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Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of work environment on health problems of nurses. Methods: The subjects of the study were 395 nurses who were wage workers among KWCS (Korean Working Conditions Survey) respondents in 2014. The work environments were measured by the KWCS questionnaire. Results: 48.5% of the 395 nurses had health problems. The prevalence of musculoskeletal diseases (34.7%) was the highest among all health problems. The ergonomic work environment was significantly related to musculoskeletal disorders, headache and eye strain, and fatigue. In addition, the increase in work-individual interface area was significantly related to fatigue. Conclusion: The work environment of nurses affects health problems. It is therefore important to develop strategies that improve the health problems of nurses by reducing ergonomic and psycho-social risk factors.

Purpose: To identify the importance and performance levels of health management duties, work-related and general attributes of health managers in medical institutions and analyze their impact on the performance of managing health-care related tasks. Methods: This research identified the performance levels of 150 health managers who have been executing industrial health-related duties for more than six months as nurses in medical institutions with more than 30 hospital beds. The variables which affect their performances were then analyzed. Results: The average importance of health care duties was 8.1 out of 10 and 5.5 for performance levels. Multi-regression analysis on the variables affecting performance levels of health managers in medical institutions showed that health managers exhibit higher numbers under the following conditions: over 300 full-time employees, more than 1 year but less than 3 years of experience, positions above section chief level, affiliation to the safety and health department, and high perception of duty importance. Conclusion: Improved cognizance of health manager importance should occur initially; then, health-care center setup, assigning of exclusive occupational health managers, and organizational efforts to improve the working environment in tandem with the provision of educational training programs to improve work quality are necessary.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of emotional labor and communication competence on geriatric nursing in nurses-related stress in nurses caring for older patients. Methods: The sample consisted of 147 general hospital nurses. Data were analyzed through the SPSS/WIN 21.0 program using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson’s correlation coefficients, and multiple regression. Results: The factors of emotional labor (β=.38, p<.001)and positive communication competence (β=-.20, p=.021) had the greatest influence on the level of stress related to geriatric nursing in nurses caring for older patients. The total explanatory power was 20.3%. Conclusion: It was found that emotional labor and communication competence were influencing factors in the stress related to geriatric nursing. Therefore, to improve nurses’ stress related to geriatric nursing, strategies to manage the emotional labor, and to strengthen and develop positive communication competence need to be developed.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine relationships between perceived exercise benefits/barriers, competence, depression, and wellness, and then to identify influencing factors on the wellness of traditional market traders. Methods: One hundred eight persons working in a traditional market participated in the study of questionnaire. Data were analyzed using t-test, ANOVA, and multiple regression. Results: The scores were 2.82±0.66 for “perceived exercise benefits”, 1.84±0.42 for “perceived exercise barriers”, 4.68±1.56 for “competence”, 9.60±7.56 for “depression”, and 3.64±0.64 for “wellness”. Regression analysis to identify factors affecting the wellness of traditional market traders showed that “perceived exercise benefits” was the most significant factor (β=.32, p<.001), followed by “competence” (β=.04, p=.009) and “depression” (β=.17, p=.039). The explanatory power of these variables for wellness of traditional market traders was 53%. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that perceived exercise benefits, competence and depression are significantly related to traditional market trader’s wellness. Therefore, wellness programs should be developed to reduce depression and improve perceived exercise benefits and competence.

Purpose: This study was conducted to identify the factors influencing organizational commitment and resilience onpresenteeism in clinical nurses. Methods: The subjects were 202 nurses working at 5 hospitals in B city. The data were collected through questionnaires and analyzed by t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson’s correlation coefficients, and stepwise multiple regression. Results: Work impairment was negatively correlated with organizational commitment and resilience. Perceived productivity was positively correlated with organizational commitment and resilience. Influencing factors on work impairment were organizational commitment (β=-.22 p=.005) and hardiness (β=-.16, p=.042), with 10% explanatory power. Influencing factors on perceived productivity were organizational commitment (β=.24, p=.002) and hardiness (β=.16, p=.042), with 11% explanatory power. Conclusion: Based on this research, appropriate programs and policies that consider influencing factors such as organizational commitment and hardiness in resilience are needed to reduce the level of presenteeism in clinical nurses.

