• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.410-412
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• 2017

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a serious problem not only among workers who experience industrial accidents but also among workers who witness such accidents. Early intervention is needed to prevent prolonged psychological problems. There has been no study conducted regarding the psychological problems of and interventions for bystander workers in Korea. This study introduces the experience of intervention on psychological problems at the Busan Workers' Health Center workers who witnessed their colleagues' death. An investigation and an intervention were conducted according to the Korean Occupational Safety and Health Agency (KOSHA) Guide. In total, 21 individuals including indirect observers showed statistical differences on scores of the Impact Event Scale Revised and the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 after the intervention. Future interventions and research involving a larger sample size over a longer period are needed. The KOSHA Guide could be a useful tool for urgent psychological intervention in the event of major workplace disasters.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.112-116
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• 2022

Background/Aims: The Gachon Regional Occupational Cohort Study (GROCS) is a large-scale longitudinal study of occupational safety and health data (covering Work Environment Monitoring, Workers' Health Surveillance, and Occupational Health Service) conducted by the Gachon University Gil Medical Center (GUGMC) in Incheon, Republic of Korea. We conducted GROCS to identify the health effects of workers' occupational risks, behavior, socioeconomic status, and life style. Methods: The GROCS includes data from Work Environment Monitoring, Workers' Health Surveillance, and Occupational Health Service. The baseline year for all data collection was 2018. Work Environment Monitoring was conducted in 240 companies located in Incheon. General Health Examination and Special Health Examination were performed on 32,725 and 9,504 workers, respectively. Occupational Health Services were provided to 16,883 workers in 171 companies. These data have been collected and operated at an external data management institution and were provided as a retrospective cohort after removing personal identification information. Results: In 2018, the total number of companies was 2,854, among which which 488 special Health Examination, 171 Work Environment Monitoring, and 240 Occupational Health Service. The proportion of companies undergoing Special Health Examination was 17.1%, the proportion of companies undergoing Work Environment Monitoring was 8.4%, and the proportion of Companies undergoing Occupational Health Service was 6.0%. Conclusion: GROCS expects researchers to utilize its useful and reliable resource for occupational health and surveillance with for academic or political purposes to lead to improved workers' health and working environment.

• Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
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• v.35
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• pp.29.1-29.10
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• 2023

Background: Lone workers are generally defined as individuals who work alone without supervision, including self-employed people. While lone workers are considered a vulnerable group in some countries, there is a lack of research on their health status in domestic studies. Globally, the number of lone workers has been increasing, and this trend has been further accelerated since the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic with the rise of remote work. Methods: The study analyzed data from 44,281 participants, excluding unpaid family workers, soldiers, and those with missing data. Lone workers were defined as individuals who reported having no colleagues with the same job at their current workplace. Self-rated health status was categorized as "good" or "poor." Results: This study found a statistically significant higher number of lone workers among women compare to men. The largest occupational category for lone workers was service and sales workers, followed by agriculture and fisheries workers. A majority of non-lone workers reported working 40 hours or less per week, while the majority of lone workers reported working 53 hours or more per week. In addition, lone workers had significantly poorer health status evaluations compared to non-lone workers (odds ratio: 1.297; 95% confidence interval: 1.165-1.444). Conclusions: Further research is needed to investigate the causal relationship between lone work and health, using data collected after the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.114-125
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• 2010

Objectives : This study investigates the determinants of contingent workers' ratio in public health centers. Since the economic crisis in 1997, there have been many studies on contingent workers in Korea. But, previous studies have been not conducted focusing on public health center. Methods : This study used 253 public health centers, installed and operated since December 31, 2008. in Korea as units of analysis. To examine the determinants of contingent workers' ratio, this study uses Pearson correlation and multiple regression analysis. Results : The following appeared as significant variable affecting contingent workers' ratio in public health centers; degree of the local government's financial independence(p<0.001), rate of increase/decrease in ages 65 and over(p<0.001), rate of increase/decrease in basic livelihood security recipients(p<0.01) and rate of increase/decrease in registered disabled persons(p<0.01). In contrast, internal organizational environment characteristics related variables were not statistically significant. Conclusions : Contingent workers' ratio in public health center is significantly affected by financial vulnerability of the local government and increase in demand of health care services.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.113-121
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• 2003

