• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
• /
• v.8 no.1
• /
• pp.219-228
• /
• 2020

Purpose : This study highlights the importance of occupational therapy at adult day care centers by examining the current state of this therapy at these centers. Methods : Data on 1,527 adult day care centers in South Korea were retrieved from a long-term care insurance site for the elderly and were statistically processed. Results : Of these centers, 1,331 (87.2 %) were cognitive activity-oriented, 37 (2.4 %) were exclusively for dementia treatment, and 159 were nonspecialized centers (10.4 %). A second finding was that 294 (19.3 %) of the centers operated occupational therapy programs. Third, only 40 occupational therapists (2.6 %) were working at one of these 1,527 care centers nationwide. Fourth, the occupational therapy programs comprised 4.91 ± 3.93 cognitive enhancement programs per center, 2.58 ± 2.26 training assistance programs per center, and other programs 2.56 ± 2.58 per center. Fifth, a regional comparison of the operation of occupational therapy programs at these centers showed a statistically significant difference in the number of programs between Seoul and other regions. Conclusion : Although most adult day care centers currently deliver cognitive enhancement programs, they show a low employment rate of occupational therapists. Therefore, additional research involving workers at adult day care centers is required to investigate perceptions and the necessity of occupational therapy.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
• /
• v.36 no.3
• /
• pp.231-244
• /
• 2017

Objective: This study aims to understand the occupational injury characteristics of the workers in the motor vehicle parts (automobile parts) manufacturing industry and to present basic guidelines on accident prevention through accident analysis. Background: There occur many occupational injuries in the motor vehicle parts manufacturing industry. But there were few researches for the occupational injuries of the workers in the motor vehicle parts manufacturing industry. Method: This study analyzed the data of occupational injuries of 1,609 workers in the motor vehicle parts manufacturing industry in 2015. The accident characteristics were analyzed by dividing them into worker related factors and accident related factors. Results: Among the occupational injuries of the workers in the motor vehicle parts manufacturing industry, 80.6% of the victims were males, 64.0% were older than 40. 57.8% of the victims were employed by the companies with less than 50 workers. In addition, there was a difference in accident characteristics according to age, work experience, employment type, events or exposures, accident time of the day, agents, natures of injuries and illnesses, injured organs and injured body part. Conclusion: It is important to prevent equipment/machinery accidents. For this purpose, more efforts should be made to establish safety measures faithful to the basics of safety devices and safety work procedures. It is also suggested that prevention of disasters should be intensively carried out for workplaces with less than 50 employees and middle-aged and elderly people. Application: The result can be used to present guidelines for preventative measures for the workers in the motor vehicle parts manufacturing industry including safety education/training.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
• /
• v.10 no.6
• /
• pp.606-615
• /
• 2016

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The nutritional quality of lunches is an important factor related to workers' health. This study examined the nutritional quality of Korean workers' lunches with a focus on comparing institutional and commercial lunches. SUBJECTS/METHODS: The data from a 1-day, 24-hour dietary recall from the $5^{th}$ Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2010-2012) were analyzed. A total of 2,192 subjects aged 19 to 64 years, who had consumed lunches served by institutional or commercial food service vendors, were included for analysis. The nutritional quality of the lunches of the institutional lunch group (n=626) and the commercial lunch group (n=1,566) was compared in terms of the number of servings, food groups, nutrient intake, Nutrient Adequacy Ratio (NAR), and Mean Adequacy Ratio (MAR). RESULTS: The NAR and MAR were significantly higher in the institutional lunches than in the commercial lunches, but more than half of workers in both groups obtained over 65% of their energy from carbohydrate. The average sodium intake from the lunches exceeded the daily intake goal (2,000 mg) in both groups. More than half of workers in both groups presented less than one-third of their respective recommended daily intake of riboflavin and calcium. With the exception of riboflavin, the nutrient intake from lunches accounted for more than 35% of the daily nutrient intake. CONCLUSIONS: The overall nutritional quality of institutional lunches was higher than that of commercial lunches. However, institutional lunches had room for improvement in terms of nutritional quality.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
• /
• v.12 no.2
• /
• pp.113-120
• /
• 2017

