SEARCH · PubMed Health

Results for “Working Conditions”

Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

PubMed1990

Working conditions, social support, and the well-being of female and male factory workers.

Previous research on the effects of working conditions on well-being typically has focused on men; the few studies including women have compared men and women in different work settings. We analyze the effects of four kinds of working conditions--job demands, job deprivations and rewards, physical environment, and work-related social support--on the well-being of female and male factory workers in similar jobs. We also test for buffering (interaction) effects of social support (from co-workers, supervisors, and company programs) on relations between working conditions and well-being. All types of working conditions affect well-being, but there are almost no gender differences in the effects of working conditions on well-being. Although work-related social support promotes well-being among both women and men, it does not (at least as measured here) buffer effects of other stressful working conditions. In general, the results indicate considerable gender similarity in the processes through which the job affects well-being.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

[Relationship between subjectively perceived working conditions and alcohol consumption: results of the TACOS study].

The purpose of this investigation was to examine the relationship between subjectively perceived working conditions and alcohol consumption based on a stress coping model. The investigation is part of the study 'Transitions in Alcohol Consumption and Smoking' (TACOS), a representative general population survey in a Northern German region. The current evaluation includes 2,471 working individuals, aged 18-64 years. Data with regard to alcohol consumption were collected via the 'Munich Composite International Diagnostic Interview' (M-CIDI). The three scales of the 'Normative and Subjective Assessment of working analysis' (NUSA) Contents of work, Physical work conditions and Intensity of work gathered differentiated information on subjectively perceived working conditions. The ANOVA results show that alcohol consumption does not account for variance in the scales of subjective working conditions. Further correlation and regression analyses do not reveal a relationship between the scales of NUSA and the quantity of drinking.A substantial relationship between subjectively perceived working conditions and moderate alcohol consumption, alcohol abuse or alcohol dependence could not be established. The reported results appear to indicate complex and multifactorial associations between subjectively perceived working conditions and alcohol consumption. Implications for alcohol prevention in worksite environments are discussed.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed2005

Work-related psychosocial factors, worry about work conditions and health complaints among female and male ambulance personnel.

This study aimed at investigating the relationships between work-related psychosocial factors, worry about work conditions and health complaints (sleeping problems, headache and stomach symptoms) among female and male ambulance personnel. Out of 4000 ambulance personnel in Sweden, 1500 (300 female and 1200 male personnel) were randomly selected. They answered a questionnaire including items on self-reported health complaints, individual characteristics, work-related psychological demands, decision latitude, social support and worry about work conditions. Twenty-five per cent of the female and 20% of the male ambulance personnel reported two or more health complaints sometimes or often. According to the demand-control-support questionnaire, ambulance personnel reported a generally positive psychosocial work environment, although psychological demands were associated with sleeping problems, headache and stomach symptoms among both female and male ambulance personnel. Another factor that was significantly associated with health complaints among both genders was worry about work conditions. When worry about work conditions was added to the regression models, this variable took over the role from psychological demands as a predictor for health complaints among the female ambulance personnel. The prevalence of sleeping problems, headache and stomach symptoms were significantly associated with psychological demands among both female and male ambulance personnel. Notably, worry about work conditions seems to be an important risk factor for health complaints. This suggests that worry about work conditions should not be neglected when considering risk factors among ambulance personnel.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

The contribution of working conditions and social support to the onset of depressive and anxiety disorders among male and female employees.

Poor working conditions may be an important source of stress and may therefore contribute to the development of depressive and anxiety disorders. Social support may act as a buffer and protect against the development of depression or anxiety in the face of poor working conditions. With longitudinal data from the Netherlands Mental Health Survey and Incidence Study (NEMESIS), the effect of working conditions and social support on the incidence of depressive and anxiety disorders was examined among 2646 working men and women, aged 18 through 65 years. Three dimensions of self reported working conditions were assessed: psychological demands, decision latitude and job security. Social support was assessed through validated scales for daily emotional support. About 10.5% of working women and 4.6% among working men developed an incident depressive and/or anxiety disorder over 2 years. Psychological demands predicted the incidence of depressive and anxiety disorders in both men and women (RR per score increase=2.29, 95% CI: 1.44-3.63), whereas decision latitude and job security did not. Social support protected against the incidence of depressive and anxiety disorders. This effect was stronger for men compared to women. Social support did not buffer the unfavorable mental effect of working conditions. Women were more likely to report low levels of decision latitude, whereas men reported higher psychological demands. Working conditions did not explain sex differences in the incidence of depressive and anxiety disorders.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1995

[The study of the relation between the working conditions and the prevalences of obesity, liver disorder and hyperlipidemia: evaluation of physiological examination data during the terms of car manufacturing work and car sales work].

