• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• 제30권1호
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• pp.63-74
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• 2005

Objectives: The present study aimed to provide the fundamental data for guiding establishment of measures among the rural elderly population with physical disabilities. The specific goals of this report are to reveal the prevalence of their disabilities, its tendency according to their increasing age, and to assess the background explanations. Methods: The self-administered questionnaires have been performed 432 persons of rural residents age 40 and greater in Kumsan-Gun and Chongyang-Gun, Chungchongnamdo Province. The questionnaire items included presence or not. of disabilities. specific causes for disabilities, anthropometric measures, and amount of physical activities. Results: The proportion of disabilities was higher in women than men, and the functional degree of their limbs decreased with the increasing age. The proportion of disabling extremities was higher in the lower extremities than in the upper ones. Joint diseases were the most prevalent causes for disabilities of extremities. Concerning the degree of depression, 41.2% of study subjects were normal, 47.5% had mild depression, 6.3% moderate, and 5.1% severe depression, with no statistical difference based on age and sex. The worse are the functional degree of both extremities, the greater the degree of depression the subjects had. The odds ratio for presence of disabilities of extremities was 2.6 times higher in women than in men for sex and for age, 50's were 3.5 times, 60's 4.3 times, 70's 4.9 times than 40's, respectively, with increasing tendency with increasing age. The odds ratio for depression was 1.2 times greater in subjects with disabilities than in normal population with no statistical difference. Conclusions: More efforts are needed to establish elderly specific measures for providing proper public health services centering on maintenance of physical functioning among elderly population.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• 제13권1호
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• pp.24-41
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• 2008

This research is aimed at analyzing and understanding the perception and attitudes of inpatients in a general hospital in Seoul towards the activation of private health insurance. Survey was conducted against 231 inpatients, results of which were analyzed in the methods of frequency analysis, chi square test, and logistic regression. The results are summarized as follows; First, better-educated population who finished college education at least, higher-income population, and people who had more knowledge about private health insurance showed more perception about activation of private health insurance. Second, better-educated population who finished college education at least, higher-income population, those who are insured in existing private insurance, oncological patients, and people who had more knowledge about private health insurance showed more positive attitude towards private health insurance paying for actual damages, long-term care insurance, and income security insurance. Third, age and education were the factors affecting perception about activation of private health insurance. The older the age is, perception was 1.035 times positive towards activation of private health insurance, and those who finished college education or above showed 3.148 times positive perception towards the same. Forth, surgical patients showed 1.087 times more positive attitude towards private health insurance paying for actual damages than internal medicine patients, while oncological patients showed 2.314 times more positive attitude than internal medicine patients. Further, understanding on the activation of private health insurance was 6.014 times higher in the higher understanding group than in the lower understanding group. Intention to use long-term care insurance was 2.692 times stronger in the male group than in the female group, and 3.616 times stronger in the oncological patients group than in internal medicine patients group. Further, understanding on the activation of private health insurance was 3.881 times deeper in the higher understanding group than in the lower understanding group. Intention to use income security insurance was 3.185 times stronger in those who have academic background of under the high school than those over the college, and 4.175 times higher in the group those whose monthly average income is over 4 million won than those under 4 million won. Also, intention to use income security insurance was 4.323 times higher in the group those who are insured by existing private insurances than those who are not insured by those insurances and it was 5.234 times higher in the group of oncological patients than in the group of internal medicine patients. Further, intention to use income security insurance was 3.559 times higher in the group those who thought that out-of-pocket money of the National Health Insurance is too much to bear than those it is quite endurable. Understanding on the activation of private health insurance was 4.875 times deeper in the higher understanding group than in the lower understanding group. There were some suggestions could be made based on the results of this research. First, reinforced publicity and education is needed for the low-educated or low-income group, as there are gaps in the understanding on the activation of private health insurance depending on the degree of education and income. Second, government should prepare administrative complementary measures to solve the problem of adverse selection by the consumer which is foreseen when private health insurances are activated. Third, government should suggest the desirable course of development of private health insurance items to ensure efficient use of enormous fund of private insurance market for health security of the people. Further, institutional complementary measures are needed to convert existing cancer insurances or specific disease insurances to private health insurances paying for actual damages guaranteeing against every kind of disease. Forth, it judged that, not only private health insurances paying for actual damages, but also long-term care insurances and income security insurances are prospective as fields to create fresh demand for insurance industry.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• 제3권1호
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• pp.25-43
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• 2003

