• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.317-324
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• 2023

Background: COVID-19 pandemic represented a unique stressful event that affected the physical health and psychological well-being (PWB) of individuals and communities. Monitoring PWB is essential not only to clarify the burden on mental health effects but also to define targeted psychological-supporting measures. This cross-sectional study evaluated the PWB of Italian firefighters during the pandemic. Methods: Firefighters recruited during the pandemic period filled out a self-administered questionnaire, the Psychological General Well-Being Index, during the health surveillance medical examination. This tool is usually used to assess the global PWB and explores six subdomains: anxiety, depressed mood, positive well-being, self-control, general health, and vitality. The influencing roles of age, gender, working activities, COVID-19, and pandemic restrictive measures were also explored. Results: A total of 742 firefighters completed the survey. The aggregate median PWB global score was in the 'no distress"" range (94.3 ± 10.3), which was higher than that observed in studies conducted using the same tool in the Italian general population during the same pandemic period. Similar findings were observed in the specific subdomains, thus suggesting that the investigated population was in good PWB condition. Interestingly, significantly better outcomes were detected in the younger firefighters. Conclusion: Our data showed a satisfactory PWB situation in firefighters that could be related to different professional factors such as work organization and mental and physical training. In particular, our results would suggest the hypothesis that in firefighters, maintaining a minimum/moderate level of physical activity (consisting of even just going to work) might have a profoundly positive impact on psychological health and well-being.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.162-166
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• 2023

Background: Assessment of the radiation doses to which workers are exposed can differ depending on the placement of dosimeters on the body. In addition, it is affected by whether the placement is under or over a shielding apron. This study aimed to evaluate the actual positioning of personal dosimeters on the body, with or without shielding aprons, among radiation workers in Korea. Materials and Methods: We analyzed the survey data, which included demographic characteristics, such as sex, age, occupation, work history, and placement of the personal dosimeter being worn, from a cohort study of Korean radiation workers. We assessed the use of personal dosimeters among workers, stratified by sex, age, working period, starting year of work, and occupation. Results and Discussion: Overall, high compliance (89.1% to 99.0%) with the wearing of dosimeters on the chest was observed regardless of workers' characteristics, such as age, sex, occupation, and work history. However, the placement of dosimeters, either under or over the shielding aprons, was inconsistent. Overall, 40.1% of workers wore dosimeters under their aprons, while the others wore dosimeters over their aprons. This inconsistency indicates that radiation doses are possibly measured differently under the same exposure conditions solely owing to variations in the placement of worn dosimeters. Conclusion: Although a lack of uniformity in dosimeter placement when wearing a shielding apron may not cause serious harm in radiation dose management for workers, the development of detailed guidelines for dosimeter placement may improve the accuracy of dose assessment.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.49-64
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• 2004

