• Journal of Korean Living Environment System
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.360-367
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• 2017

Although the elderly collecting and selling wastepaper is one of the most vulnerable groups in society, this group has not been studied specifically. Subjective health status is an important aspect of quality of life in old age. The purpose of this study is to examine factors affecting subjective health status among the elderly collecting and selling wastepaper. Analyses are based on data from 2014 Korean Elderly Survey. Multiple regression analysis showed that gender, depression, and fear of falling were associated with subjective health status. The results of this study suggest that gender and mental health aspects should be considered in making intervention plan for assessments and providing services for health among the elderly collecting and selling wastepaper. The study findings also indicate that efforts to improve safety in worksite of elderly persons collecting and selling wastepaper are needed.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.46-61
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• 2008

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of nutrition counseling on improving metabolic syndrome (MS) risk factors. Sixty-eight subjects were grouped according to their numbers of MS risk factors. Subjects who have three or more risk factors of MS were defined as "High risk", subjects who have two risk factors of MS were defined as "low risk", and subjects who have below two risk factors of MS were defined as "no risk" group. All groups finished nutrition counseling every three weeks for 12 weeks. Anthropometric, dietary assessments (24 hr-recall) and blood samples were measured at 0 and 12 weeks nutrition counseling. After 12 weeks of intervention, anthropometric data (weight, BMl, body fat (%), and waist/hip ratio) were significantly decreased (p < 0.05) in all groups. Daily consumption of calorie was decreased significantly (p < 0.05) in the group of low risk and high risk. Blood level of fasting plasma glucose was significantly decreased (p < 0.001) in all groups after 12 weeks of intervention. Significantly, the fasting plasma glucose level was returned to normal range in the high risk group. The number of people who have three or more risk factors of MS (high risk group) was decreased from 25 to 12. Sum of MS Criteria decreased from 85 to 52 in the group of MS and decreased from 143 to 99 in all groups. These results indicate that nutrition counseling for male workers at the worksite proved to be helpful by reducing the risk factors of MS and thereby reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. Continuing and systematic nutritional management programs should be developed and implemented for male workers at the worksites.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.402-406
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• 2017

Transit workers constitute a blue-collar occupational group that have elevated smoking rates relative to other sectors of employed adults in the United States. This study analyzed cross-sectional tobacco survey data from 935 workers (60% African American; 37% female) employed at an urban public transit agency in California. Prevalence of current and former smoking was 20.3% and 20.6%, respectively. Younger workers were less likely than older workers to be current or former smokers. Having a complete home smoking ban was associated with decreased likelihood of being a smoker [odds ratio (OR) = 0.04, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.01-0.17], as were neutral views about whether it is easy for a smoker to take a smoking break during their shift (OR = 0.50, 95% CI 0.28-0.88). Current smoking among the sample is > 50% higher than the adult statewide prevalence. Potential points of intervention identified in this study include perceived ease of worksite smoking breaks and establishing home smoking bans. Tailored cessation efforts focusing on older transit workers more likely to smoke are needed to reduce tobacco-related disparities in this workforce.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.52 no.6
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• pp.593-603
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• 2019

Purpose: Previous studies have highlighted that the nutritional behaviors among South Korean workers are far from ideal. This study examined the organizational influences affecting the eating practices of office workers in South Korea. Methods: We conducted in-depth interviews with 22 office workers at 12 companies in South Korea. The interviewer inquired about the employees' daily routines on food and beverage intake. The various factors that influence their food choices in their work environments were also explored. The interviews were transcribed and then analyzed using a content analysis. Results: A framework analysis revealed 7 key recurring themes, and these were grouped under three levels: team-, company-, and corporate group-levels. First, team dinners are core social events for all the workers and they tend to include high-caloric food and alcoholic beverages. The frequency of team meals and the food associated with them depend on various team characteristics such as gender composition, the nature of a team's work and the team leaders' emphasis on group meals. Second, the company's policies and practices regarding budget allocation for team meals and subsidies for cafeteria meals affect the workers' food intake practices. In addition, the physical environment of the worksite cafeterias can influence the choices of foods. Third, various corporate group policies that were not designed to target food intake had additional positive effects on the workers' eating behaviors. Conclusion: This study provides important insights into the broader organizational influences on the food consumption of employees in their workplace. These insights can be used to design and implement more effective intervention strategies for improving the nutritional behaviors of office workers.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.25-37
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• 2005

