• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.257-270
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• 2019

Purpose: This study is designed as a non-equivalent, control group pre/post-test for identifying effectiveness of a workplace walking program using a fitness tracker including individual counseling and tailored text messaging. Methods: Seventy-nine employees from two large companies were allocated into an intervention group (n=39) and a control group (n=40). Participants were asked to wear a fitness tracker (Fitbit Charger HR) during 24-hour, 5-days per week, for 10 weeks. The intervention group was provided with daily walking steps measured by Fitbit, weekly counseling with a specifically designed workbook, and seven weekly text messaging, and the control group with the fitness tracker only. Results: At the week 10 measurement, there were significant differences between the intervention and control groups in physical activity self-efficacy (p<.001), physical activity behavior (p<.001), daily walking steps (p<.001), systolic blood pressure (p=.033), and wellness (p<.001). Conclusion: These results suggest that the workplace walking program using a fitness tracker including individual counseling and tailored text messaging is more effective for persons with 10,000 steps/day. Therefore, it is recommended to actively apply this workplace walking program to inactive employees for encouraging regular physical activities and improving their wellness.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.131-134
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• 2023

The aim was to describe out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) occurring in the workplace of a large emergency network, and compare the evolution of their management in the last 15 years. A retrospective study based on data from the Northern Alps Emergency Network compared characteristics of OHCA between cases in and out the workplace, and between cases occurring from January 2004 to December 2010 and from January 2011 to December 2017. Among the 15,320 OHCA cases included, 320 occurred in the workplace (2.1%). They were more often in younger men, and happened more frequently in an area with access to public defibrillation, had more often a shockable rhythm, had a cardiopulmonary resuscitation started by a bystander more frequently, and had a better outcome. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation started by a bystander was the only chain of survival link that improved for cases occurring after December 2010. Workplace OHCA seems to be managed more effectively than others; however, only a slight survival improvement was observed, suggesting that progress is still needed.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.56-61
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• 2000

This study was done in an attempt to reveal those factors interfering with the observation study. Three trained research assistants collected data by observing the two occupational health nurses working in the small scale enterprises on the 3rd and 10th of February, 1999. The first observation was performed on the 3rd of February without observation guidance. Guidance was given during the second observation on the 10th of February. These data were compared between reporters in nursing services of 'Workplace visiting', 'Health counselling' and 'Blood pressure checking' according to nursing time and frequency. These areas were chosen because these activities were regarded as clearly identifiable by observers in contrast to the other performances. The data showed inconsistency between reporters. However, they were reduced when reporters observed nurses with guidance, although there were still minor differences between data in time and frequency. Discussions were carried out to find possible reasons for these differences. The causes were mainly attributed to the difficulty in workplace conditions to observe, the work specificity of nurses visiting each workplace and the delicate situation between nurses and observers when reporters were travelling in the nurse's car. Therefore, the results suggest that the observation method applied to the nursing service research at small-scale enterprises should be more concerned about the selection of appropriate workplace and operational definition of nursing activity in order to more precisely measure nurses' attitudes.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.89-93
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• 2017

Background: Rates of overweight and obese Australians are high and continue to rise, putting a large proportion of the population at risk of chronic illness. Examining characteristics associated with preference for a work-based weight-loss program will enable employers to better target programs to increase enrolment and benefit employees' health and fitness for work. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was undertaken at two Australian mining sites. The survey collected information on employee demographics, health characteristics, work characteristics, stages of behavior change, and preference for workplace assistance with reaching a healthy weight. Results: A total of 897 employees participated; 73.7% were male, and 68% had a body mass index in the overweight or obese range. Employees at risk of developing obesity-related chronic illnesses (based on high body mass index) were more likely to report preference for weight management assistance than lower risk employees. This indicates that, even in the absence of workplace promotion for weight management, some at risk employees want workplace assistance. Employees who were not aware of a need to change their current nutrition or physical activity behaviors were less likely to seek assistance. This indicates that practitioners need to communicate the negative effects of excess weight and promote the benefits of a healthy lifestyle to increase the likelihood of weight management. Conclusion: Weight management programs should provide information, motivation. and trouble-shooting assistance to meet the needs of at-risk mining employees, including those who are attempting to change and maintain behaviors to achieve a healthy weight and be suitably fit for work.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.25 no.3 s.39
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• pp.269-286
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• 1992

