OBJECTIVES: Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death and a major source of workers' compensation claims in Korea. Since 2000 the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency (KOSHA), working through local occupational health institutions, has supported cardiovascular disease prevention programs at a number of companies in Korea. The purpose of this study was to assess the short-term effects of this effort. METHODS: A total of 11,077 workers at risk were enrolled in the workplace cardiovascular disease prevention program and 5,902 workers (53.3%) completed the 1-year course during 2007. The program consisted of a medical checkup and health counseling for the workers by occupational health nurses. The guidelines for this prevention program were adopted from KOSHA Code H-11-2004. To determine the program's effectiveness, the workers' risks for cardiovascular disease were assessed before and one year after completion of the program. RESULTS: The intervention led to significant reductions in the mean systolic and diastolic blood pressures of 4.9 mmHg and 3.1 mmHg, respectively. Mean total cholesterol and BMI were also reduced significantly by 8.4 g/dl and 0.1 kg/m2. The rate of smoking was decreased by 6.0% and the percentage of workers engaging in regular exercise was increased by 23.1%. Of the 3,530 workers with the low risk and above, the overall cardiovascular risk was improved in 1,734 (49.1%) of them. CONCLUSIONS: The cardiovascular disease prevention program supported by the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency reduces cardiovascular diseases risks among workers and may improve the health status of workers in Korea.
Cardiovascular Diseases ; Cause of Death ; Cholesterol ; Counseling ; Government Programs ; Health Promotion ; Korea ; Occupational Health ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Workers' Compensation

OBJECTIVES: Lead exposure is known to be associated with high blood pressure, hypertension, coronary artery disease, peripheral arterial disease, left ventricular hypertropy, and electrocardiographic abnormalities. We investigated the association between blood lead and coronary artery calcification and stenosis. METHODS: Between April 2006 and July 2007, 502 adults (345 males and 157 females), who had no history of cardiovascular disease or occupational exposure to lead, were recruited as study subjects. All subjects underwent coronary CT angiography and blood lead measurement. RESULTS: Blood lead levels were distributed from 0.43 to 11.30 (microgram/dL with a geometric mean blood lead level of 2.98+/-1.5 (microgram/dL. The geometric mean blood lead levels were higher in men than women (3.31+/-1.5 (microgram/dL vs. 2.36+/-1.5 (microgram/dL, P < 0.01). Based on a multivariate analysis, a 1 unit ((microgram/dL) increase in blood lead level was associated with a 1.09 (95% confidence interval, 0.92~1.29) and a 1.01 fold (95% confidence interval, 0.63~1.63) greater risk for coronary artery calcification in men and women, respectively. Similarly, a 1 unit (microgram/dL) increase in blood lead level was associated with a 1.25 (95% confidence interval, 1.03~1.51) and a 1.42 fold (95% confidence interval, 0.73~2.75) greater risk for coronary artery stenosis in men and women, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that increased blood lead levels are associated with an increased risk of coronary artery stenosis.
Adult ; Angiography ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Coronary Stenosis ; Coronary Vessels ; Electrocardiography ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Male ; Multivariate Analysis ; Occupational Exposure ; Peripheral Arterial Disease

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to evaluate the relationship between job stress and quality of life for hospital workers by type of employment. METHODS: Data were obtained for 361 workers in a large hospital 172 of whom were categorized as typical workers defined by permanent employee and 189 of whom were categorized as atypical workers defined by fixed-term contraction. Job stress was assessed using the Korean Occupational Stress Scale-Short Form and the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF Questionnaire RESULTS: Atypical workers had significantly higher scores for job-related stress in the domains of insufficient control, over work, job insecurity, and lack of reward in the workplace compared with typical workers, who had higher scores for stress in the domains of job demands and occupational climate. Test scores also indicated that typical workers had a significantly better quality of life than atypical workers, especially in terms of mental health, social relationships and environment. CONCLUSION: These findings suggested that factors contributing to job-related stress were different between typical and atypical hospital and typical workers are likely to have a better quality of life.
Climate ; Contracts ; Employment ; Mental Health ; Quality of Life ; Reward ; World Health Organization

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of encouraging exercise to treat work-related neck-shoulder pain by mobile phone messages after training individuals to use the holdrelax technique. METHODS: Subjects were randomly allocated into an exercise (n=20) and a control (n=21) groups. The exercise group was taught stretching exercise methods known as the hold-relax technique for the upper trapezius, levator scapula, scalenus, and suboccipitals. They then received mobile phone messages encouraging them to do the exercises twice a week for eight weeks. The visual analog scale (VAS) of neck and shoulder pain, the pressure pain threshold (PPT) for the four muscles, and the cervical ROM were measured at baseline and at the end of the study. RESULTS: The VAS decreased significantly in the exercise group from 3.35 to 1.65 (p<0.001) for the neck, and from 4.55 to 2.05 for the shoulder (p<0.001). In addition, the PPT of the four muscles increased (p<0.001) in the exercise group. However, no significant changes in the VAS and the PPT of the control group were observed. Furthermore, the ROM did not differ significantly between the exercise and control groups after intervention. CONCLUSION: Teaching patients to use the hold-relax technique and encouraging exercise using mobile phone messages can reduce work-related neck-shoulder pain.
Cellular Phone ; Exercise ; Female ; Humans ; Muscles ; Neck ; Pain Threshold ; Scapula ; Shoulder ; Shoulder Pain

