Analysis of Workplace Health Education Performed by Occupational Health Managers in Korea

PURPOSE: To evaluate workplace health education as practiced by occupational health managers based on standardized job tasks and suggest priority tasks and areas to be trained. METHODS: The study was conducted between November 10, 2013 and April 30, 2014. The tool used in this study was standardized job tasks of workplace health education for occupational health managers which was developed through methodological steps. It was evaluated by 233 worksite occupational health managers. Data were analyzed using SPSS 21.0. RESULTS: Predicting variables of workplace health education performance were the "analysis and planning" factor, type of enterprise, and form of management. Healthcare professionals and occupational health managers who managed the nonmanufacturing industry showed high importance and low performance level in "analysis and planning" factor. CONCLUSIONS: "Analysis and planning" skill is priority training area for healthcare professionals and occupational health managers who managed nonmanufacturing industry. It is necessary to develop a training curriculum for occupational health managers that include improving analysis of worksites and plans for a health education program.

Development of an Assessment Tool for Drinking Motives and Problem Drinking in Female University Students

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study is to develop a tool that can identify drinking motives and measure the degree of problem drinking in female university students. METHODS: From June 25th, 2012 to September 21st, 2012, a methodological study was carried out on this subject. A basic questionnaire was made based on research literature and interviews with 8 female university students. The subjects who participated in the survey for factor analysis were 397 female university students from 2 universities in G Metropolitan City. RESULTS: Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted using PASW and AMOS 18.0. The developed tool was found to be acceptable in terms of construct validity and modeling suitability. The questionnaire comprised 16 questions on drinking motives in 4 sub-categories including 'relief' (4 questions), 'friendship' (3 questions), 'consolation' (4 questions), and 'escape' (5 questions). Problem drinking consisted of 11 questions in 3 different sub-categories including 'loss of control,' 'health hazards,' and 'sexual hazards.' CONCLUSION: The questionnaire was proved to have reliability and validity. Finally, the researcher suggests that this questionnaire is adequate for assessing drinking motives and problem drinking of female university students.

Perception of environment-friendly foods and satisfaction with school meals among students, their parents, and nutrition teachers at elementary schools in the Jindo area, Jeonnam / 한국영양학회지

The aim of this study was to investigate the perception of students, their parents, and nutrition teachers regarding environment-friendly foods (EFF) and the satisfaction with school meals at elementary schools. Questionnaires were sent to nutrition teachers at five elementary schools located in the Jindo area, Jeonnam province, and were distributed to students and their parents. A total of 351 questionnaires from students and 334 from parents were collected from March to April, 2013. In addition, 43 nutrition teachers/dietitians working at elementary schools in the Jindo area responded to questionnaires. Nutrition teachers primarily recognized the classification and certification standards of EFF, and verified the certification mark of EFF when they purchased foods. However, 13.4% of students and 38.6% of parents replied as 'know well' regarding the classification and certification standards of EFF and they verified the mark of EFF less often than the nutrition teachers (p < 0.001). Most of the nutrition teachers and parents indicated 'safety' as the main advantage of EFF. The students and parents were satisfied with EFF at home and school meals because of the safety and favorable effect on health. The results showed that EFF compromised 20~40% of monthly food costs for 51.1% of nutrition teachers. The overall score for satisfaction with school meals for students was 3.88 based on a 5-point Likert scale; however, that of the parents was 3.72. The nutrition teachers realized that the parents were more interested in EFF and satisfied with EFF than the students. The major barriers to using EFF in school meals were 'lack of information about EFF' and 'unstable supply.' Therefore, the above results suggested that there should be improvement in the supply of EFF to include more EFF in school meals and efforts should be made to provide students and parents with more information for understanding EFF.

Effect of green tea extract microencapsulation on hypertriglyceridemia and cardiovascular tissues in high fructose-fed rats

The application of polyphenols has attracted great interest in the field of functional foods and nutraceuticals due to their potential health benefits in humans. However, the effectiveness of polyphenols depends on their bioactivity and bioavailability. In the present study, the bioactive component from green tea extract (GTE) was administrated orally (50 mg/kg body weight/day) as free or in a microencapsulated form with maltodextrin in rats fed a high fructose diet. High fructose diet induced features of metabolic syndrome including hypertriglyceridemia, hyperuricemia, increased serum total cholesterol, and retroperitoneal obesity. In addition, myocardial fibrosis was increased. In rats receiving high fructose diet, the lowering of blood triglycerides, total cholesterol, non esterified fatty acid (NEFA) and uric acid, as well as the reduction in final body weight and retroperitoneal fat weight associated with the administration of GTE, led to a reversal of the features of metabolic syndrome (P < 0.05). In particular, the administration of microencapsulated GTE decreased myocardial fibrosis and increased liver catalase activity consistent with a further alleviation of serum NEFA, and hyperuricemia compared to administration of GTE. Taken together, our results suggest that microencapsulation of the bioactive components of GTE might have a protective effect on cardiovasucular system by attenuating the adverse features of myocardial fibrosis, decreasing uric acid levels and increasing hepatic catalase activity effectively by protecting their bioactivities.

