Background: The number of workers in non-standard employment (NSE) is increasing due to industrial change and technological development. Dependent self-employment (DSE), a type of NSE, was created decades ago. Despite the problems associated with this new type of employment, few studies have been conducted on the effects by DSE on health, especially sleep quality. This study aims to determine the relationship between DSE and sleep quality. Methods: This study analyzed data of 50,250 wage workers from the fifth Korean Working Conditions Survey. Workers that did not respond or refused to answer any questions related to variables were excluded, and finally 36,709 participants were included in this study. A total of 2,287 workers (6.2%) were compared with non-DSE (34,422; 93.8%) workers, and multiple logistic regression analyses were applied. Results: DSE status had a significant association with difficulty falling asleep (odds ratio [

Background Sunlight exposure is a major risk factor for eye disorders. Most outdoor workers cannot avoid sunlight exposure. This study aimed to analyze the relationship between outdoor sunlight exposure and eye disorders in an economically active population. Methods This study analyzed the 2008–2012 Korea National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey data. Sunlight exposure was categorized as < 5 hours and > 5 hours. We also analyzed the dose-dependent relationship between exposure to sunlight and eye disorders (cataracts, pterygium, and age-related macular degeneration [AMD]) using data from 2010 to 2012 by subdividing the exposure groups into < 2 hours, 2–5 hours, and ≥ 5 hours. Eye disorders were diagnosed by an ophthalmologist. The study participants were stratified by sex, and the results were analyzed using the χ 2 test and multiple logistic regression analysis. Results In the female group, the odds ratio of pterygium in the high-level sunlight exposure group was 1.47 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.15–1.89). Regarding AMD, the odds ratios were 1.42 (95% CI: 1.16–1.73), 1.33 (95% CI: 1.03–1.73), and 1.58 (95% CI: 1.15–2.16) in the total, male, and female groups, respectively. Analysis of the dose-response relationship revealed that the odds ratios of pterygium in the high-level sunlight exposure subgroups of the total and female groups were 1.62 (95% CI: 1.25–2.08) and 2.00 (95% CI: 1.39–2.88), respectively. Conclusions This study demonstrated a relationship between sunlight exposure and eye disorders in an economically active population. Women were found to be especially vulnerable to pterygium. However, additional prospective studies to clarify the pathophysiology of pterygium are needed.

Objective: This study investigated the working conditions and mental health status linked to occupational injury among Korean outdoor workers. Methods: Socioeconomic and occupational characteristics were collected using self-reported questionnaires from 26,468 paid workers selected using the 5th Korean Working Conditions Survey. The relationships among mental health issues, occupational injury, and working outdoors were estimated by logistic regression. Results: Outdoor workers were relatively older with lower educational levels and income, worked longer, and had greater exposure to occupational hazards, higher occupational injury rate, significantly higher risk of sleep disturbances, and higher occupational injury rates due to sleep disturbances than non-outdoor workers. Conclusions: There was a significant relationship among working outdoors, sleep quality, and mental health-related issues due to exposure to occupational hazards. Specific occupational health and safety strategies are needed to protect the mental health of outdoor workers.