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At least 577 records · Page 32Linked to original sources

PubMed2005

A study of the implementation process of an intervention to prevent work-related skin problems in wet-work occupations.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of the present implementation study is to document how an intervention to reduce work-related skin problems by means of implementing an evidence-based skin protection programme in six gut-cleaning departments in swine slaughterhouses was understood, accepted and carried out. The association between the degree of implementation and the reduction of work-related skin problems in each department is examined. The intervention included a top-down strategy with establishment of a management system focusing on skin risks and a bottom-up strategy with participation of a selected group of shop floor workers and the safety representative, as change agents, as well as an empowerment-based educational programme, where the middle management and representatives from the top management also participated. METHODS: The study design was a randomized controlled intervention study with a 1-year study period. The outcome of the intervention was evaluated by telephone interviews. Data on the implementation process consisted of self-administered questionnaires, focus interviews and compiled written materials. Four indexes referring to the management system and the change agents' intervention activities were constructed. Finally, the Pearson correlation coefficient was used to test the correlation between the degree of implementation and the eczema frequency at 1-year follow-up. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant association (p < 0.05) between both the index for the combined implementation method and the eczema frequency after 1 year of intervention, and between the activities of the change agents and the eczema frequency. In contrast to this there was only a weak association between the establishment of a formal management system alone and the outcome. CONCLUSION: The study evidences that a combination of a top-down and a bottom-up implementation method is effective to reduce work-related skin problems, and that the process of implementation is a significant determinant of the overall results.

Abattoirs↗

PubMed2001

Determining the maximum acceptable work duration for high-intensity work.

The aim of this study was to determine the maximum acceptable work duration (MAWD) for high-intensity work. Thirty young individuals participated in this study. Their maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max) and maximum work rate (MWR) were assessed first. Each subject then performed two cycling tests (60% and 70% MWR) on two separate days. Oxygen uptake and heart rate data were collected throughout the test. The results indicate that the MAWD in the 60% MWR test (18.8 min) was about threefold greater than the MAWD in the 70% MWR test (6.5 min). The MAWD was inversely correlated with the relative workload indices: relative oxygen uptake (RVO2; r = -0.82, P < 0.001) and relative heart rate (RHR; r = -0.79, P < 0.001). The RVO2 was defined as the elevation in oxygen uptake from the resting level as a percentage of the difference between maximum and resting oxygen uptake. The RHR was defined as the elevation in heart rate from the resting level as a percentage of the difference between maximum and restingheart rate. Furthermore, more than 80% of the variations were explained by the exponential decrease regression model for predicting MAWD using the above two variables. The findings of this study can provide useful information for the design of high-intensity jobs.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Return to work expectation predicts work in chronic musculoskeletal and behavioral health disorders: prospective study with clinical implications.

STUDY DESIGN: Prospective cohort study with 18-month follow-up. OBJECTIVE: To investigate if long-term sick listed persons' own predictions of their future return to work (RTW) have an impact on their RTW when controlling for other established factors. METHOD: Postal questionnaires at baseline were sent to persons who had been on sick leave for more than 90 days, and were employed in five municipalities and four county councils in Sweden. A follow-up regarding their RTW was performed 18 months later. RESULTS: After 18 months 135 out of 508 persons (27%) had returned to work, full or part-time. In a multivariate logistic regression, the sick listed persons' own prediction of their RTW proved to be highly significant (OR=8.28, 95% CI: 3.31-20.69). Only six out of 132 persons with a negative view of their RTW did return to wok. Other predictive factors that were found for RTW were: being on sick leave for a period of less than 1 year (OR=2.09, 95% CI: 1.19-3.67), having less pain than persons in the quartile with most pain (OR=2.65, 95% CI: 1.21-5.81), perceiving that one was welcome back to work (OR=1.98, 95% CI: 1.10-3.58), and being under 55 years of age (OR=2.37, 95% CI: 1.07-5.23 for age between 45 and 54 years and the same trend for age below 45 years OR=1.85, 95% CI: 0.82-4.20). CONCLUSION: Persons with a positive prediction should get help to realise their potential for RTW. Offering traditional rehabilitation measures to a person with a negative prediction of his/her RTW, could be a waste of resources if done ahead of improving self-confidence and view of what is possible. The problems in this group might decrease or be easier to handle if decisions about the future are taken within a year.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Beyond return to work: testing a measure of at-work disability in workers with musculoskeletal pain.

