• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.70 -77
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• 2023

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to identify information on the workers at major industrial health institutions. Methods: The subjects were employees at work environment measurement institutions, specialized health management institutions, special health examination institutions, and health checkup institutions. Data on these employees was identified by age, career, region, and qualification. Results: The sample totaled 6,449 workers at major industrial health institutions. The number of doctors, nurses, and industrial hygienists was identified at 4,609. For their age groups, 34.1% were in their 30s, and 56.3% had less than five years of work experience. The distribution by region was 24.3% in Gyeonggi-do Province, 12.7% in Seoul, and 8.7% in Gyeongsangnam-do Province. Conclusions: Information on occupational health human resources has been published irregularly and is limited by specialty. Therefore, it is necessary to systematize information on human resources and disclose it regularly so that supply and demand conditions can be predicted when establishing industrial accident prevention policies.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.8 no.6
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• pp.662-669
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• 2014

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Osteoporosis and osteoporosis-related disease are drawing a lot of attention in Korea as one of the serious health problems. Bone health status may be influenced by the general dietary quality and dietary pattern. SUBJECTS/METHODS: To determine the relationship between dietary quality and intake patterns and bone health status, the %RNI, NAR, DDS, and food group intake patterns were assessed according to their bone health status for 847 postmenopausal women using the 2010 KNHANES data after eliminating those of likely changing their diet under the advice of doctors or those taking estrogen. RESULTS: Bone health became worse as dietary quality deteriorated. All NAR and %RNI values were highly associated with bone health levels and the consumption frequency of Ca sources, DDS and the food group intake patterns also confirmed the findings. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirmed that dietary quality and dietary patterns were important for bone health. Nutritional education on eating foods from the five basic food groups has to be emphasized to prevent osteoporosis among older women.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.67-77
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• 2003

Objectives: This study is designed to suggest the health service goals necessary for providing the more efficient services relevant to the requests of the community, through the evaluation on the operating status of the unified health subcenters. Methods: We visited total 5 unified health subcenters comprising 3 ones located in Gyeongsangbuk-do and 2 ones located in Gyeongsangnam-do from December 2000 to January 2001, and interviewed about the pre- and post-unified status related to manpower, facilities, equipment, medical service and health service quality, and the problems and improvement plans of the unified management. Results: According to the evaluation on the manpower before and after the unification of the health subcenters, the total employees increased by 2.8 persons on average from 6.8 to 9.6 persons in the investigated subjects. The numbers of doctors, dentists and nurses were almost the same as before. There were no clinical pathologic technician and radiological technician before but they were appointed to duty in 3 unified health subcenters later. The unification of the health subcenters has produced slight increases in the frequency of the medical service and dental treatment and considerable increases in that of the physical therapy and laboratory tests. In relating to the changes of the health service, the cases of visiting health care and ambulatory medical service, and the total number of health education participants were greatly increased after the unification. The number of cases undergoing the vaccination and cervical cancer screening was similar to that of the pre-unification while the patient number of the registration to hypertension or diabetes showed a tendency to increase a little. Since the unification of the health subcenters, the frequency of laboratory tests has been increased, but the quality of health service has not been improved yet. Nevertheless, the unification seems to be positive according to the result of the great improvement in visiting health care, ambulatory medical service and health education service. The problems of the unification of the health subcenters were indicated in indefiniteness of the service details between the workers; excessively large building hard to be effectively managed; insufficient medical instruments, inappropriation of working expenses, lack of professional training for the health education, etc. Conclusions: For further active functions of the unified health subcenters, the minimal allocation basis to appoint doctors, nurses and administrative workers to do the duty should be differentiated from the basis for a health subcenter, and the fundamental instruments needs to be expanded to improve the quality of the medical service and visiting health care service. Moreover, the unified health subcenter needs to have definite service details between the workers, and should improve the working efficiency through the development of service-related guidelines.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.623-636
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• 2012

Health Belief Model is a socio-psychological theory of decision making to individual health-related behaviors. This study was aimed to develop an effective education program for hypertension based on health belief model. The main factors of health belief model were investigated by focus group interview (FGI) with 23 hypertensive or prehypertensive subjects aged over fifty years. 'Perceived susceptibility' to hypertension was family history, neglect of health care, preference for salty food, broth of soup and stew. Lifelong medication, complications, and medical costs were reported as 'perceived severity' of hypertension. 'Perceived benefits' of hypertension management were decrease of medicinal dose, reduction of medical costs, and healthy eating habits of the family, while 'perceived barriers' were lack of palatability of low salt diet, convenience-oriented dietary habits, and limited choice of foods when eating out. Subjects mentioned TV health programs, public health center programs, and advice from doctors and family as 'cues to action' of hypertension management. These qualitative information provided basis for developing a nutrition education program for hypertension which could be implemented in the public health center. Eight week program was composed of understanding hypertension, risk factor management (eating habits, weight), low salt diet (principles, cooking), advanced management for healthy diet in 2 sessions, and summary. Each session was designed to alert the susceptibility and severity, to emphasize the benefits, and to reduce the barriers by providing dietary monitoring, practical advice, and action tips.

