Blood Pressure Medicines Don’t Work If People Don’t Take Them PSA (:60)

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Podcasts

2016-09-13

This 60 second public service announcement is based on the September 2016 CDC Vital Signs report. Blood pressure medicines don’t work if people don’t take them. Learn how health care systems can work with patients to make taking medicines easier.  Created: 9/13/2016 by National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP).   Date Released: 9/13/2016.

Blood Pressure Medicines Don’t Work If People Don’t Take Them PSA (:60)

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Podcasts

This 60 second public service announcement is based on the September 2016 CDC Vital Signs report. Blood pressure medicines don’t work if people don’t take them. Learn how health care systems can work with patients to make taking medicines easier.

Blood borne viral infections among Danish Health Care Workers - frequent blood exposure but low prevalence of infection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fisker, Niels; Mygind, Lone H.; Krarup, Henrik B.; Licht, Dorthe; Georgsen, Jorgen; Christensen, Peer B.

2004-01-01

Denmark is a country with low prevalence and incidence of blood borne viral infections. Among health care workers (HCWs) vaccination for hepatitis B is only offered to high-risk groups. The aims of this cross sectional survey were to determine the prevalence of hepatitis B, -C, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) among the staff at a Danish University hospital and to correlate this with risk factors for transmission. Additionally, we wanted to examine the current frequency of blood exposure, reporting habits and hepatitis B vaccination status in the staff. Of 1439 eligible hospital staffs included, 960 (67%) were HCWs. The overall human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-, hepatitis C Virus (HCV)- and hepatitis B Virus (HBV)-prevalence was 0% (0/1439), 0.14% (2/1439) and 1.6% (23/1439), respectively. Twenty-three percent of HCWs were vaccinated against HBV. Age, blood transfusion and stay in endemic areas were associated independently to HBV infection as opposed to job-category, duration of employment, HBV vaccination status and blood exposure. Based on a 4-week recall period, the incidence of percutaneous blood exposure was 1.5/person-year. In conclusion the HIV and hepatitis prevalence was low despite frequent blood exposure and the principal risk factors were unrelated to work. Danish HCWs do not seem to be at increased risk of hepatitis B even though universal HBV vaccination has not been implemented

Psychosocial Factors at Work and Blood-Borne Exposure among Nurses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R Mehrdad

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Exposure to human blood and body fluids is a common risk for nurses. Many factors can affect the prevalence and incidence of this occupational hazard. Psychosocial factors at work may be a risk factor for the exposure. Objective: To assess needle stick, sharp injury and mucus exposure to blood-borne pathogens among nurses in Iran and to determine the association between these exposures and psychosocial factors at work. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on nurses in a public hospital, Tehran, Iran. 364 nurses received and 339 completed and returned a self-reported questionnaire containing demographic data, history of exposure to blood-borne pathogens at work during previous year and the General Nordic questionnaire for psychological and social factors at work (QPS Nordic 34+ Questionnaire. Results: Of 339 participants, 197 (58.1% reported needle-stick injury, 186 (54.6% reported another type of sharp injury, and 112 (33% reported a mucous membrane exposure during the previous year. More than half of the participants who had history of exposure, had not reported it. Those with middle or high level of stress had higher crude and adjusted odds than those with lower stress for all kinds of exposure. Adjusted odds ratios for high stress group (ranging from 2.8 to 4.4 were statistically different from 1. Conclusion: There is a high prevalence of needle-stick and sharp injury and mucous membrane exposure to patients' blood or body fluids among studied nurses. There is a significant association between increasing psychosocial factors at work and exposure to blood-borne pathogens among this group of nurses.

Blood Test: Bilirubin

Science.gov (United States)

... Videos for Educators Search English Español Blood Test: Bilirubin KidsHealth / For Parents / Blood Test: Bilirubin What's in ... liver or kidneys) is working. What Is a Bilirubin Test? A bilirubin test measures how much bilirubin ...

How to Prevent High Blood Pressure: MedlinePlus Health Topic

Science.gov (United States)

... Spanish Understanding Blood Pressure Readings (American Heart Association) Weightlifting: Bad for Your Blood Pressure? (Mayo Foundation for ... High Blood Pressure High Blood Pressure in Pregnancy Nutrition Quitting Smoking Stress National Institutes of Health The ...

Daily commuting to work is not associated with variables of health.

Science.gov (United States)

Mauss, Daniel; Jarczok, Marc N; Fischer, Joachim E

2016-01-01

Commuting to work is thought to have a negative impact on employee health. We tested the association of work commute and different variables of health in German industrial employees. Self-rated variables of an industrial cohort (n = 3805; 78.9 % male) including absenteeism, presenteeism and indices reflecting stress and well-being were assessed by a questionnaire. Fasting blood samples, heart-rate variability and anthropometric data were collected. Commuting was grouped into one of four categories: 0-19.9, 20-44.9, 45-59.9, ≥60 min travelling one way to work. Bivariate associations between commuting and all variables under study were calculated. Linear regression models tested this association further, controlling for potential confounders. Commuting was positively correlated with waist circumference and inversely with triglycerides. These associations did not remain statistically significant in linear regression models controlling for age, gender, marital status, and shiftwork. No other association with variables of physical, psychological, or mental health and well-being could be found. The results indicate that commuting to work has no significant impact on well-being and health of German industrial employees.

Adjustment Between Work Demands and Health Needs: Development of the Work-Health Balance Questionnaire

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gragnano, Andrea; Miglioretti, Massimo; Frings-Dresen, Monique H. W.; de Boer, Angela G. E. M.

2017-01-01

Purpose: This study presented the construct of Work-Health Balance (WHB) and the design and validation of the Work-Health Balance Questionnaire (WHBq). More and more workers have a long-standing health problem or disability (LSHPD). The management of health needs and work demands is crucial for the

Adjustment between work demands and health needs: Development of the Work-Health Balance Questionnaire.

Science.gov (United States)

Gragnano, Andrea; Miglioretti, Massimo; Frings-Dresen, Monique H W; de Boer, Angela G E M

2017-08-01

This study presented the construct of Work-Health Balance (WHB) and the design and validation of the Work-Health Balance Questionnaire (WHBq). More and more workers have a long-standing health problem or disability (LSHPD). The management of health needs and work demands is crucial for the quality of working life and work retention of these workers. However, no instrument exists measuring this process. The WHBq assesses key factors in the process of adjusting between health needs and work demands. We tested the reliability and validity of 38 items with cross-sectional data from a sample of 321 Italian workers (mean age = 45 ± 11 years) using exploratory factor analysis (EFA), Rasch analyses, and the correlations with other relevant variables. The instrument ultimately consisted of 17 items that reliably measured three factors: work-health incompatibility, health climate, and external support. These dimensions were associated with well-being in the workplace, dysfunctional behaviors at work, and general psychological health. A higher level on the WHB index was associated with lower levels of presenteeism, emotional exhaustion, workaholism, and psychological distress and with higher levels of job satisfaction and work engagement, supporting the construct validity of the instrument. The WHBq shows good psychometric characteristics and strong and theoretically consistent relationships with important and well-known variables. These results make the WHBq a promising tool in the study and management of health of employees, especially for the work continuation of employees returning to work with LSHPD. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Working Conditions, Lifestyles and Health

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cottini, Elena; Ghinetti, Paolo

The aim of this paper is to investigate whether employee health is affected by the environment in which the individual works - in terms of both physical and psychosocial working conditions - and by his or her lifestyle. Health measures are computed from Danish data, and refer to both self assessed...... general health and two more objective health measures: mental health specific to work-related problems, and physical health. We find that both bad working conditions and bad lifestyles reduce health, especially in its self-assessed component. The impact of lifetsyle indicators have a more modest health...... impact on both physical and mental health....

CDC Vital Signs–Blood Pressure Medicines Don’t Work If People Don’t Take Them

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Podcasts

2016-09-13

Blood pressure medicines don’t work if people don’t take them. Learn how health care systems can work with patients to make taking medicines easier.  Created: 9/13/2016 by National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP).   Date Released: 9/13/2016.

Whether Regular Working Hours Can Minimize The Blood Bbiochemical Effects of Shift Working: Across-Sectional Study In Iran

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Koroush Soleimani

2010-02-01

Full Text Available Background:Irregular Working hours, including night work and shift work,have been found to be associated with alteration in various levels of biochemical factors. And some studies have showed association between shift work and blood biochemical disturbances in blood. In this epidemiological study we investigated,whether regular schedule of working hours can minimize the associated biochemical effects.Methods: Atotal of 442 air traffic controllers between the ages of 21 and 59 years in this study filled out questionnaire, and triglyceride, total cholesterol, and HDL-C concentration and FBS were measured after 12- hours fasting. The correlation between shift work and the biochemical variables was measured. The SPSS software version 11.5 and STATAversion 8 were used for statistical analysis, the X2 and fisher's exact test used for comparing the qualitative variables and the parametric tests for quantitative variables with normal distribution. Odd's ratio (OR, and 95% confidence interval (95% CI were used for estimating the effect of shift work on lipid profile and high blood glucose levels. Logistic regression modeling was used for multivariable analysis and adjusting the effect of different variables.Results: sample size of this cross-sectional study was consisted of 305(69% shift workers and 137(31% day workers. The mean age of the shift workers was 40 ± 10 years old and the day workers 40 ± 9.The mean of variables in the present study for total cholesterol, LDL-C, HDL-C, triglyceride and fasting blood glucose in the shift workers were respectively: 195±37mg/dl, 116.8±34.8mg/dl, 48.2±15.1mg/dl, 154±80mg/dl, 92±20mg/dl and in the day workers were respectively: 200±40mg/dl, 125.3±38.6mg/dl, 48.8±23.3mg/dl,151± 77mg/dl, 90± 14mg/dl. Adjusted Odd's ratio for the effect of shift working on the biochemical blood factors did not change the results.Conclusion: This study showed that air traffic control workers with various shift did not �

Skin Blood Perfusion and Oxygenation Colour Affect Perceived Human Health

Science.gov (United States)

Stephen, Ian D.; Coetzee, Vinet; Law Smith, Miriam; Perrett, David I.

2009-01-01

Skin blood perfusion and oxygenation depends upon cardiovascular, hormonal and circulatory health in humans and provides socio-sexual signals of underlying physiology, dominance and reproductive status in some primates. We allowed participants to manipulate colour calibrated facial photographs along empirically-measured oxygenated and deoxygenated blood colour axes both separately and simultaneously, to optimise healthy appearance. Participants increased skin blood colour, particularly oxygenated, above basal levels to optimise healthy appearance. We show, therefore, that skin blood perfusion and oxygenation influence perceived health in a way that may be important to mate choice. PMID:19337378

Blood-borne biomarkers and bioindicators for linking exposure to health effects in environmental health science.