BACKGROUND: There are a limited number of validated measures of a patient's perception of the level of difficulty that they are having at their job. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the 16-item Work Limitations Questionnaire (WLQ-16). METHODS: A sample of 42 workers reporting to a workplace occupational health unit with upper limb or low back pain were enrolled in an observational study. Participants were assessed at baseline, 4 and 12 weeks post reporting. Psychometric testing (distributions, Cronbach's alpha, construct validity and responsiveness to change in problem and pain) was done using the baseline and 12-week data. RESULTS: The WLQ-16 had evidence of internal consistency, construct validity and responsiveness. Some ceiling effect was found in the domains of mental-interpersonal and output demands. Physical demands suffered from missing values in 18/42 due to not-applicable content. Construct validity revealed that there was less discrimination at the higher (less limited) end of the scale. Responsiveness was present, though less than found with other measures of function and pain. CONCLUSIONS: The WLQ-16 shows promise as a measure of at-work disability. Further testing to evaluate the ceiling effect and responsiveness to constructs of change more closely related to work disability is recommended.

Adult↗

PubMed1993

Mitochondrial pyruvate transport in working guinea-pig heart. Work-related vs. carrier-mediated control of pyruvate oxidation.

Myocardial pyruvate oxidation is work- or calcium-load-related, but control of pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) by the specific mitochondrial pyruvate transporter has also been proposed. To test the transport hypothesis distribution of pyruvate across the cell membrane as well as rates of mitochondrial pyruvate net transport plus oxidation were examined in isolated perfused but stable and physiologically working guinea-pig hearts. 150 microM-1.2 mM alpha-cyanohydroxycinnamate proved to specifically block mitochondrial pyruvate uptake in these hearts. When perfusate glucose as cytosolic pyruvate precursor was supplied in combination with octanoate (0.2 or 0.5 mM) as diffusible alternative fatty acid substrate, alpha-cyanohydroxycinnamate produced up to 20- and 3-fold increases in pyruvate and lactate efflux, respectively. Cinnamates did not alter myocardial hemodynamics nor sarcolemmal pyruvate and lactate export. In contrast the tested concentrations of cinnamate produced reversible, dose-dependent decreases in 14CO2 production from [1-14C]pyruvate or [U-14C]glucose by inhibiting mitochondrial pyruvate uptake. Linear least-squares estimates of available cinnamate-sensitive total pyruvate transport potential yielded rates close to 110 mumol/min per g dry mass at S0.5 approximately 120 microM, which compared reasonably well with literature values from isolated cardiac mitochondria. This transport potential was severalfold larger than total extractable myocardial PDH activity of approximately 32 mumol/min per g dry mass at 37 degrees C. Even when cytosolic pyruvate levels were in the lower physiologic range of about 90 microM, pyruvate oxidation readily kept pace with mitochondrial respiration over a wide range of workload and inotropism. Furthermore, dichloroacetate, a selective activator of PDH, stimulated pyruvate oxidation without affecting myocardial O2 consumption, regardless of the metabolic or inotropic state of the hearts. Consequently, little or no regulatory function with regard to pyruvate oxidation could be assigned to the native mitochondrial pyruvate carrier of the working heart. Therefore, mitochondrial pyruvate-H+ symport was the normal, highly efficient (rather than controlling) mechanism for pyruvate entry into the mitochondria where PDH regulation controlled pyruvate oxidation.

Adrenergic Agonists↗

PubMed1991

Learning to work with feelings--psycho dynamic understanding and small group work with junior student nurses.

A project in which junior student nurses participated in weekly small group discussion about their interactions with patients is described. The rationale for this work, which is based on a psycho dynamic way of thinking and in particular on ideas about psychic functioning in nurses first proposed by Menzies (1959), is outlined. The progress of the work and some of the difficulties are discussed, and some thoughts about future work are put forward.

Communication↗

PubMed1982

Myocardial infarction risk and psychosocial work environment: an analysis of the male Swedish working force.

The project was designed to test the assumption that certain psychosocial characteristics of occupational groups are associated with elevated myocardial infarction risk. All cases of myocardial infarction below the age of 65 in men living in the region of greater Stockholm during the years 1974-1976 were identified (deaths as well as survivals) in the official registries of hospitalizations and deaths. For each case two controls without infarction (in younger ages four) matched for age, area of residence and sex were selected randomly from the parish registries. For each case and control (n = 334 and 882, respectively) information was available regarding occupation. The psychosocial characteristics of each one of the 118 occupations were recorded by means of a nation wide interview survey (3876 working men) in 1977. Relative age-adjusted risks of developing a myocardial infarction were calculated for occupations in which many vs occupations in which few subjects reported a given characteristic (50% with most vs 50% with least). Shift work and monotony were associated with significant excess risk. Hectic work was not associated with excess risk by itself but in combination with variables associated with low decision latitude and/or few possibilities for growth it was associated with significant excess risk.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Who is in charge of patient safety? Work practice, work processes and utopian views of automatic drug dispensing systems.

