• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.269-274
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• 1998

The purpose of this study is to establish the basic consultation data for diabetes in adults and to demonstate the necessity of preventive regular medical examinations. The study was carried out at Chungyang County, Chungchungnam-Do from the first of January, 1996 to the end of December. Below is the statistical data of this study which concerns the distinction of sex, ages, and occupations from the 600 examinees. 1. According to the distinction of sex, there are 12 males and 11 females among the 300 examinees in each group. That means, the diabetic percentage is 4.0% versus 3.6% and male/female diabetic ratio is 1.1:1 2. According to the distinction of ages, there is one people 0.25% aged 20years old and 5 peoples 1.3% aged 30 years old among the 400 examinees. There are 6 peoples 1.0% aged 40 years old and 6 peoples 1.0% aged 50 years old among the 600 examinees. There are 4 peoples 2.0% aged 60 years old among the 200 examinees. 3. According to the distinction of occupations, there are 13 white collar workers 6.5% among the 200 examinees, and there are 8 blue collar workers(4%) among the 200 examinees. There are 2 government employees 1% among the 200 examinees. This show that there is less diabets in government employees than other occupational groups of the same number. 4. Among the white and blue collar workers, 7 diabetis's blood glucose levels are 140mg%--200 mg% and 6 are 200mg%. 5. Among the community medical insurance holders, 7 diabetic's blood glucose levels are 140 mg%--200mg% and 1 is 200mg%. 6. Among the government employees, 2 diabetic's bleed glucose levels are 140mg--200mg% and there is no 200mg%.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.465-473
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• 2009

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationships between worker's health belief in health promotion programs and their demographic, health, and health behavior characteristics. Methods: This study used survey data from 262 small- and large-scale workplaces. The study included 1149 male and female workers who completed the questionnaires. Results: The health belief score increased significantly with age and length of service. Male, married, shift-work, and white-collar workers showed a significantly higher health belief score than female, single, non-shift-work, and blue-collar ones. Workers with disease history, hypertension, or obesity had a significantly higher health belief score. Regular exercise was significantly correlated with the health belief score. When all the variables were included in the model, the health belief score was significantly higher in workers who were married, had a longer length of service, worked in the sales department, were diagnosed with hypertension, exercised regularly, and felt fatigue. Conclusion: The results showed that workplace intervention programs meet more the needs of workers who have a higher health belief score. In addition, given that healthier life style was related to a higher health belief score, further research is required to find how to change health behavior in workers.

• The Research Journal of the Costume Culture
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• v.7 no.5
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• pp.80-92
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• 1999

The objectives of this study were to investigate the relation between personality(activity, emotional stability, and dominance) and clothing design preferences, and to examine the differences of clothing design preferences according to demographic variables of men. Subjects for the study were 255 male white-collar workers ranging in ages from twenties to fifties, in Seoul and Kwangju City, Korea. The men with higher activity of personality preferred the double jacket with 4 buttons, the combination of light color jacket and dark trousers, glen check pattern jacket, herringbone pattern jacket, light beige color dress shirts. The higher the emotional stability, the higher the preferences on diverse patterns such as fine stripe, plaid, hound\`s-tooth check, and small check pattern. The men with higher dominance preferred dark blue color suit, glen check pattern suit, and necktie of red circle, and disliked the necktie of gray circle. The men in their 20\`s and 30\`s liked the single jacket with 3 buttons, the suit of fine stripe and the necktie of gray circle more among three income groups. The higher the men\`s age and income were, the more they liked the conservative style such as a single jacket with 2 buttons. The men who reside in Seoul liked the suit of gray circle, the jacket and trousers of same color, the patternless jacket, and the patternless suit more than the men in Kwangju. Therefore, the men in methropolitan area preferred conservative clothing image. Fine stripe pattern and patternless materials were preferred when men wore jacket and trousers of same color, while glen check pattern was preferred as the pattern of jacket when jacket and trousers of different color. Male white-collar worker liked single jacket more than double jacket, and preferred the dark blue color suit and necktie, patternless suit, fine stripe suit, and the pale blue dress shirts generally. The present findings provide that the personality of male has influence on the clothing design preferences, and it is possible to infer men\`s personality by their attire.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.41-49
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• 2020

