• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.311-320
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• 2010

This study aimed to examine the development and characteristics of the workers with upper limb musculoskeletal symptoms and disorders and to analyze the upper limb musculoskeletal symptoms and disorders for its relationship with the individual socio-demographic characteristics. This study investigated the effect on the limitations of physical activities using standardized surveillance tool and clinical diagnosis. Musculoskeletal symptoms and the limitations of physical activities were examined. The clinical diagnosis of musculoskeletal disorders were carried out by physical examination, radiological examination and electromyography-electroneuronography for 22 workers in kitchen hood assembly process and 50 workers in toggle process of leather product manufacturing. The proportion of workers with musculoskeletal disorders was higher and the DASH score was also statistically higher in female and aged workers with longer working hours, longer household working hours, less leisure/hobby activity and higher physical load. Physical activities component score increased in the following order: workers in normal health, workers with musculoskeletal symptoms, and workers with musculoskeletal disorders as clinically diagnosed. Score for each DASH component increased in the following order: sports/performing arts ability, social activities, specific physical functional activities, work or other regular daily activities, work ability, psychological activities, insomnia and upper limb symptoms. The overall and each component DASH scores were higher in workers with symptoms of status praesens and of more severity, and receiving medical intervention. Musculoskeletal symptoms and disorders are associated with individual socio-demographic characteristics, and DASH score for physical activities of upper limb was higher in workers with musculoskeletal disorders. Musculoskeletal symptoms and disorders have a remarkable epidemiological significance for physical activities, social activities, work or other regular daily activities, upper limb symptoms and insomnia, where work ability, sports/performing arts ability and preventive measure is needed.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.344-355
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• 2021

Purpose: With low birth rates and aging population problems in Korea, the number of foreign workers grows rapidly. The purpose of this study was to identify factors influencing physical activity of foreign workers based on a Health Promotion Model by examining relationships between acculturation, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, exercise self-efficacy, activity-related affect, social support, and physical activity. Methods: The participants were foreign workers aged 18 to 60 who were employed at eight shipyards. A questionnaire was distributed to 216 participants. Results: As a result of the multivariate ordinal logistic regression analysis, factors affecting physical activity of foreign workers were perceived benefits (B=.65, 95% CI=0.08~1.22), exercise self-efficacy (B=.16, 95% CI=0.05~0.26), integration (B=.41 95% CI=0.14~0.69), and social support for physical activity (B=.48, 95% CI=0.12~0.83). The total explanatory power was 17.7% (x²=41.95, p<.001). Conclusion: Based on these results, there is a need to develop a customized program to increase physical activities of foreign workers by enhancing integration, perceived benefits, exercise self-efficacy and social support.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.53-58
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• 2024

Background: As social distancing persists and interest in work-life balance grows, more companies are adopting flexible work policies. While there have been studies on sleep disorders associated with different types of work, such as shift work, research exploring the relationship between flexible work schedules and sleep disorders is still limited, particularly among Korean workers. Methods: We performed a secondary analysis of the 6th Korean Working Conditions Survey, focusing on 31,243 paid workers out of a total of 50,538 participants. We defined flexible workers as those who set their own working hours. Sleep disorders were divided into three categories: 'difficulty falling asleep,' 'frequent waking during sleep,' and 'waking up feeling exhausted and fatigued.' Using scores derived from three specific symptoms, the Minimal Insomnia Symptoms Scale (MISS) was calculated to assess the prevalence of insomnia. We used chi-square tests to analyze demographic and job-related differences. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was employed to identify any relationship between flexible work schedules and sleep disorders. Results: Significant differences were found between flexible and non-flexible workers regarding age, income level, education level, and job type. Flexible workers reported sleep-related symptoms significantly more often. The odds ratio for insomnia was 1.40 (95% CI 1.21-1.61). For males, the odds ratio was 1.68 (1.36-2.08). Conclusion: This study establishes a correlation between flexible work schedules and sleep disorders among Korean salaried workers. Potential causes could include changes in circadian rhythm, increased work demands, and extended working hours. To precisely determine causality and associated diseases, further research is required.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.110-122
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• 2003

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to make a systemic assessment on the level of self-efficacy, social support, and accessibility to medical services, health status, health promoting behaviors, and the quality of life of workers in small scale enterprises. RECEDE model developed by Green and Kreuter for the purpose of a comprehensive assessment research was used. Method: The number of subjects was 199 workers in small scale enterprises at Youngdeungpo-gu and Sungdonggu, Seoul. Data were collected between October and December, 200 through a self-reported questionnaire. And data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, t-test, and F-test. Result: 1. The level of quality of life was 3.08, and general health status was 2.75. There was no significant difference by sex, age, marital status, job, and perceived health status. 2. The level of health promotion life style was 2.09. There was no significant difference by sex, age, marital status, and job. But there was significant difference by perceived health status. 3. The level of self-efficacy, social support and accessibility to medical services were 3.04, 2.85, and 1.45. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that it is necessary to develop the systematic health promotion programs that can strengthen self-efficacy and health status, and supplement social support and accessibility to medical services, and to encourage health promoting behavior in order to improve quality of life for workers in small scale enterprise.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.137-148
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• 1997

