• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.395-401
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• 2011

Objective: This study examined the effects of working chair that was developed for farmers who work in grapevine's cluster thinning. Background: Agricultural work involves some of the nation's highest occupational risk exposures. Fruit cultivation has been recognized as one of the most hazardous crops in which to work. Grapevine cluster thinning task involve activities related to the main risk factors associated with upper limb work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Method: An experiment was designed to test the working chair. Six healthy male($25.8{\pm}4.9years$) were selected as the subjects for this study. Electromyography(EMG) was used to monitor the muscles activity, and Electro-goniometer was used to measure the ranges of motions of the elbow, trunk and knee. Subjective test was also carried out to examine discomfort body parts and their pain intensity. A grapevine's working space was built for the experiment and working chair was installed on it. In order to examine the muscle activity and range of motion, subjects used to the working chair for 30 minutes for each experimental condition. Another test without working chair was also performed for comparison. %MVC was used to quantify the level of muscle activity. Results: Decreases of muscle activity was found in all leg muscles and significant decrease of muscle activity was found in left Gastrocnemius. The range of motion of the trunk and knee also decreased when working chair used. Discomfort in lower back, thigh and shank region were reduced significantly. However, in upper limbs muscle activity tended to increase in working chair compared with conventional task. Conclusion: Improvement for cushion in seat back and pan required to reduce discomfort in buttocks. Application: Overall findings verified that the working chair might help to prevent upper limb and lower back MSDs based on the current study. These results can be practically used for work improvement for the grapevine growers to prevent MSDs.

• Journal of Fashion Business
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.116-135
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• 2008

To investigate the actual distribution condition and clothing construction factors of the working clothes supplied to the Changwon national industrial complex, 5 major companies in machinery, automotive, industrial engineering, shipbuilding and rolling stock in the industrial complex located in Gyeongsangnam-Do were selected. The questionnaire designed for the research consisted of working clothes distribution policies in manufacturing industry and the actual conditions of the design facts, repair and maintenance of the working clothes, etc. The analysis of the clothing construction factors of the working clothes provided by 5 respondent companies were conducted in parallel. The results derived from the study were as follows: The basic types of working clothes were the blouson jacket and straight pants; safety equipments for manufacture were safety helmets, gloves, snickers, goggles, masks, ear caps, wristlets, leggings, apron, etc. The size-charts adopted by the participant companies were the small-medium-large and cm/inch measurement size systems. To solve wearer's dissatisfaction with the garment fit, certain clothing construction factors were used, e.g. strap bands and the elastic band on a waist band. The types of fabrics used for the working clothes were mainly polyester/cotton and polyester/rayon blended ones. Moreover, to provide with more air permeability to wearers, the warp knit material was used to construct the lining and the armpit or back bodice slits. Lock, two-thread chain, safety, overedge stitches were applied with flat, lap felled, French, superimposed, lapped, bound and edge finishing seams to construct the working clothes selected.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare Studies
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.323-346
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• 2013

The main purpose of this study is to analyze job sequences according to poverty profiles that the working poor have had. For the stated purpose, this study examines characteristics and patterns of job sequences by diving the subgroups, using the 10 year data of KLIPS and the sequence analysis. Major findings are as follows. The working-transient poor have different characteristics, such as longer working term, less job change, less number of gap and length, and relatively higher monthly income, from the working-recurrent poor and the working-persistent poor. However, there are no different characteristics between the working-recurrent poor and working-persistent poor, except for monthly income. Job sequences are divided into 5 clusters and job sequences types according to the working poor subgroups are quite different. Such analysis results would contribute to planning poverty policies based on job sequences differently seen in subgroups and finding specific policy alternatives to relieve the working poor.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.289-294
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• 2015

Background: The type of payment is one of the important factors that has an effect on the health of employees, as a basic working condition. In the conventional research field of occupational safety and health, only the physical, chemical, biological, and ergonomic factors are treated as the main hazardous factors. Managerial factors and basic working conditions such as working hours and the type of payment are neglected. This paper aimed to investigate the association of the type of payment and the exposure to the various hazardous factors as an heuristic study. Methods: The third Korean Working Conditions Survey (KWCS) by the Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute in 2011 was used for this study. Among the total sample of 50,032 economically active persons, 34,788 employees were considered for analysis. This study examined the relation between the three types of payment such as basic fixed salary and wage, piece rate, and extra payment for bad and dangerous working conditions and exposure to hazardous factors like vibration, noise, temperature, chemical contact, and working at very high speeds. Multivariate regression analysis was used to measure the effect of the type of payment on working hours exposed to hazards. Results: The result showed that the proportion of employees with a basic fixed salary was 94.5%, the proportion with piece rates was 38.6%, and the proportion who received extra payment for hazardous working conditions was 11.7%. Conclusion: The piece rate was associated with exposure to working with tight deadlines and stressful jobs. This study had some limitations because KWCS was a cross-sectional survey.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.384-389
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• 2021

Background: Social distancing by working-from-home is an effective measure to decrease the spread of COVID-19. However, this new work pattern could also affect the well-being of workers. Therefore, the aim of the study was to study the magnitude of occupational health problems and lifestyle changes among workers who have only recently started working from home. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using online self-administered questionnaires during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic in the Bangkok metropolitan area, Thailand. The participants were from any organization that allowed working from home. The demographic data including the analysis of the characteristics of working from home, the occurrence of occupational health problems, and the lifestyle changes caused by working from home were analyzed. Results: A total of 869 workers were included as study participants. The highest prevalence of physical health problems among all workers was identified to be weight gain at a rate of 40.97% (95% confidence interval = 37.69-44.24), and the highest prevalence of psychosocial problems was identified to be cabin fever at a rate of 31.28% (95% confidence interval = 26.66-35.90%) among full-time working-from-home workers. The health effects that were significantly related to the intensity of working from home (p for trends <0.05), either positively or negatively, included body weight changes, ergonomic problems, indoor environmental problems, and psychosocial problems. Meanwhile, the lifestyle changes related to work intensity included eating pattern, sleep habits, and exercise. Conclusions: Working from home can affect workers' well-being in various aspects. Hence, occupational health providers must prepare for risk prevention and health promotion in this "new normal" working life pattern and for future pandemics.

