• Quality Improvement in Health Care
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.40-51
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• 2006

Backgrouds : This study was performed to compare the satisfaction levels for health examination programs provided by between the Korea National Health Insurance Corporation (KNHIC) and private healthcare organizations in Korea. We investigated factors associated with the satisfaction level for the KNHIC health examination. Also, factors explaining for the additional receipt of private healthcare organization's examination were identified. Methods : A self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted in June 2004 with 250 beneficiaries of the KNHIC industrial workers' program and 100 beneficiaries of the KNHIC selfemployed program. A total of 297 completed the questionnaire, including 213 (85.2%) and 84 (84.0%) for each insurance program. Ten questions measuring satisfaction levels for each examination program were rated on a scale ranging from 1 (strongly unsatisfied) to 5 (strongly satisfied). Results : Among the subjects receiving both examinations, the mean satisfaction level for the KNHIC examination (3.07) was significantly lower than that for the private healthcare organization's examination (3.50) (p<0.05). The KNHIC examination showed lower satisfaction for all of the 10 items than the counterpart. In particular, the KNHIC examination had the scores of lower than 3.0 for the items reflecting post-examination management services. According to the multiple regression analysis results, the satisfaction for the KNHIC examination was positively associated with the positive attitude toward health examination(${\bullet}$,=0.38, p<0.00). The logistic regression results showed that the likelihood of receiving the private healthcare organization's examination in addition to the KNHIC examination increases as the respondents were less healthier(OR=0.29, 95% CI = 0.10¢¶0.84), the satisfaction level for the KNHIC examination decreased(OR=0.46, 0.28¢¶0.75) or the attitude toward health examination was more positive (OR=2.56, 1.31¢¶5.12). Conclusion : The relatively low satisfaction level for both examination programs suggests that there's ample room for improvement of health examination services in Korea. The negative association between additional receipt of private healthcare organization's examination and satisfaction level for the KNHIC examination implies that the improvement of the satisfaction for the KNHIC examination would help to reduce the national expenditure spent on the additional examination.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.146-155
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• 2003

This study was conducted for investigating the status of management of preemployment health examination and to have an effect on the worker's employment. Health managers of 103 companies in Incheon metropolitan city and Gyeonggi were interviewed by telephone. Of 103 companies, 67(65.1%) said they don't hire the applicants who have an active pulmonary tuberculosis, 80(77.7%) companies said they health HBV carrier is acceptable but active HBV carrier is not 29(28.2%) companies said they don't hire the applicants who have a hypertension or diabetes mellitus, 42(40.8%) companies said they don't hire the applicants who have a hearing disturbance. If HIVD is suspicious in X-ray lumbar-sacral region, 37(78.7% of 47 companies) said they do not hire the applicants. 29(35% of 83 companies) said they cancel the employment of the applicants who are suspicious of noise induced hearing loss on preplacement health examination. From our survey, preemployment health examination was utilizing mainly as a tool for the selection of health employees who don't have a disease. Furthermore, in many companies, additional test items are being included and getting more strict the selection criteria for preemployment health examination. For the right use of preemployment health examination, author suggested that further studies were needed to select the adequate test items and establish the reasonable criteria for preemployment health examination.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.30 no.1 s.56
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• pp.145-155
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• 1997

Interview survey and dermatological examination have been performed to investigate the health problems of workers continuously exposed to coal-tar pitch. The phototoxicity of coal-tar pitch was confirmed by the photopatch tests for six healthy adults. The main results are followings; 1. There was no special history of allergic diseases in both the exposed and non-exposed group. 2. The frequency of the phototoxic dermatosis and the coal-tar acne in the exposed group was significantly greate.(p<0.05) than that of the control group. In the exposed group, the phototoxic dermatosis and the coal-tar acne were observed in nine workers(90%) and seven workers(70%), respectively. However, those, disease were not observed in the control group. 3. Five results(83%) were positive to the photopatch test for coal-ta. pitch 48 hours after UVA irradiation. But the lesion was subsiding 72 hours after UVA irradiation. 4. Malignant cancers were not reported among workers ever exposed to coal-tar pitch. In conclusion, it appears that workers exposed to coal-tar pitch have high risks of phototoxic dermatosis and coal-tar acne. A health policy should be provided to prevent phototoxic dermatosis among coal-tar pitch workers. More studies are required to determine malignancy.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.28 no.1 s.49
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• pp.103-121
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• 1995