Science.gov (United States)

Wallace, M Ariel Geer; Kormos, Tzipporah M; Pleil, Joachim D

2016-01-01

Environmental health science aims to link environmental pollution sources to adverse health outcomes to develop effective exposure intervention strategies that reduce long-term disease risks. Over the past few decades, the public health community recognized that health risk is driven by interaction between the human genome and external environment. Now that the human genetic code has been sequenced, establishing this "G × E" (gene-environment) interaction requires a similar effort to decode the human exposome, which is the accumulation of an individual's environmental exposures and metabolic responses throughout the person's lifetime. The exposome is composed of endogenous and exogenous chemicals, many of which are measurable as biomarkers in blood, breath, and urine. Exposure to pollutants is assessed by analyzing biofluids for the pollutant itself or its metabolic products. New methods are being developed to use a subset of biomarkers, termed bioindicators, to demonstrate biological changes indicative of future adverse health effects. Typically, environmental biomarkers are assessed using noninvasive (excreted) media, such as breath and urine. Blood is often avoided for biomonitoring due to practical reasons such as medical personnel, infectious waste, or clinical setting, despite the fact that blood represents the central compartment that interacts with every living cell and is the most relevant biofluid for certain applications and analyses. The aims of this study were to (1) review the current use of blood samples in environmental health research, (2) briefly contrast blood with other biological media, and (3) propose additional applications for blood analysis in human exposure research.

Associations Among Work and Family Health Climate, Health Behaviors, Work Schedule, and Body Weight.

Science.gov (United States)

Buden, Jennifer C; Dugan, Alicia G; Faghri, Pouran D; Huedo-Medina, Tania B; Namazi, Sara; Cherniack, Martin G

2017-06-01

Correctional employees exhibit elevated obesity rates. This study examines interrelations among health behaviors, health climate, body mass index (BMI), and work schedule. Using survey results from correctional supervisors (n = 157), mediation and moderated-mediation analyses were performed to examine how health behaviors explain relationships between obesity, work health climate (WHC) and family health climate (FHC), and work schedule. Over 85% of the sample was overweight/obese (mean BMI = 30.20). Higher WHC and FHC were associated with lower BMI, mediated by nutrition, and physical activity. The interaction effect between health behavior and work schedule revealed a protective effect on BMI. Overtime shift work may share a relationship with BMI. Findings may have implications for reexamining organizational policies on maximum weekly overtime in corrections. They provide direction for targeted obesity interventions that encourage a supportive FHC and promote healthy behaviors among supervisors working overtime.

Effects of respiratory muscle work on respiratory and locomotor blood flow during exercise.

Science.gov (United States)

Dominelli, Paolo B; Archiza, Bruno; Ramsook, Andrew H; Mitchell, Reid A; Peters, Carli M; Molgat-Seon, Yannick; Henderson, William R; Koehle, Michael S; Boushel, Robert; Sheel, A William

2017-11-01

What is the central question of this study? Does manipulation of the work of breathing during high-intensity exercise alter respiratory and locomotor muscle blood flow? What is the main finding and its importance? We found that when the work of breathing was reduced during exercise, respiratory muscle blood flow decreased, while locomotor muscle blood flow increased. Conversely, when the work of breathing was increased, respiratory muscle blood flow increased, while locomotor muscle blood flow decreased. Our findings support the theory of a competitive relationship between locomotor and respiratory muscles during intense exercise. Manipulation of the work of breathing (WOB) during near-maximal exercise influences leg blood flow, but the effects on respiratory muscle blood flow are equivocal. We sought to assess leg and respiratory muscle blood flow simultaneously during intense exercise while manipulating WOB. Our hypotheses were as follows: (i) increasing the WOB would increase respiratory muscle blood flow and decrease leg blood flow; and (ii) decreasing the WOB would decrease respiratory muscle blood flow and increase leg blood flow. Eight healthy subjects (n = 5 men, n = 3 women) performed a maximal cycle test (day 1) and a series of constant-load exercise trials at 90% of peak work rate (day 2). On day 2, WOB was assessed with oesophageal balloon catheters and was increased (via resistors), decreased (via proportional assist ventilation) or unchanged (control) during the trials. Blood flow was assessed using near-infrared spectroscopy optodes placed over quadriceps and the sternocleidomastoid muscles, coupled with a venous Indocyanine Green dye injection. Changes in WOB were significantly and positively related to changes in respiratory muscle blood flow (r = 0.73), whereby increasing the WOB increased blood flow. Conversely, changes in WOB were significantly and inversely related to changes in locomotor blood flow (r = 0.57), whereby decreasing the

Blood parameters in draught oxen during work: relationship to physical fitness.

Science.gov (United States)

Zanzinger, J; Becker, K

1992-08-01

1. Four Zebu and four Simmental oxen were submitted to moderate and exhaustive work. Venous blood samples were taken before, immediately after and 30 min after work and assayed for several blood parameters. 2. Draught work led to a decrease in carbon dioxide (pvCO2) and increases in pH, oxygen (pvO2), triglycerides, free fatty acids (FFA) and lactate. 3. Zebu oxen had higher pvCO2 and FFA and lower pH, pvO2 and lactate in response to exercise. 4. Ratios of individual draught power output and values of pvO2 and lactate after work enable the identification of fit and/or weak individuals.

Associations among Work and Family Health Climate, Health Behaviors, Work Schedule and Body Weight

Science.gov (United States)

Buden, Jennifer C.; Dugan, Alicia G.; Faghri, Pouran D.; Huedo-Medina, Tania B.; Namazi, Sara; Cherniack, Martin G.

2017-01-01

Objectives Correctional employees exhibit elevated obesity rates. This study examines interrelations among health behaviors, health climate, BMI, and work schedule. Methods Using survey results from correctional supervisors (n=157), mediation and moderated-mediation analyses were performed to examine how health behaviors explain relationships between obesity, work health climate (WHC) and family health climate (FHC), and work schedule. Results Over 85% of the sample was overweight/obese (mean BMI=30.20). Higher WHC and FHC were associated with lower BMI, mediated by nutrition and physical activity. The interaction effect between health behavior and work schedule revealed a protective effect on BMI. Overtime shiftwork may share a relationship with BMI. Conclusions Findings may have implications for reexamining organizational policies on maximum weekly overtime in corrections. They provide direction for targeted obesity interventions that encourage a supportive FHC and promote healthy behaviors among supervisors working overtime. PMID:28471768

Accurate costs of blood transfusion: a microcosting of administering blood products in the United Kingdom National Health Service.

Science.gov (United States)

Stokes, Elizabeth A; Wordsworth, Sarah; Staves, Julie; Mundy, Nicola; Skelly, Jane; Radford, Kelly; Stanworth, Simon J

2018-04-01

In an environment of limited health care resources, it is crucial for health care systems which provide blood transfusion to have accurate and comprehensive information on the costs of transfusion, incorporating not only the costs of blood products, but also their administration. Unfortunately, in many countries accurate costs for administering blood are not available. Our study aimed to generate comprehensive estimates of the costs of administering transfusions for the UK National Health Service. A detailed microcosting study was used to cost two key inputs into transfusion: transfusion laboratory and nursing inputs. For each input, data collection forms were developed to capture staff time, equipment, and consumables associated with each step in the transfusion process. Costing results were combined with costs of blood product wastage to calculate the cost per unit transfused, separately for different blood products. Data were collected in 2014/15 British pounds and converted to US dollars. A total of 438 data collection forms were completed by 74 staff. The cost of administering blood was $71 (£49) per unit for red blood cells, $84 (£58) for platelets, $55 (£38) for fresh-frozen plasma, and $72 (£49) for cryoprecipitate. Blood administration costs add substantially to the costs of the blood products themselves. These are frequently incurred costs; applying estimates to the blood components supplied to UK hospitals in 2015, the annual cost of blood administration, excluding blood products, exceeds $175 (£120) million. These results provide more accurate estimates of the total costs of transfusion than those previously available. © 2018 AABB.

Productivity loss at work; health-related and work-related factors.

Science.gov (United States)

van den Heuvel, Swenne G; Geuskens, Goedele A; Hooftman, Wendela E; Koppes, Lando L J; van den Bossche, Seth N J

2010-09-01

Productivity loss is an increasing problem in an aging working population that is decreasing in numbers. The aim of this study is to identify work-related and health-related characteristics associated with productivity loss, due to either sickness absence or reduced performance at work. In this cross-sectional study, data of the Netherlands Working Conditions Survey of 2007 were used, which includes a national representative sample of 22,759 employees aged 15 to 64 years. Demographic characteristics, health-related and work-related factors were assessed with a questionnaire. Logistic regression analyses were carried out to study the relationship of work-related and health-related factors with low performance at work and sickness absence in the past 12 months. Poor general health, the number of longstanding health conditions, and most types of longstanding health conditions were associated with productivity loss. Health-related factors were in general stronger associated with sickness absence than with low performance at work. Performance: poor health OR 1.54 CI 1.38-1.71, >1 health conditions OR 1.21 CI 1.09-1.35; sickness absence: poor health OR 2.62 CI 2.33-2.93, >1 health conditions OR 2.47 CI 2.21-2.75. Of the different types of longstanding health conditions, only psychological complaints and to a small extent musculoskeletal symptoms, were associated with low performance (respectively OR 1.54 CI 1.27-1.87; OR 1.09 CI 1.00-1.18). Low performance at work was less likely among employees with high physically demanding work (shift work OR 0.70 CI 0.63-0.76, using force OR 0.78 CI 0.72-0.84, and repetitive movements OR 0.74 CI 0.70-0.79). Psychosocial factors were stronger associated with low performance at work than with sickness absence (performance: job autonomy OR 1.28 CI 1.21-1.37, job demands OR 1.23 CI 1.16-1.31, emotionally demanding work OR 1.73 CI 1.62-1.85; sickness absence: job autonomy ns, job demands OR 1.09 CI 1.03-1.17, emotionally demanding work OR

Morfofunctional indices of peripheric blood for persons working within the strict radiation control area

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nyagu, A.I.; Yukhimuk, L.N.; Egorova, D.M.; Pogontseva, I.M.

1992-01-01

The blood of 118 people permanently working within the area of strict radiation control has been investigated. Erythrocyte morphofunctional value has been estimated taking into consideration the erythrocyte morphological index as well as mechanical and osmotic resistivity of erythrocytes. For people permanently working within the area of strict radiation control intensity of signals of EPR for blood paramagnetic centres essentially changes. It proves profound changes in functioning of blood plasma antioxidant system for people working in the area of strict radiation control. For the people permanently working within the area of strict radiation control in peripheric blood growth of echynocytes and spherocytes as well as lowering of mechanical resistivity of erythrocytes is observed. 4 refs.; 1 fig.; 1 tab

The contribution of work engagement to self-perceived health, work ability, and sickness absence beyond health behaviors and work-related factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Rongen, Anne; Robroek, Suzan J W; Schaufeli, Wilmar; Burdorf, Alex

2014-08-01

To investigate whether work engagement influences self-perceived health, work ability, and sickness absence beyond health behaviors and work-related characteristics. Employees of two organizations participated in a 6-month longitudinal study (n = 733). Using questionnaires, information was collected on health behaviors, work-related characteristics, and work engagement at baseline, and self-perceived health, work ability, and sickness absence at 6-month follow-up. Associations between baseline and follow-up variables were studied using multivariate and multinomial logistic regression analyses and changes in R2 were calculated. Low work engagement was related with low work ability (odds ratio: 3.68; 95% confidence interval: 2.15 to 6.30) and long-term sickness absence (odds ratio: 1.84; 95% confidence interval: 1.04 to 3.27). Work engagement increased the explained variance in work ability and sickness absence with 4.1% and 0.5%, respectively. Work engagement contributes to work ability beyond known health behaviors and work-related characteristics.

Simulated night shift work induces circadian misalignment of the human peripheral blood mononuclear cell transcriptome.

