• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.55 no.1
• /
• pp.98-105
• /
• 2022

Objectives: Low back pain (LBP) is a common chronic condition among sedentary workers that causes long-term productivity loss. This study aimed to identify the relationships of individual and occupational factors with LBP among Bangladeshi online professionals. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study involving 468 full-time online professionals who usually worked in a sitting position. One-month LBP complaints were assessed using a musculoskeletal subscale of subjective health complaints. The chi-square test was used to measure associations between categorical predictors and LBP, and multivariable logistic regression was conducted to identify the variables significantly associated with LBP. Results: LBP within the last month was reported by 65.6% of participants. Multivariable logistic regression analysis indicated that age >30 years (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.40; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.23 to 0.70) and being married (aOR, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.36 to 0.97) had significant negative associations with LBP. Significant positive associations were found for spending >50 hours weekly on average working in a sitting position (aOR, 1.61; 95% CI, 1.05 to 2.49), being overweight and obese (aOR, 1.87; 95% CI, 1.16 to 2.99), sleeping on a soft mattress (aOR, 2.01; 95% CI, 1.06 to 3.80), and ex-smoking status (aOR, 3.33; 95% CI, 1.41 to 7.87). Conclusions: A high prevalence of LBP was found among full-time online professionals. Long working hours in a sitting position showed a significant association with developing LBP. Smoking history, body mass index, and sleeping arrangements should also be considered while considering solutions for LBP prevalence among online professionals.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
• /
• v.12 no.1
• /
• pp.31-38
• /
• 2003

This study is an attempt to analyze the physical load by the type of the nursing tasks at the neurosurgical ICU nurses through the quantitative analysis of the working postures by the type of the nursing tasks with the OWAS(Ovako Working Postures Analysis System). Data collection was conducted through the video recording of the 13 nurses working at the neurosurgical ICU. For the analysis of the work postures by the type of the nursing tasks, and were interviewed regarding the subjective degree of the difficulties with the work postures related to the tasks. Collected data was analyzed through the WinOWAS program. The results were as follows : AC3 or AC4 tasks among the 18 nursing tasks types are "occupied bed making and change of the patient gown", "back massage", "suction", "elimination management", "change of position", "adjustment of bed", "helping the patient to move","measurement of CVP"and "measurement of urine volume". It appears that these tasks are harmful to the musculoskeletal system and the improvement or change of the work is required. The results stated above indicate that improper working postures during the nursing tasks influence the musculoskeletal system. Therefore, making use of assistant devices for the improvement of the working environment at the nursing tasks, based on human technological diagnoses, is required regarding the duty types with massive work pressure known to be harmful to the musculoskeletal system among those performed by the nurses. And there is a need of the education about the employment and maintenance of the vocational back pain prevention.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
• /
• v.29 no.3
• /
• pp.383-393
• /
• 2019

Objectives: The proportion of those working beyond 53 hours a week in 2018 has reached 16.8% of the total number of workers in the Republic of Korea (Statistics Korea, 2018). Although there are many studies that have dealt with the correlation of long working hours and increasing risk of work-related health problems, studies dealing with the factors impacting work-related health problems of workers according to their working hours are few. This study aims to ascertain factors impacting work-related health problems of workers based on their working hours through thorough research on their work environment. Methods: Necessary factors for this study were extracted from 'the 4th Korean Working Conditions Survey to analyze details on normal characteristics and work environments used for the study analysis, work hours, and health problems related to work. Results: The results are as follows: First, men showed a greater probability of exposure to work-related health problems than did women, especially in the 50s age group, which showed the highest potential for health problems from work among age groups. Second, service providers and sales professionals showed a higher probability of work-related health problems. Third, for the work environment, health problems at work related to vibration, noise, chemical and poison exposure, exhaustion, pain, standing position, and repeated motion showed a higher probability if the work hours are long. Conclusions: This study suggests that the minimization of overtime labor would prevent work-related health problems and diseases, improve the well-being of workers, and decrease the negative impact on workers in the subject area.

