• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.47 no.6
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• pp.416-425
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• 2014

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the stress, dietary habits, dietary behaviors, and health-related behavior of nurses. Method: The subjects of this study were 161 nurses studying at a cyber university. The general characteristics, stress, dietary habits, dietary behaviors, and health-related behavior of the subjects were surveyed using a self-administered questionnaire in October, 2010. The subjects were divided into two groups according to the working pattern: shift workers (n = 110) and non-shift workers (n = 51). Results: In the general characteristics, there were significant differences in marriage, monthly income, employment type, and job satisfaction between the two groups. Total stress score did not differ significantly between the two groups. In dietary habits, significant differences in meal regularity, skipping meals, skipping reasons, having regular mealtimes, frequency of snack and the snack time between shift workers and non-shift workers (p<0.05). Total score of dietary behaviors in shift workers was significantly lower than that in non-shift workers (p<0.05). Score of shift workers in taking three meals per day regularly was significantly lower than that of non-shift workers. In health-related behavior, a significant difference in sleeping time was observed between shift workers and non-shift workers. Dietary behavior showed negative correlation with shift work (r = 0.176) and positive correlation with health consciousness (r = 0.210) and perceived health status (r = 0.198) in subjects after adjustment for age, marriage, monthly income, and employment type (p < 0.05). Multiple regression analysis revealed that shift work, health consciousness, and perceived health status affected dietary behavior in subjects. Conclusion: These results indicate that shift working nurses had poor dietary habits and dietary behaviors, and these dietary behaviors are affected by their shift work, health consciousness, and perceive health status.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.421-426
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• 2018

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of shift work on occupational safety in various industrial sectors. The study analyzes the effects of shift work on the health of workers by considering factors such as the workplace environment and welfare. Methods: Focusing on the $4^{th}$ Korean Working Conditions Survey, this study used an ordinary least-square multiple regression analysis. The dependent variable was the annual frequency of injuries reported by workers. Independent variables were categorized as demographic, shift work, workplace environment, and welfare variables. The analysis was conducted on two levels: 1) Shift work and nonshift work groups were compared, and 2) Shift work was compared with fixed and rotating shifts. Results: For the entire group, age, a low level of education, work hours, and daily and dispatch work negatively impacted the frequency of injuries. Shift work was negatively affected by workplace environment and welfare factors. In the shift group, the frequency of injuries was lower than that of regular workers, and the higher the autonomy in the choice of work hours, the lower the frequency of injuries. Furthermore, shift workers in Korea have more extended work hours (49.25 h/week) than other workers (46.34 h/week). Conclusion: Overall, welfare factors such as workplace satisfaction and worke-life balance reduced the frequency of injuries. The effect of shift work was limited, but it was confirmed that shift worker autonomy could reduce the frequency of injuries.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.104-117
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• 2004

Objectives: To propose the basic data for the development of the optimum health promotion program (HPP) for the workers in a petrochemical industry complex. Methods: The subjects were 553 workers who worked at the six plants in a petrochemical industry complex. From February to March 2003, questionnaire survey was conducted by the nurses with occupational health specialty about the life styles, interests, self-cognitions, practices of health behavior, subjective symptoms thought to be related the working environments, burden to the own health, needs and intentions to participation of the HPP. Data analysis was done using SPSS program (ver 10.0) with ${\alpha}=0.05$ of statistical significance. Results: The mean age and tenure of the subjects were 39.7 years and 14.2 years, respectively, and proportion of smokers was around 50%. Two of third (66%) satisfied their own job, and 58% recognized themselves healthy. The most frequent health behavior were exercise (60%) and regular health check (87%) in individual and job based, respectively. About half of them (58%) had at least one of the symptoms thought to be related the working environments, and the most frequent one was odor (21%). These symptoms were more frequent in case of the shorter career. The needs of HPP was relatively higher in exercise (66%), cancer prevention (51%), stress control (47%), and intention to participation was also the highest in exercise (64%). Job satisfaction was higher in case of the higher interests and cognitions to their own health, and thought that the ownership's interest to workers' health be high (p<0.01), but no associations with the subjective symptoms. The mean level of burden to the own health were $14.1{\pm}13.9$ of physical, $11.7{\pm}13.6$ of emotional, $9.1{\pm}10.7$ of behavioral as out of one hundred. They felt the more burden in case of office workers, the lower interests and cognitions to their own health, the lower satisfaction to their job, the frequent drinking group, and complained the subjective symptoms (p<0.05). Abnormal results of the regular health check was higher in the frequent drinking group (p=0.083). Conclusions: For the optimum HPP for the workers in the petrochemical complex, the ownership's interest to workers' health would be enhanced, and the priority would be focused on exercise and drinking habits control.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.213-224
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• 2009