Science.gov (United States)

Kervezee, Laura; Cuesta, Marc; Cermakian, Nicolas; Boivin, Diane B

2018-05-22

Misalignment of the endogenous circadian timing system leads to disruption of physiological rhythms and may contribute to the development of the deleterious health effects associated with night shift work. However, the molecular underpinnings remain to be elucidated. Here, we investigated the effect of a 4-day simulated night shift work protocol on the circadian regulation of the human transcriptome. Repeated blood samples were collected over two 24-hour measurement periods from eight healthy subjects under highly controlled laboratory conditions before and 4 days after a 10-hour delay of their habitual sleep period. RNA was extracted from peripheral blood mononuclear cells to obtain transcriptomic data. Cosinor analysis revealed a marked reduction of significantly rhythmic transcripts in the night shift condition compared with baseline at group and individual levels. Subsequent analysis using a mixed-effects model selection approach indicated that this decrease is mainly due to dampened rhythms rather than to a complete loss of rhythmicity: 73% of transcripts rhythmically expressed at baseline remained rhythmic during the night shift condition with a similar phase relative to habitual bedtimes, but with lower amplitudes. Functional analysis revealed that key biological processes are affected by the night shift protocol, most notably the natural killer cell-mediated immune response and Jun/AP1 and STAT pathways. These results show that 4 days of simulated night shifts leads to a loss in temporal coordination between the human circadian transcriptome and the external environment and impacts biological processes related to the adverse health effects associated to night shift work.

[Who are the recipients of labile blood products? A multicenter nation-wide study--a "donation day." Blood banks, health facilities].

Science.gov (United States)

Quaranta, J-F; Berthier, F; Courbil, R; Courtois, F; Chenais, F; Waller, C; Leconte des Floris, M-F; Andreu, G; Fontaine, O; Le Niger, C; Puntous, M; Mercadier, A; Nguyen, L; Pélissier, E; Gondrexon, G; Staccini, P

2009-03-01

During the years 1994-2001, a progressive decrease of the number of blood units transfused has been reported in France. In contrast, since 2002, there is an increasing number of blood units issuing (+7.6% between 2001 and 2006) and this must be investigated. On behalf of the French Society of Blood Transfusion, the "Recipients" working group promoted a nation wide survey with the support of the regional blood transfusion centres. This survey was aimed at describing the profiles of the transfused patients: socio-demographical patterns, and reasons of the blood transfusion (main and associated diagnoses). A cross-sectional survey was designed. All the patients who received a blood unit during a specific day were considered as the population of the study. They were identified by the regional transfusion centres by means of the "individual issuing form". Survey forms were fully filled for 90% of the patients. It has been considered as a good answer rate. Seven thousand four hundred and twenty-two blood units, delivered to 3450 patients were analyzed. Three groups of pathologies were found as a reason of transfusion: haematology-oncology (52.70% of the prescriptions) with 892 patients (27.8%) for haematological malignancies; surgical procedures (23.99%); intensive care and medicine procedures (21.92%). More than 50% of the recipients are 70 years old and more. This result is explained by the age distribution of inpatients. In a context of lack of donors and consequently difficulties to provide patients with optimal number of blood units, this study is helpful. Variability of blood unit issuings must be detected, analyzed and monitored in real time by the actors of the transfusion process, using computerized dashboards: the blood units provider (in order to adjust the strategy of blood units provision) and the health care establishment as well as care blood components prescribers (reasons of blood transfusion and evaluation of practices).

Cocoa, blood pressure, and cardiovascular health.

Science.gov (United States)

Ferri, Claudio; Desideri, Giovambattista; Ferri, Livia; Proietti, Ilenia; Di Agostino, Stefania; Martella, Letizia; Mai, Francesca; Di Giosia, Paolo; Grassi, Davide

2015-11-18

High blood pressure is an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease and cardiovascular events worldwide. Clinical and epidemiological studies suggest that cocoa-rich products reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. According to this, cocoa has a high content in polyphenols, especially flavanols. Flavanols have been described to exert favorable effects on endothelium-derived vasodilation via the stimulation of nitric oxide-synthase, the increased availability of l-arginine, and the decreased degradation of NO. Cocoa may also have a beneficial effect by protecting against oxidative stress alterations and via decreased platelet aggregation, decreased lipid oxidation, and insulin resistance. These effects are associated with a decrease of blood pressure and a favorable trend toward a reduction in cardiovascular events and strokes. Previous meta-analyses have shown that cocoa-rich foods may reduce blood pressure. Long-term trials investigating the effect of cocoa products are needed to determine whether or not blood pressure is reduced on a chronic basis by daily ingestion of cocoa. Furthermore, long-term trials investigating the effect of cocoa on clinical outcomes are also needed to assess whether cocoa has an effect on cardiovascular events. A 3 mmHg systolic blood pressure reduction has been estimated to decrease the risk of cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. This paper summarizes new findings concerning cocoa effects on blood pressure and cardiovascular health, focusing on putative mechanisms of action and "nutraceutical " viewpoints.

Application of blood cell count and retrospective biodosimetry for health protection in industrial radiographers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jang, Seong Jae; Kim, Seung Hyun; Yang, Soo San; Cho, Min Su; Lee, Jin Kyung; Jin, Young Woo [Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2017-04-15

Industrial radiography is known to be one of the most vulnerable lines of work among the range of different radiation work. According to the relevant law in Korea, every worker registered in this work should check their blood cell counts every year in addition to their thermoluminescent dosimeter (TLD) doses. Cytogenetic dosimetry has been employed for several decades as a method for estimating the dose of ionizing radiation (IR) received by an individual. In cases of recent acute exposure, the most reliable method is to score dicentric chromosomes in solid-stained metaphase cells. Dicentric aberrations are unstable because their frequency decrease with time after IR exposure. The purpose of the present study was to review the effectiveness of the current regulation that requires all registered radiation workers to check their blood counts every year in order to screen for exposed workers. In addition, the clinical usefulness of cytogenetic dosimetry as a retrospective tool for dose estimation has been evaluated. From this study, we hope to make practical recommendations for improving the current radiation protection regulation. We ascertain that reviewing consecutive results of blood cell counts and retrospective biodosimetry are useful complementary tools to TLD doses for health protection regulation. Several confounding factors including work duration and previous medical history need to be considered for the interpretation of cytogenetic dosimetry results.

Application of blood cell count and retrospective biodosimetry for health protection in industrial radiographers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jang, Seong Jae; Kim, Seung Hyun; Yang, Soo San; Cho, Min Su; Lee, Jin Kyung; Jin, Young Woo

2017-01-01

Industrial radiography is known to be one of the most vulnerable lines of work among the range of different radiation work. According to the relevant law in Korea, every worker registered in this work should check their blood cell counts every year in addition to their thermoluminescent dosimeter (TLD) doses. Cytogenetic dosimetry has been employed for several decades as a method for estimating the dose of ionizing radiation (IR) received by an individual. In cases of recent acute exposure, the most reliable method is to score dicentric chromosomes in solid-stained metaphase cells. Dicentric aberrations are unstable because their frequency decrease with time after IR exposure. The purpose of the present study was to review the effectiveness of the current regulation that requires all registered radiation workers to check their blood counts every year in order to screen for exposed workers. In addition, the clinical usefulness of cytogenetic dosimetry as a retrospective tool for dose estimation has been evaluated. From this study, we hope to make practical recommendations for improving the current radiation protection regulation. We ascertain that reviewing consecutive results of blood cell counts and retrospective biodosimetry are useful complementary tools to TLD doses for health protection regulation. Several confounding factors including work duration and previous medical history need to be considered for the interpretation of cytogenetic dosimetry results.

Tainted blood

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Deleuran, Ida; Sheikh, Zainab Afshan; Hoeyer, Klaus

2015-01-01

The existing literature on donor screening in transfusion medicine tends to distinguish between social concerns about discrimination and medical concerns about safety. In this article, we argue that the bifurcation into social and medical concerns is problematic. We build our case on a qualitative...... study of the historical rise and current workings of safety practices in the Danish blood system. Here, we identify a strong focus on contamination in order to avoid 'tainted blood', at the expense of working with risks that could be avoided through enhanced blood monitoring practices. Of further...... significance to this focus are the social dynamics found at the heart of safety practices aimed at avoiding contamination. We argue that such dynamics need more attention, in order to achieve good health outcomes in transfusion medicine. Thus, we conclude that, to ensure continuously safe blood systems, we...

Working (longer than) 9 to 5: are there cardiometabolic health risks for young Australian workers who report longer than 38-h working weeks?

Science.gov (United States)

Reynolds, Amy C; Bucks, Romola S; Paterson, Jessica L; Ferguson, Sally A; Mori, Trevor A; McArdle, Nigel; Straker, Leon; Beilin, Lawrence J; Eastwood, Peter R

2018-05-01

The average Australian working week in middle-aged and older workers exceeds government recommendations. Long working weeks are associated with poor health outcomes; however, the relationship between long working weeks and health in young Australian workers is unknown. Data were drawn from the 22-year follow-up of the Western Australian Pregnancy Cohort (Raine) Study in Perth, Western Australia. Information was available from 873 young adults about working hours per week, shift work and sleep duration. Blood samples provided measures of cardiometabolic risk (CMR) factors. Almost one-third (32.8%) of young workers reported > 38 h working weeks. This was commonly reported in mining and construction industries for males; health and social assistance, mining and retail trade industries for females. CMR factors including increased waist circumference, higher fasting plasma glucose and reduced HDL cholesterol were associated with > 38 h working weeks. These relationships were not moderated by gender or by BMI for glucose and HDL cholesterol. Total sleep time was significantly lower in both male and female workers reporting > 38 h working weeks, but did not mediate the relationships seen with CMR factors. These findings point to early associations between > 38 h working weeks and CMR risk, and highlight the potential benefit of making young employees aware of the health associations with working arrangements to reduce the longer-term relationships seen with working hours and poor cardiometabolic health in population studies.

Older men, work and health.

Science.gov (United States)

Granville, G; Evandrou, M

2010-05-01

To consider the complex interrelationships between work and health among older men, drawing out the importance of considering gender difference in approaches to occupational medicine. The method used in the literature search was to review national and international research published in English since 1990 on the health and work of older men. Journal articles were the primary source. Databases used included Web of Science, CSA Illumina Social Sciences, CINAHL, Medline and ANGINFO. The review of the evidence was structured in terms of key themes emerging from the literature into which issues of gender, ethnicity, age and socio-economic inequalities were cross cut. The current paper now focuses on two of those themes that have particular relevance to occupational medicine: work-caused and work-related ill-health, and secondly promoting workplace health. It begins by setting the scene with a profile of older men in the labour market. Two key themes emerge from the review, which are of particular significance. One is the central role that work plays in the lives and identity of men and therefore the impact this has on their health, both in and out of work. Secondly, the occupational histories of men expose them to work-related and work-caused ill-health, which has consequences for life expectancy and chronic disease in old age. These findings have implications for future research, policy formulation and implementation, and for public health practice.

Walking to work in Canada: health benefits, socio-economic characteristics and urban-regional variations.

