• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.215-227
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• 2023

Purpose: The aim of this study was to develop a mobile app-based musculoskeletal exercise program (AMSEP) for operating room (OR) nurses and evaluate its effects on self-efficacy, the flexibility of the shoulders, lower back, and legs, and musculoskeletal symptoms and fatigue. Methods: The AMSEP was developed based on the information-motivation-behavioral skill model. In total, 48 OR nurses were recruited at a university hospital in Korea and divided into an experimental group (n=24) and a control group (n=24), matched for career experience in the OR. The experimental group participated in the AMSEP, while the control group received a booklet regarding musculoskeletal exercise. Results: The experimental group showed significant increases in self-efficacy (t = -2.77, p = .008) and flexibility of the right shoulder (t = -4.08, p < .001), left shoulder (t = -3.28, p = .002), lower back (t = -3.75, p < .001), and legs (t = -3.96, p < .001) compared to the control group. Musculoskeletal symptoms (t = 2.75, p = .008), and fatigue (Z = -1.98, p = .048) significantly decreased in the experimental group compared to the control group. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that the AMSEP for OR nurses provided information on the prevention of musculoskeletal disorders and methods of exercise, as well as an opportunity for continued exercise performance through self-management. The AMSEP was easily accessible and effective in increasing self-efficacy and flexibility and reducing musculoskeletal symptoms and fatigue.

• Journal of Korean Dental Hygiene Science
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.19-30
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• 2019

To prevent the musculoskeletal diseases from repeated dental treatment, the health status and subjective symptom according to the working environment of dental hygienists were examined in 185 Gyeongnam dental hygienists from October 01, 2017 to October 30. The health status of the study subjects (χ²=40.21, p<.001), the physical burden of work (χ²=47.68, p<.001) and the mental fatigue of work (χ²=66.98, p<.001) were significantly different according to working experience. The level of mental fatigue depended on the number of dental hygienists in the clinics (p=0.032). 94.1% of the subjects knew musculoskeletal diseases and there were significant differences according to working experience (χ²=77.85, p<.001), the numbers of patients in a day (χ²=41.08, p<.001) and daily standing time (χ²=6.96, p=.008). Currently, 73.0% of the dental hygienists have musculoskeletal diseases. There was a significant difference according to the number of patients (χ²=51.01, p<.001) and daily standing time (χ²=25.15, p<.001). The presence of injured parts due to musculoskeletal disorders showed a significant difference according to the numbers of patients (χ²=18.98, p<.001) and daily standing hours (χ²=33.20, p<.001). The musculoskeletal diseases examination of dental hygienists is needed based on subjective symptoms of musculoskeletal diseases and prevention and management of measures musculoskeletal diseases are required.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.57-67
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• 2009

The psychosocial stress and musculoskeletal disorders(MSDs) have been one of major health problems for hospital workers. This study tried to understand the relationship between symptoms associated with MSDs and risk factors such as working posture, job stress, psychosocial stress and fatigue. A total number of 655 hospital workers participated in this study. Specifically, REBA was applied for evaluating working posture and a checklist prepared by KOSHA(Korean Occupational Safety and Health Agency) was used for symptom survey. A questionnaire from KOSHA was also used for collecting data associated with job stress, psychosocial stress and fatigue. All these data were formulated and modeled by path analysis which was one of major statistical tools in this study. Specifically, path analysis for the data we collected came up with several major findings. As a result, as for body part(neck), (waist) and (arms) the degree of risk of work posture measured with the use of job stress(KOSS), psycho-social stress(PWI-SF) and REBA is significantly more affected by fatigue than muscular skeletal disease related consciousness symptom. However, regarding bod(wrist), the degree of risk of work posture measured with the use of job stress(KOSS) and REBA is directly affected by muscular skeletal disease related consciousness symptom. This study is meaningful in that the study clarified the causal relations of the degree of risk of work posture, degree of fatigue, and muscular skeletal disease related consciousness symptoms by each body part measured with the use of work stress(KOSS), psycho-social stress(PWI-SF) and REBA.