To evaluate the relation between the working conditions and the workers' health, particularly the prevalences of obesity, liver disorder and hyperlipidemia, we analyzed physiological examination data and the questionnaire survey about life behaviors and working conditions during the terms of car manufacturing work and car sales work among 61 male subjects. In the physiological examination data, compared with the term of car manufacturing work, the values of body weight, body mass index (BMI), GOT, GPT, gamma-GTP, TG and T-CHO elevated and the prevalences of obesity and liver disorder increased during the term of car sales work. During the term of car sales work, the prevalences of alcohol drinkers and cigarette smokers increased and the changes of food intake behaviors were noted. It was estimated that the changes of food intake behaviors associated with the differences of working conditions contributed increasing number of obesity and liver disorder that was based on fatty liver caused by hyperlipidemia. These results of this study suggested that working conditions associated with the prevalences of obesity, liver disorder and hyperlipidemia were important to conduct the effective health education in the present occupational health administration.

Adult↗

PubMed1992

[The working conditions and morbidity with temporary loss of work capacity for those engaged in the manufacture of household chemical preparations].

Workers engaged in production of household chemical goods (paints, synthetic detergents, aerosols) are exposed to harmful factors (noise levels higher than the maximal allowable ones, concentration of chemical agents in the air surpassing the MACs). Such work conditions are estimated as unfavourable according to the hygienic classification. The total morbidity and some nosologic forms (respiratory, digestive, locomotor systems and skin) are growing in number especially in workers of aerosol production. Statistic analysis revealed that the length of service was directly related to the level of total morbidity and the incidence of gastrointestinal diseases in the workers engaged in manufacture of household chemical goods.

Absenteeism↗

PubMed1991

[Working conditions and morbidity with temporary loss of work capacity among metallurgists from Mill 300 of the Predmet firm--in Debelt].

Occupational hygienic and medico-statistical study is carried out in shop LOOM-300 for rolling of steel. The rate of exposure to chemical and dust factor of the workers is determined by means of index of exposure after the formula [formula: see text] The personal analysis of morbidity with temporary disability shows an increase of the basic indices "frequency" and "gravity" during the three year period. The per cent of the sick is higher in men, in the workers with higher index of exposure and in the younger age groups (up to 40 years old) with short labour of service, which certifies, for insufficient adaptation to the new working conditions. A conclusion is made, that the progressive increase of the indices of morbidity are serious warning for future high rate of morbidity, if labour hygienic and medico-preventive measures are not taken.

Absenteeism↗

PubMed2006

Effects of working conditions on intravenous medication errors in a Japanese hospital.

AIM: The aim of this study was to explore quantitatively which working conditions influence the occurrence of medical near-miss errors related to intravenous medication at a hospital in Japan. BACKGROUND: Although working conditions such as stress, fatigue and inexperience have been reported to contribute to medical errors, countermeasures to these conditions have been delayed, and working conditions have deteriorated in many Japanese medical sites. METHODS: A self-reporting questionnaire analysing working conditions that can lead to near-miss errors relating to intravenous medication was sent to 90 nurses working in four wards of one Japanese hospital in 2001. Eighty-eight subjects responded (response rate: 97.8%). Among 534 person-days in which 88 nurses attended works, 525 person-days of data were used for the analyses. RESULTS: Among 525 person-days, the number of near-miss errors was 94 (17.9%). There was no significant difference in the occurrence of near-miss errors among the three shifts (day shift, 19.2%; evening shift, 19.2%; night shift, 12.5%). During the day shift, errors were reported at a significantly higher frequency when the nursing services were delayed longer due to workload. During the evening shift, errors were reported when the nursing services were delayed longer due to workload and when years of experience at the current ward were shorter. In addition, nurses whose perceived level of fatigue before work was lower during the day shift, and nurses whose years of experience as a nurse were longer and who had longer sleep duration during the evening shift experienced near-miss errors with a significantly higher frequency than other nurses. These latter factors could be important conditions that encourage the detection of errors before they occur. CONCLUSIONS: Workload and lack of experience at the current ward are two conditions that can lead to errors. Furthermore, lack of fatigue and long experience as a nurse may help encourage the detection of errors before they occur. It is important to improve working conditions so that health care workers can detect errors before patients are harmed and decrease the number of errors that occur.

