• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.473-481
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• 1999

Objectives: In recent days, the problem of odor pollution in community near Sihwa Industrial complex, Kynuggi Province is becoming of significant public concern. We have investigated the health effects of the Sihwa residents from odor pollution comparing with other less polluted areas. Methods: The Ansan and Kuri Cities were selected as control areas. The parents of the elementary and middle school students in these three areas were surveyed with structured questionnaire twice, Nov 1997 and Jure 1998 each. As a exposure index, the ambient air concentrations of five major air pollutants(particulates, $O_3,\;SO_2,\;NO_2$, CO) and subjective odor perception were used. We have focused health outcomes such as the prevalence of nonspecific irritant symptoms, respiratory disease among family members and the score of qualify of life(QOL). Results: Although the mean concentrations of major air pollutants except particulates were similar or lower in Sihwa than other areas, the odor perception rate and the monthly odor perception days were significantly higher. It suggested that odor producing chemical compounds are the major source of environmental pollution problem. There were higher prevalence rates of nonspecific irritant symptoms and respiratory disease among family members in Sihwa than other control areas. The QOL score was also lower in Sihwa. The odor perception proved to be a most important factor in reporting adverse health effects and lowering the QOL score. Conclusion: The residents living near Sihwa industrial complex were suffering from more adverse health symptoms and poorer QOL status than control areas. And it may be due to environmental odor pollution from industrial complex. Therefore, further research will be needed for monitoring of the responsible chemicals emitted from industries.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.110-122
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• 1978

A study on the morbidity of syphilis among 729 workers in Po Hang and Ul San Industiral Complexes at the routine periodical examination was performed. In addition to the morbidity, factors related to the disease infection such as educational level, religion, preventive measures taken by the workers, history of urethritis, and so on were studied and analysed to check significant relation. The results were as follows: 1. VDRL and RPR tests were undertaken to determine the sensitivity and specificity of RPR test which was utilized for all the workers studied. It revealed 86.4% of sensitivity and 87.7% of specificity from RPR test, and 81.8% of sensitivity and 90.1% of specificity from the VDRL test compared with RPCF test. There were 87.4% of agreement rate between RPR and VDRL. Actually, RPR was more sensitive but less specific than VDRL, and found to be a satisfactory screening test for syphilis especially in the fields. 2. Among the workers in Po Hang Area 24.0% of them revealed reactive result, and in Ul San Area 5.2% revealed reactive result showing 4.6 times of risk among workers in Po Hang Area. 3. There were no statistically significant differences between RPR reactive rates and personal characteristics such as educational level, religion, history of urethritis experience, history of coitus with prostitute, and preventive measures of V.D. taken by workers if evaluated by area of Po Hang and Ul Srn separately. 4. V.D. could be encountered as an occupational disease in certain conditions of working places and the psychosocial problems of workers. And so, it is necessary that all the workers working in special estates such as in Po Hang Industrial Complex should be checked to be screened out by RPR test at periodical examinations and part of pre-employment examination also should include RPR test to be compared with. Regardless of the workmen's compensation, establishment of V.D. treatment clinic or system for such industrial workers is urgently needed. Health education regarding V.D. is another subject to be performed.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.513-525
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• 2000

This study was to investigate medication management and the level of awareness about separation of prescribing and dispending at small-to-medium sized workplaces which have less than 300 employees in Korea. The data were collected by questionnaires from May to June in 2000. The number of subjects were 127 workplaces and 130 employees. The SAS PC Program was used for the descriptive statistics. The results are as follows; 1. The over the counter(OTC) drug was provided sufficiently(91.1 %). but medication management was not performed systematically. 2. On drug-providing rate and drug-using rate, the latter was high in the workplace and Health care management's nurses consume all of the over the counter drug provided. 3. When the separation of prescribing and dispending starts, employees shall be medically examined, treated and prescribed by physicians and drugs shall be dispended by pharmacists. It is necessary to make it possible to visit health care institutions whenever they want to. (eg. lunch time or after work) They should change their drug-dependent behaviour. We should focus on strengthening Health Promotion Program to prevent disease by making habitual of health promotion behaviour.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.231-237
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• 2017

