• Toxicological Research
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.187-193
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• 2012

In order to evaluate the physical and psychological health effects of air pollutants from new building materials, 100 employees who worked in new buildings were given a general health questionnaire, and the prevalence of their subjective complaints was measured. The collected data were classified according to age, gender, smoking status, profession, working time, sleep time, life style, and length of employment. The results obtained were summarized as follows: The THI lie scale scores were significantly higher among the older respondents. Compared to males, females showed a significantly higher level in the depression itemas well asa tendency toward high ratios of physical and psychological complaints. The smoking group showed higher scores regarding health complaints related to most physical and psychological items. Smokers showed significantly increased respiratory organ complaints compared to nonsmokers. Those with a profession showed significantly higher level of nervousness. The group of those working 7 to 10 hours group showed higher rates of complaints in the multiple subjective symptoms and mouth/anus items than the group working less than 2 hours. Those living an irregular life showed a tendency toward higher rates of complaints for most physical and psychological subjective factors. Those who were satisfied with their environments showed significantly lower scores in the mouth/anus, impulsiveness, mental irritability, depression, and nervousness items. In summary, this study shows that the health complaint scores regarding physical and psychological symptoms tended to be higher among the unsatisfied group, the irregular life group, the group who worked long hours, the elderly, smokers, and females. These results can be used to improve the psychosomatic health status and working environments of employees working in new buildings.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.81-94
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• 1998

The purpose of this study is to examine men's role conflicts of dual-earner family based on man's role type. Man's role type is composed of man's sex role attitude and family-role performance and categorized in four types such as traditionalism type neo-traditionalism type equalitarianism type and inconsistancy type. The test analysis can be summarized as follows; First test analysis can be summarized as follows; role performance and man's role conflict as working hours is long wife's role requirement is high family-role conflict as working hours is long wife's role requirement is high family-role is not commit man's role conflict directly affected. In addition indirect affect through family-role performance shows that man's role conflict level is low as level of income is high level of income difference between man and wife is low child is younger and intent to modern sex-role attitude. Second looking into the difference role conflict to man's role type it shows that equalita ianism type's role conflict is low and man's role conflict in traditionalism and neo-traditonalism types is high.

• Journal of Labour Economics
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.31-68
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• 2017

This study examined the moonlighting behavior in Korea, to which relatively less attention has been paid. Based on the wage earners of 25 to 65 year old married, the results show that about 1.4% of the sample have dual jobs, working very long hours, on average 60 hours for a week combining both the primary job and the secondary job. The results of the fixed effects logit model on the moonlighting participation indicate that the wage rate and the hours of work in the primary job have a negative effect on moonlighting participation while the insecurity of the primary job appears to lead to a higher probability of taking a secondary job. The results of the moonlighting hours analysis suggest that hours worked in the primary job have a negative effect on moonlight hours while the wage of the primary job does not appear to have any significant effect on moonlighting hours. Interestingly enough, the wage of the secondary job appears to have a negative impact on moonlighting hours, which might be very plausible considering the long working hours moonlighters are engaged in.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.418-427
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• 2015

Objectives: This study evaluated the association between work related characteristics and hypertension among white collar workers in Korea. Materials and methods: This study was based on the Third Korean Working Conditions Survey(KWCS) conducted in 2011 among workers 15 years of age or older. The total number of individuals included in the analysis was 10,365 white collar workers. Results: The prevalence rate of hypertension was 3.7% among men and 1.0% among women. In multiple logistic analysis the adjusted odds ratio showed statistically effective association to hypertension. For work related characteristics, 1.73 (95% confidence interval, 1.22-2.46) resulted for large-company workers compared with the small-company group, 2.14 (95% CI, 1.22-3.75) for the long working hours group (61 or above) compared with short working hours group(52 or below), 1.78(95% CI, 1.08-2.95) for night shift workers compared with day workers, and 1.54 (95% CI, 1.18-2.01) for high job stress workers compared with low job stress workers. Conclusions: This study showed that it is important for workers to manage their work environment in order to prevent hypertension by modifying their types of work.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Building Construction
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.603-609
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• 2018

It has been widely-reported that the quality of life in Korea is lower than that of the economic growth. In particular, construction managers are reported to have a lower quality of life compared to people in other job types due to the specific nature of the tasks they have to carry out. These include early work attendance time and fewer holidays. In this respect, the aim of this study is to analyse construction managers' requirements on work-life balance. The results showed that the working hours of construction managers were long and their leisure hours were shorter. The requirements for work-life balance were in the order of non-working time, working time, salary, and job security. The requirements by group showed a statistically significant difference in work hours. The requirements on the shortening of work hours were highest in the group of "section chiefs and deputy heads" and lowest in the group of "department heads" and up. It is hoped that the results of this study will be used as basic data for future government-level policy making and construction companies' business directions in relation to the improvement of workers' work-life balance.

