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Biomedical subjects

Jacqueline Agnew

Publications and source records attributed to Jacqueline Agnew.

6 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Measuring emotional labor among young workers: refinement of the Emotions at Work Scale.

This analysis examines the applicability of the emotional labor scale from the Emotions at Work Scale (EWS) through the assessment of its psychometric properties in a sample of young workers. Factor analysis and test-retest reliability were conducted on a 13-item scale measuring emotional labor. The EWS 13-item emotional labor scale was refined to 9 items. Two subscales were delineated: 5 items measured surface acting and 4 items measured deep acting, each with a mean inter-item correlation of 0.33. Cronbach's alpha was .96 for the 9-item scale, and .71 and .67 for the surface acting and deep acting subscales, respectively. Test-retest reliability was 0.64 for surface acting and 0.51 for deep acting during a mean interval of 3 months. Emotional labor can be quantitatively measured among young workers using the derived 9-item scale, although additional studies further evaluating its use should be conducted.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Worker training for new threats: a proposed framework.

BACKGROUND: In an effort to identify health and safety training needs for various groups of workers related to weapons of mass destruction, including chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear weapons and high yield explosives (CBRNE), a conference, "Worker Training in a New Era: Responding to New Threats," was held at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in October 2002. METHODS: Two questions were addressed: Which general skills and knowledge are common to all workers who might be exposed to terrorist threats from CBRNE weapons? What are the particular skills and knowledge relevant to these threats that are specific to workers in different sectors? RESULTS: Thirteen core components for pre- and post-event training were identified. Pre-event training applies to all workers. Post-event training applies to selected personnel including first responders, skilled support personnel, and other workers involved in these operations. Recommendations to improve worker safety training related to preparedness include: identify specific competencies for worker pre- and post-event training; coordinate Federal policy on worker training for CBRNE hazards; adopt federal guidelines or standards on worker training for new CBRNE threats, based on the competencies and coordinated Federal policy; conduct an inventory of training programs and other resources that could be used or adapted for use for new threats; and develop new training content and methods for pre- and post-event training to address specific competencies. CONCLUSIONS: Given the possibility for the introduction of CBRNE threats into the workplace, all workers need some training in the potential hazards involved: the individual worker's specific role in an emergency; incident command; activation of the emergency notification system; use of personal protective equipment (PPE); and safe evacuation of the workplace. While some occupational sectors have developed effective training related to these new threats, there is a need to develop, implement, and evaluate training programs across many different sectors of the workforce.

Disaster Planning↗
PubMed2004

Emotional labor: relevant theory for occupational health practice in post-industrial America.

The occupational experience of workers in service-oriented jobs can have profound effects on their health and well being, such as burnout, inauthenticity, and job dissatisfaction. The growing service economy and resultant proliferation of service-oriented jobs in current times and in the future must be acknowledged and investigated. The move from an economy driven by manufacturing industries to one dominated by service industries has taken place and currently prevails in the United States. In recognizing this shift in the "work" experience of the American work force, the changing nature of work related hazards must also be considered. Emotional labor has come to be known as an appreciable aspect of work involving direct interactions with clients and customers that can lead to adverse psychosocial outcomes. These relationships reveal the potential unpleasantness of service employment in which the performance of emotional labor is unavoidable. Although worker attributes can influence the emotional experience on the job, emotional labor is also likely to threaten the well being of workers through significantly high demands to express organizationally desired emotions and low control over what emotions can be felt and displayed. Recognition and investigation of emotional labor is necessary to understand its effects on worker populations. Conceptual models featuring emotional labor are available to guide research. However, discrimination among them based on utility and application in relation to identified study objectives and needs is essential.

Burnout, Professional↗
PubMed2002

Attributions, stress, and work-related low back pain.

Occupational low back pain (LBP) is a major cause of morbidity and cost. Efforts to control LBP are largely unsuccessful, and better understanding of risks is needed, especially psychological factors. The purpose of this research was to assess the association between worker attributions and LBP. Attributing LBP to internal causes may increase the worker's perceived control, whereas external attribution may cause distress. A new model was developed to explore these associations. A cross-sectional design was used in this study of 278 garment workers. Data were gathered by a self-administered questionnaire and through direct observation. Responses to questions on worker attributions of LBP cause and knowledge of back safety were subjected to factor analysis and other psychometric evaluation to develop scales. Six hypotheses were tested using multivariate logistic regression. Workers who scored high in internal attribution were more likely to be knowledgeable of back safety (OR = 3.7, 95% CI = 2.0-6.7). Workers reporting high demand were more likely to report LBP (OR = 2.3, 95% CI = 1.2-4.4). Workers attributing LBP to job tasks were more likely to report LBP (OR = 3.2, 95% CI = 1.5-6.9), and those reporting high supervisor support were less likely to report LBP (OR = 0.23, 95% CI = 0.08-0.66). Workers with annual incomes above 15,000 dollars were more likely to report LBP in the test of both the Demand-Control-Support and Attribution models (OR = 2.8, 95% CI = 1.2-6.9 and OR = 4.1, 95% CI = 1.5-11.1, respectively). While both models appeared to be useful for the study of low back pain, the R(2)(L) of the Demand-Control-Support model equaled only 11.9 percent, whereas the Attribution model equaled 26.2 percent. This study provides evidence that attribution theory is useful in the study of LBP, including in future interventions in the prevention of LBP.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A new direction in low-back pain research.

This article suggests reasons for the difficulty in understanding and preventing low-back pain (LBP), provides a framework for understanding the causes of reported LBP, and highlights an important new direction in research that could accelerate progress in reducing LBP. Fundamental to understanding LBP is the recognition that it is a symptom not an underlying condition. Worker reports of LBP depend not only on the extent and nature of underlying injury but also the worker's perceptions and the likelihood of reporting the symptoms. Each of these factors, in turn, depends on a number of other proximal and distal factors. Identifying the root causes of underlying injury is essential to improving prevention programs. Yet, many of the methods used to study LBP and its causes have serious shortcomings, adding to the confusion over appropriate preventive strategies. An important gap in LBP research has been the factors influencing preventive behaviors for both workers and managers. If workers or managers attribute the causes of LBP to the wrong factors, preventive behaviors will be misdirected and ineffective. Attribution theory, a relatively recent application in the occupational health field, offers promise for identifying incorrect attributions and modifying these attributions so that appropriate protective actions are taken.

Humans↗