Implementation of a workplace protection system and its correlation with experiences of workplace violence: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: While customer interactions are inherent and essential aspects of the service industry, instances of violence against service workers have brought social attention to the need for a system to ensure their protection. In South Korea, a protection system for the health of service workers has been implemented to prevent this type of violence and its negative consequences. This study conducted a comparative analysis to clarify the impacts of this protection system across a sample of service workers. We collected data on their general characteristics, occupational characteristics, and experiences with the service protection system to determine how those factors were related to workplace violence, with a focus on whether the system has reduced such occurrences. METHODS: We collected self-reported survey data over 28 days (March 2 to March 30, 2020), resulting in 1,349 (99.3%) responses for our final analysis. We conducted a chi-square test and logistic regression analysis to investigate the general and occupational characteristics, experiences of violence, and experiences with the worker protection system. RESULTS: We found workplace violence is more observed among males, older workers, electronic equipment repairers, irregular workers, and those who worked for extended periods. On the other hand, we found a reduction in the occurrence of workplace violence in businesses that provided service workers with regular counseling from professional counselors, had designated persons responsible for grievance procedures, and/or had grievance procedure committees. We found the lowest likelihood of workplace violence in businesses that operated stress relaxation programs (all p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: This study identified a correlation between the adoption of the protection system for service workers and the prevalence of workplace violence. We also clarified the effects of the service protection system and developed a plan for its expansion. KEY POINTS: This study clarified the correlation between the adoption of the protection system for service workers and the occurrence of workplace violence. Along with our investigation of the protection system's effects, these findings provide a basis for expanding Korea's existing worker protection system.

The Relation between Worker Protection System in the Interpersonal Service and Workplace Violence as Well as Workers' Depression.

Background: We aimed to confirm the effect of interpersonal service worker protection system on workplace violence and depression and to determine the relationship among the protection system, workplace violence, and depression. Methods: Self-reporting survey was conducted for approximately a month beginning on 2 March 2020, among members selected using the convenience sampling method from seven labor unions in South Korea to which interpersonal service workers belonged. The questionnaire consisted of questions regarding the subjects' general characteristics, worker protection system, workplace violence, and depression. Overall, 1,541 workers participated in this study. Results: The basic model was used to test the relationship between the protection system and depression, with a mediating effect of workplace violence. Three of the hypothesized paths were significant (P<.001), but the basic model did not fit the data. In the revised model, the direct path from the protection system to depression was deleted. Path coefficient of the direct effect of the protection system on violence was -0.05, the direct effect of the violence on depression was 0.77, and the indirect effect of the protection system on depression was -0.04. The fit of this model was acceptable. Conclusion: Organizational interventions have an indirect effect on reducing depression by preventing workplace violence; however, there was no direct effect on reducing the depression of the workers. These results justify the need to invest in strengthening workplace protection systems for the interpersonal service workers.

Psychological Workplace Violence and Health Outcomes in South Korean Nurses.

BACKGROUND: Workplace violence (WPV) and its health consequences should continue to be investigated to foster a healthy and safe working environment, which may reduce nurse staff turnover and improve nurse staff shortages. This study aimed to address the gap in understanding WPV in non-western nurses by examining the relationship between psychological WPV experience, psychological well-being, subjective job stress, and presenteeism among South Korean nurses. METHODS: This cross-sectional study used data from the fifth Korean Working Conditions Survey (KWCS), and 477 nurses were analyzed. For the analysis, selected variables were extracted from the KWCS through a review of the existing literature. In the analysis, we included psychological WPV experiences, such as verbal abuse, unwanted sexual attention, threats, and/or humiliating behaviors over the past 1 month. We measured health outcomes including nurses' psychological well-being, subjective job stress, and presenteeism. FINDINGS: Psychological WPV within the previous month was experienced by 11.1% of the participants. Experience with verbal abuse, threats, or humiliating behaviors was associated with more job stress, higher presenteeism, and poor psychological well-being. CONCLUSION/APPLICATION TO PRACTICE: Study findings suggest that a comprehensive WPV prevention program accompanied by interventions aiming to reduce job stress and improve the well-being of nurses should be actively implemented. To prevent psychological WPV and improve the health of nurses, evidence-based efforts, such as establishment of WPV prevention procedures and education/training of workers at the national, organizational, and individual levels are needed.

