Hye-Sun Jung

Efficacy of a programme for workers with metabolic syndrome based on an e-health system in the workplace: a pilot study:

We tested the efficacy of the Healthy Workplace programme for metabolic syndrome. A total of 226 workers with metabolic syndrome from 12 companies enrolled in the study and completed baseline and 6-month follow-up. The Healthy Workplace programme consisted of a 4-week structured education module, telephone counselling, mobile phone messages (SMS) and email messages in the ensuing 6 months. The main outcome measures of the pre-post study were waist circumference, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure (BP) and glucose levels. At follow-up, waist circumference and diastolic BP were significantly reduced compared to baseline. Triglyceride and fasting glucose levels improved significantly 6 months after the study. At 6-month follow-up, manifest risk factors for metabolic syndrome had disappeared in 9% of the participants. The integrated Healthy Workplace programme encouraged workers to improve self-care behaviours.

Relationship between handling heavy items during pregnancy and spontaneous abortion: a cross-sectional survey of working women in South Korea.

The researchers conducted a cross-sectional survey to determine the relationship between handling heavy items during pregnancy and spontaneous abortion among working women in South Korea. One thousand working women were selected from a database of those eligible for maternity benefits under the National Employment Insurance Plan. Study results showed that handling heavy items during pregnancy was associated with an increased risk of spontaneous abortion after adjusting for general characteristics of the participants and their work environment. A collective effort is needed on the parts of employers, employees, occupational health nurses, and the government to protect working women from lifting heavy items while pregnant.

Contributors to shift work tolerance in South Korean nurses working rotating shift

Shift workers have rapidly increased in South Korea; however, there is no published research exploring shift work tolerance among South Korean workers. This study aimed to investigate factors related to shift work tolerance in South Korean nurses. The sample comprised of 660 nurses who worked shifts in a large hospital in South Korea. A structured questionnaire included following comprehensive variables: demographic (age and number of children), individual (morningness and self-esteem), psychosocial (social support and job stress), lifestyle (alcohol consumption, physical activity, and BMI), and working condition factors (number of night shifts and working hours). Shift work tolerance was measured in terms of insomnia, fatigue, and depression. The results of hierarchical regressions indicate that all variables, except for three, number of children, BMI, and working hours, were related to at least one of the symptoms associated with shift work tolerance. Based on these results, we offer some practical implications to help improve shift work tolerance of workers.

Evaluation of an incentive-based obesity management program in a workplace.

This study is to analyze the effectiveness of an incentive-based obesity management program (the Midas Project aimed to improve good health habits) at an electronics company in 2005. A total of 95 company participants with a high body mass index (BMI) were recruited for a health promotion program for 3 months that awarded gold medals as an incentive for body fat loss. BMI decreased from 28.8 to 27.8 kg/m2 (p = .000), body weight decreased from 87.2 to 83.5 kg (p = .000), and body fat weight decreased from 25.4 to 23.3 kg (p = .000). Systolic and diastolic blood pressure decreased from 130.5 to 125.1 mmHg (p = .002), from 86.4 to 81.7 mmHg (p = .009). The percentage of participants exercising more than 3 times per week increased from 27.3 to 52.3% (p = .000). The percentage who avoided overeating at parties and midnight eating increased from 65.9 to 72.7% (p = .767) and 70.5 to 84.1% (p = .172), respectively. This incentive-based obesity management program was effective in improving not only BMI but also health status.

Pedunculated exogastric leiomyoblastoma presenting as a wandering abdominal mass.

We report the imaging findings in a case of pedunculated exogastric leiomyoblastoma presenting as a wandering abdominal mass. Ultrasound and computed tomography showed a large, mixed solid and cystic mass in the peritoneal cavity. Computed tomography clearly showed that the mass was connected to the stomach by a narrow stalk. Small bowel follow-through showed subtle extrinsic indentation of the gastric body. The mass wandered from the right to the left side of the peritoneal cavity during various radiologic examinations.

The impact of community-based eHealth self-management intervention among elderly living alone with hypertension

Introduction This study intended to examine the effect of an eHealth self-management (eHSM) intervention on elderly Korean persons who live alone in a community. Methods A quasi-experimental study was designed, and a total of 64 elderly persons (intervention n = 31, control n = 33) with hypertension (a systolic blood pressure measurement of ≥140 and/or a diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mm Hg) or taking anti-hypertensive medication participated. The eHSM intervention consisted of a four-week, in-class educational phase, community-based eHealth monitoring, and monthly telephone counselling for 24 weeks. Results The primary outcome measurement of the study was BP, and secondary outcomes included psycho-behavioural variables. Specifically, the systolic BP among intervention group participants was 133.9 mm Hg at baseline and 122.5 mm Hg after 24 weeks of follow-up. Participants in the intervention group showed greater improvement in self-efficacy, self-care behaviour, and social support than did participants in the control group 24 weeks post-intervention. Discussion The results highlight the clinical efficacy of an eHSM intervention composed of a four-week education program, self-monitoring, and follow-up counselling. The eHSM intervention should be expanded to include community-dwelling elderly persons with hypertension to improve the self-management of hypertension and control of blood pressure.

Predicting job stress: a specific case of a female golf caddy in South Korea.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to identify job stress level and to elucidate the factors associated with job stress among female golf caddies as a specific job group in South Korea. PARTICIPANTS The sample included 228 female caddies from 9 golf resorts in this descriptive cross-sectional study. METHODS Descriptive analysis and hierarchical regression were conducted to examine significant correlations between variables. RESULTS The hierarchical regression model for job stress explained 26.8% of the variance among those with a low monthly income (β =-0.151, p=0.021), an irregular diet (β=0.165, p=0.014), and high daily work hours (β=0.380, p=0.000), showing that these respondents were more likely to report high job stress levels. CONCLUSIONS The findings of this study underscore the urgent need to improve job stress levels and factors related to job stress among female golf caddies. Future intervention programs for this job of specific case should focus on improving job stress and coping strategies.