In June 2003, a large, Canadian tertiary care facility introduced automatic drug dispensing machines on all units when it opened up a new building. In this paper, we provide an overview of the automatic drug dispensing system (ADS) implementation at the hospital. Our findings, based on daily field observations and interviews during and after implementation, with regular follow-up visits to the field site illustrate how the introduction of the ADS brought to light work practices that sometimes compromised patient safety. We suggest that utopian views of automatic drug dispensing machines obfuscate the challenges inherent to implementing such systems, and deter stakeholders from performing rigorous evaluation of the costs (both social and economic) and benefits of investing in such systems. Our work contributes to debates about the socio-technical efficacy of automating medication dispensing and delivery, and suggests that the balance of power in the patient safety equation lies in the work context and implementation issues, and not just the technology. For technology implementations to be successful considering that technologies frequently cross over jurisdictional boundaries, planning and implementation have to be conducted at a system wide level.

Canada↗

PubMed2006

Women's work stress and cortisol levels: a longitudinal study of the association between the psychosocial work environment and serum cortisol.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to investigate whether there is an association between serum cortisol and work-related stress, as defined by the demand-control model in a longitudinal design. METHODS: One hundred ten women aged 47-53 years completed a health questionnaire, including the Swedish version of the Job Content Scale, and participated in a psychological interview at baseline and in a follow-up session 2 years later. Morning blood samples were drawn for analyses of cortisol. RESULTS: Multiple stepwise regression analyses and logistic regression analyses showed that work demands and lack of social support were significantly associated with cortisol. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study showed that negative work characteristics in terms of high demands and low social support contributed significantly to the biological stress levels in middle-aged women. Participation in the study may have served as an intervention, increasing the women's awareness and thus improving their health profiles on follow-up.

Arousal↗

PubMed1998

Working to learn and learning to work: placement experience of Project 2000 nursing students in Scotland.

It is evident that the Scottish colleges have designed and provided very different curricular arrangements to support students' learning to practise in placements. Evaluation has demonstrated that some of these arrangements are of fundamental importance in facilitating or constraining the educational experience of students, including opportunities for reflection on experience, students' preparation for placements, the role of tutors in students' placement learning, the preparation of mentors and the utility of instruments for the assessment of students' practice-based learning. In addition to the formal provision in support of students' learning to work, students have developed their own informal strategies in order to meet their (sometimes conflicting) needs to maximize practical learning opportunities, ease entry into the nursing team and achieve favourable assessment of learning. Some of these involve working in order to learn. This paper is based on the work of the National Board-funded Evaluation of Project 2000 in Scotland (1992-96). The remit of the evaluation was to examine the teaching/learning processes of the Project 2000 nursing programmes and the new midwifery programmes, and their relationship to the educational outcomes for individual students, giving particular emphasis to the experience of students.

Clinical Competence↗

PubMed2002

Manipulation of working memory information is impaired in Parkinson's disease and related to working memory capacity.

It has been suggested that in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), difficulties in the manipulation of information, which result in problems in executive tasks, are related to a reduction of working memory capacity (J. D. E. Gabrieli, J. Singh, G. T. Stebbins, & C. G. Goetz, 1996). The present study selectively varied the manipulation demand irrespective of the maintenance requirement. In a group of 14 PD patients, performance declined overproportionally with the increasing task demand and was significantly correlated with a measure of working memory capacity. These results suggest that the complexity of working memory processing may decisively contribute to the exhaustion of resources in PD patients. Increasing complexity may either affect their manipulation ability directly or impede the management of inhibitory control requirements inherent to the task.

Adult↗

PubMed1997

Pregnancy planning and the impact on work climate, psychological well-being, and work effort in the military.

This study examined the joint effects of demographics and pregnancy planning and timing on work climate, psychological well-being, and work effort among 345 pregnant U.S. military women from the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines. Rank predicted both pregnancy planning and career timing. Pregnancy planning was positively associated with support from coworkers and supervisors and with enhanced work effort and psychological well-being. Pregnancy timing was positively associated with support from supervisors, reduced harassment, and increased psychological well-being. Rank interacted with the planning and timing measures. Junior officers and enlisted participants reported reduced command and pregnancy support and increased harassment in conjunction with poorly timed pregnancies.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Psychology at the intersection of work and family: recommendations for employers, working families, and policymakers.

Demographic data show that major changes have been occurring in the everyday lives of families over the last generation, with the majority of mothers of young children in the workforce and an increasing number of men and women assuming caregiving responsibilities for older relatives. Thus, the 2 primary identities of most adults, defined by their multiple family and work roles, need to be coordinated in ways that promote positive family outcomes, returns on investments for employers, and societal values. Despite changes in the workforce, the world of work is still largely organized for a family model that is increasingly rare--one with a stay-at-home caregiver. Recommendations based on psychological and other social science research are offered to align the needs of working families and employers.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Interactive effects of situational judgment effectiveness and proactive personality on work perceptions and work outcomes.

