Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine

Research Article

Perception of and attitude toward ethical issues among Korean occupational physicians: Junghye Choi, Chunhui Suh, Jong-Tae Lee, Segyeong Lee, Chae-Kwan Lee, Gyeong-Jin Lee, Taekjoong Kim, Byung-Chul Son, Jeong-Ho Kim, Kunhyung Kim, Dae Hwan Kim, Ji Young Ryu; Ann Occup Environ Med 2017;29:23. Published online June 24, 2017; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40557-017-0182-z

Abstract PDF PubReader ePub: Background
Occupational physicians (OPs) have complex relationships with employees, employers, and the general public. OPs may have simultaneous obligations towards third parties, which can lead to variable conflicts of interests. Among the various studies of ethical issues related to OPs, few have focused on the Korean OPs. The aim of the present survey was to investigate the ethical contexts, the practical resolutions, and the ethical principles for the Korean OPs.
Methods
An email with a self-administered questionnaire was sent to members of the Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, comprising 150 specialists and 130 residents. The questionnaire was also distributed to 52 specialists and 46 residents who attended the annual meeting of the Korean Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics in October 2015, and to 240 specialists by uploading the questionnaire to the online community ‘oem-doctors’ in February 2016. The responses to each question (perception of general ethical conflicts, recognition of various ethical codes for OPs, core professional values in ethics of occupational medicine, and a mock case study) were compared between specialists and residents by the chi-squared test and Fisher’s exact test.
Results
Responses were received from 80 specialists and 71 residents. Most participants had experienced ethical conflicts at work and felt the need for systematic education and training. OPs suffered the most ethical conflicts in decisions regarding occupational health examination and evaluation for work relatedness. Over 60% of total participants were unaware of the ethical codes of other countries. Participants thought ‘consideration of worker’s health and safety’ (26.0%) and ‘neutrality’ (24.7%) as the prominent ethical values in professionality ofoccupational medicine. In mock cases, participants chose beneficence and justice for fitness for work and confidential information acquired while on duty, and beneficence and respect for autonomy in pre-placement examinations.
Conclusions
This study evaluated the current perception of and attitude toward ethical issues among the Korean OPs. These findings will facilitate the development of a code of ethics and the ethical decision-making program forthe Korean OPs.
Electronic supplementary material
The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s40557-017-0182-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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Research Article

Effects of shift work on abdominal obesity among 20–39-year-old female nurses: a 5-year retrospective longitudinal study: Gyeong-Jin Lee, Kunhyung Kim, Se-yeong Kim, Jeong-Ho Kim, Chunhui Suh, Byung-Chul Son, Chae-Kwan Lee, Junghye Choi; Ann Occup Environ Med 2016;28:69. Published online December 5, 2016; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40557-016-0148-6

Abstract PDF PubReader ePub

Background

This study aimed to investigate the effects of shift work on abdominal obesity among young and middle-aged female nurses during a 5-year retrospective study.

Methods

This retrospective study included female nurses (20–39 years old) who worked at a university hospital in Korea and had available health screening results from 2010–2015. Among 2,611 employees, 934 healthy 20–39-year-old female nurses were identified, and data regarding their demographic information (age and date of employment), waist circumferences (WC), and lifestyle factors (alcohol and exercise) were obtained. Abdominal obesity was defined as a WC of ≥80 cm, based on the World Health Organization’s Asia-West Pacific standard in 2000. The mean WC change from baseline was analyzed using the paired t test, and the association between shift work and abdominal obesity was analyzed using the generalized estimating equation.

Results

Compared to all day workers (both age groups), the 20–29-year-old nurses did not exhibit significant changes in WC at each follow-up. However, among the 30–39-year-old nurses, shift workers exhibited a significant change in WC (vs. baseline) during years 4 and 5, compared to day workers. After adjusting for effective confounders and stratifying the participants according to age, the 20–29-year-old nurses exhibited an odds ratio of 3.21 (95 % confidence interval: 1.29–7.98) for shift work-associated obesity, although the odds ratio for the 30–39-year-old nurses was not statistically significant.

