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Objectives Recently, overwork‐related disorders have become a major public health concern in Korea. This study investigated the current trends of working hours, causes of death in the working population, and compensation rates. Methods We reviewed the current trends of working hours, cause of death statistics in the working population, industrial accident compensation insurance (IACI) statistics, issues of compensation and prevention of work‐related cerebro‐cardio vascular diseases (CCVDs), mental disorders, and suicide. Results Although weekly working hours and the proportion of long working days have decreased, workers in small companies with fewer than five employees and those in the service sector continue to work long hours. The age standardized mortality due to CCVD and suicide was highest among those with managerial roles. In total, 589 CCVD cases and 104 mental disorder or suicide cases were compensated as occupational diseases in 2017. Between 2016 and 2017, 61% of 59 compensated suicides were related to overwork, specifically: long working hours, increased responsibility, or increased workload. The Korean government has introduced various policies to reduce working hours and to increase compensation approval rate for overwork‐related CCVDs. Stakeholders have called for the introduction of independent laws to prevent overwork‐related disorders, change organizational culture, and address the blind spots of the IACI Act and Labor Standard Act. Conclusions Prevention and compensation policies have improved working conditions in Korea, but there remains much to be done. This review significantly contributes to the understanding of the overall policies and research to prevent overwork‐related disorders in Korea.

The ultimate goal of the quality control program for special periodic health examination agencies is to diagnose the health condition of a worker correctly, based on accurate examination and analysis skills, leading to protect the worker’s health. The quality control program on three areas, chemical analysis for biological monitoring since 1995, and pneumoconiosis, audiometric testing since 1996, has contributed to improve the reliability of occupational health screenings by improving the issues including standardization of testing methods, tools, diagnostic opinions, and reliability of analysis for biological monitoring. It has contributed to improving the reliability of occupational health monitoring by rectifying the following issues associated with previous monitoring: absence of standardized testing methods, testing tools that are not upgraded, mismatching diagnostic opinions, and unreliable results of biological specimen analysis. Nevertheless, there are issues in need of further improvement such as lack of expertise or the use of inappropriate method for health examination, and passive and unwilling participation in the quality control. We suggested solutions to these problems for each area of quality control program. Above all, it is essential to provide active support for health examiners to develop their expertise, while encouraging all the health screening agencies, employers, and workers to develop the desire to improve the system and to maintain the relevance. Keywords: Audiometric test, Biological monitoring, Pneumoconiosis, Quality control program

This study assessed the associations between blood levels of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and humoral and cellmediated immune response. The subjects included 53 male workers who had worked at industrial waste incinerators for more than one year. The experimental groups were divided into indoor, field, and incinerator workers according to working process. Data on their lifestyles and occupational characteristics were collected using a survey, and blood levels of PCDDs, PCDFs, and PCBs were analyzed to determine their associations with T-lymphocyte subpopulations and immunoglobulin levels. The results showed that total blood dioxins PCB levels were higher in field and incinerator workers (20.46±22.21 and 21.97±18.05 pg toxic equivalence [TEQ]/g fat, respectively) than in indoor workers (7.69± 2.05 pg TEQ/g fat). CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, and CD4+ CD45RO+ cells among T-lymphocyte subpopulations and IgE and IgM levels among immunoglobulins were slightly higher in field and incinerator workers than those in indoor workers, with no statistical significance (p

We determined the toxicity of mixtures of ethyl acetate (EA), isopropyl alcohol (IPA), methyl ethyl ketone (MEK), toluene (TOL) and xylene (XYL) with half-maximal effective concentration (EC50) values obtained using human hepatocytes cells. According to these data, quantitative property-activity relationships (QPAR) models were successfully proposed to predict the toxicity of mixtures by multiple linear regressions (MLR). The leave-one-out cross validation method was used to find the best subsets of descriptors in the learning methods. Significant differences in physico-chemical properties such as boiling point (BP), specific gravity (SG), Reid vapor pressure (rVP) and flash point (FP) were observed between the single substances and the mixtures. The EC50 of the mixture of EA and IPA was significantly lower than that of contained TOL and XYL. The mixture toxicity was related to the mixing ratio of MEK, TOL and XYL (MLR equation EC50 = 3.3081 − 2.5018 × TOL − 3.2595 × XYL − 12.6596 × MEK × XYL), as well as to BP, SG, VP and FP (MLR equation EC50 = 1.3424 + 6.2250 × FP − 7.1198 × SG × FP − 0.03013 × rVP × FP). These results suggest that QPAR-based models could accurately predict the toxicity of polar and nonpolar mixtures used in rotogravure printing industries.

