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PubMed2005

Arthritis and employment: an examination of behavioral coping efforts to manage workplace activity limitations.

OBJECTIVE: To examine ways in which individuals with arthritis manage their employment and health by focusing on the type and determinants of diverse behavioral coping strategies used to manage activity limitations, and to examine the relationship between coping behaviors and participation in employment. METHODS: The study group comprised 492 patients with osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis. All participants were employed, and all participants were administered an in-depth, structured questionnaire. The study used an inductive approach and distinguished among 4 categories of coping behaviors as follows: adjustments to time spent on activities; receipt of help; modification of behaviors; and anticipatory coping. RESULTS: Fewer coping behaviors were reported at the workplace than outside of the workplace. Anticipatory coping was used most often in the workplace. Workplace activity limitations were related to increased reports of all types of coping. Women, those with more joints affected, and people expecting to remain employed reported more anticipatory coping. Expectations of continued employment were also related to modifications of activities, as was longer disease duration and discussing arthritis with one's employer. Help from others was associated with talking to an employer and positive job perceptions. Compared with work, reports of a greater number of coping behaviors used at home were associated with changes in overall work participation (e.g., absenteeism). CONCLUSION: These results expand our understanding of the experience of having a chronic illness and working and highlight the ways in which people accommodate to workplace limitations by using a variety of different behavioral coping efforts to remain employed.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed2005

Workplace-based return-to-work interventions: a systematic review of the quantitative literature.

INTRODUCTION: A systematic review was conducted to review the effectiveness of workplace-based return-to-work (RTW) interventions. METHOD: Seven databases were searched, in English and French, between January 1990 and December 2003 for peer-reviewed studies of RTW interventions provided at the workplace to workers with work disability associated with musculoskeletal or other pain-related conditions. Methodological quality appraisal and data extraction were conducted by pairs of reviewers. RESULTS: Of a total of 4124 papers identified by the search, 10 studies were of sufficient quality to be included in the review. There was strong evidence that work disability duration is significantly reduced by work accommodation offers and contact between healthcare provider and workplace; and moderate evidence that it is reduced by interventions which include early contact with worker by workplace, ergonomic work site visits, and presence of a RTW coordinator. For these five intervention components, there was moderate evidence that they reduce costs associated with work disability duration. Evidence for sustainability of these effects was insufficient or limited. Evidence regarding the impact of supernumerary replacements was insufficient. Evidence levels regarding the impact of the intervention components on quality-of-life was insufficient or mixed. CONCLUSIONS: Our systematic review provides the evidence base supporting that workplace-based RTW interventions can reduce work disability duration and associated costs, however the evidence regarding their impact on quality-of-life outcomes was much weaker.

Cost-Benefit Analysis↗

PubMed2004

Amphetamines in washed hair of demonstrated users and workplace subjects.

In a study of volunteer subjects from drug rehabilitation programs, methamphetamine and amphetamine levels were determined in the hair of 40 subjects who had produced MS-confirmed methamphetamine-positive urine results. The samples were tested by radioimmunoassay and analyzed by LC/MS/MS after being washed with the 3.75-h wash procedure developed by this laboratory. In addition, results of non-user and workplace samples are presented. In workplace samples, levels of methamphetamine, amphetamine, methylenedioxy-methamphetamine (MDMA), and methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA), are reported. The range of methamphetamine levels in the clinical samples (170-34,400 pg/mg hair) was not different from the workplace population (from less than the cutoff of 500 pg/mg to >20,000 pg/mg hair), but the workplace population had a lower percentage of high levels of drug. Amphetamine levels were found to vary widely in both populations, at all levels of methamphetamine. In the clinical population, no samples were positive for MDMA; in MDMA-positive workplace samples, the levels ranged from below the cutoff of 500 to >20,000 pg/mg, with MDA levels varying widely, similar to amphetamine levels in methamphetamine-positive samples.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

A descriptive study of the perceptions of workplace violence and safety strategies of nurses working in level I trauma centers.