OBJECTIVES: Work-family conflict can arise from two opposite directions: the experiences at work interfere with family life and the experiences in the family interfere with work life. This study explored the effects of the presence of two income sources on the association between work-family conflict and job attitude. METHODS: Responses to structured survey questionnaires were received from 236 two-income families living in the Seoul Metropolitan Area. RESULTS: A differential effect was observed between single-income families and two-income families. Higher job satisfaction was related with lower work interference with family (WIF) among single-income families and with lower family interference with work (FIW) among two-income families. CONCLUSIONS: Employee welfare programs need to be expanded to enhance job satisfaction for the increasing number of two-income families.
Humans ; Job Satisfaction ; Questionnaires

BACKGROUND: An unhealthy lifestyle is the most important cause of lifestyle-induced illness (diabetes, hypertension, liver enzyme abnormality, dyslipidemia etc.). This study was carried out to evaluate that relation between employees' lifestyle and their health status in a Korean electronic research and development company. METHODS: We conducted a descriptive cross-sectional survey. 3,041 consecutive workers in a Korean R&D company were enrolled in this study. A checkup list for the health examination (from the National Health Insurance Coperation), which contained the information on the lifestyle, and the results of the health examination, which contained information on the body mass index (BMI), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and liver function tests (LFT, AST, ALT, gamma-GTP) and cholesterol profiles (total cholesterol, TG, HDL, LDL) were done for all the subjects. We evaluated the health profile as normal or abnormal. Statistical analysis of the health profiles and the lifestyle of the employees' was performing by using multiple logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The prevalence of 'excessive alcohol drinking' was 52.9% (n=1,610), that for 'lack of exercise' was 86.2% (n=2,662), that for 'meat eating' 12.2% (n=370) and that for 'current smoker' was 31.3% (n=952). According to results of health examination, the prevalence of obesity was 27.1% (n=824), hypertension was 7.1% (n=215), diabetes was 1.0% (n=30), abnormal LFT was 15.4% (n=469) and dyslipidemia was 18.7% (n=569). On multiple logistic regression analysis of the health profile and lifestyle, 'meat eating' was related to obesity, hypertension, abnormal LFT (ALT, gamma-GTP), dyslipidemia (LDL). 'Excessive alcohol drinking' was related to obesity, hypertension, abnormal LFT (gamma-GTP). 'Lack of exercise' was related to dyslipidemia (HDL). 'Current smoker' was related to obesity, diabetes, abnormal LFT (ALT, gamma-GTP), and dyslipidemia (TG, HDL) with statistically significance. CONCLUSIONS: For workers in the R&D company, an unhealthy lifestyle (such as diet, alcohol drinking, lack of exercise and smoking) were related to obesity, hypertension, diabetes, abnormal LFT and dyslipidemia. Therefore health promotion is necessary for the young employees of an Korean R&D company.
Alcohol Drinking ; Blood Pressure ; Body Mass Index ; Cholesterol ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Diet ; Dyslipidemias ; Electronics ; Electrons ; Health Promotion ; Hypertension ; Life Style ; Liver ; Liver Function Tests ; Logistic Models ; National Health Programs ; Obesity ; Prevalence

Phthalic anhydride (PA) is widely used in the production of alkyd and unsaturated polyester resins. It has been reported that some workers exposed to PA have developed dermatitis, rhinitis and asthma. The authors intended to investigate the prevalence of PA induced allergic diseases and to develop preventive measures of occupational diseases. Forty-five male workers from PA production and handling were selected as an exposure group. Forty-four male workers not handling PA at the same factory were chosen as a reference group. A symptom questionnaire, doctor's examination, eosinophil count, serum-total IgE and PA-specific IgE were done on the subjects. There were no significant differences in age, educational level, tenure or smoking habits between groups. Most clinical symptoms were significantly more frequent among the exposure group than the reference group: sneezing(62.2 %), rhinorrhea(57.8 %), nasal stuffiness(53.3 %), coughing(44.4 %) and nasal itching(35.6 %) were the major symptoms among the exposure group (p<0.01, p<0.05). There were no significant differences in eosinophil count and serum-total IgE between groups but the mean level in PA-specific IgE, in the exposure group, was statistically significantly higher than the reference group (p<0.01). Abnormal rates of eosinophil count, serum-total IgE and PA-specific IgE were not significantly different from each other. The prevalence rate was 68.9 % (31 cases) for allergic rhinitis in the exposure group, statistically significantly higher than the reference group (p<0.01). The prevalence rate was 6.7 %(3 cases) for bronchial asthma and contact dermatitis in the exposure group, not more statistically significant than the reference group. In the exposure group, the prevalence rate for age, educational level, tenure, smoking habits and use of protective devices are not statistically significant. In PA-specific IgE, sensitivity is 10.8 %, specificity is 100.0 %, positive predictability is 100.0 % and negative predictability is 61.2 % when criteria point is 3.5 KU/l or above. As a result, it was recognized that the exposure group had a high prevalence of PA induced allergic rhinitis. Also, in diagnosis of PA induced allergic diseases, medical histories and specific symptoms were the most important where as eosinophil count, serum total IgE are the only indirect informations. PA-specific IgE has been needed to evaluate the meanings more.
Asthma ; Dermatitis ; Dermatitis, Contact ; Diagnosis ; Eosinophils ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin E ; Male ; Occupational Diseases ; Occupations ; Polyesters ; Prevalence* ; Protective Devices ; Questionnaires ; Rhinitis ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Smoke ; Smoking

