• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.247-261
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• 1999

The purpose of this study was to figure out related factors to the self-reported climacteric symptoms and the relationship among the health promoting behaviors, climacteric symptoms and degree of Sanhujori, the Korean traditional postpartal care. A cross-sectional survey design was employed in this study. The subjects were 108 middle-aged women who were non-hystrectomized and ranged in age from 40 to 60 years. They were selected in seoul and Kyoung-ki province, Korea, Data were collected from Oct.25 Nov. 10, 1997 by a structured questionnaire. The instruments used for this study were the revised health Promotion Lifestyle(HPLP) developed by Walker, Sechrist & Pender, and revised Climacteric Symptoms Scale developed by Chi, Sung Ai. the data were analyzed by the SPSS/$PC^+$ program using t-test, ANOVA and Scheffe test as a post hoc and Pearson Correlation Coefficient. The results of the study were as follows ; 1. The mean score of health promoting behaviors was low($2.42{\pm}0.35$). There were statistically significant differences in the score of health promoting behaviors according to the educational background, family income, marital satisfaction, whether or not taking a restorative food and degree of Sanhujori, especially the period (t=-2.07, F=2.60~7.57, p<0.05). 2. The mean score of score self-reported climacteric symptoms was 1.69%;99% of middle-aged women had symptoms. There were statically significant differences in the score of middle -aged women's self-reported climacteric symptoms according to the age, number of children, educational background, occupation, family income, marital satisfaction, whether or not receiving hormon replacement therapy (HRT) or consultation by a professional, perceived health status and self evaluation of Sanhujori(t=-2.04~3.69, F=2.87~11.63, p<0.05). 3. women's degree of Sanhujori was a positive correlation with health promoting behaviors(r=0.34, p=0.00) and negative correlation with the degree of self-reported climacteric symptoms(r=-0.19,p=0.03). 4. The influencing factors to the climacteric symptoms were self actualization, interpersonal support, and perceived health status among the health promoting behaviors with 57% of variance($R^2$=0.57). 5. The middle-aged women's type of coping pattern for the climacteric symptoms was classified as active behavioral coping, spiritual & psychological coping, and negative coping. In conclusion, to intervene the middle aged women's climacteric symptoms and develop nursing strategies for their health, health promoting behavior, especially ; self actualization, interpersonal support, and perceived health status should be considered. And, as the primary prevention strategy for women's health during the period of childbearing and also middle age, especially for the climacteric symptoms, Sanhujori should be reconsidered.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.52 no.6
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• pp.416-426
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• 2019

Objectives: In recent years, transboundary air pollution from mainland East Asia has led to growing concerns about air pollution in Japan. Air pollution is reportedly associated with the exacerbation of respiratory diseases. In this study, we assessed the effects of air pollution on respiratory symptoms and the health status of participants with and without chronic respiratory diseases. Methods: Participants (n=2753) with and without chronic respiratory diseases who visited healthcare facilities in Japan during February from 2010 to 2015 filled out a self-report questionnaire regarding their symptoms and perceived health status. Participants were followed up during April-May and June-July. Results: Oxidant concentrations were associated with respiratory symptoms, overall health, and quality of life (QoL). Suspended particulate matter (SPM) and particulate matter <$2.5{\mu}m$ levels were associated with physical fitness; SPM was also associated with QoL. Recent experience of an Asian sand dust event had a significant effect on allergic symptoms, change in health, and QoL. Conclusions: Respiratory symptoms were more strongly affected by oxidants than by other pollutants. Significant associations of air pollutants were found with a comprehensive range of items related to perceived health status, including overall health and QoL. Although the effects of air pollutants on respiratory symptoms and health status were more apparent among patients with respiratory diseases, the adverse effects of air pollutants were significant even among participants without such conditions.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.56-61
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• 2015

