Biomedical subjects

Birgit A Greiner

Publications and source records attributed to Birgit A Greiner.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Observational stress factors and musculoskeletal disorders in urban transit operators.

Associations and pathways between observed (rather than self-reported) job stressors and musculoskeletal disorders in 66 transit operators were investigated to determine specific stressors and vulnerable body regions affected, while adjusting for physical workload. Job stressors, defined as barriers to progress with work, comprised 7 categories and the sum of stressors. Outcomes included back and neck pain, low back pain, neck pain, pain of the upper extremities and the lower extremities, and any combination of these. Stressors were significantly associated with the combined musculoskeletal disorders category (odds ratio [OR] = 1.55), back and neck pain (OR = 1.41), low back pain (OR = 1.46), and pain in the lower extremities (OR = 1.44) after controlling for confounders. Five barrier categories had at least 1 significant association with outcomes. Results provide specific intervention targets by avoiding common method variance bias.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Alcohol, stress-related factors, and short-term absenteeism among urban transit operators.

Transit operators, relative to workers in many other occupations, experience high levels of work-related stress, as documented through neuroendocrine elevations on the job vis-a-vis resting states (J Occup Health Psychol. 1998;3:122-129). Previous research suggests that self-reported job stress is associated with higher levels of alcohol consumption among transit operators (Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2000;24:1011-1019) and with absenteeism (Working Environment for Local Public Transport Personnel, Stockholm: Swedish Work Environmental Fund, 1982; Work Stress. 1990;4:83-89). The purpose of this study was to examine the interrelationships between alcohol use, stress-related factors (stressful life events, job stressors, and burnout), and short-term absenteeism among a multiethnic cohort of urban transit operators. Self-reported measures of alcohol, stress-related factors, and short-term absenteeism were obtained from a sample (n=1,446) of San Francisco municipal transit operators who participated in the 1993-1995 Municipal Railway Health and Safety Study. Multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that absenteeism among drinkers was associated with risk for alcohol dependence [odds ratio (OR)=2.46, heavy drinking (OR=1.87), alcohol-related harm (OR=2.17), increased drinking since becoming a transit operator (OR=1.74), and having any problem drinking indicator (OR=1.72). The association between absenteeism and stress-related factors varied by gender and drinking status. Final multivariate models among drinkers indicated that among males, problem drinking (OR=1.82), stressful life events (OR=1.62), and job burnout (OR=1.22) were independently associated with elevated odds of absenteeism. Among female drinkers, only stressful life events (OR=5.17) was significantly associated with elevated odds of absenteeism. Findings suggest that workplace interventions that address both individual and environmental stressors are most likely to have a positive impact on health-related outcomes, including problem drinking, thereby reducing absenteeism.

Absenteeism↗

PubMed2004

Occupational stressors and hypertension: a multi-method study using observer-based job analysis and self-reports in urban transit operators.

This multi-method study aimed to disentangle objective and subjective components of job stressors and determine the role of each for hypertension risk. Because research on job stressors and hypertension has been exclusively based on self-reports of stressors, the tendency of some individuals to use denial and repressive coping might be responsible for the inconclusive results in previous studies. Stressor measures with different degrees of objectivity were contrasted, including (1) an observer-based measure of stressors (job barriers, time pressure) obtained from experts, (2) self-reported frequency and appraised intensity of job problems and time pressures averaged per workplace (group level), (3) self-reported frequency of job problems and time pressures at the individual level, and (4) self-reported appraised intensity of job problems and time pressures at the individual level. The sample consisted of 274 transit operators working on 27 different transit lines and four different vehicle types. Objective stressors (job barriers and time pressure) were each significantly associated with hypertension (casual blood pressure readings and/or currently taking anti-hypertensive medication) after adjustment for age, gender and seniority. Self-reported stressors at the individual level were positively but not significantly associated with hypertension. At the group level, only appraisal of job problems significantly predicted hypertension. In a composite regression model, both observer-based job barriers and self-reported intensity of job problems were independently and significantly associated with hypertension. Associations between self-reported job problems (individual level) and hypertension were dependent on the level of objective stressors. When observer-based stressor level was low, the association between self-reported frequency of stressors and hypertension was high. When the observer-based stressor level was high the association was inverse; this might be indicative of denial of stress or alexithymia. We feel that multi-method studies are useful for disentangling the relations between objective and subjective stress and hypertension.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

Alcohol consumption and incidence of workers' compensation claims: a 5-year prospective study of urban transit operators.

BACKGROUND: Numerous studies have linked alcohol impairment on the job to occupational injury. Few studies have looked at the association of nonwork drinking and occupational injury. METHODS: This study examines first workers' compensation claims after a baseline assessment of alcohol consumption and other occupational variables in 1836 transit operators participating in a medical examination for driver's license renewal. A proportional hazard model was used for the analysis. RESULTS: Individuals with higher alcohol consumption were more likely to be male, have more years of driving, and have a higher job-stress score. When these variables were controlled for, individuals with higher alcohol consumption were more likely to have a workers' compensation claim over the follow-up period. Individuals reporting a consumption of 10 to 14 drinks per week had a hazard of 1.30 (p = 0.03), and those reporting 15 or more drinks per week had a hazard of 1.27 (p = 0.05) compared with individuals reporting no drinks consumed per week. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that drinking off the job is associated with workers' compensation injury claims. Because it is presumed that most drinking was done outside work, due to high public scrutiny of city transit operators, these results suggest that experience in life outside of work may influence work outcomes. Research should be conducted to identify the mechanisms (e.g., drinking before work, hangover, fatigue) of such effects.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Burnout and alcohol problems among urban transit operators in San Francisco.

Although occupational burnout has been linked with numerous psychosomatic symptoms and mental health problems, few studies have examined the association between burnout and substance use. This study assessed the contribution of burnout (Emotional Exhaustion--Maslach Burnout Inventory) to the risk of alcohol dependence and alcohol-related harm among a sample of urban transit operators. The study population consisted of 993 current drinkers who participated in the 1993-1995 San Francisco Muni Health and Safety Study. A series of multivariate logistic regression models were developed to analyze the association between burnout and risk of alcohol problems after adjustment for seniority, sociodemographic factors, and mean daily ounces of ethanol. The results indicate that burnout is associated with elevated risk of alcohol dependence (odds ratio [OR] = 1.03; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.01, 1.06). The association between burnout and alcohol-related harm, however, was attenuated. These findings suggest that transit operators with higher levels of burnout may be at increased risk for alcohol problems, particularly alcohol dependence. The temporal relationship between the development of burnout and the onset of alcohol problems among occupational cohorts warrants further investigation.

Adult↗