Science.gov (United States)

Kitchen, Peter; Williams, Allison; Chowhan, James

2011-04-04

There is mounting concern over increasing rates of physical inactivity and overweight/obesity among children and adult in Canada. There is a clear link between the amount of walking a person does and his or her health. The purpose of this paper is to assess the health factors, socio-economic characteristics and urban-regional variations of walking to work among adults in Canada. Data is drawn from two cycles of the Canadian Community Health Survey: 2001 and 2005. The study population is divided into three groups: non-walkers, lower-duration walkers and high-duration walkers. Logistic regression modeling tests the association between levels of walking and health related outcomes (diabetes, high blood pressure, stress, BMI, physical activity), socio-economic characteristics (sex, age, income, education) and place of residence (selected Census Metropolitan Areas). In 2005, the presence of diabetes and high blood pressure was not associated with any form of walking. Adults within the normal weight range were more likely to be high-duration walkers. Females and younger people were more likely to be lower-duration walkers but less likely to be high-duration walkers. There was a strong association between SES (particularly relative disadvantage) and walking to work. In both 2001 and 2005, the conditions influencing walking to work were especially prevalent in Canada's largest city, Toronto, as well as in several small to medium sized urban areas including Halifax, Kingston, Hamilton, Regina, Calgary and Victoria. A number of strategies can be followed to increase levels of walking in Canada. It is clear that for many people walking to work is not possible. However, strategies can be developed to encourage adults to incorporate walking into their daily work and commuting routines. These include mass transit walking and workplace walking programs.

Walking to work in Canada: health benefits, socio-economic characteristics and urban-regional variations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Williams Allison

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background There is mounting concern over increasing rates of physical inactivity and overweight/obesity among children and adult in Canada. There is a clear link between the amount of walking a person does and his or her health. The purpose of this paper is to assess the health factors, socio-economic characteristics and urban-regional variations of walking to work among adults in Canada. Methods Data is drawn from two cycles of the Canadian Community Health Survey: 2001 and 2005. The study population is divided into three groups: non-walkers, lower-duration walkers and high-duration walkers. Logistic regression modeling tests the association between levels of walking and health related outcomes (diabetes, high blood pressure, stress, BMI, physical activity, socio-economic characteristics (sex, age, income, education and place of residence (selected Census Metropolitan Areas. Results In 2005, the presence of diabetes and high blood pressure was not associated with any form of walking. Adults within the normal weight range were more likely to be high-duration walkers. Females and younger people were more likely to be lower-duration walkers but less likely to be high-duration walkers. There was a strong association between SES (particularly relative disadvantage and walking to work. In both 2001 and 2005, the conditions influencing walking to work were especially prevalent in Canada's largest city, Toronto, as well as in several small to medium sized urban areas including Halifax, Kingston, Hamilton, Regina, Calgary and Victoria. Conclusion A number of strategies can be followed to increase levels of walking in Canada. It is clear that for many people walking to work is not possible. However, strategies can be developed to encourage adults to incorporate walking into their daily work and commuting routines. These include mass transit walking and workplace walking programs.

Community-based blood pressure measurement by non-health workers using electronic devices: a validation study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel D. Reidpath

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Population monitoring and screening of blood pressure is an important part of any population health strategy. Qualified health workers are expensive and often unavailable for screening. Non-health workers with electronic blood pressure monitors are increasingly used in community-based research. This approach is unvalidated. In a poor, urban community we compared blood pressure measurements taken by non-health workers using electronic devices against qualified health workers using mercury sphygmomanometers. Method: Fifty-six adult volunteers participated in the research. Data were collected by five qualified health workers, and six non-health workers. Participants were randomly allocated to have their blood pressure measured on four consecutive occasions by alternating a qualified health worker with a non-health worker. Descriptive statistics and graphs, and mixed effects linear models to account for the repeated measurement were used in the analysis. Results: Blood pressure readings by non-health workers were more reliable than those taken by qualified health workers. There was no significant difference between the readings taken by qualified health workers and those taken by non-health workers for systolic blood pressure. Non-health workers were, on average, 5–7 mmHg lower in their measures of blood pressure than the qualified health workers (95%HPD: −2.9 to −10.0 for diastolic blood pressure. Conclusion: The results provide empirical evidence that supports the practice of non-health workers using electronic devices for BP measurement in community-based research and screening. Non-health workers recorded blood pressures that differed from qualified health workers by no more than 10 mmHg. The approach is promising, but more research is needed to establish the generalisability of the results.

[Work as a promoter of health].

Science.gov (United States)

da Silva, Claudia Osorio; Ramminger, Tatiana

2014-12-01

Studies on the relation between health and work tend to highlight the negative and pathological aspects, as if work produces only sickness and alienation. On the contrary, our proposal is to stress how work can also produce health. Based on Canguillem's concept of health, and from the contributions of the so-called "work clinics", we intend to analyze the purpose of work as a promoter of health. Canguilhem affirms that health is not adaptive, as such it does not involve adapting well to the world, but to the creation of tenets of life. For their part, the work clinics provide tools to approximate us to the know-how-to-do produced by workers in their daily work, namely not only how workers adapt to work, but how they create and recreate it permanently Thus, we can think work as a promoter of health where there is room for collective and personal creation, as well as recognition of workers in their activity.

Health risk for workers who work with different ionizing radiation sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spasojevic-Tisma, V.; Pavlovic, S.; Milacic, S.; Radisavljevic, B.; Tisma, J.; Celeketic, D.

2009-01-01

This is retrospective study in which laboratory parameters are monitored and compared within subjects occupationally exposed to ionizing radiation and in comparison with control group. Data are collected from files for periodical exams for 2005 year. The average annual absorbed dose, measured by TDL dosimeters, for all groups did not exceed 2mSv. Collected results show changes in number of erythrocytes, white blood cells and lymphocytes in peripheral blood in some groups. Soil decontamination of poor uranium did not have influence in relative radiation risk. The highest occupational risk appears to be for the subjects who work in radioisotope production. Found changes pointing out the need for continued health control of subjects who are professionally exposed to ionizing radiation in the same time dynamic. (author) [sr

The Culture-Work-Health Model and Work Stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Peterson, Michael; Wilson, John F.

2002-01-01

Examines the role of organizational culture in the etiology of workplace stress through the framework of the Culture-Work- Health model. A review of relevant business and health literature indicates that culture is an important component of work stress and may be a key to creating effective organizational stress interventions. (SM)

Older women, work and health.

Science.gov (United States)

Payne, S; Doyal, L

2010-05-01

Older women make up an increasingly important sector in the labour market. However, we know little about their health-the various influences on their health and the ways in which paid and unpaid work impact on both physical and mental well being. This paper reviews the available literature on older women's health in the workplace, focussing on work-specific and more general risks for older women, including stress, discrimination, physical hazards and the 'double burden' of paid work and caring responsibilities. Databases searched included Web of Science, CAS, CINAHL, Medline and ASSIA, together with UK and European statistical sources. We conclude with a three-point research agenda, calling for more empirical work on the risks faced by older women, studies that take a life-course perspective of women's occupational health and work that explores the interactions between unpaid and paid work in later life.

Relationship between blood pressure, body mass index and health ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Objective: Globally, studies have shown that the trend of overweight and obesity has increased astronomically and there is a close link between body mass index and blood pressure. This study determined the link between the body mass index (BMI), blood pressure and health promoting practices of women in rural and ...

Progress of health plans toward meeting the million hearts clinical target for high blood pressure control - United States, 2010-2012.

Science.gov (United States)

Patel, Milesh M; Datu, Bennett; Roman, Dan; Barton, Mary B; Ritchey, Matthew D; Wall, Hilary K; Loustalot, Fleetwood

2014-02-14

High blood pressure is a major cardiovascular disease risk factor and contributed to >362,895 deaths in the United States during 2010. Approximately 67 million persons in the United States have high blood pressure, and only half of those have their condition under control. An estimated 46,000 deaths could be avoided annually if 70% of patients with high blood pressure were treated according to published guidelines. To assess blood pressure control among persons with health insurance, CDC and the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) examined data in the 2010-2012 Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS). In 2012, approximately 113 million adults aged 18-85 years were covered by health plans measured by HEDIS. The HEDIS controlling blood pressure (CBP) performance measure is the proportion of enrollees with a diagnosis of high blood pressure confirmed in their medical record whose blood pressure is controlled. Overall, only 64% of enrollees with diagnosed high blood pressure in HEDIS-reporting plans had documentation that their blood pressure was controlled. Although these findings signal that additional work is needed to meet the 70% target, modest improvements since 2010, coupled with focused efforts, might make it achievable.

Violence related to health work

OpenAIRE

Juliana da Silva Oliveira; Roberta Laíse Gomes Leite Morais; Elisama Nascimento Rocha; Sérgio Donha Yarid; Edite Lago da Silva Sena; Rita Narriman Silva de Oliveira Boery

2014-01-01

This study aimed to present a critical and reflective literature review on the violence related to health work. The survey was conducted through an integrated search in the Virtual Health Library in the months of May and June 2011. We selected 24 articles. The reading of the material led us to the following division results: studies characterization and bioethical reflection on violence related to health work. The work-related violence has consequences not only direct on ...

Women's work and health in Iran: a comparison of working and non-working mothers.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmad-Nia, Shirin

2002-03-01

This paper analyses research on the impact of work on mothers' health in Tehran (Iran) within a role analytic framework. A survey was conducted of a representative sample of working and non-working mothers in Tehran in 1998 (N = 1065, 710 working mothers, and 355 non-working mothers). Three main explanatory factors were examined (socio-demographic, work and work-related, and social-life context variables) alongside a range of mental and physical health outcome variables. Unlike in the West, where women's paid work is generally associated with better health, statistically significant differences between working and non-working women were not found in Tehran. It is argued that this is a result of the counter-balance of the positive and negative factors associated with paid work, such as increased stress on one hand and self-esteem on the other. Iranian society's particular socio-cultural climate has contributed to this finding, with its dominant gender-role ideology; the priority and extra weight placed on women's traditional roles as wives and mothers, and the remarkably influential impact of husbands' attitudes on women's health.

Violence related to health work

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juliana da Silva Oliveira

2014-10-01

Full Text Available This study aimed to present a critical and reflective literature review on the violence related to health work. The survey was conducted through an integrated search in the Virtual Health Library in the months of May and June 2011. We selected 24 articles. The reading of the material led us to the following division results: studies characterization and bioethical reflection on violence related to health work. The work-related violence has consequences not only direct on professionals’ health, but also for the citizen and society as a whole. Make it visible is the first action needed for prevention / control and to promote healthier workplaces.

VIOLENCE RELATED TO HEALTH WORK

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juliana da Silva Oliveira

2014-03-01

Full Text Available This study aimed to present a critical and reflective literature review on the violence related to health work. The survey was conducted through an integrated search in the Virtual Health Library in the months of May and June 2011. We selected 24 articles. The reading of the material led us to the following division results: studies characterization and bioethical reflection on violence related to health work. The work-related violence has consequences not only direct on professionals’ health, but also for the citizen and society as a whole. Make it visible is the first action needed for prevention / control and to promote healthier workplaces.

Changing work, changing health: can real work-time flexibility promote health behaviors and well-being?

Science.gov (United States)

Moen, Phyllis; Kelly, Erin L; Tranby, Eric; Huang, Qinlei

2011-12-01

This article investigates a change in the structuring of work time, using a natural experiment to test whether participation in a corporate initiative (Results Only Work Environment; ROWE) predicts corresponding changes in health-related outcomes. Drawing on job strain and stress process models, we theorize greater schedule control and reduced work-family conflict as key mechanisms linking this initiative with health outcomes. Longitudinal survey data from 659 employees at a corporate headquarters shows that ROWE predicts changes in health-related behaviors, including almost an extra hour of sleep on work nights. Increasing employees' schedule control and reducing their work-family conflict are key mechanisms linking the ROWE innovation with changes in employees' health behaviors; they also predict changes in well-being measures, providing indirect links between ROWE and well-being. This study demonstrates that organizational changes in the structuring of time can promote employee wellness, particularly in terms of prevention behaviors.

