Realization of Workers' Health Promotion Services under the Umbrella of the National Health Promotion System of Korea

Abstract

Realization of Workers' Health Promotion Services under the Umbrella of the National Health Promotion System of Korea: Yong‐Tae Yum, Institute for Environmental Health, Korea University—Since the Ottawa Charter (1986), Health Promotion (H.P.) activities have spread worldwide. The Republic of Korea is not exceptional. In 1995, the H.P. Law was launched and service activities were started. However, H.P. at worksites in terms of occupational health services has been operating since 1960. The backbone of the national H.P. System in Korea was not very different from that of Japan and other countries. It included out‐door exercise, periodic health check‐ups, indoor exercise, gymnastic exercise, fitness programs, nutritional education, drinking cessation, smoking cessation, and other health counseling. For worksite H.P., special concern was given to periodic check‐ups which comprised of both common and occupational diseases. In addition, periodic inspections of work environments were another major task of H.P. for workers. The last area of H.P. can be categorized as counseling and education collectively. Counseling and education activity for workers of medium and small scale enterprises where the number of workers is less than 300 is carried out by the Health Care Supporting Agency (HCSA) which is composed of 12 occupational health centers belonging to the Korean Industrial Health Association and other private agents. Strategies of health care supporting services of HCSA should be adopted in the future national plan of workers' health promotion in Korea. HP copied from THP of Japan is not suitable for Korea at all.