Conclusion

In the study population, shift work was associated with a significant change in mean WC among 30–39-year-old nurses, and the shift work-associated risk of abdominal obesity was significant among 20–29-year-old nurses. These results indicate that shift work may influence abdominal obesity differently in 20–29-year-old and 30–39-year-old female nurses.

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Heloísa Theodoro, Diego Garcia Bassani, Janaína Cristina da Silva, Karina Giane Mendes, Gabriela Hermann Cibeira, Julia Cigana Schenkel, Maria Teresa Anselmo Olinto
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Implications of Lifestyle and Occupational Factors on the Risk of Breast Cancer in Shiftwork Nurses
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Maria Cristina Tani Beneventi, Sônia Maria Rolim Rosa Lima
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Time of day difference in postprandial glucose and insulin responses: Systematic review and meta-analysis of acute postprandial studies
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Syed Afroz Keramat, Khorshed Alam, Jeff Gow, Stuart J. H. Biddle
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Qi Zhang, Sek Ying Chair, Suzanne Hoi Shan Lo, Janita Pak-Chun Chau, Mark Schwade, Xiaosu Zhao
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Zeinab Samhat, Randa Attieh, Yonna Sacre
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Huanhuan Li, Yanping Shao, Zhuangjie Xing, Yuan Li, Shouqi Wang, Meiling Zhang, Jie Ying, Ying Shi, Jiao Sun
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Research Article

Relationship between housing characteristics, lifestyle factors and phthalates exposure: the first Korean National Environmental Health Survey (2009–2011): Kyungyong Jung, Hyounho Oh, Ji Young Ryu, Dae Hwan Kim, Sangyoon Lee, Byung-Chul Son, Chae-Kwan Lee; Ann Occup Environ Med 2015;27:33. Published online December 23, 2015; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40557-015-0078-8

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Effects of indoor environments and outdoor air pollutants in residential areas on acute exacerbation in patients with severe asthma
Byung-Keun Kim, Hwan-Cheol Kim, Dong-Wook Lee, Young-Hee Nam, Da Woon Sim, Youngsoo Lee, Ji-Su Shim, Min-Suk Yang, Min-Hye Kim, So Ri Kim, Sang-Heon Kim, Young-Il Koh, Heung-Woo Park
International Journal of Environmental Health Research.2024; : 1. CrossRef
Effect of aqueous garlic ( Allium sativum ) extract against di‐(2‐ethylhexyl) phthalate induced reproductive toxicity in male mice
Fatima Iram, Sajida Batool, Sitara Shameem, Iqra Aslam, Saira Batool, Marrium Shaheen, Riqza Aziz
Andrologia.2022;[Epub] CrossRef
Comparing Levels of Urinary Phthalate Metabolites in Egyptian Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Healthy Control Children: Referring to Sources of Phthalate Exposure
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Chenxi Liao, Wei Liu, Jialing Zhang, Wenming Shi, Xueying Wang, Jiao Cai, Zhijun Zou, Rongchun Lu, Chanjuan Sun, Heng Wang, Chen Huang, Zhuohui Zhao
Science of The Total Environment.2018; 616-617: 1288. CrossRef
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Diversity and abundance of human‐pathogenic fungi associated with pigeon faeces in urban environments
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Research Article

Decline in non-smoking workers’ urine cotinine levels after increased smoking regulation in Korea: Ju-Hyoung Park, Chae-Kwan Lee, Se-Yeong Kim, Chunhui Suh, Kun-Hyung Kim, Jeong-Ho Kim, Byung-Chul Son, Jong-Tae Lee, Seung-Do Yu, Wookhee Choi, Hosub Im; Ann Occup Environ Med 2015;27:17. Published online June 10, 2015; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40557-015-0066-z

Abstract PDF PubReader ePub

Objectives

To identify any association between implementing smoking regulation policies and workers’ urine cotinine concentration levels in Korea.

Methods

From the first stage of the Korean National Environmental Health Survey conducted by the National Institute of Environmental Research from 2009 to 2011, 2,475 non-smoking workers selected. We analyzed the trend in the changes of cotinine concentration in urine using the general linear model and linear regression, in various jobs as categorized by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) and Korea Standard Classification of Occupations (KSCO).

