Psychological Stress Status and it's related Factor in Pilots

BACKGROUND: Pilots should maintain optimal state of physical and psychological well-being for preventing aircraft accidents. Major cause of aircraft accidents was human factors, and physical well-being are closely related to psychological health. Thus, we evaluate psychological stress status of pilots to manage and promote psychological well-being of pilots in Republic of Korea Air Forces. METHODS: A self-administered questionnaire was designed. It dealt with demographic, medical utilization and health habit variables. The section of psychological stress was the 60-item version of Goldberg's general health questionnaire(GHQ-60). From September 1996 to October 1996, 896 questionnaires were distributed to the pilots. RESULTS: The degree of stress were statistically significant in the age, marital status, educational attainment, annual income, hospital admission, hours of sleep, having breakfast, regular exercise, smoking and alcohol drinking variables; (a) pilots in younger, unmarried, and low-income group had more stress; (b) pilots have hospital admission in a recent month including his family member had more stress; (c) pilots in sleeping 9 and over hours, having breakfast sometimes, no regular exercise, smoking and frequent alcohol drinking group had the highest level of stress. In potential distress group, hospital admission including his family member( adjusted OR = 2.15, 95% CI : 1.15-4.02), lack of sleeping( adjusted OR = 2.78, 95% CI : 1.57-4.94), irregular exercise(adjusted OR=2.42, 95% CI: 1.40-4.18) and frequent alcohol drinking(adjusted OR=2.79, 95% CI: 1.05-7.41) were estimated as risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggested that we should give a special attention to manage the stress of pilots in younger age and, in potential distress group, pilot had hospital admission including his family member, lack of sleeping, irregular exercise and frequent alcohol drinking in relation to maintain and promote psychological health of pilots in air forces.

Performance of the WHO NCTB(neurobehavioral core test battery) among 96 Males Occupationally non-exposed to Neurotoxic Chemicals

Simple reaction time, digit span, digit symbol, Santa Ana dexterity test, Benton visual retention test, and pursuit aiming of the WHO NCTB (neurobehavioral core test battery) were administered to the 96 males occupationally non-exposed to neurotoxic chemicals. All subjects do not have any disease and head trauma and do not take medicine recently. Multiple regression analysis was done for establishing predict equation to estimate normal ranges of tests for males. Age was main independent variable affected all tests except for simple reaction time. Digit symbol was affected by educational level. Santa Ana dexterity, non-preferred hand was affected by alcohol drinking. Santa Ana dexterity, preferred hand and wrong dot of pursuit aiming were affected by smoking.

Injuries by Martial Art “Taekwondo” / 대한정형외과학회잡지

No abstract available in English.