Objective : To estimate the magnitude of psychosocial distress and examine eligible factors associated with the development of psychosocial distress in Korean employees, using a nationwide sample. Methods : A total of 6,977 workers were recruited from 245 companies. A structured questionnaire was used to assess sociodemographics, health-related behaviors, job characteristics, social support at work, personality traits (locus of control, type A behavior pattern), self-esteem, and psychosocial distress. Results : The results showed that 23 % of workers were categorized as high stress, 73% as moderate, and 5% as normal. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis showed that psychosocial distress was more common in younger workers, both male and female. Regular exercise was negatively associated with increase of psychosocial distress. In job characteristics, as expected, low decision latitude, high job insecurity, and low social support at work were related to high psychosocial distress. Personality traits such as locus of control and type A behavior pattern, and self-esteem were more powerful predictors of psychosocial distress than general characteristics, health-related behavior, and job characteristics. There were some gender differences. While men who are less educated and single (unmarried, divorced, and separated) experienced higher levels of psychosocial distress than those who are educated and married, women who feel high job demand experienced higher levels of psychosocial distress than those who feel low job demand. Conclusions : The proportion of the high stress group was higher than expected, and psychosocial factors like social support and personality characteristics (e. g. locus of control, type A behavior pattern and self-esteem) were more significant factors for psychosocial distress than other variables. This finding suggests that some psychosocial factors, especially inadequate social support, low self-esteem and lack of internal locus of control for the development of psychosocial distress, will also operate as an intervention strategy in the worksite stress reduction program. It is strongly required that worksite stress reduction programs should be established in at both occupational and level as well as in individual levels.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.200-210
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• 2003

Purpose: This quasi-experimental study was performed to investigate the effects of a health promotion program(HPP) on self-efficacy, healthy lifestyle and blood lipid profile in employees with hyperlipidemia. Methods: The subjects were forty-three employees who were diagnosed as having hyperlipidemia during routine health examination at two worksites in Seoul in 2001. Of the forty-three subjects, thirty were allocated to the experimental group and the remaining thirteen were allocated to the control group. Data were collected from September 24, 2001 to March 16, 2002. The HPP was applied to the experimental group for 11 weeks and included health education, diet counseling, watching videos, conference, and so on. The health education included information about exercise, smoking cessation, and abstinence from drinking alcohol and seven sessions of hyperlipidemia education. The experimental group was requested to keep a daily health promotion lifestyle diary. This diary was analyzed by a dietician and subjects were instructed based on the results. As for data analyses, wilcoxon signed rank test and wilcoxon rank sum test and x2-test were carried out using SAS program. Results: 1. Self-efficacy scores of the experimental group were significantly more increased than those of the control group (experimental: 5.86 10.80, control: -4.04 11.91, p=0.018). 2. Healthy lifestyle scores of the experimental group were significantly more increased than those of the control group (experimental: 0.19 0.26, control: -0.05 0.29, p=0.024). 3. Blood total cholesterol values of the experimental group were significantly more decreased than those of the control group (experimental: -13.07 30.10mg/dl, control: 10.00 26.57mg/dl, p=0.033). 4. Blood triglyceride values of the experimental group were significantly more decreased than those of the control group (experimental: -29.17 192.40mg/dl, control: 63.31 107.53mg/dl, p=0.050). Conclusion: These findings indicate that the HHP could be effective in improving self-efficacy, healthy lifestyle and blood HDL cholesterol and decreasing blood total cholesterol in employees with hyperlipidemia. Therefore, the HHP could be suggested as an effective nursing intervention for employees in the worksite by ultimately preventing cerebral and cardiac vessel complications related to hyperlipidemia.