Objectives: This study was conducted to determine firefighters' work-related accident rate and investigate the factors affecting their on-site safety. Methods: We developed a web-based self-reported questionnaire designed to inquire into firefighters' work-related accident experience and the factors (4M; Man, Machine, Media, Management) affecting firefighters' on-site safety. We distributed questionnaires to all members of firefighting organizations in South Korea by e-mail and 9,149 were returned, resulting in a response rate of 23.1%. Results: Fifteen point seven percent of the respondents reported work-related injuries within the past one year, and 35.1% answered that current accident investigation reports are not helpful for preventing the same accident from recurring. Among the 4M factors, the one most affecting firefighters' on-site safety in the order of priority is the Man factor, followed by Machine, Media, and Management. However, the results from detailed sub-categorical factors showed some differences. 'Lack of human resources', one of the Management factors, was the most influential (70.3%), followed by 'worn-out equipment' under the Machine factor (67.2%). The viewpoint of elements of the Man factor including 'forgetting instructions' and 'fatigue and illness' were significantly different according to firefighters' rank. The higher the firefighter's rank, the more they answered 'forgetting instructions,' while the opposite was the case for 'fatigue and disease'. Conclusions: The present firefighters' accident investigation report needs to be improved, and the 4M method could prove very useful. In addition, it is necessary to set up a proper firefighters' accident investigation and prevention system.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.337-344
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• 2012

Objectives: This study was conducted to assess the trend of work-related accident rate in the past 10 years (2002~2011) in Gusan district, Ministry of Employment and Labor, Korea. Methods: To analyze the change of work-related accident rate in the past 10 years in Gunsan District, we analyzed the work-related accident and disease by the type of business, business scale and analyzing the victim's age and job period using workplace information management system(PKMS) in the Ministry of Employment and Labor. Results: The average rate of work-related accidents in Gunsan district was 0.96% in the past 10 years and it was a little higher than that of national average 0.75%. The rates of work-related accidents tended to decrease from 1.11% in 2002, to 1.09% in 2006, and to 0.79% in 2011. Mortality (per 10,000) rates also tended to decrease in the years 2002, 2006, and 2011 as 3.07, 2.46, and 1.53. By the type of business, the average rate of work-related accidents in the past 10 years was the highest in agriculture as 1.77%, followed by forestry farming at 1.76%. By the business scale, the average rate of work-related accidents was the highest in the group of under 5 employees as 2.05% and it was the lowest in the group of more than 300 employees as 0.50%. The ratio of work-related accidents in the 30's age group was decreased from 41.7% in 2002 to 25.2% in 2011 and the ratio for the 50's age group was increased from 28.6% in 2002 to 49.5% in 2011. Conclusions: Although the rate of work-related accident was decreased in the past 10 years, the polarization of work-related accidents rated by the business scale and age groups show a significant difference. So it is needed that the planning and implementing of work-related accidents prevention policies.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.259-266
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• 2020

This study is a descriptive research for understanding the health behaviors, job stress, and musculoskeletal subjective symptoms of university employees, and also for examining the influence factors having effects on the musculoskeletal subjective symptoms. Targeting total 158 university employees, the data was collected from July to August 2020. In the results of this study, the characteristics related to health behaviors showed the percentages like the rate of drinking(68.6%), rate of smokers(9.6%), rate of exercising three times or more a week(15.4%), and the rate of regular eating habit(64.7%). The mean score of job stress was 63.7. The musculoskeletal disease symptom group falling under the occupational musculoskeletal subjective symptom standard of NIOSH was 18.6%, and the musculoskeletal subjective symptom of shoulders showed the highest rate. Also, the 29.5% of research subjects responded that the cause for their musculoskeletal pain was work. As the factors having effects on the musculoskeletal subjective symptoms, the sex, age, career experience, and job stress had significant effects on the subjective symptom of shoulder part(p<.01) while the regular exercise had significant effects on the subjective symptom of waist(p<.05). The educational background and regular meals had significant effects on the subjective symptom of legs and knees(p<.05). Thus, in order to prevent the musculoskeletal diseases of university employees, it would be necessary to develop/apply the programs for the relief of job stress, regular exercise, and regular meals.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.40-68
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• 2001

