• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.150-159
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• 2015

Purpose: This study was performed in order to identify the relationships among self-care behavior, health conservation, and cardiovascular risk factors and to examine the influence of self-care behavior and health conservation on cardiovascular risk factors among Korean elders with diabetes mellitus. Methods: The participants were 105 elders with diabetes mellitus using senior welfare centers and elderly leisure houses in Daegu. Data were collected through interviews during the period from April to May in 2014. Self-care behavior was measured with Kim's (1997) Self-care Behavior Scale, health conservation with Sung's (2005) Health Conservation Scale, and cardiovascular risk factors with the Arizona Heart Institute Cardiovascular Risk Factor Questionnaire. Collected data were analyzed through one-way ANOVA, independent t-test, Pearson's correlation, and stepwise multiple regression using the SPSS/WIN 19.0 program. Results: A negative correlation was found between self-care behavior and cardiovascular risk factors, and between health conservation and cardiovascular risk factors. Self-care behavior explained 6% and health conservation did 49% of variance in elderly diabetes mellitus patients' cardiovascular risk. Conclusion: The results indicate that, in order to reduce cardiovascular risk factors among Korean elders with diabetes mellitus, we need nursing interventions for increasing health conservation and self-care behavior.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.257-271
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• 2015

Purpose: This research examined the trend of school health education, using online research data on health behaviors of adolescents. Then it compared the health perceptions, healthy life practice, and health risk behaviors between students who received health education and students who did not. In addition, it predicted the impact of health education on health risk behaviors of students. Methods: Data from 72,435 participants of this survey were analyzed. Statistical analyses were performed on weighted data using the complex sampling design. Results: In the results of the research, general high schools students had the lowest rate of receiving health education, while sex education was the most actively held throughout the all locations. Next, medium-small cities had the lowest rate of receiving health education. Regarding health risk behaviors, students receiving health education had significantly lower rates of smoking, drinking, and sexual intercourse. Conclusion: This study shows that healthy life practices by students improves with the inclusion of health education, thus indicating that schools should invest in health education. This research generated evidence for the first time in Korea that school health education has a positive impact on health risk behaviors and provides basic data for policy development of school health education.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.387-396
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• 2006

Purpose: This cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of health risk behaviors by gender and grade and to examine the correlation between health risk behaviors and self-efficacy in early adolescents. Method: The sample of this study consisted of 1.693 early adolescents recruited from 7 middle schools in S-Gu, Seoul, Korea. Health risk behaviors were measured by the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey (YRBS). Self-Efficacy was assessed by General Self-Efficacy (GSE). Results: About a third of the subjects had experience in drinking behavior about 19.4% in cigarette smoking (including cases of just one or two puffs), 25.9% in physical fight, 29.1% in thought about killing themselves (suicide-related behavior), 1.5% in drug. More than a half (60.5%) experienced at least one health risk behavior. Female students were more likely to report drinking experience and suicide-related experience. Health risk behaviors were not significantly correlated with self-efficacy in early adolescents. Conclusions: Many early adolescents had experience in health risk behaviors in the past. The findings of this research suggest the necessity of intensive prevention programs in middle school to motivate and prepare students to avoid these behaviors. In addition, these results may help health professionals plan appropriate screening and counselling for health problems in early adolescents.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.79-86
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• 2024

Scientific exploration of how occupational health risks relate with occupational illnesses are essential for mitigating health-related issues in industries. This study analyzed the risk scores obtained by occupational health risk assessments at 3,172 manufacturing companies and examined their effects on occupational illness. Statistical analyses revealed that companies with an occupational health manager (scored 89.1 out of 100) had significantly higher activity scores of health management compared to those without (78.2). However, companies with a history of occupational illness (79.1) or those classified as high-risk industries (85.2) had significantly lower activity scores than their counterparts (81.7, 87.3). In addition, regression analyses using factor analysis showed that latent risk factors such as cardiovascular disease/job stress, health management, and musculoskeletal problem significantly influenced the risk of occupational illness. The activity factors such as health management, work environment management, and regulatory complaisance significant impacted the reduction of occupational illness. The findings of this study can be used to improve the occupational health risk assessment method and utilized in effectively managing occupational risks in industries.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.185-202
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• 2000

Uncertainty and variability in Life Cycle Assessment(LCA) have been significant key issues in LCA methodology with techniques in other research area such as social and political science. Variability is understood as stemming from inherent variations in the real world, while uncertainty comes from inaccurate measurements, lack of data, model assumptions, etc. Related articles in this issues were reviewed for classification, distinguish and elaboration of probabilistic/stochastic health risk analysis application in LCA. Concept of focal zone, streamlining technique, scenario modelling and Monte Carlo/Latin Hypercube risk analysis were applied to the uncertainty/variability analysis of health risk in LCA. These results show that this general framework of multi-disciplinary methodology between probabilistic health risk assessment and LCA was of benefit to decision making process by suppling information about input/output data sensitivity, health effect priority and health risk distribution. There should be further research needs for case study using this methodology.