The purpose of the present study is to investigate the correlations between food intake behavior and job stress level and neuropeptide hormone concentrations. Job strain and food intake behavior were first identified using a self-reported questionnaire, concentrations of neuropeptide hormones (adiponectin, brain derived neurotrophic factor [BDNF], leptin, and ghrelin) were determined, and the correlations were analyzed. In the results, job strain showed significant correlations with adiponectin (odds ratio [OR], 1.220; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.001~1.498; p < 0.05) and BDNF (OR, 0.793; 95% CI, 0.646~0.974; p < 0.05), and ghrelin exhibited a significant correlation with food intake score (OR, 0.911; 95% CI, 0.842~0.985, p < 0.05). These results suggest that job stress affects food intake regulation by altering the physiological concentrations of neuropeptide hormones as well as emotional status.

This study determinated the polychlorinated dibenzo- ρ -dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDDs andDFs) in fly ash and bottom ash of industrial waste incinerators. Experimental results showed that averagePCDDs and DFs concentrations in fly ash were 4.5063 and 13.004 ng-TEQ/g, and in bottom ash were 0.2367and 0.0993 ng-TEQ/g, respectively. Predominant congener in TEQ of PCDDs/DFs from fly ash were1,2,3,4,6,7,8-HpCDD, OCDD, 2,3,4,6,7,8-HxCDF, 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF and in bottom ash were 1,2,3,7,8-PeCDDand 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF. 요약: 산업폐기물 소각장의 비산재와 바닥재에서 PCDDs와 DFs를 측정한 결과, 비산재에서 PCDDs와DFs의 농도는 각각 4.5063과 13.004 ng-TEQ/g이었고 바닥재에서는 0.2367과 0.0993 ng-TEQ/g의 함유량을 보였다. 비산재 속에는 1,2,3,4,6,7,8- HpCDD, OCDD, 2,3,4,6,7,8-HxCDF, 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF 동종체가 다량 함유되었고 바닥재에는 1,2,3,7,8-PeCDD와 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF가 많았다. Key words: industrial waste incinerator, fly ash, bottom ash, PCDDs/DFs 1. 서 론 환경부의 「2012년도 전국 폐기물 발생 및 처리현황」보고서에 1의하면 2012년도 1일 폐기물 총 발생량은 382,009 톤으로 지난 연도와 비교하여 지속적인 증가를 보이는 것으로 보고되었다. 총 폐기물 중생활폐기물과 건설 폐기물의 발생은 전년도와 비교하여 차이를 보이지 않았으나 산업폐기물은 2012년도에 145,390 톤/일로 2011년도 대비(137,961 톤/일)5.4% 증가된 것으로 보고되었다. 폐기물 처리 방법에있어서도 과거에는 매립에 의한 처리가 대부분이었던 것이 2010년대 들어오면서는 재활용과 소각에 의

