• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.135-140
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• 2023

Introduction: With recent higher awareness of the necessity of improving healthcare workers' wellbeing, we aimed to overview systematic reviews dealing with interventions on well-being, occupational health, and aging of healthcare workers. Methods: From three databases (PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science), a scoping review of systematic reviews was carried out to determine current knowledge on interventions focused on the well-being or aging of healthcare workers. Only systematic reviews were considered, with appropriate extraction and quality evaluation. Results: Of the total of 445 references identified, 10 systematic reviews were included, mostly published since 2019. Nurses were the most frequent targets of interventions, and mental health was the main outcome described. The overall level of quality was also heterogenous, with high to low-quality reviews. Conclusions: Workers' mental health well-being was the major outcome targeted by intervention, with varying level of evidence. Further studies are needed with integrative approaches on global health and life course perspectives, with a focus on the plurality of settings, worker types, and women.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.143-152
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• 2011

Purpose: This study investigated to relationship of fatigue, health promotion behavior and mental health in automotive manufacturing workers. Methods: As a descriptive research design, the data were collected from 198 workers in a city. It was analyzed using the SPSS/WIN 12.0. Results: The level of fatigue was beyond moderate, health promotion behavior was low, mental health was slightly unhealthy. The fatigue was significantly correlated with health promotion behavior. The global fatigue, job satisfaction and drinking explained 22.3% of health promotion behavior. Conclusion: It is necessary for the automotive manufacturing workers and their companies to reduce level of fatigue and mental health and to increase level of health promotion behavior.

• The Korean Journal of Health Service Management
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.171-182
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• 2015

Objectives : The aim of this study was to identify the effect of employment type on health-related quality of life. Methods : This study used data from the Sixth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Data were analyzed with the ${\chi}^2$ test, t-test, ANOVA and multiple regression. Results : There were significant statistical differences the health-related quality of life according to employment type. The health-related quality of life of temporary workers was lower than that of regular workers. The significant predictors of the health-related quality of life of regular workers were the subjective health status, stress, age, and education. The significant predictors of the health-related quality of life of temporary workers were the subjective health status, education, stress, sleeping time, and gender. Conclusions : These results suggest that employment type affects the health-related quality of life. The research on social policy is recommended to resolve health inequalities.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.28 no.1 s.49
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• pp.225-243
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• 1995

Benzidine Industry in Korea has started after Japan has banned its production in early 1970's, and it has been in operation in Korea for over 20 years. However, it is not known yet whether any bladder cancer has developed from benzidine exposure. This study was done to screen benzidine-exposed workers for bladder cancer, and to examine the feasibility of employing screening test at the workplace. All the workplaces that manufacture or use benzidine for more than 20 years in Korea have been covered in this study, and they include 2 benzidine manufacturing factories, 5 benzidine using factories, as well as 2 benzidine free factories as an outside control. In total, 516 workers were screened with urine stick test and urine cytology test for the evidence of hematuria and abnormal urothelial cells. Each worker was also asked about risk factors and symptoms of bladder cancer including past medical history, smoking, medication and occupational history Benzidine in the air was measured by personal and area sampling. Out of 516 screened workers, 84(16.3%) workers showed positive hematuria in urine stick test, and 7(1.4%) workers showed degenerative cells in urine cytology tests. Those workers with abnormal urine test results who have been exposed to benzidine fo more than 10 years were further screened, and, in total, 23 workers were examined with intra-venous pyelography and cystoscopy. None of those screened had any evidence of bladder cancer When workers with only past hematuria history were included in the positive hematuria group, 96(18.5%) had positive hematuria. On the multiple logistic regression analysis, positive hematuria was significantly associated with benzidine exposure, history of other occupations with elevated bladder cancer risk, pyuria and glycosuria. The association got stronger as direct benzidine exposure was accounted through individual task analysis, and as exposure duration was accounted with tenure analysis. For those with benzidine exposure with more than 10 years of tenure, the odds of having positive hematuria was elevated 2.14(95%C.I is 1.08 to 4.25) times more than for those without exposure. Even though bladder cancer was not detected for several limitations including short observation period, majority of studied workers with short latency, healthy worker effect, and low sensitivity of single screening test in a cross-sectional study, the study results suggest that hematuria screening is a feasible and very useful test for bladder cancer screening among benzidine exposed workers.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.272-281
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• 2000

The purpose of this study is to clarify the phenomenon worker's health as a basis for the future study. Concepts help us to identify how experiences are similar or equivqlent by categorizing all the things that are similar. The concept of health in workers was investigated using the Chinn and Krammer's method. The process of analysis involves choosing the concept, clarifying the purpose, using evidence of data, exploration of context, and value and category formalization. Dimensions of health in workers were identified as follows: \circled1 clinical dimension \circled2 role execution \circled3 coping with dimensia \circled4 mental well being \circled5 possibility \circled6 concrete activity \circled7 symbolization \circled8 hardiness Characteristics of anality of health in workers are activity, dimension of symbolization and of hardiness. Through this study it is identified that health in workers is with the beyond physical well-being, focused functional ability, and harmony environment.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.39-49
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• 2003