Purpose: This study aimed to identify and compare the risk factors of depression among middle-class Korean workers. Methods: A cross sectional study was designed for secondary data analysis. From the 8th Korean Medical Panel Survey (2008~2013), a total of 3,056 data was drawn and analyzed. With SPSS version 24, a developmental stage comparison, with the stage being young adults (20~39), middle-aged adults (40~64), and older adults (65+) were conducted. Frequency, percentage, x2 test and logistic regression analysis were statistical tools used to analyze the data. Results: In all developmental groups, experience of frustration was found to be a common risk factor of depression. Stress from excessive task, peer-compared subjective health status, and self-perceived social class were risk factors of depression in the young adults and the middle-aged adults. Anxiety for the future significantly influenced depression in the middle-aged adults and older adults. Conclusion: Experience of frustration was a major risk factor of depression among Korean middle-class workers. Interventions to reduce depression need to be developed focusing on the specific risk factors by developmental stages such as experience of frustration, stress from task burden, poor peer-compared subjective health status and anxiety for the future.

Purpose: Workers with chronic health problems find it difficult to maintain their work because of socioeconomic difficulties. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationships between physical, ergonomic, and mental health hazards in the workplace and chronic health problems of Korean workers. Methods: A total of 28,807 wage workers participated in the study and were selected using the Fifth Korean Working Conditions Survey (2017). Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to determine the associations between physical, ergonomic, and mental health hazards and chronic health problems. Results: Of the participants, 1,220 (4.23%) had chronic health problems. Even after adjusting the general characteristics, vibration, noise, high temperature, low temperature, dust, chemical and cigarette smoke, fatigue and painful posture, dragging or pushing or moving of heavy objects, repetitive hand or arm movements, working with a computer or smartphone, use of internet or e-mail, and anxiety situations increased the risk of chronic health problems. Conclusion: The study reaffirms that exposure of physical, ergonomic, and mental health hazards in the workplace significantly increases the risk of chronic health problems.

Purpose: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS), a cluster of metabolic abnormalities has rapidly increased in Korea. Sleep may play a role in determining its prevalence. However, the relationships between MetS and the duration and quality of sleep are not yet clear. This study aimed to examine the associations between the duration and quality of sleep and the prevalence of MetS. Methods: Study participants included 348 Korean blue-collar workers employed by six small-sized companies in Korea. The data were collected using an interviewer-administered questionnaire, and logistic regression analysis was conducted to estimate the effects of the factors related to MetS. Results: The multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that the independent factors that contributed to the prevalence of MetS were being male (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]=4.87, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.58~15.0) and lower sleep quality (aOR=5.12, 95% CI=1.90~14.30). Sleep duration was related to the prevalence of some MetS components, but it was not associated with MetS prevalence. Conclusion: Sleep quality was negatively associated with MetS prevalence when covariates, such as sleep duration, were controlled. When developing a MetS riskreduction program, focus should be given to sleep quality as well as sleep duration in an intervention for Korean blue-collar workers.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the relationship between nursing error experience, coping behavior and job stress in operating room. Methods: A descriptive research design was used in this study. The participants were 228 operating room nurses in G city who surveyed between October 25 and November 25, 2017 using self-report questionnaires. The data were analyzed using IBM SPSS/WIN 24.0/AMOS WIN 24.0 Program, which determined frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, Pearson correlation coefficient, and structural equation model. Results: There were significant positive correlations between six sub-categories of nursing errors and job stress. We found negative correlations between coping behavior and job stress. There was a mediating effect of active coping between knowledge of nursing error and job stress. We found passive coping between inspection & monitoring related error and job stress. Conclusion: Study findings suggest that adequate education and the improvement in hospital environment and system should be required to reduce the nurses’ job stress related to the patients’ safety in operating room.

Purpose: This study aimed to identify the mental fitness, perspective taking, attitude toward the elderly, and quantitative encephalogram among caregivers. Methods: In this mixed method research, 14 female caregivers at an elderly care facility in Y city were participated from December 1st to December 31st, 2019. Structured questionnaires were applied to measure general characteristics, mental fitness, perspective taking, and attitude toward the elderly. Brain waves were measured by quantitative encephalogram in the prefrontal lobe. High frequency and high level of care tasks were analyzed using content analysis. Results: According to analysis of brain waves, caregivers experienced high level of physical strain & stress and psychological distraction & stress. Mental fitness (p<.05) and perspective taking (p<.001) were associated with attitude toward the elderly. Moreover, physical strain & stress was associated with psychological distraction & stress (p<.05, p<.001). High frequency and high level tasks were excretion and position change & movement care related tasks, respectively. Conclusion: These findings should be consider as an evidence for supporting care tasks based on concrete and objective understanding of caregivers using self-reported index as well as neurophysiological indicators including brain waves.