• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.412-424
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• 2015

Objectives: An ultra dry air environment of nearly ${\leq}2%$ RH is often required in lithium battery factories. The objective of this study is to evaluate the subjective eye, pulmonary, nose, and skin symptoms of workers exposed to ultra-low relative humidity and thionyl chloride. Methods: We recruited 274 workers using a self-reported questionnaire in March 2014. Those who worked in ultra-low relative humidity and with thionyl chloride were identified and their prevalence of symptoms was compared with that of other workers. We excluded white collar workers, researchers and other workers who were exposed to various hazard factors, and finally included 164 workers. Results: There were significant differences in the rate of self-reported eye and skin symptoms between exposure group_1 and exposure group_2. Exposure group_2 experienced more frequent eye, and skin symptoms. Multinomial logistic regression analysis for experience of dry eye symptoms and skin symptoms in exposure group_2 showed that dry eye symptoms (odds ratio [OR], 6.33, 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.19-18.24, p<0.001), and itchiness (OR, 6.45, 95% CI, 1.94-21.43, p<0.01) were the significant variables. The complaints of workers experiencing ultra-low relative humidity and thionyl chloride were high compared with other workers. Conclusion: These findings suggest that exposure to ultra-low relative humidity and thionyl chloride may be associated with more frequent eye and skin symptoms than exposure to ultra-low relative humidity alone. The current precautions to protect workers from the adverse effects of ultra-low relative humidity and thionyl chloride appear to be insufficient, indicating that additional management plans to reduce symptoms should be considered.

• Journal of Labour Economics
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.1-44
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• 2013

This paper surveys the existing literatures on labor demand of Korea. It has been found that labor and capital are substitutes in Korea and the result holds even if labor is decomposed into white collar and blue collar workers. The elasticity of substitution lies between 0 and 1. It is yet unclear if employment and work hours are substitutes. The reduction of legal work week did not increase employment although decreased work hours. The labor demand elasticity is below 0.5 in the short run. Since mid 1990s, the technological change has shown skill bias and therefore increased demand for skilled labor.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.71-76
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• 2017

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the musculoskeletal diseases (MSDs) that occur in heavy industrial workers according to the occupational category, prevalence, environment, and number of physical therapy visits. Design: Retrospective cohort study. Methods: For this study, data was collected of workers who were engaged in heavy industry in Korea and who visited the company physicians and received physical therapy in 2016. Data was collected from 855 subjects and was analyzed. With the data collected, analysis of the type and prevalence of MSDs and the number of physical therapy visits that have occurred according to the occupational category and environment was performed. Results: The most common MSDs were lumbar sprains and spasms (31.1%), and shoulder sprain and spasm (19.4%). In addition, the most common type of MSDs according to the occupational category and environment (occupational type) were lumbar sprain and spasms in 11 occupations, including white collar workers, and in milling, inspection, crane operation, and finishing jobs, shoulder muscle sprain and strain were the most common disorders. Also, the prevalence of MSDs according to occupational category and environment (occupational type) was the highest in workers involved with welding, which was 29.7%. Conclusions: Through this study, the type and prevalence of MSDs according to the occupational category and environment of heavy industrial workers have been confirmed. Further studies are necessary to study the future types of the work patterns of industrial workers and to develop a system for preventing and managing MSDs that may occur.

• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.843-855
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• 1995

Occupational Dentistry was introduced in Korea about 70 years ago. During the colonial period occupied by Japan till 1945, there were few documents about industrial dentistry, furthermore most cases of occupational diseases and accidents might have been concealed intentionally by the colonial government. After being an independent country, several dentists made efforts to set up 'Preventive Dentistry for Workers' performing specific oral health surveys, even though which were stopped by Korean War. In 1960s' and 1970s', some investigations of oral status were carried out intermittently for specific small groups;white-collar workers, mentally retarded person, buddhist monks and crews of ocean liners. At the same time there was important study in Korean history of occupational dentistry, which was 'a comparison of the oral hygiene conditions in the female workers of a spinning factory at intervals of 30 years.' In 1980s', young researchers began to give attention to erosion of the teeth due to sulphuric acid in the acid-related industry and dental caries due to sugar and flour in the sweets industry. After being democratic labor union movement activated in 1987, hidden and suppressed occupational diseases under the military dictatorship were exposed and flushed in the newspapers. It was shocking for all people that 15-year old boy had been dead due to mercury intoxication after 3-month employment in 1988. In 1990s', the activity for studying oral status of workers in their workplaces was launched and 'Occupational Accidents and Diseases in Oral and Maxillofacial Field' was published. And also The Korean Association of Occupationl Dentistry was established. Oral health examination of workers at the time of employment and of workers exposed to 5 special chemicals at the time of routine special health examination was adopted in 1992, and epocally oral health examination was also included in periodic routine examination of workers' health in 1995. So, occupational dentistry in Korea should cope with the changing needs of working environment and the altering scheme of health examination.