• International Journal of Quality Innovation
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.79-88
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• 2004

The purpose of this study was to analyze the prevalence of self-reported musculoskeletal symptoms among the three Taiwan's traditional industries as lathe, electronics and food by the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ). Moreover, the study was also to make a comparison among the aforesaid industries for revealing their differences. The result of the questionnaire indicated that the symptoms appeared on the three industries were all originated from four parts as neck, shoulders, elbows, and wrists/hands. More than 68% of the interviewers thought that their symptoms might be related to their work. However, the rate of harmful influence resulted from life or job was over 50%. As to the respect of the interviewers' attitude in treating their symptoms, more than 80% of them neglected or just treated the symptoms by massaging or cold/hot compressing and resting. From the questionnaire, the proportion of symptoms discussed in each item indicated that the distribution, in perceiving symptom, of interviewers were not quite identical; however the Chi-square test discovered majority did not reach 0.05 levels, hence the difference among industries were not significant.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.70-83
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• 2001

Objective : In order to investigate symptoms prevalence related to visual display terminal(VDT) syndrome, and to evaluate the variables affecting the development of the VDT syndrome. Methods : a questionnaire survey was conducted on 127(81 men and 46 women) VDT operators who had been studied in Soongsil University graduated school in Seoul. Result : As a result of analysis with data collected by questionnaire, l. Variables affecting the level of general symptoms were sex, the total time of VDT operation per day, type of typewriting, location of keyboard, illumination, VDT working duration, the time of VDT operation without rest. 2. Variables affecting the level of eye symptoms were sex, the total time of VDT operation per day, type of typewriting, VDT working duration, illumination, method of eye-resting. 3. Variables affecting the level of musculoskeletal symptoms were sex, the total time of VDT operation per day, the time of VDT operation without rest, illumination. Conculsions : In order to protect workers from VDT syndrome, it is urgently required to implement standard management recommendations including restriction of VDT working hours and allowance of more sufficient resting time for VDT workers.

• Journal of Korean Society of Industrial and Systems Engineering
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• v.24 no.67
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• pp.1-10
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• 2001

A series of studies with collaboration of university, research institute, and labor union were conducted to examine the situation and severity of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) at an automobile company which is one of the three major car companies in Korea. As the first part of the study, a questionnaire survey was conducted on 4,000 employees at 2 different assembly sites and A/S centers over the country. The questionnaire was consisted of three parts; symptom survey, work environment information, and labor intensity survey. Among 4,000 questionnaires, 2,643 responses were considered for analysis. The result showed that 68.5% of the respondents complained pains on at least one part of the body and 48.8% on at least two parts of the body. After cross-sectional analysis of various information and risk factors such as severity of symptom, duration and frequency of pain, 31.5% of respondents were considered as at high risk of having MSDs. This high-risk rate showed similar result when compared with previous studies conducted at various manufacturing industries in Korea. Also the analysis of the work environment and job intensity survey supported the high-risk rate of MSDs.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.255-267
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• 2022

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to analyze the factors affecting work-related musculoskeletal symptoms in farmers. Methods: In order to examine the factors affecting the musculoskeletal symptoms among farmers, data of 'Occupational Disease Survey for Farmers' was performed by the RDA(Rural Development Administration). Results: The odds ratio of work-related musculoskeletal symptoms among female farmers were 1.42(1.30-1.56) times higher than male farmers. The older aging and longer the agricultural work period, the higher odds ratio of musculoskeletal symptoms was shown. By major crops, all crop farmers showed higher odds ratio of musculoskeletal symptoms compared to rice crop farmers. As a result of examining the effective factors on the odds ratio of musculoskeletal symptoms by body parts, female farmers had higher odds ratio of musculoskeletal symptoms than male farmers by 1.38(1.26-1.51) times in waist, 1.58(1.44-1.74) times in knee, 1.32(1.05-0.67) times in hand/wrist, and 1.30(1.06-1.59) times in foot/ankle. By crops, animal husbandry farmers had higher odds ratio of musculoskeletal symptoms than rice crop farmers by 1.44(0.89-2.35) times in waist, and field crop farmers were 1.37(1.07-1.77) times higher in knee. Compared with rice crop farmers, odds ratio of the shoulder part the shoulder parts were 1.19(0.81-1.76) times higher in greenhouse crop farmers and 1.16(0.97-1.38) times higher in dry field crop farmers. Odds ratio of the hands/wrist parts were higher odds ratio of musculoskeletal symptoms than rice crop farmers by 1.69(1.00-2.87) times in greenhouse crop farmers. Conclusions: The results of this study would help to select the group that needs to be managed first, and could be used as basic data for the development of customized musculoskeletal disorders prevention programs.

