• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.29-40
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• 2016

Purpose: The purposes of this study were to examine the differences in need, necessity, performance, barriers, and effectiveness of workers' health promotion program and to determine the influencing factors in effectiveness of workers' health promotion program by business types. Methods: Subjects were participants of an education held by Korean association of occupational health nurses and a survey was self-reported. Survey items were developed by researchers through literature review. It included general characteristics of occupational health providers and worksites, need, necessity, performance, barriers and effectiveness of workers' health promotion (WHP) program. The total number of worksites was 168, manufacturing/construction was 76 (45.2%), other services were 52 (31.0%), and healthcare services were 40 (23.8%). We used ${\chi}^2test$, ANOVA test, correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis. Results: There were differences in need, necessity and performance of WHP by business types. In healthcare services, WHP had statistically significant effectiveness to reduce turnover rates. And the influencing factors of WHP's effectiveness were workers' need in manufacturing/construction, health provider's career in other services, and perceived necessity in healthcare services. Conclusion: Based on this result, we propose differentiated strategies depending on the business types for effective workers' health promotion program.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.147-155
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• 2021

Objective: The purpose of this study was to find ways for strengthening occupational health services through monitoring exposure to health hazards. Methods: About 70,000 workplaces that have conducted the work environment measurement(WEM) over the last three years(2017~2019) were classified according to the Korean Standard Industry Classification(KSIC), and the current status of WEM by industry was analyzed. The authors considered ways to monitor exposure to health hazards in order to strengthen occupational health services and protect workers' health. Results: Based on the KSIC, 934 of the 1,196 total sub-classified industries have conducted WEM in at least one workplace over the last three year(2017~2019). In the case of manufacturing, out of a total of 477 sub-classified industries, 474 have conducted WEM at more than one workplace. However, in some industries, WEM was not conducted or the implementation rate was low, so it was necessary to examine whether WEM should be expanded based on a detailed analysis of the WEM database. To this end, it is necessary to form an exposure monitoring committee in which various experts from different fields can participate. The committee needs to discuss the overall matters necessary for selecting industries that require detailed investigation or research, review the results, and prepare a final recommendation. Conclusion: In conclusion, the government needs to come up with a plan to strengthen occupational health services through surveys and research on the current status of WEM and work environment management models by industry.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.186-199
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• 1998

Necessity for the guidebook of occupational health nursing practice has been perceived by our OH research members since the health management of small scale enterprises(SSE) was controlled by law. Mean-while, developing the OH manual, our team found that the work situation of occupational health nursing(OHN) services should be prior to the construction of the OHN manual. This procedure was regarded as helpful for producing the OH manual which is fitting to the Korean nursing circumstances. Thus, this study was planned and carried out. The study aimed to find out current situation of work performance on occupational health nursing practice perceived by nurses working for health management of SSE. Questionnaire was distributed to the OH nurses working in the 55 group occupational health service(GOHS) agencies throughout the Korea from January to March in 1997. Ninety-seven nurses of the 31 GOHS agencies responded. Descriptive statistics was used in the SAS programme. Four nurses participated to select nursing area investigated in the study. Those area were 'document', 'job orientation', 'OH reference', 'nursing theory', 'group health education', 'health examination', 'work dilemma', 'approach attitude', 'workplace visit', 'health promotion' and 'communication'. Results can be summarized as follow : Types of document were mentioned diversely depending on the GOHS agencies. Job orientation was seen to be performed by nurses in 56% among the 75.3% nurses responded. Sixty five percents of nurses agreed to apply nursing theories into the OH with lack of knowledge on them. Health screening and health education were responded as commonly provided nursing activities with various nursing obstacles as well as indicated in the area of 'work dilemma', 'approach attitude', 'workplace visit', 'health promotion'.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.90-100
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• 2021

