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At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources

PubMed2003

Work conditioning, work hardening and functional restoration for workers with back and neck pain.

BACKGROUND: Physical conditioning programs, variously called work conditioning, work hardening and functional restoration/exercise programs, aim to improve work status and function. Previous attempts have been made to evaluate the efficacy of work-oriented back pain management programs, but none have focused exclusively on work or functional outcomes. OBJECTIVES: To compare the effectiveness of physical conditioning programs with management strategies that do not include physical conditioning programs, for workers with back and neck pain, in reducing time lost from work and increasing functional status. SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched the following databases to 31 May 2000: MEDLINE from 1966, EMBASE from 1980, CINAHL from 1982, Biomedical Collection: I (from 1993), II (from 1995), III (from 1995), IV (from 1995), PsycINFO from 1967, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PEDro. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that studied adults with work disability related to back or neck pain, who were included in physical conditioning programs. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two reviewers independently extracted data and assessed trial quality. Where data could be pooled, a meta-analysis was performed using RevMan. For continuous outcomes, we nominated a saving of 10 sick days as the smallest treatment effect that would be clinically worthwhile. For dichotomous outcomes, we considered that an intervention that affected less than one in 10 people would not be clinically worthwhile. MAIN RESULTS: Eighteen RCTs were identified in 20 publications. Twenty-three relevant contrasts were investigated. There is evidence that physical conditioning programs that include a cognitive-behavioural approach can reduce the number of sick days lost at 12 months follow-up by an average of 45 days, when compared to general practitioner usual care or advice, for workers with chronic back pain. For work-related outcomes, there is little evidence for or against the efficacy of specific exercises that are not accompanied by a cognitive-behavioural approach, in reducing sick days lost due to back pain, for workers with either acute or chronic back pain. REVIEWER'S CONCLUSIONS: Physical conditioning programs that include a cognitive-behavioural approach plus intensive physical training (specific to the job or not) that includes aerobic capacity, muscle strength and endurance, and coordination; are in some way work-related; and are given and supervised by a physiotherapist or a multidisciplinary team, seem to be effective in reducing the number of sick days for some workers with chronic back pain, when compared to usual care. However, there is no evidence of their efficacy for acute back pain.

Adult↗

PubMed1989

Work disability among women with rheumatoid arthritis. The relative importance of disease, social, work, and family factors.

Yelin and others have shown social work factors to be more important than disease factors in predicting work disability among arthritis patients; however, the effects of family factors on work role functioning have not been considered in previous explanatory models. In this study, we use Yelin's model to explain work disability among 122 women with rheumatoid arthritis and to incorporate family factors into the model. Using logistic regression, we found, as with previous studies, that work autonomy, social factors, and disease factors are important predictors of work disability. In the logistic regression model, self-assessed health status seemed to be more important than work factors in predicting work status. Further, family factors significantly contributed to the explanatory model, in that having more home responsibilities was associated with lower risk of work disability.

Arthritis, Rheumatoid↗

PubMed1993

A method for measuring mechanical work and work efficiency during human activities.

A major limitation in understanding human energy balance is the ability to accurately quantify the amount of physical activity or work performed by human subjects. We describe the development and validation of a force platform (2.5 x 2.5 m) system for measuring external mechanical work performed by human subjects. The force platform system was constructed inside a whole-room indirect calorimeter, thus, allowing simultaneous measurement of the energy expenditure associated with physical activity. We demonstrated the accuracy of the system for measuring work performed using a solenoid (32 kg) to deliver controlled amounts of energy to the platform. In tests with human subjects we demonstrated that the system can accurately and reproducibly measure work performed, energy expenditure associated with work performed, and work efficiency (work performed divided by energy expenditure). Overall, we obtained high correlations (an average of 0.932 for 33 subjects), between mechanical work performed and energy expenditure. We believe this mechanical work-energy expenditure system will be useful in determining the importance of individual differences in amount and cost of physical activity in the regulation of body weight and in development of obesity.

Biophysics↗

PubMed2006

Reduced work capacity after lumbar disc surgery: the role of cognitive-behavioral and work-related risk factors.

