• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.127-141
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• 2007

This study examined the differences of elderly workers' psychological well-being according to gender and explored the variables which account for their psychological well-being. Paid laborers aged 60 or older(eight-five men and nine-eight females) were interviewed. The psychological well-being of male workers was higher than that of the female workers. The control level of activity and family support were the variables that explained the psychological well-being of male paid workers. The higher the control level of activity was, and the more support given from family, the higher the psychological well-being scores they showed. Educational level, demand level of activity, and material reward determined the psychological well-being of female workers. The higher their educational level was, the lower the demand level of activity was, and the fewer rewards they received from paid work, the higher their psychological well-being was.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.1-23
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• 1996

This study was conducted to investigate health management and health awareness of industrial workers and use the information for the development of health education program and the guidline of health management for industrial workers. The survey was carried out on 1,200 workers who were selected from Incheon, Ulsan, Pohang, Masan, Changwon city from Oct. 2 to Oct. 31. 1995. The main results are summarized as follows. 1. With regard to health behavior after regular physical examination, 48.3% of subjests answered "consulting with medical doctors or health workers" and 7.9% answered "non action anything", 2. As for need of environmental control of work, of the total subjects, 96.1% answered "need". 3. As for participation of health education, 61.2% of the subjects were positive, which was higher in male, in higher age groups, in middle school graduates, in healthy group by self assessment than other groups respectively. 4. As for knowledge level of the disease, the average score was $4,97{\pm}1.41$ point to 7 point full mark (71 point to 100 point full mark), the score level was higher in male higher economic, in office workers, in higher education groups, in working period longer groups, in healthier groups, in higher age groups than other groups respectively. 5. As for attitude level of the disease, the average score was $4,70{\pm}1.25$ point to 7 point full mark (67.1 point to 100 point full mark), which was lower, in higher age group, in longer education level, in healthier groups in longer working period than other groups respectively, while the score was higher in male, in day-time workers, in urban residence than other groups respectively.han other groups respectively.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.49 no.6
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• pp.748-759
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• 2019

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the effect of spouses participating in health coaching on stage of the change, health behaviors, and physiological indicators among male office workers with cardiocerebrovascular disease (CVD) risk factors and compare the findings with trainers who provided health coaching only to workers. Methods: A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design was used. Convenience sampling was used to recruit participants from a manufacturing research and development company in the city of Gyeonggi province. The health coaching program for the experimental group (n=26) included individual counseling sessions according to workers' stage of change, and provision of customized health information materials on CVD prevention to workers and their spouses for 12 weeks through mobile phone and email. Results: After 12 weeks of intervention, the total score for health behavior, and scores on the sub-areas of exercise and health checkups significantly improved in the experimental group, but there were no significant differences in the scores of stage of the change and physical indicators. The results of a paired t-test showed a significant decrease in the body mass index, abdominal circumference, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, total cholesterol and triglyceride values, and a significant increase in the high-density lipoprotein cholesterol value in the experimental group after the intervention. Conclusion: To improve the health of male workers with CVD risk factors in the workplace, sharing health information with their spouses has proven to be more effective than health coaching for only workers. Therefore, it is important to develop strategies to encourage spousal participation when planning workplace health education for changing health-related behaviors.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.97-102
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• 2020

Background: It is well known that the prevalence of obesity in Korea is increasing over time, however it is not known how the trends among occupational groups and sex differ in such increasing trends. This study was designed to provide recent trends of obesity among workers in Korea and to identify whether there were differences among occupational groups. Methods: We used data from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, Phases I to VI (19982015), to analyze trends in the prevalence of obesity in adult Korean workers. Obesity was defined as a body mass index of 25 kg/㎡ or higher. Occupations were classified into 3 groups: (a) nonmanual workers, (b) service/sales workers, and (c) manual workers. Results: During the period of the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Phases I to VI, the prevalence of obesity in male workers increased in all occupations (31.1% to 39.5% in manual workers, 32.3% to 38.2% in service/sales workers, and 25.3% to 39.7% in manual workers). However, female workers did not show any particular tendency toward obesity, except for a significant decrease in the prevalence rate in service/sales workers (30.8% to 23.9%, p for trend = 0.0048). Conclusion: The trends of obesity prevalence by sex and occupation were different. For male manual workers, the prevalence rate increased steadily during the data period, while it decreased steadily in female sales/service workers.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.95-105
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• 2003