INTRODUCTION: Workplace violence is a significant occupational hazard in health care. As the largest group of employees in health care, nurses are particularly vulnerable to workplace violence, with those who work in emergency departments being especially at risk. The purpose of this research was to study the phenomenon of workplace violence by interviewing emergency nurses who had experienced violence while on duty. METHOD: A descriptive study approached the issue of workplace violence from the perspective of 8 registered nurses from 2 level I trauma centers who volunteered to be interviewed. Cross-case comparison of the interview responses was used to analyze the data from verbatim transcripts. RESULTS: Emergency nurses identified specific experiences of violence at work. Inadequate safety measures and vulnerability were the 2 themes that were consistently verbalized through out the interviews. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: The emergency nurses who were interviewed discussed their experiences with patients, family members, and others who exhibited violent and aggressive behavior. They identified safety measures that they believed were inadequate and discussed their feelings of vulnerability because of violent incidents at work. Further research with larger samples could confirm specific safety problems in emergency departments that must be addressed to provide a safer workplace for emergency nurses, their colleagues, and their patients.

Aggression↗

PubMed2006

Are recessions good for workplace safety?

Empirical evidence shows that in recessions the rate of workplace accidents goes down. This paper presents a theory and an empirical investigation to explain this phenomenon. The theory is based on the idea that reporting an accident affects the reputation of a worker and raises the probability that he is fired. If the unemployment rate is high, a worker faces a big loss when fired and fewer workplace accidents are reported. The empirical investigation concerns workplace accidents in 16 OECD countries. We conclude that cyclical fluctuations in workplace accident rates have to do with reporting behavior of workers and not with changes in workplace safety.

Absenteeism↗

PubMed2005

The productivity assessment tool: computer-based cost benefit analysis model for the economic assessment of occupational health and safety interventions in the workplace.

INTRODUCTION AND METHOD: This paper describes the concepts behind cost benefit analysis in occupational health and safety and introduces the Productivity Assessment Tool, a method by which an analysis may be performed relatively easily in a service or manufacturing workplace. The advantage of using such analyses is to show the important financial role that safe and efficient workplaces play in the workplace. RESULTS: By using analytical tools, the effectiveness of an intervention (workplace change) may be estimated prior to its introduction. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: This places occupational health and safety on the same financial footing as other proposed workplace changes and thus places occupational health and safety in a strong position to attract scarce resources.

Computer Systems↗

PubMed2003

Workplace violence in Alberta and British Columbia hospitals.

Workplace violence is a significant and widespread public health concern among health care workers, including nurses. With growing awareness of how practice environments influence patient outcomes and the retention of health professionals, it is timely to consider the impact of workplace violence in hospitals. Registered nurses in Alberta and British Columbia, Canada were surveyed on their experiences of violence in the workplace over the last five shifts. Our results suggest that nurses are experiencing many incidences of violence in a given work week, particularly in the emergency, psychiatric, and medical-surgical settings. Most violent acts are perpetrated by patients, but there is also a significant portion of violence and abuse committed by hospital co-workers, particularly emotional abuse and sexual harassment. Our results also indicate that the majority of workplace violence is not reported. We suggest that using the Broken Windows theory might be a useful tool to conceptualize why workplace violence occurs, and that this framework be used to begin to develop new violence prevention policies and strategies.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Employees attitudes to workplace health promotion programs for cancer prevention].

OBJECTIVE: [corrected] We describe a method for feasibility assessment of workplace health promotion (WHP) programs as a necessary prerequisite of any WHP program. METHODS: A total of 167 employees from five workplace communities participated in the study. A questionnaire on the basic components of feasibility (risk factors, attitudes to workplace health promotion interventions, and social-occupational context) was administered. RESULTS: Risk behaviours were common among the employees interviewed. Health promotion in the workplace was favorably viewed by 79% of subjects but reported participation would be lower. Interventions on diet and physical activity received the highest acceptance. Participation would be greatest among local administration employees. CONCLUSIONS: The method demonstrated its utility in obtaining useful data for designing workplace health promotion interventions.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The applicability of the theory of planned behavior to the intention to quit smoking across workplaces in southern Taiwan.