• Quality Improvement in Health Care
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.106-118
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• 1998

Background : This study was done to assess the relationship among multiple patient outcomes of cataract surgery perioperatively, 3-4 months and 12 months after surgery. The patient outcomes include changes in visual acuity(operated eye, better eye), visual function(VF-14), patient satisfaction, subjective satisfaction with vision, and subjective overall health status. Methods : For the assessment of relationship, prospective study was performed with 92 patients who had undergone either one or both eye cataract surgery by 3 ophthalmologists practicing at a university hospital. Patients were interviewed. and clinical data were obtained. Doctors were questioned with self-entered questionnaire forms. Medical record was examined to understand surgery process. The survey was conducted at 4 stages : preoperatively, perioperatively, postoperative 3-4 months, and postoperative 12 months. Results : The correlations within patient outcomes at 4 stages - the visual acuity of operated eye and that of better eye, patient satisfaction and VF-14, subjective overall health status and relative health status as against others - were found to be positively correlated. The change in the visual acuity of operated eye and better eye was correlated with VF-14 as well as with patient satisfaction. The change was also correlated with overall health status. However, the correlations between variables were decreased as the postoperative period got longer. Conclusion : As for the postoperative clinical patient outcomes, VF-14 is acted to linker between visual acuity - clinical outcomes and overall health status - endpoint outcomes. Therefore. VF-14 is the index of patient-sided and disease-specific outcome for cataract surgery.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.18-26
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• 1984

With the increase of using pesticides, pesticide poisonings become more frequent. In the previous epidemiological study on pesticide poisoning and the reports of the authorities concerned, it is carefully affirmed that pesticide poisonings are caused by farmers' ignorance and negligence in using the pesticides. But the pesticide poisoning should be taken into account in terms of the person who sprays the pesticides, its spraying process, farming style and farmers' socio-economic conditions. And based on the understanding mentioned above, preventive measures for pesticide poisoning should be established. In this socio-medical point of view, this study examined the public health problems caused by using pesticides and the treatment of pesticide poisoning, based on the interviews with farmers in a area of Kyunggi-Do about the spraying process of pesticides, poisoning experiences and its treatments. The results are as follows ; 1) The style of spraying pesticides in the target area is mostly an individual one, not cooperative one. And the subjects of spraying are householders, whose educational backgrounds are beneath notice. More than 2~5 of the subjects are women or old men of 60 years old or so. These are seen to derive from the socio-economic status of Korean agricultural families; their younger generation's moving to greater cities and their petty farming styles. 2) As for the safety measures for the spraying of pesticides, those which have nothing to do with the economic, problems such as efficient spraying and productivity, are well obeyed. On the other hand, some safety measures as the use of safety devices, and spraying time, the degree of dilution of pesticides and the spraying method In windy days, are not obeyed very well, for to keep those makes spraying difficult to do and productivity worse. These facts indicate that the safety measures for using pesticides must be directly concerned with the spraying process, farming style and farmers' socio economic status, rather than the subject's knowledge or carefulness. 3) Even In cases of poisoning they do rarely consult the doctors. This is caused by the problem of their locality and transportation since one should pass away a day even in the busiest season to consult doctors, and by their low socio-economic status. 4) The epidemiological studies on pesticide poisonings should be necessarily led to a socio-medical one which are concerned together with the spraying process of pesticides, farming style, farmer's socio-economic status and discrepancies in public health policies between agricultural communities and urban ones.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.194-207
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• 2020

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to develop and evaluate the curriculum, that was the continuing professional development program, for cultivating physician's competencies in public health. Methods: This study was conducted through in-depth interview and survey in the frame of ADDIE, from 2 May to 30 June in 2019. Participants were 7 physicians by in-depth interview and Respondents were 46 physicians worked in public health by survey. Results: The results were analyzed and described in the frame of ADDIE model. In the stage of Analysis, physician's core competencies in public health was presented to practical education, management of organization and labor force, communication with community, and director' role of public health center in the community as core competencies by in-depth interview. The skill - knowledge-attitude competencies were highest in order in the survey for placing priority (by Borich score) of 29 core competencies. In design stage, the educational objective of curriculum was established, that is to develop the competencies of knowledge, skills, and attitude needed for physician of public health in 21th century. In development and implementation stage, it is important to decide to lecturer, to get in advance educational materials to do the maintenance and management of curriculum. In the stage of evaluation, the educational satisfaction was high on the whole and educational effect was statistically significant. Conclusions: This study was an initial study of Korean doctors, and it aims to pursue competency-based education as a continuing professional development (CPD) beyond continuing medical education (CME) including knowledge, skills, and attitudes.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.226-233
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• 2022