Purpose: The study aimed to identify plans to revitalize occupational health nursing at industrial worksites. Methods: First, a literature review was conducted to derive the questions. Next, we used the Delphi method with two rounds to obtain experts' opinions. The 15 expert participants were seven occupational health nurses and eight professors from nursing colleges. Results: The analysis of opinions indicated that occupational health nurses should be competent in clinical nursing care to perform health management and health promotion activities of workers. It is necessary to develop high-quality occupational nursing services that can prevent and manage occupational diseases and work-related illnesses. Moreover, an improved system for stable employment of these nurses should be implemented. Conclusion: This study confirmed that occupational health nursing is an independent and important area for improving workers' disease prevention and health promotion. It will provide basic data for initiating occupational health nursing and expanding the role of the occupational health nurses.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.4
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• pp.5-29
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• 1995

Occupational health services in Korea have been operated as dual types : one is operated by occupational health care manager and the other is health care agency without their own personnel. The performance of occupational health service should be different due to the variety of characteristics of health care manager and workplace, qualification of health care manager. This study is to analyze performance of occupational health care services with a particular consideration of job performance shape and efficiency, based on comparing those two types of health care management to show on the basic data for the settlement of more qualitative health care management system at workplace. For this study, total 391 places in Seoul and Inchon city area ; 154 places (39.4%) managed by designated health care manager and 237 places (60.6%) by the agency with their commission are selected as research samples. Tools for data collection are questionnares that have been investigated during the period of 20 September 1993-20 December 1993. Those data are compared with percentiles, mean, standard deviation and B/C ratio using SPSS PC program. Conclusions observed from the tests and each comparison could be summerized as follows : 1. Occupational health care have been accomplished at workplaces with designated people than with agencies people, and coverage rate of the occupational health care services has differences, due to management types. The reason of these results is due to visit only one or two times monthly by the agencies, while their own health care manager obsess, at the workplaces all the times. 2. Most of the expense for environmental control of all health care services expenditures shows that there is almost no fundamental improvement because more expenses are needed for procuring personal protective equipment and measuring work environment instead of environmental improvement. 3. It is investigated how much the cost of occupational health care services needs per worker, and calculated how much the cost needs per service hour per worker. The results from this show that the cost of occupational health services at workplaces with their own managers used less than the cost of health care agencies, eventually the former gives better services with less cost than the latter. 4. Benefit/Cost ratio is also produced by total benefit/total cost. The result from the above way reads 4.57 as a whole, while their own manager having workplaces reads 4.82 and the agencies do l.56. Even if their own manager performing workplaces spent more cost, this system produces more benefit than the agencies management. 5. The B/C ratio for medical organization such as local clinic, health care center and pharmacy shows more than or equal to at the workplaces controlled by the agencies. It is inferred that benefit would be much less than the cost used, with so being inefficient. 6. It is assumed that the efficiency ratio of health education is equal to reduction rate of workers medical organization visit. Estimated reduction rate 5%, 10%, 15%, show that the efficiency ratio of health education have an effect on producing benefits. It is estimated that more benefit can be produced if more qualitative education will be provided for enhancing health care efficiency. 7. Results of this study cannot be generalized because there are large scale of deviation in case of workplaces with less than 300 full time workers, but B/C ratio reads 2.69 as a whole and 3.25 at workplaces with their own health care manager are higher than 1.63 at the workplaces manged by the agencies. Finally, all the benefit concerning health care services could not be quantified, measured and shown on the value of money. This is a reason that a considerable part of benefits are so underestimated. This is also thought that measurement tools should be developed for measuring benefits of health care services with a comprehensive quantification. in the future. It is also expected that efficiency of occupational health care services should be investigated using cost-effectiveness analysis.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.372-377
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• 2020

Infection risks of handling specimens associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) by public health laboratory services teams were assessed to scrutinize the potential hazards arising from the work procedures. Through risk assessments of all work sequences, laboratory equipment, and workplace environments, no aerosol-generating procedures could be identified except the procedures (mixing and transfer steps) inside biological safety cabinets. Appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) such as surgical masks, protective gowns, face shields/safety goggles, and disposable gloves, together with pertinent safety training, was provided for laboratory work. Proper disinfection and good hand hygiene practices could minimize the probability of SARS-CoV-2 infection at work. All residual risk levels of the potential hazards identified were within the acceptable level. Contamination by gloved hands was considered as a major exposure route for SARS-CoV-2 when compared with eye protection equipment. Competence in proper donning and doffing of PPE accompanied by hand washing techniques was of utmost importance for infection control.