An examination of the applicability of the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to the intention to quit smoking across workplaces was conducted. Subjects were randomly selected from three workplaces in southern Taiwan. Those from a large public steel-manufacturing company were used for model building, and those from two private auto-parts-manufacturing companies served to cross-validate the model. Eligible subjects were divided into three study samples: a learning sample and two test samples. Three predictors--priority of quitting, past behavior (measured as previous quit attempt), and habit (measured as nicotine dependence)--were added to the TPB model. The results of this study show that TPB based on the learning sample fit well in another sample from the same workplace but poorly in other workplaces. When priority of quitting and past behavior were added to the TPB model, prediction to other workplaces significantly improved. Habit had no significant contribution to the intention to quit in the TPB model. Detailed discussions of the results are provided.

Adult↗

PubMed1998

Heart disease from passive smoking in the workplace.

OBJECTIVES: This review sought to determine whether passive smoking in the workplace has roughly the same association with heart disease as passive smoking at home and to update a previous 1994 review on the effects of home-based passive exposure on the heart. BACKGROUND: To predict the effects of passive smoking at work on heart disease, public agencies have had to assume that workplace exposure to tobacco smoke was equivalent to home exposure. With the availability of more workplace exposure data, it is now possible to make a direct comparison. METHODS: The odds ratios and relative risks (RRs) of the eight studies that contained data on workplace exposure (1,699 cases) were arranged in what was believed to be the order of the quality of their tobacco smoke exposure measurements. A meta-analysis was performed to obtain combined RRs. Data from seven new studies on largely home-based exposure and heart disease that were not included in the 1994 review were also evaluated. RESULTS: The combined RR for the three top-rated workplace studies was 1.50 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.12 to 2.01). Adding four lower rated studies reduced the RR to 1.35 (95% CI 1.09 to 1.67). Adding the largest study but the one with questionable exposure history reduced the combined RR to 1.18 (95% CI 1.04 to 1.34). Adding the seven new, largely home-based studies increased the home-based morbidity RR to 1.49 (95% CI 1.29 to 1.72) compared with 1.42 in 1994 while leaving the mortality RR unchanged at 1.23 (95% CI 1.14 to 1.32). CONCLUSIONS: The RRs for heart disease from passive smoking at work are roughly equal to those from home-based exposure.

Case-Control Studies↗

PubMed2000

Administrative and behavioral interventions for workplace violence prevention.

BACKGROUND: Violence in the workplace accounts for 1000 fatalities and over 20,000 nonfatal events annually in the United States. The occupations with the most fatalities are taxicab drivers, employees in retail establishments, and law enforcement officers. Environmental strategies as well as behavioral and administrative measures could be employed to address violence. METHODS: This paper reports a critical review of the published literature on administrative and behavioral interventions directed at addressing workplace violence. Searching 17 different databases, we identified 137 papers that described workplace violence intervention strategies. Papers were further categorized according to whether they provided empirical data about an intervention or merely suggested intervention ideas. Suggested interventions were categorized according to applicability to types of workplace violence and organized according to the Haddon Matrix. RESULTS: Forty-one reports suggested intervention strategies but provided no empirical data; nine reported results of intervention evaluations. All intervention studies were based in the health care industry and addressed violent encounters between workers and patients. Overall, the research designs employed were weak and the results inconclusive. None used experimental designs. CONCLUSIONS: The lack of rigorous research to assess administrative and behavioral measures to address workplace violence represents a significant gap. Intervention research needs to draw on appropriate theoretical and conceptual frameworks, address the multiple contexts in which violence occurs, and employ strong evaluation research designs, including attention to process, impact, and outcome measures.

Behavior Therapy↗

PubMed2001

Alcohol use and workplace aggression: an examination of perpetration and victimization.

