Abstract

This study was planned in order to investigate coal miners' recognition and attitude toward pneumoconiosis, and its relationship with related behavior for prevention of pneumoconiosis. Study object was coal miners in Kangneung area, sampled by multistage random proportional sampling, Sample size was 13% of total coal miners in Kangneung area. The results were divided into three parts: (1) descriptive results presented percent distribution, (2) reclassification of knowledge, experiences, and attitude by factor analysis, (3) prediction of health behavior for prevention of pneumoconiosis by discriminant analysis. Knowledge, experiences, and attitude toward pneumoconiosis were classified into nine factors. Knowledge about pneumoconiosis were broken down to two factors and attitude to four factors, and valence, perceived severity were classified into each one factor. According to demographic, socioeconomic characteristics, and factors of knowledge, experiences, attitude about pneumoconiosis, about 62% of behavior of wearing respiratory protector was correctly discriminated. And by the same methods, about 81% of behavior of hospital visit at respiratory symptoms; cough, sputum, chest pain etc. was discriminated correctly.

• Keywords: Coal Miners' RecognitionCoal Miners' AttitudePneumoconiosisKangneung Area