• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.14-22
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• 2015

Objectives: The objective of the present study was to assess the factors that influence the health of workers, especially nurses, and to propose methods for health management. Methods: A total of 246 nurses were surveyed to ascertain the health status score, Sasang constitution diagnosis, health-related life and job factors, psychosocial stress, and job stress. Depending on their health status score, the subjects were categorized into unhealthy, intermediate, or healthy groups, and each factor was compared with the stress score of the groups. Further, each Sasang constitution factor was also compared with the stress scores. Results: Analysis based on the health status scores indicated that the patients in the intermediate group were older and had longer tenure than those in the unhealthy or healthy groups. The healthy group had higher number of married individuals, and they were subjectively assessed as healthy. Patients in this group were more satisfied with their work than those in the unhealthy group. Analysis of the Sasang constitution showed that a lower percentage of individuals with a Soeumin constitution were married, and most considered themselves to be unhealthy during the subjective health assessment. Conclusions: The findings of this survey revealed that in order to maintain health, efforts should be made to improve the work environment, achieve health confidence, and practice health behavior while considering one's own body, mental state, and constitution.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.93-99
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• 2023

Background: Effort-reward imbalance (ERI) and overcommitment at work have been associated poorer mental health. However, nonlinear and nonadditive effects have not been investigated previously. Methods: The association between effort, reward, and overcommitment with odds of poorer mental health was examined among a sample of 68 formal United States waste workers (87% male). Traditional, logistic regression and Bayesian Kernel machine regression (BKMR) modeling was conducted. Models controlled for age, education level, race, gender, union status, and physical health status. Results: The traditional, logistic regression found only overcommitment was significantly associated with poorer mental health (IQR increase: OR = 6.7; 95% CI: 1.7 to 25.5) when controlling for effort and reward (or ERI alone). Results from the BKMR showed that a simultaneous IQR increase in higher effort, lower reward, and higher overcommitment was associated with 6.6 (95% CI: 1.7 to 33.4) times significantly higher odds of poorer mental health. An IQR increase in overcommitment was associated with 5.6 (95% CI: 1.6 to 24.9) times significantly higher odds of poorer mental health when controlling for effort and reward. Higher effort and lower reward at work may not always be associated with poorer mental health but rather they may have an inverse, U-shaped relationship with mental health. No interaction between effort, reward, or overcommitment was observed. Conclusion: When taking into the consideration the relationship between effort, reward, and overcommitment, overcommitment may be most indicative of poorer mental health. Organizations should assess their workers' perceptions of overcommitment to target potential areas of improvement to enhance mental health outcomes.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.60 no.4
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• pp.231-251
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• 2008

Academic interest has been drastically increased for the health disparities due to socioeconomic factors. For those who have a chronic illness such as diabetes, various psychosocial barriers related to illness management might affect and aggravate this disparity. This study focused on illness management barriers experienced by people with diabetes, and examined the differences by their Medicaid beneficiary status. The between group differences in illness management barriers, family support and health status were examined as well as the association between illness management barriers and health status. The sample of this study consists of 144 community dwelling adults who have diabetes, recruited from an outpatient diabetes clinic and a community welfare center. Medicaid beneficiaries reported poorer health status, and experienced more illness management barriers compared to their counterparts. Statistically significant differences were observed in barriers due to mental health, financial status, and lack of support. The between group difference in health status remained significant after controlling for the effect of demographic characteristics and illness related factors. Social work practitioners working with this population should address these illness management barriers to reduce socioeconomic health disparity.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.347-353
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• 2016

Background: This study aimed to investigate the relation between key strike forces and musculoskeletal symptoms (MSS). Moreover, this study presents a key strike force measurement method to be used in a workplace setting. The correlation between key strike force characteristics and MSS was previously studied, but the measurement methods used either a single-key switch or force platforms applied under the keyboard. Most of the studies were conducted in a laboratory setting. The uniqueness of measurement methods in the current study is their ability to measure forces applied to a specific key in a workplace setting and to provide more information about specific key strike forces during typing. Methods: Twenty-four healthy computer workers were recruited for the study. The demographic questionnaire, and self-reported questionnaires for psychosocial status (General Nordic Questionnaire for Psychological and Social Factors at Work) and for detecting MSS were filled up, which later helped in dividing the participants into two groups (12 participants with pain and 12 without pain). Participants typed a predetermined text that utilized the instrumented keys multiple times. The dynamic forces applied to the keys were recorded and collected, using four thin and flexible force sensors attached to the preselected keys according to their location. Results: The results demonstrated that participants with high levels of MSS, specifically in the back and neck, in the last year exerted significantly higher key strike forces than those with lower levels of symptoms (p < 0.005). Conclusion: The key strike force exerted while typing on a keyboard may be a risk factor for MSS, and should therefore be considered in ergonomic evaluations and interventional programs.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.397-407
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• 2009

