• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.185-193
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• 2009

Purpose: Loneliness may be a typical psychological consideration in chronically ill patients, linking with low life satisfaction. We aimed to determine if loneliness would be independently associated with life satisfaction in pneumoconiosis patients hospitalized in long-term care facilities. Methods: We recruited 164 patients from 3 pneumoconiosis-specialized hospitals in M and S cities, South Korea, and measured loneliness and life satisfaction by using the University of California Los Angeles loneliness and life satisfaction index-Z scales. The Multiple regression analysis was performed to examine an independent association between loneliness and life satisfaction after adjustment for age, the levels of dyspnea and bronchitis-emphysema symptom, length of institutionalization, marital status, previous coal work experience, perceived socioeconomic status, and presence of caregivers. Results: The mean of loneliness was 46.4. We found a significant association between loneliness and life satisfaction (standardized beta=-0.16, p=0.049), independent of all the covariates. Conclusions: Loneliness was an independent associate of life satisfaction in patients with pneumoconiosis who were institutionalized in long-term care facilities. Thus, a nursing intervention strategy for relieving loneliness is needed to increase life satisfaction in these patients.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.12-22
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• 2005

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to find out the quality of life and to identify the related characteristics for nursing care in pneumconiosis elderly patients. Methods: The subjects for this study were 206 elderly patients who received pneumoconiosis treatment in the two pneumoconiosis specialized hospitals located in Gangwondo, Korea. The instrument used for this study was Quality of Life Index Pulmonary version III. The data was collected from February 17 to March 10, 2003, and analyzed by t-test, ANOVA, Duncan test using SPSS. Results: The results of this study were as follows : 1. The highest frequency in chief complaints was dyspnea, 91 subjects(44.2%), and complications was tuberculosis, 88 subjects (42.7%). 2. The total mean score of the level of quality of life was $14.49{\pm}2.18$. 3. The score of quality of life showed higher in good family relationship group than the other after diagnosed pneumoconisis(F=5.486, P=0.001). 4. The comparison of quality of life was significant according to oxygen use(t=2.674, P=0.008), bronchodilators use(t=2.678, P=0.008), and prospect of future health status concerning pneumoconiosis(F=2.960, P=0.021). Conclusions: In conclusion, adequate nursing intervention as effective management of respiratory symptoms and improvement of family support will be needed to improve the quality of life in pneumoconiosis elderly patients.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.76-83
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• 2001

Background : Coal workers' pneumoconiosis is a fibrotic lung disease resulting from chronic inhalation of coal dust. The precise mechanism of lung fibrosis in coal workers' pneumoconiosis is uncertain. However, a relationship between the stimulation of fibroblast proliferation and collagen production by mediators released from in flammatory and resident lung cells is thought to be a major factor. The transforming growth factor-$\beta$(TGF-$\beta$), a multifunctional cytokine and growth factor, plays a key role in the scarring and fibrotic processes due to its ability to induce extracellular matrix proteins and modulate the growth and immune function of many cell types. To determine the involvement of TGF-$\beta$ in the development of lung fibrosis in coal workers' pneumoconiosis, the TGF-${\beta}_1$ level in plasma was measured in patients with coal workers' pneumoconiosis. Methods : Plasma was collected from 40 patients with coal workers' pneumoconiosis (20 with simple coal workers' pneumoconiosis and 20 with complicated coal workers' pneumoconiosis) and from 10 normal controls. The ELISA method was used to measure the plasma TGF-${\beta}_1$ concentration. Results : Compared to the control group ($0.63{\pm}01.8$ ng/mL), there was no significant difference in the plasma TGF-${\beta}_1$ level in patients with simple coal workers' pneumoconiosis ($0.64{\pm}0.17$ ng/mL) (p>0.05). However, in patients with complicated coal workers' pneumoconiosis the plasma TGF-${\beta}_1$ level ($0.79{\pm}0.18$ ng/mL) was significantly higher than in patients with simple coal workers' pneumoconiosis and the control group (p<0.05). Conclusion : The data suggests that TGF-${\beta}_1$ has some influence in the development of lung fibrosis in coal workers' pneumoconiosis.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.22 no.2 s.26
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• pp.197-207
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• 1989

This study was planned to investigate employer's attitude about health management of workers in coal mine industry. The sample size was 38.3% (178 coal mine industries) of total 463 coal mine industries. The mailing survey was used to collecting data of coal mine industry and manager of coal mine industry. Distribution of attitude about health management of workers in coal mine industry, specifically necessity and availability of some items of health management and some apparatus of working environment, was skewed to positive attitude. While recognition of susceptability of coal workers' pneumoconiosis was low, that of seriousness of incidence of coal workers' pneumoconiosis was high.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.21 no.2 s.24
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• pp.245-250
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• 1988