An investigation on psychophysiological health and social well-being of shift workers been carried out on workers of a automobile manufacturing plant in Ulsan, for 1 month from April, 1993. This cross-sectional survey compared shift workers(n=544) with day workers(n=115). Each subject completed a questionnaire about his personal habit, background, shift schedule, sleep and eating patterns, subjective digestive symptom and psychological well-being and distress using the General Well-Being Schedule(GWB) by self administrated questionnaire that was developed for the U.S. Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (HANES I). Chi-square analysis was used for discontinuous data and the t-test was used for continous data to determine whether differences noted between the two groups. In terms of sleep quality, a greater percentage of shift workers frequently had trouble getting back to sleep once awakend(p<0.01), and a greater percentage of shift workers awakend tired or sleepy frequently more often than day workers(p<0.05). In rating the quality of their sleep, more shift workers rated their sleep fair to poor than day workers, and greater percentage of shift workers felt tired or sleepy at work two or more times per week(p<0.01) and a much higher percentage of shift workers felt tired or sleepy after work every days(p<0.01). In terms of sleep patterns, a much higher percentage of day workers reported uninterrupted sleep per 24hours than shift workers. The shift workers reported different eating patterns from day workers but there were no statistically significant and rate of their appetite. Thirteen percent of day workers reported the best appetite but only 6.6% of shift workers had the best appetite. The gastric complaints is more frequent in shift workers than day workers(p<0.01). Among subscores in General Well-Being Schedule, anxiety, depression, positive well-being and vitality subscale of shift workers were lower than those of day workers(p<0.05) and general health and self control subscale of shift workers were lower than .those of day workers but there were no statistical significant difference. Based on these study result, it could be concluded that the shift work has significant effects on some psychophysiological conditions of the workers.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.299-305
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• 2000

Objectives : To investigate the difference in the occurrence of lung cancer between foundry workers and non-foundry workers by comparing the number of workers diagnosed with lung cancer through health insurance data. Methods : The study population was comprised of 28,884 workers who had undergone at least one general or special medical examination between January 1995 and December 1997 at the occupational health center. All of the subjects had health insurance during this period. We combined the medical examination data with the health insurance data to compare the number of foundry workers diagnosed with lung cancer and the number of non-foundry workers diagnosed with lung cancer. Results : Seven workers were diagnosed with lung cancer among the 1,591 foundry workers, compared to twelve workers among the 27,293 non-foundry workers (odds ratio: 10.04, 95% confidence interval: 3.95-25.55). The seven foundry workers diagnosed with lung cancer were all exposed to dust, and six out these seven workers were engaged in finishing or shake-out processes. Conclusions : Although the information for this study was obtained from health insurance data, which has limitations such as accuracy and completeness, the number of foundry workers diagnosed with lung cancer was significantly higher than that of non-foundry workers. Therefore, a well-designed cohort study should be followed to confirm the higher lung cancer rates in foundry workers.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.216-223
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• 2012

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to determine the lead levels in blood samples from nielloware workers, to determine airborne lead levels, to describe the workers' hygiene behaviors, and to ascertain and describe any correlations between lead levels in blood samples and lead levels in airborne samples. Methods: Blood samples and airborne samples from 45 nielloware workers were collected from nielloware workplaces in Nakhon Sri Thammarat Province, Thailand. Lead levels were determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS), at a wavelength of 283.3 nm. FAAS was used especially adequate for metals at relatively high concentration levels. Results: The geometric mean of the 45 airborne lead levels was 81.14 ${\mu}g/m^3$ (range 9.0-677.2 ${\mu}g/m^3$). The geometric mean blood lead level of the 45 workers was 16.25 ${\mu}g/dL$ (range 4.59-39.33 ${\mu}g/dL$). No worker had a blood lead level > 60 ${\mu}g/dL$. A statistically significantly positive correlation was found between airborne lead level and blood lead levels (r = 0.747, p < 0.01). It was observed that personal hygiene was poor; workers smoked and did not wash their hands before drinking or eating. It was concluded that these behaviors had a significant correlation with blood lead levels (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Improvements in working conditions and occupational health education are required due to the correlation found between blood leads and airborne lead levels.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.11 no.5
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• pp.335-340
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• 2020

