• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
• /
• v.32 no.4
• /
• pp.152-163
• /
• 2023

Purpose: This study aimed to identify the effects of musculoskeletal symptoms and burden on presenteeism among nurses in a gastrointestinal endoscopy unit. Methods: This was an observational cross-sectional study. Data were collected through self-reported questionnaires administered to 140 nurses working in the gastrointestinal endoscopy unit of a hospital located in Busan metropolitan city. Results: The body part with the most musculoskeletal symptoms was the back (73.2%), and the most common musculoskeletal burden work was "when you have to stand or maintain the same posture for a long time in a lead apron protection clothes." The factors most related to work impairment were working hours, musculoskeletal symptoms, and musculoskeletal burden, with an explanatory power of 63.3%. Factors affecting perceived productivity were working hours and musculoskeletal symptoms, with an explanatory power of 29.2 %. Conclusion: To reduce work impairment and increase the perceived productivity of nurses in gastrointestinal endoscopy units, various programs and improved working environments are needed that can improve musculoskeletal symptoms and reduce musculoskeletal burden.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
• /
• v.45 no.4
• /
• pp.604-612
• /
• 2015

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the levels of physical symptoms, anxiety, depression, and quality of life (QOL) during chemotherapy for colorectal cancer patients in South Korea and to identify factors influencing their QOL. Methods: Data were collected from 144 colorectal cancer patients receiving chemotherapy during 2012 at one general hospital located in Seoul. Physical symptoms were measured by the M. D. Anderson Symptom Inventory-Gastrointestinal Cancer Module, and anxiety and depression were measured by the Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale. QOL was measured by the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Colorectal. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, one-way ANOVA, $Scheff{\acute{e}}$ post hoc test, Pearson correlation and stepwise multiple regression. Results: Mean age of the participants was 56.6 and most of them were not employed. In terms of cancer stage, 38.2% were in stage 3, followed by stage 4 (34.7%). The most frequent symptom was lack of appetite, followed by sleep disturbance and fatigue. The mean score for anxiety was 5.40 with a prevalence of 23% and that of depression 8.85 with a prevalence of 64.6%. The mean score for quality of life was 81.93 out of 136 and 75.3% of the variance in QOL was explained by depression, symptoms, anxiety, treatment place, and occupational status. Depression was the strongest predictive factor. Conclusion: Oncology professionals need to pay special attention to relieving depression as well as physical symptoms to improve QOL during chemotherapy for colorectal cancer patients.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
• /
• v.23 no.3
• /
• pp.121-134
• /
• 2004

A research project was conducted to study work-related musculoskeletal disorders （MSDs） at subway train repair plant in Korea. The project was consisted of 4 main parts; education on the topics of MSDs for all workers, symptom survey, medical check-up, investigation of MSD risk factors. The result of symptom survey showed that 95.2％ of the respondents complained pains on at least one part of the body. After cross-sectional analysis of various information and risk factors, 86.8％ of respondents were considered as active health surveillance level 1 that require continuous monitoring on their symptoms and working conditions. And 57.1％ of the respondents were considered as active health surveillance level 2 that needed medical check-ups for proper medical treatment. The analysis of occupational risk factors revealed that handling of heavy object (46.15％) and repeated awkward postures (46.15％) were two most contributing risk factors for the on-set of MSD at this work site followed by static strain (7.7％), and vibration and impact (3.8％). Medical examination was performed by an industrial medicine MD on 156 workers those considered as active health surveillance level 2. The result showed that 35 workers (20.7％) were considered as MSD patient group at severe level, and 68.6 workers (68.6％) were considered as moderate group and 18 workers (10.6％) were considered minor or normal group those have no symptom.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
• /
• v.15 no.3
• /
• pp.250-260
• /
• 2005

This study was designed to find the symptom prevalence rates of musculoskeletal disorders and the risk factors of musculoskeletal disorders among selected hair dressers. Methods; The survey were conducted from July 1 to 30, 2004 for 459 hair dressers working in Seoul and Gwangju using self-administration questionnaire. The risk factors on musculoskeletal disorders have analysed by multiple linear regression analysis. The results of this study are summarized as follows: The experience rate of musculoskeletal disorders symptom in the last one year was 56.4%. The experience rates of each body parts were 36.4% on the shoulders, 30.5% on the legs and the feet, 28.5% on the low back, 27.0% on the hand and the fingers, 23.3% on the neck and 17.0% on the arms and the elbows. The prevalence rate of musculoskeletal disorders symptom in the last one week was 40.5%, those of each body parts were 24.0% on the legs and the feet, 21.4% on the shoulders, 20.7% on the low back, 15.7% on the hand and the wrists, 15.0% on the neck, 9.4% on the arms. The risk factors on musculoskeletal disorders were working posture(${\beta}=0.32$), perceived stress(${\beta}=0.19$), working period(${\beta}=0.16$), standing working over 10 hour(${\beta}=0.16$), hard working(${\beta}=0.11$). The adjusted determinant coefficient($R^2$) of this regression model was 0.267. Based on the results, in order to prevent musculoskeletal disorders of hair dressers, working posture shall be improved and leisure opportunities to relieve stress, and health management program shall be provided.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
• /
• v.16 no.10
• /
• pp.6627-6640
• /
• 2015