• 한국사회정책
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.17-47
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• 2016

This paper aims to analysis working-time of Korea focusing on "the difference and the distribution" by a stratum. Classifying working-time into four categories including marginal part-time, part-time work, standard-time work and long-time working, it compares the relative distribution by income quintile. The outcome is as following : 20% of low-ranking income quintile are (marginal) part-time working, 60% from income quintile 2 to 4 are in long-time working and 20% of top-ranking income quintile are in the standard-time working in overall. Working-time classes can be divided up into three: short time-low income of type 1, long time-medium income of type 2 and standard time-high income of type 3. Analysing working time type, the low wage-short time, medium wage-long time and high wage-standard time by the wage per month and low wage-very long time, medium wage-long time and high wage-standard time by the wage per hours are confirmed. Also, stratification of working-time has been intensified in terms of age, jobs and work status. Policy implication from this study is that the increase of minimum wage to the lowest income class and creation of employment by the reduction of working-time to the medium income class could be effective policies.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.49 no.6
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• pp.372-379
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• 2023

Background: Laundry workers are known to be exposed to organic solvents in various works including dry cleaning. Long-term exposure to organic solvents may cause adverse health effects among laundry workers. Objectives: To investigate the association between exposure to organic solvents and symptom of headache or eyestrain among laundry workers. Methods: The subjects were total 267 laundry workers who participated in the 6th Korean Working Conditions Survey (KWCS). Responses to exposure to 'inhalation of vapor from organic solvent' was categorized into two (non-exposed: rarely or absolutely not exposed during working hours; exposed: ≥1/4 working hours) or three (non-exposed; low exposure: 1/4 of the working hours; high exposure: ≥1/2 working hours) groups. Logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the association between exposure to organic solvents and symptom of headache or eyestrain in the last 12 months among laundry workers. Odds ratios (ORs) and the 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated for experience of the symptom of headache or eyestrain with adjustment for age, sex, education, workplace size (by the number of workers), working hours per week, and current working period (year). Results: The proportions of exposure groups, i.e., non-exposed, low exposure, and high exposure, were 80.4%, 11.1%, and 8.5%, respectively. The proportion of those who had symptom of headache or eyestrain in the last 12 months was 18.7%. There was a significant association between exposure to organic solvents and experience of headache or eyestrain (OR=3.2, 95% CI=1.4~7.4). And, the proportion of those who experienced symptom of headache or eyestrain tended to increase significantly as the level of exposure to organic solvents increased (P_trend=0.002). Conclusions: Our results suggest that exposure to organic solvents are associated with symptom of headache or eystrain among laundry workers in Korea. However, further studies with more relevant design is needed to replicate the association.

• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.111-122
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• 2004

The purpose of the study lied on supporting the reeducation program which was focused on the demand with the clients by analyzing the recognition on the real situations of the reeducation on the hair designers in the nation. As a result on the subject, the responders said they could usually learn new information through the various seminars that were held by beauty product suppliers and companies, and most of the high school or under high school level designers have participated in various seminars while the designers who graduated from a junior college or universities had experienced new trends at life time education establishments(p<0.01). A hair designer who was single and paid low salary usually depended on the course inside the shop(p<0.01), and most of the information they got was through the suppliers of the beauty products. In that case, regular sources of information, such as educational establishments, informative magazines, Internet were highly recommended. A reason for unsatisfactory reeducation was due to lack of time and a reason for not participating the seminar was also due to time shortage caused by regular working hours, which was reflecting the real situation of the hair designers. As a suggestion for the reeducation establishment, most of the responders wanted vocational schools or life-time educational center. They wanted a fixed regular period for reeducation, especially over the weekend for after working hours. It means they want long-time systematic education. Considering the results, a course which is organized for a long-time systematic purpose is suggested for the hair dressers who want to be professionals in the field with the class equipped with contents of the classes, period, and place. For the purpose to be realized, improvement of the working hours in needed and it will be an incentive to make the hair designers satisfied with their work.

• Korean Journal of Labor Studies
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.229-260
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• 2018

Workaholism refers to a state in which work is the center of self, a state in which other life other than work is deemed worthless, and a state in which one feels that his or her life ends when things get lost. There are concerns that South Korea's work-centered institutions, cultures and long-time labor practices expose workers to workaholism. This study identifies the prevalence of workaholism and its risk factors among workers using a representative sample from Korean Labor and Income Panel Study. The results of empirical analysis of the wide range of workaholism showed that 7.0% of Korean workers were work-addicts. Male, workers working long hours, daily workers, employers, the self-employed were more likely to be work-addicts. Those who think that workload is high beyond regular working hours are more likely to be work-addicts. These results were also confirmed by regression analysis. It suggests that policies to shorten working hours and strengthen job and income stability can reduce the risk of workaholism and balance between work and life.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.525-534
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• 2011

This paper describes the current status of musculoskeletal disorders(MSDs) and its ergonomic risk factors, including the preventive intervention in terms of the working conditions and health promotion among agricultural workers. Korean agricultural workers have been exposed to the poor working condition. They have suffered from a variety of work-related injury and diseases more than the general population or the other occupational group. MSDs are one of the most prevalent problems threatening the agricultural worker's health and quality of life. Low back pain, osteoarthritis of hip and knee joint and carpal tunnel syndrome are well known MSDs that was found easily and frequently among agricultural workers. MSDs are worsened by poor ergonomic working conditions such as heavy weight lifting, repetitive movement and awkward posture which involves squatting with long sitting work on the ground, long working hours and heavy workload which are inherent in the greater part of agricultural works. Even though Korean agricultural workers are very weak population in terms of occupational safety and health, no many studies were conducted in the past and no many social and institutional supports were provided sufficiently. We need more interests and efforts in agricultural fields to improve its working condition and to promote health status of agricultural workers.