The purpose of this study is to investigate the present state of worker's recognition and attitude about hazard materials and occupational disease in his workplace. In general worker's view of hazard materials and occupational disease that sis recognition and attitude is related to worker's health behavior for preventing occupational disease and improving his health status. The study subject is composed of workers in the asbestos related industry for example brake lining manufacturing industry, asbestos fiber manufacturing industry, and asbestos slate manufacturing industry. The result of the study are follows : 1. The most of workers in the asbestos related industry have taken health education and safety education, and the more than half of workers recognized the usefulness of preventive device, and ventilatory device in workplace. 2. About 70% of workers have always taken the preventive device. 3. About 80% of workers have recognized occupational disease in the asbestos related industry, and about 64% of workers have recognized that hls workplace have harmful effect on his health. 4. Recognition about the usefulness of ventilatory device in work place has not related with any variables. But recognition about the usefulness of repiratory protector has related with recognition of hazard materials in his workplace, for example asbestos. 5. Attitude about severity and susceptability of occupational disease in the asbestos related industry have related with knowledge about hazard materials and occupational disease.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.21-43
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• 2008

Objective: This study aimed to understand workplace drinking environment on drinking behaviors among female employees and thereby attempt to lay a ground for future prevention of drinking problems triggered by workplace environment. For the purposes of the study, variables related to drinking behavior and the actual conditions of female employees were explored. And the study examined the effects of individual and environmental factors on drinking behavior. Methods: The sample included 400 female and male employees in enterprises and organizations located in the metropolitan area of Korea. An in-depth interview was conducted to explore workplace variables related to female drinking, and a self-administered questionnaire was conducted to examine the relationship between workplace variables and drinking behaviors (alcohol consumption, risky drinking, and binge drinking frequencies). Results: Major findings of the study are as follows: First, positive function of drinking and drinking culture at workplace and the pressure to drink were derived from in-depth interviews. Second, 47.2% of female employees were current drinkers and 20.4% were risky drinkers. Third, drinking norms and attitude at workplace, influence of peer group, and drinking culture at workplace were found to be predictive factors of harmful drinking. Fourth, drinking expectancy and drinking norms and attitude at the workplace were found to influence drinking binge frequencies. Conclusion: The study indicates the importance of the workplace environmental factors in female employee's drinking behavior, and addresses the need for interventions geared toward changing the workplace environment regarding alcohol use.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.1-20
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• 2019

Objective: This study was conducted to examine the mediating effects of play teaching efficacy in the relationship between the organizational health of teacher workplaces and the creative personality of the teachers. Methods: The Pearson product-moment correlation analysis and one-way ANOVA were conducted for data analysis using SPSS 25.0. For mediating analysis, Baron & Kenny's (1986) multiple regression analysis using SPSS 25.0 and the Sobel test were also implemented. Results: There were significant differences in the organizational health of the workplaces according to age, years of working experience, type of workplace, and daily working hours. For play teaching efficacy, there were significant differences according to age, education level, years of working experience, type of workplace, and daily working hours of the teacher. On the other hand, significant differences were found in terms of age and education level in relation to the teacher having a creative personality. Play teaching efficacy was found to have a full mediation effect on the relationship between the organizational health of the workplace and the creative personality of the teacher. Conclusion/Implications: The organizational health of the workplace and play teaching efficacy should be improved in order to enhance the creative personality of teachers in early childhood education.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.229-242
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• 2013