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the link between health and welfare service and barrier's factors by reviewing the connection between the public health center's visiting nurse and social welfare center's social workers Method: A survey by mail or a face-to-face interview of 151 visiting nurses in 25 public health centers and 48 social welfare workers in general social welfare centers in Seoul, was preformed from Feb. 12, 2001 to Mar. 15, 2001. The data were analyzed with frequency, percentage, mean value, paired t-test and independent t-test using SPSS/WIN 7.5 program. Result: 1. ‘The necessity and degree of cooperation with social welfare workers of visiting nurse’ scored average 4.49 and 3.19, and ‘The necessity and degree of cooperation with visiting nurse and social welfare workers’ scored average 4.81 and 3.15 on the five-point scale ; there was a significant difference between the two variable in visiting nurse and social welfare workers. 2. In barrier's factors which health and welfare service offer to, visiting nurses showed statistically significant higher score than social welfare staff; ‘job factor’, ‘resource factor’, ‘clients factor’, ‘individual ability factor’ Conclusion: In order to provide link system that hold clients in common in public health center and social welfare center, it is recommended a case management team should be constructed and educate visiting nurses for case manager.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.414-424
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• 2022

Objectives: This study was established to ascertain the requirements and implementation of core competencies for employees of the a workers' health center. Methods: The study consisted of a four-step process: a literature review, focus group interviews, expert opinions, and a questionnaire. The survey was conducted online among 119 employees of the National Workers' Health Center. Results: As a result of the research, eleven core competencies and 37 sub-competencies were derived in three areas: Competence as a social worker, competence to perform duties, and competence for maintaining expertise. The key demands for core competencies were "health consultation" and "understanding of small businesses.". They responded that they needed to "maintain an ethical attitude" and "consult on workers' health.". The largest score difference between core competency requirements and competency implementation was "collaboration with the community.". Conclusions: It is necessary to increase competencies not only for competencies with high core requirements, but also for relatively low competencies. In addition, efforts should be made to improve the core competencies of the employees of the Workers' Health Center to effectively respond to changes in the industrial structure and crises such as COVID-19.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.168-176
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• 2011

Objectives: Hundreds of thousands of call center workers are wearing an acoustic device for their businesses, such as telemarketing and customer counseling, and the number of the workers are increasing sharply. Because call center workers always talk to dozens of customers over the headset, they would be placed under the state of a higher risk with their hearing ability. The purpose of this study is to investigate factors that affect the hearing thresholds for the call center workers. Methods: This study investigated hearing losses of 101 workers of 5 call centers in Korea by executing puretone audiometry and self-administered questionnaires. A cross table analysis was processed to compare gender differences between male and female. Male and female hearing thresholds were compared with the Students' t-test, and one-way ANOVA was conducted to observe the difference between non-occupational and occupational characteristics in 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8 kHz hearing thresholds for the female workers. Additionally, multiple regression analysis was conducted to find the factors that affect the 4 kHz hearing thresholds. Results and Conclusions: Male hearing thresholds were higher than those of female except for 8 kHz. In the group having an ear related disease, hearing threshold of male left ear was highly affected rather than that of female in 4 kHz. There were significant differences in the variables of alcohol drinking (2 kHz) and headset volume (8 kHz) in both ears. While this study does not show any significant factors that affect the hearing thresholds in the occupational characteristics, the gender and the previous ear related diseases, non-occupational characteristics, were found as the factors in 4 kHz. It is suggested that the more detailed survey be performed to identify the occupational factors that affect the hearing thresholds in the call center workers based on the result derived from this study.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.240-248
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• 2015

Background: Recovery from fatigue is important in maintaining night workers' health. This study compared the course of self-reported recovery after 2-week 12-hour schedules consisting of either night shifts or swing shifts (i.e., 7 night shifts followed by 7 day shifts) to such schedules consisting of only day work. Methods: Sixty-one male offshore employees-20 night workers, 16 swing shift workers, and 25 day workers-rated six questions on fatigue (sleep quality, feeling rested, physical and mental fatigue, and energy levels; scale 1-11) for 14 days after an offshore tour. After the two night-work schedules, differences on the $1^{st}$ day (main effects) and differences during the follow-up (interaction effects) were compared to day work with generalized estimating equations analysis. Results: After adjustment for confounders, significant main effects were found for sleep quality for night workers (1.41, 95% confidence interval 1.05-1.89) and swing shift workers (1.42, 95% confidence interval 1.03-1.94) when compared to day workers; their interaction terms were not statistically significant. For the remaining fatigue outcomes, no statistically significant main or interaction effects were found. Conclusion: After 2-week 12-hour night and swing shifts, only the course for sleep quality differed from that of day work. Sleep quality was poorer for night and swing shift workers on the $1^{st}$ day off and remained poorer for the 14-day follow-up. This showed that while working at night had no effect on feeling rested, tiredness, and energy levels, it had a relatively long-lasting effect on sleep quality.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.91-108
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• 1998

