• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.251-255
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• 2016

Background: Building demolition can lead to emission of dust into the environment. Exposure to silica dust may be considered as an important hazard in these sites. The objectives of this research were to determine the amount of workers' exposure to crystalline silica dust and assess the relative risk of silicosis and the excess lifetime risk of mortality from lung cancer in demolition workers. Methods: Four sites in the Tehran megacity region were selected. Silica dust was collected using the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health method 7601 and determined spectrophotometrically. The Mannetje et al and Rice et al models were chosen to examine the rate of silicosis-related mortality and the excess lifetime risk of mortality from lung cancer, respectively. Results: The amount of demolition workers' exposure was in the range of $0.085-0.185mg/m^3$. The range of relative risk of silicosis related mortality was increased from 1 in the workers with the lowest exposure level to 22.64/1,000 in the employees with high exposure level. The range of the excess lifetime risk of mortality from lung cancer was in the range of 32-60/1,000 exposed workers. Conclusion: Geometric and arithmetic mean of exposure was higher than threshold limit value for silica dust in all demolition sites. The risk of silicosis mortality for many demolition workers was higher than 1/1,000 (unacceptable level of risk). Estimating the lifetime lung cancer mortality showed a higher risk of mortality from lung cancer in building demolition workers.

• 대한예방의학회:학술대회논문집
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• 1995.10a
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• pp.333-334
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• 1995

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.445-451
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• 2021

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the reliability and validity of the self-administered questionnaire for Korean radiation workers. Methods: From May 24, 2016, to June 30, 2017, 20,608 participants completed the questionnaire, providing information on sociodemographics, lifestyle, work history and practices, medical radiation exposure, and medical history, which was linked to the National Dose Registry and the National Cancer Registry. The validity of the questionnaire was evaluated using the responses of 20,608 workers, and reliability was evaluated using the responses of 3043 workers who responded to the survey twice. Results: Responses concerning demographic characteristics and lifestyle showed reliability with a moderate-to-high agreement (kappa: 0.43-0.99), whereas responses concerning occupation and medical radiation exposure had a wide range of agreement (kappa: 0.05-0.95), possibly owing to temporal variability during employment. Regarding validity, responses to the question about the first year of employment had an excellent agreement with the national registry (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.9); however, responses on cancer history had a wide range of agreement (kappa: 0.22-0.85). Conclusion: Although the reliability and validity of the questionnaire were not distinguished by demographic characteristics, they tended to be low among participants whose occupational radiation exposure was minimal. Overall, the information collected can be reliable for epidemiological studies; however, caution must be exercised when using information such as medical exposure and work practices, which are prone to temporal variability.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.43-48
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• 2016

Background: Work Ability Index (WAI) is a well-known and valid self-report tool that has been widely used in various studies to identify and avoid early retirement and work-related disability. Nevertheless, very few studies have been carried out to evaluate work ability in Iran. We aimed to investigate the WAI and the effect of work-related stress on it among Iranian workers. Methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive and analytic study was carried out among 449 workers from five working sectors in three big cities of Iran. Work ability and work-related stress were measured using the Persian version of WAI and the Persian version of Health and Safety Executive Stress Indicator Tool. Results: More than a third of the workers surveyed (34.70%) did not have an appropriate level of work ability (WAI < 37). There was a significant correlation between subscales of work-related stress and the mean score of WAI. Furthermore, the variables of body mass index, sleep quality, exercise activity, job tenure, and three subscales of work-related stress including demands, supervisor support, and role were significant predictors of WAI. Conclusion: According to the results of this study, the interventional programs must be focused on improving supervisors support, eliminating ambiguity and conflicts in the role of workers in their job and organization, reducing job demands, improving sleep quality, and increasing exercise activity.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.293-302
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• 2015

Objective: This study was performed to investigate the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders in auto workers of a mission assembly plants. Background: Most studies of musculoskeletal disorders have used car assembly line workers as their participants. However, little research has been done on musculoskeletal disorders afflictions of mission assembly line workers. Method: Through a focus group interview with an ergonomist and a manager at a mission assembly plant site, a questionnaire was developed for musculoskeletal disorders. The questionnaire consisted of five parts, demographic factors, musculoskeletal disorder symptoms, and musculoskeletal disorder experiences; 137 workers participated in this survey. The surveys were analyzed by correlation and Chi-squared analysis. Results: Musculoskeletal disorder symptoms and serious pain were reported in the neck, shoulder, back, and fingers. These problems were statistically related to various demographic factors, such as age, stature, stretching, and work satisfaction. Conclusion: Treatment of musculoskeletal disorders should consider the workers' traits. If there is no specific cause of the pain, developing stretches and exercises before and after work should be applied to prevent musculoskeletal disorders. Application: The results of this study can be used to develop guidelines to prevent injury in auto workers at mission assembly plants.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.41-53
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• 2006