Factors associated with the occurrence of functional dyspepsia and insomnia in shift-working nurses.

BACKGROUND: In South Korea, people are growing more and more interested in the early detection and prevention of health problems in shift workers. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate demographic, work-related and health-related factors relevant to functional dyspepsia and insomnia in shift-working nurses in South Korea. METHODS: The sample was comprised of 1431 nurses who worked rotating shifts in three large hospitals in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. The questionnaire consisted of factors assessing demographic, work-related and health-related characteristics. Rome III criteria and the Insomnia Severity Index were applied to identify functional dyspepsia and insomnia, respectively. The survey was ongoing for approximately one month starting from 17 June 2013. RESULTS: The results of this study indicated that gender, body mass index, the number of night shifts worked, work-related stress, and regular dietary patterns were related to functional dyspepsia and insomnia in shift-working nurses. CONCLUSIONS: This study may help establish suitable working conditions and build workplace health promotion programs for shift-working nurses.

Relationship Between Hiding Emotions and Health Outcomes Among South Korean Interactive Service Workers.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among hiding emotions, psychological well-being, and presenteeism for South Korean interactive service workers. This study is a secondary analysis of data extracted from the 2011 Korean Working Conditions Survey (KWCS), a longitudinal study conducted by the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency (KOSHA). For the present analysis, 15,669 workers who interacted with others at work were selected. Based on existing literature, a set of variables was chosen from the KWCS. Psychological well-being was measured using the World Health Organization (WHO)-5 Well-Being Index. The results indicated that frequently hiding feelings is related to presenteeism. Also, among workers who hide emotions at work, an inverse relationship was found between the degree to which these workers hide their feelings and their psychological well-being. Based on these results, the researchers offered practical suggestions to assist interactive service workers adjust to duties that require emotion management.

Smoking, Physical Activity, and Eating Habits Among Adolescents.

The purpose of this study was to compare physical activity and eating habits of adolescent smokers with those of adolescent non-smokers in South Korea. This was a secondary analysis of data collected from the 2012 Korean Youth Risk Behavior Web-Based Survey. The sample included 72,229 adolescents aged 12 to 18. A multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the association between smoking status and physical activity and between smoking status and eating habits, while controlling for other factors. Boys and girls were analyzed separately for all analyses. The proportion of self-reporting smokers was 11%. Surprisingly, girl smokers exercised significantly more frequently than non-smokers. Adolescent smokers were significantly less likely to consume fruits, vegetables, and milk/dairy products, and they ate significantly more fast-food than non-smokers. Health care professionals who plan smoking cessation programs should pay attention to South Korean adolescents' specific characteristics and cultural values in terms of health behavior.

Contributors to shift work tolerance in South Korean nurses working rotating shift.

Shift workers have rapidly increased in South Korea; however, there is no published research exploring shift work tolerance among South Korean workers. This study aimed to investigate factors related to shift work tolerance in South Korean nurses. The sample comprised of 660 nurses who worked shifts in a large hospital in South Korea. A structured questionnaire included following comprehensive variables: demographic (age and number of children), individual (morningness and self-esteem), psychosocial (social support and job stress), lifestyle (alcohol consumption, physical activity, and BMI), and working condition factors (number of night shifts and working hours). Shift work tolerance was measured in terms of insomnia, fatigue, and depression. The results of hierarchical regressions indicate that all variables, except for three, number of children, BMI, and working hours, were related to at least one of the symptoms associated with shift work tolerance. Based on these results, we offer some practical implications to help improve shift work tolerance of workers.

[Economic evaluation of a workplace occupational health nursing service: based on comparison with atmospheric environment managing engineer].