In this study, we analyzed the toxicity of mixtures of dimethylformamide (DMF) and methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) or DMF and toluene (TOL) and predicted their toxicity using quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSAR). A QSAR model for single substances and mixtures was analyzed using multiple linear regression (MLR) by taking into account the statistical parameters between the observed and predicted EC50. After preprocessing, the best subsets of descriptors in the learning methods were determined using a 5-fold cross-validation method. Significant differences in physico-chemical properties such as boiling point (BP), specific gravity (SG), Reid vapor pressure (rVP), flash point (FP), low explosion limit (LEL), and octanol/ water partition coefficient (Pow) were observed between the single substances and the mixtures. The EC50 of the mixture of DMF and TOL was significantly lower than that of DMF. The mixture toxicity was directly related to the mixing ratio of TOL and MEK (MLR EC50 equation = 1.76997 � 1.12249 × TOL + 1.21045 × MEK), as well as to SG, VP, and LEL (MLR equation EC50 = 15.44388 � 19.84549 × SG + 0.05091 × VP + 1.85846 × LEL). These results show that QSAR-based models can be used to quantitatively predict the toxicity of mixtures used in manufacturing industries.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of exposure to manganese (Mn) and lead (Pb) on immunesystem. The subjects were 42 male workers, among whom 13 office workers (Group I) had never beenoccupationally exposed to heavy metals, 21 were worked in manufacturing factories (Group II) and 8 werewelders (Group III). The mean blood Mn and Pb level by groups were significantly different. The numbersof CD19+ and total lymphocytes in Group I were significantly higher than those in other groups, but nosignificant differences were found in other T lymphocytes subpopulation. Mn and Pb concentrations showednegative correlation with T lymphocytes subpopulation, but Mn concentrations were statistical significances withT lymphocytes subpoplation except CD4+CD45RO+ and natural killer cell. Pb concentration was only statisticalsignificance with total lymphocytes. Our results suggest that occupationally exposed to Mn and Pb can affectthe cellular immune response. 요약: 이 연구는 Mn과 Pb의 노출이 면역체계에 미치는 영향을 파악하고자 하였다. 연구대상자는 남성근로자 42 명으로, 대상자 중 13명은 사무직 근로자(실험군 I), 21 명은 제조업 사업장 근로자(실험군 II), 8명은 용접 작업자(실험군 III)였다. 대상자의 혈액 중 Mn과 Pb 농도는 실험군별로 유의한 차이를 보였다.실험군 I 대상자의 CD19+와 total lymphocytes 농도는 기타의 실험군 대상자에서보다 유의하게 높았으나 다른 T lymphocytes subpopulation의 농도는 차이가 없었다. Mn과 Pb 농도는 T lymphocytes subpopulation과음의 상관관계를 보였으나, Mn은 CD4+CD45RO+와 자연살해세포를 제외한 T lymphocytes subpopulation과유의한 음의 상관관계를 보였다. Pb 농도는 단지 total lymphocytes 농도와 유의한 음의 상관관계를 보였다. 이 연구에서 Mn과 Pb의 직업적인 노출은 세포성면역계에 영향을 미칠 수 있음을 제시하였다. Key words: immune system, T lymphocytes subpopulation, immunoglobulins, manganese, lead

Background Korea is one of the highest indium-consuming countries worldwide. The present study aims to determine the relationship between interstitial lung disorders and indium exposure in Korea. Methods In 50 indium workers from seven plants, the effect of serum indium on the lungs was determined using laboratory tests, spirometry, and high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT). Results Higher serum indium and Krebs von den Lungen-6 (KL-6) levels were associated with HRCT-detected interstitial lung changes. Workers with high serum indium levels (≥3 µg/L) had longer exposure durations and a higher prevalence of HRCT-detected interstitial lung changes. KL-6 and surfactant protein-D (SP-D) levels were significantly higher in the highest serum indium quartile than the lowest quartile. Significant dose–effect relationships existed between serum indium levels and KL-6, SP-D levels and the prevalence of HRCT-detected interstitial lung changes. Conclusions Workforce medical surveillance should be established to prevent indium-induced interstitial lung disease in Korea. Am. J. Ind. Med. 58:61–68, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Objectives: It was known that workers in synthetic leather company are mainly co-exposed to dimethylformamide(DMF) with methyl ethyl ketone(MEK) or toluene(TOL) instead of a single dimethylformamide. This study was examined to the physico-chemical properties in single DMF and binary mixture DMF with MEK or TOL. Materials: Physico-chemical properties were measured by Korean and American Standard Test Methods. Results: Boiling point, specific gravity and flash point in single DMF were significantly higher than binary mixture DMF with MEK or TOL and such difference was dependent on the mixing ratio of MEK and TOL, and low explosion limit in binary mixture DMF with TOL was only significantly lower than single DMF. However, Reid vapor pressure had significantly higher in binary mixture DMF with MEK or TOL compared with single DMF. Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that the binary mixture DMF with MEK or TOL synergistically increases volatilization of DMF. It was concluded that the interaction between DMF and MEK and/or TOL might play a key role in the volatilization process of DMF under environmental conditions of workplace.