Humans↗

PubMed1994

Work hardening and work conditioning interventions: do they affect disability?

The purpose of this article is to review the research on the effectiveness of work hardening and work conditioning programs. Twelve studies of work hardening and work conditioning programs in the United States and abroad were reviewed. One study produced convincing evidence in a randomized study that a work conditioning program was useful in producing a higher percentage of return to work and an earlier return to work in a group of patients off work for at least 2 months. Another study demonstrated that a work hardening program increased the rate of return to work by 52% in patients off work for greater than 4 months. Most of the other studies reviewed suggested positive results, but more carefully documented, randomized, and controlled studies are needed to support the efficacy of these programs and to determine the optimum and most cost-effective work hardening and work conditioning interventions.

Conditioning, Psychological↗

PubMed1997

Associations between self-rated psychosocial work conditions and musculoskeletal symptoms and signs. Stockholm MUSIC I Study Group.

OBJECTIVES: The aim was to study the associations between self-rated psychosocial work conditions and the characteristics and location of musculoskeletal symptoms, signs, and syndromes. METHODS: Perceived psychosocial work conditions were recorded in a cross-sectional study with 358 men and women in various occupations. Symptoms were recorded from the musculoskeletal system with a questionnaire, and signs were detected in a medical examination of all body regions. The analyses of statistical associations between the psychosocial factors and musculoskeletal disorders were performed with control for age, gender, and physical load. RESULTS: The most consistent and pronounced associations were mainly seen between poor psychosocial work conditions and coexisting symptoms and signs of the neck and back regions. Poor psychosocial work conditions were more consistently and strongly associated with signs of muscular (soft tissue) tenderness than with signs of tenderness in the joints, tendons, or muscular insertions or signs in nerve compression tests. Mainly low social support at work, but also high psychological demands and high job strain, were associated with such symptoms and signs, whereas decision latitude at work showed few associations with musculoskeletal disorders. CONCLUSIONS: Perceived poor psychosocial work conditions are statistically associated mainly with symptoms and signs of muscular tenderness in the central body regions. Studies on associations between psychosocial work conditions and musculoskeletal disorders should separate effect measures of different clinical signs and different body regions in order to avoid attenuation of the risk estimates.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Working conditions and health behaviours among employed women and men: the Helsinki Health Study.

BACKGROUND: Working conditions influence health, but previous studies on the associations between work-related factors and health behaviours are scarce. The aim of this study was to analyse whether unfavourable working conditions are associated with diet, physical activity, alcohol consumption, and smoking. METHODS: The data derive from postal questionnaires collected in 2000-2001 from 40- to 60-year-old employees of the City of Helsinki (n=6243, response rate: 68%). Logistic regression analysis was used to examine health behaviours as outcomes. Job demands and job control, physically and mentally strenuous work, work fatigue, working overtime and satisfaction with work-home interface were independent variables, adjusted for age, education, occupational social class and marital status. RESULTS: Most of the examined associations between working conditions and health behaviours were not statistically significant. Among women, mentally strenuous work and high job control were associated with a healthy diet. Work fatigue was associated with physical inactivity, whereas physically strenuous work and satisfaction with work-home interface were more often reported by physically active women. Work fatigue was associated with high drinking among men. Low job strain was reported by nonsmoking women, whereas working overtime was associated with nonsmoking among men. CONCLUSIONS: Working conditions were only weakly associated with health behaviours, and the associations varied for different health behaviours.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Musculoskeletal outcomes in multiple body regions and work effects among nurses: the effects of stressful and stimulating working conditions.