The contribution of work engagement to self-perceived health, work ability, and sickness absence beyond health behaviors and work-related factors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

A. Rongen (Anne); S.J.W. Robroek (Suzan); W.B. Schaufeli (Wilmar); A. Burdorf (Alex)

2014-01-01

textabstractObjective: To investigate whether work engagement influences self-perceived health, work ability, and sickness absence beyond health behaviors and work-related characteristics. Methods: Employees of two organizations participated in a 6-month longitudinal study (n = 733). Using

The contribution of work engagement to self-perceived health, work ability, and sickness absence beyond health behaviors and work-related factors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rongen, Anne; Robroek, Suzan J W; Schaufeli, Wilmar|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/073779563; Burdorf, Alex

2014-01-01

Objective: To investigate whether work engagement influences self-perceived health, work ability, and sickness absence beyond health behaviors and work-related characteristics. Methods: Employees of two organizations participated in a 6-month longitudinal study (n = 733). Using questionnaires,

Community-based blood pressure measurement by non-health workers using electronic devices: a validation study

OpenAIRE

Daniel D. Reidpath; Mei Lee Ling; Shajahan Yasin; Kanason Rajagobal; Pascale Allotey

2012-01-01

Introduction: Population monitoring and screening of blood pressure is an important part of any population health strategy. Qualified health workers are expensive and often unavailable for screening. Non-health workers with electronic blood pressure monitors are increasingly used in community-based research. This approach is unvalidated. In a poor, urban community we compared blood pressure measurements taken by non-health workers using electronic devices against qualified health workers usin...

Health and Work of the Elderly: Subtective Health Measures, Reportnig errors and Endogeneity in the Relationship between Health and Work r

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lindeboom, M.; Kerkhofs, M.

2009-01-01

This paper explores the interrelation between health and work decisions of older workers. For this, two issues are of relevance. Firstly, health and work may be endogenously related because of direct causal effects of health on work and vice versa, and because of unobservables that may affect both

Workers' Health Surveillance in the Meat Processing Industry : Work and Health Indicators Associated with Work Ability

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Holland, Berry J.; Soer, Remko; de Boer, Michiel R.; Reneman, Michiel F.; Brouwer, Sandra

Background Workers' health surveillance (WHS) programs commonly measure a large number of indicators addressing health habits and health risks. Recently, work ability and functional capacity have been included as important risk measures in WHS. In order to address work ability appropriately,

Workers' Health Surveillance in the Meat Processing Industry: Work and Health Indicators Associated with Work Ability

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Holland, B.J.; Soer, R.; de Boer, M.R.; Reneman, M.F.; Brouwer, S.

2015-01-01

Background Workers’ health surveillance (WHS) programs commonly measure a large number of indicators addressing health habits and health risks. Recently, work ability and functional capacity have been included as important risk measures in WHS. In order to address work ability appropriately,

Changing Work, Changing Health: Can Real Work-Time Flexibility Promote Health Behaviors and Well-Being?

Science.gov (United States)

Moen, Phyllis; Kelly, Erin L.; Tranby, Eric; Huang, Qinlei

2012-01-01

This article investigates a change in the structuring of work time, using a natural experiment to test whether participation in a corporate initiative (Results Only Work Environment; ROWE) predicts corresponding changes in health-related outcomes. Drawing on job strain and stress process models, we theorize greater schedule control and reduced work-family conflict as key mechanisms linking this initiative with health outcomes. Longitudinal survey data from 659 employees at a corporate headquarters shows that ROWE predicts changes in health-related behaviors, including almost an extra hour of sleep on work nights. Increasing employees’ schedule control and reducing their work-family conflict are key mechanisms linking the ROWE innovation with changes in employees’ health behaviors; they also predict changes in well-being measures, providing indirect links between ROWE and well-being. This study demonstrates that organizational changes in the structuring of time can promote employee wellness, particularly in terms of prevention behaviors. PMID:22144731

Some health effects of aircraft noise with special reference to shift work.

Science.gov (United States)

Rizk, Sanaa A M; Sharaf, Nevin E; Mahdy-Abdallah, Heba; ElGelil, Khalid S Abd

2016-06-01

Aircraft noise is an environmental stressor. A positive relationship exists between noise and high blood pressure. Shift work is an additional hazardous working condition with negative effect on the behavior attitude of workers. This study aimed at investigating some health hazards for shift work on workers at Cairo International Airport (CIA), Egypt, as a strategic work place, with more than one stressor. Assessment of noise effects were carried out in four working sites at the airport besides control sites. The average noise level in the exposure sites was 106.5 dB compared with 54 dB at the control sites. The study comprised a group of 200 male workers exposed to aircraft noise and 110 male workers not exposed to noise as control group. All workers had full general medical examination after filling specially formulated questionnaire. Hearing impairment, raised blood pressure, headaches, disturbed sleep, and symptoms of anxiety were more prominent among the exposed workers than the control. Symptoms of upper respiratory tract were reported among night shifters of both groups with high tendency for smoking. Thus, night-shift workers at CIA work under more than one stressor. Hypertension and smoking might act as intermediate factors on the causal pathway of complaints, making aircraft noise and night shift acting as two synergistic stressors. Airport workers are in need for aggressive hearing conservation programs. Organization of the working hours schedule is mandatory to avoid excessive noise exposure. © The Author(s) 2014.

Recovery, work-life balance and work experiences important to self-rated health: A questionnaire study on salutogenic work factors among Swedish primary health care employees.

Science.gov (United States)

Ejlertsson, Lina; Heijbel, Bodil; Ejlertsson, Göran; Andersson, Ingemar

2018-01-01

There is a lack of information on positive work factors among health care workers. To explore salutogenic work-related factors among primary health care employees. Questionnaire to all employees (n = 599) from different professions in public and private primary health care centers in one health care district in Sweden. The questionnaire, which had a salutogenic perspective, included information on self-rated health from the previously validated SHIS (Salutogenic Health Indicator Scale), psychosocial work environment and experiences, recovery, leadership, social climate, reflection and work-life balance. The response rate was 84%. A multivariable linear regression model, with SHIS as the dependent variable, showed three significant predictors. Recovery had the highest relationship to SHIS (β= 0.34), followed by experience of work-life balance (β= 0.25) and work experiences (β= 0.20). Increased experience of recovery during working hours related to higher self-rated health independent of recovery outside work. Individual experiences of work, work-life balance and, most importantly, recovery seem to be essential areas for health promotion. Recovery outside the workplace has been studied previously, but since recovery during work was shown to be of great importance in relation to higher self-rated health, more research is needed to explore different recovery strategies in the workplace.

Health promotion and work: prevention of shift work disorders in companies.

Science.gov (United States)

Richter, Kneginja D; Acker, Jens; Scholz, Friederike; Niklewski, Günter

2010-12-01

Workplace health promotion is a strategy to improve the health and well-being of people at work. The measures aim at the personal, organisational and work environment. Shift work is one of many reasons provoking increased job stress. According to worldwide epidemiological data, up to 30% of the working population are employed in shifts. Taking into consideration that shift work causes a large number of somatic and psychiatric diseases which bear considerable negative consequences for the health status and the quality of life, it seems to be important to initiate health promotion strategies for shift workers in the companies. The results of recent studies indicate that well-scheduled und targeted health programmes can change the lifestyle of shift working employees and have an impact on the risk factors involved. One problem, though, is a considerable time lag till effects become apparent; therefore, the long-term economic effects of workplace health promotion have not been evaluated sufficiently to date. These definitely positive effects highlight the demand for trainings and workshops for people in shift work. We urgently suggest a speedy implementation of the recommended strategies by companies with shift work systems. In our view, this poses a challenge to the "infant" interdisciplinary field of sleep medicine that should be solved.

Precarious employment, working hours, work-life conflict and health in hotel work.

Science.gov (United States)

McNamara, Maria; Bohle, Philip; Quinlan, Michael

2011-01-01

Precarious or temporary work is associated with adverse outcomes including low control over working hours, work-life conflict and stress. The rise in precarious employment is most marked in the service sector but little research has been done on its health effects in this sector. This study compares permanent and temporary workers in the hotel industry, where working hours are highly variable. Survey data from 150 workers from eight 3-Star hotels in urban and regional areas around Sydney were analyzed. Forty-five per cent were male and 52 per cent were female. Fifty four per cent were permanent full-time and 46 per cent were temporary workers. The effects of employment status on perceived job security, control over working hours, and work-life conflict are investigated using PLS-Graph 3.0. The effects of control over working hours, on work-life conflict and subsequent health outcomes are also explored. Temporary workers perceived themselves as less in control of their working hours, than permanent workers (β = .27). However, they also reported lower levels of work intensity (β = .25) and working hours (β = .38). The effects of low hours control (β = .20), work intensity (β = .29), and excessive hours (β = .39) on work-life conflict (r² = .50), and subsequent health effects (r² = .30), are illustrated in the final structural equation model. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

Improving health profile of blood donors as a consequence of transfusion safety efforts

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Edgren, Gustaf; Tran, Trung Nam; Hjalgrim, Henrik

2007-01-01

BACKGROUND: Transfusion safety rests heavily on the health of blood donors. Although they are perceived as being healthier than average, little is known about their long-term disease patterns and to which extent the blood banks' continuous efforts to optimize donor selection has resulted...... in improvements. Mortality and cancer incidence among blood donors in Sweden and Denmark was investigated. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: All computerized blood bank databases were compiled into one database, which was linked to national population and health data registers. With a retrospective cohort study design, 1......,110,329 blood donors were followed for up to 35 years from first computer-registered blood donation to death, emigration, or December 31, 2002. Standardized mortality and incidence ratios expressed relative risk of death and cancer comparing blood donors to the general population. RESULTS: Blood donors had...

[Shift and night work and mental health].

Science.gov (United States)

Sancini, Angela; Ciarrocca, Manuela; Capozzella, Assunta; Corbosiero, Paola; Fiaschetti, Maria; Caciari, Tiziana; Cetica, Carlotta; Scimitto, Lara; Ponticiello, Barnaba Giuseppina; Tasciotti, Zaira; Schifano, Maria Pia; Andreozzit, Giorgia; Tomei, Francesco; Tomei, Gianfranco

2012-01-01

Aim of our study was to evaluate the influence that shift work and night work could have on mental health. A review of literary articles from 1990 to 2011 on shift work and night work was carried out. The results of this review confirmed that the shift work and night work affect mental health with the onset of neuropsychological disorders such as mood disorders, anxiety, nervousness, depressive anxiety syndromes, chronic fatigue and chronic insomnia irritability, sleep disturbances, reduction in levels of attention, cognitive impairments, alteration of circadian rhythm. Night work and shift work cause severe desynchronization of the cronobiological rhythms and a disruption of social life with negative effects on performance at work, on health and on social relationships. In the light of these results and recognizing shift work and night work as risk factors for the health of workers is necessary to implement preventive and periodic health checks by the occupational doctor to ensure the health and safety of workers taking account of the different environmental and individual factors.