An environmentally friendly, so-called green, high performance liquid chromatography method was developed and validated for the determination of trans, trans-muconic acid (t,t-MA) in human urine as a biomarker of benzene exposure. After urinary t,t-MA was extracted and enriched using solid-phase extraction, a MF-Ph1 SG80 (150 mm×2.0 mm I.D., 5 μm) column with a mobile phase of 10 mM KH₂PO₄ containing 0.1% H₃PO₄ was used for isocratic separation of t,t-MA with UV detection at 259 nm. The calibration curve was constructed in the range of 0.1-5.0 mg/L with good linearity (r²=0.9992). The intra-day and inter-day precision (as RSD) were 0.9-8.5% and 3.1-4.5%, respectively. The average recovery ranged from 97.5% to 101.7%. The green sample preparation and separation with no organic solvents were successfully achieved. The validated method would be suitable for the routine biological monitoring of benzene exposure in the occupational settings.

Objectives: This paper aims to investigate the influence on stress hormones of job stress resulting from firefighting duties, as well as the degree of such influence. Methods: KOSS-26 and stress hormones such as norepinephrine (NE), epinephrine (EPI), adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH), and cortisol were analyzed for 191 male firefighters from the western area of Incheon, the Incheon Industrial Complex, and Bucheon, Korea. Job stress and stress hormones were compared between a office working group and field-working group. Results: There was no significant difference in EPI and ACTH between the two groups. Change of stress hormones prior to engaging in typical duties, following typical duties, and immediately after field activities was examined. All the EPI, ACTH, and cortisol showed statistically significant changes with time, but not NE in the blood. In the field-working group, the cortisol levels in the blood of the firefighting and rescue groups showed notable differences depending on the time at which the measurements were taken. Conclusion: The differences in stress hormone levels depending on the type of duties of the firefighters were identified. Thus, interventions proper to job requirements is required in order to ease stress.

Although the genetic polymorphism of the alcohol-metabolizing enzymes was extensively studied at the molecular level by many investigators, the genetic polymorphism studies for ethanolmetabolizing enzymes in Mongolians are very rare. The present study was therefore performed to determine the genetic distribution of various forms of alcohol-metabolizing enzymes such as alcohol dehydrogenase 2 (ADH2, currently accepted nomenclature ADH1B), ADH3 (ADH1C), aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) and cytochrome P4502E1 (CYP2E1) in 300 healthy Mongolian males. Genetic polymorphisms were determined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) methods. The allele frequencies ofADH2 *1 andADH2 *2 were 0.24 and 0.76;ADH3 *1 andADH3 *2 were 0.92 and 0.08;ALDH2 *1 andALDH2 *2 were 0.96 and 0.04; andCYP2E1 *C andCYP2E1 *D were 0.15 and 0.85, respectively. Compared to the results reported by other investigators, the allele frequencies ofALDH2 *2 andCYP2E1 *C among Mongolian subjects were much lower than among East Asians (Korean, Japanese, and/or Han-Chinese), while those ofADH2 andADH3 were more similar. Interestingly, this study shows that the ineffectiveALDH2 gene (ALDH2*2 allele) among Mongolians is not as common as among East Asians.

We have examined the hypothesis that the Gly972Arg variant of the insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS1) gene is associated with the components contributing to overweight (obesity) and metabolic syndrome. We describe IRS1 genotype frequencies in 274 Korean men. The frequencies of Gly972Gly (G/G) and Gly972Arg (G/A variant) of the IRS1 gene were 88.3% and 11.7%, respectively, and the differences in frequencies between the overweight (BMI≥25 kg/m2) group and non‐overweight (BMI

The aim of this research was to improve our understanding of human toxicity due to exposure to DMF, MEK, or TOL individually as compared to exposure to DMF-MEK or DMF-TOL mixtures, by comparing EC50 values as well as the morphological changes in HepG2 cells treated with these substances. We found that there was marked cell necrosis in the groups treated with mixtures than in those treated with the compounds alone, and that the amount of cell death and the EC50 value were more dependent on MEK and TOL than on DMF. Moreover, analysis of the changes in effective concentration curves revealed that MEK had an antagonistic effect on the human toxicity of DMF, whereas TOL had a synergistic effect. Accordingly, these results suggest that in workplaces involved in the manufacture of synthetic leather, mixtures of DMF and TOL should be avoided as much as possible in order to minimize environmental toxicity and protect the health of the workers.

