Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine

Research Article

Practice status of specialized agencies for occupational health management of small- to medium-size enterprises and the factors improving their performance: a cross-sectional survey study: Saerom Lee, Jun-Pyo Myong, Eun-A Kim, Huisu Eom, Bowha Choi, Young Joong Kang; Ann Occup Environ Med 2017;29:4. Published online February 27, 2017; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40557-017-0161-4

Background

We examined the current status of specialized agencies for occupational health management (SAs) and their workforce. Furthermore, we aimed to clarify the current practice status of SA healthcare professionals and factors that influence their performance.

Methods

To examine the current SA workforce, we analyzed data from the 2014 Survey of Current Status of SA and their Workforce from the Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL). Furthermore, we mailed out an original questionnaire to SA professionals to determine their current health management status and factors that affect their performance. Data from the respondents (N = 384) were analyzed.

Results

In 2014, the workforce performing health management in SAs comprised 232 physicians, 507 nurses, and 312 occupational hygienists, with no significant regional differences in the distribution of physicians and nurses. According to the findings of the questionnaire, the average daily number of worker consultations by physicians and nurses was 22.8, while the average time taken for health management ranged from 74.3 to 104.3 min, depending on the size of the firm. Most of the respondents (41.5%) answered that they were following-up on more than 80% of individuals with illnesses. Among health management tasks, performance scores of “consultations for general diseases” and “consultations for lifestyle habits” were relatively high, whereas health promotion activities at workplaces were relatively low. There was a significant correlation between the utilization of general and special health examination results and task performance.

Conclusion

Among health management tasks, follow-up management of individuals with illnesses and consultations for disease/lifestyle habits were relatively well performed, whereas health promotion activities at workplaces were not performed well. Among factors that positively influenced SA performance at workplaces, only the utilization of health examination results had significant effects. Therefore, to accomplish health management goals and perform effective health management at workplaces, there is a need to establish a comprehensive system of occupational health service outsourcing integrating health examinations and health management services. Furthermore, the current task system, which focuses on follow-up management, should be expanded to incorporate preventive and health promotion functions—the fundamental functions of occupational health services (OHS).

Citations

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Underestimation of smoking hazards and smoking cessation intervention efficiency among healthcare professionals: A cross-sectional study among Korean occupational health nurses
Jihye Lee, Saerom Lee, Woncheol Lee, Seung Hyeun Lee, Won Gun Kwack, Young Joong Kang
Tobacco Induced Diseases.2023; 21(May): 1. CrossRef
Acute myeloid leukemia in a farmer with long term exposure to pesticides in Korea
Ye-eun Jeon, Jea Chul Ha, Seonggyu Kim, Mi Hwa Heo, Young Rok Do, Insung Chung
Medicine: Case Reports and Study Protocols.2022; 3(1): e0189. CrossRef
Occupational health nurses’ personal attitudes toward smoking: A cross-sectional study
Jihye Lee, Saerom Lee, Minkyu Lee, Young Joong Kang
Journal of Occupational Health.2021;[Epub] CrossRef
Daytime and nighttime heat wave characteristics based on multiple indices over the China–Pakistan economic corridor
Safi Ullah, Qinglong You, Waheed Ullah, Daniel Fiifi Tawia Hagan, Amjad Ali, Gohar Ali, Yuqing Zhang, Mushtaq Ahmad Jan, Asher Samuel Bhatti, Wenxin Xie
Climate Dynamics.2019; 53(9-10): 6329. CrossRef
The roles of doctors, nurses, and industrial hygienists in the healthcare management services in Korea: a comparison of the opinions of specialized health management institutions and entrusted enterprises
Bo-Young Jang, Dong-Mug Kang, Young-Ki Kim, Se-Young Kim, Kyung-Sun Ko
Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.2018;[Epub] CrossRef
Erratum to: Practice status of specialized agencies for occupational health management of small- to medium-size enterprises and the factors improving their performance: a cross-sectional survey study
Saerom Lee, Jun-Pyo Myong, Eun-A Kim, Huisu Eom, Bowha Choi, Young Joong Kang
Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.2017;[Epub] CrossRef

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Original Article

Symptom prevalence and Primary intervention of work-related musculoskeletal disorders and their related factors among manufacturing workers: Hyunjoo Kim, Woo Cheol Jeong; Korean Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2005;17(2):116-128. Published online June 30, 2005; DOI: https://doi.org/10.35371/kjoem.2005.17.2.116