This study was carried out to assess the effect of economic depression on psychosocial distress, and to assess the relationship between differences of psychosocial distress and job characteristics (job strain), and to find out the effect of social support on psychosocial distress. We measured job characteristics(job demand, job control), and social support(coworker support, supervisor supports) at work by a self-administered questionnaire. Psychosocial distress was measured by PWI(Psychosocial Well-being Index), a 45-item self-administered instrument. Among the 152 respondents, the prevalence of high job strain was 27% (41 persons). The Odds ratio of high job strain was 3.11 (95% CI; 2.12~4.11), and those of passive group and active group were 2.01(95% CI; 0.83~2.76) and 1.80(95% CI; 0.83~2.76), respectively. Our results supported the association between psychosocial distress and job strain. The odds ratio of high strain isolates group (high strain group+low social support) was 3.59 (95% CI; 2.05~5.13), but the odds ratio of high strain collective group was 1.32 (95% CI; 0.23~2.41). Social support at work was modifying factor of the association between psychosocial distress and job strain. Therefore we reviewed the evidence that economic depression was associated with psychosocial distress in this study, and that the strength of the social support was important in maintain health.
Data Collection ; Economic Recession* ; Odds Ratio ; Prevalence ; Questionnaires

This study was conducted to investigate knowledge and attitude factor related to hearing conservation and to evaluate the effect of knowledge and attitude about noise on hearing conservation behavior and hearing loss among workers exposed to noise. We investigated the questionnaires of knowledge and attitude about noise and hearing conservation behavior and hearing loss among 355 study subjects from March, 1998 to June, 1998. The results were as follows; We extracted following 5 factors from 26 questionnaire items of knowledge and attitude about noise; knowledge of noise and concern to the control noise (factor 1), general perceived susceptibility (factor 2), relative perceived susceptibility compared with colleagues(factor 3), concern to the hearing protective devices(factor 4), concern to the hearing and noise assessment (factor 5). Knowledge and attitude factors affecting the hearing conservation behavior were general perceived susceptibility in the case of wearing hearing protective devices and knowledge of noise and concern to the control noise in the case of suggestion for hearing conservation. But, in the case of intentional avoiding noise exposure, concern to the hearing protective devices was a significant factor with concern to the hearing and noise assessment. Knowledge and attitude factors affecting hearing loss in 1 kHz were relative perceived susceptibility compared with colleagues and concern to the hearing protective devices, and in 4 KHz were relative perceived susceptibility compared with colleagues and general perceived susceptibility.
Ear Protective Devices ; Hearing Loss* ; Hearing* ; Noise* ; Questionnaires

It has been hypothesized that jobs that have both high psychological demands and low decision latitude ('job strain") can lead to musculoskeletal disorder. The objective of this study was to test whether job strain was correlated with the presence of work-related musculoskeletal disorder, especially myofascial pain syndrome (MPS). Information on demographic factors, confounders such as household load and taking care of children or not, and scores for decision latitude, job demand, and social support was obtained by self-administered questionnaire, which had been developed in Korean language, by adopting NIOSH instrument and Extended Karasek Model (16 items). All subjects were also examined by rehabilitation medicine specialists for musculoskeletal disorders. Subjects (n=370) could be categorized into 4 groups, these were, housewives(n=89), shipyard CAD workers(n=89), general female workers(n=79; nurses, insurance counselors, public officials, clerks, etc), and telephone directory assistance operators(n=113). Results from univariate analyses indicated that all demographic factors, all confounders, scores for decision latitude and social support were not associated with the risk of musculoskeletal disorder. However, score for job demand was higher in musculoskeletal disorder cases than others. In subgroup analysis, this association was convinced again, in telephone directory assistance operators. Job strain model showed that the group of telephone directory assistance operators was high-strain group, and OR of musculoskeletal disorder was 2.446 (95% C.I. : 1.174, 5.096), when comparing this with the low strain group. In conclusion, job strain is a risk factor for work-related musculoskeletal disorder.
Child ; Counseling ; Demography ; Family Characteristics ; Female ; Humans ; Insurance ; Myofascial Pain Syndromes ; National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (U.S.) ; Questionnaires ; Rehabilitation ; Risk Factors ; Specialization ; Telephone