Objectives The purpose of this study was to evaluate the exposure to arsenic in preventive maintenance (PM) engineers in a semiconductor industry by detecting speciated inorganic arsenic metabolites in the urine. Methods The exposed group included 8 PM engineers from the clean process area and 13 PM engineers from the ion implantation process area; the non-exposed group consisted of 14 office workers from another company who were not occupationally exposed to arsenic. A spot urine specimen was collected from each participant for the detection and measurement of speciated inorganic arsenic metabolites. Metabolites were separated by high performance liquid chromatography-inductively coupled plasma spectrometry-mass spectrometry. Results Urinary arsenic metabolite concentrations were 1.73 g/L, 0.76 g/L, 3.45 g/L, 43.65 g/L, and 51.32 g/L for trivalent arsenic (As3+), pentavalent arsenic (As5+), monomethylarsonic acid (MMA), dimethylarsinic acid (DMA), and total inorganic arsenic metabolites (As3+ + As5+ + MMA + DMA), respectively, in clean process PM engineers. In ion implantation process PM engineers, the concentrations were 1.74 g/L, 0.39 g/L, 3.08 g/L, 23.17 g/L, 28.92 g/L for As3+, As5+, MMA, DMA, and total inorganic arsenic metabolites, respectively. Levels of urinary As3+, As5+, MMA, and total inorganic arsenic metabolites in clean process PM engineers were significantly higher than that in the non-exposed group. Urinary As3+ and As5+ levels in ion implantation process PM engineers were significantly higher than that in non-exposed group. Conclusion Levels of urinary arsenic metabolites in PM engineers from the clean process and ion implantation process areas were higher than that in office workers. For a complete assessment of arsenic exposure in the semiconductor industry, further studies are needed.

To investigate the effects of short-term exposure of beryllium on the human immune system, the proportion of T-lymphocytes such as CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD95, and NK cells, andthe proportion of B cells and TNFα level in peripheral blood and immunoglobulins in the serum of 43 exposed workers and 34 healthy control subjects were studied. External exposure to beryllium was measured by atomic absorption spectrometer as recommended by the NIOSH analytical method 7300. T lymphocyte subpopulation analysis was carried out with flow cytometer. The working duration of exposed workers was less than 3 months and the mean ambient beryllium level was 3.4 μg/m(3), 112.3 μg/m(3), and 2.3 μg/m(3) in molding (furnace), deforming (grinding), and sorting processes, respectively (cited from Kim et al., 2008). However, ambient beryllium level after process change was non-detectable (0.1 μg/m(3)). The number of T lymphocytes and the amount of immunoglobulins in the beryllium-exposed workers and control subjects were not significantly different, except for the total number of lymphocytes and CD95 (APO1/FAS). The total number of lymphocytes was higher in the beryllium-exposed individuals than in the healthy control subjects. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed lymphocytes to be affected by beryllium exposure (odd ratio = 7.293; p0.001). These results show that short-term exposure to beryllium does not induce immune dysfunction but is probably associated with lymphocytes proliferation.

The purpose of this study was to understand the mechanism of cardiovascular disease (CVD) caused by exposure to hazardous chemicals. We investigated changes in the symptoms of metabolic syndrome, which is strongly related to CVD, and in levels of other CVD risk factors, with a special emphasis on the roles of catecholamines and oxidative stress. The results revealed that neither body mass index (BMI) nor waist and hip circumferences were associated with exposure to hazardous chemicals. Among metabolic syndrome criteria, only HDL-cholesterol level increased on exposure to hazardous chemicals. Levels of epinephrine (EP) and norepinephrine (NEP) were not influenced by exposure to hazardous chemicals; however, the total antioxidative capacity (TAC) reduced because of increased oxidative stress. Both hazardous chemical exposure level and metabolite excretion were related to EP, NEP, and the oxidative stress index (OSI). Logistic regression analysis with these factors as independent variables and metabolic syndrome criteria as dependent variables revealed that EP was associated with blood pressure, and NEP with metabolic syndrome in the chemicalexposed group. In conclusion, the results suggest that reactive oxygen species generated and oxidative stress due to exposure to hazardous chemicals act as mediators and cause changes in the physiological levels of EP and NEP to increase blood pressure. This ultimately leads to the development of CVD through increase in cholesterol, triglyceride, and blood glucose levels by lipid peroxidation.