• Journal of Information Technology Applications and Management
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.177-188
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• 2024

In this research, a cohort of two children, aged 7-8 years, was selected to participate in a specialized three-week training program aimed at enhancing their working memory. The program consisted of three sessions, each lasting approximately 30 minutes. The primary goal was to investigate the impact and developmental trajectory of working memory in school-aged children. Working memory plays a significant role in young children's learning and daily activities. To address the needs of this demographic, products should offer both educational and enjoyable activities that engage working memory. Digital educational tools, known for their flexibility, are suitable for both older individuals and young children. By updating software or modifying content, these tools can be effectively repurposed for young learners without extensive hardware changes, making them both cost-effective and practical. For example, memory training games initially designed for older adults can be adapted for young children by altering images, music, or storylines. Furthermore, incorporating elements familiar to children, like animals, toys, or fairy tales, can increase their engagement in these activities. Historically, working memory capabilities have been assessed predominantly through traditional intelligence tests. However, recent research questions the adequacy of these behavioral measures in accurately detecting changes in working memory. To bridge this gap, the current study utilized electroencephalography (EEG) as a more sophisticated and precise tool for monitoring potential changes in working memory after the training. The research findings were revealing. Participants showed marked improvement in their performance on n-back tasks, a standard measure for evaluating working memory. This improvement post-training strongly supports the effectiveness of the training program. The results indicate that such targeted and structured training programs can significantly enhance the working memory abilities of children in this age group, providing promising implications for educational strategies and cognitive development interventions.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.29-36
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• 2024

Background: This study aimed to investigate whether there is a difference in organizational member attitudes by workplace environment and workplace types in dental hygienists working at dental health centers. Methods: A face-to-face survey or online survey was administered to dental hygienists working at dental health centers, and a total of 95 subjects were included. The survey includes 13 items to ask factors affecting employee's job satisfaction. Also, some questions were included to assess perception of organizational member attitude: five about organizational citizenship behavior, two about innovative behavior, and four about organizational commitment. Results: Dental hygienists working at dental clinics were more satisfied with their incomes and numbers of working days, while those from dental university hospitals and general hospitals were more satisfied with education support. In addition, hygienists working at dental hospitals were more satisfied with job autonomy, individual work capability, safe working environment, personal relation, potential for personal development, and positive labor-management relations, compared to those working at general and university hospitals (p<0.05). Among the items about perception of organizational member attitudes, the scores of items about organizational citizenship behaviors were higher, whereas the scores of items about innovative behaviors were relatively lower. Individuals working at dental hospitals than those working at general and university hospitals, chiefs and team and department leaders than team members, and those with increased satisfaction with current workplace had more positive perception of organizational member attitudes. Conclusion: For dental hygienists to have positive attitudes as organizational members, working environment should be improved, and executives of dental healthcare centers should pay attention to improving job satisfaction of organizational members. Moreover, since dental hygienists need to improve their perception of innovative behaviors and citizenship behaviors to strengthen specialty of dental hygienists in a changing dental healthcare, relevant training should be addressed in refresher courses or school programs.

• Culinary science and hospitality research
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• v.11 no.4 s.27
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• pp.178-197
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• 2005

This study aims at determining what affects lighting environment of a kitchen in a Japanese restaurant in a hotel and at analyzing. cooks' perception during cooking and appropriate lighting they consider to be important in each working area. For this purpose, 196 cooks working in Japanese restaurants in first-class hotels participated in a survey. After analyzing the results, cooks attach importance to illumination during cooking, and the more inappropriate luminosity is in each working area, the lower appropriateness of luminosity recognized by cooks is. And there is strong correlation between lighting environment items and illumination in each working area. The results suggest that cooks working in a Japanese restaurant in a hotel should be provided with good lighting environment appropriate for each working area. On this ground, it is expected that cooks will see their health and productivity improving.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.93-108
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• 2000

This study examines difference in expenditure patterns between working-wife families and nonworking-wife families. The data used in the study is 4,506 husband-wife families take National Survey of family Income and Expenditure in 1996. Of the sample, 42.3% are working-wife families. Consumption expenditure patterns are analyzed in two ways. One is the budget share of each given expenditure and the other is elasticity of those expenditure. The main results of this study are as follows: First, there are the differences between working-wife families and nonworking-wife families in the budget share of each given expenditure. In the budget shares of each given expenditure, nonworking-wife families share more than working wife families for food and medicine. And working-wife families allocated more on public transportation than their counterparts. Second, there are also differences between working-wife families and nonworking-wife families in income elasticities.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.56-60
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• 2002

The purpose of this study was to present the thermal characteristics of the working uniform exposed to the radiation heat. The effect of exposure time and exposure distance on the changes and the relationship between physical properties were investigated experimentally. Regardless of the kind of working uniform, the surface temperature of the working uniform with exposed time sharply increases as exposed distance is more close and the reaching time of steady state is shorter. The surface temperature of working uniform exponentially decreases as exposed distance become more distant. For the safety of the working man, it is necessary that he work far away at a fixed standard distance from the radiant heat source.