This study is designed to conduct a questionnaire research into the safety control and the actual condition of radiography by working with dentistry belonging to university hospitals, dental hospitals and dental clinics for three months ranging from August, 2003 to October, 2003. The researcher came to the following conclusions. 1. The research on the current condition of possessed radiational equipment shows that 61.2 percent of the subjects had one intraoral radiation medicine and that 70.1 percent of the subjects had more than one extraoral radiation medicine and that 37.3 percent of the subjects had more than one digital radiation medicine. 2. Most of intraoral radiography (82.1%) was conducted by dental hygienists, and 7.5 percent of intraoral radiography was conducted by nurse aids. On the other hand, most of extraoral radiography (76.6%) was conducted by dental hygienists and digital radiography was conducted by dental hygienists(60.6%), dentists(32.0%) and radiographer(80.0%). 3. The less-than 1-meter-long distance between cone and the radiographer accounted for 44.8 percent. And the more-than 1.6-meter-long distance accounted for no more than 13.4 percent. The exposure time per standard film which was adjusted to each part accounted for 71.6 percent. Fixing the film on the part of healthy patients accounted for 76.1 percent. Fixing the film of elderly patients and children patients by the radiographer accounted for 43.3 percent. 4. The average daily photographing frequency of standard films stood at six to ten pieces(31.3%), and the average weekly photographing frequency of bitewing films stood at less than one piece(47.8%), and the dentistries where bitewing films were not employed accounted for 25.4%. The subjects whose average weekly photographing freqeuncy of occlusal films stood at less than a piece accounted for 59.7 percent. The dentistries whose average weekly photographing frequency of pediatric films stood at one to five pieces accounted for 41.8 percent. In case of panorama & cephalo, one to five pieces on a weekly average accounted for 36.2 percent. The dentistries whose average daily photographing frequency of digital radiation medicine stood at less than 1 piece accounted for 40.0 percent. 5. The research on the use of protective clothes shows that pregnant ·women only accounted for 31.3 percent. In regard to the use of protective clothes in case of the radiographers fixing films, the cases where no protective clothes were employed accounted for 88.1 percent. The reason was said to he attributable to the trouble related to wearing the clothes(54.2%). 6. The survey on the measurement of exposure dose shows that the cases where no measurement was made accounted for 76.1 percent. As far as the measurement methods of exposure dose was concerned, the employment of film badge accounted for 68.8 percent. The subjects turned out to conduct measurement of exposure dose every third month, which accounted for 43.8 percent. The barriers to the measurement of measurement of exposure dose were attributable to the recognition that a little amount of exposure dose need not be measured(29.9%). 7. The survey on the distinction of radiation rooms and clinic rooms reveals that the cases where radiation rooms exclusively existed accounted for 67.2 percent. 43.3 percent of the subjects turned out to have only one protective garment, and 49.3 percent of the subjects proved to conduct a periodical checkup of radiational equipment. The survey on the examination certificates of radiational generators and protective facilities indicates that 80.6 percent of the subjects had the certificates. The research also shows that the subjects with the marks indicating the radiational areas accounted for 70.1 percent. And trustees turned out to handle developing solutions and fixing solutions.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.35-48
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• 2009

Purpose: Firefighters were subjected to be exposed to 24-hour shiftwork and high level of job stress, but there is little study of fire fighters about between Job Stress and Psychological stress in Korea. This study was performed to evaluate job stress of fire fighters grouped by different job types and analyze the health effect of job stress by using a PWI-SF(Psycho-social Well-being Index, Short Form). Methods : This study was to measure the degree of job stress and socio-psychological stress of firefighters working at 119 safety center and analyze the relationship between job stress and mental health, through self-administered questionnaire survey on 918 fire fighters working at fire department located in Korea, during October in 2008. Question items of the questionnaire consist of general characteristics, job stress, and socio-psychological stress. Job Stress Measurement Scale for Koreans was used to measure job stress, while PWI-SF used for socio-psychological stress. Collected data was analyzed through frequency analysis, ${\chi}^2$ test, one-way ANOVA, correlation analysis, multi-regression analysis using a statistic program, SPSS/10.0 Ver for Windows, and statistical significance level was 0.05. Result : Accordingly, this paper is written for the purpose of scrutinizing the reason of 119 rescuers' job stress and Socio-Psychological stress. This thesis tries to analyze a problem and provide contents through many variables concerned and theoretical investigation with the actual research of questionnaire. The results of the study are summarized as follows : Fire fighters feel relatively high stressful in their performance. Job stress, organizational commitment and burnout did not have been influence upon by individual cases such as economic condition, regular exercise etc. Finally, as a result of step by step regression analysis, the variable that can explain Socio-Psychological stress the best was negative emotion scale(NE). Conclusions : It is necessary to conduct repeated studies in the future, since the study implied that there was a contrary relationship between job stress and socio-psychological stress. In order to reduce job stress and maintain better mental health, it is more important than anything else to help firefighters have willingness and efforts to sustain a healthy life, so the development of various programs and education to raise their awareness should be implemented.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing Administration
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.477-500
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• 1999