Advancing Social Work Education for Health Impact

Science.gov (United States)

Keefe, Robert H.; Ruth, Betty J.; Cox, Harold; Maramaldi, Peter; Rishel, Carrie; Rountree, Michele; Zlotnik, Joan; Marshall, Jamie

2017-01-01

Social work education plays a critical role in preparing social workers to lead efforts that improve health. Because of the dynamic health care landscape, schools of social work must educate students to facilitate health care system improvements, enhance population health, and reduce medical costs. We reviewed the existing contributions of social work education and provided recommendations for improving the education of social workers in 6 key areas: aging, behavioral health, community health, global health, health reform, and health policy. We argue for systemic improvement in the curriculum at every level of education, including substantive increases in content in health, health care, health care ethics, and evaluating practice outcomes in health settings. Schools of social work can further increase the impact of the profession by enhancing the curricular focus on broad content areas such as prevention, health equity, population and community health, and health advocacy. PMID:29236540

The Health Problems, Gastrointestinal and Blood Parasites ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The report on the disease conditions in donkeys in most West African countries is scanty in literature. This study was conducted to identify the health related problems including gastrointestinal and blood parasites of donkeys at the Bolgatanga livestock market in the Upper East region of Ghana from July to December, 2012.

Changes in blood pressure among users of lay health worker or volunteer operated community-based blood pressure programs over time: a systematic review protocol.

Science.gov (United States)

Skar, Pål; Young, Lynne; Gordon, Carol

2015-10-01

volunteers with basic training to perform blood pressure measurements and cardiovascular health information.In a global review of a wide range of public health and health promotion initiatives operated by lay health workers from 2005, Lewin et al. identified over 40 different names or terms for a lay health worker. However, the definition of a lay health worker used by Lewin et al. is very similar to the definition of CHWs offered by Brownstein et al. Lewin et al.'s systematic review was the only study with a global focus that was located that reviewed studies of programs with a cardiovascular component using lay health workers. In this study, the sample size of studies focusing on lay health workers and cardiovascular disease was small (N=3) and the results from two of the studies were inconclusive to the point where the authors felt they could not pool the results.While a lay health worker may or may not receive some compensation for their work, volunteers in higher income areas of the world such as in North America typically do not receive any compensation. Volunteers, as observed by Bhattacharyya et al., are common in many parts of the world, and in some areas they provide delivery of programs and services that reach hundreds of thousands of individuals. One challenge for this systematic review will therefore be to isolate those programs that are delivered by lay health workers or volunteers who receive little or no compensation and programs where staff is paid. The importance of this distinction is on one hand related to cost - as observed by Bhattacharyya et al., many organizations responsible for delivery of community-based programs do not have funding for salaried staff. On the other hand there might be other factors in the relationship between a community being served by a program and the staff delivering the program. One such factor could be linked to the role of the person delivering the program as either a paid health care professional or an unpaid lay health

Flexible working conditions and their effects on employee health and wellbeing.

Science.gov (United States)

Joyce, Kerry; Pabayo, Roman; Critchley, Julia A; Bambra, Clare

2010-02-17

, risk of selection bias and reliance on largely self-reported outcome data. Four CBA studies on self-scheduling of shifts and one CBA study on gradual/partial retirement reported statistically significant improvements in either primary outcomes (including systolic blood pressure and heart rate; tiredness; mental health, sleep duration, sleep quality and alertness; self-rated health status) or secondary health outcomes (co-workers social support and sense of community) and no ill health effects were reported. Flexitime was shown not to have significant effects on self-reported physiological and psychological health outcomes. Similarly, when comparing individuals working overtime with those who did not the odds of ill health effects were not significantly higher in the intervention group at follow up. The effects of contractual flexibility on self-reported health (with the exception of gradual/partial retirement, which when controlled by employees improved health outcomes) were either equivocal or negative. No studies differentiated results by socio-economic status, although one study did compare findings by gender but found no differential effect on self-reported health outcomes. The findings of this review tentatively suggest that flexible working interventions that increase worker control and choice (such as self-scheduling or gradual/partial retirement) are likely to have a positive effect on health outcomes. In contrast, interventions that were motivated or dictated by organisational interests, such as fixed-term contract and involuntary part-time employment, found equivocal or negative health effects. Given the partial and methodologically limited evidence base these findings should be interpreted with caution. Moreover, there is a clear need for well-designed intervention studies to delineate the impact of flexible working conditions on health, wellbeing and health inequalities.

Working on Sundays–effects on safety, health, and work-life balance.

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Wirtz, Anna; Nachreiner, Friedhelm; Rolfes, Katharina

2011-05-01

Several attributes of the work schedule can increase the risk of occupational injuries and accidents, health impairments, and reduced social participation. Although previous studies mainly focused on the effects of shiftwork and long working hours on employee health and safety, there is little evidence of a potential negative impact of working Sundays on the incidence of occupational accidents, health impairments, and work-life balance. A representative sample of employed workers in 31 member and associated states of the European Union (n = 23,934) served as the database for a cross-sectional analysis. The sample was collected via face-to-face interviews in the year 2005. The association of the risks of occupational accidents, health impairments, and decreases in work-life balance with working Sundays was calculated using logistic regression models, controlling for potential confounders, such as shiftwork, workload, and demographic characteristics. The results indicated that working one or more Sundays/month was associated with increase both in the risk of reporting one or more health impairments (odds ratio [OR]: 1.17, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.06-1.29) and poorer work-life balance (OR: 1.15, 95% CI: 1.02-1.28). These effects remained after controlling for potentially confounding factors, such as other work schedule attributes, intensity of physical and mental workload, and individual characteristics. Furthermore, working Sundays was also related to increased risk of occupational accidents within the last year (OR: 1.34, 95% CI: 1.03-1.73). Controlling again for individual, workload, and working-time characteristics, a significant association with accident risk, however, remained only in work sectors with low a priori risk of occupational accidents (OR: 1.40, 95% CI: 1.02-1.91), although the increased risk could be observed for both medium and high a priori risk sectors working Sundays (without controlling for additional confounders). The results thus

[Investigating work, age, health and work participation in the ageing work force in Germany].

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Ebener, M; Hasselhorn, H M

2015-04-01

Working life in Germany is changing. The work force is ageing and the number of people available to the labour market will - from now on - shrink considerably. Prospectively, people will have to work longer; but still today, most people leave employment long before reaching official retirement age. What are the reasons for this? In this report, a conceptual framework and the German lidA Cohort Study are presented. The "lidA conceptual framework on work, age, health and work participation" visualises determinants of employment (11 "domains") in higher working age, e. g., "work", "health", "social status" and "life style". The framework reveals 4 key characteristics of withdrawal from work: leaving working life is the result of an interplay of different domains (complexity); (early) retirement is a process with in part early determinants in the life course (processual character); retirement has a strong individual component (individuality); retirement is embedded in a strong structural frame (structure). On the basis of this framework, the "lidA Cohort Study on work, age, health and work participation" (www.lida-studie.de) investigates long-term effects of work on health and work participation in the ageing work force in Germany. It is the only large study in Germany operationalising the concept of employability in a broad interdisciplinary approach. Employees subject to social security and born in 1959 or in 1965 will be interviewed (CAPI) every 3 years (N[wave 1]=6 585, N[wave 2]=4 244) and their data will be linked (where consented) with social security data covering employment history and with health insurance data. The study design ("Schaie's most efficient design") allows for a tri-factor model that isolates the impact of age, cohort and time. In 2014, the second wave was completed. In the coming years lidA will analyse the association of work, health and work participation, and identify age as well as generation differences. lidA will investigate the

[Blood supply and demand at the Fifth District Health Centre in Bamako (Mali)].

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Traore, Mamadou; Dumont, Alexandre; Kaya, Amadou Balobo; Traore, Soumana Oumar; Traore, Oumar Moussokoro; Dolo, Amadou

2011-01-01

An adequate uncontaminated blood supply is an essential element of an effective health care system. A regional blood transfusion policy was defined in 2004 by the Direction of Health in Bamako, Mali. The objective of this study is to analyse the coverage of transfusion needs at the Fifth District health Center in Bamako after the implementation of this policy. This prospective study, conducted from December 2006 through May 2007, included 134 patients for whom transfusion orders were recorded in the laboratory. The coverage rate of transfusion needs was estimated by dividing the number of units transfused by the number of units that health professionals requested. The blood supply was regular (46 units per month, on average) and consistent with demand (59 units per month on average). Overall, 75% of the transfusions were required for obstetric complications. All patients received at least one 450-mL unit of whole blood. The coverage of transfusion needs has reached 65% of the total number of units required (95% CI = 60-70%). The implementation of a functioning system of blood transfusion is complex. In Bamako, a system based on a centralized transfusion center met a high proportion of the needs in a reference hospital where demand was high while ensuring a high level of patient safety. Further studies are needed to guide the implementation of feasible and sustainable strategies for providing sufficient quantities of safe blood in other contexts and to assess the impact of these different strategies on global health, and on maternal health in particular.

Patients' and health care professionals' perceptions of blood transfusion: a systematic review.

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Abdul-Aziz, Brittannia; Lorencatto, Fabiana; Stanworth, Simon J; Francis, Jill J

2018-02-01

Blood transfusions are frequently prescribed for acute and chronic conditions; however, the extent to which patients' and health care professionals' (HCPs') perceptions of transfusion have been investigated is unclear. Patients' treatment perceptions influence how patients cope with illnesses or symptoms. HCPs' perceptions may influence treatment decision making. This was a systematic review of studies post-1984 reporting adult patients' and HCPs' perceptions of blood transfusion. Seven databases were searched using a three-domain search strategy capturing synonyms relating to: 1) blood transfusion, 2) perceptions, and 3) participant group (patients or HCPs). Study and sample characteristics were extracted and narratively summarized. Reported perceptions were extracted and synthesized using inductive qualitative methods to identify key themes. Thirty-two studies were included: 14 investigated patients' perceptions and 18 HCPs' perceptions. Surgical patients were the highest represented patient group. HCPs were from a wide range of professions. Transfusions were perceived by patients and HCPs as being of low-to-moderate risk. Risk and negative emotions were perceived to influence preference for alternatives. Five themes emerged from the synthesis, classified as Safety/risk, Negative emotions, Alternatives (e.g., autologous, monitoring), Health benefits, and Decision making. "Safety/risk" and "Negative emotions" were most frequently investigated over time, yet periods of research inactivity are apparent. The literature has identified themes on how transfusions are perceived by patients and HCPs, which overlap with recognized discussion points for transfusion specialists. These themes may help HCPs when educating patients about transfusion or consenting patients. Theory-based qualitative methods may add an important dimension to this work. © 2017 AABB.

Chronic health conditions and work ability in the ageing workforce: the impact of work conditions, psychosocial factors and perceived health.