The aim of the study was to evaluate psychosocial impact of non-dental chronic orofacial pain (OFP) on daily living using the graded chronic pain (GCP) scale. It is also investigated the clinical profile such as demographics, event related to initiation of OFP and prior treatments for patients. During previous 6 months since September 2008, 572 patients (M:F=1:1.5, mean age=34.7 years) with non-dental OFP attended university-based specialist orofacial pain clinic (Dankook University Dental Hospital, Cheonan) to seek care although 63% of them already experienced related treatment for their OFP problem. They visited the most frequently general dental practitioner and orthopedic doctors due to their pain problem and medication was the most commonly employed modality. Most of the patients (89.2%) had TMD and the most common related event to initiation of their pain was trauma, followed by dental treatment. Almost half of the patients (46%) suffered from chronic pain(${\geq}6\;M$) and 40% of them exhibited relatively high disability due to chronic OFP. GCP pain intensity and disability days were significantly different for age and diagnosis (p<0.05) but not for gender and duration. GCP grades were affected by all the factors including gender, age, pain duration and diagnosis.(p=0.000) Female gender, elders, and long lasting pain were closely related to high disability. The patients with neuropathic Pain and mixed OFP rather than TMD were graded as being highly disabled. Conclusively, a considerable percentage of chronic OFP patients reports high pain-related disability in their daily, social and work activity, which suggest a need for psychosocial support and importance of earlier referral for appropriate diagnosis and tailored management.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.17 no.10
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• pp.569-581
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• 2016

The purpose of this study was to determine factors affecting self-rated health status among the elderly in urban areas. The study subjects were 390 persons aged 65 years and older who had lived more than 5 years in D city. Interviews from the questionnaire were conducted from June through August 2016. The distribution of self-rated health status was rated in terms of dependent variables, with odds ratios and their 95% confidence intervals calculated using unconditional logistic models. As a result, 67.2% of the study subjects answered that they were healthy, whereas 32.8% were unhealthy. In the logistic regression analysis, disability and lowered IADL greatly lowered self-rated health status. The group without an occupation, living expenses from governmental subsidies, frequency of relative contents is seldom, anxiety is high, subjective sleep quality is low, satisfaction of daily life is low, had low levels of self-rated health status. Above results suggest that the self-rated health status of the elderly in urban areas is closely related to sociodemographic characteristics, physical health status, social activity participation, and psychosocial factors.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.95-104
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• 2013

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to analyze internal research trends of work-related musculoskeletal disorders(WMSDs) and provide problems of researches forward. Methods : 6 Korean databases were searched for articles of WMSDs published from 2000 to 2012, and 264 research were systematic reviewed. An analytical method was used descriptive statistics, an actual number and percentage. Results : The results of distribution by year were reported more than 20 articles after 2004, and 45 articles in 2009. Industrial classification distribution of research subjects the manufacturing industry was many most at the 84. Research contents in most description were 147 whether it was risk factor and relation. Research design type of articles was most description survey research 226. In the research field 89 articles were reported to the journal related to technologies. Conclusions : It is considered to be necessary that ergonomic approach would cooperate with other approaches such as integrated health management system as well as industrial medicine considering psychosocial factors.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare Studies
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.419-441
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• 2011

Cancer is a disease that threatens the individual's life. This is why the cancer patient goes through psychosocial pain in the form of a trauma. Thus, the previous researches have only focused on the cancer patient's psychosocial distress. However, the cancer patients who have grown more mature and brought upon positive changes in their lives have been clinically observed. Because of this, researches regarding the ways that social welfare can intervene in order to examine the cancer patients' positive changes and growth which breaks away from the previous pathological point of view of the cancer patients are being actively conducted in other countries. But it turns out that there aren't enough basic researches related to this topic and thereby the need to lay out the basis for social welfare intervention. Therefore, this research examines positive changes and growth that may result from the traumatic experience of having a cancer. The predictable factors regarding this are analyzed in order to provide the basic information that may promote clinical intervention for cancer patient's posttraumatic growth. For this, the information from 206 cancer patients who have agreed to participate in the research have been used to predict and evaluate the predictable factors for the cancer patient's post-traumatic growth and hierarchy multiple regression haven been analyzed. As the result of the research, main factor of the post-traumatic growth is found to be social support and coping. The positive reconstruction of coping has been discovered to be the strongest predictable factor for cancer patient's posttraumatic growth. Based on this result, the advice for further research and implications for social welfare have been given.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.687-694
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• 2012