Korean labor market has showed remarkable change of the increase in the amount of unemployment and contingent employment since IMF bailout agreement. There is a theoretical position to explain this increase in contingent employment at hospitals with the notion of flexibility. The high flexibility of employment due to the increase of contingent employees is becoming very important part in new business strategy of hospitals. The types of contingent employment of the nurse are part-time employment temporary employment, fixed-term employment, and internship which was introduced in early 1999. Recently, Korean health care industry managers have paid attention to the customer oriented service, rationalization of business administration, service quality control so that they can adjust their business to outer environment. Especially their efforts concentrate on the wage reduction through efficient and scientific control of man power because wage shares about 40% of total cost. This dissertation aims at verifying the phenomena of the contingent employment of the nurse and analyzing the related factors and problems. To rephrase these aims in ordinal: First, verifying the phenomena of contingent employment of the nurse. Second, verifying the problems of that phenomena. Third, analyzing the related factors of the contingent employment of the nurse. To accomplish these research goals, a statistical survey was executed. in which 384 questionnaires-66 for manager nurses, 318 for contingent nurses - were given to nurses working at 66 hospitals-which have at least 100 beds-in Seoul. Among them, 187 questionnaires-38 from manager nurses, 149 from contingent nurses'- 'were returned. Then, the data coded and submitted to T-test, $X^2$ -test, variance analysis(ANOVA), correlation analysis, multiple regression analysis, Logistic Regression with SAS program. The research results of the contingent nurses are followings: 1. The average career term at the present hospital 8.4 months: duty-on days per month are 24.2 days: working time per day is 7.9 hours. These results showed little difference from regular nurses. 2. Their wage level is about 70% of regular nurses except for internship nurses whose wage level is 41% of regular nurses. To break down the wage composition, part-time nurses and internship nurses get few allowance and bonus. And contingent nurses get very low level of additional pay except for fixed-term nurses who are under similar condition of employment to regular nurses. These results show that hospital managers are trying to reduce the labor cost not only through the direct way of wage reduction but through differential treatment of bonus, retirement allowance, and other additional pay. 3. The problem of contingent employment: low level of pay; high level of turn-over rate: weakening of union; low level of working condition: heavy burden of work; inhuman treatment. The contingent nurses consider these problems more seriously than manager nurses do. What manager nurses regard problematic is the absence of feeling-belonged and responsibility of the contingent nurses. 4. The factors strongly related with the rate of the number of contingent nurses for the number of regular nurses; gross turn-over nurses; average in-patients per day; staring wage of graduate from professional college: the type of hospital ownership; the number of beds; the gap between gross newcomer nurses and gross turn-over nurses. The factors related with their gross wage per month; the number of beds; applying of health insurance; applying of industrial casualty insurance; applying of yearly-paid leave; the type of hospital ownership; average out-patients per day; gross turn-over nurses. The meaningful factors which make difference by employment type: monthly-paid leave; physiological leave. The logistic regression analysis using these two factors shows that monthly-paid leave is related with the type of hospital ownership; the number of beds; average out-patient per day, and physiological leave is related with the gross newcomer nurses; gross turn-over nurses; the number of beds.

• The Journal of Korean Society for School & Community Health Education
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• v.5
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• pp.107-122
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• 2004