• The Korean Journal of Food & Health Convergence
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2022

This study classified subjects aged 30 to 64 into normal group, impaired fasting glucose group, and diabetes mellitus patient group based on data from the 6th period of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2013-2015). Skipping breakfast, lack of physical activity, inadequate sleep time, inadequate weight, excessive drinking, and current smoking are classified as a low health risk group when three or less items are present, and a high health risk group when three or more items are included. By classification, each item included in the physical measurement and biochemical analysis factors and health risk behavior factors was comparatively analyzed. As a result, in the normal group, impaired fasting glucose group, and diabetes group, the average age was higher in the group with high health risk factors than the group with low risk factors, and the male ratio was higher. Body mass index, waist circumference, blood pressure, triglyceride showed a significantly higher result. In the normal group, the fasting blood glucose level and total cholesterol level were also higher in group 2. Therefore, it is thought that it is necessary to control health risk behaviors through lifestyle changes in the normal group, fasting glucose disorder group, and diabetes group.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.380-388
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• 2022

Background: Emerging infectious diseases, such as Middle East respiratory syndrome or coronavirus disease 2019, pose a continuous threat to public health, making a risk assessment necessary for infectious disease control and prevention. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the risk assessment methods for infectious diseases used by major foreign countries and organizations. Methods: We conducted an investigation and comparative analysis of risk assessment and risk determination methods for infectious diseases. The risk assessment tools included the strategic toolkit for assessing risks, influenza risk assessment tool, pandemic severity assessment framework, and rapid risk assessment methodology. Results: The most frequently reported risk elements were disease severity, antiviral treatment, attack rate, population immunity, and basic productive ratio. The risk evaluation method was evaluated quantitatively and qualitatively by the stakeholders at each institution. Additionally, the final risk level was visualized in a matrix, framework, and x and y-axis. Conclusion: Considering the risk assessment tools, the risk element was classified based on the duplicate of each indicator, and risk evaluation and level of risk assessment were analyzed.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.105-121
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• 2011

Objectives: This paper presents the framework and protocol design for a construction industry risk management toolbox. The construction industry needs a comprehensive, systematic approach to assess and control occupational risks. These risks span several professional health and safety disciplines, emphasized by multiple international occupational research agenda projects including: falls, electrocution, noise, silica, welding fumes, and musculoskeletal disorders. Yet, the International Social Security Association says, "whereas progress has been made in safety and health, the construction industry is still a high risk sector." Methods: Small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) employ about 80% of the world's construction workers. In recent years a strategy for qualitative occupational risk management, known as Control Banding (CB) has gained international attention as a simplified approach for reducing work-related risks. CB groups hazards into stratified risk 'bands', identifying commensurate controls to reduce the level of risk and promote worker health and safety. We review these qualitative solutions-based approaches and identify strengths and weaknesses toward designing a simplified CB 'toolbox' approach for use by SMEs in construction trades. Results: This toolbox design proposal includes international input on multidisciplinary approaches for performing a qualitative risk assessment determining a risk 'band' for a given project. Risk bands are used to identify the appropriate level of training to oversee construction work, leading to commensurate and appropriate control methods to perform the work safely. Conclusion: The Construction Toolbox presents a review-generated format to harness multiple solutions-based national programs and publications for controlling construction-related risks with simplified approaches across the occupational safety, health and hygiene professions.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.296-306
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• 2009

Purpose: This study was to identify variables influencing health risk behaviors in adolescents on the basis of the PRECEDE model. Methods: Data were collected from 434 middle school students in Chungbuk Province for two weeks in July 2008. The instrument for this study was a self-reported questionnaire. The SPSS/WIN 12.0 program was used for data analysis, which included t-test, one way ANOVA, Scheffe's test, Pearson's correlation coefficients, and stepwise multiple regression analysis. Results: Adolescents' level of health risk behaviors ($47.32{\pm}7.98$) was below medium. Physical inactivity ($6.73{\pm}2.23$) and Internet addictive behavior ($6.36{\pm}2.11$) were major health risk behaviors. The perceived level of school health education ($30.74{\pm}9.84$) was low. Family function and general self efficacy explained 14.3% of variance in health risk behaviors. Family function was a major predictor of health risk behaviors ($R^2$=.108, p=.000). However, the perceived level of school health education was not a significant predictor of health risk behaviors. Conclusion: For the prevention of health risk behaviors in adolescents, it is necessary that the family and the school collaborate with each other in educational strategies in order to strengthen influential factors such as family function and general self-efficacy.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.246-249
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• 2017

Health-care workers are at risk of exposure to occupational infections with subsequent risk of contracting diseases, disability, and even death. A systematic collection of occupational disease data is useful for monitoring current trends in work situations and disease exposures; however, these data are usually limited due to under-reporting. The objective of this study was to review literature related to knowledge, risk perceptions, and practices regarding occupational exposures to infectious diseases in Malaysian health-care settings, in particular regarding blood-borne infections, universal precautions, use of personal protective equipment, and clinical waste management. The data are useful for determining improvements in knowledge and risk perceptions among health-care workers with developments of health policies and essential interventions for prevention and control of occupational diseases.