In this study we conducted a questionnaire survey by purposive quota sampling(n=566) by status of workers(permanent workers, temporary workers and business owners) and age group(20-59 years old) for single households engaged in economic activities in order to compare the health behaviors and health checking by employment type and age. By employment type, the sleep time of permanent workers was significantly less than that of other groups(p<0.001), and the rates of health and oral examinations in permanent workers were significantly higher(p<0.001). By age group, as the age increased, the oral condition was worse(p<0.001), but the rates of not taking oral examinations were significantly higher(p=0.023). This study can be meaningful as basic data for making a healthy living environment according to various characteristics of single households.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.221-230
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• 2017

Objective: The purpose of this study is to draw the accident prevention model using the signal detection theory, and to implement accident prevention program, based on a health promotion and support activities in a shipbuilding company. Background: Workers' health management is perceived important from the human resource management perspective, as well as from the personal perspective. Method: This study developed an accident prevention model by analyzing the correlation between 704 workers' health examination variables, and reviewed the verification of the model through a follow-up survey on the control variables and status of hazards targeting 650 workers for four years from 2007 to 2010. Also, a health promotion program was implemented targeting a production division to improve alcohol habits, smoking, musculoskeletal pain complaints and hearing control indices, which are the control variables of the model. Results: As a result of four years' implementation, the following effects were obtained: the days away from work fell 87.5%, and accident rate dropped 71.5% in 2010, respectively, compared to 2006, before the activity was implemented. Conclusion: This study shows that the accident prevention activities based on workers' health promotion activities are effective to prevent industrial accidents and injuries. Application: The research findings will serve as a practical guideline for establishing preventive measures in the shipbuilding company.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.477-488
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• 2022

The purpose of this study is to identify the factors influencing the depression in workers with diabetes mellitus. Using data from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). 685 workers with diabetes mellitus who were ≥30 years of age were enrolled. Depression was evaluated on the basis of PHQ-9 levels. Data were analyzed by complex sample linear regression using SPSS/WIN 23.0. The factors influencing depression included gender, age, household type, household income level, education level, type of employment (p>.05). The additional factors included stress perception level, weekly walking days (p>.05). Therefore, it is necessary to prepare systematic programs for depression and a support system for health promotion plan for diabetes mellitus in work places and throughout society. In addition, research on depression management program development is needed.

• The Journal of Industrial Distribution & Business
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• v.12 no.9
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• pp.7-18
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• 2021

Purpose: This study aims to investigate whether there is a difference in the prevalence of hypertension according to gender, occupational group, and occupational group according to gender. Research design, data, and methodology: This study classified the occupational groups according to the gender of men and women between the ages of 20 and 49 into office workers and non-office workers from the 7th 2017 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. A total of 2,691 people were surveyed, including 1,394 office workers and 1,297 non-office workers. Frequency analysis, chi-square, and Independent T-test for distribution difference analysis of categorical variables analysis for occupation and hypertension were applied. Statistical significance was verified at 0.001 to determine the validity analysis. All statistical analyses were performed using the IBM SPSS 24.0 program. Results: The main risk factors for hypertension were gender, age, education, obesity, smoking, drinking, family history, and chronic diseases. There were differences in the prevalence of hypertension among office workers and non-office workers. Conclusions: Men had a higher prevalence of hypertension than women, while non-office workers had a higher prevalence than office workers. In the case of women, non-office workers have a higher prevalence of hypertension than white-collar workers.