Frozen food processing workers work under a cold environment which can cause several adverse health effects.This study explored factors affecting workers' health in the frozen food industry in Thailand. Participants comprised 497 workers exposed to a cold working environment and 255 office workers who served as the controls. Data were collected by a survey on the work environment, and the interview of workers for abnormal symptoms. The exposed group had the following characteristics: 52.7% male, overall average age of 27 (SD 6.6) years old, attained elementary education (Grade 4 and Grade 6) (54.1%), married (48.9%), smokers (21.3%), alcohol consumption (31.0%), duration of work was between 1 and 5 years (65.2%), working 6 days a week (82.7%), 1-5 hours of overtime per week (33.8%), office workers (33.9%); work category: sizing (6.9%), peeling (28.3%) dissecting (22.2%), and in the warehouse (8.6%). The temperature in the work environment ranged from $17.2^{\circ}C$ to $19.2^{\circ}C$ in most sections, $-18.0^{\circ}C$ in the warehouse, and $25^{\circ}C$ in the office areas. Warehouse workers had more abnormal symptoms than controls including repeated pain in the musculoskeletal system (OR 11.9; 95% CI 6.12-23.45), disturbance throughout the body (OR 4.60; 95% CI 2.00-10.56), respiratory symptoms (OR 9.73; 95% CI 3.53-26.80), episodic finger symptoms (OR 13.51; 95% CI 5.17-35.33). The study results suggest that workers' health should be monitored especially with regard to back and muscle pain, respiratory symptoms, episodic finger symptoms, and cardiovascular symptoms. Health promotion campaigns such as antismoking and reduction of alcohol consumption should be established because smoking and alcohol consumption are contributing factors to the pathogenesis of Raynaud's phenomenon and peripheral vascular disorders such as hypertension and heart disease.

• International Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.61-74
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• 2009

This study identified the health, academic attainment, violence and abuse factors on predicting the conduct development and emotional symptoms in 'looked after children' placement. A sample of 1,543 children was interviewed regarding emotional and behavioral symptoms and risk factors. Logistic regression was used to assess whether selected variables predicted emotional and behavioral symptoms in 'looked after children'. All placement, health, academic, violence, and abuse factors differentiated behavioral and emotional symptom differences according to selected variables. Binary logistic regression indictors of conduct behavior symptom among 'looked after children', included gender, age, placement, health, violence, and abuse. Placement, health, reading ability, violence, and witnessing domestic violence further predicted emotional and behavioral symptoms. These findings highlight multidimensional approaches to address various vulnerability indicators that have a direct application to prevention and intervention efforts to designed for emotional and behavioral problems among children in public care.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.539-546
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• 2015

Objectives: The purpose of the study is to investigate the impact of working environment on the subjective health symptoms in the dental hygienists. Methods: The subjects were 220 dental hygienists in Gwangju and Jeonnam. A self-reported questionnaire was completed from September 9 to 22, 2012. The questionnaire was adapted and modified from building symptom index of workers in large buildings by O. The questionnaire consisted of eight questions of the general characteristics of the subjects, 19 questions of working environment and job satisfaction, nine questions of working environment characteristics, and six questions of subjective health symptoms. The questionnaire was measured by Likert 4 scale. Cronbach's alpha in this study was 0.826. Except incomplete answers, 192 data were analyzed using SPSS 19.0 program including t-test, ANOVA, and multiple regression. Results: The health symptoms were statistically and significantly different in glasses wearer and contact lens wearer, working hour satisfaction, and indoor environment(p<0.05). The subjective health symptoms were statistically different from the salary satisfaction, human relations satisfaction, office air environment, indoor environmental awareness score(p<0.05). Conclusions: It is necessary to improve the pleasant indoor working environment by providing the efficient working environment for the health care providers.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.10-18
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• 2017

Purpose: This study identified the prevalence of depressive symptoms and explored correlates of depressive symptoms among Korean women care-workers caring older adults living in community. Methods: A total of 465 participants were recruited for the study. Depressive symptoms was measured by the CES-D10 and distress was assessed using a single question given 5 Likert scale. Results: The prevalence of depressive symptoms and distress among care-workers were 32.5% and 32.0% respectively. Work environment safety, violence exposure experience, work-family conflict, weekly care work time, and poor health status were significantly associated with depressive symptoms. Only violence exposure experience and poor health status were associated with distress. Conclusion: Our findings suggest more attention on mental health of care-workers and their risky work condition such as violence.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.351-358
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• 2021

