Cardiovascular Disease Risk of Bus Drivers in a City of Korea

OBJECTIVE: To prevent the occurrence of CV events such as MI and stroke among professional drivers in Korea, bus drivers were compared to other occupations through the Framingham risk scoring system (FRS) or metabolic syndrome (MS) of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk assessment methods. METHODS: In October 2012, a health examination survey was conducted for 443 male bus drivers in a big city. Their CVD risk factors were compared to those of a 'total employed' (A group) and 'crafts and machine operators' (B group) extracted from Fifth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES, 2010) data by using FRS and MS. We calculated proportions of the CVD risk factors distribution between bus drivers and the A, B groups by the bootstrapping method. The Odds ratio (OR) between CV event risk combining MS with CHD equivalent risk of FRS and occupational factors like shift patterns and professional driving duration/age ratios (PDAR) of bus drivers was calculated through multinominal logistic regression. RESULTS: The proportion of BMI > or = 25 kg/m2 was 53.9% and waist circumference > or = 90cm was 40.9% among bus drivers. Hypertension and MS prevalence of bus drivers was 53.3%, 49.9% which is higher than 17.6%, 22.6% in the A group and 19.7%, 23.8% in the B group respectively. OR of high CV event risk in alternate shift was 2.58 (95% CI 1.33~5.00) in comparison with double shift pattern and OR in PDAR > or = 0.5 was 2.18 (95% CI 1.15~4.14). CONCLUSION: Middle aged male drivers in a big city of Korea stand a higher chance of developing CV event than other professions of the same age.

Occupational Stress and MMPI-2 Profile of Workers in Some Plants Undergoing Labor Dispute / 대한산업의학회지

OBJECTIVES: To identify changes in relationships with superiors or colleagues at work and family members and social networks at home, based on occupational stress and psychological characteristics in during the process of restructuring some plants undergoing a long-term labor dispute. METHODS: This study invested 213 workers involved in a long-term labor dispute using the KOSS (Korean Occupational Stress Scale) and the MMPI-2 (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory) and questionnaires. The KOSS and MMPI-2 scores in accordance with aggressiveness of trade union activity and changes in human relationships were compared. In addition, the odds ratio of whether there were differences in health behavior (perception of health status, smoking, alcohol abuse, medical treatment) and the absenteeism rate was calculated by logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: For members of the aggressiveness of trade union activity group, the rate at which the relationship between superiors or colleagues deteriorated was high, as was the total KOSS score, occupational system and lack of reward score of KOSS subclass. The depression subclass score of MMPI-2 was generally high, while the score of hypochondriasis, hysteria, psychopathic deviate, hypomania was high, and social introversion was low in the active group. In cases in which there were high score of psychopathic deviate, hypomania and paranoia, there were also signs of negative health behavior. CONCLUSIONS: Occupational stress caused by a long-term labor dispute, accompanied with depression can result in an aggressive, hostile and vulnerable personalities and have a negative impact on health behavior.

Relationship between Occupational Stress-Emotional Labor and Musculoskeletal Symptoms and Experience of Absence or Early Leave in Some Civil Affairs Officials / 대한산업의학회지

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study are to identify the relationship between the Korean occupational stress scale (KOSS) and emotional labor, and to study the association between emotional labor and musculoskeletal symptoms, absence or early leave due to physical problems among civil affairs officials. METHODS: 391 public workers who provide social insurance service were analyzed. A structured self-reported questionnaire was used to assess sociodemographics, job stress, emotional labor, musculoskeletal symptoms and the experience of absence or early leave due to physical problems. For a comprehensive understanding of the relationship among these factors, multiple logistic regression analysis was used. RESULTS: The Pearson coefficient was 0.409 between the job demand of KOSS and the emotional labor score. The odds ratio of musculoskeletal symptoms is 2.32(95% CI: 1.17~4.61), 2.48(95% CI: 1.15~5.33) in the groups of moderate and, high emotional labor score, respectively, compared to the low score group. On the other hand, the odds ratio of the experience of absence or early leave due to physical problems is 2.43(95% CI: 1.24~4.76) and, 3.08(95% CI: 1.44~6.57) in the same groups. CONCLUSIONS: Emotional labor acts as a factor of job demand of KOSS, and has an effect on musculoskeletal symptoms and absence or early leave among civil affairs officials.

Radiological Flattening of Lumbar Lordosis and Related Factors in Some Korean Farmers / 대한산업의학회지

OBJECTIVES: To determine if agricultural work is related to radiological flattening of lumbar lordosis, and to identify the relationship between of back pain and flat back in selected Korean farmers. METHODS: Between June 2006 and July 2008, 414 farmers, 155 (37.4%) males and 259 (62.6%) females participated in this study. We collected data on hazardous agricultural work postures and other factors from interviews, surveys, and x-ray views of lateral lumbar. The operational definition of a flat back was below -1 SD of lordotic angle, with a normal distribution between L1 and S1 level. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to evaluate the relationship between flat back and hazardous working posture ratio, sex, the severity of back pain. RESULTS: Mean lordotic angle was 42.9+/-15.7degrees. Flat back had a higher prevalence in the females (24.7%) than the males (5.8%). The odds ratio of flat back risk is 3.30 (95% CI: 1.46~7.46) in the females compared to the males, 1.31 (95% CI: 0.61~2.79), 4.11 (95% CI: 1.77~9.55) in the group of hazardous working posture ratio compared to the low risk group, 2.78 (95% CI: 1.27~6.07), 5.74 (95% CI: 2.27~14.49) in the group of L4-L5 disc space narrowing compared to normal group, 3.06 (95% CI: 1.27~7.31), 5.45 (95% CI: 1.70~17.46) in the group of lumbar spine compression fracture compared to no fracture. Odds ratio of severe back pain is 2.29 (95% CI: 1.12~4.72) in the group of flat back compared to normal group. CONCLUSIONS: Hazardous agricultural working postures, such as 'low- lifting, pulling, pushing work and high- squatting posture work' are associated with flat back. Low back pain is significantly associated with flat back group in female farmers.