Accurate occupation classification is essential in various fields, including policy development and epidemiological studies. This study aims to develop an occupation classification model based on DistilKoBERT.

This study used data from the 5th and 6th Korean Working Conditions Surveys conducted in 2017 and 2020, respectively. A total of 99,665 survey participants, who were nationally representative of Korean workers, were included. We used natural language responses regarding their job responsibilities and occupational codes based on the Korean Standard Classification of Occupations (7th version, 3-digit codes). The dataset was randomly split into training and test datasets in a ratio of 7:3. The occupation classification model based on DistilKoBERT was fine-tuned using the training dataset, and the model was evaluated using the test dataset. The accuracy, precision, recall, and F1 score were calculated as evaluation metrics.

The final model, which classified 28,996 survey participants in the test dataset into 142 occupational codes, exhibited an accuracy of 84.44%. For the evaluation metrics, the precision, recall, and F1 score of the model, calculated by weighting based on the sample size, were 0.83, 0.84, and 0.83, respectively. The model demonstrated high precision in the classification of service and sales workers yet exhibited low precision in the classification of managers. In addition, it displayed high precision in classifying occupations prominently represented in the training dataset.

This study developed an occupation classification system based on DistilKoBERT, which demonstrated reasonable performance. Despite further efforts to enhance the classification accuracy, this automated occupation classification model holds promise for advancing epidemiological studies in the fields of occupational safety and health.

Dysmenorrhea and menstrual cycle changes occur in women working shifts. Circadian rhythm disruption and sleep disturbances associated with shift work leads to health problems. We identified chronotypes and the occurrence of insomnia among newly employed university hospital nurses and investigated the association of these factors with menstrual problems.

We conducted pre-placement health examinations for shift workers using self-reported questionnaires between 2018 and 2020. A total of 463 nurses were included in the study. Sociodemographic data, shift work experience, and information on insomnia were collected from health examination data. In addition, details regarding chronotype, dysmenorrhea, irregular and abnormal menstrual cycles, amenorrhea, and contraceptive use were obtained from the questionnaire. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to study the association between chronotype, insomnia, and menstrual problems after controlling for age, body mass index, contraceptive use, amenorrhea, and prior shift work.

The prevalence rates of dysmenorrhea, irregular menstrual cycles, and longer menstrual cycles were 23.8%, 14.9%, and 4.1%, respectively. The risk of dysmenorrhea increased in the evening-type (odds ratio [OR]: 3.209; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.685–6.113) and those with insomnia (OR: 1.871; 95% CI: 1.074–3.261). Additionally, the risk of an irregular menstrual cycle (OR: 2.698; 95% CI: 1.167–6.237) increased in the evening-type, and the risk of a longer menstrual cycle (OR: 4.008; 95% CI: 1.354–11.864) increased in individuals with insomnia.

Our findings suggest that dysmenorrhea is promoted in the evening-type and insomnia individuals. There may be an increased risk of irregular menstrual cycles among evening-type nurses and an increased risk of longer menstrual cycles among those with insomnia. Therefore, factors such as evening-type and insomnia should be considered for the prevention of menstrual problems in women performing shift work.

Gig workers, also known as platform workers, are independent workers who are not employed by any particular company. The number of gig economy workers has rapidly increased worldwide in the past decade. There is a dearth of occupational health studies among gig economy workers. We aimed to investigate the association between exposure to violence and job stress in gig economy workers and depressive symptoms.

A total of 955 individuals (521 gig workers and 434 general workers) participated in this study and variables were measured through self-report questionnaires. Depressive symptoms were evaluated by the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 when the score was greater than or equal to 10 points. The odds ratio with 95% confidence interval was calculated using multivariable logistic regression adjusted for age, sex, working hours, education level, exposure to violence and job stress.

19% of gig economy workers reported depressive symptoms, while only 11% of general workers reported the depressive symptoms. In association to depressive symptoms among gig economy workers, the mainly result of odds ratios for depressive symptoms were as follows: 1.81 for workers type, 3.53 for humiliating treatment, 2.65 for sexual harassment, 3.55 for less than three meals per day, 3.69 for feeling too tired to do housework after leaving work.

