Psychometric properties of the Malay-translated General Practice Physical Activity Questionnaire among shipyard workers

Background: The General Practice Physical ActivityQuestionnaire (GPPAQ) is a validated and reliable screeningtool to measure the level of physical activity in adults.However, it has never been translated and validated inMalaysian population. This study aimed to translate theGPPAQ into Malay language and to evaluate thepsychometric properties of the Malay-translated GPPAQamong shipyard workers.Methods: The original English version of GPPAQ wastranslated forward and backward into Malay version byexperts. The final version of the Malay-translated GPPAQwas then tested for validity and reliability. A cross-sectionalstudy design was performed and systematic randomsampling was used to select respondents. Construct validityand internal consistency of the Malay-translated versionwere tested using exploratory factor analysis andCronbach’s alpha respectively.Results: Sixty-two male shipyard workers participated inthis study. The GPPAQ showed good factor loading valuesfor all items (0.608-0.834). The exploratory principalcomponent factor analysis delineates all seven items intotwo factors with variance of 41.65%. The Cronbach’s alphavalue was good with 0.81, 0.84 and 0.76 for total scale, factor1 and factor 2 respectively.Conclusion: The Malay-translated version of GPPAQ hashigh psychometric properties. Therefore, it is a validinstrument to assess physical activity among Malaysianworking population, particularly in male shipyard workers.

Comparison of Cardiovascular Disease Status Between Large Scale Industry Office and Self Employed Male Workers / 대한산업의학회지

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to compare the cardiovascular disease status between large scale industry office and self employed male workers who have gaps in their intensive health management. METHODS: The cross sectional study was carried out with subjects composed of 244 shipyard office male workers and 381 self employed male workers, aged 30 to 55 years. They were given a health exam in a general hospital from January 2007 to June 2009. Information was based on data from self-administered questionnaires, physical examination and laboratory results on blood samples. The degree of coronary artery calcification and stenosis was evaluated by a 64 channel multi-detector computed tomography angiography. RESULTS: The prevalence of hypertension(p<0.01) and diabetes mellitus(p=0.02) and waist circumference(p<0.01) was significantly lower in the shipyard office workers than in self employed workers. Proper drinking(p<0.01) was more commmon in shipyard office workers. The rates of coronary artery calcification and stenosis were estimated to be 18.4% and 11.5% respectively for shipyard office workers and were significantly lower than the 26.5% and 21.5% for self employed workers. After adjustment for age, the probability of coronary artery stenosis in shipyard office workers was lower than in self employed workers (OR=0.56, 95% CI=0.35~0.90). CONCLUSIONS: The study results verified the benefits of a health promotion and intervention program and the healthy worker effect for cardiovascular diseases. More specifically, it verified the benefits regarding coronary artery stenosis in large scale industry office workers. This result should encourage the establishment of health promotion programs and the study of occupational epidemiology.

Characteristics of Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders and Effect of Intervention Program in Shipyard Workers / 대한산업의학회지

OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to estimate the characteristics of work-related musculoskeletal disorders and the effect of intervention program in shipyard workers. METHODS: Information on work related absences,due to musculoskeletal disorders, were collected between January, 1 2000 and August, 31 2002. Age, duration of work, job type, anatomical site of disease, cause and duration of absence due to sickness were investigated. RESULTS: From a total of 158 cases there were 108(68.4%)and 50(31.6%)cases of back, and other musculoskeletal complaints,respectively. 55(34.8%)of the cases were caused by repetitive trauma and 103(65.2%)were due to non-repetitive causes. 90(83.3%)of the back complaint cases were due to non-repetitive causes, but there was a repetitive cause of other musculoskeletal complaints in 37(74.0%)cases. Back complaints were higher in workers carrying heavy materials, but other musculoskeletal complaints were higher in painting workers.Half of workers after an absence due to sickness had returned to work within 32.0 weeks and 25.4 weeks,in the cases of back and other musculoskeletal complaints, respectively. After the application of an intervention program for musculoskeletal disease, the incidence rate of absence due to work-related musculoskeletal disorders was reduced significantly. CONCLUSION: The introduction of a musculoskeletal intervention program reduced absences due to work-related musculoskeletal disorders.

The relationship between the utilization of health center and exposed amount to solvent by using cumulative exposure index / 예방의학회지

This study was conducted in order to clarify the factors affecting the number of utilization to health center for the shipyard workers who have been work in exposed environment to solvent. At first the tendencies of the number of utilization to health center in accordance with cumulative exposure(CE), lifetime weighted average exposure(LWAE), one's place of duty, work contents, states of using safety apparatus, the degree of the knowledge on handling solvents, exposure year. 1) The increase in the cumulative exposure(CE) was significantly higher in the number of utilization to health center. The group with longer exposure year showed significantly higher number of utilization to health center(p<0.01). Considering the work contents such as power blasting, spray, mixing and touch-up, the group of touch-up showed higher number of utilization to health center and this difference was statistically significant(p<0.001). Those who were not using the safety apparatus, showed higher number of utilization to health center, which was statistically significant(p<0.05). The degree of the knowledge on handling the solvent had no relation with using health center. 2) The results conducted from this study by multiple regression analysis in clarifying the factors affecting the number of utilization to health center, CE, exposure year and using safety apparatus was significant factor in utilization of health center.

