• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.49 no.6
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• pp.353-361
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• 2023

Background: Noise has been linked to an increased risk of various health issues, including stress, anxiety, insomnia, and cardiovascular disorders. However, research on the relationship between residential traffic noise and mental health in South Korea is limited. Objectives: This study aims to examine the correlation between regional traffic noise levels and mental health using an ecological study design. Methods: In this ecological study, all data were collected from the Korean Statistical Information Service. Traffic noise data in residential areas and the prevalence of mental health indices in 44 cities with noise monitoring stations were obtained. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated to assess the relationship between regional traffic noise levels and mental health indices. Results: Daytime traffic noise levels were found to have a positive correlation with stress perception (r=0.428, p=0.004) and showed a borderline positive correlation with depressive symptom prevalence (r=0.273, p=0.073). In cities with airports, significant correlations was observed between 24-hour average noise levels and depressive symptoms (r=0.604, p=0.010), whereas this relationship was not observed in cities without airports (r=0.048, p=0.813). Multiple regression analysis, which adjusted for factors such as age, gender ratio, smoking, obesity, unemployment, urban size, and the presence of an airport, confirmed the relationship between 24-hour average noise levels and stress perception (beta=0.287, p=0.024). Conclusions: This study identified correlations between regional traffic noise levels and depressive symptoms or stress perception in adults, with a more pronounced effect in areas with airports. These findings suggest a potential impact of residential traffic noise on mental health, highlighting the importance of preventive measures like noise management in urban planning to promote mental well-being.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Toxicology Conference
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• 2003.10b
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• pp.162-162
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• 2003

The psychological and biochemical stress responses of healthy men and women were measured under the normal situation. Experimental subjects, who were cadets of the Korea Air Force Academy, were selected by the random sampling. Quantitative scaling of the psychological stress was obtained by life stress test(Cheon et al, 2000) and Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory(MMPI).(omitted)

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.70-78
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• 2009

Remote sensing technique in agriculture can be used to identify chlorophyll content, biomass, and yield caused from N stress level. This study was conducted to evaluate biomass, N stress levels, and yield of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) under sand culture in a plastic film house using ground-based remote sensors. Nitrogen rates applied were 40, 60, 80, 100, 120, and 140 percent of N concentration in the Hoagland's nutrient solution. Sensor readings for reflectance indices were taken at 30, 35, 40, 45, 50 and 60 days after transplanting(DAT). Reflectance indices measured at 40th DAT were highly correlated with dry weight(DW) of tobacco leaves and N uptake by leaves. Especially, green normalized difference vegetation index(gNDVI) from spectroradiometer and aNDVI from Crop Circle passive sensor were able to explain 85% and 84% of DW variability and 85% and 92% of N uptake variability, respectively. All the reflectance indices measured at each sampling date during the growing season were significantly correlated with tobacco yield. Especially the gNDVI derived from spectroradiometer readings at the 40th DAT explained 72% of yield variability. N rates of tobacco were distinguished by sufficiency index calculated using the ratio of reflectance indices of stress to optimum plot of N treatment. Consequently results indicate that the reflectance indices by ground-based remote sensor can be used to predict tobacco yield and recommend the optimum application rate of N fertilizer for top dressing of tobacco.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.217-224
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• 2014

Ground-based remote sensing can be used as one of the non-destructive, fast, and real-time diagnostic tools for predicting yield, biomass, and nitrogen stress during growing season. The objectives of this study were: 1) to assess biomass and nitrogen (N) status of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) plants under N stress using ground-based remote sensors; and 2) to evaluate the feasibility of spectral reflectance indices for estimating an application rate of N and predicting yield of tobacco. Dry weight (DW), N content, and N uptake at the 40th and 50th day after transplanting (DAT) were positively correlated with chlorophyll content and normalized difference vegetation indexes (NDVIs) from all sensors (P<0.01). Especially, Green NDVI (GNDVI) by spectroradiometer and Crop Circle-passive sensors were highly correlated with DW, N content and N uptake. The yield of tobacco was positively correlated with canopy reflectance indices measured at each growth stage (P<0.01). The regression of GNDVI by spectroradiometer on yield showed positively quadratic curve and explained about 90% for the variability of measured yield. The sufficiency index (SI) calculated from data/maximum value of GNDVI at the $40^{th}$ DAT ranged from 0.72 to 1.0 and showed the same positively quadratic regression with N application rate explaining 84% for the variability of N rate. These results suggest that use of reflectance indices measured with ground-based remote sensors may assist in determining application rate of fertilizer N at the critical season and estimating yield in mid-season.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.67-71
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• 2017