In Korea, changes in children's diet patterns accelerate their physical growth and development: frequent snacking has been presumed to be a major cause of increasing dental caries. The present study attempts to clarify the relationship between the physical development of growing children and their tooth decay. For this purpose, 632 six-grade children in 4 elementary school located in Urban(Seoul) and Rural(Po-gok, Yang-In) were classified into three groups based on the Weight Length Index(WLI), known to reflect the nutritional conditions of school-age children, and the relationship was analyzed between each group and the variables considered to be related with dental caries. The result is as follows: The average weight and height of the male is $44.88{\pm}10.89$ kg, $148.49{\pm}7.33$ cm and female is $43.35{\pm}9.60$ kg, $149.23{\pm}6.73$ cm, respectively, which are in the similar level with the Korean Physical Standard. The classification of the children by the WLI reveals a relatively high distribution of over-weighted child ren - 212 persons, 335% of the entire population. The DMFT Index was a little high in the rural area(3.15 teeth in urban and 3.31, in rural). Among the groups of children classified by the WLI, the over-weight group have the highest DMFT index(3.69 teeth). The relationship between the frequency of taking in basic nutrients and the DMFT index is also found: the relationship is not evident in case of the foods containing rich calcium, protein, as well as fruits and vegetables. But, in the protein-rich food, higher frequency of its intake means significantly lower DMFT index in the normal-weight group of the urban children. In case of carbohydrate, higher frequency of its intake means significantly higher DMFT index in all the groups of the rural children. The DMFT index has some correlations with the relevant variables: the index has a positive correlation with the frequency of snacking, and a negative correlation with the economic status. That is, the higher the frequency of snacking is, and the lower the economic status is, the higher the DMFT index may be. In the logistic multiple regression analysis conducted with the presence of DMFT as a dependent variable, only the frequency of tooth brushing is turned to be a variable affecting the presence of either decayed, missing, or filled teeth. Based on the above result, the variables affecting the DMFT index are a time spent on eating, frequency of intake of protein and carbohydrate for a week, frequency of snacking, regular dental check-ups, preventive behaviors for oral health(fluoride gargling, tooth brusing after each meal, proper tooth brushing method). These variables have a relationship with the DMFT index, but the degree is somewhat different between the groups classified either by the region or by the WLI. Therefore, appropriate nutrition management should be conducted according to the individual's nutritional conditions when the services like nutritional education are provided based on the closely-examined characteristics of each target group. And, at the same time, oral health education should be strengthened, and its importance should also be emphasized so that people can pay attention to their own oral health.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• 제9권3호
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• pp.98-127
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• 2004

The purpose of this study was to provide basic materials needed to enhance quality of organizational life by identifying the improvements of labor union management in the perspective of hospital organization management. The subjects of this study were 510 employees in 1 University Hospital and 3 General Hospitals in Metro Capital including Seoul. Materials were collected from administrators, nurses and medical technicians in target hospitals from April 26 to May 7, 2004 through survey questionnaires. The main results of this study were as follows: First, From the results of multiple regression analysis to identify major influencing factors of labor union commitment level, In University hospitals, males than females, and those who had senior officer posts in labor union showed higher positive correlation with the attitude of their colleagues. In general hospitals, those who had served in Union for shorter period showed higher commitment in union. Second, When looking into the major influencing factors on the level of commitment in labor union according to their jobs, male administrators showed higher positive correlation in the level of commitment in labor union and the relationship with union. Among nurses, those who had lower education level, those who had higher job satisfaction, those who had higher emotional attachment to their job, those who had better relationship with union and better satisfaction in union showed higher commitment level. In medical technicians, those who had higher emotional attachment to their job showed higher commitment level. To summarize study results, the level of commitment in labor union depends on job satisfaction, managers' attitudes, emotional attachment to their jobs, union satisfaction factors, their colleagues attitudes toward union and thee atmosphere of employer-employee relationship. Therefore hospital managers should have democratic and flexible attitudes toward labor union. Additionally, as job satisfaction is important determinant in union commitment, hospital managers should have countermeasures to enhance the job satisfaction level of hospital employees. Moreover, as managerial factors of the principal of hospital influence union commitment directly, the attitudes of hospital managers toward union and transparency of hospital management should be improved.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• 제13권8호
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• pp.3552-3560
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• 2012