For the evaluation of change of FVC and $FEV_1$ after discontinuance of bronchodilator in the coal workers' pneumoconiosis patients, 17 pairs of patients were selected. They were matched by the age(${\pm}5$ y.o.) and the type of ventilatory impairment. Pulmonary function was measured 2 times bimonthly before and after the drug discontinuance discontinued after measurement of PFT for 2 times. In case group the bronchodilator was discontinued after measurement of PFT for 2 times. In control group there was no interruption of medication. FVC, $FEV_1$ decreased in both group as measurement progress. Simple linear regression coefficients against the month of measurement were calculated in both group and tested for parallelism between two groups. The results of test revealed that both regression coefficients were parallel. So in conclusively, discontinuance of medication of bronchodilator for coal workers pneumoconiosis patients has no effect on the decreasing rate of FVC, $FEV_1$.

• The Korean Journal of Health Service Management
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.39-51
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• 2016

Objectives : This study investigated the health care utilization patterns of workers' compensation insurance(WCI) pneumoconiosis patients with excessively long hospital stays. Methods : The discharge summary data of 3,094 WCI pneumoconiosis patients were analyzed. The study sample was divided into 3 groups based on the length of stay(LOS). Health care utilization patterns were compared among the groups with logistic regression analysis, and the LOS determinants were identified with linear regression analysis. Results : The average LOS of the 222 long stay group patients was 1,448 days. Patients in this group tended to use private general hospitals, were admitted through the emergency room and discharged without the consent of a doctor. Conclusions : Many of the long LOS patients will maintain their inpatient status for the rest of their lives. For quality of life and efficient use of health care resources, policy makers need to establish a policy that enables patients to receive outpatient care in appropriate living conditions outside the hospital.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.458-464
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• 2011

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of cardiopulmonary symptoms and sleep on fatigue in pneumoconiosis patients. Methods: Self-administered questionnaires were given to 211 neumoconiosis patients during the period from May 12 to May 20, 2010. Results: The mean score of fatigue was as high as 6.7. The level of fatigue depended on the subjects' leisure activity and complication. Fatigue was significantly correlated with cardiopulmonary symptoms and sleep. The influential factors affecting fatigue were cardiopulmonary symptoms, complication, sleep and leisure activity, which explained about 46.5% of the variance. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that nursing interventions are needed to reduce fatigue and to improve cardiopulmonary symptoms and insomnia in pneumoconiosis patients.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.1-17
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• 1997

Pneumoconiosis is the result of the long-continued inhalation of dusts and it depends on the interaction between the man and the cloud to which he is exposed. The health effects of dusts, especially silica dust exposure have been since Egyptians had constructed the pyramids in ancient times. Subsequently, many works, including miners, milers, quarry workers, sandblasters, tunnel drivers, are occupationally exposed to mineral dusts. These workers may develop pneumoconiosis and in some instances, malignant neoplasms, particularly lung cancer, as a result of such exposures.Both quantity and quality of mineral dusts in the lungs show significant correlation with the degree of damage from pneumoconiosis. So mineralogical techniques require in pathological studies and in estimation of the airborne dusts in working places.Mineralogy has played an important role in both branches of the protective procedure. This lecture presents the knowledge on lung dust, cytotoxicity and fibrogenetic activity of minerals and control procedures for pneumoconiosis from pont of mineralogist.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.19 no.2 s.20
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• pp.314-321
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• 1986

Forced vital capacities (FVC's) and forced expiratory volumes in one second $(FEV_{1.0}'s)$ of 26 pneumoconiosis patients were checked at admission and were followed up for 10 months through hospitalization. FVC's and $FEV_{1.0}'s$ were slightly improved in 10 months after admission. The improvement of FVC's was statistically significant. In the group of large opacities in chest radiographs, FVC's and $FEV_{1.0}'s$ were lower than those values in small opacity group at admission but improved more progressively. Similar finding was noted in the group of emphysema; those values were lower at admission but improved more progressively than those of non-emphysema group.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.387-393
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• 2016

This study was conducted to examine the oral health awareness, needs of dental treatment and the oral and maxillofacial pains targeting pneumoconiosis patients of care hospitals for the purpose of providing basic data for preparing a plan to improve the oral health of patients plagued with pneumoconiosis. As the subjects of survey, total 120 patients who have agreed to the research among the patients of three care hospitals, were enrolled between March and July in 2015. As the result of the study on the factors that influence the oral health perception, it was verified that the persons of an average monthly income of 2 million won or more, were shown to have significantly better oral health awareness than the subjects of monthly earning of less than 2 million won (p<0.05), thus showing that the oral health awareness by the people of monthly income of more than 2 million won, was 0.77 times higher compared to the others. Therefore, in order to improve the oral health awareness of pneumoconiosis patients, the economic stability of the patients should be taken into account as a priority when examining the oral health policy decisions and it was recommended that the survey and research on the oral health of patients with pneumoconiosis can be done in amore systematic manner.