The Health Promotion Behavior of Pilot and Ground Staff in A-Airlines

BACKGROUND: At present, there is close correlation between health status and lifestyle. Personal lifestyle has influence on health, disease, disorder and early death. Health promotion elements are nutrition, exercise, body weight, alcohol drinking, smoking, stress and so forth. These elements are important on physical and psychosocial well being. A good physical and psychosocial status can increase a personal ability of psychosocial activities. This study surveyed to assess healthy behaviors and to encourage pursuing more health promotion. METHODS: The subjects of this study were 91 pilots and 90 ground staffs in A-Airlines and the period of survey was from march, 2002 to June, 2002. This survey used Wilson's Fantastic Lifestyle Assessment and this assessment was designed to assess healthy behaviors. Data were collected by self-administered questionnaire including 12 items (.relationship of family and friends, activity, nutrition, smoking, toxin, alcohol drinking, sleep, seatbelt, stress, personality, insight, career satisfaction). These data were analyzed statistically by t-test. RESULTS: Mean score of this assessment is 39.16 in pilot, 31.99 in ground staff. Pilot had better healthy behaviors than ground staff in the aspect of all 12 items. Especially, Pilot had better healthy behaviors than ground staff in the aspect of relationship of family and friends, activity, nutrition, smoking, alcohol drinking (drunken amount), sleep, stress, personality, insight, career satisfaction. There were statistically significance (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: In comparing pilot and ground staff were significant difference except drug, seatbelt, frequency of drinking, which means that pilot had better healthy behaviors than ground staff. The result suggests that medical services supply pilots with more thorough and frequently periodic health education. In the future, the role of medical team needs to give a continuous health education of pilots and also, ground staff.

Relationship between Low Back Pain and Physical Characteristics in Flight Attendants

BACKGROUND: Low back pain (LBP) is known to be the significant reason for absenteeism and can develop long-term disability. So the airline authorities have made an effort to reduce the incidence of LBP by applying their physical standards. As a LBP Prevention Program, Airline A has provided health education, counseling and physical examinations. The purpose of this study is to analyze the relationship between LBP and physical characteristics, age and work duration, and this result will provide basic information for improving the LBP Prevention Program. METHOD: The subjects were the 585 flight attendants who had undergone regular physical check-ups with Airline A Medical Center from October 2000 to September 2001. We reviewed their absence records and physical characteristics, age and work duration. These data were analyzed statistically by the t-test and Lositic regression. RESULT: The LBP history group accounted for 18% of the study group. The male LBP history group had the more thin waist than the no history group. There were no differences (P<0.05) between LBP and other male and female physical characteristics. The age and work duration of male LBP history group was lower than the no history group (P<0.05). But the female comparison revealed that only the work experience in the LBP history group was lower than the No history group (P<0.05). Waist, age, work duration was analyzed statistically by logistic regression. Only female's work experience was significant. The fewer work experience was the more LBP. CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest LBP is associated with work experience rather than physical characteristics. This is the first step toward improving a LBP Prevention Program for the cabin crew. It will be useful to conduct another review to assess various other reasons, such as psychosocial job factors, duration of work disability and muscle strength, related to LBP.

The factors related with office worker's health perception

BACKGROUND: Recently, the concept of health is being extended to physical, mental and social aspects, which leads people to pursue health positively behavior. But the evaluation of health condition shows a tendency to be biased to functional side. It means the absence of well being sensation that anyone feels like he has poor health. In this case, even if he is in physically good health, he is not rated as healthy. We analyzed the relationship between one's health state and the factors related with health perception including health behavior, mind and social environment. METHODS: For a month of May 1996, we surveyed those who visited for Periodic medical check-up at one general hospital in Seoul. The questionnaire consisted of the total of 25 items ; diet behavior, weight control, coffee, coke, tea, drug use of, smoking, drinking, exercise, leisure, safety belts use, jay walking, sleep, stress, personality, anxiety, depression, occupational satisfaction, relationships with family and friends. Five point scale is used as the answer of each question item with high point as good living behavior. Among 406 who had sincerely answered the questionnaire, we divided them into healthy and unhealthy group and compared with the point of each question item and with the laboratory data(obesity, blood pressure, hemoglobin, fasting blood sugar, cholesterol and ALT). RESULTS: Among 406, the number of those who perceived themselves to be healthy was 175(43.1%, healthy group) and the one of those who did not was 231(56.9%, unhealthy group), The difference between both groups was not significant in distribution of sex, age, academic career, income and religion. In laboratory data and living behavior they showed same results, also. But the points of unhealthy group were significantly lower than those of healthy group in coffee, coke, tee, drugs usage, exercise, leisure, stress, personality, anxiety, depression, occupational satisfaction and relationship with family and friends. So was the total point of all items of unhealthy group in comparison with that of health group. In the case of male, the points of unhealthy group were significantly lower in smoking, safety belt use, fay walking, sleeping as well as the above items. On the contrary, in the case of female, both groups were not significantly different all item except exercise and leisure. CONCLUSIONS: Health perception is influenced by psychosocial factors and living behavior more than by physical health. Therefore family physician must be concerned about patient's living behavior, mental and social problems and must make an effort to change their perception of health as well as physical improvement.