• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.59-67
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• 2005

This study was to investigate knowledge, attitude and the preventive behaviour of noise of workers exposed to harmful noise and to provide primary data for noise-exposed workers' hearing conservation and the prevention of noise induced hearing loss. Method: The subjects were 104 workers who participated voluntarily in the questionnaire. The instrument used in this study was knowledge, attitude and practice on noise-induced hearing loss tool by Rhee & Yi (1996). The data were collected from August to September, 2002 with a self-administered questionnaire. Data were analyzed by SPSS 10.0 win program for finding frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, t-test, and ANOVA. Results: The average age of workers was 35.9 and the current average year of working at the noise place was $5{\sim}$10 years. In the group of previous noise-exposed workers, they showed significant difference in preventive behaviors (t=4.087, p=.048). In the group of current noise-exposed workers, they showed significant difference in recognition and attitude of noise(F=4.707, p=.004). Also, the duration of wearing ear protection equipment(t=2.383, p=.019), the feeling of wearing ear protection equipment(F=3.602, p=.031) and comfortable sense of wearing ear protection (F=3.919, p=.023) was significant in the preventive behaviour of noise. Conclusion: Considering the results above, we can recognize that there are close relations among the knowledge, attitude and the preventive behaviour of noise. Therefore, it is necessary to develop education - programs for noise-exposed workers' better understanding of noise and preventive behaviors

• 월간산업보건
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• s.2
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• pp.4-10
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• 1988

In order to investigate the prevalence of occupational disease in coal mine workers in Chonnam area, a cross sectional study was conducted in 1,097 workers from September to December in 1987. The results were as follows; 1. The prevalence of pneumoconiosis including suspected cases was 6.9% and was increased by age and working duration. 2. The prevalence of pneumoconiosis excluding suspected cases was 2.8%. 3. By the kind of job, prevalence of pneumoconiosis including suspected cases was l2.9% in tunnel drivers, 6.3% in coalface workers and 6.0% in other workers. 4. The prevalence of noise induced hearing loss was 5.1% and was increased by age and working duration. 5. The prevalence of noise induced hearing loss was the highest among tunnel drivers(7.3%), but it was not significantly different by the kind of job. 6. Occupational disease caused by vibration was not found in coal mine workers.

• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.239-251
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• 2023

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of noise-filtering earplugs on the hearing ability of dentists wearing them during noise-induced dental procedures. Pure tone audiometry and distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) tests were conducted at the initial visit and 1 year later to evaluate the hearing ability of the participants. As a result of the study, the pure tone average of the group wearing earplugs decreased significantly compared to the group not wearing earplugs, indicating an improvement in hearing. However, the signal-to-noise ratio of the DPOAE tests did not show a significant difference. These findings suggest that noise-filtering earplugs may have some effectiveness in preventing hearing loss. However, since the 1-year observation period may not be adequate to identify changes in hearing, a follow-up study with an extended follow-up period is necessary.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Information and Commucation Sciences Conference
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• 2009.05a
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• pp.383-386
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• 2009

Todays, many young people suffer from noise-induced hearing loss by using wearable hearing devices, such as Bluetooth headset. This paper present hearing loss reduction algorithms considering individual hearing characteristics and threshold of feeling for Bluetooth headset. Experimental results using CSR Bluetooth headset example design board(DEV-PC-1645) show that individuals may be able to perceive without the inconvenience at the less sound intensity and the more sensitive frequency bands. As a result, we may prevent hearing loss to reduce excessive sound energy in each frequency bands.

• Journal of Korean Society of Industrial and Systems Engineering
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• v.18 no.33
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• pp.135-141
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• 1995

Hearing protection devices (HPDs) are currently the most common countermeasure against occupational noise-induced hearing loss. Use of HPD is only effective when they are properly Worn. However, industrial workers often do not very them, posing a serious under protection. This paper analyzes several motivational strategies which might be applied improve HPD use in the field. It was concluded that such methods could readily be implemented in the workplace to protect workers exposed to hazardous industrial noises.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.298-309
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• 2019

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate stages of safety and health culture change through a reflection on 40 years of hearing conservation history at a multinational company. Methods: The target workplaces were multinational companies with more than 1,000 employees. The research used the clinical case study and system analysis methods based on direct observation of the research from 1994 to 2009. The latter method performed an analysis of the equilibrium state of the cross-section in the given period and the longitudinal profile of the change during the given period. Results: The stages of cultural change are divided into five stages and summarized as follows. In the first stage, workplace noise was not widely recognized as a hazard, while in the second stage, the measurement of noise levels and audiometric testing were conducted under the Korean Occupational Safety and Health Act (KOSHA). The driving force for change in the second stage was the amendment of the KOSHA. In the third stage, noise came to be recognized as a hazard factor through awareness training. The driving force of change during the third stage was the strong executive power exerted by the audit of the industrial hygiene program from the US head office. In the fourth step, there was a change to actually reduce noise. The driving force in this stage was a change in company executives' risk perception resulting from lawsuits over noise-induced hearing loss and the task force team activities for culture change based on the action learning protocol. At the fifth stage, a 'buy quiet policy' was institutionalized. The management's experience that noise reduction was difficult was the motivation to manage noise from the time of purchase of equipment. Conclusions: The activities of a hearing conservation program are determined by the improvement of the legal system and by the way it is enforced. Noise control activities to reduce noise areas may be possible through the shared risk perception of noise-induced hearing loss and by a change agent role as a facilitator to implement noise control.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.357-371
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• 2013

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of health education based on the health belief model (HBM) to the prevention of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) in middle school students. Methods: A pretest-posttest nonequivalent control group was designed for the purpose of this study. A total of 212 students (134 in the experimental group and 78 in the control group) of two middle schools in Seoul were enrolled for the study. Health education of two 45-minutes sessions over two weeks were provided. The data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, Chi-square test, t-test, ANCOVA and repeated measures ANOVA with Bonferroni post-hoc test, using the SPSS version 21.0. Results: There were significant differences between experimental group and control group with reference to perceived susceptibility (F=7.862, p=.006), perceived severity (F=8.291, p=.004), perceived benefits (F=20.311, p<.001), and perceived barriers (F=5.628, p=.019) after health education were provided. We also observed sustained health education effects of perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefits, and perceived barriers in the experimental group for up to 4 weeks after health education were provided. Conclusion: The health education to prevent NIHL based on the HBM improved the health beliefs of the middle school students. Health education on the HBM for the prevention of NIHL should be provided at the level of middle school.