• Anxiety and mood
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.84-93
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• 2019

Objective : The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between occupational stress and depression, as it is seen to be corresponding with the work characteristics of local government officials. Methods : The data of 671 local government officials who participated in this study from July to December 2015 as a part of an occupational stress management program, were analyzed retrospectively in this study. Likewise, the participants completed questionnaires, including a short form of the Korean Occupational Stress Scale (KOSS), and the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) the results of which were evaluated and reviewed. Results : The study noted that the subscales of occupational stress related to depression were varied, according to the work characteristics of the participants, after adjusting for age and job grade. It was found that the participant's variables of job insecurity, lack of reward, organizational system and occupational climate were significantly related to the development of a depressed mood in the participant in a general sense. Notably, the factor of interpersonal conflict was significantly related to depressed mood among the general administrative group; meanwhile, lack of reward in the welfare group and insufficient job control in the technical group were significantly associated with the likelihood of developing a depressed mood in participants reviewed. In the operation and maintenance of facilities group, job insecurity was significantly related with depressed mood, whereas job demand was related more with the incidence of depression in the field work group. Conclusion : This study revealed that the influence of occupational stress on depression varied according to the occupational characteristics experienced by the participants in the work environment. These findings may be used to enhance the occupational stress management program for local government officials according to their work characteristics, to bring awareness to this issue.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.132-149
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• 2002

Purpose: This study was conducted to provide the fadamental information to prepare better Occupational Health Program for SSI based on the evaluation of the experience of nurse who were working in the Government-funded subsidized occupational health program for SSI. Method: The focus group method was used. Data was collected using focus group interviews and analyzed in the framework of the Grounded theory method as mapped by Strauss and Corbin(1990). The subjects were 14 nurses. Result: We identified 60 concepts, 30sub-categories and 6 categories(Table 1). Categories were Various services, Difficulties in implement Services, Successful strategies, Program Evaluation, Alternative Plans and Adaptation to new field. Conclusion: Nurses evaluated the effect of this program that autonomous health management ability has not changed although the possibility for the small scale industries to start the health management arose by acknowledging the importance of the health management of the workplace. In spite of many difficulties in implement services, nurses provided various health services using successful strategies. They suggest that various programs such as a model set-up suitable for the quality of workplaces and a role model set-up of the occupational health nurse for SSI as well as various efforts for the activated this program were needed. Nurses had a hard time in unfamiliar field when they began this program and overcame this difficulties with various strategies.

• Proceedings of the Korean Environmental Health Society Conference
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• 2005.06a
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• pp.84-104
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• 2005

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.134-138
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• 2015

Background: Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is a major preventable occupational health problem with 250 million people worldwide known to have disabling impairment of moderate to greater severity. The aims of the study are to estimate the prevalence of NIHL in the police force; and study its association with age, sex, duration of service (years), smoking and alcohol habits, use of hearing protective devices, as well as preexisting chronic diseases. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 543 police personnel who had undergone periodic medical examination over a 12-month period. The diagnostic criteria for NIHL were (1) history of occupational noise exposure, (2) bilateral hearing loss, (3) hearing loss of ${\geq}25dBA$ at 4,000 Hz in two consecutive audiograms, and (4) no significant medical history affecting hearing. Severity of NIHL was based on the World Health Organization grading. Results: Males (74.8%) made up the majority of the police force. The mean age for police personnel was $35.55{\pm}9.57years$, and the mean duration of service was $14.75{\pm}9.39years$. Compliance with the usage of hearing protective devices was seen in 64.4%. The prevalence of NIHL in this study population was 34.2%, with a higher prevalence in males (37.7%) than in females (23.9%). The study also showed strong associations between NIHL and male sex (odds ratio, 1.9; P < 0.05), and hypertension (odds ratio, 3.3; P < 0.001). Overall, 93% were found to have mild NIHL, 3.5% had moderate NIHL, and 3.5% had severe NIHL. No police personnel were found to have profound hearing loss. Conclusion: The prevalence of NIHL in this study is high compared to other similar studies among police personnel. This study shows that increasing age, male, presence of hypertension, diabetes, and longer duration of service are significant associated factors for NIHL. Preventative strategies include health surveillance, implementation of a hearing conservation program, and legislation.