Objectives: This study was designed to investigate the current status of the association of job-related information such as employment status, workplace environment, and hazard material exposures with health examination outcomes. Methods: The study used data from KNHANES 2007-2009 representing the three years of 2007-2009, which was conducted annually using a rolling sampling design that involved a complex, stratified, multistage, probability-cluster survey of a representative sample of the non-institutionalized civilian population in Korea. The final analytical sample consisted of 17,240 participants. Information on age, education, smoking history and alcohol intake was collected during the health interview. Job related information consisted of employment status, workplace environment, and hazardous material exposure. The selected indices of health examination were blood pressure, fasting glucose, blood cholesterol, HDL, SGOT, SGPT, and BUN. Results: In multiple logistic regression analysis using hypertension and pre-hypertension as dependent variables and job related categories as independent variables after covariate adjustments, the odds of hypertension and pre-hypertension were significantly lower in those with responsibility and power in their job activities. Interestingly, low odds for hypertension were observed among those who reported that their jobs were fast-paced. Conclusions: This study confirmed that some job-related categories in employment status, workplace environment, and hazardous material exposure had an association with health outcome status. It is worthwhile to comment that high responsibility and power in job activities were revealed as one of the important favorable factors to improve health condition of workers.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.249-254
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• 2021

Introduction: Workplace violence (WPV) is a major occupational and health hazard for nurses. It affects nurses' physical and psychological well-being and impacts health service delivery. We aimed to assess the prevalence and describe the consequences of WPV experienced by nurses working in an emergency department in Kenya. Methods: We conducted a descriptive cross-sectional study among emergency nurses at one of the largest tertiary hospitals in Kenya. We collected data using a structured questionnaire adapted from the 'WPV in the Health Sector, Country Case Studies Research Instruments' questionnaire. We described the prevalence and effects of WPV using frequencies and percentages. Results: Of the 82 participating nurses, 64.6% were female, 57.3% were married and 65.8% were college-educated (65.8%). Participants' mean age was 33.8 years (standard deviation: 6.8 years, range: 23-55). The overall lifetime prevalence of WPV was 81.7% (n = 67, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 71.6%-88.8%) and the 1-year prevalence was 73.2% (n = 63, 95% CI: 66.3-84.8%). The main WPV included verbal abuse, physical violence, and sexual harassment. Most incidents were perpetrated by patients and their relatives. No action was taken in 50% of the incidents, but 57.1% of physical violence incidents were reported to the hospital security and 28.6% to supervisors. Perpetrators of physical violence were verbally warned (42.9%) and reported to the hospital security (28.6%). Conclusion: Workplace violence is a significant problem affecting emergency nurses in Kenya. Hospitals should promote workplace safety with zero-tolerance to violence. Nurses should be sensitised on WPV to mitigate violence and supported when they experience WPV.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.244-250
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• 2016

Background: Domestic violence (DV) is associated with serious consequences for victims, children, and families, and even national economies. An emerging literature demonstrates that DV also has a negative impact on workers and workplaces. Less is known about the extent to which people are aware of coworkers' experiences of DV. Methods: Using data from a pan-Canadian sample of 8,429 men and women, we examine: (1) awareness of coworker DV victimization and perpetration; (2) the warning signs of DV victimization and perpetration recognized by workers; (3) whether DV victims are more likely than nonvictims to recognize DV and its warning signs in the workplace; and (4) the impacts of DV that workers perceive on victims'/perpetrators' ability to work. Results: Nearly 40% of participants believed they had recognized a DV victim and/or perpetrator in the workplace and many reported recognizing more than one warning sign. DV victims were significantly more likely to report recognizing victims and perpetrators in the workplace, and recognized more DV warning signs. Among participants who believed they knew a coworker who had experienced DV, 49.5% thought the DV had affected their coworker's ability to work. For those who knew a coworker perpetrating DV, 37.9% thought their coworker's ability to work was affected by the abusive behavior. Conclusion: Our findings have implications for a coordinated workplace response to DV. Further research is urgently needed to examine how best to address DV in the workplace and improve outcomes for victims, perpetrators, and their coworkers.