Presenteeism and Absenteeism According to Health Problems on Nurses

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the presenteeism and absenteeism in relation to the health problems of nurses. METHOD: Informed consent was provided before study. Data was collected from January 7 to March 6, 2008 by Stanford Presenteeism Scale-13. Data was collected from 3 hospitals in Seou l.Gyeonggi area. The response rate of the questionnaires was 96.2%. Incomplete data was analyzed using SPSS program. RESULTS: Shoulder, back and neck pain were the highest reported health problems and primary health problem of nurses. Impaired presenteeism was ranked in this order: depression or anxiety, cold, and uterus or ovary disorder. Absenteeism was ranked in this order: uterus or ovary disorder, cold, and dermatological problem. Impaired presenteeism was significantly increasing according to the number of health problems. But Absenteeism was not. Presenteeism was significantly different by age, educational level, religion, whether or not the worker lived with their family, marital status, whether or not the worker has children, time spent in the workforce, experience of turnover, shift work, night work, and level of satisfaction with salary. But absenteeism was not significantly different given these criteria. CONCLUSIONS: Health problems of nurses can negatively effect the quality of nursing service and productivity at hospital. Therefore the hospital administrator should control the presenteeism and absenteeism through the management of health problems of nurses.

Economic Impact according to Health Problems of Workers / 간호학회지

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine health problems and to estimate economic impact based on health problems of workers. METHODS: The subjects of this study consisted of 301 workers who received a group occupational health service. Data was collected from February 1 to March 30, 2006. The questionnaire contained questions based on general characteristics and the Stanford Presenteeism Scale. Data was analyzed with descriptive statistics, t-test using SPSS program. RESULTS: The primary health conditions as reported by workers were ranked in order as stomach or bowel disorders, back or neck disorders, or liver function disorders. The reason of absenteeism per worker was ranked in order as asthma, or a breathing disorder. The reason of presenteeism was ranked in order as asthma, insomnia or a sleep disorder. The cost of the total economic impact on the workplace in this study was 8,851,838 won. The cost of absenteeism per worker was 8,390 won. The cost of presenteeism per worker was 941,732 won. CONCLUSION: Presenteeism had a strong correlation to health conditions of the workers. Therefore, improving the work conditions of the workers is very important. If employers improve the health condition of workers, they will benefit from improved productivity in their business.

Stress and Presenteeism in Workers of Small and Medium Enterprises / 대한산업의학회지

OBJECTIVES: The study objective was to develop an understanding of the relationship between the stress and presenteeism of workers. METHODS: The study subjects were workers who were receiving Group Occupational Health Services in Seoul and Gyeonggi-do. For the survey, a structured self-report questionnaire was administered from February 1 to March 30, 2006. Data were collected from 354 employees and analyzed on SPSS 12.0 and AMOS 5.0 program. RESULTS: For present health problems, gastrointestinal problems were ranked highest at 44.9% followed by muskuloskelectal problems, and mental and nervous problems with over 30%. However, compared to the current health condition, the rate of medical cure for the subjects' health problems was very low. Job and psychosocial stresses exerted a significant effect on the health problems, which in turn exerted a significant effect on the work impairment. In other words, stress exerted a significant effect on presenteeism. CONCLUSIONS: Job and psychosocial stresses are the variables which influence presenteeism. Thus, Job and psycosocial stresses need to be controled to prevent the decline of presenteeism.

Level of Problem Drinking, Health Status and Perception of Need for Moderate Drinking by Male Blue-collar Workers in Steel Factory / 대한산업의학회지

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to investigate the level of problem drinking by male blue-collar workers in light of their health status and their perception of drinking amount. METHOD: A steel factory located in the central region of Korea was chosen and 182 questionnaire responses from male workers were analyzed using the SPSS/WIN 11.0 in reference to each worker's physical examination record. RESULTS: According to the criteria set by WHO, 19 workers(10.4%) were found to have 'problem drinking', 81 workers(44.5%) 'alcohol use disorder'and 14 workers(7.7%) 'alcohol dependence'. Only the remaining 68 workers(37.4%) were found to have 'normal drinking'. In relation to the workers'health status by CMI, 'alcohol dependence'scored 62.92, and 'alcohol use disorder'scored 56.53, both of which were far higher than the 'problem drinking'score of 44.52, In particular, it was found that each of the diabetes group(t=2.32, p<.05) and the liverdisease group(t=2.01, p<.05) drank much more than the non-diabetes group or the non-liver-disease group. In terms of the workers'perception of drinking amount, 'alcohol use disorder'and 'alcohol dependence'scored 147.62 and 144.21 respectively, both of which were far higher than the 'problem drinking'score of 138.57. CONCLUSION: The above results suggest the need to educate workers on the necessity and practices of moderate drinking before they enter a state of alcohol use disorder or alcohol dependence. Accordingly, as a part of early management and treatment of the workers'drinking problem, it may well be necessary to activate OAPs (Occupational Alcohol Programs).

