Biomedical subjects

Elzbieta Korzeniowska

Publications and source records attributed to Elzbieta Korzeniowska.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2005

Opinions of Polish occupational medicine physicians on workplace health promotion.

OBJECTIVES: According to the current Polish legislation on occupational health services, occupational medicine physicians should perform workplace health promotion (WHP) activities as a part of their professional work. The concept of workplace health promotion or health promotion programs, however, has not been defined in this legislation in any way. Therefore, two essential questions arise. First, what is the physicians' attitude towards workplace health issues and second, what is actually carried out under the label of health promotion? The main objective of the research described in this paper was to answer these questions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The survey was carried out by the National Center for Workplace Health Promotion in 2002. A questionnaire prepared by the Center for the purpose of this survey was sent to a random sample of occupational medicine physicians. RESULTS: The results of the survey showed that 53% of occupational medicine physicians consider WHP just as a new name for prophylactics. On the other hand almost all of the respondents (94%) agree that occupational medicine physicians should perform WHP activities and find them useful in improving patients' health (78%). The main obstacle for the development of this activity in the perception of physicians is the lack of interest in workplace health promotion among employers (86%). CONCLUSIONS: In the modern understanding of workplace health promotion concept this type of intervention includes not only safety measures and health education, but also a profound organizational change that allows employers, employees and social partners to improve wellbeing of people at work. Each of such projects should facilitate changes necessary to create a health promoting workplace. It also needs a skilled leader--well trained and aware of a multidisciplinary dimension of WHP interventions. Occupational medicine specialists should become natural partners of employers and employees. The majority of the occupational medicine physicians, however, are not sufficiently prepared to carry out workplace health promotion programs.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗

PubMed2004

[Health beliefs and health behavior in older employees of medium-size and large enterprises].

BACKGROUND: In view of the aging process in our population there is a need to identify effective methods to prevent disadvantageous effects of this trend. In this paper the state of particular health-related behaviors and elements of health awareness among retirement-approaching employees are presented as a basis for developing efficient health promotion programs for this age group. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The data presented in this paper have been gathered during the study conducted on a random sample of 1138 employees of two 25-35 and 45-55 age groups. The study was carried out in the form of a questionnaire-based interview. RESULTS: There is no significant difference between older and younger employees with regard to their attitude towards one's own health. There are two major problems common to both age groups, the lack of awareness of very close relationship between everyday behavior and health, and a low locus of control manifested by finding excuse for health negligence in numerous problems faced each day or lack of strong will. The most specific feature in older workers is that they concentrate their health-related thinking and acting on the use of services provided by medical specialists. CONCLUSIONS: There are no sound grounds to justify the development of health promotion programs addressed only to older employees. The effective solution to this problem could be the introduction of workplace health promotion programs focused on enhancing the workers' sense of responsibility for their health and on developing skills to shape conditions favorable to health conducive behaviors.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

[Requirements and quality of health promotion in the workplace--evaluation study].

This paper presents the results of an attempt to assess the quality of voluntary activities aimed at improving the workers' health in Polish large and medium-sized enterprises in view of the health promotion requirements. Based on the data collected via a questionnaire mailed to enterprises selected at random in 1998 (147 enterprises), 2000 (755 enterprises) and 2001 (215 enterprises) the determinants of the health promotion quality are discussed. A long standing tradition to protect the workers' health was reported by 50% of enterprises as the major reason for undertaking health promotion activities. Only 25% of enterprises described their activities as health promotion understood as a tool for supporting their market strategy through well coordinated voluntary actions aimed at improving health and well-being of their employees, however, 85% of respondents reported the implementation of various health conducive programs. The most frequent failures of health-oriented activities to be of a required standard are: (a) regarding these activities as those of little importance compared with the enterprise priorities; (b) lack of a special section responsible for health promotion issues in an enterprise; (c) ignoring the employees' right to participate in planning and evaluating health promotion programs, which means that they are perceived as passive service recipients or passive performers of tasks assigned to them; (d) lack of cohesive approach towards health problems and strong belief that all the goals can be achieved through restrictions or education without any support; and (e) reluctance of enterprises to evaluate the organization, implementation and outcomes of health conductive activities. The major obstacle to health promotion is lack of money (reported by 60% of enterprises) and lack of statutory obligations (reported by more than 50% of enterprises). The former is usually reported by enterprises that are not active in this field, and the latter is an obstacle to enterprises that have invested in workplace promotion programs.

Health Plan Implementation↗

PubMed2003

[Understanding of workplace health promotion by occupational medicine physicians and perception of their roles in the implementation of relevant programs].

