• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
• /
• v.29 no.4
• /
• pp.582-589
• /
• 2019

Objectives: Although active pulmonary tuberculosis(active PTB) is manifested as one of the complications of pneumoconiosis, attacks of active PTB among patients with pneumoconiosis is still unexplored. The objective of the present study was to identify the attack rate of active PTB among workers in dusty environments who were diagnosed with pneumoconiosis. Methods: The study was performed using the results of the Pneumoconiosis Examination Council's assessment from the Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service(KCOMWEL) database between January 1, 1984 and December 31, 2017. Pneumoconiosis was defined as Category 1 or more in the radiological findings of pneumoconiosis. Active PTB was defined as a positive result for active PTB in the results of the Pneumoconiosis Examination Council's assessment. Results: A total of 37,946 workers in dusty environments who received a health examination for diagnosing pneumoconiosis between January 1, 1984 and December 31, 2017 were selected as study subjects. The attack rate of active TB among subjects who were diagnosed with pneumoconiosis and those who were diagnosed without pneumoconiosis were 8.5% and 1.4%, respectively. In the multivariate logistic analysis including age, sex, radiological findings, complications, male[odds ratio(OR), 2.0; 95% confidence interval(CI), 1.4-3.1] and pneumoconiosis(OR, 6.5; 95% CI, 5.7-7.4) were associated with an increased risk of developing active PTB. Conclusions: The present study determined that dusty workers who were diagnosed with pneumoconiosis had a high rate of active PTB compared to TB patients and patients who were diagnosed with silicosis. Therefore, in addition to silicosis, it is necessary to include pneumoconiosis among the high-risk groups for TB.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
• /
• v.11 no.3
• /
• pp.1-12
• /
• 2013

Present study examines the gender disparity in terms of its beneficiaries or benefit amount of National Pension of South Korea from the perspective of gender sensitivity. National Pension system has been manipulated and developed in order to maximize its universality. However, substantial gender differences are still found in terms of beneficiary number and benefit amount in the program. Benefit condition and benefit structure are determined assuming that male is the primary breadwinner in household and the primary regular full time worker in labor market. Women are only counted as dependents or excluded as unstable workers. As a result, women are fully or partially excluded from the program as they are excluded in other public sector such as labor market. Women's work (such as caring and housekeeping) are not taken into account in National Pension program. Policy suggestions for the National Pension of South Korea are also provided as the last part of this paper.

• Journal of Korean Society of Industrial and Systems Engineering
• /
• v.37 no.4
• /
• pp.72-81
• /
• 2014

Even though two-hands lifting/lowering activity of manual materials handling tasks are prevalent at the industrial site, many manual materials handling tasks which require the worker to perform one-hand lifting/lowering are also very common at the industrial site, forestry, farming, and daily life. The objective of this study was to compare one-hand lowering activity to lifting activity in terms of biomechanical stress for the range of lowering heights from knuckle height to 10cm above floor level with two workload 7.5kg and 15.0kg. Eight male subjects with LMM were asked to perform lifting/lowering tasks using both a one-handed (left-hand and right-hand) as well as a two-handed technique. Spinal loading was estimated through an EMG-assisted free-dynamic biomechanical model. The biomechanical stress of one-hand lowering activity was shown to be 43% lower than that of one-hand lifting activity. It was claimed that the biomechanical stress for one-hand lifting/lowering activity is almost twice (194%) of the one for two-hands lifting/lowering activity. It was also found that biomechanical stress by one-hand lowering/lifting activity with the half workload of two-hands lowering/lifting activity was greater than that of the two-hands lowering/lifting activity. Therefore, it might be a risk to consider the RWL of one-hand lowering/lifting activity to simply be a half of the RWL of two-hands lowering/lifting activity recommended by NIOSH.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
• /
• v.30 no.5
• /
• pp.597-603
• /
• 2011