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
• /
• v.17 no.7
• /
• pp.685-696
• /
• 2011

An efficient laparoscope manipulator robot was designed to automatically control the position of laparoscope via a passive joint on end-effector position. The end position of the manipulator is controlled to have corresponding velocity defined in the global coordinate space using laparoscopic visual information. Desired spatial position of laparoscope was derived from detected positions of surgical instrument tips, then the clinical viewing plane was moved by visual servoing task. The laparoscope manipulator is advantageous for automatically maintaining clinically important views in the laparoscopic image without any additional operator. A laparoscope is mounted to a holder which is linked to four degree of freedom manipulator via universal joint-type passive rings connection. No change in the design of laparoscope or manipulator is necessary for its application to surgery assistant robot system. Expanded working space and surgical efficiency were accomplished by implementing slant linking structure between laparoscope and manipulator. To ensure reliable positioning accuracy and controllability, the motion of laparoscope in an abdominal space through trocar was inspected using geometrical analysis. A designed laparoscope manipulating robot system can be easily set up and controlled in an operation room since it has a few subsidiary devices such as a laparoscope light source regulator, a control PC, and a power supply.

• Journal of Advanced Marine Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.35 no.3
• /
• pp.329-334
• /
• 2011

The cooling water circulation plates had been used to drop the temperature of refractory outside shell of common cooling system by using cooling plate or stave type. When they are attacked by surrounding gas, they are corroded and the water flows in the refractory due to leakage of water. So, the life of refractory material is shortened and changed due to the worse conditions of cooling system. The automatic sensing device for water leakage of cooling plate is developed to check the position of trouble by using the microprocessor system when cooling water leak and gas are flowed into the cooling plate through the leakage position. The flowed gas is detected in the micro-process system which delivers the detected position of cooling plate or stave to main control room through the wireless-radio relay station. This system can be possible to detect the position of cooling plate or stave against the water leakage part immediately and then deliver the signal to main control room by using the microprocessor system and wireless-radio relay station. This system will be developed in changing the working condition from manual system to unmanned auto alarm system.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
• /
• v.12 no.2
• /
• pp.48-66
• /
• 1998

This study was conducted to identify the attitude of ethical dilemmas (human life area. clients area. nursing practice area. and nurses-co-worker area) in hospital nurses. 169 nurses working in clinical setting were selected Inchon area. Data were gathered from 5. march to 30. 1998 by structured questionnaires. Descriptive statistics were employed to analyze the data. The results obtained from data were as follows. 1) In human life area mean score was 3.17. This area showed remarkerble individual differences between utilitarian and deontological position. 2) In clients area mean score was 3.99. It means that nurses tend to take a deontological position. 3) In nursing practice area mean score was 3.44. It means that nurses tend to take a slightly deontological position. 4) In nurses-co-worker area mean score was 3.84. It means that nurses tend to take a deontological position. 5) There were significant relationship between human life area & clients area. nursing practice area (P<.0l). nurses-eo-worker area (P<.05). There were significant relationship between client area & nursing practice area (P<.05). nurses-co-worker area (P<.01). There were significant relationship between nursing practice area & nurses-co-worker area (P<.01).

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
• /
• v.27 no.4
• /
• pp.765-776
• /
• 1997