Gig economic workers are exposed to violence and job stress in the workplace more than general workers, and the proportion of workers reporting depressive symptoms is also high. These factors are associated to depressive symptoms. Furthermore, the gig workers associated between depressive symptoms and exposure to violence, job stress.

The prevalence of multiple job-holding (MJH) is expected to show an upward trend among Korean workers, yet its potential impact on workers’ health remains poorly discussed. This study aimed to explore the association between MJH and experience of physical and psychological symptoms in various aspects among active Korean workers and to identify its differences depending on workers’ gender.

We conducted a population-based cross-sectional study among South Korean workers aged 15–59 using data from the 6th Korean Working Conditions Survey. The final study sample comprised 34,175 participants. MJH status and symptoms, such as musculoskeletal pain, headache or eyestrain, fatigue, insomnia, and anxiety, were measured by self-reported data. Logistic regression analyses were performed on the total sample and gender-stratified groups, with adjustments for the sociodemographic and occupational characteristics of the participants.

One hundred thirty-five men and 103 women were defined as multiple job-holders (MJHers) among the study sample. When adjusted for sociodemographic and occupational characteristics, MJHers suffered more events of headache or eyestrain (odds ratio [OR]: 1.85, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.23–2.78) and anxiety (OR: 1.99, 95% CI: 1.05–3.79). Gender-stratified analyses with adjustment showed that among women workers, MJH was associated with musculoskeletal pain (OR: 1.85, 95% CI: 1.02–3.34), headache or eyestrain (OR: 2.53, 95% CI: 1.37–4.67), fatigue (OR: 2.38, 95% CI: 1.29–4.40), insomnia (OR: 1.92, 95% CI: 1.04–3.57), and anxiety (OR: 2.83, 95% CI: 1.11–7.20).

We found a significant association between MJH and various symptoms. Women MJHers were revealed to be a more vulnerable population than their men counterparts. Further research should account for the social context of MJH, and appropriate monitoring and intervention for maintaining the well-being of MJHers are needed.

Cooking oil fumes (COFs) from cooking with hot oil may contribute to the pathogenesis of lung cancer. Since 2021, occupational lung cancer for individual cafeteria workers has been recognized in South Korea. In this study, we aimed to identify the distribution of lung-imaging reporting and data system (Lung-RADS) among cafeteria workers and to determine factors related to Lung-RADS distribution.

We included 203 female participants who underwent low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) screening at a university hospital and examined the following variables: age, smoking status, second-hand smoke, height, weight, and years of service, mask use, cooking time, heat source, and ventilation. We divided all participants into culinary and non-culinary workers. Binomial logistic regression was conducted to determine the risk factors on LDCT of Category ≥ 3, separately for the overall group and the culinary group.

In this study, Lung-RADS-positive occurred in 17 (8.4%) individuals, all of whom were culinary workers. Binary logistic regression analyses were performed and no variables were found to have a significant impact on Lung-RADS results. In the subgroup analysis, the Lung-RADS-positive, and -negative groups differed only in ventilation. Binary logistic regression showed that the adjusted odds ratio (aOR) of the Lung-RADS-positive group for inappropriate ventilation at the workplace was 14.89 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.296–67.231) compared to appropriate ventilation as the reference, and the aOR for electric appliances at home was 4.59 (95% CI: 1.061–19.890) using liquid fuel as the reference.

The rate of Lung-RADS-positive was significantly higher among culinary workers who performed actual cooking tasks than among nonculinary workers. In addition, appropriate ventilation at the workplace made the LDCT results differ. More research is needed to identify factors that might influence LDCT findings among culinary workers, including those in other occupations.

In 2019, the International Agency for Research on Cancer re-evaluated the carcinogenicity of night-shift work and reported that there is limited evidence that night-shift work is carcinogenic for the development of prostate cancer. Therefore, in 2020 and 2021, the Korean Epidemiologic Investigation Evaluation Committee concluded that 2 cases of prostate cancer were occupational diseases related to the night-shift work. Here, we report the 2 cases of prostate cancer in night-shift workers which were first concluded as occupational diseases by the Korean Epidemiologic Investigation Evaluation Committee.