Background: Job stress and job satisfaction are important factors affecting workforce productivity. This study was carried out to investigate the job stress, job satisfaction, and workforce productivity levels, to examine the effects of job stress and job satisfaction on workforce productivity, and to identify factors associated with productivity decrement among employees of an Iranian petrochemical industry. Methods: In this study, 125 randomly selected employees of an Iranian petrochemical company participated. The data were collected using the demographic questionnaire, Osipow occupational stress questionnaire to investigate the level of job stress, Job Descriptive Index to examine job satisfaction, and Hersey and Goldsmith questionnaire to investigate productivity in the study population. Results: The levels of employees' perceived job stress and job satisfaction were moderate-high and moderate, respectively. Also, their productivity was evaluated as moderate. Although the relationship between job stress and productivity indices was not statistically significant, the positive correlation between job satisfaction and productivity indices was statistically significant. The regression modeling demonstrated that productivity was significantly associated with shift schedule, the second and the third dimensions of job stress (role insufficiency and role ambiguity), and the second dimension of job satisfaction (supervision). Conclusion: Corrective measures are necessary to improve the shift work system. "Role insufficiency" and "role ambiguity" should be improved and supervisor support must be increased to reduce job stress and increase job satisfaction and productivity.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.85-91
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• 2016

Objectives: The objective of this study was to assess heat stress, compare heat stress indices, and evaluate the usefulness of wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) among outdoor workers exposed to heat during the summer season. Methods: WBGT, dry temperature, and heat index were measured using WBGT measurers (QUESTemp 32 model and QUESTemp 34 model, QUEST, WI, USA) by industrial hygienists from August 27 to September 16, 2015. Heat stress indices were measured at the workplaces of a shipbuilder in Ulsan and a construction site in Daegu. The dry temperature observed by the Automated Synoptic Observing System (ASOS) of the Korea Meteorological Administration was also compared. Results: Dry temperature measured by WBGT is different from that by ASOS. The temperature obtained from ASOS was less than $33^{\circ}C$, above which point a heat wave is forecast by the Korea Meteorological Administration. A heat index above $32.8^{\circ}C$ as a moderate risk was not observed during measurement. WBGT was consistently higher than $22^{\circ}C$, above which the risk of heat-related illness is increased in unacclimated workers involved in work with a high metabolic rate. WBGT was sometimes higher than $28^{\circ}C$, above which the risk of heat-related illness is increased in acclimated workers involved in work with a moderate metabolic rate in September. Conclusion: According to the measurement of heat stress indices, WBGT was more sensitive than heat index and temperature. Thus, general measures to prevent heat-related diseases should be implemented in workplaces during the summer season according to WBGT.

• Proceedings of the Korea Environmental Mutagen Society Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.162-162
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• 2003

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.164-173
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• 2001

To find out the factors affecting to the cardiorespiratory fitness of some workers in Taejon area, cardiorespiratory fitness indices, blood pressure(BP), total cholesterol level(TC), body mass indices(BMI) and life style data were collected from 169 blue collar workers and 106 white collar workers, from September to October 2000. 1. Cardiorespiratory fitness indices were increased statistically significantly by aging(p <0.05), but these was no statistically significantly difference between blue collar workers and white collar workers. 2. These were no significantly difference between types of workers by BMI, BP, blood total cholesterol level, regular exercise, alcohol drinking, smoking and psychosocial stress. 3. Age and BMI were selected affecting factors to the cardiorespiratory fitness indices in blue collar workers by multiple regression analysis, but no affecting factors selected the white collar workers.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.166-175
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• 2014

In this study, the thermal environment in a large scale coal mine located in Taebaek, Gangwondo was assessed by a field survey. In order to estimate the thermal environment, various heat stress indices such as WBGT, HSI, ESI, KATA index and effective temperature were investigated. Correlation analysis was also conducted. It was found that the thermal environment in most workplace was high. In particular, the correlation coefficient between HSI reflected in physiological fatigue characteristic and the maximum sweat evaporation heat was -0.834. This shows that the correlation coefficient have the most influence on HSI index. The factor which has the most influence on the maximum sweat evaporation heat is velocity of air. The thermal environment of high-depth coal mines is likely to be improved by installing a structure that enables the maximum prevention of extended digging, air doors, or the leakage of the inflow of air in the first shaft.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.83-95
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• 2017

This study examined the socioeconomic factors that affect self-rated health (SRH) in healthy adults, and the relationship of SRH to health-related habits, serum biochemical indices, and nutritional intakes. Subjects consisted of 1,154 healthy adults without any known disease, aged 19 to 65 years (average age of 36.7), whose information was obtained from the 2013 Korean National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey data. Of these subjects, 73 rated themselves as 'very healthy,' 460 indicated that they were 'healthy,' 568 self-identified as 'ordinary', and 53 put themselves in the 'unhealthy' category. The proportion of subjects who chose 'unhealthy' was significantly increased with higher frequencies of disruptions in their daily lives (p<0.05), regret after drinking (p<0.05), smoking (p<0.001), and higher levels of stress (p<0.001). On the other hand, the proportion of subjects reported as 'very healthy' was significantly higher with regular intense (p<0.001) or moderate physical activities (p<0.05), regular walking (p<0.05), a perception of being 'normal' in their body image (p<0.01), a decrease of body weight more than 3 kg in the past year (p<0.05), and without risk factors for metabolic syndrome (p<0.05). Serum triglyceride level was lower, and 25-(OH) vitamin D content was significantly higher, in the 'very healthy' group as compared to the 'unhealthy' group (p<0.05). Dietary fiber and vitamin C intakes were significantly higher in the 'very healthy' group than 'unhealthy' group (p<0.05). The overall results suggest that a healthy lifestyle, including regular exercise, non-smoking, good stress management, and higher intakes of fiber and vitamin C, may be potential factors that affect one's positive perception of health.