• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.402-406
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• 2017

Transit workers constitute a blue-collar occupational group that have elevated smoking rates relative to other sectors of employed adults in the United States. This study analyzed cross-sectional tobacco survey data from 935 workers (60% African American; 37% female) employed at an urban public transit agency in California. Prevalence of current and former smoking was 20.3% and 20.6%, respectively. Younger workers were less likely than older workers to be current or former smokers. Having a complete home smoking ban was associated with decreased likelihood of being a smoker [odds ratio (OR) = 0.04, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.01-0.17], as were neutral views about whether it is easy for a smoker to take a smoking break during their shift (OR = 0.50, 95% CI 0.28-0.88). Current smoking among the sample is > 50% higher than the adult statewide prevalence. Potential points of intervention identified in this study include perceived ease of worksite smoking breaks and establishing home smoking bans. Tailored cessation efforts focusing on older transit workers more likely to smoke are needed to reduce tobacco-related disparities in this workforce.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.857-867
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• 2015

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate individual and organizational level of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors associated with CVD risk in Korean blue-collar workers working in small sized companies. Methods: Self-report questionnaires and blood sampling for lipid and glucose were collected from 492 workers in 31 small sized companies in Korea. Multilevel modeling was conducted to estimate effects of related factors at the individual and organizational level. Results: Multilevel regression analysis showed that workers in the workplace having a cafeteria had 1.81 times higher CVD risk after adjusting for factors at the individual level (p =.022). The explanatory power of variables related to organizational level variances in CVD risk was 17.1%. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that differences in the CVD risk were related to organizational factors. It is necessary to consider not only individual factors but also organizational factors when planning a CVD risk reduction program. The factors caused by having cafeteria in the workplace can be reduced by improvement in the CVD-related risk environment, therefore an organizational-level intervention approach should be available to reduce CVD risk of workers in small sized companies in Korea.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.1-17
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• 2008

Objective : This research was done to discover whether or not workers' health related quality of life(HRQOL) depends on their own Yangseng(養生) level, which is also known as one's care of one's health, and also if their HRQOL is affected by the level, to what extent. The subjects of the study were blue-collar workers of a workplace. Method : Blue-collar workers of a workplace were asked to fill out their pre-organized questionaires given to them by their company as a process of health examination. The questionaires carried questions regarding their levels of Yangseng and their HRQOL. For the purpose of the research, a total of 961 data were selected from the questionaires filled out by the blue-collar workers and then analyzed. Result : Each workers's level of Yangseng becomes high or low by one or all of general characteristics. With regard to Yangseng level according to health-related lifestyle were found to have a relatively higher level of Yangseng. With reference to HRQOL according to general characteristics, those in the 20s were found to have a physical summary scale(PCS), but no significant difference was found in the other scales. As regards the quality of life(QOL) according to health-related lifestyle, those who exercise regularly were found to have a relatively higher PCS, while no smokers, those who do not drink alcoholic, and those who sleep at least seven hours a day were found to have a relatively higher mental summary scale(MCS). As to the relation between the level of Yangseng and HRQOL, the level of Yangseng was found to have an interrelation with PCS and MCS in terms of its degree. Statistics also show that each area of Yangseng level has a significant impact on the two qualities-PCS and MCS. Conclusion : One who has a higher level of Yangseng was found to be the one who enjoys a higher HRQOL. Specially, the three kinds of habits that are good for good health -non-smoking, no drinking and seeping seven hours a day- were found to be able to improve the QOL. In this respect, those who want to stay healthy are recommended to cultivate a healthier habit of living.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.69-77
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• 2020

Purpose: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS), a cluster of metabolic abnormalities has rapidly increased in Korea. Sleep may play a role in determining its prevalence. However, the relationships between MetS and the duration and quality of sleep are not yet clear. This study aimed to examine the associations between the duration and quality of sleep and the prevalence of MetS. Methods: Study participants included 348 Korean blue-collar workers employed by six small-sized companies in Korea. The data were collected using an interviewer-administered questionnaire, and logistic regression analysis was conducted to estimate the effects of the factors related to MetS. Results: The multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that the independent factors that contributed to the prevalence of MetS were being male (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]=4.87, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.58~15.0) and lower sleep quality (aOR=5.12, 95% CI=1.90~14.30). Sleep duration was related to the prevalence of some MetS components, but it was not associated with MetS prevalence. Conclusion: Sleep quality was negatively associated with MetS prevalence when covariates, such as sleep duration, were controlled. When developing a MetS risk-reduction program, focus should be given to sleep quality as well as sleep duration in an intervention for Korean blue-collar workers.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.117-130
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• 2009