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the subjective level of health-related quality of life of Korean healthcare workers using various quality-of-life instruments. Methods: This study included 992 participants, who were doctors and nurses. A survey was conducted between November 28 and December 4, 2019. Data from 954 participants divided into 3 groups (physicians, residents, and nurses) were analyzed. Four measurement tools (29 questions) were used in the survey to evaluate subjective health status and well-being. Results: In the Mayo Well-being Index, burnout during work (88.5%) and emotional difficulties caused by work (84.0%) were frequently cited by the respondents. Regarding questions on burnout and emotional difficulties, residents and nurses had the highest scores (91.0 and 89.6%, respectively). Emotional problems, such as anxiety, depression, and irritability, accounted for a high percentage (73.1%) of the total, while 82.2% of respondents reported that their work schedules interfered with their leisure and family time. There was no significant difference among the groups in subjective health status. However, 10.1% of the residents experienced very low quality of life, which was a higher proportion than that of physicians (2.7%) and nurses (5.2%). Conclusions: The level of well-being that Korean medical workers experienced in relation to work was lower than the results of the United States healthcare workers surveyed using the same tool. This study was unique in that it conducted a subjective quality-of-life survey on Korean healthcare workers.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.111-132
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• 2001

This study was conducted to examine the therapeutic compliance and its related factors in rural women with osteoporosis. A questionnaire survey was performed from April to May in 2000 for 140 osteoporotic patients who were diagnosed from April to June in 1999 through community health program. The study employed the health belief model for predicting and explaining sick role behavior. The analysis techniques employed included contingency table analysis and path analysis using LISREL. The major results of this study were as follows: Of the subjects, 12.1% were continuously complaint, 53.6% were intermittently compliant, and 34.3% were non- compliant to calcium supplement therapy. As the result of path analysis, the therapeutic compliance was significantly higher(${\mid}T{\mid}$ >2.0) as patients had higher perceived severity of disease, lower perceived barriers of treatment, and when patients thought their disease status as severe. As the patients had higher educational level, more experience of mass media contact or health education about osteoporosis, and when family had more concern for patient treatment, they had higher perceived susceptibility of complication(bone fracture)${\mid}T{\mid}$ >2.0). The patients had higher perceived severity(${\mid}T{\mid}$ >2.0) as they had more educational level, more advice for treatment from their doctors, and when family had more concern for their treatment. As the patients had more advice for treatment from their doctors and when family had more concern for their treatment, they had higher perceived benefit of treatment and lower perceived barriers to treatment(${\mid}T{\mid}$ >2.0). In order to improve the therapeutic compliance in rural osteoporotic women, it would be necessary that the patient should recognize their disease severity properly. And the perceived barriers should be removed through supportive environments for osteoporosis treatment such as doctor 's more advice and family 's more concern for treatment. In addition, effective and continuous management system for osteoporotic patients should be established.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.349-363
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• 2000

Objectives : Generally, it seemed that the therapeutic result in diabetic patients was changed by compliance. This study was conducted on the basis of assumption that the therapeutic result id diabetic patients could control according to compliance. This study was conducted to analyze the related factors in association with compliance to drug, diet and exercise therapy. Methods : 224 diabetic patients in Kyungpook National University Hospital were selected through the interviews and HbA1c values from 1 Jan. to 28 Feb.1997. The drug compliance was tested by regularity of drug administration, the diet compliance was tested by restriction of food, exactly allocation, balance of nutrient, measuring food and the exercise compliance was tested by regularity of exercise per day. We assessed compliance by percentage, $x^2-test$ and generalized logit regression model(method:enter). Results : The significant variable was the satisfaction to medical personnels in drug, the knowledge to disease in diet, the participation of the diabetic education in exercise therapy and the satisfaction to medical personnels in HbA1c. Using the generalized logit model(method : enter) in compliance change, the significant variables were the satisfaction to medical personnels and the complication in drug; the significant variables were the age at the first diagnosis, the family history, the concern of health, the knowledge of disease, the self-exertion for therapy and the complication in diet: the only significant variable was the gender in exercise therapy. Conclusions : The degree of glycemic control in diabetic patients was influenced by compliance. In order to improve patient's compliance, we must foster the knowledge on the diseases, lead participation for diabetic education. Because the satisfaction to medical personnels was the important variables, we must build up good relationship between doctors and patients.