This study was carried out to investigate the linkage between health care and social services for the elderly in Jeonnam Province and its related factors. The subjects were 831 persons of visiting health service workers and social welfare workers in Jeonnam Province who responded the mail questionnaire (85.5% respondse rate). The data were collected from 15th May to 30th June, 2004 using the structured questionnaire. It was composed of the socio-demographic characteristics, the content and frequency of services referred between health care and social welfare workers, and interdisciplinary perception. Data was analysed by SPSS for Windows 12.0. 374(45.0%) reported having experience of service cooperation between health care and social welfare workers for the last three month. The most service that health care workers requested to social welfare workers was to get information for the client, on the other hand the most service that social welfare workers requested to health care workers was to visit and treat the elderly. These service providers in rural area and good attitude toward the cooperation between health care and social welfare service showed more linkage. The findings of this study could provide the basic data for the development of efficient coordinating program of health and welfare.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.84-88
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• 2017

Background: Workers in slaughterhouses are exposed to a wide range of biological contaminants, such as bacteria and fungi, due to their working environment. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of respiratory disorders among workers in slaughterhouses. Methods: This study was conducted on 81 workers in slaughterhouses and 81 healthy office workers as a reference group. The American Thoracic Society standard respiratory symptoms questionnaire was used to determine the prevalence of respiratory disorders. Besides, lung function tests were conducted using a calibrated spirometer at the beginning (preshift) and at the end (postshift) of the $1^{st}$ working day. Single-stage Anderson sampler was used to measure the concentration of bioaerosols in different parts of slaughterhouses. Results: The prevalence of respiratory disorders, such as cough, productive cough, breathlessness, phlegm, and wheezing, was 3.17, 4.02, 3.07, 4.66, and 3.94 times, respectively, higher among workers in slaughterhouses compared with the reference group. Conclusion: The prevalence of respiratory disorders was significantly higher among workers in slaughterhouses. Thus, the significant reduction in the percentage predicted lung function among workers in slaughterhouses might be associated with exposure to bioaerosols in their work environment.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.31 no.4 s.63
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• pp.708-718
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• 1998

To investigate the effect of smoking and drinking habit on the health status in lead using industries, 2,785 male workers in lead using industries (7 storage battery industries, 7 secondary smelting and related industries, and 4 primary metal and other manufacturing industries) were selected for this study. This study was carried out as a part of periodic health examination. Selected study variables were zinc protoporphyrin in whole blood (ZPP), SGOT and SGPT for laboratory test. Questionnaire for lead related symptoms and smoking and drinking habit was provided to all the workers and filled up by themselves and reconfirmed by physician. The results obtained were as follows; 1. The overall smoking and drinking rate of study population were 69.8% and 73.6%, respectively. While the smoking and drinking rate of storage battery workers were 68.8% and 72.3%, those of secondary smelting industries and other industries were 66.0% & 66.4% and 74.6 & 80.3% respectively. 2. While the mean values of blood ZPP of lead exposed workers were significantly higher than other group, those of SGOT of storage battery workers were significant higher than other worker. But there were no differences of mean values of other variables. 3. Smoking habit did not affect on the mean value of blood ZPP of workers in special health examination group, but there were significant differences of blood ZPP and SGOT between drinker and non-drinker. 4. Symptom prevalence of lead exposure were higher in drinking and smoking group than non-drinking and non-smoking group. 5. In multiple regression analysis of the total lead related symptoms, blood ZPP, SGOT, and SGPT as dependent variable, respectively, and age, work duration, blood ZPP, pack year and amount of alcohol drinking as independent variables, work duration, pack year, amount of alcohol drinking, age contributed to total symptoms; and age, work duration, pack year contributed to blood ZPP; and age, amount of alcohol drinking, work duration contributed to SGOT; and pack year contributed to SGPT.

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.165-171
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• 2009

Biomarkers indicating past exposure to radiation have not yet been entirely satisfactory. In this study, we validated several genes reported as radiation response genes, as biomarkers to detect past exposure to radiation in occupationally exposed workers, especially workers in the medical field. A total of 54 radiation workers in hospital were investigated for radiation exposure dose. Their average radiation dose of recent one year was 1.09 mSv ($\pm$1.63) with a 10.63 mSv ($\pm$12.91) cumulative dose. The results of the multiple regression analysis for the various variables indicate that the Hsc70 (P=0.0292) and ORAL (P=0.0045) may be candidate biomarkers for the recent 1 year radiation exposure in radiation workers, whereas AEN (P=0.0334) and PGAMI (P=0.0003) might be for cumulative exposure.

• The Korean Journal of Health Service Management
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.243-257
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• 2013

This study was conducted in order to survey in healthcare worker's recognition of diagnosis related group(below; DRG) effect from July 1, 2012, to examine their recognition, expectation of the DRG system, and to provide the basic data necessary for the enforcement of the settlement. The subjects of this study were workers at clinics and hospitals sampled from hospital with DRG applying 7 diseases in Busan and Kyung-nam. A questionnaire of survey was conducted with the subjects working at clinics and hospitals from July, 25, 2012 to September 7, 2012, and the subjects were limited to doctors, officers, nurses, medical technicians and nurse assistants, and a total of 618 subjects were enrolled in this study. In the result of this study, generally, the healthcare workers recognized the DRG system. But their knowledge about that was not clear. Expanding enforcement DRG system at the present time, to provide accurate information to the healthcare consumer, workers need to know about DRG system clearly. To this end, for national health policy and medical institutions, workers should be educated constantly about providing medical service as well as the duty of enough explanation about the healthcare consumer's right to know.