• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.103-108
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• 2008

The aim of this paper is to improve the design of a pair of axilla crutches through quality function deployment(QFD) and discomfort experiments. User needs for the crutches, as well as the engineering characteristics which have influence on the ergonomic quality of crutches were determined from the interview with many users. This information was entered in the house of quality, and the results show that the axillary pad and grip are the most important quality factors. And the results from the discomfort experiments confirmed the QFD output. A prototype reflecting the QFD results was proposed. The present study demonstrated how QFD approach can be a methodological tool geared to greater ergonomics consideration in product design.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.105-110
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• 2008

This study focused on the decreased effect of the work load on using the lower extremity supporter in kneeling posture. Fatigue measures included subjective discomfort ratings through the use of the Borg's CR-10 scale based parameters. The resting period and work method were considered as independent variables. The break time conditions are grouped into 10 seconds after work for 1 min and not exist break time. The method of work conditions are divided into four types. There are kneeling with the lower extremity supporter, kneeling with the knee protector, just kneeling and squatting. The result of the ANOVA of the shift value of subjective discomfort showed the followings: 1) There were differences as regards to the method of the work, the break time and the part of body($p{\leq}0.05$). 2) The lower extremity supporter showed the least subjective discomfort in other part of body except the upper leg.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Emotion and Sensibility Conference
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• 2012.05a
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• pp.132-133
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• 2012

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.29-43
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• 2020

Thermal environment of city is getting worse due to severe urban heat island caused by climate change and urbanization. The cooling effect of street tree is regarded as a effective way to ameliorate the urban heat environment. The effect is largely made up of shadow formation and transpiration. This study aims to identify how the transpiration affects the discomfort index by analyzing comprehensive impact of the transpiration on the air temperature and relative humidity. The changes in the amount of transpiration, air temperature, and relative humidity were estimated for Seogyo-dong area which has a lot of floating population in Seoul, at 2 p.m. in dry day in July and August. On average, the transpiration of the street tree decreased the temperature 0.3℃ and increased the relative humidity 2.6% in an hour. As a result of these changes in temperature and humidity, the discomfort index rose mostly(0.036 on average). It was always get rise especially on the day when the discomfort index was above 80(0.05 on average). However, compared with the significant change in temperature and humidity, the variation of the discomfort index itself was very slight(up to 0.107). Therefore, the effect of transpiration by the street trees might not be effective in the planning to improve the thermal environment(especially on the day when the discomfort index is high). It is necessary to select the species of trees and planting location considering the cooling effect of shade formation synthetically.

• Journal of Korean Clinical Nursing Research
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.69-80
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• 2013

Purpose: This study aimed to prove the effect of exercise therapy on discomfort and low back pain after cerebral endovascular surgery through femoral artery. Methods: The study employed a non-equivalent control group pretest-posttest design. Data were collected from 74 participants and were divided equally into two groups as experimental and control groups. In the experimental group, exercise therapy was applied in 2 hours, 4 hours, and 6 hours after cerebroendovascular surgery. The level of discomfort, back pain, hemorrhage, and hematoma was observed and recorded as a pretest. In the posttest, low back pain, hemorrhage, and hematoma were measured in 2.5 hours, 4.5 hours, and 6.5 hours, and discomfort was measured in 6.5 hours. The study was conducted from April to September, 2012. Data were analyzed with descriptive study, Chi-square test, t-test, repeated measure ANOVA and Bonferroni using SPSS/WIN 18.0 version. Results: The exercise therapy after cerebral endovascular surgery helps in reducing the level of discomfort (t=-2.37, p=.020) and low back pain (F=5.15, p=.005) without the side effects of hemorrhage or hematoma. Conclusion: Therefore, the exercise therapy was an efficient intervention for patients after cerebral endovascular surgery with discomfort and low back pain. Nurses could apply non-pharmacological interventions such as exercise therapy to avoid pharmacological side-effects.

• Journal of Korean Institute of Industrial Engineers
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.413-423
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• 2001

Low back disorders (LBDs) are one of the most common and costly work-related musculoskeletal disorders. One of the major possible risk factors of LBDs is to work with static and awkward trunk postures, especially in a complex trunk posture involving flexion, twisting and lateral bending simultaneously. This study is to examine the effect of complex trunk postures on the postural stresses using a psychophysical method. Twelve healthy male students participated in an experiment, in which 29 different trunk postures were evaluated using the magnitude estimation method. The results showed that subjective discomfort significantly increased as the levels of trunk flexion, lateral bending and rotation increased. Significant interaction effects were found between rotation and lateral bending or flexion when the severe lateral bending or rotation were assumed, indicating that simultaneous occurrence of trunk flexion, lateral bending and rotation increases discomfort ratings synergistically. A postural workload evaluation scheme of trunk postures was proposed based on the angular deviation levels from the neutral position. Each trunk posture was assigned numerical stress index depending upon its discomfort rating, which was defined as the ratio of discomfort of a posture to that of its neutral posture. Four qualitative action categories for the stress index were also provided in order to enable practitioners to apply corrective actions appropriately. The proposed scheme is expected to be applied to several field areas for evaluating trunk postural stresses.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.299-312
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• 1999