The Purpose of this study is to identify the trends of studies on workers' musculoskeletal disorder and to suggest the direction of future research. 83 research article on workers' musculoskeletal disorder were reviewed. The results are as follows : 1. Studies on workers' musculoskeletal disorder have increased rapidly since 1996, but most of them were done by non-experimental design. 2. The most frequently selected subjects of studies are telephone operators and manufacturing workers. 3. The most frequently used instrument of studies is NIOSH's questionnaire & RULA (ergonomic work posture analysis). 4. The most frequently analysed variables relating to workers' musculoskeletal disorder are working years, hours of work a day, working process, and physical exercises. Therefore, it is needed to develop the management program of workers' musculoskeletal disorder and examine its effects.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.62-73
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• 2022

This study investigates the working conditions of shift workers according to age group by analyzing the sixth Korean Working Conditions Survey's data. A total of 1,323 shift workers were extracted from the dataset. Three age groups (A: 20s-30s, B: 40s-50s, C: 60s and above) were statistically compared in terms of health problems, emotional hazard exposure, work-life imbalance, and satisfaction with working conditions. Elderly shift workers (those in their 60s and above) had significantly more severe health problems and work-life imbalance, greater exposure to emotional hazards, and lower satisfaction with working conditions than young shift workers (those in their 20s-50s). The study's findings reveal the characteristics of working conditions for elderly shift workers and would be useful for improving shift workers' quality of life, as well as safety and productivity in the workplace.

• Journal of muscle and joint health
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.340-349
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• 2012

Purpose: This study aimed to identify the influence of knowledge and subjective health status on health promoting behavior about osteoporosis in industrial workers. Methods: The subjects were 292 industrial workers. Data were collected with structured questionnaires in July 10 to August 20, 2012. The collected data were analyzed with t-test, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation coefficients and hierarchical regression analysis by using the SPSS Win 12.0 statistics. Results: The major findings of this study were as follows; 1) The average scores of knowledge about osteoporosis, subjective health status and health promoting behavior about osteoporosis were 9.26 out of 20, 9.64 out of 14 and 39.77 out of 68. 2) There were significantly positive correlations relationship among knowledge, subjective health status and health promoting behavior. 3) The factors influencing health promoting behavior were age(${\beta}$=.069, p=.032), knowledge(${\beta}$=.026, p=.005), subjective health status(${\beta}$=.058, p<.001). Conclusion: This study suggested that we should develop preventive osteoporosis programs for industrial workers considering these results.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.87-96
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• 2011

In 1967, the problem of occupational lead exposure came to public attention in Korea. Since then, regular progress has been made in lowering workplace lead exposures, instituting new workplace controls, and implementing health examinations of exposed workers. Past serious lead poisoning episodes made it possible to introduce biological monitoring programs on a voluntary basis in high-lead-exposure facilities in Korea. Industry-specific occupational health services for lead workers in Korea during the last 22 years can be categorized into three phases. During the first phase (1988-1993), efforts were directed at increasing awareness among workers about the hazards of lead exposure, biological monitoring of blood zinc protoporphyrin began, and a respiratory protection program was introduced. During the second phase (1994-1997), a computerized health management system for lead workers was developed, blood-lead measurement was added to biologic monitoring, and engineering controls were introduced in the workplace to lower air-lead levels to comply with air-lead regulations. Finally, during the third phase (1998-present), a new biomarker, bone-lead measurement by X-ray fluorescence, was introduced. Bone-lead measurement proved to be useful for assessing body burden and to demonstrate past lead exposure in retired workers. Occupational health service practice for lead workers, including the industry-specific group occupational health system, has brought considerable success in the prevention of lead poisoning and in reducing the lead burden in Korean lead workers during the last several decades. The successful achievement of prevention of lead poisoning in Korea was a result of the combined efforts of lead workers, employers, relevant government agencies, and academic institutes.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.96-101
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• 2021

Background: Many studies have reported noticeable increases in the proportion of employees working either relatively short or relatively long hours. Such trends have been accompanied by an increasing concern regarding work hour mismatches defined as a discrepancy between actual and preferred work hours. The aim of this study was to investigate association between work hour mismatch and depression. Methods: Data regarding work hour mismatches for 47,551 adults were extracted from the 2017 Korean Working Conditions Survey. The World Health Organization-Five Well-Being Index was used to measure depression. Multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the association between work hour mismatch and depression. Results: Men and women workers with work hour mismatch were more likely to have depression [underemployed males: odds ratio (OR) = 1.30, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.14-1.49, overemployed males: OR = 1.28, 95% CI = 1.18-1.40; underemployed females: OR = 1.37, 95% CI = 1.20-1.56, overemployed females: OR = 1.12, 95% CI = 1.02-1.23]. Underemployed workers, workers who worked more than 52 hours per week, and workers with a high income level, all had higher ORs for depression. The greater the discrepancy between actual and preferred work hours, the higher OR for depression among both underemployed and overemployed workers. Conclusions: A difference between actual and preferred work hours was associated with depression. Underemployed workers had a higher risk of depression than that of overemployed workers. As a work hour mismatch negatively affected workers' mental health, it is important to reduce work hours mismatches as well as shorten the absolute number of work hours.