Backgrounds: Irregular and unpredictable work schedules have become more common in most societies. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between unpredictable work schedules and depressive symptoms in Korea. Methods: Data from 34,486 workers who participated in the Korean Working Condition Survey in 2017 were used. Unpredictable work schedules were measured by questions about the frequency of changes in work schedule and limited advanced notice. Depressive symptoms were assessed by a single item asking if the participants had depressive symptoms over the last 12 months. Multivariable-adjusted logistic regression analysis was used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) for high depressive symptoms. Results: The OR for depressive symptoms was significantly higher in the workers with unpredictable work schedules compared to those with predictable work schedules after controlling for age, sex, education, salary, marital status, occupation, contract period, full-time versus part-time, shift work, weekly working hours, and having a child under the age of 18 years (OR = 2.43, 95% confidence interval 1.93-3.07). Conclusion: Unpredictable work schedules were associated with depressive symptoms controlling for the other dimensions of precarious employment in a representative working population in Korea.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.56 no.3
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• pp.255-263
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• 2023

Objectives: The study investigated the association between indoor air pollution (IAP) and risk factors for acute respiratory infection (ARI) symptoms in children under 5 years of age. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using data derived from Indonesia Demographic and Health Survey in 2017. Binary logistic regression modeling was employed to examine each predictor variable associated with ARI among children under 5 years of age in Indonesia. Results: The study included a total of 4936 households with children. Among children under 5 years old, 7.2% reported ARI symptoms. The presence of ARI symptoms was significantly associated with the type of residence, wealth index, and father's smoking frequency, which were considered the sample's socio-demographic characteristics. In the final model, living in rural areas, having a high wealth index, the father's smoking frequency, and a low education level were all linked to ARI symptoms. Conclusions: The results revealed that households in rural areas had a substantially higher level of reported ARI symptoms among children under 5 years old. Furthermore, the father's smoking frequency and low education level were associated with ARI symptoms.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.287-294
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• 2023

Background: Fruit and vegetable market is an abundant source of bioaerosols. Exposure to organic and inorganic waste and long-term inhalation of bioaerosols during working hours leads to chronic respiratory symptoms. Hence, this study aimed to determine the prevalence of chronic respiratory symptoms and related factors among fruit and vegetable workers compared with the control group in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Methods and materials: A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted from 2020 to 2021. Data were entered in EpiData 3.1 and exported to Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25. Logistic regressions were computed to depict the data and related factors. The culture method was done to count and compare bacterial and fungal concentrations between fruit and vegetable workers and office workers. Results: In this study, the prevalence of chronic respiratory symptoms (PR = 2.87, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.772-4.66) was significantly higher among fruit and vegetable workers (46.7%) than controls (23.4%). Sex (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.11, 95% CI = 1.12-3.98), educational status (AOR = 1.34, 95% CI = 0.78-2.32), working hours per day (AOR = 3.91, 95% CI = 1.586-9.65), and working department (AOR = 3.20, 95% CI = 0.90-11.40) were associated with chronic respiratory symptoms. Bacterial and fungal concentrations were significantly higher in the air of the vegetable market (276 colony-forming unit) than the air in the workplace of controls (7 colony-forming unit). Conclusion: The fruit and vegetable market workers (greengrocers) had a higher prevalence of chronic respiratory symptoms relative to office workers. Respiratory protective devices should be given to deliver preventive measures.

• Journal of muscle and joint health
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.199-209
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• 2020

Purpose: This study examined the prevalence of depressive symptoms and psycho-behavioral factors affecting depressive symptoms in patients with osteoarthritis. Methods: This cross-sectional study enrolled a convenience sample of 157 patients with osteoarthritis in a university hospital between March and December 2018. Depressive symptoms, osteoarthritis function, therapeutic self-efficacy, and health-related quality of life (QoL) were measured using structured questionnaires. Logistic regression analysis was used to investigate factors affecting depressive symptoms. Results: The mean age of participants was 73.3 years with 76.4% of them being women. The prevalence of depressive symptoms was 38.5%. Patients with depressive symptoms were more likely to be currently smoking and had an occupation and worse flexibility function associated with osteoarthritis. Whereas they were less likely to engage in regular physical activity and had a low level of therapeutic self-efficacy and perceived health-related QoL. Conclusion: Therapeutic self-efficacy to regular physical activity, including flexibility function may be primary factors influencing depressive symptoms in patients with osteoarthritis. With the management of osteoarthritis, psycho-behavioral factors should be considered in developing interventions to prevent depressive symptoms in patients with osteoarthritis.