Results

The urine cotinine concentration tended to decrease every year (2.91 ng/ml in 2009, 2.12 ng/ml in 2010, and 1.31 ng/ml in 2011), showing a decreasing trend (P < 0.001). The total subjects’ decreased cotinine concentration in urine between 2009 and 2011 was 2.72 ng/ml (54.1 % relative decrease). The changes in each subgroup’s urine cotinine concentration ranged from 1.59 to 6.03 ng/ml (33.2 to 77.5 %). All groups except for the managerial group (n = 49), which had a small sample size, had statistically significant negative regression coefficients (p < 0.05). The ranges of the decrease in urine cotinine were 2.75 ng/ml (53.6 %) for males and 2.72 ng/ml (54.9 %) for females. The negative slope in urine cotinine level was statistically significantly greater in men than women. The changes in urine cotinine by occupation as classified by the NCHS occupational categories ranged from 2.43 to 3.36 ng/ml (46.6 to 61.5 % relative decrease). The negative slopes in urine cotinine levels of the white-collar and farm workers were statistically significantly greater than those of the service workers and blue-collar workers. The change by occupation as classified by the KSCO ranged from 1.59 to 6.03 ng/ml (a 33.2 to 77.5 % relative decrease). The negative slopes in urine cotinine levels of the professionals and related workers and clerks were statistically significantly greater than those of the service workers and plant and machine operators and assemblers.

Conclusions

The cotinine concentration in urine among non-smoking worker groups tended to decline from 2009 to 2011. Such a result may be an indirect indicator of the effectiveness of smoking regulation policies including the revision of the National Health Promotion Act.

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Time trend of exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons between 1995 and 2019 in Germany – Showcases for successful European legislation
Therese Burkhardt, Max Scherer, Gerhard Scherer, Nikola Pluym, Till Weber, Marike Kolossa-Gehring
Environmental Research.2023; 216: 114638. CrossRef
Effects of municipal smoke-free ordinances on secondhand smoke exposure in the Republic of Korea
Siwoo Kim, Yuri Lee, Changwoo Han, Min Kyung Kim, Ichiro Kawachi, Juhwan Oh
Frontiers in Public Health.2023;[Epub] CrossRef
Association between Pb, Cd, and Hg Exposure and Liver Injury among Korean Adults
Do-Won Kim, Jeongwon Ock, Kyong-Whan Moon, Choong-Hee Park
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.2021; 18(13): 6783. CrossRef
Public support for health taxes and media regulation of harmful products in South Korea
Kyae Hyung Kim, EunKyo Kang, Young Ho Yun
BMC Public Health.2019;[Epub] CrossRef
Female non-smokers’ environmental tobacco smoking exposure by public transportation mode
Seyoung Kim, Jin-Soo Park, Minkyu Park, Yeji Kim, Sinye Lim, Hye-Eun Lee
Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.2018;[Epub] CrossRef
Exposure to environmental chemicals among Korean adults-updates from the second Korean National Environmental Health Survey (2012–2014)
Wookhee Choi, Suejin Kim, Yong-Wook Baek, Kyungho Choi, Keejae Lee, Sungkyoon Kim, Seung Do Yu, Kyunghee Choi
International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health.2017; 220(2): 29. CrossRef

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Research Article

The effect of applying ethnicity-specific spirometric reference equations to Asian migrant workers in Korea: Nami Kim, Se-Yeong Kim, Yoojun Song, Chunhui Suh, Kun-Hyung Kim, Jeong-Ho Kim, Byung-Chul Son, Chae-Kwan Lee, Jong-Tae Lee; Ann Occup Environ Med 2015;27:14. Published online May 18, 2015; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40557-015-0065-0

Abstract PDF PubReader ePub

Objectives

Asian migrant workers in Korea have various ethnicities. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the difference in spirometric interpretation made using the set of third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) reference equations and the relevant ethnicity-specific reference sets.

Methods

Spirometry was performed on 166 migrant and 498 Korean male workers between March and November 2012. We analyzed the spirometric data of healthy never-smokers. Spirometric patterns were evaluated using the NHANES III reference set and some relevant ethnicity-specific equations (Eom’s equation for Koreans, Ip’s equation for East Asians, Crapo’s equation for Central Asians, Memon’s equation for South Asians, and Gnanou’s equation for Southeast Asian people).