Purpose: This study was conducted to analyze occupational and leisure-time physical activity(LTPA) in male office workers and to examine factors related to LTPA. Method: The subjects for this study were 226 male office workers, from eight work places located in Seoul, who had no physical restrictions. Minnesota LPTA Questionnaire (Taylor et al., 1978) revised by Kim(1997) was used to measure LTPA and revised Tecumseh Occupational Physical Activity Questionnaire (Motoye, 1971) was used to measure occupational physical activity. The data were collected from May 4 to May 19, 2001 using a semi-structured questionnaire with interviews and self reports. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS Windows 10.0 Program. Results: The results of this study are summarized as follows. 1. The mean level of physical activity was 8,716.9kcal/wk. The occupational physical activity was at 6,605kcal/wk(75.8%) and the level of LTPA was 2,111.4kcal/wk (24.2%). 2. Using 2,000kcal/wk as a base for categorizing LTPA as active or inactive, it was found that there were 94 subjects(41.6%) in the active group. 3. Subjects in their thirties had a lower level of LTPA than subjects in other age groups (F=3.484, p<.05). Physical activity, self-efficacy (r=.405, p=.000) and perceived health status (r=.301, p=.000) were positively related to LTPA. 4. Participants in club activities had a higher level of LTPA than those who did not (t=-2.369, p=.020). Support for physical activity(r=.164, p=0.13) was positively related to LTPA. Conclusion: This study suggested that to increase physical activity in male office workers, physical activity promotion programs should be established according to age and sex especially for those who are in their thirties and for women, and should include strategies strengthening support through peer groups and family, developing club activities and increasing physical activity self-efficacy.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.244-256
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• 2012

Objectives: This study was conducted to assess the level of depression and its association with sociodemographic characteristics and health related characteristics, job-related characteristics, sleep quality, occupational stress among manufacturing male immigrant worker in Korea. Methods: Total number of subject were 287 workers employed in 19 manufacturing industry. A structured self-administered questionnaire was used to assess each responder's sociodemographic and health related characteristics, job-related characteristics, sleep quality (PSQI), Korean occupational stress (KOSS), Depression (CES-D). The job stress questionna ire was used according to KOSS-26 and depression symptoms were measured using CES-D, which was translated into Korean. We used multiple logistic regression analysis to assess the relationship between risk factors included job stress, sleep quality and depression. Results: The prevalence of depression in survey subjects was 63.9%and poor group (PSQI) (5 point and over at PSQI score)among all subjects were 83.28%. Adjusting for confounding factor, higher the occupational stress (KOSS), depression levels were significantly higher (${\beta}=0.5575$), worse quality of sleep, the more depressed the level was slightly high ${\beta}=0.118$) did not reach statistical significance. Conclusions: The prevalence of depressive symptoms among the study subjects was higher than that among the Korean workers. Especially, the level of depression was more influenced by occupational stress than quality of sleep. Therefore, the author recommend to prepare the effective strategy for reducing the depression and also reducing the occupational stress among immigrant male workers, and the author consider that it need to support the convenient working environment such as consultation for difficulty or health care among immigrant male workers.

• Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
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• v.35
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• pp.40.1-40.10
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• 2023

