• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.423-432
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• 2014

Objective and Background: The objective of this study was to evaluate the association of individual characteristics, work-related factors, lifestyle factors, and health problems with work ability among aging workers in Korea. Method: In this cross-sectional survey, the study population consisted of 1,594 workers who had participated in a voluntary health promotion center and private workplace. Participants completed the work ability index. Results: The mean WAI score was 37.4, while the mean age of the sample was 43.25. In the age group over 50 showed 36.26. The majority of participants rated their work ability as 'good' to 'excellent', one-third moderate and about 7.5% poor. Work ability decreased significantly with age among the men. The younger group had higher scores on the work ability index than the age group over 50, except for mental resources. By work characteristics, work ability was analyzed to be the lowest in the case of work handling heavy stuff. Lastly, as a result of health factors analysis, the good management and retention of current health status can be the measure helpful to the improvement of work ability. Conclusion and Application: According to the results, it can be a basic principle to devise and enforce preventive measures on the factors for which improvement or action is possible, together with workplace-level systematic approach, in order to improve work ability. For such measures to be realized, it is necessary to check trends in change for several years.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.9-14
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• 2008

Work ability and job stress have become the important issues in Korea workplace recently. This study researched work ability and job stress and analyzed correlation with work ability and job stress using the Work Ability Index(WAI) and the Karasek's Job Content Questionnaire against 152 doctors. The results of this study show that the work ability in doctors was good in general. The work ability and the job stress according to major show statistical significance. The relation between job stress and disease showed statistical significance in musculoskeletal disorders, heart disease, and metabolic disease. The correlations between work ability and job stress showed statistical significance in job demand and job control. This study can be utilized to improve the job ability and prevent some disease from the job stress of doctors.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.58-62
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• 2022

Metro subway construction is a field that requires a great deal of professional manpower. The aging of professionals has a negative impact on both productivity and health, owing to poor working environments, heavy lifting, underground work, and other factors. To address this issue, the government is progressively revising and enforcing health management law and regulation in the construction industry. Thus, the job stress and work ability of many professional subway construction workers, who are rapidly aging, are being analyzed to ensure their safety and improve their health. In this study, the Macpa stress index of Busan Metro Subway construction workers from Sasang to Hadan line was measured by using a Macpa measurement machine, and a work ability survey was conducted by using the questionnaire that was developed by the FIOH. The independent variables were age, years of service, job position, employment type, and occupation. While, the dependent variables were the Macpa stress index and work ability. The Kruskal-Wallis test was used because it was difficult to assume that the statistics of this study represented a normal distribution. The results showed that age, job position, and employment type affected Macpa stress index and revealed that as the age of the workers increased, their stress levels increased as well. Additionally, job position and employment type affected the work ability of the metro subway construction workers. In terms of job position, the technical engineers were under a lot of stress, and whereas the managers had the best work ability. The technical engineers were more stressed than the other workers because of a poor working environment. In terms of employment type, daily workers were under more stress and lower work ability than others.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.85-89
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• 2008

Work ability and job stress have become the important issues in Korean workplace recently. This study researched work ability and job stress and also analyzed correlation with work ability and job stress using the Work Ability Index and the Karasek's Job Content Questionnaire against 742 subway workers. As the results, Work ability in subway workers was good in general. The relation between job stress and job type showed statistical significance (p<0.05). The relation between job stress and diseases showed statistical significance in musculoskeletal disorders(p<0.05), heart disease, and gastrointestinal disease. The correlations between work ability and job stress showed statistical significance in job demand and social support(p<0.05). The result of this study could be useful to manage the work ability of aging worker and the job stress in industry.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.101-105
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• 2010

According to the Korea National Statistical Office data in 2008, the population over ages of 65 years would possess to 10.7% whole population of Korea in 2009 denoting Korea is already in the aging society. It is well-known that the possibility to work longer and to live better is highly related to the work ability of individuals. The objective of this study is to evaluate the work ability of each aged group using the Work Ability Index(WAI) in the shipbuilding industry, machinery industry and Korea housing corporation, and to assess the effect of the type of business, age and job on the WAI score. The results showed that no significant difference was identified on the effect of aging although work ability of some group(over 55 years) was a little higher than that of others. Also, type of business and job had a significant effect on WAI score. These results suggested that the work ability is not necessarily related to aging in Korean society. One possible explanation for this might be different cultural characteristics of Korean society.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.327-334
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• 2015