• Journal of Technologic Dentistry
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.89-112
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• 2000

Although dental laboratory technicians are prone to be exposed to various work-related health hazardous materials such as dusts, chemicals, etc., the prevalence and nature of work-related health problems of them have not been a matter of great concern in the field of occupational health service in Korea. The purpose of the present investigation was to describe a collected profile of subjective health symptoms and their attributable factors in Korean dental laboratory technicians. A questionnaire listing five groups of health symptoms and five health symptom-related factors was mailed to randomly selected 1,900 dental laboratory technicians. Among them, 1,344 dental laboratory technicians filled out the questionnaires and returnde them. Five groups of health symptoms included musculoskeletal symptom, dermal symptoms, respiratory symptoms, eys symptoms, and ear symptoms. Five health symptom-related factors were occupational environment-related health risk factors, work history, health related habits and status, use of personal protective equipment and general characteristics. Detailed parameters of health risk factors were work posture, vibration, and chemical or physical hazards such as dust, fume, vapor, solvent, light, and noise for occupational environment-related factors; work place, area, number of employees, work hours, career, work part, and work load for work history; Broca's index, hours of sleep, eating, smoking, alcohol, exercise, health examination, and self assessed health status for health habits and status; face masks, goggles, and so on for use of personal protective equipment, and; age, sex, marital status, and education for general characteristics. Before the start of main survey, a pilot survey was carried out for validity and reliability tests of the questionnaire. All the data obtained were coded and analyzed with PC/SAS 6.12 program. The prevalence of health symptoms was the highest in musculoskelton (87.3%), and followde by eyes (78.9%), respiratory organs (64.3%), ears (57.8%), and skin (52.2%) in descending order. Statistically significant risk factors by multiple logistic regression analyses were sex, health examination, self assessed health status, and hand/finger posture in musculoskeletal symptoms; sex, self assessed health status, career, acid gas, and hand contact with resin mixture in deraml symptoms; Broka's smoking, exercise, self assessed health status, and face mask in respiratory symptoms; sex, hours of sleep, self assessed health status, work hours, work load, plaster dust, inadequate lighting, and goggle in eys symptoms, and eating, smoking, self assessed health status, and work load in ear symptoms. With the above considerations in mind, prevalence of subjective symptoms among Korean dental laboratory technicians was relatively high, and they were attributable to most of the occupational environment-related factors, work history, use of personal protective equipment, health habits and status, and general characteristics. Particularly, it is suggested that health promotion programs for promoting self- assessed health status and smoking cessation, preventive measures for protection of the female technicians’health, and reducing work load be necessary, since those factors were associated with more than one subjective symptom.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.371-382
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• 2014

Objectives: This study was undertaken in order to examine how musculoskeletal disorder(MSD) symptoms were affected by particular factors and then to explore control strategies to prevent MSDs in general hospital nurses. Materials: This, as part of a large study, was conducted using a set of information on literature review, questionnaire survey and focus group interview. It obtained prevalence and factors of MSD symptoms and examined how MSD symptoms were distributed and affected by the factors in nurses working at 15 general hospitals across Korea. The factors were personal factors, work organization, nursing tasks, physical factors and psychosocial factors. Results: A total of 501 nurses were determined as subjects. The highest MSD symptom prevalence was 61% for the shoulder, among body parts, followed by leg/feet(55%), low back(51%), neck(42%), wrist(38%), and elbow(21%). Prevalence for the whole body was 80%. Odds ratios ranged from 0.4 to 22.4 in logistic regression analyses. The symptoms were significantly attributed to factor variables such as body mass index, current health status, daily work time, nursing task, pooled-physical factors, ergonomic factors, work load, interpersonal conflict, and job insecurity. Conclusions: Two or more factor variables were significant, depending on body part, for MSD systems in the general hospital nurses. It was noticeable that physical factors, such as pooled-physical factors, ergonomic factors or work load, were selectively significant for MSD symptoms in all body parts, indicating that such information should be used for prevention of MSDs in the hospital sector.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.21-30
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• 2008

The psychosocial stress and musculoskeletal disorders(MSDs) have been one of major health problems for hospital workers. This study tried to understand the relationship between symptoms associated with MSDs and risk factors such as working posture, job stress, psychosocial stress and fatigue. A total number of 655 hospital workers participated in this study. Specifically, REBA was applied for evaluating working posture and a checklist prepared by KOSHA(Korean Occupational Safety and Health Agency) was used for symptom survey. A questionnaire from KOSHA was also used for collecting data associated with job stress, psychosocial stress and fatigue. All these data were formulated and modeled by path analysis which was one of major statistical tools in this study. Specifically, path analysis for the data we collected came up with several major findings. The risk scores from working posture based on REBA had indirect effects via fatigue factor(MFS) as well as direct effects on symptoms. The factors associated with job stress (KOSS) and psychosocial stress(PWI-SF) had significant effects on symptoms. Specifically, indirect effect of job stress factors via fatigue factors(MFS) had bigger than that of direct effect of job stress on symptom.