PURPOSE: The purpose of the present investigation was to examine the relationship between victimization from and perpetration of workplace aggression between coworkers and frequency of alcohol use during the last year. METHODS: Civilian employees (N = 300) selected from the US population were interviewed over the telephone with psychometrically sound measures of workplace aggression and alcohol use frequency during the last year. Hierarchical regression analyses were used to examine the relationship between alcohol use and workplace aggression, after controlling for sociodemographic variables. RESULTS: Both percentage of days of any drinking and percentage of days of heavy drinking during the last year were positively related to (a) victimization from verbal and physical aggression at work and (b) perpetration of verbal and physical aggression at work. IMPLICATIONS: Consistent with research studies spanning the sociobehavioral literature, the present investigation found alcohol use was associated with perpetration of and victimization from verbal and physical workplace aggression. Although the study established an association exists between alcohol use and workplace aggression, future investigations should attempt to understand employee alcohol use in the context of a multifaceted model that includes other likely factors that contribute to the incidence of aggressive behavior on the job.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2001

Bright light therapy of subsyndromal seasonal affective disorder in the workplace: morning vs. afternoon exposure.

OBJECTIVE: Bright light therapy in seasonal affective disorder (SAD) has been studied extensively. However, little attention has been given to subsyndromal seasonal affective disorder (SSAD) or the use of bright light in the workplace. Many patients using bright light boxes complain of the inconvenience of use. Much of this inconvenience involves the often-recommended early timing of the bright light therapy. Patients, who already have difficulty awakening, often have difficulty using the bright light therapy soon after awakening before going to work. If bright light could be used effectively in the workplace, the treatment would be more convenient; the improved convenience would probably improve compliance. In this study, we studied the effectiveness of bright light therapy in subjects with SSAD in the workplace, comparing morning bright light with afternoon bright light. METHOD: Morning and afternoon bright light treatment (2500 lux) were compared in 30 subsyndromal seasonal affective disorder patients using the bright light therapy in the workplace. Hamilton Depression Ratings and subjective measures of mood, energy, alertness and productivity were assessed before and after 2 weeks of light therapy. RESULTS: Both morning and evening bright light significantly decreased the depression ratings and improved the subjective mood, energy, alertness and productivity scores. However, there were no significant differences between the two times of administration of the bright light treatment. Both bright light treatments were well tolerated. CONCLUSION: Bright light given in the workplace improves subjective ratings of mood, energy, alertness and productivity in SSAD subjects. Morning and afternoon bright lights resulted in similar levels of improvement.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

Developing a holistic understanding of workplace health: the case of bank workers.

Understanding health in the workplace from a holistic perspective requires appropriate research approaches. An exploratory, qualitative study with white-collar employees from a large banking organization in the North West of England is detailed here. The aim was to explore health from the perspective of the employee. Semi-structured interviews (n = 29) elicited detailed responses, allowing the relationship between psychosocial and lifestyle factors to be examined. Psychosocial factors such as job design, ability to make decisions and control over work were all reported to be positive contributors to health in the work setting - and often were reported to be more relevant than individual lifestyle issues. A more holistic approach to developing workplace health programmes in the future is recommended, which allows the workplace setting to be considered as a complex system. Very few comprehensive workplace health programmes exist at present within UK organizations, and there is a tendency for programmes to be designed by the health professional 'expert' rather than developed in conjunction with, and by the workforce. It is argued that qualitative research methods can help to begin the dialogue needed for workplace health programme development.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Community response to disaster: the role of the workplace.

Disasters, natural and man-made, have a considerable impact on communities. Most recently, disasters stemming from terrorist attacks have become a leading cause of concern. The importance of work in the lives of employees, coupled with the vulnerability of workplaces as potential targets of terrorist attacks, suggests that workplaces can and should play a role in planning for, and responding to, disasters. This article addresses the role of the workplace in disasters, with an emphasis on the psychological impact of such events, by drawing upon experience and literature related to workplace violence and to other traumatic events in the workplace.