To correctly plant the value of sex to the juvenile, we cannot overemphasize the importance of the sexual education in schools. Therefore, the study for teachers' consciousness and view of sex is also necessary, because they are subjects of education and role-models of sex of their students. Especially, if teachers are over fifty in age, it is more important, because it is obvious, as they are in positions of managers and directors of education, that their view of sexual value and consciousness are influencing the aim of education and the course of education. Hereby this study was conducted to check their sexual consciousness, attitude, and condition and to prepare for the basic data needed for the development of a sexual education program suitable to them. The methods of the survey of this study are applied by modifying or supplementing those of precedented studies. They are used after analyzing reliance of items according to Cronbach's $\alpha$ figure calculating law, and modifying or supplementing items lower in reliance. The questionnaire survey was conducted among 1,000 randomly selected from teachers working in middle and high schools in Korea from June 14th in 2004 to June 30th. The survey analyzed 632 questionnaires suitable to it. The outcomes of the survey of this study are like the following: First, the objects of the survey consist of 64.6% men and 35.4% women. Among them, 41.1% are under fifty and the rest are over fifty. As for the periods of marriage, 15.5% are unmarried, 16.3% are under ten years, 18.0% are between ten and twenty, and 50.2% are over twenty. Second, with reagard to sex, 25.6% admit the necessity of a heterosexual friend. 32.0% say that they are conservative to sex. 54.1% are taught sexual education. 67.1% attribute sexual education to nursing teachers. Third, among those who answer that they enoughly know the concept of sex, seenig by age, 25.0% are under fifty and 58.1% are over fifty. Seening by the periods of marriage, 9.2% are unmarried, 28.2% are under ten, 49.1% are between ten and twenty, and 59.0% are over twenty. Among those who answer that they enoughly know the concepts of sexual harassment and sexual violence, seenig by age, in the turns by above-mentioned order, each 47.7% and 76.3%. Seening by the periods of marriage, each 9.2%, 28.2%, 49.1%, and 59.0%. Fourth, among those who answer that "teachers also need sexual education and sexual counsel," by age, each92.7% and 91.4%. By the periods of marriage, each 89.8%, 95.2%, 89.4%, and 92.4%. As a matter of course, we can infer the necessity of the sexual education and sexual counsel for teachers. Fifth, among those who answer that they are satisfied with their sexuality, by age, each 41.1% and 61.3%. By the period of marriage, each 4.1%, 63.1%, 64.1%, and 61.5%. As for the sexual desire like spiritual intercourse, physical intercourse containing sexuality, by age, each 71.9% and 93.5%. By the periods of marriage, each 54.0%, 81.5%, 90.3%, and 93.0%. The survey shows that those over fifty and having long marriage are feeling the stronger desire towards sexuality. Through the outcomes of this survey, a few suggestions are possible: First, it is necessary to check of the teachers' view of sexual value and to study deep about the sexual tendency of them in twenties, thirties, and forties. It is to make them teach their students on the firm basis, and also to develop suitable sexual education and counsel program.

• Korean Security Journal
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• no.6
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• pp.291-326
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• 2003

The first, Improvement of education training condition Education training is influenced by facilities, environment around. according to questionnaire, it is very poor, we should set up a training institute as soon as possible. The second, Improvement of education training contents In working as special guard, they do not feel the need of curriculums like bayonet fencing, criminal law, and so on. accordingly we should adjust the contents of educaton training. The third, Improvement of education training course People were satisfied with the contents of lectures and educator more than half to some degree, but there was a question of time, communication, contents. we should try to remedy things like this. The fourth, Adjustment of education training time The 60% people of all were not satisfied with the time of education training about new duty. we need to intensify and oversee a duty training and the restructure of training time. The fifth, Fairness of valuation reward and punishment in education training The 80% people of all had the bad feeling against reward and punishment, so we tried to let fairness of valuation, reward and punishment completed by educational institution. The sixth, Establishment of the institution for special guard special guard have to be raised by special institution, but lacking of educational program, educational facility, educational Environment, university took the place of government as institution in raising special guard, education still leave much to be desired. so to develop the industry of a civil security, government or a guard association will set up the school of training, education, system about civil security as a whole. The seventh, Improvement of education training form People have to be taught for 80 hours in education training. according to questionnaire, over 75%people wanted to lodge at education accommodation, so in doing education training, we need to improve a system and form. The eighth, Operation of education training suitable for a characteristic in jobs In the education of 80 hours, common courses will need to be carried out together, depending on class, the object of national facility, inspection and practice will need to be done. maybe this can be the improvement of growing up education training. In the result of the study, we need to build up the satisfaction of education training through a lot of opinion like program, system, circumstances. Keep in mind that the paper was a few of problems because of the limit of the survey of 132 peoples, accordingly we try to collect a survey related with this around country. especially this will need to be asked for harmony between the law and the background of system. in the future, to develop the special guard service, increase the demand of this service, have to raised the expert and the special guard service has to enlarge.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.167-194
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• 2004

This paper examine the gender-poverty gap and the feminization of poverty in Korea with using data from the National Survey Household Income & Expenditure(1996, 2000) and the Urban Survey Household Income & Expenditure(1996-2002) by Korea National Statistical Office. The poverty rate in 2000 was 16.9 percent for female-head families and 7.9 percent for male-head families, which means that female-head families were 2.6 times more likely to be poor than male-head families. With examining impact of economic crisis in 1998 on gender-poverty gap, it show that both the poverty rate of female-head and male-head increase radically in peak of economic crisis, while, in the stage of recovering economy, the poverty rate of male-head families recovered mostly the level before economic crisis, but that of female-head families recover only the 2/3 level before and the 1/3 remain still under poverty. Thus gender-poverty gap appeared bigger during passing through economic crisis. With analyzing on influence factors of poverty, it appear that poverty is influenced by gender itself as well as education level, working condition which is reflected substantially characteristics of gender. Such an analysis results mean that the considering gender dimension is necessary to resolve poverty fundamentally because gender is a point intersection among family, labour market, and social security. Therefore it appears certain that to develop and adopt of women-friendly social policy is effective approach, which could resolve poverty and social problems related to social rights.