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to fine out life nurturing level according to health practice. Methods : The subjects for this study were 2114 industrial workers. Data were collected by using constructed questionnaires and analyzed by t-test, one-way ANOVA. Results : 1. There were statistically significant differences in life nurturing level according to general characteristics-age, marital status, job tenures, income. 2. The higher life nurturing level was showed in high aged, married, long job tenures and high income group. 3. There were statistically significant differences in life nurturing level according to health practice, especially non-smoking, non-drinking, regular exercise and sufficient sleeping group were higher in life nurturing level. Conclusions : This study suggests that health practice is related to life nurturing level and that the introduction of desirable health practice can contribute to life nurturing level.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.276-283
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• 2007

Purpose: This present study has been conducted on female workers' shorter working hours in order to look into their fatigue level and the correlation between fatigue and working hours. Method: We surveyed 237 respondents using a questionnaire from June 1st to June 20th, 2005. Results: The means of total fatigue complaint was 3.45. The fatigue level was significantly higher in the lower age group, unmarried group, manager group and shorter working duration group. And the fatigue level was significantly correlated to working hours and work intensity. In the results of stepwise multiple regression, factors affecting the fatigue level were the change of work intensity, age, regular diet habit, working hours and the type of occupation. Conclusion: It is necessary to prepare the health promotion programs, which can reduce female workers' fatigue level and relieve the intensity of their works.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.2 no.5
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• pp.411-415
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• 2000

To be able to work safely and efficiency, the Threshold Limit Values (TLV) for work in the heat are widely used. Since these TLV are only applicable to workers in regular clothing, TLV should be adjusted when applied to the asbestos removal workers who wear extra impermeable protective clothing. Although abbreviated guidelines for heat stress exposure have been proposed, literature advocating their use in the asbestos removal industry is limited. Therefore, we planed a survey to evaluate the workload of asbestos abatement workers in summer, and an experiment with climatic chambers to evaluate the effects of resting in a cool environment between work periods. From these studies, we got following conclusions. There is a high risk of suffering from heat illness by asbestos abatement work in summer in Japan. It is proposed to create a cool room inside the workplace of asbestos abatement work to reduce thermal stress.

• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.49-62
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• 2003

Breakfast consumption is important for nutritional balance in all population groups. The objective of this study is to seek healthy Korean with continuous traditional breakfast consumption of rice. One thousand participants who go to work or school every morning were selected by stratified method and interviewed by regional home extension workers in 24 cities, Kyeonggi province, Korea. The questions included breakfast eating habits, perceived health status,and food preferences for breakfast. The students (70.5%) were composed with elementary (17.2%), middle school(15.7%), high school(16.5%), and university(21.l%)students. The rest 29.5% were workers. The recognized importance of eating breakfast was negatively correlated with the perceived health status. It means that lowering health status made them recognize the importance of breakfast. Workers had more boiled rice with side dishes for breakfast(58.6%) than students (40.2%). The reasons of selected items for breakfast were habit (28.5%), and health (14.6%). The propensity of convenience and preference was more frequent in male workers than male students. For breakfast, ready-to-eat food (rice-roll or rice ball, retort rice, and fast-food) preferred more in middle & high school students, but boiled rice with side dishes was preferred more in workers. Boiled rice with divers cereals was selected for main dish in workers, however boiled rice only in students if obliged. We suppose the problem in next decade would be skipped breakfast in regular attendance position. For breakfast with ready-to-eat rice or something to eat in short time, students and workers should be educated to those who are too busy to eat breakfast for the enhancement of human resources.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.526-543
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• 2016