This study was attempted to suggest fundamental data to take health care plan in terms of oriental medicine by evaluating the health-related quality of life according to the Sasang constitutional medicine (SCM) of factory workers. General characteristics, living habits, and health-related quality of life were investigated through self-administration questionnaire in the course of oriental health examination for 1,870 male workers at a manufacturing company located in the Jeollabuk-do region, and the Sasang constitution of each worker was identified and analyzed through questionnaires and oriental doctor's medical examination. For Sasang constitutional medicine, So-eum person(少陰人) was found to be the most, and then So-yang preson(少陽人), Tai-eum preson(太陰人), and Tai-yang preson(太陽人) in order; for lifestyle, smokers were most found in So-yang person workers, non-smokers in Tai-yang person workers, drinkers in Tai-yang person workers, and non-drinkers in So-eum person workers. For the general health score by the Sasang constitutions, Tai-yang person workers were found to be 42.73 in general health area, Tai-eum preson workers 41.69, So-yang person workers 40.87, and So-eum person workers 40.42; in the vitality area, Tai-eum person workers were found to be 45.14, So-yang person workers 44.16, So-eum person workers 43.02, and Tai-yang person workers 41.34. Specially, it was found that regular exercise improved physical health factors, drinking adversely affected mental health factors, and the mental health factors of Tai-eum person workers who have regularly exercised showed the highest values, while those of Tai-yang person workers who have not exercised showed the lowest values. There was difference in lifestyle by Sasang constitutions, and accordingly, the quality of life might be different Therefore it is deemed that health care plan is required to be taken by Sasang constitutions and lifestyle for health promotion and care of blue-collar workers in the future.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.26 no.4 s.44
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• pp.565-573
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• 1993

Noise is not only affecting the ear and the auditory cortex locally, but its influence is widely spread throughout the brain structures, e. g., the reticular formation, the brain stem nuclei or the subcortical forebrain area. Hence, any of the organism's activities can be hindered or stimulated by noise. High noise is a stressor and the catecholamine level can be used both as a stress marker and as an indicator of modified sympathetic nervous system activity. Several recent studies have found that the urinary excretion of catecholamines is increased due to high noise intensity, especially unexpectedly high and long lasting noise. The present study was conducted in order to examine the effects of noise stress on urinary excretion of ctecholamines in rats and humans. Rats were exposed to 90 dB noise for 10, 30, and 60 minutes, 3 and 12 hours. 24 hour . urinary samples were collected and the catecholamones were extracted by alumina and analyzed by HPLC-ECD. Catecholamine levels increased with time of exposure up to 60 minutes : norepinephrine concentration at 60 min of noise=1.038 ng/ml, epinephrine=0.636 ng/ml. Urine catecholamines of blue collar workers exposed to 90 dB of noise at the work place were collected between 2 and 4 p.m. and compared to that of white collar workers exposed to 70 dB. Mean norepinephrine level of the blue collar workers was 0.89 ng/ml (${\pm}0.25$), epinephrine 0.24ng/m1 (${\pm}0.09$), and that of the white collar workers 0.48 ng/ml (${\pm}0.12$), epinephrine 0.19 ng/ml(${\pm}0.05$). It was concluded that noise acts as a stressor and increases the catecholamine levels in both rats and humans.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.47-58
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• 2004

This study was conducted to evaluated the degree of job-related life style and stress of industrial workers to present fundamental materials of preventive oriental medicine. The medical examination with oriental medicine method was performed from October 14 to November 1, 2002 for the 474 industrial workers and general characters, life style and Psychosocial Well-being Index(PWI) were collected by using self-recording type questionnaire. The results were as follows; 1) All 474 of subjects were male, job type was distributed into technician, 37.8% of them, white collar worker, blue collar worker, research worker in an orderly fashion. 2) As a result of comparison between the job types in general characters, research worker group was the highest in education level, above 10 years group in employee duration and 1.5-2.99 million won group in monthly income was the largest group in all job type and the distribution was significantly different. 3) Analyzing the difference in life style according to the job type shows that significantly highest prevalence of drinking alcohol was found in blue collar workers, they drank alcohol 2-4 times a week and that workers did not smoke in all group of job type and the prevalence of exercise was significantly high in less than 1 time a week. 4) Analyzing the difference in the degree of stress according to the job type shows that blue collar worker group had the highest score in Factor 1, Factor 4 fields, technician group had the highest score in Factor 2 field and the differences were significant. Considering above results, the present study shows that there are difference in life style and stress according to the job type in industrial workers and that health management according to job type must be required to improve health condition and to prevent disease of industrial workers in the future.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.19 no.2 s.20
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• pp.203-212
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• 1986