The purpose of this study was to analyze the depression in middle-aged women. The subjects for this study were 246 middle-aged women in Kangwondo, the northeastern part of Korea. Data were collected from February 22 to April 24, 1999 by a structured questionnaire. The instruments for this study were CES-D (Radloff, 1977), somatic discomfort scale (Wittenborn, 1979), self-esteem scale (Rosenburg, 1971) and life satisfaction Index-Z (Wood et al. 1969). The data were analyzed by SAS/PC+ program using ANOVA, Pearson Correlation Coefficient. The results of the study were as follows : 1. Of 246 middle-aged women, 91 women (37%) revealed depression. The percentage of mild, moderate, severe depression were 17.78%, 11.28%, 7.72% respectively. 2. The statistically significant difference in the score of the depression according to the age (F=3.46, p=.0001)was obtained. 3. There were significant differences between depression and somatic discomfort (F=15.71, p=.0001). 4. The significant differences between depression and life satisfaction (F=23.89, p=.0001) was obtained. 5. The data shows the positive correlations between depression and somatic discomfort (r=.4856, p=.0001), between self-esteem and life-satisfaction(r=.2727, p=.0001), but we found negative correlations between depression and self-esteem(r=-4200, p=.0001), between depression and life-satisfaction(r=-.4409, p=.0001), between somatic discomfort and self-esteem(r=-.2275, p=.0015), between somatic discomfort and life-satisfaction(r=-.2695, p=.0002).

• Journal of The Korean Dental Society of Anesthesiology
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.1-5
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• 2007

Background: It is well known that nasotracheal intubation is comfort for patient compared to oral intubation. We sometimes delay extubation when it is thought that the patient can not maintain airway, or there may be other emergency associated with airway. And we sometimes experience complaint of discomfort of nasotracheal tube. But, we could not find any report on degree of discomfort of delayed nasotracheal intubation. Methods: Eighteen patients in whom extubation of nasotraceal tube was delayed after operation because of difficulties of airway mamagement were selected. We surveyed the discomfort of nasotracheal tube with 0 to 10 visual analogue scale (VAS) and compared with the pain of operation site (VAS). Result: The VAS of nasotracheal intubation was $6.7{\pm}3.4$, and VAS of the primary operation site was $3.5{\pm}2.4$, and VAS of flap harvest site was $5.5{\pm}2.7$. 10 of the patients complained of nasotracheal suction extremely and 6 patients complained of respiratory difficulties. Conclusions: Nasotracheal intubation was discomfort and there must be intervention.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.839-851
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• 2008

Purpose: This study was conducted to examine the effects of aroma-therapy combined with heat application on pain, ROM of lower limb joints, and discomfort from activities of daily living(ADL) among the patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Methods: Aroma blended oil was rubbed over the knees and ankles of 19 experimental group A and 20 B, and then heat therapy was given using an electric hot & wet poultice pad to only group A. There was no treatment on the 19 control group. There was measured for pain, ROM of lower limb joints and discomfort of ADL. The data was analyzed using SPSS Win 11.0 program. Results: In comparing the effects of pain reduction by time, the ROM of lower limb joints, and discomfort of ADL, there were significant differences among three groups. There was no significant difference between experimental group in pain scale by time, range of ROM of knee and ankle joint and discomfort of ADL. Conclusion: On the basis of results, aroma-therapy can be applied as a nursing intervention to reduce pain for not only rheumatoid arthritis patients but also for other patients with other diseases.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.371-378
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• 2014

Manual materials handling tasks are the main risk factors for the work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Many assistant tools for manual materials handling are being used in various kind of industries. One of them is a 4-wheeled cart which is widely used in manufacturing factories, hospitals, etc. The major force required to control the 4-wheeled cart is pushing and pulling. There are two types of handles being used for the 4-wheeled cart : vertical type (two vertical handles), and horizontal type (one horizontal handle). This study tried to investigate the pushing forces and subjective discomforts (hand/writst, shoulder, low back, and overall) of the two handle types with different handle height and distance conditions. Twelve healthy male students (mean age = 23.4 years) participated in the experiment. The independent variables were handle angle (horizontal, vertical), handle height (low, medium, high), and handle distance (narrow, medium, wide). The full factorial design was used for the experiment and the maximum pushing forces were measured in 18 different conditions ($2{\times}3{\times}3$). Analysis of variance (ANOVA) procedure was conducted to test the effects of the independent variables on the pushing force and discomfort levels. Handle height and angle were found to be the critical design factors that affect the maximal pushing forces and subjective discomfort. In the middle height, subjects exerted higher pushing forces, and experience lower discomfort levels compared to the high, and low height. There was no statistical influence of the handle distance to the pushing forces and subjective discomfort levels. It was found out that the effects of the handle angle (horizontal and vertical) on both pushing force and subjective discomfort were statistically significant (p < 0.05). The vertical handle revealed higher pushing force and lower discomfort level than the horizontal handle. The reason for that was thought to be the different postures of the hand when grasping the handles. The horizontal handle induced pronaton of the hand and made hand posture more deviated from the neutral position.