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of a physical therapy-based tailored exercise program on pain, accident incidence rates, the number of work days lost, and economical loss cost for workers in an automobile parts manufacturing company. METHODS: A total of 530 workers with musculoskeletal symptoms were given a physical therapy-based tailored exercise program twice a week, for one hour a day. This exercise program consisted of movement pattern correction, muscle stretching and strengthening, and postural correction exercises, according to principles of movement impairment syndromes and medical training therapy. From 2011 to 2016, the lost days of work, accident incidence rates, and loss cost were examined. The pain measured by VAS (visual analogue scale) and the number of workers participating in the exercise program from 2014 to 2016 were also measured. The single subjects A-B design was applied and analyzed. RESULTS: After applying the exercise program, pain decreased and the number of workers participating in the program increased. Accident incidence rates, number of work days lost, and economical loss cost decreased. There was a significant correlation between the number of workers who received exercise therapy by year and accident incidence rates, lost days of work, and economical loss cost (p<.05). CONCLUSION: It is necessary to expand the physical therapy-based tailored exercise program to prevent musculoskeletal disorders because it has a positive effect on both workers and employers.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
• /
• v.14 no.6
• /
• pp.849-857
• /
• 2014

Objectives: The aim of the study was to investigate the knowledge and attitude toward radiation safety management in dental clinic worker. Methods: A self-reported questionnaire was filled out by 294 dental clinic workers in dental hospitals and clinics in Gwangju and Jeonnam from February 17 to March 30, 2014. The questionnaire consisted of general characteristics of radiation safety(8 questions), knowledge of radiation safety(15 questions), and attitudes of radiation safety(16 questions). The survey was done by Likert 5 scale method. Results: In completion of the radiodontia courses, 84.0% of the learners were female workers. 88.0% of the learners took the theoretical and practical courses. Those who work in the university dental hospital accounted for 87.1% and those in dental clinics accounted for 83.2%. Majority of the workers took on Leaden protective clothing in order to protect the thyroid gland. Male workers had more knowledge toward the radiation safety management than the female workers. The attitude toward the radiation safety management revealed the significant differences between age, gender, academic careers, license, clinical careers and the mean number of patients per day(p<0.05). Conclusions: The radiation safety management is very important in dental clinical workers and it is necessary to enhance the attitude toward the radiation safety through continuous education.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
• /
• v.9 no.4
• /
• pp.17-28
• /
• 2007

This study tried to identify the job stress characteristics of female bank workers and the relationship between their stress and symptoms associated with musculoskeletal disorders(MSDs). The total number of 587 female bank tellers have been participated in this study. Specifically, questionnaire surveys regarding job stress and MSDs symptoms were conducted. On the basis of the results from the survey using Korean version of job stress questionnaire with 24 questions, stress scores associated with job requirement and job flexibility were relatively high. The job stress levels regarding job demand, organizational system, occupational climate at the work place were relatively high for the full time workers while the job stress levels regarding insufficient job control, job stability, interpersonal conflict, lack of reward were relatively high for the part time worker. The workers with longer total work years had relatively high job stress associated with interpersonal conflict, and organizational system while the workers with longer work years at the current job had relatively high job stress associated with occupational climate. Also, the workers with longer working hours a day had relatively high job stress associated with job demand, interpersonal conflict, organizational system, and occupational climate. According to the relationship identified in this study, symptoms at the neck, shoulder, hand, low back. leg were associated with the stress levels in terms of job flexibility, interpersonal conflict, job requirement, job stability. In conclusion, female bank workers are exposed to job stress due to their specific job characteristics and there has been certain relationships between their job stress and MSDs symptoms.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
• /
• v.18 no.4
• /
• pp.611-623
• /
• 2007