This study was conducted to use the feedback of health personnel to improve the Visiting Health Service. The data was collected from 471 Home Health Workers serving 24 local health organizations in the Kyung-Pook province. 62.5% of the respondents were men under thirty-nine years of age. 92.8% of the respondents are married. 47.1% had degrees from junior colleges. It was ascertained 52.7% of the workers visited their patients six to twelve times within a six month period. And one to three patients were visited per day by one worker. Workers of older age, higher job position, and more experience were more positive in their feedback about the program. In addition, local health center employees, including nurses, were more positive about the program. Younger workers with a higher level of education, less experience, and lower job position had more insight into the problems of the program. Deeper insight into these problems led to a more negative conception of the program. Older workers with higher ranking jobs were found to be most competent. in their jobs. Workers at the main health center were assessed higher than the workers at the health sub-center or the primary health post. In addison nurses at all centers were found to be slightly more competent than the nurses' aide. The primary health post established the highest degree of patient satisfaction. It was discovered that the more positive the workers felt about the program, the higher their patient satisfaction feedback. There was a positive correlation between management assessment and patient satisfaction. This means that better program management was found to produce higher patient satisfaction. Workers feel being more educated about patient management would lead to better service. However, they take no action to produce these results. Where the problems of the system are most commented upon, the need for further education is greatest. Through multiple regression analyses it is apparent that the assessment of patient management is the greatest variable affecting patient satisfaction of patients is dependent on the management by the visiting health worker. Therefore, the development of the visiting health program is highly dependant on the feedback of those workers with a negative conception of the program. So the development of programs, motivation, education and training must be established. These works would lead to active participation by visiting health workers in the improvement of the Visiting health program.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.31 no.4 s.63
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• pp.857-874
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• 1998

The objective of this study is to collect the opinions on the present condition and the improvement directions of urban health centers from and to make a comparison. Samples were drawn from the various sources of a district in seoul. 53 persons involved in district health's administration(the Members of a District Parliament, the senior officials of a District office, village chief) and 84 health center workers were surveyed with anonymous postal questionaires and 427 district private medical personnels with postal questionaires and 625 users of a health center with direct questionaires, from November 18 to 25, 1996. Additionally, 12,151 households were surveyed with self-reported questionaires including priorities on special district health services of health center, from September 1 to 7, 1996. The major findings were as follows : 1) Although the persons involved in district health administration tend to put lower priority on health service over other community activities, they well acknowledged the importance of health center. But health center workers strongly acknowledged the importance of both health service and heath center. 2) As to the level of human resoureces, equipments and ammenities of Health Center commpared with private medical institute, the persons involved in district health's administration and health center workers responded that health center was higher in following order : 54.9%, 41.6%, 36.5% and 88.0%, 80.7%, 44.1%. 3) Concerning the priorities of health center's improvement, the persons involved in district health's administration replied in the order of reinforcement of proffesional health workers (43.3%), improvement of equipments and ammenities(28.3%), and the health center workers replied in the order of reconstruction of organization(24.1%), public health education and promotion(22.8%), reinforcement of proffesional health workers(21.0%). 4) Both the persons involved in district health's administration and health center workers replied that Ministry Health and Welfare, District office, health center were essential as the most critical organizations in the activation of Health Center's Function. 5) Persons involved in district health's administration and health center workers chose, as the most important health center's Function, medical treatment and prevention of infectious disease, and prevention of acute and chrone disease control and special district health service, respectively. Both Groups replied that fammily planning and parasite control are no longer in need. 6) As the future health service requiring reinforcement, every human resources parties considered health conselling, health line, sex education as the most imortant elements in public health education. Concerning the reinforement of other health services such as medical checkup and visiting nurses, every human resources parties showed more than 80% approval rate, but for oriental medical care service, the private medical personels showed relatively low approval rate(52.9%). Therefore the planning for reinforcement of health center's function requires the reflection of human resources party's opinion and the implication of system which can control and combine the differences in party's opinions.