Science.gov (United States)

Koolhaas, Wendy; van der Klink, Jac J L; de Boer, Michiel R; Groothoff, Johan W; Brouwer, Sandra

2014-05-01

The aim of this study was to determine the influence of work conditions, psychosocial factors and perceived health on the association between the presence of a chronic health condition and (single-item) work ability among workers aged 45 years and older. In addition, we aimed to examine variables associated with work ability for workers with and without a chronic health condition separately. The data of this cross-sectional study were obtained from 5,247 workers aged 45 years and older in five different work sectors. Work ability was assessed with the first item of the Work Ability Index. The presence of a chronic health condition was assessed by self-report. Independent variables in the multivariable linear regression analysis were work conditions, psychosocial factors and perceived health status. The presence of a chronic health condition was negatively associated with work ability (B = -0.848). The strength of this association slightly attenuated after subsequently adding individual characteristics (B = -0.824), work conditions (B = -0.805) and more so after adding psychosocial factors (B = -0.704) and especially perceived health variables (B = -0.049) to the model. Variables associated with work ability for workers with and without a chronic health condition were similar. Perceived health and psychosocial factors, rather than work conditions, explained the association between the presence of a chronic health condition and work ability. Substantial differences in variables associated with work ability for workers with and without a chronic health condition were not found. Based on the lower mean scores for workers with a chronic health condition and work ability as well for predictors, these workers might have the most benefit by a policy focussing on enhancing these associated variables.

Health, work and working conditions: a review of the European economic literature.

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Barnay, Thomas

2016-07-01

Economists have traditionally been very cautious when studying the interaction between employment and health because of the two-way causal relationship between these two variables: health status influences the probability of being employed and, at the same time, working affects the health status. Because these two variables are determined simultaneously, researchers control endogeneity skews (e.g., reverse causality, omitted variables) when conducting empirical analysis. With these caveats in mind, the literature finds that a favourable work environment and high job security lead to better health conditions. Being employed with appropriate working conditions plays a protective role on physical health and psychiatric disorders. By contrast, non-employment and retirement are generally worse for mental health than employment, and overemployment has a negative effect on health. These findings stress the importance of employment and of adequate working conditions for the health of workers. In this context, it is a concern that a significant proportion of European workers (29 %) would like to work fewer hours because unwanted long hours are likely to signal a poor level of job satisfaction and inadequate working conditions, with detrimental effects on health. Thus, in Europe, labour-market policy has increasingly paid attention to job sustainability and job satisfaction. The literature clearly invites employers to take better account of the worker preferences when setting the number of hours worked. Overall, a specific "flexicurity" (combination of high employment protection, job satisfaction and active labour-market policies) is likely to have a positive effect on health.

Health economics of blood transfusion safety - focus on sub-Saharan Africa

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Hulst, Marinus; Smit Sibinga, Cees Th. Smit; Postma, Maarten J.

Background and objectives. Health economics provides a standardised methodology for valid comparisons of interventions in different fields of health care. This review discusses the health economic evaluations of strategies to enhance blood product safety in sub-Saharan Africa Methods. We reviewed

Severe obesity and high blood pressure among children, Philadelphia health centers, 2010.

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Nguyen, John V; Robbins, Jessica M; Houck, Kevin L; Nobis, Elizabeth A; Inman, Katelyn A; Khan, Khudsiya S; Robbins, Susan W

2014-04-01

Child obesity is a major health problem particularly affecting disadvantaged population groups. Severe obesity carries additional health risks for children. In the context of the childhood obesity epidemic, high blood pressure among children is of increasing concern. Chart reviews were carried out to examine the prevalence of severe obesity and its association with high blood pressure measurements among randomly selected patients aged 3 to 17 years who had well-child care visits at 8 public community health centers during 2010. A majority of the 691 patients reviewed were African American (58%); an additional 16% were Hispanic. The prevalence of severe obesity was 7.7% (95% confidence interval = 5.8% to 9.9%) and the prevalence of high blood pressure measurements was 17.5% (95% confidence interval = 14.8% to 20.6%). Patients who were severely obese were more than twice as likely as other children to have high blood pressure values. Severe obesity is associated with substantially increased frequency of high blood pressure measurements in children, and should be investigated further as a potential marker for hypertension in children. Primary care providers should be prepared to diagnose and treat hypertension in severely obese children.

On-call work and health: a review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Botterill Jackie S

2004-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Many professions in the fields of engineering, aviation and medicine employ this form of scheduling. However, on-call work has received significantly less research attention than other work patterns such as shift work and overtime hours. This paper reviews the current body of peer-reviewed, published research conducted on the health effects of on-call work The health effects studies done in the area of on-call work are limited to mental health, job stress, sleep disturbances and personal safety. The reviewed research suggests that on-call work scheduling can pose a risk to health, although there are critical gaps in the literature.

Collective work: a challenge for health management.

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Scherer, Magda Duarte Dos Anjos; Pires, Denise; Schwartz, Yves

2009-08-01

Based on ergology and work process theorization, the study aims to contribute to reflections on health collective work, emphasizing its specificity and difficulties in building and managing groups of workers. It deals with work as a human activity that dialectically comprises the application of a prescribed protocol and a unique and historical perspective. Health work involves a relationship among individuals who act in the drama of using themselves and manage their own work; it is influenced by the history of health professions and macro-political determinations. In conclusion, this health work complexity needs to be considered in the process of management of professional teams/groups of workers, in a way that actions can interact and enable the implementation of a new health care project in the perspective of comprehensiveness.

Relationship between work stress and health in submariners

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nan-nan JIANG

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Objective　To explore the relationship between work stress and health in submariners. Methods　In April 2008, 272 submariners trained in a navy base were selected as study subjects by random group sampling method, and tested by primary personal information questionnaire, self-rated health measurement scale (SRHMS, self-developed submariners' work stressors questionnaire, and work stress self-rated scale. Physical health, mental health and social health of submariners were analyzed, and scores were compared with the norm of reference scores. Correlations were analyzed respectively between 10 items of submariners' general information (including age, length of military service, education degree, years at the present post, times of receiving awards, on-duty hours, off-duty hours, hours of sleep, lost days of leave, positive attitude to work and their physical health score, mental health score, social health score, total health score, as well as between 15 submariners' work stressors (including workrelated risks, diet problems, high temperature, humidity and noise in workplace, shortage of clean clothes, illness, losing contact with outside, lack of information about the task, lacking supports from family members, relationship problems, lack of involvement in task decisions, boring and dull work, on duty, heavy work, high quality of work, coping with unexpected threat and their physical health score, mental health score, social health score and total health score. Results　No significant difference was found between submariners' SRHMS total score and the normal referenced score (t=0.56, P>0.05, but the physical health score and mental health score were significantly lower than normal referenced scores respectively (t=–2.172, P<0.05; t=–3.299, P<0.01, and the social health score was significantly higher than normal referenced score (t=9.331, P<0.001. The age, length of military service, years at present post of submariners were related

Health economics of blood transfusion safety--focus on sub-Saharan Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

van Hulst, Marinus; Smit Sibinga, Cees Th; Postma, Maarten J

2010-01-01

Health economics provides a standardised methodology for valid comparisons of interventions in different fields of health care. This review discusses the health economic evaluations of strategies to enhance blood product safety in sub-Saharan Africa. We reviewed health economic methodology with special reference to cost-effectiveness analysis. We searched the literature for cost-effectiveness in blood product safety in sub-Saharan Africa. HIV-antibody screening in different settings in sub-Saharan Africa showed health gains and saved costs. Except for adding HIV-p24 screening, adding other tests such as nucleic acid amplification testing (NAT) to HIV-antibody screening displayed incremental cost-effectiveness ratios greater than the WHO/World Bank specified threshold for cost-effectiveness. The addition of HIV-p24 in combination with HCV antibody/antigen screening and multiplex (HBV, HCV and HIV) NAT in pools of 24 may also be cost-effective options for Ghana. From a health economic viewpoint, HIV-antibody screening should always be implemented in sub-Saharan Africa. The addition of HIV-p24 antigen screening, in combination with HCV antibody/antigen screening and multiplex (HBV, HCV and HIV) NAT in pools of 24 may be feasible options for Ghana. Suggestions for future health economic evaluations of blood transfusion safety interventions in sub-Saharan Africa are: mis-transfusion, laboratory quality and donor management. Copyright 2009 The International Association for Biologicals. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Flexible work in call centres: Working hours, work-life conflict & health.

Science.gov (United States)

Bohle, Philip; Willaby, Harold; Quinlan, Michael; McNamara, Maria

2011-01-01

Call-centre workers encounter major psychosocial pressures, including high work intensity and undesirable working hours. Little is known, however, about whether these pressures vary with employment status and how they affect work-life conflict and health. Questionnaire data were collected from 179 telephone operators in Sydney, Australia, of whom 124 (69.3%) were female and 54 (30.2%) were male. Ninety-three (52%) were permanent full-time workers, 37 (20.7%) were permanent part-time, and 49 (27.4%) were casual employees. Hypothesised structural relationships between employment status, working hours and work organisation, work-life conflict and health were tested using partial least squares modelling in PLS (Chin, 1998). The final model demonstrated satisfactory fit. It supported important elements of the hypothesised structure, although four of the proposed paths failed to reach significance and the fit was enhanced by adding a path. The final model indicated that casual workers reported more variable working hours which were relatively weakly associated with greater dissatisfaction with hours. The interaction of schedule control and variability of hours also predicted dissatisfaction with hours. Conversely, permanent workers reported greater work intensity, which was associated with both lower work schedule control and greater work-life conflict. Greater work-life conflict was associated with more fatigue and psychological symptoms. Labour market factors and the undesirability of longer hours in a stressful, high-intensity work environment appear to have contributed to the results. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

Work status, work hours and health in women with and without children.

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Floderus, B; Hagman, M; Aronsson, G; Marklund, S; Wikman, A

2009-10-01

The authors studied self-reported health in women with and without children in relation to their work status (employed, student, job seeker or homemaker), work hours and having an employed partner. The study group comprised of 6515 women born in 1960-1979 who were interviewed in one of the Swedish Surveys of Living Conditions in 1994-2003. Self-rated health, fatigue and symptoms of anxiety were analysed. Having children increased the odds of poor self-rated health and fatigue in employed women, female students and job seekers. The presence of a working partner marginally buffered the effects. In dual-earner couples, mothers reported anxiety symptoms less often than women without children. Few women were homemakers (5.8%). The odds of poor self-rated health and fatigue increased with increasing number of children in employed women, and in women working 40 h or more. Poor self-rated health was also associated with the number of children in students. Many mothers wished to reduce their working hours, suggesting time stress was a factor in their impaired health. The associations between having children and health symptoms were not exclusively attributed to having young children. Having children may contribute to fatigue and poor self-rated health particularly in women working 40 h or more per week. Student mothers and job seeking mothers were also at increased risk of poor self-rated health. The results should be noted by Swedish policy-makers. Also countries aiming for economic and gender equality should consider factors that may facilitate successful merging of work and family life.

Home health agency work environments and hospitalizations.

Science.gov (United States)

Jarrín, Olga; Flynn, Linda; Lake, Eileen T; Aiken, Linda H

2014-10-01

An important goal of home health care is to assist patients to remain in community living arrangements. Yet home care often fails to prevent hospitalizations and to facilitate discharges to community living, thus putting patients at risk of additional health challenges and increasing care costs. To determine the relationship between home health agency work environments and agency-level rates of acute hospitalization and discharges to community living. Analysis of linked Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services Home Health Compare data and nurse survey data from 118 home health agencies. Robust regression models were used to estimate the effect of work environment ratings on between-agency variation in rates of acute hospitalization and community discharge. Home health agencies with good work environments had lower rates of acute hospitalizations and higher rates of patient discharges to community living arrangements compared with home health agencies with poor work environments. Improved work environments in home health agencies hold promise for optimizing patient outcomes and reducing use of expensive hospital and institutional care.