Purpose: To evaluate a reducing alcohol intervention program for workers. Method: The intervention program employed one-group pretest-post-test design with repeated measuring by quasi-experimental study. The program was developed from literature review based on the Transtheoretical Model, and evaluated from April 6 to June 22, 2006. Sixteen white collar male workers participated. At the beginning, the subjects were at the pre-contemplation stage (50%) and contemplation stage (50%). The intervention was applied personally or in group twice a week for 9 weeks. Results: The scores of each stage of change in the post-test increased significantly compared with those in the pretest. The scores of process (cognitive and behavioral) of change in the post-test increased significantly compared with those in the pretest. The score of self-efficacy of change in the post-test increased significantly compared with that in the pretest. The score of pros-cons for drinking in the post-test decreased significantly compared with that in the pretest. The consumption of alcohol a week and a day in the post-test decreased significantly compared with that in the pretest. The levels in ALT, AST, GGT, total cholesterol, triglyceride, B.P. and BMI in the post-test did not decrease significantly compared with those in the pretest, but the level of FBS decreased significantly compared with that in the pretest. Conclusion: The above result informs us that a stage-based reducing alcohol intervention program for workers has the effect of increasing the stages of change, the process of change (cognitive and behavioral) and self-efficacy, and decreasing pros-cons for drinking alcohol consumption and FBS, and it also has a value as an effective means of nursing for workers.

• Journal of the Society of Disaster Information
• /
• v.15 no.4
• /
• pp.514-523
• /
• 2019

Purpose: This study was designed to provide necessary institutional improvements for job security for foreign workers in the domestic construction sector. Method: I analyzed the National Statistical Office and related reports to investigate the status of foreign workers. Based on this, the government came up with measures to improve the system. Results: Based on the current comparative advantage index (RCA) analysis, the technology standard of foreign workers compared to Korean workers was evaluated, and the results were analyzed in order of moldwork, rebar, concrete work, stone work, and waterproof work. Conclusion: A foreign worker's work system was introduced to solve the problem of local Lunar New Year's Day field manpower. To ensure stable implementation of the system, there is a need to improve the operation of the employment permit system at construction sites and limit the size of the construction industry that introduces the employment permit system.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
• /
• v.14 no.3
• /
• pp.109-116
• /
• 2019

PURPOSE: This study examined the effects of an active tailored exercise program on pain and the Oswestry disability index (ODI) among workers with musculoskeletal symptoms of the lower back in an automobile parts manufacturing company. METHODS: Twenty-two workers with musculoskeletal symptoms of the lower back were included in the study. The experimental group was composed of 15 workers and a control group of seven workers. The experimental group was provided an active tailored exercise program and education on the risk factors of musculoskeletal disorders. The control group was only provided ergonomic education. The exercise program, which consisted of movement pattern correction, muscle stretching and strengthening, and postural correction exercises, was applied twice a week for two months for one hour a day. Pain, which was determined using a visual analogue scale (VAS), and the ODI were measured before and after exercise. RESULTS: After applying the exercise program for two months, the VAS and ODI of the experimental group were significantly lower than those of the control group (p<.05). In the experimental group, the VAS decreased significantly after one month (p<0.05), and the ODI decreased significantly after two months (p<.05). CONCLUSION: Because active tailored exercise programs are effective in improving the pain and disability indices, it is necessary to actively implement such programs among manufacturing workers with musculoskeletal symptoms of the lower back.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
• /
• v.16 no.2
• /
• pp.248-259
• /
• 2022

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Adequate nutritional intake is essential for good health and well-being. We aimed to compare the nutrient intake from homemade meals, meals sourced externally ("eating out"), and meals from workplace foodservices, as well as the potential association between foodservices used and nutritional quality among adult Korean workers. SUBJECTS/METHODS: We used data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a nationwide cross-sectional survey on the health and nutritional status of the Korean population. Data from 6,845 workers aged 20-64 years were included. A survey on dietary behavior and nutrition was conducted using the 24-h dietary recall method. Nutritional quality was examined using the index of nutritional quality (INQ) score. Higher INQ scores reflected poorer nutritional quality, with insufficient intake of a higher number of nutrients. Multivariate linear regression was used to identify the association between the foodservices used and INQ scores after adjusting for other covariates. RESULTS: We found that foodservice users exhibited a higher 1-day intake of total energy and macronutrients (all P < 0.05) and lower INQ scores (P < 0.01) than non-users. The INQ scores for total daily meals decreased with the frequency of foodservice use (P < 0.01). A significant association was observed between the non-use of foodservices and INQ scores (β = 0.29, P < 0.01) after adjusting for other covariates. CONCLUSIONS: The use of workplace foodservices contributed to higher dietary nutritional quality among workers. This study highlights the importance of expanding the scope of workplace foodservices to promote higher nutritional quality and healthy dietary habits among workers.