Background: Efforts for the prevention and management of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) in workers have been actively pursued. Obesity is one of the important risk factors related to CVDs. Obesity has various metabolic characteristics, and some individuals can be metabolically healthy. Body composition including skeletal muscle mass is known to have protective effect in obesity. The study aims to investigate the association between skeletal muscle mass and Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency (KOSHA) CVD risk among obese male manufacturing workers in Korea and to identify appropriate indicators of skeletal muscle mass for predicting risk of CVDs. Methods: The study was conducted on 2,007 obese male workers at a manufacturing industry aged more than 19 years. Skeletal muscle mass, skeletal muscle index (SMI), skeletal muscle mass percent (SMM%) and skeletal muscle to body fat ratio (MFR) were used to evaluate body composition and these indicators were divided into quartiles. The odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the KOSHA CVD risk groups according to quartiles of skeletal muscle mass indicators were estimated using ordinal logistic regression analysis. Results: The OR for the KOSHA CVD risk groups in the highest quartile of SMI was 1.67 (95% CI: 1.42-1.92), while the ORs for the KOSHA CVD risk groups in the highest quartiles of SMM%, SMM/body mass index (BMI), and MFR were 0.47 (95% CI: 0.22-0.72), 0.51 (95% CI: 0.05-0.76), and 0.48 (95% CI: 0.23-0.74), respectively. Conclusions: We found that high SMI increase the likelihood of high risk of CVDs, while high SMM%, SMM/BMI, and MFR lower the likelihood of high risk of CVDs. Accurate evaluation of skeletal muscle mass can help assess the cardiovascular risk in obese male workers.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.338-344
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• 2024

Background: Sickness presenteeism (SP) has gained attention in occupational health. This study aimed to analyze the relationship between SP and depressive symptoms by occupation and employment type during the COVID-19 pandemic in Korea. Methods: Community Health Survey data (August 16 to October 31, 2020-2021) were used to assess depressive symptoms and SP among workers (n = 221,241; mean age 46.0; 53.5% male). Depressive symptoms were measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and SP was defined by the ability to rest at home when exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of depressive symptoms were estimated using multiple logistic regression analyses for each sex and year stratum. The interaction between SP and occupation on depressive symptoms was assessed using relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI). Results: The prevalence of depressive symptoms was higher in individuals with SP than in those without SP (4.22% [n = 696] vs. 1.89% [n = 3861], respectively). After adjusting for demographic and occupational variables, the association between SP and depressive symptoms was significant in both sexes in 2020 and 2021 (OR [95% CI]: 2.18 [1.82-2.62], 2.41 [1.97-2.93], 2.05 [1.77-2.38], 2.47 [2.11-2.88] for male-2020, male-2021, female-2020, and female-2021, respectively). A marginally significant interaction between service workers and SP on depressive symptoms was observed among male workers in 2021 (RERI = 2.37, 95% CI = [-0.04-4.78]) but not in other strata. Conclusion: SP is significantly associated with depressive symptoms in Korean workers across employment and occupational types, with a prominent association in service workers.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.185-198
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• 2020

Purpose - The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of performance-related pay on gender labor productivity differences theoretically and empirically. Design/methodology/approach - This study analyzes the Principal-Agent model in which a firm employes many male and female workers under moral hazard, and uses large survey data from Survey of Business Activities of MDIS (MicroData Integrated Service) in Korea. The fixed-effect model is employed in order to analyze the data. Findings - The theoretical result is that, after performance-related pay is offered to workers, the effect of performance-related pay on gender productivity is determined by whether the female ratio within firm affects firm's performance(such as revenue and profit) per capita. The empirical result is that, before performance-related pay is provided for all workers, the firm's female ratio does not affect firm's revenue and profit per capita at all, but after it is offered, the female ratio positively affects firm's performance per capita. Research implications or Originality - Fixed pay does not bring about the difference between male and female productivity, but performance-related pay affects female productivity more positively than male productivity in Korean firms. It means that female workers are more sensitive to incentives than men in Korea.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.22 no.4 s.28
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• pp.480-485
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• 1989

The objective of this study was to examine the correlation between personal exposure of toluene at workplace and the concentration of hippuric acid in urine of male solvent workers. The study groups are 60 toluene exposed workers who worked at video tape factory and printing factory. The results are as follows : 1. The coefficient of correlation between toluene concentration of personal exposure and concentration of urinary hippuric acid was 0.649 (regression equation Y=0.015X+0.936, Y=urinary hippuric acid concentration, X=Toluene concentration of personal exposure). 2. Urinary hippuric acid concentration of workers with TLV 100 ppm of toluene was calculated 2.44 g/L by the regression equation (Y=0.015X+0.936).