Hospitals accomodate patients who have a high risk of infection due to reduced immunity as well as people who require surgical, medical or other treatments. Consequently, the role of clinical nurses, who come into close contact with these patients is very important in the control of nosocomial infection. This study was done to investigate and compare the level of perception of the importance of the control of nosocomial infections as well as the level of actual performance, and the level of satisfaction with the control of nosocomial infection by the clinical nurses. Thus, the purpose of this study is to contribute basic data for improving policies and educational programs to control nosocomial infection. A summary of the survey results is as follows. 1) The means of scores on all categories of the inquiry were 4. 51 for awareness 4.42 for actual performance, and 3.20 for satisfaction, of a possible high score of 5.00. 2) Correlations of the level of perception of importance between characteristics of nurses and hospital control of nosocomial infection differed significantly according to the type of hospital establishment type (p=.005), age(p=.000), career(p=.000), position (p=.002), and regular conferences on infection control in working departments(p=.003), Correlation of the level of actual performance between characteristics of nurses and hospital control of nosocomial infection diffesed significantly according to type of hospital(p=.000), hospital size (p=.009), working department(p=.000), age(p=.000), career (p=.000), school career(p=.040), position (p=.000), education experience on nosocomial infection(p=.020), and regular conferences on infection control in working department(p=.000). Correlation of degree of satisfaction between characteristics of nurses and hospital control of nosocomial infection also differed significantly according to the type of hospital establishment (p=.003), working department(p=.000), age (p=.000), and regular conferences on infection control in working department (p=.000). 3) Correlation between clinical nurses, level of perception of importance and actual level of performance for the control of nosocomial infection was relatively positive (r=.57, p=.000). Correlation between clinical nurses degree of satisfaction and level of actual performance for control of nosocomial infection was relatively positive (r=.47, p=.000). Correlation between clinical nurses, level of perception of importance and degree of satisfaction degree with the control of nosocomial infection was also relatively positive (r=.27, p=.000).

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
• /
• v.29 no.6
• /
• pp.651-660
• /
• 1996

The purpose of this study was to examine and analyze the degrees and the influence factors of job satisfaction of dietitians working in hospitals in relation to performance of duty in their works and to provide effective management of hospital dietitians for high quality health and food service in hospital. The questionaire was prepared with reference to the previous studies on job satisfaction of dietitians working in hospitals throughout the nation. 201 dietitians in the country were surveyed. The period of research was from January 20 to February 28, 1995. The results are as follows. 1) In regard to the degree of job satisfaction of hospital dietitians, they showed the highest degree of job satisfaction in the relationships with fellow dietitians followed by worth and self-confidence, aptitude and interests, relationships with cooks, job stability, degree of recognition of the dietitians competence, supervision of the superiors, degree of application of professional knowledge, work load, wage level, degree of recognition of the importance of duty, cooperative relationships with load, wage level, degree of recognition of the importance of duty, cooperative relationships with doctors, degree of performance of clinical work, the number of dietitians, the prromotion system, and welfare system in that order. On the other hand, they showed the highest dissatisfaction with food service facilities. 2) The influence factors on job satisfaction are as follows. (1) Wage factor : Shorter weekday working hours and higher bonuses make greaster job satisfaction (R2=0.3115). (2) Working condition factor : Larger number of monthly holidays(R2=0.5142), shorter weekday working hours(R2=0.1077), longer previous food service experience and computer utilization (R2=0.1432) make greater job satisfaction. (3) Welfare factor : Welfare system (R2=0.4132) and promotion system (R2=0.1624) have to do with computer utilization. Job stability has to do with marital status and computer utilization (R2=0.1165). consequently, those married dietitians who use computers show higher job satisfaction. (4) Human relationship factor : Smaller mumber of patients receiving food makes greater job satisfaction (R2=0.1334). (5) Superivision factor : Shorter weekday working hours and larger number of monthly holidays make greater job satisfaction (R2=0.1709). (6) Achievement factor : Marriage, larger number of dietitians(R2=9.2293), age, larger number of monthly holiday, higher monthly wages and computer utiliazation (R2=0.1088) make greater job satisfaction. (7) Speciality factor : Marriage, longer current hospital tenure, higher position and working in seoul(R2=0.1142) make higher job satisfaction. (8) Job inclination factor : working in general hospitals rather than in oriental hispitals, working in seoul(R2=0.1776) and better bonuses(R2=0.1078)make greater job satisfaction. As a result, the following is suggested for the job satisfaction of hospital dietitions on the basis of this study : hospital dietitians can achieve miximum job satisfaction through smooth relationships with coworkers, and the responsible managers should improve welfare and working conditions for the job satisfaction of hospital dietitians.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
• /
• v.25 no.3
• /
• pp.399-418
• /
• 1995

