictors of physiological somatic complain were gender, shift work pattern, overtime work, ventilation, role ambiguity, role conflict, future ambiguity, job control, variance in work load, overall social support, worker with side job, worker who cleans the house alone, worker who is studying. These predictors explained 19.10% of the total variance of physiological somatic complain.