A Study on Health condition and Drug use of Female Workers in Incheon area

산업장 여성 근로자의 건강과 약물사용

  • Cho Wonsun (Dept. of Nursing, Kyungki Junior College)
  • Published : 1995.09.01

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to promote health for young female workers. It is based on questionnaires collected from 215 female workers in Incheon area. This study includes health condition (fatigue scores), occupational disease, knowledge of abused drugs and the actual condition of drug use. The results are summerized as follows: - $47.4\%$ visited their health center and were treated with diseases like cold and headache $(34.9\%)$, gastroenteric disease $(6.5\%)$, trauma $(7.9\%)$ and chronic disease such as diabetes and hypertension $(3.3\%)$ - $44.7\%$ received regular health education and $4.7\%$ among them received education on abused drugs. - $20.5\%$ were suffering from work related diseases such as gastroenteric disease, headache, trauma, repiratory disease, skin problem, arthritis, low back pain, shortsightness and tuberculosis. - Total mean fatigue score as an indication of health status was $9.0\pm5.4$ points out of 30 points. Physical mean score (group I) was $3.92\pm2.2$ points and psychological mean score was $2.5\pm2.3$ points and neurosensory mean score was $2.6\pm2.1$ points out of each 10 points. - They recognized analgesics $(55.0\%)$ and the next are laxatives $(49.8\%)$, inhalants $(40.0\%)$, narcotics $(24.2\%)$, stimulants $(24.0\%)$, antihistamines$(5.9\%)$, diuretics $(3.0\%)$, tranquilizer $(2.4\%)$ and sedatives $(1.4\%)$ - They used analgesics $(37.2\%)$ the most and then laxatives $(6.0\%)$, stimulants$(5.6\%)$, diuretics $(1.9\%)$, antihistamines$(0.5\%)$, And nobody used tranquilizer, sedatives, narcotics and inhalant. - The relationship between career, drug abuse education, health center utilization and and the actual condition of drug using was examined. The longer the career and the more educated with drug abuse, the less drug used. And those who utilized health center rarely used more drugs. - The relationship between career, health center utilization, the score of fatigue and use of analgesics was also examined. Those group who have a longer career above 3 years and the group who have never used health center used more analgesics. And the group of fatigue score above 11.0 points used a little more analgesics than the other group. These results indicate that analgesics are the most frequent used drugs among female workers. Those analgesics such as geborin, penzal, saridon, aspirin, tyrenol should be used properly. These basic data is submitted for the education and consultation which are carried out by industrial nurses for promoting health of industrial workers.

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