Objective: This study aims to survey the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders(MSD) among Korean hospital workers and to analyze the relationship of MSD symptoms and workload perceived by workers. Background: Despite of high exposure to the MSD risk factors and high MSD symptom prevalence among health care workers, there were not enough studies of MSD prevalence among the hospital workers. Method: This study designed a survey based on Nordic questionnaire to obtain MSD symptoms and the degree of four perceived workloads: work repetition, urgency, physical exertion and satisfaction. In this survey, 1,846 workers in a hospital participated. The prevalence of MSD was analyzed for each body part, and MSD cases, which were predetermined in this study, were identified. The relationship between the MSD cases and each perceived workload was analyzed using chi-square test. Results: The pain in the shoulder was the most prevalent among the workers as 52%, and the low back(37%) and leg discomfort(36%) followed. The MSD cases, in which degree of pain was more than severe, were also the most prevalent in the shoulder(13%). Female workers had higher rate of MSD cases than the males. Among the four workload variables, the physical exertion was the statistically related to MSD cases for all the body parts. In addition, the others also had significant relation to MSD cases except one or two body parts. Conclusion: This study found that Korean hospital workers had MSD symptoms mainly in the shoulder, low back and legs in order, and the perceived workload surveyed in this study was highly correlated with MSD symptoms. Application: This study provides another evidence that subjective physical exertion perceived by workers is an important factor to explain MSD cases as same as the objective one.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.183-196
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• 2017

Objective: The purpose of this research was to assess the agreement between job physical risk factor analysis by ergonomists using ergonomic methods and physical examinations made by occupational physicians on the presence of musculoskeletal disorders of the upper extremities. Background: Ergonomics is the systematic application of principles concerned with the design of devices and working conditions for enhancing human capabilities and optimizing working and living conditions. Proper ergonomic design is necessary to prevent injuries and physical and emotional stress. The major types of ergonomic injuries and incidents are cumulative trauma disorders (CTDs), acute strains, sprains, and system failures. Minimization of use of excessive force and awkward postures can help to prevent such injuries Method: Initial data were collected as part of a larger study by the University of Utah Ergonomics and Safety program field data collection teams and medical data collection teams from the Rocky Mountain Center for Occupational and Environmental Health (RMCOEH). Subjects included 173 male and female workers, 83 at Beehive Clothing (a clothing plant), 74 at Autoliv (a plant making air bags for vehicles), and 16 at Deseret Meat (a meat-processing plant). Posture and effort levels were analyzed using a software program developed at the University of Utah (Utah Ergonomic Analysis Tool). The Ergonomic Epicondylitis Model (EEM) was developed to assess the risk of epicondylitis from observable job physical factors. The model considers five job risk factors: (1) intensity of exertion, (2) forearm rotation, (3) wrist posture, (4) elbow compression, and (5) speed of work. Qualitative ratings of these physical factors were determined during video analysis. Personal variables were also investigated to study their relationship with epicondylitis. Logistic regression models were used to determine the association between risk factors and symptoms of epicondyle pain. Results: Results of this study indicate that gender, smoking status, and BMI do have an effect on the risk of epicondylitis but there is not a statistically significant relationship between EEM and epicondylitis. Conclusion: This research studied the relationship between an Ergonomic Epicondylitis Model (EEM) and the occurrence of epicondylitis. The model was not predictive for epicondylitis. However, it is clear that epicondylitis was associated with some individual risk factors such as smoking status, gender, and BMI. Based on the results, future research may discover risk factors that seem to increase the risk of epicondylitis. Application: Although this research used a combination of questionnaire, ergonomic job analysis, and medical job analysis to specifically verify risk factors related to epicondylitis, there are limitations. This research did not have a very large sample size because only 173 subjects were available for this study. Also, it was conducted in only 3 facilities, a plant making air bags for vehicles, a meat-processing plant, and a clothing plant in Utah. If working conditions in other kinds of facilities are considered, results may improve. Therefore, future research should perform analysis with additional subjects in different kinds of facilities. Repetition and duration of a task were not considered as risk factors in this research. These two factors could be associated with epicondylitis so it could be important to include these factors in future research. Psychosocial data and workplace conditions (e.g., low temperature) were also noted during data collection, and could be used to further study the prevalence of epicondylitis. Univariate analysis methods could be used for each variable of EEM. This research was performed using multivariate analysis. Therefore, it was difficult to recognize the different effect of each variable. Basically, the difference between univariate and multivariate analysis is that univariate analysis deals with one predictor variable at a time, whereas multivariate analysis deals with multiple predictor variables combined in a predetermined manner. The univariate analysis could show how each variable is associated with epicondyle pain. This may allow more appropriate weighting factors to be determined and therefore improve the performance of the EEM.