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to use cost-benefit analysis of activity to clarify the economic effect of prepared nurses versus atmospheric environment managing engineers as healthcare managers. METHODS: For the study 111 workplaces were surveyed, workplaces in which nurses or atmospheric environment managing engineers were employed as healthcare managers. The survey content included annual gross salaries, participation in external job training, costs in joining association covered by the company, location and year of construction of the healthcare office, various kinds of healthcare expenditures, costs in operating healthcare office, health education, and activity performance in the work of environment management. RESULTS: In the case of the healthcare manager being a nurse, benefit was larger than input costs at a ratio of 2.31. On the other hand, in the case of healthcare manager being an atmospheric environment managing engineer, input costs were larger than benefits (benefit-cost ratio 0.88). CONCLUSION: Results indicate that nurses are an effective healthcare human resource and can offer good quality healthcare service. Therefore companies should hire nurses and actively promote the economic efficiency of nurses in workplace.

Job and life satisfaction of nonstandard workers in South Korea.

Since the South Korean financial crisis of the late 1990s, the number of nonstandard workers in South Korea has increased rapidly. With such a drastic change, it has been difficult to establish national welfare systems (e.g., accident insurance or support for families with dependent children) for nonstandard workers and identify critical aspects of their health. To evaluate job and life satisfaction among nonstandard workers, this study used a representative sample of South Koreans. Using data from the 2008 Korean Labor and Income Panel Study, the sample size totaled 4,340 observations, of which 1,344 (31.0%) involved nonstandard workers. Significant differences in job and life satisfaction between nonstandard workers and standard workers were found. The results also indicate discrimination in the welfare and fringe benefit systems in South Korea. Occupational health nurses must address the physical and psychological health issues, personal problems, and everyday life concerns of nonstandard workers. Given that the employment status of nonstandard workers in companies is generally unstable, it is difficult for these workers to report poor working conditions to employers or other authorities. Accordingly, occupational health nurses should advocate for nonstandard workers by notifying employers of the many problems they face.

Efficacy of a programme for workers with metabolic syndrome based on an e-health system in the workplace: a pilot study.

We tested the efficacy of the Healthy Workplace programme for metabolic syndrome. A total of 226 workers with metabolic syndrome from 12 companies enrolled in the study and completed baseline and 6-month follow-up. The Healthy Workplace programme consisted of a 4-week structured education module, telephone counselling, mobile phone messages (SMS) and email messages in the ensuing 6 months. The main outcome measures of the pre-post study were waist circumference, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure (BP) and glucose levels. At follow-up, waist circumference and diastolic BP were significantly reduced compared to baseline. Triglyceride and fasting glucose levels improved significantly 6 months after the study. At 6-month follow-up, manifest risk factors for metabolic syndrome had disappeared in 9% of the participants. The integrated Healthy Workplace programme encouraged workers to improve self-care behaviours.

Relationship between handling heavy items during pregnancy and spontaneous abortion: a cross-sectional survey of working women in South Korea.

The researchers conducted a cross-sectional survey to determine the relationship between handling heavy items during pregnancy and spontaneous abortion among working women in South Korea. One thousand working women were selected from a database of those eligible for maternity benefits under the National Employment Insurance Plan. Study results showed that handling heavy items during pregnancy was associated with an increased risk of spontaneous abortion after adjusting for general characteristics of the participants and their work environment. A collective effort is needed on the parts of employers, employees, occupational health nurses, and the government to protect working women from lifting heavy items while pregnant.

The use of internet cancer support groups by Asian Americans and White Americans living with cancer.

PURPOSE: To explore the use of Internet cancer support groups (UICSG) by Asians and Whites living with cancer and determine the factors influencing their UICSG. DESIGN AND METHODS: A cross-sectional Internet study among 30 Asians and 30 Whites. The instruments included (a) questions on sociodemographic and cultural factors, and disease status, (b) the Support Care Needs Survey-34 Short Form, (c) the 2003 Health Information National Trends Survey subscale on Internet usage, and (d) the UICSG Questionnaire. The data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon rank-sum test and nonparametric multiple regression analyses. RESULTS: There was a significant ethnic difference in the UICSG, but there were no ethnic differences in general Internet use or needs for help. Across the ethnic groups, the significant factors influencing the UICSG included "self-reported ethnic identity," "born in the United States," and "general Internet use." CONCLUSION: Nurses should consider the cultural factors that influence the UICSG.