• Asian Journal for Public Opinion Research
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.257-273
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• 2023

Conducting face-to-face surveys is difficult and cost prohibitive, necessitating a new attempt to build a probability-based panel in South Korea. Since 99.9% of adult Koreans own a mobile phone, mobile phone numbers provide a viable sampling frame. Random digit dialing (RDD) surveys were conducted August-December 2021. Of the 288,056 valid phone numbers dialed, 13,655 respondents between the ages of 19 and 69 completed a phone survey. These respondents were later invited by text message to join a panel; 3,202 of these (23.4% or 1.2% based on the number initially contacted) joined the panel. When compared to official government statistics like resident registration data, the census, or the Social Survey, this new probability-based panel can be said to be representative of the Korean population on the basis of age, gender, location, marital status, and household size after weighting is applied. However, even after weighting, panel members are more educated than the general population, white-collar workers and self-employed people are overrepresented, and blue-collar workers are underrepresented. As of February 2023, this panel has grown to 10,471 participants with plans to continue to invite more panel members in the same way. Based on the comparisons in this paper, we can regard this panel as a cost-effective, probability-based panel that may be used for various kinds of public opinion research, by researchers both within and outside of Korea. As we continue to refine and grow this panel, we hope it will become more widely used by researchers as well as provide a model for those building similar panels in other countries.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.301-311
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• 2011

This study was performed to determine the self-perceived fatigue and its association with job stress contents and psychosocial factors among white collar male workers. The self-administered questionnaires were given to 872 workers employed in 42 work places during the period from February 1st to April 30th, 2009. As a results, in terms of levels of self-perceived fatigue according to the job stress contents and psychosocial factors, under significantly higher level of self-perceived fatigue were those with higher level of job demand, lower job autonomy, lower supervisor support and higher locus of control than their respective counterparts. Multiple stepwise analysis revealed that the factors of influence on self-perceived fatigue included age, subjective status of health, job career, experience of sick absence, sense of satisfaction in work, regular exercise, sleeping hours, visiting out-patient department, job demand, supervisor support and self-esteem. The study results indicated that the level of self-perceived fatigue is so complicatedly influenced by variable factors as well as socio-demographic characteristics, job-related characteristics and health-related behaviors, to a greater extent, by JCQ and psychosocial factors.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.196-201
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• 2016

An effective strategy for obesity intervention should include demographic, health-related, and work-related factors that are most relevant to the target population. Factors most strongly associated with obesity may differ for groups of individuals across industries or age categories. The purpose of this study was to provide current knowledge about the possible association between psychosocial job stress and immune parameters in blood. We assessed obesity-related parameters as well as the natural killer cell activity (NKCA) in female workers. There was a significant difference in the obesity-related blood parameters, i.e. fasting blood sugar level, according to age (p<0.05). Moreover, it showed a significant difference in NK cell activity between the obese and non-obese factor groups (p<0.05). Pearson correlation analysis demonstrated that NKCA was closely correlated with obesity related factors. In the future, it would have to study the biological changes which increase the activity of the immune factors to the immunological response.