This study was based on a sample of 139 employees. The results support the hypothesis that proactive personality (PAP) predicts work perceptions (procedural justice perception, perceived supervisor support, and social integration) and work outcomes (job satisfaction, affective organizational commitment, and job performance) positively among individuals with high situational judgment effectiveness (SJE) but negatively among those with low SJE. The findings on the disordinal SJE = PAP interaction effects show that high levels of PAP may be either adaptive or maladaptive, depending on the individual's level of SJE, and these findings caution against direct interpretations of bivariate associations between PAP and work-relevant criteria. Limitations and implications of the study as well as future research directions on the study of PAP and situational judgment are discussed.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

Significance of house painters' work techniques on shoulder muscle strain during overhead work.

House painters represent a group of construction workers with a high frequency of neck and shoulder complaints and concomitant high risks for early retirements. Shoulder tendinitis, especially supraspinatus tendinitis, occurs frequently among house painters. The tasks of sanding and painting of ceilings with extension handles are particularly strenuous for these body regions. The purpose of this study was to identify work techniques that would be less strenuous to the arms and shoulders during sanding work. A biomechanical model was applied to quantify the shoulder loads during sanding and to determine the likely muscle force distribution. The necessary input data were measured experimentally for the model by means of a load cell and strain gauges on an extension handle, a Kistler force plate, and a MacReflex motion analysis system. Forty experienced male painters participated in the study. Three different work techniques were identified: the normal technique, the reversed grip and the pushing technique. The pushing technique was characterized by shorter stroke length and lower speed of the grinding block than the other techniques. The painters among the group of subjects who used the pushing technique were found to report fewer shoulder disorders during sanding than the others. The most common shoulder tendinitis is the supraspinatus tendinitis, also among house painters, and using the Pushing technique could possibly prevent from this disorder. However, further research in larger groups of house painters is needed to be able to recommend this technique for a wider use.

Adult↗

PubMed1991

Structural determinants of the psychosocial work environment: introducing technology in the work stress framework.

To extend current models of psychosocial work stress research into organizational structure, technology is introduced. An exploratory model is developed combining research from ergonomics, epidemiology, and organizational science. It is hypothesized that technology influences a worker's health by structuring the job, and the relationship between the job and a worker's health is mediated by attitudes at work. To test the model, data are used from a 1978 NIOSH survey of postal workers sorting mail (N = 4903). Path analysis shows technology is indirectly associated with job satisfaction and psychosomatic symptoms by how it structured the job. A machine-paced technological system of work is associated with greater job demands, less control in the job, and less co-worker support but not with supervisor support. The implications of this model for prevention strategies at the workplace are discussed suggesting that influencing supervisor support is the most effective way to affect a person's job satisfaction and level of psychosomatic symptomology.

Adult↗

PubMed1994

Head posture measurements among work vehicle drivers and implications for work and workplace design.

An increased risk of musculoskeletal disorders, e.g. from the neck region, has been found among professional drivers of work vehicles. The purpose of this study was to identify causes of postural load and implications for vehicle design and work tasks. A second purpose was to develop the methods for measurement and analysis of head postures. Field measurements of head postures for drivers of fork lift trucks, forestry machines, and cranes were carried out. The equipment used was an electric goniometer measurement system, containing a mechanical transmission between the head and the upper trunk. Methods for data presentation and quantification were developed. The results showed that rotatable and movable driver cabins improved head postures and viewing angles substantially. Narrow window frame structures and large, optimally-placed windows were also advantageous. The steering wheel, controls, and a high backrest restricted shoulder rotation, which increased head rotation in unfavourable viewing angles. Improved workspace layouts and work organization factors such as job enlargement decreased the influence of strenuous postures. The results also showed that head postures should be analysed in two or three dimensions simultaneously, otherwise the postures taken will be underestimated in relation to the maximal voluntary movement.

Adult↗

PubMed1997

Postural load during VDU work: a comparison between various work postures.

The aim of this study was to compare the postural load during VDU work in the following work postures: (1) Supporting and not supporting the forearms on the table top, (2) Sitting and standing positions, and (3) Sightline to the centre of the screen at an angle of 15 degrees and 30 degrees below the horizontal. The muscle load from the upper part of musculus trapezius and from the lumbar part of musculus erector spinae (L3 level) was measured by electromyography (EMG). Postural angles of head, upper arm and back were measured by inclinometers. The load on m. trapezius when using the keyboard was significantly less in sitting with supported forearms compared to sitting and standing without forearm support. Further, the time and number of periods when the trapezius load was below 1% MVC was significantly greater with support versus no support. The load on the right erector spinae lumbalis was also significantly less and the time when the load was below 1% MVC was significantly longer in a sitting work position with support versus standing without support. In addition, when using a mouse supporting the forearms reduced the static trapezius load in sitting. The results from this study document clearly the importance of giving the operator the possibility of supporting the forearms on the table top.

Adult↗