Attitudes toward physical activity of white midlife women.

OBJECTIVE: To explore attitudes toward physical activity of White midlife women in the United States using a feminist perspective. DESIGN: A cross-sectional qualitative study using a thematic analysis. SETTING: Internet communities for midlife women. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-nine White midlife women in the United States recruited using a convenience sampling method. METHODS: We used 17 topics on attitudes toward physical activity and ethnic-specific contexts to administer an online forum. We analyzed the data using thematic analysis. RESULTS: We found three themes: thinking without action, gendered and sedentary culture, and motivating myself. The women knew and understood the necessity of physical activity for their physical and mental health but in most cases had not been able to take action to increase their physical activities. Although the culture that circumscribed the women's physical activity was sedentary in nature, the women tried to motivate themselves to increase their physical activities through several creative strategies. CONCLUSION: The findings strongly suggest that although women were doing their best, American culture itself needs to be changed to help women increase physical activity in their daily lives.

The questions on the use of internet cancer support groups: instrument development.

Recently, with advances in computer technologies, Internet cancer support groups became more popular than ever among people living with cancer. However, there is little information available on cancer patients' use of Internet cancer support groups, which may be partially due to a lack of instruments measuring cancer patients' use of Internet cancer support groups. Indeed, virtually no instrument measuring cancer patients' use of Internet cancer support groups can be identified through searches using multiple databases. In this study, a new instrument measuring the use of Internet cancer support groups was developed, and its psychometric properties were tested among 117 people living with cancer recruited through the Internet using a convenience sampling method. First, the development process of the new instrument, the Questions on the Use of Internet Cancer Support Groups, is described. Then, the pilot study on psychometric properties of the instrument is presented. Reliability was evaluated using internal consistency reliability testing, split-half reliability testing, and item analysis. Validity was assessed by using criterion validity, convergent validity, and face validity. The findings of the pilot study supported the reliability and validity of this new instrument. Based on the findings, some implications for future research are proposed.

"A waste of time": Hispanic women's attitudes toward physical activity.

Despite a lack of studies on Hispanic midlife women's physical activity, the existing studies have indicated that Hispanics' ethnic-specific attitudes toward physical activity contributed to their lack of physical activity. However, little is still clearly known about Hispanic midlife women's attitudes toward physical activity. The purpose of this study was to explore Hispanic midlife women's attitudes toward physical activity using a feminist perspective. The study was a 6-month qualitative online forum among 23 Hispanic women who were recruited through Internet communities/groups. The data were collected using 17 online forum topics on attitudes toward physical activity and ethnic-specific contexts. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Three major themes emerged from the data analysis process: (a) "family first, no time for myself," (b) "little exercise, but naturally healthy," and (c) "dad died of a heart attack." Although some of the women perceived the importance of physical activity due to their family history of chronic diseases, the study participants thought that physical activity would be a waste of time in their busy daily schedules. These findings provided directions for future health care practice and research to increase physical activity among Hispanic midlife women.

Menopausal symptoms among four major ethnic groups in the United States.

The purpose of the study was to explore ethnic differences in symptoms experienced during the menopausal transition among four major ethnic groups in the United States. This study was done via a cross-sectional Internet survey among 512 midlife women recruited using a convenience sampling. The instruments included questions on background characteristics, ethnicity-related factors, health, and menopausal status and the Midlife Women's Symptom Index. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Significant ethnic differences were found in the total number and severity of the symptoms. The most frequently reported symptoms and predictors of the total number and severity of the symptoms differed by ethnic identity. More in-depth cultural studies are needed to understand the reasons for the ethnic differences in menopausal symptom experience.

Psychometric evaluation of the Midlife Women's Symptom Index in multiethnic groups.

