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- Original Article The Health Status Including Biologic Exposure Indices of Migrant Workers: Based on 2005 Special Health Examination Data
- Yoon Hee Song, Kyoo Sang Kim, Sun Wung Lee, Sun Haeng Choi
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.35371/kjoem.2008.20.2.63
Published online: June 30, 2008
1Department of Occupational & Environmental Medicine, School of Public Health, Seoul National University, Korea. 
2Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute, KOSHA, Korea. kobawoo@kosha.net
3Department of Occupational & Environmental Medicine, School of Public Health, Yonsei University, Korea.
2Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute, KOSHA, Korea. kobawoo@kosha.net
3Department of Occupational & Environmental Medicine, School of Public Health, Yonsei University, Korea.
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Abstract
OBJECTIVES
To investigate the general health status and severity of exposure to hazardous agents - with a focus on heavy metals - of migrant workers utilizing the 2005 Special Health Examination data.
METHODS
With data from the 2005 Special Health Examination, we examined the biologic exposure indices and several major clinical exam items of 25,086 migrant workers in the whole country in comparison with those of 19,616 native Korean workers in Kyunggi-do province. Of these we chose homogeneous samples from the same 3 health service centers in Kyunggi-do. (native workers:19,616, migrant workers:1,886) to be more precise.
RESULTS
The results from the samples of the 3 centers were as follows. Blood lead (natives: 6.09 microgram/dl migrants: 8.37 microgram/L) and cadmium (natives: 0.29 microgram/dl, migrants: 0.36 microgram/L) were higher in the migrant workers than in the native Korean workers, whereas the biologic exposure indices of organic solvents were higher in the native workers. As for major clinical exam items, the liver battery was worse in the natives with incidence of abnormal AST/ALT level (natives: 8.1/6.8% migrants: 5.7/5.4%, p-value<0.01 for AST). Anemia was more prevalent in the migrant workers (natives: 9.0% migrants: 11.0%, p-value<0.05).
CONCLUSIONS
Migrant workers in Korea are more frequently or more severely exposed to a hazardous working environment containing heavy metals. However, we were not able to explain the results for the exposure indices or organic solvents, and such an explanation will require further study in the future.
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