Background: We performed this study to investigate the inequalities in site-specific cancer incidences among workers across different occupations in Korea. Methods: Subjects included members of the national employment insurance. Incident cancers among 8,744,603 workers were followed from 1995 to 2007. Occupational groups were classified according to the Korean Standard Occupational Classification. Age-standardized incidence rate ratios were calculated. Results: We found that men in service/sales and blue-collar occupations had elevated rates of esophageal, liver, laryngeal, and lung cancer. Among women, service/sales workers had elevated incidences of cervical cancer. Male prostate cancer, female breast, corpus uteri, and ovarian cancers, as well as male and female colorectal, kidney, and thyroid cancer showed lower incidences among workers in lower socioeconomic occupations. Conclusions: Substantial differences in cancer incidences were found depending on occupation reflecting socioeconomic position, in the Korean working population. Cancer prevention policy should focus on addressing these socioeconomic inequalities.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.258-266
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• 2017

Background: Welders are exposed to many known and suspected carcinogens. An excess lung cancer risk among welders is well established, but whether this is attributable to welding fumes is unclear. Excess risks of other cancers have been suggested, but not established. We investigated welding cancer risks in the population-based Canadian Census Health and Environmental Cohort. Methods: Among 1.1 million male workers, 12,845 welders were identified using Standard Occupational Classification codes and followed through retrospective linkage of 1991 Canadian Long Form Census and Canadian Cancer Registry (1992-2010) records. Hazard ratios (HRs) were calculated using Cox proportional hazards models based on estimated risks of lung cancer, mesothelioma, and nasal, brain, stomach, kidney, and bladder cancers, and ocular melanoma. Lung cancer histological subtypes and risks by industry group and for occasional welders were examined. Some analyses restricted comparisons to blue-collar workers to minimize effects of potential confounders. Results: Among welders, elevated risks were observed for lung cancer [HR: 1.16, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.03-1.31], mesothelioma (HR: 1.78, 95% CI: 1.01-3.18), bladder cancer (HR: 1.40, 95% CI: 1.15-1.70), and kidney cancer (HR: 1.30, 95% CI: 1.01-1.67). When restricted to blue-collar workers, lung cancer and mesothelioma risks were attenuated, while bladder and kidney cancer risks increased. Conclusion: Excess risks of lung cancer and mesothelioma may be partly attributable to factors including smoking and asbestos. Welding-specific exposures may increase bladder and kidney cancer risks, and particular sources of exposure should be investigated. Studies that are able to disentangle welding effects from smoking and asbestos exposure are needed.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.200-207
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• 2008

Objectives : This study examined whether serious psychological distress (SPD) is associated with occupational injury among US employees. Methods : The employed population aged 18-64 years was examined (n=101,855) using data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) 2000-2003. SPD was measured using the Kessler 6-item Psychological Distress Scale (K-6), a screening scale designed to identify persons with serious mental illness. The predicted marginal prevalence of psychological distress and occupational injury with the adjusted odds ratio were estimated using multiple logistic regression analyses. Results : The age-adjusted 3-month prevalence of occupational injury was $0.80{\pm}0.12%$ in workers with SPD, which was 37% greater than in workers without SPD ($0.58{\pm}0.03%$). The odds of occupational injury in workers with SPD were higher compared to workers without SPD (OR=1.34, 95% CI=0.93-1.92), after controlling for sex, age, race, education, occupation, and activity limitation by at least one medical condition. Male, service and blue collar occupation, and activity limiation by co-morbidity showed significantly higher odds of occupational injury for workers with SPD. Conclusions : The findings suggest that SPD accounts for an increased likelihood of occupational injury among US employees. A further longitudinal study is needed to differentiate the mechanism or causal pathways linking individual injury risk at the workplace, SPD, and socioeconomic factors.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.183-192
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• 2006

Predicting energy expenditure (EE) is important to prevent work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs). The problem to predict EE is that the standard of EE is based on western data. The authors checked average EE by job categories to provide basic data for suggesting proper work intensity for Korean workers. This study was conducted from 2003 to 2005. Study subjects were recruited from 4 car parts assembly plant, 2 car assembly plant, 2 Heavy machine manufacturing plant and 2 shipyards. Total study subjects were 515 male workers. To estimate VO2max, sub-maximal test was conducted to measure VO275%max by bicycle ergometer (Combi Co, Aerobike 75XL II). Heartbeats were recorded with heartbeat recorder (Polar Electro Co, Finland, S810) during work. EE of work was calculated by recorded heartbeat and individual regression equation which was derived from sub-maximal test. Subjects were classified into 4 industry and 8 work posture, 23 job task categories. Mean EEs (S.D.) according to industry classification (kcal/min) were 4.9 (0.7), 4.8 (0.7), 4.9 (0.7), 5.0 (0.9), and 4.0 (0.5) for Car Part manufacture, Car Assembly, Ship Building, Heavy Machinery Manufacture, and Hospital Office, respectively. The results suggest that Korean male workers of exceeding to the NIOSH criteria will be needed to plan for job rescheduling to maintain $worker^{\circ}$Øs health. Further study to establish Korean work intensity standard would be needed.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.100-109
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• 2011