Analgesics Abuse of Workers Exposed to Organic Solvents

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to investigate the actual condition of an analgesic intake of workers exposed to organic solvents. METHODS: The questionnaire and/or interview survey was conducted on workers who worked for small-scale factories of less than 50 employees when they visited an university hospital for a regular physical check-up required by the company. RESULTS: Among workers exposed to organic solvents, the proportion of those who took more than four tablets of analgesics a day or over 10 tablets of analgesics a month were 1.7 times and 1.5 times higher respectively than other workers not exposed to solvents. This indicates that the analgesic intake of workers exposed to organic solvents may be a threat to their health. As for the source of analgesics, individual purchases at drug store were about 12 times more common than doctors' prescriptions in both groups. This imbalance warns us of the possibility of analgesic abuse. The most common reason for analgesic intake was due to a headache in both groups. CONCLUSION: These results show that workers exposed to organic solvents take many more analgesics than non-exposed workers, so they have a greater chance of drug abuse.

A Survey on Physical Activities of Middle-aged Women Workers / 한국역학회지

This study was conducted to look into physical activities of middle-aged women workers and various factors related to them. Two sample groups of women workers were selected in a ceramic factory located in the suburbs of Mokpo city in Chonnam Provincd: the middle-aged group(73 women workers aged between 45-49) and the compared group(60 women workers aged between 35-39). Data were colledted curing the period of July 1-20, 1996. 1. The average score of job-related physical activities were 3.09 and 3.39 in the middle-aged group and the compared group respectively. However, when it comes to leisure-time physical activities, the two groups revealed little difference, scoring 1.50 on average. These facts show us that middle-aged women workers have little concern with their leisure-time physical activities because they perceive their job activities as heavy. 2. As for the middle-aged group, the most influential variables on job-related physical activities were 'speed of eating', 'body figure' and 'blood sugar level'. Only these three variables could account for 22.2% of job-related activities of middle-aged women workers. These results imply that the faster they eat, the closer their body figure is to fatness type, and the higher their blood sugar level is, the heavier they perceive their job activities. 3. 'Body figure' was the most influential variable on Percent Ideal Body Weight(PIBW) in both the groups. It could explain 29.2% and 14.1% of PIBW in the middle-aged group and the compared group respectively. It means that the closer their body figure is to fatness type, the higher their PIBW gets. 4. As for 'body figure', 35.61% of the middle-aged group revealed fatness type. None the less, most of the middle-aged respondents perceived their 'body figure' as normal. According to the above results, I'd like to propose the followings: 1) It is necessary to provide middle-aged women workers with group health education of 'body figure'. 2) It is desirable to give workers various incentives for the active participation in walking campaign before and after work. 3) Indoor exercises such as rope-skipping and stepping in work sites as a recommendable as leisure-time physical activities.

A Descriptive Study on Epidemiological Characteristics of Homeless Patients / 한국역학회지

The purpose of this study is to provide basic data for dealing with the medical problems of homeless patients in medical protection. To sampling by age, sex, and carried out on 2440 homeless patients who have been given medical treatment between Jan. 1 Dec 31 in 1994 in the municipal D hospital in Seoul. Thus medical records of 172 patients were selected as the target data of this study. The selected data were analyzed by means of CATS, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficients and multiple regression. Some significant results could be obtained as follows. 1. Epidemiological characteristics The average age of the patients was 40.59 : Their ages were distributed between 20 and 84, the median being 37. As for the admission season, winter overwhelmed any other season : 30.8 % of the patients were admitted in winter. 2. Medical characteristics The days of treatment had a tendency to increase in proportion to the ages of patients : age 20-30 group took the least (average 1.92 days) and age 51-60 group took the most (average 2. 35 days). When it comes to the degree of drinking, 66 out of 172 patients(38.8%) suffered from alcohol or drug abuse. All of them had more than two kinds of diseases and 47. 0% of them were admitted in winter. As for the number of diseases, those who had been admitted in winter and autumn had the most and the least ones respectively. From the view point of age, age 51-60 group had the most and age 31-40 group had the least diseases. Viewed from the point of the days of treatment, those who had been treated for more than two days had more diseases than those treated for one day. From the viewpoint of administrative measures, the group committed by the police had more diseases than the other group and the group who had been treated free of charge had more diseases than the other group. The number of diseases was very closely related to the degree of drinking(Pearson correlation coefficients 0.877): No less than 77.83% of the diseases could be explained by only age and the degree of drinking. The above results implies that the government measures for the homeless patients should be reconsidered. They should not simply be accommodated in the social welfare facilities with a view to maintaining the order of the society. Instead we should admit them as economically weak class and deal with their medical problems in the field of medical protection.