• International journal of advanced smart convergence
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.16-23
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• 2017

In contemporary modern society, people are constantly exposed to many kinds of noise, such as that from machinery, aircraft, construction sites, or road traffic. Noise is considered one of the most indispensable and influential parts of human life. This study investigates the acoustic characteristics of noise transfer from external sources to the human ear. For this study, we measured and analyzed various types of noise environments, installed monitoring speakers in a semi-anechoic room, and conducted intentional noise-filled experiments. In this environment, the size of the sounds generated by use of a portable device was also measured and the SNR (signal to noise ratio) calculated to study the influence of the noise. As sound is transmitted to the ear and the human body, it affects not only auditory damage but also other parts of the body. In this paper, we propose a proper SNR for noise emitted by portable IT equipment to prevent hearing loss when IT equipment is used.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.104-110
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• 2009

It is well known that the saponin of Korean red ginseng (KRG) has an anti-oxidant effect and could suppress the accumulation of lipid peroxidation. The aim of the present study was to observe the inhibitory effect of KRG on mice with noise-induced hearing loss, and to determine its optimal dose. BALB/c mice with a normal hearing level and normal Preyer's reflexes were used in the study. The mice in the permanent-threshold-shift (PTS) group were exposed to noise (120-dB SPL, white noise band) in a noise booth for 3 h a day, for three consecutive days. The mice in the experimental group were given heat-processed red-ginseng extract (50 mg/kg, 100 mg/kg, and 200 mg/kg), and those in the control group were given normal saline alone during their noise exposure. The mice in the temporary-threshold-shift (TTS) group were exposed to noise (120 dBSPL, white noise band) in a noise booth for 3 h. The mice in the experimental group were given heat-processed red-ginseng extract (50 mg/kg, 100 mg/kg, and 200 mg/kg), and those in the control group were given normal saline alone before their noise exposure. The hearing levels of the mice were measured through auditory brainstem response (ABR) immediately and I, 3, 5, 7, and 14 days after their noise exposure. Cochleae were removed from the mice 14 days after their noise exposure. lmmunochemical and immunofluorescent staining were performed to observe the expression of 8-oxoG in cochlea. In the PTS group, the hearing function of the mice in all the groups was not recovered after their noise exposure. In the TTS group, however, the hearing function of the mice in all the groups was recovered within 14 days. Reduced hearing impairment and early recovery were observed in the mice that were given 200 mg/kg KRG, and early recovery was observed in the mice that were given 100 mg/kg KRG The immunopositive staining of 8-oxoG was detected in the stria vascularis in the control group but was diminished in the mice that were given 200 mg/kg KRG The ingestion of more than 100 mg/kg KRG demonstrated a protection and recovery effect on the noiseinduced-TTS group. Since KRG has been reported to be a safe compound even up to hundreds of mg/kg, a higher concentration of it may effectively protect and recover TTS.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.181-191
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• 1991

The present study determined the overall noise level and the distribution of sound pressure level over audible frequency range of noise produced at various work sites. Work-related noise greater than 80dBA produced from 98 separate work sites at 37 manufacturing companies and machine shops were analysed for the overall sound level (dBA) and frequency distribution. In addition, to determine the possible hearing loss related to work site noise, a hearing test was also conducted on 1,374 workers in these work sites. The results of the study were as follows ; 1. Of the total 98 work sites, 57 work sites(58.2%) produced noise exceeding threshold limit value (${\geq}90dBA$) set by the Ministry 01 Labor. In terms of different manufacturing industries the proportion of work sites which exceeded 90dBA was the highest for the cut-stone products industry with 6/6 work sites and lowest for the commercial printing industry with 1/13 work sites. 2. The percentage of workers who were exposed to noise greater than 90dBA was 19.8% (1,040 workers) 01 the total 5,261 workers. In terms of different industries, cut-stone products industry had the most workers exposed to noise exceeding 90dBA with 82.8%, textile bleaching and dyeing industry was next at 30.6% followed by fabricated metal products industry with 27.9%, plastic products manufacturing industry had the lowest percentage of workers exposed to 90dBA exceeding noise with 4.5%. 3. There was a statistically significant correlation between the frequency of noise-induced hearing loss and the percentage of workers exposed to noise exceeding 90dBA (P<0.05). 4. The frequency analysis of noise produced at the 98 work sites revealed that 44 work sites (44.9%) had the maximum sound pressure level at high-frequencies greater than 2KHz. In addition, significantly higher sound pressure level was detected at the high-frequencies at 90dBA exceeding work sites as compared to below 90dBA work sites (P<0.01). 5. The differences in sound level meter's A-and C-weighted sound pressure levels were analysed by frequencies. Of the 28 work sites which showed 0-1 dB difference in the two weighted sound levels, 20 work sites (71.4%) had significantly higher sound pressure levels at high-frequencies greater than 2KHz (P<0.01). Furthermore, there was a tendency for higher sound pressure levels to occur in the high-frequency range as the differences in the two weighted sound levels decreased.