Hypertension is one of the most well known risk factors for cerebrovascular or coronary heart disease and is a major public health problem. Early detection and treatment of hypertension are essential, but the compliance of treatment on hypertension is not easy to achive. Hypertensive workers are being detected by the annual screening under the Labour Standard Law in Korea but the solidified control system for them is not existing. This study about workers 'Motive-Belief-Action in non-drug and drug treatment of their hypertension would be worthwhile to interpret how the workers actually behave in coping with hypertension, and also would be advisable to construct the follow-up program in Korea. In the field research process two criteria were used to select sample group. The first criterion included the workers who were screened to be hypertensive with their blood pressure above 160/95 in this survey. The second one was used to classify study-group respondents who had known their hypertension by successive annual screening. From such criteria a total of 156 male workers were sampled in 21 industries, the author interviewed them using the structured questionnaire which consisted of Belief-Motive-Action items about non-drug and drug treatment for hypertension with open-ended question on symptom of hypertension. The summary is as follows: 1) Sixty-one percent of respondents had ever checked their blood pressure somewhere besides the annual screening. 2) Most respondents(97.2%) complained no symptoms of hypertension at all. 3) Belief level of non-drug treatment was relatively high (82.1%-64.7%), but motive(55.1%-28.2%) and action(38.5%-16.7%) levels were low. 4) Belief level of drug treatment was relatively lower than that of non-drug treatment, blue collar workers showed higher artier level of drug treatment than white collar workers, and correlation coefficient between belief and motive on drug treatment was lower in group of not-recognizing their family history of hypertension than recognized group. Such findings indicated that belief on drug treatment of hypertensive workers would be problematic. 5) White collar workers showed significant lower correlation coefficients between Motive and Action of salt restriction, restriction of fatty diet and relaxation than blue collar workers. 6) Mild hypertension group showed low levels of Motive and Action of non-drug treatment(salt restriction, restriction of fatty diet and relaxation) and also showed low correlation coefficient between Belief and Motive of above non-drug treatment.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.20 no.3 s.71
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• pp.188-196
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• 2005

Accident reports from 1991 to 2000 of a steel company were used to analyze which factors induce industrial accidents. The subjects were 8,311 blue-collar workers, who sustained 114 occupational injuries and work on a continuous full-day 3-team 3-shift system of backward rotation(mornings to afternoons to nights). With respect to marital status, the occupational injury rate(OIR) on the married workers was significantly higher compared to unmarried workers. With respect to no, the OIR of those in their early 20s was significantly higher when compared to other age groups. The OIR of highly educated workers showed a reduction when compared with lower educated workers. The OIR of shift workers were significantly higher compared with the daytime workers. The OIR of type of work decreased across the steel manufacturing process, rolling process, machine maintenance section forwarding products section to the field management section. With respect to the block of shift work(morning, afternoon, and night shifts) by the type of work, the OIR of the night shift was higher than those of the morning shift in the steel manufacturing process or forwarding products section. The OIR of the machine maintenance section was slightly higher in the morning shift than those of the night shift. The OIR of the time of day of the shift workers reached a peak between 09:00 and 11:00. The OIR of a slight injury to shift workers decreased across the night, afternoon, to morning shifts whereas the OIR of a serious injury tended to decrease across the night, morning, to afternoon shift. The body parts most commonly injured were the arm and the crus.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.476-482
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• 2023

Introduction: There is a growing global interest in the issue of precarious employment. We aimed to analyze the characteristics and socio-demographic distribution of precarious employment using a summative score approach. Methods: To operationalize precarious employment, we utilized data from the Korean Working Conditions Survey and focused on three distinct dimensions: employment insecurity, income inadequacy, and a lack of rights and protections. By constructing a summative scale ranging from -16 to 2, with lower scores indicating higher precariousness, we measured employment precariousness among Korean wage workers. To compare employment precariousness according to survey participant characteristics, we employed the Wilcoxon Rank Sum Test. Results: We analyzed a weighted number of 38,432 workers. The overall sample showed a median (Q1, Q3) summative scale score of -3 (-6, -1). The median summative score was lower for women compared to men (men: -2; women: -5; p < 0.001), as well as for young or older workers compared to middle-aged workers (young: -4; middle-aged: -2; older: -5; p < 0.001). Similarly, workers with lower educational levels (middle school or below: -8; high school: -5; college or above: -2; p < 0.001) and non-white collar workers (blue collar: -5; service/sales worker: -6; white collar: -2; p < 0.001) experienced higher levels of employment precariousness. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that certain vulnerable groups, such as women, young or older adults, workers with low educational attainment, and caregiving or low-skilled elementary workers, are disproportionately exposed to high employment precariousness. Active policy interventions are needed to improve the employment quality of vulnerable groups.