Bioterrorism↗

PubMed2003

Reducing musculoskeletal discomfort: effects of an office ergonomics workplace and training intervention.

Effects of an office ergonomics workplace and training intervention on workers' knowledge and self-reported musculoskeletal pain and discomfort were investigated. An instructional systems design process was used to develop an office ergonomics training program and the evaluation tools used to measure the effectiveness of the training program on workers' office ergonomics knowledge and skills. It was hypothesized that the training and workplace intervention would allow the worker to more effectively use their workplace through increased office ergonomics knowledge and skills. Following the intervention, there was a significant increase in workers' office ergonomics knowledge and awareness. Self-reported work-related musculoskeletal disorders significantly decreased for the group who had a workplace change and received ergonomic training relative to a workplace change-only group and a no intervention control group.

Computer Terminals↗

PubMed2003

Impact of a workplace stress reduction program on blood pressure and emotional health in hypertensive employees.

OBJECTIVES: This study examined the impact of a workplace-based stress management program on blood pressure (BP), emotional health, and workplace-related measures in hypertensive employees of a global information technology company. DESIGN: Thirty-eight (38) employees with hypertension were randomly assigned to a treatment group that received the stress-reduction intervention or a waiting control group that received no intervention during the study period. The treatment group participated in a 16-hour program, which included instruction in positive emotion refocusing and emotional restructuring techniques intended to reduce sympathetic nervous system arousal, stress, and negative affect, increase positive affect, and improve performance. Learning and practice of the techniques was enhanced by heart rate variability feedback, which helped participants learn to self-generate physiological coherence, a beneficial physiologic mode associated with increased heart rhythm coherence, physiologic entrainment, parasympathetic activity, and vascular resonance. BP, emotional health, and workplace-related measures were assessed before and 3 months after the program. RESULTS: Three months post-intervention, the treatment group exhibited a mean adjusted reduction of 10.6 mm Hg in systolic BP and of 6.3 mm Hg in diastolic BP. The reduction in systolic BP was significant in relation to the control group. The treatment group also demonstrated improvements in emotional health, including significant reductions in stress symptoms, depression, and global psychological distress and significant increases in peacefulness and positive outlook. Reduced systolic BP was correlated with reduced stress symptoms. Furthermore, the trained employees demonstrated significant increases in the work-related scales of workplace satisfaction and value of contribution. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that a brief workplace stress management intervention can produce clinically significant reductions in BP and improve emotional health among hypertensive employees. Implications are that such interventions may produce a healthier and more productive workforce, enhancing performance and reducing losses to the organization resulting from cognitive decline, illness, and premature mortality.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Workplace worries: a preliminary look at online sexual activities at the office-emerging issues for clinicians and employers.

Concerns about the impact of online sexual activities (OSA) on work-life are drastically increasing. This study examined 3,466 respondents who reported OSA, 18.5% of whom reported engaging in OSA at work. They were compared with the 81.5% who engaged in OSA at home, on average time spent in OSA, workplace policies regarding OSA, and relationship status. Two themes were identified and discussed: opportunity and sexual distress. Our findings indicate that participants are cognizant of issues of opportunity (e.g., the OSA from home group was more likely to indicate their workplace has established policies regarding OSA), and privacy, representing an important aspect of this theme (e.g., participants engaging in OSA at work were found to be twice as likely to have extra-marital affairs, compared with the OSA from home group). Secondly, our data suggests that many participants, especially from the OSA at work group, experience OSA-related distress. Engaging in OSA at the workplace may result in decreased productivity, issues of sexual harassment, and concerns about employee well-being. Clearly stated and consistently enforced policies regulating OSA are likely to mitigate workplace OSA. However, a significant minority of employees may have difficulties curbing OSA. Therefore, more sophisticated strategies to deal with workplace OSA should be established. Additional implications of importance for organizations and mental health professionals who support them are discussed.

Behavior, Addictive↗