This study was conducted to find out the complaint rate of musculo-skeletal disorder and its related factors from male manufacturing workers at a nonferrous manufacturing industry. As for the research subjects, 302 workers selected from a nonferrous manufacturer located in Daejeon City, and as for the collection of data, a standardized anonymous questionnaire survey were conducted from May 1, 2011 to June 30, 2011. As a results, the complaint rate of musculo-skeletal disorders by each body part, the symptom of shoulders was 42.7%, the highest rate, followed by the waist, 36.8%, the neck and the hand/wrist/finger, 30.5% respectively, the leg and foot, 30.1% and arm/elbow, 20.9%. The complaint rate of musculo-skeletal disorder for the sociodemographic characteristics was significantly high as survey participants' age and BMI were low and in the group having low subjective health condition. The complaint rate of musculo-skeletal disorder for the health-related behavior characteristics was significantly high in the group having been absent from work due for diseases, in the group having received outpatient services, in the group having been hospitalized for treatment, in the group not having a regular exercise and in the group having insufficient sleeping hours. Finally, the complaint rate of musculo-skeletal disorder for the job-related characteristics was significantly high in the group suffering from the physical burden of their work, in the group working while bending at the waist and in the group carrying out repetitive tasks.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• 제31권2호
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• pp.145-156
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• 2006

Objectives: Health behaviors are related to each other, or they may be essentially dependent upon each other. Hence the overall health behaviors of a given population could be better described in terms of health lifestyle patterns. This paper tried to classify such patterns in a sample population and suggest the socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of each groups. Methods: A sample population comprised of 2,775 adults who reported their health behaviors in a public health survey were classified according to their smoking, drinking, diet, and exercise related pattern of behaviors. Clustering analysis was used to classify them. Results: Six health lifestyle patterns were identified. Individuals in the passive lifestyle cluster (48.3%) had no active health promoting activities, but did avoid risk taking health behaviors. 24.8% of the sample (Health promoting lifestyle) had an overall healthy lifestyle. 13.5% of the sample were in the smoking cluster, and 8.4% were in the alcohol drinking cluster. The hedonic lifestyle (4.5%) was characterized by heavy smoking, alcohol drinking and poor diet and exercise. 0.7% of the sample (Smoking-Drinking lifestyle) had heavy smoking and drinking, but good diet and exercise. Each group could be characterized by sex, age, and income. Conclusions: A population sample of Seoul adults were successfully clustered into six health lifestyles. The socioeconomic and demographic characteristics were suggested for the characterization of the each health lifestyle groups. We can approach to a certain target population with specific strategy.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제29권2호
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• pp.239-254
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• 1996

Health services on industrial noisy environment have been provided only for noise-induced hearing loss management until now. But gradually, modem diseases and death have come to be related to stress and mental health deeply, therefore noise-induced mental disorder, like a stress became very important. In this point, the purpose of this study was to analyze the relationship between noise exposure level in worksite and workers' stress symptoms. This study included a survey of 786 manual workers selected from 89 worksites in 21 factories in Puchon. The results were as follows: 1. For demographic characteristics, most of the workers were males(80.8%), the $20\sim29years$ old were 34.5% and those who graduated from high school were 65.3%. The workers whose monthly income ranged from 100,000 to 800,000 won were 37.5% and who have a religion were 47.9%. 2. For occupational characteristics, workers who had worked $1\sim5$ years in the factories were 33.0%. Those who were much for them workload were 43.9% and who worked more than 8 hours a day were 73.9%. Those who were disatisfied with their job and pay were 31.9% and 50.6%. The workers who responsed ventilation condition of their worksites were bad were 51.9% and the dissatisfed with working environment of their worksites were 45.9%. 3. Workers who were suffering from tinnitus were 53.3% and those who perceived hearing loss were 50.1%. Persons who reported they always wore earplugs at work were 35.4%. Those who felt earplugs bigger than their ears were 30.6% and those who experienced eardiseases caused by earplugs were 25.6%. 4. For the noise exposure level in worksite, workers who were exposed to $80\sim90dB$ were 30.3%, $90\sim100dB$ were 26.4% and $50\sim70dB$ were 19.2%. 5. Workers' stress symptoms were significantly related to marital status and their monthly income(p<0.05). Workers who were single and had lower monthly income showed higher PSI (Psychiatric Symptom Index) scores than those who were married and had higher monthly income. Higher PSI scores were also significantly related to $1\sim2$ days hight-work per week, much for them workload, dissatisfaction with their job, and bad relationship with their bosses and coworkers. 6. Higher PSI scores were significantly related to severe tinnitus and perceived hearing losso(p<0.001). Workers who felt the earplugs they use did not fit their ears showed significantly higher PSI scores(p<0.01). Workers who reported that they did not feel they need earplugs showed. significantly higher PSI scores (p<0.05). Increased experience of eardisease caused by earplugs that did not fit were also significantly related to higher PSI scores(p<0.01). 7. The higher noise exposure level in worksite from 80dB was, the more severe stress symptoms including PSI subparts were reported; Anxiety, Anger, Depression, and Cognitive disorder(p<0.001). 5. According to the results of stepwise multiple regression analysis, factors affecting workers' PSI scores were perceived hearing loss$(R^2=0.160)$, noise exposure level in worksite$(R^2=0.110)$, realtionship with coworkers, amount of workload, monthly income and relationship with bosses orderly and the total $R^2$ of this 6 factors was 0.371. 9. The most significant factors that have impact on manual workers' stress symptoms were perceived hearing loss and noise exposure level in worksite, especially noise exposure level in the worksite was the most affective factor on the depression symptom.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• 제40권3호
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• pp.126-136
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• 2015