This study was performed to determine the complaint rates of musculoskeletal symptoms and its association with related factors among manufacturing workers. The self-administered questionnaires were given to 856 male with 50 or less employees in manufacturing industries. As a results, complaint rates of work-related musculoskeletal symptoms of the body sites was 61.2% for shoulders, 55.4% for low back, 55.3% for neck, 38.6%, for legs/feet, 32.2% for hands/wrists/fingers and 26.9% for arms/elbows. In logistic regression analysis of significant factors related with musculoskeletal symptoms of body sites, neck was related with marital status, subjective health status, smoking, drinking coffee and occupational stress, shoulders was related with job tenure, shift work, visiting out-patient department and occupational stress, arms/elbows was related with sleeping time, experience of sick absence and occupational stress, hands/wrists/fingers was related with age, smoking, drinking coffee, working hour, job position, job tenure, visiting out-patient department and occupational stress, low back was related with educational level, BMI, sleeping time, job position, job tenure, visiting out-patient department and occupational stress and legs/feet was related with marital status, job position, job tenure, history of hospitalization and occupational stress.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.28 no.2 s.50
• /
• pp.433-449
• /
• 1995

The study subjects in this study are 295 workers who work on one electronics industry, and they were composed of 93 VDT and 202 non-VDT workers. This study was carried out to obtain the prevalence of subjective symptoms and to compare psychological symptom scores from SCL-90-R between VDT and non-VDT work groups. And to verify the relationship between VDT work related symptoms and psychological symptoms, the author compared SCL-90-R T scores between symptom complaining and non-complaining groups. The results are summarized as follows : 1. Throughout the prevalence study of VDT work related symptoms according to VDT work state, the author could select the final 10 symptoms by sex;'eye fatigue', 'foggy vision', 'neck discomfort or pain', 'shoulder discomfort and pain', 'light headedness', 'dizziness', 'acne', 'itching sensation on face', 'difficulty in concentration', 'memory disturbance' in males, and 'blurred vision', 'foggy vision', 'neck discomfort or pain', 'shoulder discomfort and pain', 'abdominal distention', 'indigestion', 'acne', 'prickling sensation on face', 'difficulty in concentration', 'memory disturbance' in females. 2. Throughout comparison of psychological symptom scores from SCL-90-R between VDT and non-VDT workers, except 'Interpersonal sensitivity' in female, Mean T score were higher in VDT workers, but not significantly different between the two groups. These results indicate that the relation between VDT work status and psychological symptoms are not strongly correlated. 3. Because of the nonspecific characteristics of VDT work related symptoms, from the 40 subjective symptoms, the author selected the final 10 symptoms by sex, especially correlated to VDT, and divided the study subjects into symptom complaining and non-complaining groups. The mean SCL-90-R T scores between the two groups were compared. Except for the opthalmologic symptoms in females, the scores were significantly different between the two groups in all symptoms. And this indicates that the VDT work related symptoms strongly correlated with the present individual psychological conditions. 4. Due to understand that which of the 9 psychological symptom dimensions are strongly correlated with the subjective symptoms, the author excuted muliple logistic regression analysis, and the result were as follows; 'depression' and 'somatization', in male, and 'obsessive-compulsive' and 'somatization' in female.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
• /
• v.11 no.1
• /
• pp.5-12
• /
• 2002

The purpose of this study, as a project for health management at small workplace by Korean association of occupational health nurse, was to evaluate the program for correction of eating habits to prevent digestive disorders of workers. The study cases were twenty nine workers who voluntarily participated in the above program and they were from small(under fifty employees) workplace at Youngdeungpo-gu, Seoul. The study was done between January, 2000 and May, 2000. This program was concerned with daily menu for correction of eating habits and was composed of individual health education and distributing guide books and video. Nurses visited the workplace for the program once a week or two weeks. The result of this program was evaluated by paired t-test of digestive symptoms, eating habits, and self-efficacy before and after the fulfillment of the program. The result could be summarized as below. 1) There were decrease in digestive symptoms and improvement in eating habits and self-efficacy from study cases after fulfillment of the program. 2) The most common digestive symptoms were heartburn, upper abdominal pain, indigestion. The symptom which had been improved through the program were indigestion, heartburn and anorexia in the order. 3) The most improved eating habit was to eat flat foods instead of salty and spicy foods. The most improved self-efficacy was 'I can follow any helpful guides for my health'. The result indicated the program was successful for workers at small workplace. The continual management by nurses' regular visit once a week or two weeks was the most important thing for the successful program.