The purpose of this study was to investigate the stress response of nurses working on psychiatric wards (psychiatric nurses) compared with that of nurses working on general wards (general nurses) in order to provide assessment data for intervention of the stress response. The Symptoms of Stress Inventory was used to measure the stress response. Data were collected by a direct survey method using a questionnaire and were collected from March first to March 30, 1995. A sample of 200 nurses working in three psychiatric hospitals and psychiatric wards in four university hospitals in Seoul and Kangwon province were selected and 200 nurses working on general wards from two general hospitals in Seoul were also selected for a total sample of 400 nurses. Nurses who had experienced more than one of the major life events in the last two years were excluded from the total number in the samples, so the final sample was 161 psychiatric nurses, and 169 general nurses. The Scores for the total stress response, scores of the SOS subscales, stress response by sociodemographic characteristics of the nurses working on the psychiatric wards were compared with those of nurses working on the general ward. The results of this investigation are as follows 1. The mean total SOS score for the psychiatric nurse was 0.81 (SD=0.48) and that of the general nurses was 0.90(SD=0.53). 2. The Mean score for peripheral manifestation, con tral-neurological symptoms, gastrointestinal symptoms, muscle tension, habitual patterns, de-pression, anxiety, anger and cognitive disorganization for the general nurses showed a tendency to be higher than those of the psychiatric nurses. Mean score for cardiopulmonary symptoms for the general nurses was significantly higher than that of the psychiatric nurses. 3. The mean scores for the sixteen SOS items for the general nurses was significantly higher than for the psychiatric nurses. The 16 items were flushing of the face, sweating excessively even in cold weather, thumping of the heart, rapid breathing, dry mouth, a choking lump in the throat, hoarseness, muscle tension in hands or arm, muscle tension in leg, working tiring one out completely, severe aches a핀 Pain make it diffi-cult to do the work, severe nervous exhaustion, worrying about health, feeling weak and faint, so upset that one wants to hit something, unable to keep thoughts from running through one's mind. The mean score of only 505 item were significantly higher for the psychiatric nurses. 4. Stress responses between psychiatric nurses and general nurses were significantly different according to the following demographic characteristics : marriage, duration of work, position, accommodation, planning to move into another working site, working ward, education in psychiatric nursing.

• Journal of Dental Rehabilitation and Applied Science
• /
• v.26 no.1
• /
• pp.1-12
• /
• 2010

The purpose of this study was to compare the strain on the alveolar ridge in the centric, eccentric and protrusive position according to the occlusal scheme (bilateral balanced occlusion with 33 degree anatomical teeth, group B; monoplane occlusion with non-anatomical teeth, group M; lingualized occlusion with 33 degree anatomical teeth and non-anatomical teeth, group L; of complete dentures. Experimental dentures were set bilateral balanced occlusion, lingualized occlusion and monoplane occlusion. They are analysed through T-Scan II(Tekscan, Boston, U.S.A) and 1.5mm thick layer was removed from the denture-supporting surface of resin model and then replaced with silicone to simulate resilient edentulous ridge mucosa. A $4{\times}6$ linear strain gauge is attached to the $1^{st}$ premolar and $1^{st}$ molar area. The strain values are recorded according to the occlusal scheme in the centric, eccentric and protrusive position after uniformly applying 50 N and 150 N force through a Universal Testing Machine(instron$^{(R)}$ 5567, Bluehill 2.0 software ,U.S.A.) with the models mounted in the articulator. When performing centric and protrusive occlusion, the three groups of occlusal scheme were compared in the anterior region and in the posterior region. The strains of each group were also compared in the working side and in the non-working side during eccentric excursion. It was observed that the strain in the bilateral balanced occlusion showed a higher value than the lingualized occlusion and monoplane occlusion in every position except the non-working side. However, during the eccentric movement the strain value in the non-working side showed the lowest value in the bilaterally balanced occlusion. The strain change amount from the working side or centric occlusion to non-working side and also the strain variation rate within the non-working side showed the highest value in bilateral balanced occlusion.