Objectives: This study was performed to investigate the effects of a health education program for the aged on knowledge about the warning signs and symptoms of acute myocardial infarction and stroke. Methods: Data from 337 elderly people (159 participated and 178 non-participated) at senior centers in Jeju-si were collected by 1 to 1 interview from January to March 2012, one year after the education program provided. Two stages of study were performed: Cross-sectional, case-control study on the level of knowledge about the warning signs and symptoms; and multivariate logistic regression to fine out predictors of optimal awareness. Results: No significant discrepancy of knowledge level between case and control group was found. The knowledge level as high as a surge was shown in both groups one year later. A surge of knowledge had been shown after the education provided in one month. The factors affecting the optimal level of knowledge were education (Odds ratio 3.01; Confidence Interval 1.72-5.26; P-value <0.001) and 7 days of watching TV news per week (2.97; 1.68-5.23; P<0.001). However, participation in the health education was not significant (1.60; 0.98-2.61; P=0.059). Conclusions: The effects of a targeted program in high-risk groups for cardio-cerebrovascular disease are only guaranteed in the enhancement by a population-based mass-media education campaign.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• 제38권1호
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• pp.14-24
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• 2013

Objectives: Pregnant women in rural areas do not have access to sufficient obstetric services in their own communities due to the shortage of obstetricians. Therefore, most of these women must seek obstetrician outside of their communities. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between obstetric complications and accessibility to local obstetric care in Korea. Methods: This study was an ecological study in which the unit of analysis was an administrative district. Using Korea National Health Insurance Corporation data, the total number of deliveries and the delivery proportion within and outside of the community from 2001 to 2008 were calculated for 232 administrative districts nationwide. Three outflow levels were categorized based on each district's out-of-community delivery proportion: high outflow (upper one third), moderate outflow (middle one third), and low outflow (lower one third). In addition, three obstetric complication rates (the rate of complications following abortion, ectopic and molar pregnancy, the abortion rate, and the eclampsia rate) were calculated for the 232 districts. One-way ANOVA and multivariate linear regression were used to evaluate obstetric complications among the three outflow levels. Results: The high outflow districts had higher rates of eclampsia and complications following abortion, ectopic, and molar pregnancy compared to the other districts (ANOVA, p<0.05). However, there was no significant difference in the abortion rate among the three groups. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that high outflow districts were statistically significant in the rate of complications following abortion, ectopic and molar pregnancy and eclampsia rate after adjusting for local tax per capita (p<0.01). Conclusion: These results indicate that poor access to local obstetric care correlate with poor obstetric outcomes (delayed or excessive bleeding, embolism, genital tract or pelvic infection, shock or other complications following abortion and ectopic or molar pregnancy, or eclampsia).

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• 제13권2호
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• pp.373-380
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• 2001

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to compare the difference of Lumbar Lordosis Angle (LLA)between patients with Low Back Pain (LBP) and control groups. Methods: Questionnaires were completed by 40 adults LBP patients seeking physical therapy services and by 40 controls at the department of Physical Therapy, SaeJong Neurosurgical Clinic in Taegu city, South Korea from October 1999 to March 2000. LLA was measured on lateral x-ray films with standing position. The angle between a line parallel to tile top of the first Lumbar (Ll) and the top of the fifth Lumbar (L5) was defined LLA. Results: LLA of 29.88$^{\circ}$ for LBP patients was statistically significant decrease from that of 35.31$^{\circ}$ for controls in the difference of lumbar lordosis (p<0.01). There were statistically significant differences between genders in patients groups. Females(32.22$^{\circ}$) had significantly greater angles than males (27.32$^{\circ}$) (p<0.05), while 36.63$^{\circ}$ for female was also greater than 34.12$^{\circ}$ for male in the controls. No significant difference was found between age. In patient groups, 27.95$^{\circ}$ for below age 40 was a smaller than 32.32$^{\circ}$ for above, however, 35.82$^{\circ}$ for below age 40 was a little greater than 34.27$^{\circ}$ for above in controls. Patients in sitting posture had greater LLA (31.35$^{\circ}$). than those standing (28.93$^{\circ}$), however. values for controls were similar to each other. Conclusions: Results from this study indicate that distinct difference exist among patients and controls and gender, whereas little difference exists in age and working posture.