• The Research Journal of the Costume Culture
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• v.7 no.5
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• pp.80-92
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• 1999

The objectives of this study were to investigate the relation between personality(activity, emotional stability, and dominance) and clothing design preferences, and to examine the differences of clothing design preferences according to demographic variables of men. Subjects for the study were 255 male white-collar workers ranging in ages from twenties to fifties, in Seoul and Kwangju City, Korea. The men with higher activity of personality preferred the double jacket with 4 buttons, the combination of light color jacket and dark trousers, glen check pattern jacket, herringbone pattern jacket, light beige color dress shirts. The higher the emotional stability, the higher the preferences on diverse patterns such as fine stripe, plaid, hound\`s-tooth check, and small check pattern. The men with higher dominance preferred dark blue color suit, glen check pattern suit, and necktie of red circle, and disliked the necktie of gray circle. The men in their 20\`s and 30\`s liked the single jacket with 3 buttons, the suit of fine stripe and the necktie of gray circle more among three income groups. The higher the men\`s age and income were, the more they liked the conservative style such as a single jacket with 2 buttons. The men who reside in Seoul liked the suit of gray circle, the jacket and trousers of same color, the patternless jacket, and the patternless suit more than the men in Kwangju. Therefore, the men in methropolitan area preferred conservative clothing image. Fine stripe pattern and patternless materials were preferred when men wore jacket and trousers of same color, while glen check pattern was preferred as the pattern of jacket when jacket and trousers of different color. Male white-collar worker liked single jacket more than double jacket, and preferred the dark blue color suit and necktie, patternless suit, fine stripe suit, and the pale blue dress shirts generally. The present findings provide that the personality of male has influence on the clothing design preferences, and it is possible to infer men\`s personality by their attire.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.42 no.8
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• pp.1318-1324
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• 2013

The purpose of this study was to improve the satisfaction of industry contracted foodservice customers by analyzing the correlation between satisfaction with foodservice and customer loyalty. To accomplish this, a questionnaire was distributed to 300 customers at five industry contracted foodservice establishments. The average customer satisfaction score was 3.51/5.00, and customer satisfaction was highest with sanitation, followed by service, food, and environment. Blue collar workers showed significantly higher foodservice satisfaction than white collar workers with respect to menu, service, sanitation, and environment (P<0.01). The average customer loyalty score was 3.46/5.00 and revisit intentions, word-of-mouth intentions, and intentions not to switch were 3.60, 3.52, and 3.46, respectively. Blue collar workers had significantly higher customer loyalty than white collar workers for word-of mouth intentions and intentions not to switch (P<0.01). Revisit intentions correlated significantly (P<0.01) with food (r=0.649), service (r=0.636), sanitation (r=0.648), and environment (r=0.579). Word-of mouth intentions and intentions not to switch showed significant (P<0.01) positive correlation with service. The explanation power ($R^2$) of foodservice satisfaction and revisit intention was 0.483, word-of-mouth intention was 0.526, and intention not to switch was 0.3641. The sanitation satisfaction had the highest positive influence on revisit intentions (P<0.01). Service and food satisfaction had a significant (P<0.01) positive influence on word-of-mouth intentions and intentions not to switch.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.611-623
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• 2007

Purpose: To evaluate a reducing alcohol intervention program for workers. Method: The intervention program employed one-group pretest-post-test design with repeated measuring by quasi-experimental study. The program was developed from literature review based on the Transtheoretical Model, and evaluated from April 6 to June 22, 2006. Sixteen white collar male workers participated. At the beginning, the subjects were at the pre-contemplation stage (50%) and contemplation stage (50%). The intervention was applied personally or in group twice a week for 9 weeks. Results: The scores of each stage of change in the post-test increased significantly compared with those in the pretest. The scores of process (cognitive and behavioral) of change in the post-test increased significantly compared with those in the pretest. The score of self-efficacy of change in the post-test increased significantly compared with that in the pretest. The score of pros-cons for drinking in the post-test decreased significantly compared with that in the pretest. The consumption of alcohol a week and a day in the post-test decreased significantly compared with that in the pretest. The levels in ALT, AST, GGT, total cholesterol, triglyceride, B.P. and BMI in the post-test did not decrease significantly compared with those in the pretest, but the level of FBS decreased significantly compared with that in the pretest. Conclusion: The above result informs us that a stage-based reducing alcohol intervention program for workers has the effect of increasing the stages of change, the process of change (cognitive and behavioral) and self-efficacy, and decreasing pros-cons for drinking alcohol consumption and FBS, and it also has a value as an effective means of nursing for workers.