In this study, grade of subjective symptom appealed by laborer of Jeollabuk-do was evaluated using questionary regarding factor made effect on musculoskeletal disease and in addition, studied relationship with health promotion life style of them. Based on the result, relationship of general characteristics of musculoskeletal subjective symptom and life-style of the subjects was concluded as below. 1. General characteristics of study subjects were as following. Ratio of male was higher as 57.7% of male and 42.2% female and age distribution was 5.1% of 20s, 34.99% of 30s, 36.3% of 40s and 23.7% of 50s and therefore, $30{\sim}40$ aged groups showed highest ratio. Most subjects (74.9%) was married status and in case of education level, high-school graduate and dropout (23.3%) and over-college graduate (46.8%) showed highest distribution. $1{\sim}2$ Mil. KRW (29.5%) and $2{\sim}2.99$ Mil. KRW (21.2%) is the main income distribution and however there was high ratio of non-reply (29.0%). In case of employment period, $10{\sim}14$ years (15.3%) and over 15 years (29.6%) showed highest ratio and there were many non-reply (39.4%) and in addition, 67.6% replied as own house and 14.3% as lease on deposit base in question of residence type. 2. Subjects showed high ratio of subjective symptom appeal of 62.79% and many cases (50.23%) appealed 1 or 2 symptoms. Symptom by body region was 29.8% (waist), 27% (shoulder), 21.2% (knee), 15.5% (neck), 9.5% (ankle), 8.1% (wrist) and 5.0% (elbow) in order. In case of relationship with general characteristics, female comparing with male, non-residence of own house, subjects with lower education level and employment period of $10{\sim}14$ years showed higher appeal rate and kind of symptoms than others. Therefore, it was concluded that rate of musculoskeletal symptom appeal have close relationship with gender, level of living, education level, age and employment period. 3. In case of severe pain of upper body except waist and ankle, it was appealed in both or right side and it means that upper body pain is originated from right side and right region pain is transited to both region pain. In addition, there was 39.41% of non-reply to existence of right-left region pain and therefore, it was evaluated that, in may cases, there was no awareness of their own symptom condition even on subjective symptom. 4. Degree of pain was, as pain over middle level, evaluated as 2.79 on full mark of 4.0 and in order of waist (2.97), ankle (2.83), knee (2.82), wrist (2.82), neck (2.79), shoulder (2.70) and elbow (2.62). In addition, 71.97% appealed $2{\sim}3$ cases for the latest 1 week. Owing to subjective symptom, 54.95% drop into hospital or pharmacy, 10.32% made temporary retirement or absence, 7.99% transferred into more comfortable duty and $39.4{\sim}54%$ experienced one or more managing mentioned above. 5. Fulfillment of health promotion life style of subjects was evaluated on full mark of 4.0 and total score was 2.63. Average mark of each area was personal relationship (3.05), self-realization (2.92), stress management (2.63), health control (2.48), physical exercise (2.19) and nutrition management (2.19) and personal relationship was highest and physical exercise and nutrition management were lowest. As general characteristics influencing health promotion life style, gender, residence style and employment period showed significant difference. Male showed higher mark than female and showed higher mark in order of own house, others, lease on deposit base, monthly rent. Subjects with longer employment period showed higher mark with significant difference. 6. Accounting of factor influencing each area of health promotion life style, self-realization showed significance in marriage status, income, residence style and education level and health control in age, residence style and employment period. Physical exercise showed significant difference in gender, age, residence style and employment period and nutrition in gender, age, residence style and employment period. Stress management showed significant difference in residence style and employment period and however not in personal relationship. 7. Health promotion life style relating with existence and kind of pain showed significant difference in all area except personal relationship area. In absence of pain, there was statistically significant high score in all area even in total health promotion life style and all area. Accounting of kind of pain, cases of $1{\sim}2$ kinds of pain and $5{\sim}6$ kinds of pain showed relatively high score and it was lower than mark of subject stated absence of pain. 8. Subjects appeal symptom were classified by symptom region and difference of total and each areas were evaluated. General area (p=0.002), self-realization (p=0.012), health management (p=0.023), physical exercise (p=0.028), nutrition management (p=0.028) and stress control (p=0.001) showed statistically significant difference and not in personal relationship area. Especially, elbow, shoulder and neck area marked high and group appealed pain of knee, arm and elbow, foot and ankle marked low. Based on those results, subjective symptom should be accounted seriously in diagnosis of occupational musculoskeletal disease of laborer and among subjective symptom, general characteristics of gender, age, condition of living, education level and employment period make effect. Generally subject appeal symptom marked lower than subject without symptom appeal and it means that life management of subject appealing musculoskeletal pain make important role in management and treatment of occupational musculoskeletal disease.

