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Association between humidifier disinfectant use duration and lung cancer development in the Republic of Korea
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Sungchan Kang, Jeong-In Hwang, Su Hwan Kim, Hyungryul Lim, Dong-wook Lee, Woojoo Lee, Jong Hun Kim, Sol Yu, Jungyun Lim, Younghee Kim, Kyoung-Nam Kim
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Epidemiol Health. 2025;e2025023. Published online May 2, 2025
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.4178/epih.e2025023
[Accepted]
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Abstract
OBJECTIVES
This study was conducted to assess the association between the duration of humidifier disinfectant use and lung cancer development.
METHODS We analyzed data from 3,605 applicants registered for compensation from the Korean government due to health conditions related to humidifier disinfectant exposure. Among these individuals, 121 were diagnosed with lung cancer at least 4 years after their initial exposure (through December 2021). Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for lung cancer incidence were estimated according to the duration of disinfectant use using Cox proportional hazards models.
RESULTS Compared with <5 months of use, the HRs for lung cancer were 1.81 (95% CI, 0.41 to 7.97) for 5–14 months, 2.45 (95% CI, 0.58 to 10.41) for 15–29 months, and 4.61 (95% CI, 1.12 to 18.91) for ≥30 months. Using never smokers with <15 months of use as the reference category, the HRs were 2.97 (95% CI, 1.34 to 6.56) for never smokers with ≥15 months of use, 2.73 (95% CI, 0.94 to 7.95) for current or former smokers with <15 months of use, and 4.74 (95% CI, 1.94 to 11.61) for current or former smokers with 15 months of use.
CONCLUSIONS Our study provides some of the first robust epidemiological evidence that prolonged humidifier disinfectant use contributes to lung cancer development. Future studies—particularly those including unexposed populations—are needed to confirm these findings.
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Mortality burden attributable to long-term exposure to fine particulate matter among older adults in South Korea
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Jongmin Oh, Jisun Myung, Changwoo Han, Hyun Joo Bae, Soontae Kim, Yun-Chul Hong, Dong-Wook Lee, Youn-Hee Lim
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Epidemiol Health. 2025;e2025028. Published online May 28, 2025
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.4178/epih.e2025028
[Accepted]
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Abstract
OBJECTIVES
This study aimed to evaluate the association between long-term exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and cause-specific mortality among older adults in South Korea, providing insights into the evolving public health burden in an aging society.
METHODS We analyzed national insurance claims data from the Republic of Korea spanning 2010–2019. Modeled PM2.5 concentrations were assigned to participants according to their residential districts. We employed time-varying Cox proportional hazard models, using age as the time scale, adjusted for potential confounders. Six cause-specific mortalities were considered: ischemic heart disease (IHD), stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), acute lower respiratory infection (ALRI), lung cancer (LC), and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Annual excess deaths attributable to long-term PM2.5 exposure were calculated.
RESULTS A total of 5,360,032 older adults were followed from 2010 to 2019. Hazard ratios (HRs) per 10 μg/m³ increase in 12-month PM2.5 concentration were as follows: IHD, 1.068 (95% CI, 1.040–1.097); stroke, 1.023 (95% CI, 1.003–1.043); ALRI, 1.050 (95% CI, 1.026–1.076); COPD, 1.114 (95% CI, 1.072–1.157); T2DM, 1.046 (95% CI, 1.007–1.086); and LC, 0.972 (95% CI, 0.948–0.996). Excess deaths attributable to long-term PM2.5 exposure were estimated at 4,888 (95% CI, 2,304–7,323) in 2010 and 5,179 (95% CI, 2,585–7,648) in 2019.
CONCLUSIONS Although PM2.5 levels in South Korea have shown a declining trend over the past decade, mortality among older adults associated with long-term PM2.5 exposure has not significantly decreased, likely due to the rapid aging of the population.
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Summary
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The association between occupational stress level and health-related productivity loss among Korean employees
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Jonghee Chung, Jin-Hyo Kim, Jae Yoon Lee, Hee Seok Kang, Dong-wook Lee, Yun-Chul Hong, Mo-Yeol Kang
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Epidemiol Health. 2023;45:e2023009. Published online December 28, 2022
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.4178/epih.e2023009
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Abstract
Summary
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Abstract
OBJECTIVES
Occupational stress management is particularly important for successful business operations, since occupational stress adversely affects workers’ health, eventually lowering their productivity. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the correlation between occupational stress and health-related productivity loss (HRPL) among Korean workers.
METHODS In 2021, 1,078 workers participated in a web-based questionnaire survey. HRPL was measured using the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment Questionnaire, and occupational stress was measured using the Korean Occupational Stress Scale-Short Form. The occupational stress level was divided into tertiles (low, intermediate, and high), and the low occupational stress group was used as the reference group. Using a generalised linear model, differences in labour productivity loss according to the level of occupational stress were tested after adjusting for demographic characteristics such as age, gender, education level, household income, occupation, and underlying medical conditions.
RESULTS Non-parametric regression analysis of HRPL according to occupational stress showed a direct association between occupational stress and HRPL. A statistically significant difference was observed in HRPL between participants with intermediate and high occupational stress and those with low occupational stress.
CONCLUSIONS Our results support the hypothesis that high occupational stress is associated with decreased labour productivity.
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Summary
Korean summary
직무스트레스가 건강에 미치는 영향은 잘 알려져 있으나, 노동생산성에 대해 분석한 결과는 그동안 부족하였다.
한국 노동자 1078명을 분석한 결과, 직무스트레스가 낮은 군에 비해서 중등도이거나 높은 경우, 결근이나 프리젠티즘과 같은 건강관련 노동생산성 손실이 약 20%p 정도 높은 것으로 분석되었다.
Key Message
As a result of analyzing 1078 Korean workers, it was revealed that health-related labor productivity losses such as absenteeism and presenteeism were about 20%p higher when occupational stress was moderate or high compared to the low occupational stress group.
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Citations
Citations to this article as recorded by  - Occupational stress(KOSS®19): scale development and validation in the Korean context
Hansoo Song, Hyoung Ryoul Kim, Inah Kim, Jin-Ha Yoon, Sang-Baek Koh, Sung-Soo Oh, Hee-Tae Kang, Da-Yee Jeung, Dae-Sung Hyun, Chunhui Suh, Sei-Jin Chang
Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.2025; 37: e12. CrossRef - Association between work from home and health-related productivity loss among Korean employees
Hyo Jeong Kim, Dong Wook Lee, Jaesung Choi, Yun-Chul Hong, Mo-Yeol Kang
Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.2024;[Epub] CrossRef - The association between salivary IL-6 and poor sleep quality assessed using Apple watches in stressed workers in Japan
Akihiro Koreki, Mitsuhiro Sado, Yasue Mitsukura, Hisateru Tachimori, Anna Kubota, Yoshiaki Kanamori, Manae Uchibori, Shiyori Usune, Akira Ninomiya, Ryutaro Shirahama, Akihiro Fujimoto, Kanako Inabe, Hiroaki Miyata, Masaru Mimura
Scientific Reports.2024;[Epub] CrossRef - The association of emotional labor and workplace violence with health-related productivity loss
Heejoo Ko, Dohwan Kim, Seong-Sik Cho, Dong-Wook Lee, Jaesung Choi, Minseok Kim, Min Young Park, Mo-Yeol Kang
Journal of Occupational Health.2024;[Epub] CrossRef
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