Objective: The objective of this study was to compare one-hand and two-hands lifting activity in terms of biomechanical stress for the range of lifting heights from 10cm above floor level to knuckle height. Background: Even though two-hands lifting activity of manual materials handling tasks are prevalent at the industrial site, many manual materials handling tasks which require the worker to perform one-hand lifting are also very common at the industrial site and forestry and farming. Method: Eight male subjects were asked to perform lifting tasks using both a one-handed as well as a two-handed lifting technique. Trunk muscle electromyographic activity was recorded while the subjects performed the lifting tasks. This information was used as input to an EMG-assisted free-dynamic biomechanical model that predicted spinal loading in three dimensions. Results: It was shown that for the left-hand lifting tasks, the values of moment, lateral shear force, A-P shear force, and compressive force were increased by the average 43%, as the workload was increased twice from 7.5kg to 15.0kg. For the right-hand lifting task, these were increased by the average 34%. For the two-hands lifting tasks, these were increased by the average 25%. The lateral shear forces at L5/S1 of one-hand lifting tasks, notwithstanding the half of the workload of two-hands lifting tasks, were very high in the 300~317% of the one of two-hands lifting tasks. The moments at L5/S1 of one-hand lifting tasks were 126~166% of the one of two-hands lifting tasks. Conclusion: It is concluded that the effect of workload for one-hand lifting is greater than two-hands lifting. It can also be concluded that asymmetrical effect of one-hand lifting is much greater than workload effect. Application: The results of this study can be used to provide guidelines of recommended safe weights for tasks involved in one-hand lifting activity.

• Journal of Community Nutrition
• /
• v.7 no.3
• /
• pp.135-140
• /
• 2005

This study was conducted to evaluate the health status of staff by medical examination data according to the work classification as professional, office worker and laborer in K University in Seoul, Korea. Two thousand four hundred and eighty-four staff (men : 1154, female: 1330) from the university were studied for this report. The anthropometric (height, weight and BMI) and blood pressure (systolic, diastolic) and biochemical parameters (hemoglobin, glucose, cholesterol, AST, ALT) were measured. All groups were calculated using GLM multivariate analysis for three groups after adjustment for age. The average BMI was significantly higher in laborers than professionals and officers after adjustment for age. In blood pressure, especially in SBP, the significant difference was found in females according to the job classification. Blood glucose levels of female laborers were significantly higher than those of officers and professionals. The level of blood total cholesterol of male professionals was significantly higher than those of laborers. The level of blood total cholesterol of female laborers was significantly higher than officers or professionals. Importantly, significant differences were found in BMI, SBP, blood glucose level and cholesterol level of female staff after adjustment for age. These results showed that there were differences in health subjects of staff according to the work classification. This study would provide basic data to prepare the program of health promotion for the college staff according to work classification. Further research is required to discover factors influencing health promotion of staff in colleges.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
• /
• v.9 no.4
• /
• pp.519-527
• /
• 2004

This study was designed firstly to measure the job satisfaction (JS) levels of personnel engaged in contract food-service management company (CFMC), secondly to compare the job satisfaction levels by personal and company-related characteristics, and thirdly to identify the effects of JS facets on overall job satisfaction. Of 1135 respondents, there were 712 employees in the headquarters and 423 in the branch office. From an analysis on job satisfaction, overall job satisfaction level was 3.22 out of a maximum 5 and the co-worker (3.71) facet of JS was the highest job satisfaction followed by supervision (3.32), work itself (3.26), working condition (3.15), promotion (2.95) and payroll (2.74). In comparison of job satisfaction by personal characteristics, the personnel who were male (p < .01), had associate degrees (p < .01) or long-term careers in foodservice field (p < .05), or were regular employees (p < .01) perceived significantly higher than others for overall JS. In comparison of the job satisfaction by company-related characteristics, overall JS was significant by company scale (p < .01) and by work place (p < .05), but it was not significant by operating group. Finally, on the regression analysis for the effects of JS facets on overall JS, adjusted R2 was 0.534 (p < .001) and all six JS facets, especially payroll, had a positive effect on overall JS significantly (p < .001). Considering that the goal of enterprise on profit-making through customer satisfaction (CS) and the role of personnel on CS at moment of thrust (MOT), the findings confirmed the necessity for continuous internal marketing and human relation management focusing on the lower level of JS facets.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
• /
• v.47
• /
• pp.178-205
• /
• 2001

This article investigates 295 social workers in order to find out how much they believe that each behavior related to dual relationships is ethical and with how many clients they engaged in these behaviors. This article, based on the literature, explores three areas of dual relationships which are sexual, bartering, and private dual relationships. The results from the research were 1) The social workers tend to believe that while sexual and bartering dual relationships are less ethical, private dual relationships are more ethical. Meanwhile, they have little experience to engage in all areas of dual relationships; 2) Compared to beliefs and experiences, the social workers believe that each behavior is ethical, but they have less experienced the same behavior. However, the result of strong correlations between beliefs and experiences shows that the more the social workers believe that the behaviors are ethical, the more they tend to engage in the behaviors; 3) Based on socio-demographic characteristics, male social workers tend to accept dual relationships as ethical behavior than their female counterparts do. And those who are practicing in health settings tend to believe that the behaviors related to dual relationships are less ethical than those who are practicing in the other areas of the profession do. Finally, the research recommends that enhancing social worker's self-awareness and professional maturity is needed in order to prevent the occurrence of dual relationship engagement. Also, social work professional associations and agencies should provide education, training, and institutional restrictive devices for dealing with unethical dual relationships.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Costume
• /
• v.67 no.2
• /
• pp.17-35
• /
• 2017