Abstract PDF

OBJECTIVES
To investigate the symptom prevalence and the primary intervention of work-related musculoskeletal diseases(WMSDs) and their related factors among manufacturing workers.
METHOD
A self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted on 2,457 workers, at 22 enterprises in Chungnam province, Korea, from September 1 to December 1, 2003. The contents of the questionnaire included general and work-related characteristics, musculoskeletal symptoms and workers' past one-year experience of primary interventions.
RESULTS
1. The overall symptom prevalence of the musculoskeletal diseases was 23.9%. The WMSD symptom prevalences at the neck/shoulder, arm/elbow, hand/wrist and back/leg were 14.8%. 2.7%. 7.3% and 12.0%, respectively. 2. In multivariate analysis, all WMSD symptom prevalences were high in the high workload, high force & high repetitiveness, and 'high job strain' groups. The WMSD symptom prevalence at neck/shoulder was also high in females and the group experiencing low social support from the supervisor. 3. The rates of the primary interventions were as follows : 13.7% for health education, 5.8% for health counselling, 18.8% for preventive exercise, 24.7% for ergonomic intervention, and 9.8% for administrative intervention. 4. In multivariate analysis, the size of the enterprises and the type of occupational health management system(OHMS) were significantly associated with all primary interventions except health counselling(p<0.05). The other individual-level predictive factors were as follows. Those for the health education were male and union presence. Those for the health counselling were older age(> or =40 years), irregular employment, and the active group of Karasek's job strain model. Those for the preventive exercise were male, older age, longer tenure and regular employment. Those for the ergonomic intervention were longer tenure, job of physical force and/or repetitiveness, high job stain and the group experiencing high social support from the supervisor. The predictive factor for the administrative intervention was male (p<0.05).
CONCLUSIONS
To establish an effective strategy for the primary prevention of WMSDs, approaches are needed which consider the individual nature of small and medium sized enterprises. IAlso necessary is to promote the participation of labor and management because the activation of the primary intervention was associated with the type of OHMS and union presence. Moreover the reduction of workload and increased intervention into the high risk group could be effective in the prevention of WMSDs.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

Effect of Physical Therapy Based Tailored Exercise Program on Pain, Accident incidence Rates, and Lost Days of Work in Manufacturing Worker: Single Subject Design
Kwon-Woo Lee, Won-Ho Kim
Journal of The Korean Society of Physical Medicine.2017; 12(2): 113. CrossRef
Musculoskeletal Workload Evaluation in Physical Therapist
Youn-Bum Sung, Hyung-Seok Seo, Jung-Ho Lee, Young-Han Park
Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society.2012; 13(9): 3999. CrossRef
Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders among Agricultural Workers
Soo-Jin Lee, Hwan-Jin Park
Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea.2011; 30(4): 525. CrossRef

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Original Article

Contact dermatitis surveillance system in Taejon city: Prevalence of contact dermatitis among the workers exposed to solvents and nonmentallic chemicals through an immediate health examination system in Taejon city: Seong Sil Chang, Sooyoung Kim; Korean Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2000;12(2):227-234. Published online June 30, 2000; DOI: https://doi.org/10.35371/kjoem.2000.12.2.227

Abstract PDF

OBJECTIVES
We tried to establish a Regional Occupational Surveillance System (ROSS) for estimating the prevalence and monitoring the trend of occupational dermatitis among 718 manufacturing workers exposed to organic solvents and nonmetallic chemicals in small and medium sized businesses of 1,2 industrial complex area of taejon City.
METHODS
Through the report from the nurses of Group Occupational Health Management System, we made a case referral and immediate health examination system with occupational medical clinics. We also performed a survey for detecting occupational dermatitis by a self-administered questionnaire. Case must meet 3 criteria; 1) He/She must have one or more significant cutaneous signs and symptoms. 2) The symptom should be changed by the work condition or caused by risk chemicals. 3) Dermatitis should be diagnosed by a doctor. Results Among the 131 workers(17. 7 %) with significant symptoms screened by the questionnaire, 4 workers(0. 6 %) met the case definition criteria. And among the 45 workers (6. 3 9o) referred to the immediate diagnosed system, 14 workers (l. 9 %) were Strongly suspected to have occupational dermatitis.
CONCLUSIONS
These prevalence rates were quite underestimated because of deficient recognition of the disease severity among the workers, reversibility of the target diseases, and life-threathening mood due to nationwide economic crisis and the socioeconomic withdrawal of each business. Ultimately, harmonized activities of government, industry, labor unions, volunteer organization and academy relating to occupational health in a community should be encouraged to do creative, consistent efforts for evolution and development of this first trial of ROSS.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

Work-relatedness of lung cancer by smoking and histologic type in Korea
Young-Il Lee, Sang-Gil Lee, Dong-Mug Kang, Jong-Eun Kim, Young-Ki Kim, Jong-Han Leem, Hwan-Cheol Kim
Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.2014;[Epub] CrossRef
Occupational Skin Diseases in Korea
Yeon-Soon Ahn, Min-Gi Kim
Journal of Korean Medical Science.2010; 25(Suppl): S46. CrossRef

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