Results

In all migrant groups except the Central Asian group, the forced expiratory volume in 1 second percentage (FEV₁%) and forced vital capacity percentage (FVC%) calculated using each of the ethnicity-specific reference equations considered were significantly higher than those calculated using the NHANES III reference set. This study showed that in the evaluation of the spirometric result of subjects from Southeast Asia or South Asia, the percentage of cases with an abnormal FEV₁ or FVC increased when the NHANES III set of equations was used as compared to when the ethnicity-specific equations were used.

Conclusions

We found that the spirometric results of all ethnic groups were higher and the composition of the abnormal spirometric result was lower when the ethnicity-specific reference equations were used instead of the NHANES III reference set.

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Spirometry Reference Equations for Asian Migrant Workers in Korea: A Proposal
Hwa-Yeon LEE, Yonglim WON
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Darcy D. Marciniuk, Ellen A. Becker, David A. Kaminsky, Meredith C. McCormack, Sanja Stanojevic, Nirav R. Bhakta, Christian Bime, Vikram Comondore, Clayton T. Cowl, Sharon Dell, Jeffrey Haynes, Fred Jaffe, Carl Mottram, Nneka Sederstrom, Mary Townsend, Jo
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Reference equations for evaluation of spirometry function tests in South Asia, and among South Asians living in other countries
Wei Yee Leong, Ananya Gupta, Mehedi Hasan, Sara Mahmood, Samreen Siddiqui, Sajjad Ahmed, Ian Y. Goon, Marie Loh, Theresia H. Mina, Benjamin Lam, Yik Weng Yew, Joanne Ngeow, Jimmy Lee, Eng Sing Lee, Elio Riboli, Paul Elliott, Geak Poh Tan, Sanjay H. Chotir
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Denis Vinnikov, Paul D. Blanc, Nurlan Brimkulov
The Clinical Respiratory Journal.2018; 12(2): 826. CrossRef

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Case Report

High lead exposure in two leaded bronze ingot foundry workers: Yoojun Song, Chunhui Suh, Shin-Ae Kim, Nami Kim, Sung-Min Kim, Seong-Wook Jeong, Se-Yeong Kim, Kun-Hyung Kim, Jeong-Ho Kim, Byung-Chul Son, Chae-Kwan Lee, Jong-Tae Lee; Ann Occup Environ Med 2014;26:38. Published online December 1, 2014; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40557-014-0038-8

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Background

Awareness about lead poisoning in South Korea has increased; however, occupational exposures occurring in small-scale businesses have not been thoroughly investigated. We report two cases of high lead exposure in a leaded bronze ingot foundry.

Case presentation

Two employees, a 54-year-old primary operator and a 46-year-old assistant, at a small-scale metalworking company who had been employed for 18 years and 1 month, respectively, showed elevated blood lead levels (61.1 μg/dL and 51.7 μg/dL, respectively) at an occupational health checkup. Neither worker complained of abnormal symptoms nor signs related to lead poisoning. Health assessment follow-ups were conducted and biological exposure indices of lead were calculated every four weeks. After the initial follow-up assessment, both workers were relocated from the foundry process to the metalworking process. In addition, a localized exhaust system was installed after the second follow-up.

Conclusions

Foundry workers in a small-scale businesses might be at high risk of lead exposure because these businesses might be vulnerable to poor industrial hygiene. Therefore, regular occupational health checkups are required.

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Fatemeh Famouri, Maryam Yazdi, Awat Feizii, Hossein Saneian, Peiman Nasri, Roya Kelishadi
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Ziyao Huang
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Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology.2021; 429: 115681. CrossRef
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Environmental Research.2020; 191: 109860. CrossRef
Bayesian network model to diagnose WMSDs with working characteristics
Gilseung Ahn, Sun Hur, Myung-Chul Jung
International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics.2020; 26(2): 336. CrossRef
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Monica Shirley Mani, Divyani Gurudas Nayak, Herman Sunil Dsouza
Toxicology and Industrial Health.2020; 36(5): 346. CrossRef
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Kyung Wook Kang, Won-Ju Park
Journal of Korean Medical Science.2017; 32(10): 1713. CrossRef
Occupational Lead Exposure from Indoor Firing Ranges in Korea
Won-Ju Park, Suk-Ho Lee, Se-Ho Lee, Hye-Sik Yoon, Jai-Dong Moon
Journal of Korean Medical Science.2016; 31(4): 497. CrossRef

