Korean J Occup Health Nurs.  2010 May;19(1):28-40.

Relationships between Work-related Psychosocial and Acculturative Factors and Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders among Korean-Chinese Migrant Workers Living in Korea

• Kim SJ
• Lee H
• Ahn H

Abstract

PURPOSE
The purpose of the study >was to examine the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders(WMSDs) and to identify the relationship between work-related psychosocial and acculturative factors and WMSDs among Korean-Chinese workers living in Korea.
METHODS
A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 195 Korean-Chinese workers who have worked full-time for the past 6 months. A structured questionnaire, including measures for musculoskeletal symptoms, physical demand, work-related psychosocial(job demand, job control, interpersonal conflict), acculturative (acculturation strategy and acculturative stress), and personal factors, was used. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analysis were conducted using the SPSS WIN 17.0.
RESULTS
The prevalence of WMSDs was 64.1%. In comparison to Korean workers, job demand of this group was lower while both interpersonal conflict and lack of job control were higher among them. Integration was the most commonly used acculturation strategy and mean scores of acculturative stress were below the median. Acculturative stress was positively correlated with integration and assimilation while negatively correlated with separation and marginalization. Interpersonal conflict and integration appeared to be related to WMSDs among male and female Korean-Chinese workers, respectively.
CONCLUSION
The WMSD interventions need to be planned in consideration of different influences of work-related psychosocial and acculturative factors on WMSDs by gender.

Keyword

Korean-Chinese; Migrant workers; Work-related musculoskeletal disorders; Acculturation

MeSH Terms

Acculturation
Cross-Sectional Studies
Female
Humans
Korea
Logistic Models
Male
Prevalence
Surveys and Questionnaires
Transients and Migrants