BACKGROUND: The author addresses the issue of workplace health promotion (WHP) concept and its understanding by occupational medicine physicians as well as the perception of their roles in the implementation of WHP programs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The data presented result from a part of a comprehensive survey carried out by the National Center for Workplace Health Promotion in 2002. The study covers a random sample of 325 physicians specialized in occupational or industrial medicine who attended at least 400 patients. RESULTS: The survey reveals that about 50% of respondents neither understand the concept of WHP nor the essential rules governing its organization. They perceive WHP as a novel label applied to the traditional prophylactics and health education. They do not comprehend that it is a new orientation of the system and a setting-based approach to initiatives in this area. Although, near 90% of them believe that the occupational medicine profession should be involved in health promotion, yet when directly asked about personal involvement only every tenth respondent was ready to play a leading role in a WHP program, whereas 63% of physicians wanted to limit the program to healthy life style education among workers and 54% wanted to only expand health checkups. CONCLUSIONS: The observed attitudes towards WHP in the profession and perception of their roles in its programs implementation clearly show an urgent need to provide an ongoing training of physicians in workplace health promotion and to convince them that WHP is a new area of expertise to be developed and a vital determinant of health promotion at workplaces in Poland.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗

PubMed2002

[Involvement of Polish enterprises in workplace health promotion. Trends observed in years 1998-2001].

The author presents voluntary activities aimed at improving the workers' health in medium-sized and large enterprises in Poland, as well as the dynamic of changes in this area. The data were collected from enterprises chosen at random in 1998 (147 enterprises), 2000 (755) and 2001 (215). At present, over 60% of enterprises declare that they do more for their workers' health than it is required by legal regulations. Since 1998, the number of such declarations has been constantly growing. It is observed that the larger enterprise and the better economic situation, the more frequent health promotion activities. Two areas of activities are most commonly carried out: (1) medical services, e.g. vaccinations, extra diagnostic examinations and therapeutical services; and (2) investments in the work environment, e.g. ergonomics, improvement of interior designs. Unfortunately, promotion of healthy lifestyles, e.g. non-smoking campaigns or stress management are definitely less frequent. Although a growing number of enterprises becomes involved in health promotion, the range of their activities is diminishing. The programs aimed at promoting health conductive behaviors among workers are in particular given up. As far as smoking cessation is considered, the enterprises disseminate materials on the adverse effects of smoking or related ill-health and punish smokers for breaking smoking bans instead of helping their workers and teach them how to quit smoking or support those who want to give up this habit. In the years 2000 and 2001, the educational and supporting activities decreased whereas the punitive policy was on the rise.

Health Care Surveys↗

PubMed2002

[Workplace health promotion program quality evaluation questionnaire].

There are substantial reasons for undertaking the evaluation of workplace health promotion (WHP) programs. The most important ones are: (a) the need to guarantee a competent organization of programs; (b) the feasibility to evaluate WHP programs, which take the form of medical services offered to employers on the health service market; (c) the need to disseminate the idea and support the workplace health promotion lobby; and (d) the use of evaluation as a tool for analyzing WHP promulgation process. The implementation of the scientifically-based evaluation of health promotion programs carried out in regularly functioning enterprises is very limited, hence the increasing interest in procedures of quality assessment already known and accepted by enterprises. This approach is recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). In the European Union countries, a questionnaire on the workplace health promotion program evaluation is promulgated within the European Network for Workplace Health Promotion. The National Center for Workplace Health Promotion that coordinates the activities of the National Network for Workplace Health Promotion Centers in Poland has developed a Polish version of the questionnaire adopted to local conditions. The author presents the criteria and the most essential solutions that provided the ground for designing the questionnaire to be used by the organizers of WHP programs in enterprises for self-assessment of their own activities. It reflects the views on the strategy of the WHP evaluation presented by the National Center, and contains a simplified procedure that does not involve control groups so difficult to gather under the concept of "health promoting enterprise". The idea of control groups is usually misunderstood and disapproved by the management of enterprises involved in the implementation of WHP programs.

European Union↗

PubMed2002

[The strategy for supporting anti-tobacco activities in Poland, "Project on tobacco-free workplace"].

This paper presents basic information on the assumptions, goals and progress of the activities under the project "Tobacco-free workplace" implemented by the National Center for Workplace Health Promotion as a part of the "Health and socio-economic policy aimed at the reduction of tobacco consumption", coordinated by the Epidemiology Division, M. Sklodowska-Curie Oncology Center, Warsaw. The main goal of the project, designed for the years 2000-2005, is a gradual increase in the number of enterprises implementing health promotion programs aimed at supporting their employees to quit or reduce smoking. The National Center for Workplace Health Promotion and the National Network of Workplace Health Promotion Centers work together to convince employers that the implementation of anti-tobacco policy in their enterprises is cost-effective and helps to achieve the main goals of the enterprise. They also instruct occupational medicine specialists how to support enterprises, which intend to work out and introduce anti-tobacco policy.

Health Promotion↗