Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine

Chung won Kang

3 Articles

Working hours and depressive symptoms: the role of job stress factors: Yeogyeong Yoon, Jia Ryu, Hyunjoo Kim, Chung won Kang, Kyunghee Jung-Choi; Ann Occup Environ Med 2018;30:46. Published online July 13, 2018; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40557-018-0257-5

Background

South Korea is one of the countries with the longest working hours in the OECD countries. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of working hours on depressive symptoms and the role of job stress factors between the two variables among employees in South Korea.

Methods

This study used data from the Korea Working Conditions Survey in 2014. Study subjects included 23,197 employees aged 19 years or older who work more than 35 h per week. Working hours were categorized into 35–39, 40, 41–52, 53–68, and more than 68 h per week. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the WHO’s Well-Being Index with a cut-off score of 13. We calculated prevalence ratios of depressive symptoms according to working hours using log-binomial regression. Through the percentage change in prevalence ratios, we identified the extent of the role of job stress factors that explain depressive symptoms.

Results

The risks of depressive symptoms were significantly higher in people who worked 35–39 h per week (PR: 1.09, CI: 1.01–1.18), 53–68 h/week (PR: 1.21, CI: 1.16–1.25), and more than 68 h/week (PR: 1.14, CI: 1.07–1.21) than 40 h/week, after adjusting for confounding variables. Job stress explained the effects of long working hours on depressive symptoms in about 20–40% of the groups working more than 40 h/week. Among the factors of job stress, social support was 10–30%, which showed the highest explanatory power in all working hours. Reward explained 15–30% in the more than 52 h working group, and reward was the most important factor in the working group that exceeded 68 h.

Conclusions

We showed the working hours could be an independent risk factor for depressive symptoms in employees. To improve workers’ mental health, it is important to strengthen social support in the workplace, to provide adequate rewards as they work, and ultimately to regulate the appropriate amount of working hours.

Citations

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Hot Tub Lung Due to Mycobacterium Avium Complex in a Public Bath: Chung Won Kang, Yun Kyung Chung, Hye Eun Lee, Eun A Kim, Yun Chul Hong, Soo Hun Cho; Korean Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2010;22(2):166-172. Published online June 30, 2010; DOI: https://doi.org/10.35371/kjoem.2010.22.2.166

Abstract PDF: BACKGROUND
Hot tub lung is a hypersensitivity pneumonitis caused by nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM); the primary causative agent is Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) post contaminated water exposure. Recently, 2 cases of hot tub lung were found in public bath bodyscrubbers working in Korea. However, the disease causing NTM was not identified in these cases. Here, we reported one case, along with clinical diagnostic approach to occupational medicine throughout worksite investigation.
CASE
A 53 year-old woman working in the public bath for 13 months' duration developed shortness of breath. She had been cleaning the locker room, several pools and floors every day, and using scrubbers with detergent and warm water. After examination, the patient was diagnosed with hypersensitivity pneumonitis based on high resolution computerized tomography and lung biopsy. Because the Mycobacterium avium was identified in both the patient's sputum and the warm pool, she was diagnosed with hot tub lung due to MAC.
CONCLUSION
Hot tub lung due to MAC was confirmed in public bath housekeeper. However, few cases have been reported, even though there are many cases. To prevent damages caused by hot tub lung, general environmental management such as ventilation and cleaning is important for bath operators. Likewise, awareness needs to be increased in workers with potential NTM environmental exposure and in clinicians through education about hot tub lung in order to reduce adverse harm from misdiagnosis and mistreatment of tuberculosis.

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The Effects of Particulate Matter on Respiratory Function of Schoolchildren in Jeju: A Panel Study: Jae Yong Moon, Su Young Kim, Kwang Sik Park, Ho Kim, Chung Won Kang, Hyun Seung Park, Soo Hun Cho, Yun Chul Hong; Korean Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2009;21(3):218-224. Published online September 30, 2009; DOI: https://doi.org/10.35371/kjoem.2009.21.3.218

Abstract PDF

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the changes in respiratory function associated with daily changes in particulate pollution.
METHODS
A total of 105 healthy schoolchildren of fourth and fifth grade elementary school age performed peak expiratory flow rates (PEFR) during 2 periods (May 14~June 15, Oct 22~Nov 23). We monitored concomitant ambient particulate matter (PM) levels during the periods.
RESULTS
An elevation PM(10) level of 1 microgram/m) led to decreases in PEFR of 0.20 L/min. A 1 microgram/m3 elevation of PM(2.5) led to a decrease of 0.36 L/min in PEFR. In addition, 1 day lag was associated with PM(10) levels and PEFR changes, and PM(2.5) showed the same result. The metal levels determined at PM(10) and PM(2.5) were found to be associated with decreased respiratory function.
CONCLUSIONS
An association between respiratory function and particulate pollution was observed when particulate pollutant levels were lower than the yearly average National Ambient Air Quality Standard in the Korea(50 microgram/m3).

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

Diesel Exhaust Particle Exposure and its Pulmonary Function Effects
Yong-Jin Lee, Da-Hye Kim, Soo-Hwan Kim, Jeong-Soo Kim, Dong-Chun Shin, Young-Wook Lim
Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment.2016; 32(5): 457. CrossRef

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