Occupational injury has been a serious social problem steadily. Sleep disturbance is a risk factor for occupational injury. However, there were few researches studied on the linking between sleep disturbance and occupational injury in general working population of Korea. Therefore, we explored the association between sleep disturbance and occupational injury among Korean workers.
This study used data from the 5th Korean Working Conditions Survey. Occupational injury was assessed by asking work related injury for 12 months prior to the point of the survey. Sleep disturbance was assessed using the Minimal Insomnia Symptoms Scale (MISS). To analyze the association between sleep disturbance and occupational injury, multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted.
The odds ratio (OR) of sleep disturbance group for occupational injury was 2.57 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.68–3.93) in the fully adjusted model. For the association between MISS score and occupational injury, it showed increasing trend that ORs increase from the 1st to the 4th quartiles. The OR of 2nd quartile was 1.10 (95% CI: 0.60–2.01), the OR of 3rd quartile was 2.27 (95% CI: 1.53–3.38) and the OR of 4th quartile was 2.80 (95% CI: 1.84–4.26).
Sleep disturbance was associated with occupational injury. In addition, increasing trend was observed between MISS score and occupational injury. These findings imply that developing of intervention programs to manage sleep disturbance and fatigue may be necessary to prevent occupational injury.
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Sickness presenteeism (SP) indicates “going to work while being ill.” The importance of SP has only recently been investigated, and the association between SP and employment status has been inconsistent across studies. Therefore, we conducted this study to explore the association between SP and employment status by using presenteeism propensity (PP), which can reflect the individual decision-making process.
The study population included employees participating in the 5th Korean Working Condition Survey. We analyzed data of only employees with at least one health event, which was calculated as the sum of SP and sickness absenteeism days. Employment status was grouped into 3 categories: stable employment, unstable employment (contract period
Unstable employees (contract period
Employment status was associated with SP. Given the negative health impact of SP, social efforts, such as paid sick leave, are required to reduce SP and enhance the health status of unstable workers.
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In Korea, around the abandoned metal mines, heavy metals are being accumulating in the cultivated areas. Among exposed heavy metals, mercury is known to harm for cardiovascular system known to affect blood pressure. So, we studied the relationship between blood mercury level and hypertension in residents around abandoned metal mines.
From 2008 to 2011, we surveyed 7,055 residents in provinces affected by abandoned metal mines and collected data from 6 Hospitals. We conducted a personal questionnaire interview survey with residents on the basis of household questionnaires, sex, age, household income, smoking, and drinking items. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate the association between blood mercury level and hypertension.
We compared residents with low and high groups based on blood mercury level 5.8 μg/L, and higher group was significantly higher risk of hypertension than lower group (odds ratio [OR]: 1.277; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.135–1.436), also in adjusted model, higher group was significantly higher risk of hypertension than lower group (OR: 1.276; 95% CI: 1.117–1.457).
This study showed a significant correlation between mercury and hypertension in residents around abandoned metal mines. Therefore, we should continuously monitor people who are higher than the standard value and the hypertensive patients.
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The present study aims to compare the pulmonary function of residents of Seoul special city (Seoul) and Jeju special self-governing province including Jeju city and Seogwipo city (Jeju), characterized by vastly different annual average airborne particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less ≤10 μm (PM10) concentrations, with the annual average PM10 concentration in Seoul being significantly higher than that in Jeju.
This cross-sectional study analyzed the pulmonary function test results and sociodemographic data of Korean adults ≥19 years of age derived from the 4th KNHANES, 2007–2009. A total of 830 individuals residing in Seoul or Jeju were included in this study. T-tests were used to analyze predicted values of forced expiratory volume in 1 sec (FEV1p), predicted values of forced vital capacity (FVCp) and FEV1/FVC ratio (FEV1/FVC), as dependent variables, to examine the differences in the subjects’ pulmonary function according to the city of residence. Stratified analysis was then performed to adjust for variables potentially affecting pulmonary function. The analysis was performed on subjects as a group and also following stratification according to sex and other variables.
Seoul residents had a significantly lower FVCp than that of the Jeju residents (difference: 3.48%,
The present analysis was based on cross-sectional data collected at one point in time. Therefore, unlike longitudinal studies, it does not establish a clear causal association between the variables. Nevertheless, this study found that pulmonary function among subjects residing in Seoul was significantly decreased compared to that of subjects residing in Jeju.
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Nicotine dependence and its severity are often determined by individuals’ psychosocial factors.This study purposed to analyze how Korean workers’ job stress is related with their nicotine dependence according to demographic and occupational characteristics in order to reduce smoking related to job stress and to establish objective indicators to be used in developing adequate smoking cessation strategies.
The subjects of this study were 4,639 workers who replied to the questionnaire survey. In addition, 1,948 current smokers were separated from non-smokers and ex-smokers, and the relationship between job stress and nicotine dependence was analyzed with the current smoker group. Nicotine dependence was tested using Fagerström’s Test of Nicotine Dependence, and stress was measured using a questionnaire on subjective stress felt by workers in their daily life and the short form of the Korean Occupational Stress Scale.
The smoking rate was 54.1 % among men and 2.5 % among women. Nicotine dependence was significantly different according to interpersonal conflict, organization system and lack of reward (
Job stress was found to be related with smoking status and nicotine dependence. Based on this result, it is suggested to enhance workers’ welfare for health promotion in workplace by improving their working environment in order to reduce job stress and consequently to decrease the smoking rate.
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