Objectives: This study was designed to investigate whether long-term, low-level exposure to monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (MAHs) induced insulin resistance. Methods: The subjects were 110 male workers who were occupationally exposed to styrene, toluene, and xylene. One hundred and ten age-matched male workers who had never been occupationally exposed to organic solvents were selected as a control group. Cytokines, which have played a key role in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance, and oxidative stress indices were measured. Assessment of exposure to MAHs was performed by measuring their ambient levels and their urinary metabolites in exposed workers, and the resulting parameters between the exposed group and non-exposed control groups were compared. Results: There was no significant difference in general characteristics and anthropometric parameters between the two groups; however, total cholesterol, fasting glucose, fasting insulin, and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance levels were significantly higher in the exposed group. Phenylglyoxylic acid levels showed significant association with tumor necrosis factor-α, total oxidative status, and oxidative stress index via multiple linear regression analysis. Further, there was a negative correlation between methylhippuric acid levels and total anti-oxidative capacity, and there was a significant relationship between MAHs ex posure and fasting glucose levels, as found by multiple logistic regression analysis (odds ratio = 3.95, 95% confidence interval = 1.074-14.530). Conclusion: This study indicated that MAHs increase fasting glucose level and insulin resistance. Furthermore, these results suggested that absorbing the organic solvent itself and active metabolic intermediates can increase oxidative stress and cytokine levels, resulting in the changes in glucose metabolism and the induction of insulin resistance.

Objectives The present study was designed to determine whether there is a relationship between indium compound exposure and interstitial lung damage in workers employed at indium tin oxide manufacturing and reclaiming factories in Korea. Methods In 2012, we conducted a study for the prevention of indium induced lung damage in Korea and identified 78 workers who had serum indium or Krebs von den Lungen-6 (KL-6) levels that were higher than the reference values set in Japan (3 μg/L and 500 U/mL, respectively). Thirty-four of the 78 workers underwent chest high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT), and their data were used for statistical analysis. Results Geometric means (geometric standard deviations) for serum indium, KL-6, and surfactant protein D (SP-D) were 10.9 (6.65) μg/L, 859.0 (1.85) U/mL, and 179.27 (1.81) ng/mL, respectively. HRCT showed intralobular interstitial thickening in 9 workers. A dose–response trend was statistically significant for blood KL-6 levels. All workers who had indium levels ≥50 μg/L had KL-6 levels that exceeded the reference values. However, dose–response trends for blood SP-D levels, KL-6 levels, SP-D levels, and interstitial changes on the HRCT scans were not significantly different. Conclusions Our findings suggest that interstitial lung changes could be present in workers with indium exposure. Further studies are required and health risk information regarding indium exposure should be communicated to workers and employers in industries where indium compounds are used to prevent indium induced lung damage in Korea.

─ The Relationship between Job Stress and Musculoskeletal Symptoms in Migrant Workers Min Heui Jo 1) , Kyoo Sang Kim 1) , Sun Wung Lee 2) , Tae Gyun Kim 1) , Hyang Woo Ryu 1) , Mi Young Lee 1) , Yong Lim Won 1) Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute, Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency 1) Ahnsan Medical Consumer’s Cooperation 2) Objective: To investigate the musculoskeletal symptoms of migrant workers. We focused on the rela-tionship between job stress and musculoskeletal symptoms. Method: A questionnaire was administered to 502 migrant workers who visited NGO migrant workercenters located in Gyung-gi province. A structured, self-reported questionnaire was administered to par-ticipants in order to capture the following information: sociodemographics, health factors including pastmedical history, work related characteristics, job stress, and musculoskeletal symptoms. The job stressquestionnaires were used according to KOSS-26 and musculoskeletal symptoms were measured usingKOSHA Code H-30-2003. We used multiple logistic regression analysis to assess the relationshipbetween risk factors which included job stress, and musculoskeletal symptoms.