Cumulative Trauma Disorders Among Shipyard Workers and Application of Baseline Checklist for Risk Assessment / 대한산업의학회지

Cumulative trauma disorders were surveyed in a cross-sectional study of 100 male ship yard workers and 43 male office workers. And baseline checklist for risk assessment of cumulative trauma disorders was applicated in a ship making process. Cases of cumulative trauma disorders were defined using physical examinations and electronic diagnostic methods. Data on demographics, individual factors (medical condition), work organization and psychosocial aspects of work were obtained by questionnaire. Association between the above factors and cumulative trauma disorders were assessed by multiple logistic regression models. 29(29 %) participants of male shipyard workers and 4(9.2 %) study subjects of male office workers met our case definitions for cumulative trauma disorders. The myofascial pain syndrome of neck muscles(12 % of participants) and carpal tunnel syndrome(5 % of participants) were the major two medical conditions in shipyard workers. The odds of male shipyard workers for cumulative trauma disorders to male office workers was 3.15 after adjustment of age(95 % C.I. :2.25-5.44). And the variables such as duration of present job, HIVD condition, and surges in workload were associated at least one of the cumulative trauma disorders in the final models (p<0.05) . This study indicates that work related upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders are relatively common among shipyard workers, and shows that the psychosocial factors is not likely to be related to the occur rences of these disorders in heavy workers. Also we developed baseline checklist for risk assessment of cumulative trauma disorders. The checklist was unique in that its expected users were industrial hygienists and occupational healthing nurses who did not have much ergonomic background and in that it was targeted to Korean workers in various types. As the first application of the checklist, shipyard workers were evaluated.

Cumulative Trauma Disorders Among Shipyard Workers and Application of Baseline Checklist for Risk Assessment / 대한산업의학회지

Cumulative trauma disorders were surveyed in a cross-sectional study of 100 male ship yard workers and 43 male office workers. And baseline checklist for risk assessment of cumulative trauma disorders was applicated in a ship making process. Cases of cumulative trauma disorders were defined using physical examinations and electronic diagnostic methods. Data on demographics, individual factors (medical condition), work organization and psychosocial aspects of work were obtained by questionnaire. Association between the above factors and cumulative trauma disorders were assessed by multiple logistic regression models. 29(29 %) participants of male shipyard workers and 4(9.2 %) study subjects of male office workers met our case definitions for cumulative trauma disorders. The myofascial pain syndrome of neck muscles(12 % of participants) and carpal tunnel syndrome(5 % of participants) were the major two medical conditions in shipyard workers. The odds of male shipyard workers for cumulative trauma disorders to male office workers was 3.15 after adjustment of age(95 % C.I. :2.25-5.44). And the variables such as duration of present job, HIVD condition, and surges in workload were associated at least one of the cumulative trauma disorders in the final models (p<0.05) . This study indicates that work related upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders are relatively common among shipyard workers, and shows that the psychosocial factors is not likely to be related to the occur rences of these disorders in heavy workers. Also we developed baseline checklist for risk assessment of cumulative trauma disorders. The checklist was unique in that its expected users were industrial hygienists and occupational healthing nurses who did not have much ergonomic background and in that it was targeted to Korean workers in various types. As the first application of the checklist, shipyard workers were evaluated.

The Risk Factors of Industrial Low Back Pain among Shipyard Workers / 예방의학회지

Low back pain patients an controls of shipyard workers were surveyed between June 1995 and september 1995 to identify risk factors of industrial low back pain. The patients were 17 male workers who had got medical treatment for over 3 days because of industrial back pain controls were 51 male workers who had not have musculoskeletal disorder for one year before the survey. By univariate analysis, the workers who did overtime work 4 times or more for the last 2 weeks showed odds ratio of 3.67 on low back pain with the workers who did less overtime work. Carrying heavy materials was also associated with the low back pain and the odds ratio increased with the increase of carrying weight. work space and work posture were not associated with the low back pain significantly. The welder had higher odds ratio than the other workers on low back pain. The duration of employment and job satisfaction did not affect the risk of low back pain. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that frequency of overtime work for the last 2 weeks and carrying heavy materials among the risk factors were associated significantly with the low back pain. We found that important risk factors of low back pain of shipyard workers are work intensity factors such as overtime work and carrying heavy weight.