• Journal of Korea Society of Industrial Information Systems
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.79-86
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• 2001

The CTD(Cumulative Trauma Disorder) as a new kind of occupational disease occurs mainly to workers on handling line under the highly-specialized industrial environments. This study took into account their exposure to Cumulative Trauma Disorders(CTD) by the utilization of EMG system, with respect to worker's muscle fatigue test according to fulfillment of iterative and simple task. The findings of this study were as follows : From the result of AEMG test analysis, worker's fatigue extent according to elapsed time of task was inclined to be increased continually. On the other hand, after its task ending, their fatigue extent was inclined to be decreased than before-circumstance of refractory brick lifting. The transference of MF(Median Frequency) and MPF(Mean Power Frequency) had highly significant difference between muscle fatigue and the elapsed time of work. Especially, their fatigue extent to erectorspinae and multifidus to lift firebrick was increased in the mean time. The transference of ZCR(Zero Crossing Rate) had considerable significant difference between muscle fatigue and the elapsed time of work. In short, as the work went of the muscle fatigue extent increased gradually. Thus, it can be concluded that the fatigue of erectorspinae and multifidus extent according to fulfillment of iterative and simple task is gradually being increased.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.11 no.11
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• pp.4395-4403
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• 2010

The aim of this study is to know about condition of alternative medicine. Methods which An literature search in Pubmed January 2000 to March, 2010 was performed. RCT(Randomized Controlled Trial), CCT(Controled Clinical Trials), and OD(efficacy studies with either a controlled or an Other than controlled Design) were included. PubMed databases were searched using key terms relating to alternative medicine. 19 clinical trials were included among 682 studies searched. RCT was 44%, CCT was 16% and OD was 40% in the review. In the all of included studies, the acupuncture and the massage was the biggest part. The using rate was 20% of pain control about Disease of the Musculoskeletal system and Connective tissue, 15% of Certain infectious and parasitic diseases, and 15% of Neoplasms. There was lack of evidence that alternative medicine was effective for progress. Future well-designed clinical trials is needed.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.31 no.3 s.62
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• pp.414-423
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• 1998

Metal fume fever has been known as an occupational disease is induced by intense inhalation of fresh metal fume with a particle size smaller than $0.5{\mu}m\;to\;1{\mu}m$. The fumes originate from heating metals beyond their boiling point, as happens, for example, in welding operations. Oxidation usually accompanies this process. In most cases, this syndrome is due to exposure to zinc oxide fumes; however, other metals like copper, magnesium, cadmium, manganese, and antimony are also reported to produce such reactions. Authors report a case of metal fume fever suspected to be associated with copper fume inhalation. The patient was a 42-year-old male and was a smoker. He conducted inert gas tungsten arc welding on copper-coated materials without safety precautions such as a protective mask and adequate ventilation. Immediately after work, he felt metallic taste in his mouth. A few hours after welding, he developed headache, chilling sensation, and chest discomfort. He also complained of myalgia, arthralgia, feverish sensation, thirst, and general weakness. Symptoms worsened after repeated copper welding on the next day and subsided gradually following two weeks. Laboratory examination showed a transient increase of neutrophil count, eosinophilia, elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and positive C-reactive proteinemia. Blood and urine copper level was also increased compared to his wife. Before this episode, he experienced above complaints several times after welding with copper materials but welding of other metals did not produce any symptoms. It was suggested that copper fume would have induced metal fume fever in this case. Further investigations are needed to clarify their pathogenic mechanisms.