This study investigated the various stressors encountered by the nursing profession. In particular, the following hypotheses were tested: (1) working conditions of nurses significantly affect perceived risk of injury and illness, work dissatisfaction, work satisfaction, energy state at the end of workday, the effort exerted by the registered nurse (RN), psychosomatic outcomes, and musculoskeletal symptoms (in multiple body regions); (2) both intermediate work effects (i.e., effort, perceived risk of injury/illness, work satisfaction/dissatisfaction, energy state at end of workday) and psychosomatic outcomes significantly affect musculoskeletal outcomes (in multiple body regions); (3) both working conditions and effects significantly affect musculoskeletal outcomes. In a preliminary study conducted on 34 registered nurses, results show that: (1) stressful working conditions affect musculoskeletal outcomes in multiple body regions, and (2) physical maladies such as lower back problems are not only associated with physical factors but also with a complex interaction of working conditions. Further research is warranted to obtain a better understanding of the complex interaction and the synergistic effects of the various nursing working conditions.

Female↗

PubMed2002

[Work conditions as evaluated by workers].

In the Polish professional literature we can more and more often find articles on working conditions and occupational risk. However, there is lack of information concerning the employees' knowledge of working conditions and possible occupational hazards. According to the Article 226 of the Labour Code the aemployer is obliged to inform employees on working conditions and relevant health hazards as well as hazards protection principles. Thus all the employees should know working conditions and relevant health hazards. The aim of the article is to prove the knowledge of working conditions and health hazards by the employees doing different jobs in several sectors of the national economy. There have been analyzed questionnaires received from 787 employees including 526 women and 261 men representing white-collar and blue-collar professions in industry sectors and services. Questionnaires have been collaborated by the Institute of Labour and Social Policy.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

Rural practice evaluation: how do rural physicians evaluate their working conditions?

Evaluating the quality of rural doctors' working conditions is essential for retaining physicians in rural areas. We carried out a trial to investigate those aspects of working conditions that are important to rural physicians and with which aspects they are satisfied or dissatisfied. Questionnaires were mailed to 204 doctors who were working in rural clinics in Japan. The professional conditions of rural clinic practices were classified into 17 items. The doctors were then asked to evaluate the importance of and degree of satisfaction with each item. Among the 17 items, the clinic's equipment, the municipal government's attitude and the base hospital were evaluated to be more important than the overall average. With regard to satisfaction, the distance to major cities, the municipal government's attitude and locum availability were rated significantly lower than that overall. There were some items where there was a discrepancy between the importance and the degree of satisfaction. Identifying these discrepancies may contribute to creating an environment that will raise the level of rural physicians' satisfaction.

Adult↗

PubMed1990

Strenuous working conditions and musculo-skeletal disorders among female hospital workers.

The relations between working conditions and various aspects of health among female hospital workers were studied in 26 departments of large hospitals in the Paris area in 1986; 90% of the workers of these departments filled in a questionnaire about their working conditions, sociodemographic characteristics and health in the previous 12 months and attended a medical examination. The study sample included 1505 women. The main cause of sick leave was musculoskeletal disorders and affected 16% of the women. Back pain was described by 47% of the women, and treatment for musculo-skeletal disorders by 28%. Three working conditions were considered to characterize the posture at work: standing more than six hours a day, bending over more than ten times per hour, and maintaining an uncomfortable posture. A cumulative posture index was constructed by adding for each worker the number of the working conditions to which she had been exposed. A cumulative lifting index was constructed in a similar way from the four following characteristics: lifting weights of more than 15 kg, lifting patients more than ten times a day, making beds normally or often, and pushing beds or trolleys more than ten minutes a day. A mixed index was then constructed associating the two previous ones. The relations between these indexes and musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) were studied after adjustment for potential confounders such as age, obesity, number of children, travel duration, sport practice, occupational level, number of years in the occupation, previous attack of back pain, and mental health (assessed by the score to the general health questionnaire). The logistic regressions of MSD indicators on the mixed index and other risk factors showed that MSD was about twice as frequent among women with a maximal load in posture and/or in lifting than among women with no more than one medium index (tiring posture or lifting). These facts support the necessity for improvement of the work load in hospitals.

