This study attempted to analyze the health habits affecting health status of industrial workers. Data was collected from 57 industries of 900 workers at Inchon. The research has been carried out through self-administered questionnaire and from the analysis of the health examination records and the results were as follows :
1. Among 861 respondents, men were 81.2%, women were 18.8%, 42.6% were of the 30-40 age group, the married were 65.7%, the single were 32.5%, the high school graduates were 62.4% and 37.3% were of people who worked between 1 and 5 years.
2. As far as the seven health habits, current smokers were 54.9%, people who regularly exercise was 31.7%, 7-8 hour of sleep, on the average were 74.0%, people eating breakfast nearly every day were 8.0%, and people eating between meals almost every day were 54.2%. Heavy drinkers who drink 3-4 times or more per week were 13.2%, 1-2 times per week were 26.8% and the obese were 4.6%.
3. Health status of A and B, estimated by doctors in the health examination were 81.7% and C. D1, D2, the unhealthy were 18.3%. Men were reported more than women in unhealthy groups and the results regarding health status reflect gender, educational level and age. That is to say that, lower education level group and over 30 years of age group perceive their health to be worse than the higher educational level and under 30 age group. And these differences were statistically significant.
4. The relationship between health habits and health status, expressed in terms of the odds ratio. Current smokers had a consistently worse health status than a nonsmokers with a 1.36 odds ratio. The workers who reported eating breakfast rarely or never were more associated with the unhealthy group than the regular breakfast eating group with a 2.48 odds ratio. One or more drink per week had a worse health status than a never or a little drinker with a 1.42 odds ratio.
5. The health habits score and duration of work were selected as significant factors influencing health status based on logistic analysis. According to the results of this model, the odds ratio of good health status was 2.06 for good health habit score, 1.55 for population who worked seven years or more duration of work.
As we have seen good, good practices were found to be associated with better health and the effect of the health habits was cumulative ; those who followed 6-7 health habits were in better health, even though they were older than those who failed to do so.
Therefore, in order to provide the health promotion of workers it is necessary to establish a health management plan for an effective health education and health service.
If we use this type of study as a prospective study design, we can get a precise basic data for health promotion and a management plan for industrial workers.
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