The Midlife Women's Symptom Index (MSI) was designed to measure menopausal symptoms specifically in a multiethnic sample of midlife women. This study involved a psychometric property test to evaluate MSI among 512 multiethnic groups of midlife women (White, Hispanic, African American, and Asian American). Across the ethnic groups, the MSI had an adequate internal consistency in all subdomains except psychosomatic symptoms. The item-total correlation coefficients of lost weight and nosebleeds were lower than .20 among all ethnic groups. The discriminant validity was confirmed among all ethnic groups except Asian Americans. Overall, the MSI may work better for Whites compared with other ethnic groups. Additional studies with diverse groups of multiethnic midlife women are needed, however, to confirm the psychometric properties of the MSI because the samples tended to be a select group.

Shielded from the real world: perspectives on Internet cancer support groups by Asian Americans.

BACKGROUND: Despite positive reports about Internet cancer support groups (ICSGs), ethnic minorities, including Asian Americans, have been reported to be less likely to use ICSGs. Unique cultural values, beliefs, and attitudes have been considered reasons for the low usage rate of ICSGs among Asian Americans. However, studies have rarely looked at this issue. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to explore (a) how Asian Americans living with cancer who participated in ICSGs viewed ICSGs, (b) what facilitated or inhibited their participation in ICSGs, and (c) what cultural values and beliefs influenced their participation in ICSGs. METHODS: The study was a 1-month qualitative online forum among 18 Asian American cancer patients recruited through a convenience sampling method. Nine topics on the use of ICSGs organized the forum discussion, and the data were analyzed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Four themes emerged from the data analysis process: (a) "more than just my family," (b) "part of my family," (c) "anonymous me," and (d) "shielded from the real world." CONCLUSION: The overarching theme was Asian Americans' marginalized experience in the use of ICSGs. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Offering the most current information on cancer and cancer treatment is essential for nursing practice in developing a culturally competent ICSG for Asian Americans. Also, emotional familiarity should be incorporated into the design of the ICSG, and the ICSG needs to be based on nonjudgmental and nondiscriminative interactions.

A national multiethnic online forum study on menopausal symptom experience.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about how culture influences menopausal symptom experience, and few comparative qualitative studies have been conducted among multiethnic groups of midlife women in the United States. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to explore commonalities and differences in menopausal symptom experience among four major ethnic groups in the United States (Whites, Hispanics, African Americans, and Asians). METHODS: This was a secondary analysis of qualitative data from a larger national Internet-based study. The qualitative data from 90 middle-aged women in the United States who attended four ethnic-specific online forums of the larger study were examined using thematic analysis. RESULTS: The themes reflecting commonalities across the ethnic groups were just a part of life, trying to be optimistic, getting support, and more information needed. The themes reflecting the differences among the ethnic groups were open and closed, universal and unique, and controlling and minimizing. Overall, the findings indicated positive changes in women's menopausal symptom experience and supported the existence of cultural influences on women's menopausal symptom experience across the ethnic groups. DISCUSSION: Systematic efforts need to be made to empower midlife women in their management of menopausal symptoms.

Psychometric properties of the KPAS in diverse ethnic groups of midlife women.

The Kaiser Physical Activity Survey (KPAS), designed specifically for diverse activity domains (housework, caregiving, occupational activity), is used to assess physical activity among multiethnic midlife women. This study evaluates KPAS reliability and validity (not widely documented) in measuring physical activity among 341 groups in this classification. Internal consistency coefficients are adequate for all ethnic groups except non-Hispanic (N-H) African Americans. To evaluate construct validity, the researchers use multiple analytic approaches, including correlation between behavioral intention and KPAS scores and factor analysis. KPAS scores correlate positively with behavioral intention scores among all ethnic groups. Eight factors are extracted among all groups except N-H Asian Americans. In the convergent validity test, N-H African Americans and N-H Asian Americans show unique patterns. Overall, the KPAS proves reliable as a reasonably accurate instrument to assess physical activities among multiethnic groups of midlife women. However, cultural sensitivity among N-H African Americans and N-H Asian Americans needs further examination.