Patient A: A 61-year-old man worked as a city bus driver for approximately 17 years, from 2002 to 2019, and was exposed to night-shift work during this period. In March 2017, the patient was diagnosed with high-grade prostate cancer through core-needle biopsy after experiencing stinging pain lasting for 2 months. Patient B: A 56-year-old man worked as an electrician and an automated equipment operator in a cement manufacturing plant for 35 years from 1976 to 2013 and was exposed to night-shift work during this period. In 2013, the patient was diagnosed with high-grade prostate cancer through core needle biopsy at a university hospital because of dysuria that lasted for 6 months.

The 2 workers were diagnosed with high-grade prostate cancer after working night shifts for 17 and 35 years respectively. Additionally, previous studies have reported that high-grade prostate cancer has a stronger relationship with night-shift work than low or medium-grade prostate cancer. Therefore, the Korean Epidemiologic Investigation Evaluation Committee concluded that night-shift work in these 2 patients contributed to the development of their prostate cancer.

Benzophenone-3 is a type of ketone with 2 benzene rings attached to a carbonyl group (C=O) and one benzene ring attached to a hydroxyl group (-OH). As an endocrine-disrupting chemical, benzophenone-3 is known to be associated with reproductive, developmental, thyroid, and endocrine toxicities. Benzophenone-3 is commonly used in hair products, cosmetics, and ultraviolet (UV) filters because of its characteristic property to absorb UV light. This study aims to investigate the association between the use of hair products and urine benzophenone-3 using the data from the Korean National Environmental Health Survey (KoNEHS) cycle 4 (2018–2020), which represents the Korean population.

Using the KoNEHS cycle 4 survey, the data of 3,796 adults aged ≥ 19 years were analyzed. Based on the 75th percentile concentration of urine benzophenone-3, the participants were divided into the low- and high-concentration groups. Chi-square test was conducted to analyze the association of urine benzophenone-3 with distribution of general characteristics, use of personal care products, consumption of marine foods, and use of plastic products as the variable. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to calculate odds ratios (ORs) for the high-concentration group of urine benzophenone-3 based on the use of hair products.

Women with < 6 times or ≥ 6 times of hair product usage had significantly higher adjusted ORs compared to those who did not use hair products. The calculated ORs were 1.24 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.12–1.38) for women with < 6 times of usage and 1.54 (95% CI: 1.33–1.79) for women with ≥ 6 times of usage.

This study revealed the association between the use of hair products and the concentration of urine benzophenone-3 in the general Korean population.

Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are non-aromatic organic compounds, whose hydrogen atoms in the carbon chain substituted by fluorine atoms. PFASs exhibit developmental toxicity, carcinogenicity, hepatotoxicity, reproductive toxicity, immunotoxicity, and hormone toxicity. PFASs are used in the production of disposable food packages, aircraft and automobile devices, cooking utensils, outdoor gear, furniture and carpets, aqueous film forming foam (AFFF), cables and wires, electronics, and semiconductors. This study aimed to determine the association between crustacean consumption and serum PFASs.

Adult participants (2,993) aged ≥ 19 years were extracted from the 4th cycle data of the Korean National Environmental Health Survey (KoNEHS). Based on the 50th percentile concentrations of serum PFASs, participants were divided into the low-concentration group (LC) and the high-concentration group (HC). General characteristics, dietary factors, coated product usage, and personal care product usage, an independent t-test and χ² test were analyzed. The odds ratio (OR) of serum PFAS concentration against crustacean consumption was estimated via logistic regression analysis adjusting for general characteristics, dietary factors, coated product usage, and personal care product usage.

The OR for the HC of serum PFASs was higher in individuals with ≥once a week crustacean consumption than in those with < once a week crustacean consumption. Estimated ORs were perfluorohexanesulfonic acid 2.15 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.53–3.02), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) 1.23 (95% CI: 1.07–1.41), and perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDeA) 1.42 (95% CI: 1.17–1.74) in males, and perfluorooctanoic acid 1.48 (95% CI: 1.19–1.84), perfluorooctanesulfonic acid 1.39 (95% CI: 1.27–1.52), PFNA 1.70 (95% CI: 1.29–2.26) and PFDeA 1.43 (95% CI: 1.32–1.54) in females.

This study revealed the association between the crustacean consumption and concentrations of serum PFASs in general Korean population.