• Safety and Health at Work
• /
• v.1 no.1
• /
• pp.87-97
• /
• 2010

Objectives: This study was conducted to investigate the effect of trust on work stress. Trust can be classified into three dimensions; social trust, institutional trust, and trust in others. The relationship between work stress and trust is regarded as having three components. First, trust has an influence on work stressors as an antecedent variable; secondly, trust modifies the effect of the various stressors, and finally, trust is one of the stressors. Methods: Data for this study was collected by interviews and self-administered structured questionnaires from 376 Korean and 77 Japanese workers in small businesses. Subjects were selected by two stage stratified random sampling from the working population of manufacturing industries. Results: Three different positions of trust are significantly related with the stress causation web. Social trust, institutional trust and trust in others significantly influence different work stressors in both Korean and Japanese workers. Three different kinds of trust influence work stressors among Korean workers, but institutional trust has no impact on work stressors among Japanese workers. As a moderating variable for perceived stress, distrust in an employer is statistically significant in both groups. However, stress symptom prevalence among Korean workers is modified by caution, trust in career development, and distrust in co-workers, but that of Japanese workers is modified only by distrust in employer. Job satisfaction of Korean workers is affected by general trust, utility of relation, institutional trust and trust in employer, but among Japanese workers, caution, reputation and trust in employer have influence on job satisfaction. Conclusion: The effect of trust on work stress, perceived stress, stress reaction and job satisfaction are different among Korean workers and Japanese workers. Three dimensions of trust have three different positions as antecedent, moderating and mediating factors in stress causation.

• Safety and Health at Work
• /
• v.13 no.2
• /
• pp.240-247
• /
• 2022

Background: Although insomnia and constipation are highly prevalent worldwide, studies examining a possible association between them are lacking. We examined the relationship between insomnia and constipation in shift workers who have a high prevalence of insomnia and other diseases. Methods: This study had a multicenter cross-sectional design and conducted using health examination data including self-reported questionnaires. In total, 12,879 and 4,650 shift workers were enrolled in Severance Hospital and Wonju Severance Hospital, respectively, during 2015-2017. Multivariate logistic regression models and subgroup analysis were performed in each center with the same protocol, using a common data model. Results: The mean age of the total population was 44.35 (standard deviation = 8.75); the proportion of males was 56.9%. Female sex, being underweight and non-smoker were strongly associated with an increased risk of constipation symptom (p < 0.001). Pooled odds ratios (ORs) were calculated using ORs of both centers with weights; there was a significant dose-response relationship (sub-threshold 1.76 [95% confidence interval [CI] 1.62-1.91]; moderate 2.28 [95% CI 2.01-2.60]; severe 4.15 [95% CI 3.18-5.41] in the final model, p for trend < 0.001). Subgroup analysis performed by stratifying sex and pooled ORs showed a similar trend to that of the entire group. Conclusion: We observed a strong correlation between insomnia and constipation in this population. Our findings may help in formulating guidelines and policies to improve quality of life in shift workers through the management of sleep quality and proper bowel function. This study is the first to report this relationship among people working in shifts.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
• /
• v.10 no.1
• /
• pp.41-54
• /
• 2001

This study was designed to assess the relationship between occupational stress and health status in a study group of 197 workers employed in four newspaper publishing companies, using a self-adminstrative questionnaire. The types of occupation of them were reporters(79), clerical workers(54), and engineers (64). The studies on workers' health have been focused mainly on the physical, chemical, and biological diseases in our country. Therefore, the study of mental health, especially of occupational stress, is to be carried out. I consider stress as a factor having an effect on the health status of the newspaper employees, who have been well known to have high stress due to time pressures. I expect that this research will be helpful not only for understanding of health status by occupation, but also for making clear the issues that have been raised continuously from the previous researches. The results of this study are as follows; 1. The mean values of stress by occupation were statistically significant; the reporters had the highest stress symptom scores, and the engineers had the lowest levels of stress. The mean values of stress symptoms were higher in the workers who had long working hours. 2. The health status by occupation showed significant differences in gastrointestinal systems and in depression. The clerical workers were healthier than the engineers in gastrointestinal systems, and the reporters were more depressed than the engineers in depression. 3. The health status by the general characteristics, there was a statistical significance as for a gender, marital status, and absenteeism in the gastrointestinal systems. The men, the married, and the workers who had not been absent were more healthy. Only absenteeism had an effect on the problems in optical-dermal systems and in oro-fecal systems. Gender, marital status, absenteeism, and working hours were related with health status : the men. the married, the workers who had not been absent, and the workers who had longer working hours were more healthy. In mental stability, gender had a significant effect : the men were more healthy than the women. In general condition, the men, the older, the married, and the workers who had not been absent were more healthy. 4. Stress level had an effect on the health status in the respiratory systems, optical-dermal systems, oro-fecal system, depression, mental stability, general condition, and health condition. The workers who perceived more stress had more problems in their health status. 5. In the results of the multiple regression analyses, age in the respiratory systems, absenteeism in the optical-dermal systems, occupation and absenteeism in the gastrointestinal systems and in the oro-fecal systems, gender in depression and in mental stability, gender, age, absenteeism, and working hours in the general condition, absenteeism in the health condition had an effect on the health status of the workers.