Purpose: This study was conducted to identify the factors that predict a current smoking behavior and higher emotional stress among male patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Methods: The study was approved by an institutional review board from a university hospital, 2010. A face to face interview using questionnaires was performed with 185 first-time ACS male patients who were undertaken a percutaneous coronary intervention at a cardiovascular care unit. Data were analyzed using SPSS/WIN 15.0. Results: About 54% of the study subjects were currently smoking. The current smokers had dyslipidemia and reported bad eating habits compared to the non-smokers. The current smokers were younger, living alone, and reported lower perceived benefit on smoking cessation than the non-smokers, and 15% of them did not consider quitting (precontemplation stage). Smoking status was not significantly related to emotional stress. Logistic regression analysis revealed that being employed including professional or labor increased the odds of current smoking four or three times compared to the non-employed or retired. Low income or dyslipidemia also increased the likelihood of current smoking 2.8 and 2.1 times, respectively. Blue collar workers or heavy drinkers had 2.9 and 2.8 times more risks of having higher level of stress. Conclusion: An occupational background and health habits should be considered to develop an effective educational strategy for smoking cessation and stress reduction among male patients with ACS.

• Journal of Family Resource Management and Policy Review
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.95-114
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• 2009

This study compared demographic, economic and career characteristics between a traditional retirement group and a gradual retirement group. From the 2005 Korean Retirement and Income Study (KReIS), 780 traditional retirees and 265 gradual retirees were selected. A t-test, chi-square test and logistic regression analyses were completed. The findings of this study were as follows: First, there are gender and age differences between the traditional retirement group and the gradual retirement group. The gradual retirement group has a high proportion of male workers and older workers compared to the traditional retirement group. Second, members of the traditional retirement group have more income, more assets and less debt than members of the gradual retirement group; therefore, their financial structure is comparatively stable. Third, there is a large percentage of blue-collar workers (e.g., technical service, repair, operatives) in the gradual retirement group. Members of the gradual retirement group had worked for a shorter period during their career and had a lower wage rate than members of the traditional retirement group. Finally, male workers who are in their 60s and 70s, who do not have a public transfer income but have a higher level of career income, and are older when they end their career, are less likely to retire gradually. As they also have a higher level of debt, the probability of these workers selecting a gradual retirement route is high.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.49 no.5
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• pp.367-377
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• 2016

Purpose: This study analyzed the degree of job stress and caffeine intake in workers in industrial positions in order to determine the relationships between job stress and caffeine intake. Methods: For this purpose, this study conducted a survey targeting 361 blue collar workers working for K manufacturing company, Gwangju. Results: The total score for job stress in subjects was $72.7{\pm}6.8points$/100points. According to job stress, subjects were categorized as follows: Q1 for the group who had the least stress; Q2 for the group who had little stress; Q3 for the group who had a lot of stress, and Q4 for the group who had the most stress. As for the effects of caffeine on health, 57.1% thought that caffeine is helpful and not harmful if taken properly while 17.3% responded that less caffeine consumption is better. Daily intake of caffeine according to stress was presented as: $172.0{\pm}85.3mg$ in Q1, $179.0{\pm}83.7mg$ in Q2, $187.9{\pm}81.4mg$ in Q3, and $214.2{\pm}147.3mg$ in Q4 (p < 0.05). The percentages of caffeine consumption compared to the daily safe limit in subjects were: $43.0{\pm}21.3$, $44.8{\pm}20.9$, $47.1{\pm}20.4$, and $53.6{\pm}36.8%$ in Q1, Q2, Q3, and Q4, respectively (p < 0.05). Adverse effects such as nausea or vomiting from caffeine were most common in Q4 (p < 0.05). Conclusion: As a result, higher stress in blue collar workers working for K manufacturing company was associated with more caffeine consumption. Groups with a lot of stress (Q4) consumed approximately 50% of daily safe limit of caffeine. Considering the results above, this study suggests that further research on more precise caffeine intake and its effects is needed.