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate Korean workers' work ability and to identify its contributing factors. Background: In order for Korea to overcome the phenomena of becoming an aged society, older adults must participate in the workforce to balance out the population; workers' work ability must also be maintained. In addition, influential factors in employees' capabilities and degrees of importance thereof should be identified in advance to maintain work ability. Method: The Work Ability Index (WAI) questionnaire was completed by 5,708 Korean workers. Survey questionnaire consisted items of current work ability, physical and mental demands of the job, numbers of diseases, work impairment due to diseases, sick leaves, work ability in 2 years and mental resources. Results: Results indicated that work ability and length of service increased with age. It was also found that employees in administrative positions had greater work ability than site workers, workers directly managed by a supervisor had greater work ability than workers in cooperative firms, and workers who performed intellectual tasks had greater work ability than workers who performed physical labor. Job stress was additionally observed to contribute towards overall work ability. And musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) were found to negatively affect work ability. Conclusion: The strongest determining factors in the work ability of Korean workers were stress level and mental state. Therefore, when the WAI is used to assess Korean workers, the weighting of WAI items pertaining to physical and mental abilities should be adjusted accordingly to account for these factors. Application: The result is expected to suggest that workers maintain work ability in an aged society.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.43-48
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• 2016

Background: Work Ability Index (WAI) is a well-known and valid self-report tool that has been widely used in various studies to identify and avoid early retirement and work-related disability. Nevertheless, very few studies have been carried out to evaluate work ability in Iran. We aimed to investigate the WAI and the effect of work-related stress on it among Iranian workers. Methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive and analytic study was carried out among 449 workers from five working sectors in three big cities of Iran. Work ability and work-related stress were measured using the Persian version of WAI and the Persian version of Health and Safety Executive Stress Indicator Tool. Results: More than a third of the workers surveyed (34.70%) did not have an appropriate level of work ability (WAI < 37). There was a significant correlation between subscales of work-related stress and the mean score of WAI. Furthermore, the variables of body mass index, sleep quality, exercise activity, job tenure, and three subscales of work-related stress including demands, supervisor support, and role were significant predictors of WAI. Conclusion: According to the results of this study, the interventional programs must be focused on improving supervisors support, eliminating ambiguity and conflicts in the role of workers in their job and organization, reducing job demands, improving sleep quality, and increasing exercise activity.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.132-135
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• 2009

The population over 65 years of age in Korea will be 10.3% of the entire population in 2008 indicating that Korea is already in an aging society. In addition, it is expected that Korea will be in an aged society in 2018 (population over 65 years of age : 14.3%) and that it will be in a post-aged society in 2026 (20.8%). Consequently, aged workers may also increase. It is well-known that the possibility to work longer and to live better is highly related to the work ability of individual. The objective of this study was to evaluate the work ability of each age group using the Work Ability Index(WAI) in the shipbuilding industry, and to assess the effects of social psychological stress, drinking characteristics, smoking characteristics, etc. on the WAI score. The results showed no significant difference on the effects of aging, drinking, and smoking characteristics. Interestingly, a statistical analysis on the effects of social psychological stress revealed a significant difference by stress levels. The difference of the average WAI score between the healthy group and the high risk group was about 10 points. Based on this result, it can be concluded that the stress level is an influential factor on WAI.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.20 no.2 s.70
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• pp.133-139
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• 2005

TWe investigated whether work ability index(WAI) was highly correlated with work environment(physical work environment, working condition and work form) correlated high. The study population consisted of technicians from one manufacturing company in South Korea(n=104). WAI and work environment were analyzed by correlation and multiple regression. Therefore, we conclude that the correlation of WAI and work environment in this population was high. So if there are the older employees having a poor score on the items related to work environment, we can elevate the work ability by dealing with work environment. Moreover, we can make the best program to maintain and raise WAI in short term.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.20 no.3 s.71
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• pp.197-201
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• 2005

The purpose of this study is to investigate the work ability of employees using the work ability index(WAI) and to confirm factors affecting the work ability of employees in the Korean machinery industry. In this study, correlations between the WAI score and variables affecting the work ability of employees(age, the class of the employee's position the character of the work and the type of the work) were analysed by the correlation analysis. The study population was consisted of employees from Korean machinery industry(n=446) and the WAI questionnaire was more or less modified considering actual circumstances in Korean. The WAI score of entire employees was slightly high (WAI score=42, Level=Good) and the WAI score of employees under 29 years of age was slightly higher than that of employees over 30 years of no. As a result of one-way ANOVA and correlation analysis, the character of the work and the type of the work were variables affecting the WAI score and the WAI score of physical/mental workers was higher than that of physical workers.