The Serial Securities and the Social Welfare, as the national policy aimed at securing generals' lives, are the policies or systems for the stabilization in lift; especially of law-incomers and workers, for which the povernment has to establish the Social Security System. No wonder the Social Insurance System is a part of the Social Security System and the most important. The Social Insurance System, along with Public Assistance, is underlying the Social Security System. Social Security System includes medical insurance, industrial accident Compensation insurance, national pention insurance and employment insurance. The study is on 'The Oriental Medical Insurance and the Industrial Accident Compensation in the Social Security System' . The rate of industrial accident in Korea marks the highest rank in the world. for laborer, industrial accident do not merely mean the loss of health but the question of the right to live in terms of their loss of opportunity of life. The industrial accident compensation system should be established as the es post facto remedy system to guarantee the injured worker and his/her family's life. The oriental medical insurance system which began to operate in 1987 in Korea is based on unionism and divided into 3 parts; one part for the worker, a second part for the community inhabitants, and a third part for the public service personnel and private school personnel. Today the medical problem must be the most important social assignment to be considered. The medical system of contemporary industrial society has began greatly stood out in relief as a part of social welfare not emphasized on gainings of physicians. Accordingly systematization of the oriental medical insurance was strongly Pursued and it was developed to to the extent of entire nation insurance. Though the history of it is very short, most of the people are getting benefit from the insurance system by the social security system method. This study develops the Oriental Medical Insurance, the Workmen's Accident Compensation Insurance, the Pension System in relation to the industrial accident compensation of Employees, along with the ideas and principles of social insurance.

• The Korean Journal of Health Service Management
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.31-42
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• 2019

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to analyze the relationship between the change gap in the perception of subjective hierarchy and medical expenditure and the factors influencing medical expenditure. Methods: An analysis based on the the data extracted from the Panel Study of Korea Health Panel for 2012-2013 (n=9,359) is conducted. Further in this study, data analysis included a chi-square test and logistic regression using SPSS version. 22.0 to analyze the factors influencing the turnover intention of industrial workers. Results: Model I showed decreases in medical expenditure by 1.247, 1.391, and 1.441 times in social classes one, two, and Model II showed an increase in medical expenditure by age, spouse, number of family members living together, insurance type, income class, economic activities, subjective health status, chronic illness and change on subjective recognition of social class. Conclusions: The study concludes that the state and community require psychological, social, and cultural support, in addition to individual efforts, to reduce medical expenditure.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.239-248
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• 2010

Objective: Despite the increasing number of female participation in employment, blue-collar women have been exposed to higher health risk. This study is to describe the prevalence of chronic diseases, health behaviors, and medical service utilization of female blue-collar workers. Methods: Data were derived from the 2001 Korea National Health and Nutrition Survey (KNHANES). The sample was made up of 37,108 male and female participants aged 20 or over selected nation-wide by probability sampling from Korea. This study applied the logistic regression for nominal variables such as disease prevalence and health behaviors and with the regression for continuos variables such as the length and costs of medical services. Results: In general, women's prevalence of chronic illness and uncured rate were significantly higher than male, and especially female blue-collar workers had the highest prevalence, uncured rate, unhealthy status, and perceived stress. However, the medical care cost was the lowest in female blue-collar workers. Conclusions: The findings suggest that female blue-collar workers were more likely to experience health problems, and that despite the highest health risk, health service is not effectively utilized, and health policy maker should take consider of special status of female blue collar workers who are in health inequality.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.259-269
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• 2014

Purpose: This preliminary study is aimed at developing standardized tools for psycho-social assessment of patients in needs for hospice/palliative care. To accomplish the purpose, investigators examined effects of perceptions of social workers on the importance of psycho-social domains of assessment in hospice/palliative care settings. Moreover, investigators paid attention to variances of perceptions of social workers' along with types of institution and credentials of those family settings. Methods: A form of questionnaire was first explored from an initial interview assessment of 10 government-certified hospice care providers and a literature review, second constructed with eight domains and 80 items, and sent by e-mail to 55 institutions and hospitals providing hospice/palliative cares in Korea. Lastly, a total of 31 agencies returned with a completed responses and consent form (56% response rate). SPSS program (version 18.0) was used for data analysis. Results: Study found that social workers perceived patients' family background (m=4.53, 5-point scale) as the most important assessment domain, whereas economic conditions (4.06 point) the least important. Social workers' perception varied by credentials (i.e., license types, training, full-time position, types of care facility). Conclusion: Based upon study findings, investigators can conclude strong needs for developing a assessment tool that measures multiple domains (i.e., psychological, social and ecological aspects) of patients. A standardized assessment tool should be structured with 2 axis (center/core and expanded/peripheral) and tailored for institution type. Second, professional trainings must be provided by strengthening legal institutionalization and fostering qualified social workers with full responsibilities of hospice and palliative care patients.

• 대한예방의학회:학술대회논문집
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• 1995.10a
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• pp.99-100
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• 1995

• Journal of Convergence for Information Technology
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.163-172
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• 2021

This study aims to establish a research model to analyze the structural relationship between the working environment of the elderly medical welfare facility workers, the trust of the manager, and the quality of service. As a result, first, it was found that there was a significant causal relationship among service quality in the working environment of the elderly medical welfare facility workers. Second, it was found that there was a significant causal relationship between the working environment and the trust of managers of the elderly medical welfare facility workers. Therefore, in order to achieve the goal of the elderly medical welfare facility and improve the quality of service, it is necessary to create a working environment and establish a trust relationship among members. In addition, in order to cultivate competency and provide high-quality services for the elderly medical welfare facility workers, managers need to understand the individual characteristics of members, and to assign duties according to roles, accurate division of duties and personnel management are required.