Implementation of a health education program in Asia, comparing Thailand, Indonesia, and Japan.

BACKGROUND: The global community is faced with aging societies, which will result in increased health care costs. we have been introducing our International Organization for Standardization (ISO)-certified health education system in Thailand and Indonesia. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to collect data on the effects of this ISO-certified health education system, to extend the healthy life expectancy and to study the feasibility of implementing this program and in new social contexts. METHODS: We implemented the health education program recruiting 43, 114 and 119 participants, respectively, in Japan, Thailand and Indonesia. The participants' conditions before and after the program were determined through anthropometry, physical fitness tests, blood chemistry tests, brain function tests and pedometry. RESULTS: Regarding pedometry, the Japanese participants took the highest number of daily steps on average, followed by the Indonesian and Thai participants. In the 10-m obstacle walk, the Thai and Indonesian participants had significantly increased times. Furthermore, the differentiation reaction time, reverse differentiation reaction time, total number of "misses", total number of "mistakes" and total number of errors significantly improved. CONCLUSION: It is possible to implement a program of an ISO-certified health education system, but how to develop exercise habits is important.

Assessment of inhaled dust by workers and suspended dust for pollution control change and ergonomic intervention in metal casting industry: A cross-sectional study.

Metal casting industry including is an industry which produce high dust pollution (fly ash). Improvements in the form of ergonomic interventions have been carried out by many companies, but do not guarantee all parameters run well. The total indoor suspended dust (TSP) measurement results are not enough to guarantee healthy working conditions. Additional assessment of workers' inhaled dust is needed to change pollution control and work improvement to ergonomics. The design of this study is Cross Sectional Study. Research subjects numbered 84 people. All samples met the inclusion criteria. Measurement results of Characteristic of research subject, Working Environment Conditions, Exposition of dust inhaled by workers, Total Indoor Suspended Dust of the Company (p > 0.05). Found critical hours of workers exposed to dust (fly ash), starting from 4 h after working (Department of Process Cement, Department of Black Sand) and 2 h after working for the Department of Loam. Critical hours exposed to dust (fly ash) used as the basis for company management and regulators to take new policies in controlling fly ash pollution and ergonomic interventions. Ergonomic interventions can be carried out by activating the dust collector at critical hours, applying active resting hours at critical hours and conditioning workers to breathe fresh air. The impact of this ergonomic intervention is a decrease in musculoskeletal complaints by 25.27%, reduction in boredom 25.01%, and an increase in job satisfaction 38.46%.