A significant number of patients who have had surgery for lumbosacral radicular syndrome still have a reduced work capacity several months later. In a prospective cohort study of 182 people who underwent lumbar disc surgery, we determined the predictive value of preoperatively measured cognitive-behavioral and work-related factors on work capacity 6 months after surgery. Logistic regression analyses indicated that these factors independently predicted work capacity 6 months after surgery. Specifically, fear of movement/(re)injury, more passive pain coping, and higher physical work-load predicted reduced work capacity in multiple logistic regression analyses, taking into account the role of a wide range of control variables including demographic variables, preoperative disability and pain intensity, neurological deficits, intake of analgesics, duration of complaints, and pain intensity 3 days postoperatively. The study supports the need to develop and evaluate preoperative risk screening measures that include both cognitive-behavioral and work-related factors and to evaluate the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral and work-related interventions in patients at risk of reduced work capacity after surgery for LRS.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed2001

Evaluation of physiological work demands and low back neuromuscular fatigue on nurses working in geriatric wards.

This study evaluated the physiological demands and low back neuromuscular fatigue patterns following a daytime work shift of 21 female nurses working in geriatric wards. Subjects' heart rate (HR) at work was monitored for 8 h and surface electromyogram (EMG) of their back muscle was recorded during a 1-minute horizontal trunk holding test before and after work. Results showed that the nurses had heart rates exceeding 90 beats/min in 57% and 110 beats/min in 19% of their working hours. The EMG revealed a significant drop in initial median frequency (MF) (p = 0.04) and increase in negative slope of the MF/time plot (p<0.001) of the back muscle after work. These suggest that the muscles were fatigued after work. The nurses rated patient lifting, transfer and turning as most physically demanding, and these corresponded to the highest heart rates recorded. The physiological and neuromuscular strain on the nurses indicated that extreme care should be exercised at work, particularly towards the end of a work shift when the muscles have become fatigued.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Agreement of a work-capacity assessment with the World Health Organisation International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health pain sets and back-to-work predictors.

The degree of agreement between a clinical multi-professional work-capacity assessment and the Comprehensive World Health Organisation International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) Core Sets for chronic pain and risk factors for no return to work was investigated. A review of data records and interviews with team members included measures of body function/structure, activities/participation and environmental factors. Predictors for return to work were reviewed. The team used eight different methods for data collection. Of the 29 categories concerning environmental factors, two were excluded; the methods used were more unstructured, e.g. interviews. The agreement with the 41 predictors of work resumption was high. The clinical work-capacity assessment agreed largely with the Comprehensive ICF Core Sets for the components body function, body structure, activities and participation. Nine categories out of 69 were not included. The clinical work-capacity assessment agreed largely with the Comprehensive ICF Core Sets for chronic pain conditions and with 40 predictors of work resumption. Clinically speaking, however, the current work-capacity assessment lacks on-the-job site evaluations and this most certainly affects reliability. The same is true for ICF, although the structure lacks proper coding for relevant factors found at work.

Humans↗

PubMed2006

Sex work in Tallinn, Estonia: the sociospatial penetration of sex work into society.

BACKGROUND: It is important to describe and understand the underlying patterns and dynamics that govern sex work in societies undergoing rapid political and social changes, its heterogeneity across populations, and its evolution through time in order to inform future research, sound policy formation, and programme delivery. OBJECTIVES: To describe the socioeconomic and cultural determinants, organisational structure, distinct categories, and spatial patterning of sex work in Tallinn, Estonia, and identify recent temporal changes in sex work patterns. METHODS: In-depth interviews with key informants; naturalistic observations of sex work and drug use venues, geo-mapping of sex work sites, review of media, public policy, and commissioned reports, and analyses of existing data. RESULTS: Sex work takes place in a hierarchy of locations in Tallinn ranging from elite brothels and "love flats" to truck stops. These sites vary in terms of their public health importance and social organisation. There are full time, part time, and intermittent male and female sex workers. Among others, the taxi driver, madam and the bartender are central roles in the organisation of sex work in Tallinn. Cell phone and internet technology enable sex work to be highly dispersed and spatially mobile. CONCLUSION: Future research and programmatic service delivery or outreach efforts should respond to the changing profile of sex work in Tallinn and its implications for STD/HIV epidemiology.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Work-family congruence and work-family concerns among nursing staff.

This study investigated work status congruence and work-family experiences among nursing staff. Data were collected from 1362 hospital-based nurses using anonymous questionnaires. Nurses indicated whether they were currently working full-time or part-time and whether they preferred to work full-time or part-time. Four work status groups were then compared. There were considerable demographic differences among the four work status groups. Nursing staff having congruent work status were generally more satisfied with their families and reported lower levels of work-family conflict. The two work status incongruent groups of nurses were found to have different correlates and consequences.

