Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine

Jong Do Jeong

3 Articles

Cervical HIVD Related to Long-Term Whole Body Vibration and Awkward Posture: Jong Do Jeong, Sangchul Roh; Korean Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2009;21(4):396-405. Published online December 31, 2009; DOI: https://doi.org/10.35371/kjoem.2009.21.4.396

BACKGROUND
The relationship between whole body vibration and awkward neck posture to cervical herniated intervertebral disc (HIVD) has been rarely reported. In this report, we present the case of an overhead crane operator, that had no known history of neck injury, but had long-term exposure to whole body vibration and improper neck posture, who developed cervical HIVD, which raises concerns over the possibility of occupational causation.
CASE
A patient, operating an overhead crane since Dec 26th 1986, began to suffer from a neck pain and developed cervical HIVD in 1998. He had been frequently treated in an outpatient clinic, but the symptom was not improve. Eventually, he got HIVD surgery in Sep 6th 2007, and then the symptom was relieved. There were 4 groups and 3 shift system in the patient's overhead crane operation. He worked eight hours a day and 5 days a week. Actual crane work time was about 6 hours a day. The crane was located at 20 meters above the work field so that the crane operator had to look downward and the neck was bent by more than 20degrees for nearly the entire working day. Daily vibration exposure was expressed in terms of an 8-hour energy-equivalent frequency-weighted acceleration magnitude (A(8)) and vibration dose value (VDV). The daily A(8) was measured to be 0.23 m/s2 and the daily VDV was 7.4 m/s(1.75). Although these levels were below the action level recommended by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and European Commission (EC), it cannot be ignored that whole body vibration in addition to an awkward neck posture may be related to an increased risk for neck disease. A long-term awkward posture can adversely impact the prevalence of neck disease. In addition, occupational exposure to whole body vibration along with an awkward neck posture seems to exacerbate these effects.
CONCLUSION
An overhead crane operator may have acquired cervical HIVD due to an occupational causation. Therefore, to elucidate the causal relationship of an improper neck posture and whole body vibration to neck diseases, further investigations need to be conducted for lager sample of overhead crane operators that were exposed to a long-term awkward neck posture and whole body vibration.

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Retrospective Statistical Analysis of Patients with Disc Herniation Treated with Cervical or Lumbar Decompression Treatment
Ye Ji Lee, Jeong il Kim, Ju Hyun Jeon, Eunseok Kim, Young Il Kim
Journal of Korean Medicine.2021; 42(2): 1. CrossRef
Trend of Human Vibration Research in Korea
Hee-Sok Park
Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea.2013; 32(4): 293. CrossRef

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Effects of Cardiovascular Risk Factors on Hearing Loss: Jong Do Jeong, Hyunjoo Kim, Jae Yun Jung, Sangchul Roh, Ho Jang Kwon, Eun Jung Kim, Moo Yong Rhee; Korean Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2009;21(3):225-234. Published online September 30, 2009; DOI: https://doi.org/10.35371/kjoem.2009.21.3.225

Abstract PDF: OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of cardiovascular risk factors on hearing loss by vascular damage, such as in atherosclerosis.
METHOD
This study was conducted as a part of a study for the health effects of air-craft noise from 13 July 2005 to 13 January 2006. In this study 810 residents were selected from 13 villages in Pyeongteck City. Participants in this study were stratified by gender. Individuals, who had conductive hearing loss, were excluded form this investigation. Cardiovascular risk factors were divided into medical risk factors (mean arterial pressure (MAP), blood glucose, triglyceride) and behavioral risk factors (smoking, alcohol). The degree of atherosclerosis was determined by aPWV. Pure tone air conduction hearing thresholds were obtained at frequencies of 1000 and 4000 Hz. As for statistic data analysis, multiple linear regression models were used to evaluate the relationship between factors on hearing loss and aortic pulse wave velocity. Structural Equation Modeling was used to analyze the relationship between factors.
RESULTS
According to multiple linear regression models among males, age, aircraft noise, aPWV were associated with hearing loss. In females, age and aircraft noise were associated with hearing loss. Thus cardiovascular risk factors were not directly involved in hearing loss. However, cardiovascular risk factors such as alcohol, MAP in males and MAP, blood glucose in females were statistically significant (p<0.05) on aPWV according to multiple linear regression modeling. According to analysis of structural equation modeling, an indirect relationship was observed between cardiovascular risk factors and hearing loss by atherosclerosis, which was measured by aPWV. In males, medical risk factors were significantly associated with atherosclerosis (beta+/-SE: 0.07+/-0.03, p=0.03). Atherosclerosis was also associated with hearing loss (beta+/-SE: 2.01+/-0.89, p=0.03). In females, medial risk factors was significantly associated with atherosclerosis (beta+/-SE: 0.08+/-0.02, p=0.00), but atherosclerosis was not significantly associated with hearing loss.
CONCLUSION
Although noise exposure is a known major threat to hearing loss, understanding of cardiovascular risk factors associated with hearing loss also take a significant role in preventing hearing loss. Therefore, scrutinization of the etiologic factors for hearing disability may introduce a detailed strategy to abate the prevalence of hearing loss.

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Relationship of Aircraft-noise and the Result of Audiological Evaluation Among Residents Near U.S. Military Airbases in Pyeongtaek City: Jong Do Jeong, Hyunjoo Kim, Jae Yun Jung, Sangchul Roh, Ho Jang Kwon; Korean Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2009;21(2):154-164. Published online June 30, 2009; DOI: https://doi.org/10.35371/kjoem.2009.21.2.154

Abstract PDF

Objective: To investigate the relationship between aircraft noise and the results of audiological evaluation on tinnitus and hearing loss among residents near United States military air-bases in Pyeongtaek city.
METHODS
Residents (n=492) exposed to aircraft noise were selected from eight villages near U.S. military air-bases (K-55 and K-6) in Pyeongtaek city. Residents (n=200) from five villages located at least 10 km away from the air-base were selected for the control group. All participants completed a questionnaire on tinnitus and audiological evaluations included pure tone audiometry (PTA) and distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE). Statistical analyses involved a general linear model and multiple logistic regression stratified by gender and data was adjusted by age, educational level, stress response index and noise type (i.e. military, agricultural and occupational).
RESULTS
The equivalent noise levels (Leq) in the vicinity of the air-field were 73.4~81.5 dB (A). Tinnitus prevalence was 47.3% and odds ratio (OR) was 2.06 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.09~3.88) among noise-exposed males. Tinnitus prevalence was 50.8% and OR was 1.97(95% CI: 1.17~3.30) among noise-exposed females. Tinnitus handicap scores among exposed group were significantly higher in functional, emotional, and catastrophic subclasses (p<0.001). PTA revealed hearing thresholds among the exposed group of 0.5 and 1 kHz (male right ear), 0.5 and 1 kHz (female left ear) and 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 kHz on female right ear that were significantly higher than those of the unexposed group. No significant difference in DPOAE was observed among noise-exposed males. However, significant differences were evident for noise-exposed females at 3175 and 4007 Hz. ORs of right female ears 3175 and 4007 Hz were 1.73(95% CI: 1.01~2.99) and 1.78(95% CI: 1.01~3.15). ORs of left female ears at 3175 Hz and 4007 Hz were 1.92(95% CI: 1.10~3.36) and 2.71(95% CI: 1.49~4.91) CONCLUSIONS: Aircraft noise may adversely affect hearing function and tinnitus.

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Occupational Hearing Loss in Korea
Kyoo Sang Kim
Journal of Korean Medical Science.2010; 25(Suppl): S62. CrossRef

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