The purpose of this study was to present empirically the factors in appearance management behavior, the differences in appearance management behavior according to various occupational characteristics and demographic characteristics, and the degree of efforts to manage appearance for workers. The questionnaire was administered to 1,056 male and female workers in 10 occupational categories in Korea. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, factor analysis, analyses of variance (ANOVA) and chi-square tests. The results of the study are as follows. First, the factors of workers' appearance management behavior consist of 'appearance management for decoration' and 'appearance management for a good feeling'. Workers perform appearance management behavior for a good feeling more than appearance management behavior for decoration. Second, there were statistically significant differences in the appearance management behaviors of the workers according to occupational categories, the size of the organization, the presence of the dress code in the workplace. Third, there were statistically significant differences in the management behaviors of workers by gender of demographic characteristics. Fourth, the largest number of monthly average expense for appearance management was 100,000~300,000 won (44.1%), and the largest number of daily average time for appearance management was 30 minutes~1 hour (45.5%). This study presents the tendency of appearance management behaviors according to the occupational characteristics and demographic characteristics of workers and helps the marketer in the appearance industry understand the target customer clearly.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
• /
• v.32 no.5
• /
• pp.413-420
• /
• 2013

Objective: The objective of this study was to compare one-hand and two-hands lowering activity in terms of biomechanical stress for the range of lowering heights from knuckle height to 10cm above floor level. Background: Even though two-hands lifting/lowering activity of manual materials handling tasks are prevalent at the industrial site, many manual materials handling tasks which require the worker to perform one-hand lifting/lowering are also very common at the industrial site and forestry and farming. Method: Eight male subjects were asked to perform lowering tasks using both a one-handed as well as a two-handed lowering technique. Trunk muscle electromyographic activity was recorded while the subjects performed the lowering tasks. This information was used as input to an EMG-assisted free-dynamic biomechanical model that predicted spinal loading in three dimensions. Results: It was shown that for the left-hand lowering tasks, the values of moment, lateral shear force, A-P shear force, and compressive force were increased by the average 6%, as the workload was increased twice from 7.5kg to 15kg. For the right-hand lowering task, these were increased by the average 17%. For the two-hands lowering tasks, these were increased by the average 14%. Conclusion: Even though the effect of workload on the biomechanical stress for both one-hand and two-hands lowering tasks is not so significant for the workload less than 15kg, it can be claimed that the biomechanical stress for one-hand lowering is greater than for two-hands lowering tasks. Therefore, it can be concluded that asymmetrical lowering posture would give greater influence on the biomechanical stress than the workload effect for one-hand lowering activity. Application: The result of this study may be used to provide guidelines of recommended safe weights for tasks involved in one-hand lowering activity.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
• /
• v.27 no.3
• /
• pp.81-92
• /
• 2008

Musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) problems have been increasingly reported in hospital sector but the problems were not addressed with respect to holistic aspects of the target population in Korea. Often, it is required to understand how MSD symptoms are associated with factors such as personal, work environmental and psychosocial stressors. To examine features of association between sets of MSD symptoms and the factors, a questionnaire survey was conducted in a university hospital. A 140-item questionnaire was developed and used for collecting information including factors (e.g., job/occupation, task/activity, job stress) and MSD symptoms. A total of 1,091 workers (male 23.7% and female 76.3%) were finally determined for data analyses. Prevalence rate for the whole body was 72% and, among body parts, the highest was 48.7% for the shoulder, followed by 34.6%(the low back), 32.7%(the leg/foot), 27.9%(the neck), 26.7%(the wrist) and 12%(the elbow). The symptoms were significantly different by job/occupational variable in each of all body parts except the neck. The symptoms were very significantly different by task/activity variables in each of all body parts while those symptoms were significantly different by psychosocial variables, depending on body part and gender. In the logistic regression analyses performed for MSD symptoms by body part and each of 3 factors, odds ratio values varied, ranging from 0.7 to 3.3. The controls for reducing the symptoms were discussed on the basis of the findings. The results show that the MSD symptoms can remarkably vary by the factors and, in particular, can be highly differential for the task/activity factor. This study suggests that MSD symptom features be examined by using various factors and then a higher differential factor be primarily utilized for controling MSD symptoms in general industry including hospital settings.