Adult↗

PubMed1997

Mortality and work conditions: a retrospective follow-up assessment of the effects of work conditions on the mortality of male employees in the manufacturing industry.

A retrospective follow-up study was conducted to investigate the effects of work conditions on mortality. Mortality rates among male employees aged 40-60 years in the Japanese steel industry were calculated for separate work condition factors, such as job site location (parent company or subsidiary company), job category (white-collar or blue-collar) and work schedule (day work or shift work). Odds ratios were calculated to evaluate the independent effects of work condition factors on mortality using a logistic regression method. Death certificates and demographic statistics, 1991-1995, from the annual personnel reports of the employees which had been compiled and preserved by the company, were utilized. There were 19,642 employees in April, 1991, and 171 deaths and 76,761.7 person-years were observed. No work condition factors were associated with the mortality rates. Selection bias was speculated from the findings. Since there is a thorough medical checkup system at this company, the employees identified with serious health problems would probably already have been excluded as potential candidates for transferring to subsidiaries or for work schedule changes. These findings and the interpretation were consistent with those of other reports which have been conducted in Japanese industrial fields. Mortality was not an appropriate indicator for assessing health risks in the occupational environment, but it reflects the real status of health care management. Through careful interpretation it has been suggested that there is a possibility that past health care work conditions activity can be accessed.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Rethinking work-health models for the new global economy: a qualitative analysis of emerging dimensions of work.

Technology change, rising international trade and investment, and increased competition are changing the organization, distribution and nature of work in industrialized countries. To enhance productivity, employers are striving to increase innovation while minimizing costs. This is leading to an intensification of work demands on core employees and the outsourcing or casualization of more marginal tasks, often to contingent workers. The two prevailing models of work and health - demand-control and effort-reward imbalance - may not capture the full range of experiences of workers in today's increasingly flexible and competitive economies. To explore this proposition, we conducted a secondary qualitative analysis of interviews with 120 American workers [6]. Our analysis identifies aspects of work affecting the quality of workers' experiences that are largely overlooked by popular work-health models: the nature of social interactions with customers and clients; workers' belief in, and perception of, the importance of the product of their work. We suggest that the quality of work experiences is partly determined by the objective characteristics of the work environment, but also by the fit of the work environment with the worker's needs, interests, desires and personality, something not adequately captured in current models.

Female↗

PubMed1986

[Fatigue in women conducting work with predominantly dynamic effort. I. Work demands and type of signs of fatigue].

In evaluation of fatigue by the working day and evaluation of chronic fatigue subjective methods have been applied. The fatigue due to the working day was tested twice during a work shift--in the 2nd and 8th working hour. Two professional groups of women were covered by the investigation: knitters (94) and sorters (44). It was a sufficient sample. The fatigue was found to be relatively low--it did not surpass the value of 2 points. Only some symptoms occurred with greater intensity, e.g. tiredness of legs and whole body. This results from the type of work performed by the women. The correlation between the type of fatigue symptoms and type of work is also confirmed by differences in evaluation of knitters and sorters. The evaluation of fatigue in both professional groups did not differ from the results of studies of the fatigue after the working day. Only somatic disturbances were evaluated higher; the differences between sorters and knitters in this group of symptoms possibly being affected by the differences in the workers' age. The obtained results indicate that despite the differences in the type of work, the type and magnitude of fatigue were similar at both workplaces.

Adult↗

PubMed1994

Women, work, and well-being: the importance of work conditions.

This study investigates the role of work conditions in mediating the effect of employment status on married women's psychological well-being. Employed wives and full-time homemakers are compared on characteristics of their daily work activities and the consequences of these work conditions for psychological well-being. Using data from a national survey of employed wives and homemakers, I find that full-time housework involves more autonomy, more interruptions, greater physical effort, more routine, fewer time pressures, and less responsibility for matters outside one's control than paid work. Differences in work activities between employed wives and homemakers also have direct implications for well-being. Two of the dimensions examined--the extent to which the worker is responsible for things outside her control, and the amount of routine entailed--are associated with greater depressive symptoms among women, regardless of work status. It appears that, as compared to employed wives, full-time homemakers benefit from having less responsibility for things outside their control. Employed wives appear to benefit from having less routinized work than homemakers. As a result of the different configurations of their work characteristics, employed wives and homemakers experience on average similar levels of depressive symptoms.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed1967