Absenteeism↗

PubMed2005

Associations of psychosocial working conditions with self-rated general health and mental health among municipal employees.

OBJECTIVES: To examine associations of job demands and job control, procedural and relational organizational fairness, and physical work load with self-rated general health and mental health. In addition, the effect of occupational class on these associations is examined. METHODS: The data were derived from the Helsinki Health Study baseline surveys in 2001-2002. Respondents to cross-sectional postal surveys were middle-aged employees of the City of Helsinki (n=5.829, response rate 67%). Associations of job demands and job control, organizational fairness and physical work load with less than good self-rated health and poor GHQ-12 mental health were examined. RESULTS: Those with the poorest working conditions two to three times more, often reported poor general and mental health than those with the best working conditions. Adjustment for occupational class weakened the associations of low job control and physical work load with general health by one fifth, but even more strengthened that of high job demands. Adjustment for occupational class clearly strengthened the associations of job control and physical work load with mental health in men. Mutual adjustment for all working conditions notably weakened their associations with both health measures, except those of job control in men. All working conditions except relational organizational fairness remained independently associated with general and mental health. CONCLUSIONS: All studied working conditions were strongly associated with both general and mental health but the associations weakened after mutual adjustments. Of the two organizational fairness measures, procedural fairness remained independently associated with both health outcomes. Adjustment for occupational class had essentially different effects on the associations of different working conditions and different health outcomes.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

Working conditions and the possibility of providing good care.

UNLABELLED: Background An open and tolerant climate characterized by joy in work where the personnel can mature as people and develop their professional competence was postulated as essential to working conditions under which good care can be provided in line with a care policy accepted for healthcare in a northern Swedish county. AIM: This study aimed to examine working conditions before and 3 years after the implementation of the care policy. METHOD: All personnel working on four hospital wards in the county described their experiences in questionnaires in a baseline measure in 1995 (n = 119) and a follow-up measure in 1998 (n = 106). FINDINGS: Lower ratings for working conditions were found in many respects in the follow-up measure. Fewer respondents from three wards expressed satisfaction with their current work situation. More respondents in one of these wards expressed, in addition, an inability to keep up with their work and fewer also evaluated their immediate superiors as good leaders. More of the respondents from one ward expressed the intention of looking for alternative employment and wanted to have another job. More respondents in two wards reached scores indicating burnout risk or burnout, and lower means were seen in two to 10 work climate dimensions per ward, out of 10 possible, in the follow-up measure compared with the baseline. CONCLUSION: The working conditions seen as requisite for the possibility of providing good care seem to have deteriorated in a number of respects on the wards studied over a three-year period and improvements are needed if the care offered is to be in line with the stated care policy. A concurrent study investigating patient satisfaction of the care quality in the same county showed a deterioration in their assessments between measurements carried through with a three-year interval, implying a relationship between the working conditions of the personnel and the patients' experiences of care.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1988

Work conditions and urinary excretion of catecholamines--a study of prison staff in Sweden.

The hypothesis to be tested was whether characteristics of work situations affect the physiology of people when the effects of individual differences in medical/behavioral factors are minimized. Four prisons with different objective work conditions were chosen. The psychosocial work situation was recorded in a self-administered questionnaire. Morning plasma cortisol, blood pressure, and urinary excretion of catecholamines were measured. Analyses of variance showed that the four prisons differed significantly as to mean levels of decision latitude and skill discretion. Analyses of variance also showed significant differences between the prisons with regard to mean levels of noradrenaline at night during leisure time and a tendency towards differences in work time. The rank order of mean levels of noradrenaline in the four prisons was the same as the inverted rank order of mean levels in self-reported work conditions. Thus it seems that when collective data are used and when adjusted for other variables which might have an association with the dependent variables, differences in self-reported work conditions are reflected in the urinary excretion of noradrenaline. Of the three physiological variables used as dependent variables, urinary excretion of noradrenaline reflected arousal as an effect of work conditions more accurately than the other variables.

Employment↗