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore how public health nurses (PHNs) perceive their roles and duties (R&D), as well as to investigate the change of their R&D, how they manage and solve problems. Methods: The data were collected through focus group interviews. Data were analyzed using Morgan (1998) and Krueger (1998)'s four step analysis. A total of 17 experienced PHNs participated in this study. Results: The results found 5 themes and 19 sub-themes: R&D of health managers and health service providers, factors affecting the changes of PHN's R&D, R&D in adjusting with trends and expanding work field (R&D being reduced, increasing R&D, need to expand R&D), problem with the structure and quality of workforce (lack of nurse manpower, lack of promotion opportunities, increasing non-regular workers, lack of refinement as an expert), and strategies for solving personnel issues (strengthening the job capacity, cultivating professional refinement, strengthening outside activities and political activities, strengthening the roles of PHN-related associations and academy, engagement policy of non-regular workers, expansion of the activity area) Conclusion: PHNs need to recognize their changing R&D and ways they manage and solve problems to enhance their professionalism.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.63 no.6
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• pp.806-813
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• 2020

Objective : Lumbar disc herniation (LDH) is a common disease, and lumbar discectomy (LD) is a common neurosurgical procedure. However, there is little previous data on return to work (RTW) after LD. This study investigated the period until the RTW after LD prospectively. Clinically, the pain state at the time of RTW also checked. RTW failure rate 6 months after surgery also investigated. Methods : Patients with daily/regular jobs undergoing LD between September 2014 and December 2018 were enrolled. Pain was assessed by the Oswestri Disability Index (ODI) and the Numeric Rate Scale (NRS). Employment type was divided into self-employed, regular and contracted. Monthly telephone interviews were conducted to check RTW status and self-estimated work capability after surgery. Results : Sixty-seven patients enrolled in this study. Three patients failed to RTW, and three others resigned within 6 months after surgery. The preoperative NRS and ODI were 7.2±1.2 and 22.1±7.9, respectively. The average time to RTW was 5.1±6.0 weeks. At RTW, NRS was 1.5±1.8 and ODI was 6.3±3.9. Amongst patients that successfully returned to work were 16 self-employed workers, 42 regular employees, and three contracted workers. The time to RTW of self-employed, regular, and contracted workers were 5.9±8.8, 4.2±4.3 and 13.3±2.3 weeks, respectively (p=0.011). Thirty-six of the patients that returned to work self-reported a 22.8±15.6% reduction in work capability at 6 months. Conclusion : RTW may vary depending on the employment status. In this study, we found that while employment type may affect the length to RTW, most patients were able to RTW and >40% of patients reported no loss of work capabilities 6 months postoperatively, hopefully alleviating some patient hesitation towards LD.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.315-322
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• 2013

Objectives: This study was conducted in order to prepare fundamental data and assess the short-term effects of applying cerebrovascular disease prevention programs by the Ministry of Employment and Labor and the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency (KOSHA) in Korea. Methods: The number of study subjects was 2,676 workers (58.5%) who were able to evaluate the level of incidence risk at pre- and post-applications of the program, among the 4,576 total workers who were enrolled in the cerebrovascular disease prevention program during 2011. The guidelines for this prevention program were adopted from KOSHA GUIDE H-1-2010. To determine the program' effectiveness, the workers'risks for cerebrovascular disease were assessed pre- and post-application of the program. Results: The blood pressure level was significantly reduced by 4.09 mmHg for the mean systolic blood pressures and 5.47 mmHg for diastolic blood pressures, respectively. The mean level of total cholesterol and BMI were also reduced significantly by 2.07 g/dl and 0.1 $0.1kg/m^2$. The rate of smoking was decreased by 4.0% and the percentage of workers engaging in regular exercise was increased by 29.8%. The level of overall cerebrovascular disease risk was reduced among 1,451 (70.7%) of 2,052 workers at low risk and above. The level of cerebrovascular disease risk was lower in the improved group for health behavior than the unimproved group (odds ratio =1.7, p < 0.001). Conclusions: The author considers that the application of the cerebrovascular disease prevention program by the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency reduced cerebrovascular diseases risks among workers who were enrolled in the cerebrovascular disease prevention program and it must be accompanied by an improvement in health behavior for prevention of cerebrovascular disease.