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Case Report

A Case of Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Assessments of Fitness for Work: Sukwoo Hong, Yewon Kim, Ji-Young Ryu, Sangyoon Lee, Byung-Chul Son, Chae-Kwan Lee, Dae-Hwan Kim; Ann Occup Environ Med 2014;26:7-7. Published online April 25, 2014; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/2052-4374-26-7

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Background

Obstructive sleep apnea is a common sleep disorder that can cause excessive daytime sleepiness and impairment of cognition. These symptoms may lead to the occurrence of occupational accidents in workers with obstructive sleep apnea.

Case presentation

A 36-year-old man who worked as a dimensional control surveyor caused a vehicle accident while he was driving at the work site. Although he experienced loss of consciousness at the time of the accident, he had no other symptoms. His brain computed tomography and laboratory test did not show any specific findings. Medical tests were conducted to evaluate his fitness for work. Decreased sleep latency was observed on the electroencephalography image, which is suggestive of a sleep disorder. He frequently experienced daytime sleepiness and his Epworth sleepiness score was 13. The polysomnography showed a markedly increased apnea-hypopnea index of 84.3, which led to a diagnosis of severe obstructive sleep apnea. The patient was advised to return to work only when his obstructive sleep apnea improved through proper treatment.

Conclusion

Proper screening for obstructive sleep apnea among workers is important for preventing workplace accidents caused by this disorder, but screening guidelines have not yet been established in Korea. An effort toward preparing practical guidelines for obstructive sleep apnea is needed.

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Effects of exercise training on brain metabolism and cognitive functioning in sleep apnea
Linda M. Ueno-Pardi, Fabio L. Souza-Duran, Larissa Matheus, Amanda G. Rodrigues, Eline R. F. Barbosa, Paulo J. Cunha, Camila G. Carneiro, Naomi A. Costa, Carla R. Ono, Carlos A. Buchpiguel, Carlos E. Negrão, Geraldo Lorenzi-Filho, Geraldo Busatto-Filho
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Research Article

Effectiveness of a Comprehensive Stress Management Program to Reduce Work-Related Stress in a Medium-Sized Enterprise: Shin-Ae Kim, Chunhui Suh, Mi-Hee Park, Kunhyung Kim, Chae-Kwan Lee, Byung-Chul Son, Jeong-Ho Kim, Jong-Tae Lee, Kuck-Hyun Woo, Kabsoon Kang, Hyunjin Jung; Ann Occup Environ Med 2014;26:4-4. Published online February 13, 2014; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/2052-4374-26-4

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Objectives

To assess the effectiveness of a comprehensive workplace stress management program consisting of participatory action-oriented training (PAOT) and individual management.

Methods

A comprehensive workplace stress management program was conducted in a medium-sized enterprise. The baseline survey was conducted in September 2011, using the Korean Occupational Stress Scale (KOSS) and Worker’s Stress Response Inventory (WSRI). After implementing both organizational and individual level interventions, the follow up evaluation was conducted in November 2011.

Results

Most of the workers participated in the organizational level PAOT and made Team-based improvement plans. Based on the stress survey, 24 workers were interviewed by a researcher. After the organizational and individual level interventions, there was a reduction of several adverse psychosocial factors and stress responses. In the case of blue-collar workers, psychosocial factors such as the physical environment, job demands, organizational system, lack of rewards, and occupational climate were significantly improved; in the case of white-collar workers, the occupational climate was improved.

Conclusions

In light of these results, we concluded that the comprehensive stress management program was effective in reducing work-related stress in a short-term period. A persistent long-term follow up is necessary to determine whether the observed effects are maintained over time. Both team-based improvement activities and individual interviews have to be sustainable and complementary to each other under the long-term plan.

Citations

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