• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.186-190
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• 2014

Background: Physical exercise during leisure time is known to increase physical capacity; however, the long-term effects on work ability and work strain are inconclusive. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a 6-month physical exercise program on work ability and work strain after 6 months and 30 months, among women with menopausal symptoms at baseline. Methods: A questionnaire including questions on work ability and work strain was mailed in the beginning, at 6 months and after 30 months after the intervention to occupationally active women participating in a randomized controlled study on physical exercise and quality of life. The intervention included aerobic exercise training 4 times per week, 50 minutes per session. Work ability was measured with the Work Ability Index (WAI) and with questions about physical and mental work strain. Results: Women aged 47-62 years (N=89) who were occupationally active at baseline were included in the analyses. The increase in WAI from baseline to the end of the exercise intervention (6 months) was statistically significantly greater among the intervention group than among the control group (regression coefficient 2.08; 95% confidence interval 0.71-3.46). The difference between the groups persisted for 30 months. No significant short- or long-term effects on physical and mental work strain were found. Conclusion: A 6-month physical exercise intervention among symptomatic menopausal women had positive short-term as well as long-term effects on work ability.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.71-77
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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. In addition, the office also expected that Korea would enter in the aged population over 65 years: 14.3% and post-aged 20.8% society in 2019 and 2026 respectively, and which suggests that an averaged age of workers in Korean industries may increase rapidly in future. The main purpose of this study is to assess the work ability and the job stress of each age group in order to identity the influential factors on those items. To this end, Questionnaires about work ability and job stress were distributed to practitioners in shipbuilding industry and statistical analysis was performed to assess work ability and the job stress based on the responses from the practitioners.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.77-82
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• 2011

Recently, personal characteristics of organizational members arc regarded as an important factor that affects performance of organization. In addition, job stress is attributed to one of main factors that result in poor work ability and high turnover rate. In this study, job stress, work ability and DISC personality types were surveyed targeting 292 of foreman in shipbuilding company. The relationships between job stress and personal characteristics including personality types and correlation between job stress and work ability were analyzed based on the result of survey. As a result of statistical analysis, there were six statistically significant relationships between job stress and age, job tenure, work type, hobbies, exercise, personality types. On the other hand, there was a statistically significant relationship between work ability and exercise. Furthermore, negative correlation between job stress and work ability were found. In accordance with these analysis, this study presented how to improve work ability by managing job stress items and personal characteristics that affect the stress and the stress level.

• Journal of Korea Entertainment Industry Association
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.231-241
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• 2020

This study was conducted from April 2020 to June of the same year to identify the working skills, quality of life and depression on occupational therapists working at medical institutions in Gwangju, Jeollabuk-do and Jeollanam-do. Each function was evaluated using the WAI(Work Ability Index), the Korean version of WHOQOL and PHQ-9(Patient Health Questionnaire-9 Korean version) to evaluate the working ability, quality of life and depression level of depression. Studies have shown mo statistically significant differences in all areas of work capability, quality of life, or depression, depending on general characteristics. The correlation between work tretment worker's work ability, quality of life and depression showed a positive correlation between work ability and quality of life and a strong nehative correlation between quality of life and depression. This is a tesult of improved working ability, which improves the quality of life and lowers the level of depression if there is a positive change in the quality of life. It is hoped that research will be conducted considering the work ability and quality of life of occupational therapists who play an important role in rehabilitation and ways to reduce depression.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.129-135
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• 2014

In recent studies, construction industry workers with higher job stress and lower work ability were more likely to experience accidents at their workplace. Likewise, fatal accidents rate was higher among simple labor workers compared to technical workers. Therefore the evaluation of a worker's job stress and work ability seems to be important in preventing the occurrence of fatal accidents. To search for ways to reduce job stress and to improve work ability, the current study conducted a job stress analysis based on age, years of service, skill level, hobbies, sleep patterns, and monthly income. For this, the Korean occupational stress questionnaire short form and the Work Ability Index (WAI) developed by the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (FIOH) were used. In this study, SPSS 12.0K statistics program was used for statistical analysis and significance was verified by the Kruskal-Wallis test and non-parametric tests. The results of this study can be summarized as follows : (1) Simple labor workers had higher job stress and less work ability than technical workers. (2) The more experienced workers had lower job stress and higher work ability. (3) In the case of workers who slept a lot, work ability was higher and job stress was less. (4) Monthly income influenced on the job stress and work ability. (5) Job stress and work ability in accordance with the age difference was not significant.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.100-106
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• 2013

According to the Statistics Korea, in 2011, people over the age of 65 years old accounted for 11.8% of Korea's population. This number is expected to rise to 15.0% by 2019, making Korea an "aged society". As age increases, physical ability degrades to the point that the workload must be adjusted limitations. However, workloads are given regardless of workers' ages or abilities. In addition, a decline in work efficiency due to aging also increases the risk of work-related injuries. Furthermore, the cases of stress related diseases along with musculoskeletal disorders(MSDs) rise as main factors of industrial disasters and excessive job stress gives negative influence not only on mental health but also on physical health so that job stress becomes a hot issue as a main cause of work ability falloff and turnover. The purpose of this research is to examine how the sociodemographic characteristics, MSDs symptoms and musculoskeletal workload of workers in the manufacturing industry of automobile parts influence work ability and job stress. As a result of the research, job ability showed significant differences statistically according to age, working year, sex, marital status and musculoskeletal workload and job stress showed significant differences statistically according to age, working year, marital status and musculoskeletal workload. In addition, it showed that as the worker's job ability decreases, job stress increases.

• Therapeutic Science for Rehabilitation
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.41-53
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• 2022

Objective : The purpose of this study is to identify and analyze the vocational rehabilitation evaluation tool for the mentally disabled. Methods : For literature search, the Pubmed database was used, and for the analysis, the development year, evaluation method, number of items, scale, and evaluation items were analyzed. In the analysis method, each evaluation item was divided into four categories: function, internal factor, environment, and mental symptom, and the evaluation elements of each evaluation tool were identified. Results : When searching Pubmed through search terms, 161 documents were retrieved. According to the selection method, Griffiths Work Behavior Scale (GWBS), Occupational Functioning Scale (OFS), Social and Occupational Functioning Assessment Scale (SOFAS), Work Ability Index (WAI), Work Behavior Inventory (WBI), Work Environment Impact Scale (WEIS), and Work and Social Adjustment Scale (WSAS) were screened. The evaluation items of all evaluation tools included job-related functional evaluation. According to the purpose of each evaluation tool, internal factors, environment, and mental symptoms were measured. Conclusion : Occupational skills are skills in which various functions such as physical, cognitive, social skills, and coping skills act in a complex way. Therefore, it is necessary to include the four factors analyzed in this study: function, internal factors, environment, and psychiatric symptoms.