• Asia pacific journal of information systems
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.149-176
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• 2009

In the recent e-learning environment, avatars are often used to help learners get familiar with the contents, which is ultimately to motivate them to study more. Therefore, it is important to investigate whether avatars have actually the desirable effect on users of e-learning materials. Surprisingly, however, no extensive study has been conducted on this crucial issue Accordingly, main objectives this study are summarized as follows. First, we need to gain better understanding of how much learners' trust towards avatars (termed as "avatar trust") is transferred to learners' trust towards e-learning contents (termed as "contents trust"). Second, we need to investigate how much learners' personal relationships with avatars as well as learning behaviors change depending on avatar types (attractive vs. professional) and contents complexity (easy vs. difficult). As described in the study objectives, in order for us to analyze empirical data more systematically, we classified avatar types into two: "attractive" and "professional;" the contents are categorized as either "easy" or "difficult." Therefore, it is essential for this study to build a prototype e-learning website on which our research purpose can be realized and tested effectively with proper avatar types and e-learning contents. For this purpose, we built a prototype e-learning website, in which avatars are invited from currently working avatar instructors used in real-world e-learning websites, and e-learning contents are adapted from real-world contents about Java programming topic, which have been proved to have shown high quality and reliability. Our research method includes questionnaire survey by inviting a number of valid respondents comprised of office workers who are believed to have high demands for the e-learning contents as well as those who have previous experience with avatar instructors. Respondents were given one of the four e-learning experiment conditions (2 avatar types x 2 contents types) on a random basis. Each experimental e-learning condition is framed to have the same quality but different avatar type and content complexity. Then the respondents are asked to fill out the survey form which has questions about avatar trust, contents trust, personal relationships with avatar, and learning behavior, among others. Regarding the constructs used in research model, we based them rigorously on previous studies. For example, we used six constructs such as behavior to give information (BGI), behavior to obtain information (BOI), need for inclusion wanted, need for control wanted, contents trust, and avatar trust. To measure them, 7-Likert scales were used in the questionnaire. E-learning performance was measured indirectly through two constructs such as BGI and BOI. Six constructs used in the research model were adopted and revised from the FIRO-B model suggested by Schutz. Empirical results are as follows: First, professional avatars are more effective for difficult contents, while attractive avatars were not as effective for easy contents. Second, our study results ascertained that avatar trust transfers to contents trust regardless of avatar types and contents complexity.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.13 no.8
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• pp.3552-3560
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• 2012

This study was conducted to find out the complaint rate of musculo-skeletal disorder and its related factors from male manufacturing workers at a nonferrous manufacturing industry. As for the research subjects, 302 workers selected from a nonferrous manufacturer located in Daejeon City, and as for the collection of data, a standardized anonymous questionnaire survey were conducted from May 1, 2011 to June 30, 2011. As a results, the complaint rate of musculo-skeletal disorders by each body part, the symptom of shoulders was 42.7%, the highest rate, followed by the waist, 36.8%, the neck and the hand/wrist/finger, 30.5% respectively, the leg and foot, 30.1% and arm/elbow, 20.9%. The complaint rate of musculo-skeletal disorder for the sociodemographic characteristics was significantly high as survey participants' age and BMI were low and in the group having low subjective health condition. The complaint rate of musculo-skeletal disorder for the health-related behavior characteristics was significantly high in the group having been absent from work due for diseases, in the group having received outpatient services, in the group having been hospitalized for treatment, in the group not having a regular exercise and in the group having insufficient sleeping hours. Finally, the complaint rate of musculo-skeletal disorder for the job-related characteristics was significantly high in the group suffering from the physical burden of their work, in the group working while bending at the waist and in the group carrying out repetitive tasks.