Working conditions of female part-time and full-time teachers in relation to health status.

Science.gov (United States)

Seibt, Reingard; Matz, Annerose; Hegewald, Janice; Spitzer, Silvia

2012-08-01

Teacher's volume of employment and health status are controversially discussed in the current literature. This study focused on female teachers with part-time versus full-time jobs in association with working conditions and health status depending on age. A sample of 263 part-time and 367 full-time female teachers (average age 46.7 ± 7.8 vs. 46.0 ± 6.3) participated in an occupational health screening. Specific work conditions, stressors (job history-questionnaire) and effort-reward-imbalance ratio (ERI-Q) were measured and their relationships to mental and physical health were analysed. Health status was quantified by complaints (BFB questionnaire), general mental health status (GHQ-12) and cardiovascular risk factors. On average, teachers in part-time positions reported 36 and in full-time positions 42 h per week. The effort-reward ratios were significantly associated with the volume of employment. Teachers in part-time jobs had only a slightly lower ERI-ratio. There were no differences between full-time and part-time teachers regarding health status. Eighteen percentage of both groups reported impaired mental health (GHQ ≥ 5), 48% of part-time teachers and 53% of full-time teachers suffered from high blood pressure. Low physical fitness was observed in 12% of part-time and 6% of full-time teachers. In this study, neither the volume of employment nor working conditions were found to be significantly correlated with health status. Part-time and full-time employment status did not appear to influence health in the teaching profession. Although there are differences in quantitative working demands, while the health status does not differ between both teacher groups.

Gendered work conditions, health, and work outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Bond, Meg A; Punnett, Laura; Pyle, Jean L; Cazeca, Dianne; Cooperman, Manuela

2004-01-01

This cross-sectional study of nonfaculty university employees examined associations among gendered work conditions (e.g., sexism and discrimination), job demands, and employee job satisfaction and health. Organizational responsiveness and social support were examined as effect modifiers. Comparisons were made by gender and by the male-female ratio in each job category. The relationship of gendered conditions of work to outcomes differed on the basis of respondents' sex and the job sex ratio. Although the same predictors were hypothesized for job satisfaction, physical health, and psychological distress, there were some differing results. The strongest correlate of job satisfaction was social support; perceived sexism in the workplace also contributed for both men and women. Organizational factors associated with psychological distress differed between female- and male-dominated jobs.

Health surveillance of radiological work

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pauw, H.; Vliet, J.V.D.; Zuidema, H.

1988-01-01

Shielding x-ray devices and issuing film badges to radiological workers in 1936 can be considered the start of radiological protection in the Philips enterprises in the Netherlands. Shielding and equipment were constantly improved based upon the dosimetry results of the filmbadges. The problem of radioactive waste led to the foundation of a central Philips committee for radiological protection in 1956, which in 1960 also issued an internal license system in order to regulate the proper precautions to be taken : workplace design and layout, technological provisions and working procedures. An evaluation of all radiological work in 1971 learnt that a stricter health surveillance program was needed to follow up the precautions issued by the license. On one hand a health surveillance program was established and on the other hand all types of radiological work were classified. In this way an obligatory and optimal health surveillance program was issued for each type of radiological work

Blood Lead Toxicity Analysis of Multipurpose Canines and Military Working Dogs.

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Reid, Paul; George, Clinton; Byrd, Christopher M; Miller, Laura; Lee, Stephen J; Motsinger-Reif, Alison; Breen, Matthew; Hayduk, Daniel W

Special Operations Forces and their accompanying tactical multipurpose canines (MPCs) who are involved in repeated live-fire exercises and military operations have the potential for increased blood lead levels and toxicity due to aerosolized and environmental lead debris. Clinical lead-toxicity symptoms can mimic other medical disorders, rendering accurate diagnosis more challenging. The objective of this study was to examine baseline lead levels of MPCs exposed to indoor firing ranges compared with those of nontactical military working dogs (MWDs) with limited or no exposure to the same environment. In the second part of the study, results of a commercially available, human-blood lead testing system were compared with those of a benchtop inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) analysis technique. Blood samples from 18 MPCs were tested during routine clinical blood draws, and six samples from a canine group with limited exposure to environmental lead (nontactical MWDs) were tested for comparison. There was a high correlation between results of the commercial blood-testing system compared with ICP-MS when blood lead levels were higher than 4.0µg/dL. Both testing methods recorded higher blood lead levels in the MPC blood samples than in those of the nontactical MWDs, although none of the MPC samples tested contained lead levels approaching those at which symptoms of lead toxicity have previously been reported in animals (i.e., 35µg/dL). 2018.

Impact of a Workplace Health Promotion Program on Employees' Blood Pressure in a Public University.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J Y Eng

Full Text Available Workplace health promotion is important in the prevention of non-communicable diseases among employees. Previous workplace health programs have shown benefits such as lowered disease prevalence, reduced medical costs and improved productivity. This study aims to evaluate the impact of a 6-year workplace health promotion program on employees' blood pressure in a public university.In this prospective cohort study, we included 1,365 employees enrolled in the university's workplace health promotion program, a program conducted since 2008 and using data from the 2008-2013 follow-up period. Participants were permanent employees aged 35 years and above, with at least one follow up measurements and no change in antihypertensive medication during the study period. Baseline socio-demographic information was collected using a questionnaire while anthropometry measurements and resting blood pressure were collected during annual health screening. Changes in blood pressure over time were analyzed using a linear mixed model.The systolic blood pressure in the hypertension subgroup decreased 2.36 mmHg per year (p<0.0001. There was also significant improvement in systolic blood pressure among the participants who were at risk of hypertension (-0.75 mmHg, p<0.001. The diastolic blood pressure among the hypertensive and at risk subgroups improved 1.76 mmHg/year (p<0.001 and 0.56 mmHg/year (p<0.001, respectively. However, there was no change in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure among participants in the healthy subgroup over the 6-year period.This study shows that continuing participation in workplace health promotion program has the potential to improve blood pressure levels among employees.

BLOOD DOPING AND RISKS

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Goran Vasić

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Doping is the way in which athletes misuse of chemicals and other types of medical interventions (eg, blood replacement, try to get ahead in the results of other athletes or their performance at the expense of their own health. The aim of this work is the analysis of blood doping and the display of negative consequences that this way of increasing capabilities brings. Method: The methodological work is done descriptively. Results: Even in 1972 at the Stockholm Institute for gymnastics and sport, first Dr. Bjorn Ekblom started having blood doping. Taken from the blood, athletes through centifuge separating red blood cells from blood plasma, which is after a month of storage in the fridge, every athlete back into the bloodstream. Tests aerobic capacity thereafter showed that the concerned athletes can run longer on average for 25% of the treadmill than before. Discussion: Blood doping carries with it serious risks, excessive amount of red cells “thickens the blood,” increased hematocrit, which reduces the heart’s ability to pump blood to the periphery. All this makes it difficult for blood to flow through blood vessels, and there is a great danger that comes to a halt in the circulation, which can cause cardiac arrest, stroke, pulmonary edema, and other complications that can be fatal.

Status of blood transfusion in World Health Organization-Eastern Mediterranean Region (WHO-EMR): Successes and challenges.

Science.gov (United States)

Darbandi, Arezoo; Mashati, Pargol; Yami, Amir; Gharehbaghian, Arshia; Namini, Mehdi Tabrizi; Gharehbaghian, Ahmad

2017-06-01

Blood products are used for patient treatment and survival in the cases of major surgery, hematological disorders or cancer therapy. Presently the main blood components are not yet replaceable by artificial products and all activities related to blood transfusion is highly dependent on the healthcare development of each country. The World Health Organization Eastern Mediterranean Region (WHO-EMR) comprises of 21 member states with variable socio-economic status effective on blood transfusion activities. The fundamental motivation behind this research was to accumulate some data of blood practices in this region and to have an appropriate image of the WHO-EMR region. The data were collected through the published papers or data, blood transfusion services websites, and the other health official websites like WHO. Among WHO-EMR countries there are some with a nationally organized blood transfusion establishment such as Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, and Syria. In a few, blood transfusion administrations are hospital-based like Saudi Arabia. The others are run by Red Crescent such as Bahrain, Tunisia and UEA or by Red Cross like Lebanon. Only Iran and UAE succeed to have 100% voluntary non-remunerated blood donors; however, most of them are still under the weight of family/replacement blood donation such as Afghanistan, Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Morocco, Saudi Arabia and Sudan or even paid donors like Pakistan and Yemen. The haemovigilance and training programs have been implemented in some countries including Bahrain, Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and UAE. Unfortunately, there are rare and inaccessible information about some EMR states like Djibouti, Palestine and Somalia so that little data can be independently discovered. In these countries different measures ought to be additionally designated to ensure blood products adequacy and safety such as the development of well-coordinated national blood transfusion centers with

Work engagement in health professions education

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van den Berg, Joost W.; Mastenbroek, Nicole J. J. M.; Scheepers, Renee A.; Jaarsma, A. Debbie C.

2017-01-01

Work engagement deserves more attention in health professions education because of its positive relations with personal well-being and performance at work. For health professions education, these outcomes have been studied on various levels. Consider engaged clinical teachers, who are seen as better

Working hours, work-life conflict and health in precarious and "permanent" employment.

Science.gov (United States)

Bohle, Philip; Quinlan, Michael; Kennedy, David; Williamson, Ann

2004-12-01

The expansion of precarious employment in OECD countries has been widely associated with negative health and safety effects. Although many shiftworkers are precariously employed, shiftwork research has concentrated on full-time workers in continuing employment. This paper examines the impact of precarious employment on working hours, work-life conflict and health by comparing casual employees to full-time, "permanent" employees working in the same occupations and workplaces. Thirty-nine convergent interviews were conducted in two five-star hotels. The participants included 26 full-time and 13 casual (temporary) employees. They ranged in age from 19 to 61 years and included 17 females and 22 males. Working hours ranged from zero to 73 hours per week. Marked differences emerged between the reports of casual and full-time employees about working hours, work-life conflict and health. Casuals were more likely to work highly irregular hours over which they had little control. Their daily and weekly working hours ranged from very long to very short according to organisational requirements. Long working hours, combined with low predictability and control, produced greater disruption to family and social lives and poorer work-life balance for casuals. Uncoordinated hours across multiple jobs exacerbated these problems in some cases. Health-related issues reported to arise from work-life conflict included sleep disturbance, fatigue and disrupted exercise and dietary regimes. This study identified significant disadvantages of casual employment. In the same hotels, and doing largely the same jobs, casual employees had less desirable and predictable work schedules, greater work-life conflict and more associated health complaints than "permanent" workers.

Identification and red blood cell automated counting from blood smear images using computer-aided system.

Science.gov (United States)

Acharya, Vasundhara; Kumar, Preetham

2018-03-01

Red blood cell count plays a vital role in identifying the overall health of the patient. Hospitals use the hemocytometer to count the blood cells. Conventional method of placing the smear under microscope and counting the cells manually lead to erroneous results, and medical laboratory technicians are put under stress. A computer-aided system will help to attain precise results in less amount of time. This research work proposes an image-processing technique for counting the number of red blood cells. It aims to examine and process the blood smear image, in order to support the counting of red blood cells and identify the number of normal and abnormal cells in the image automatically. K-medoids algorithm which is robust to external noise is used to extract the WBCs from the image. Granulometric analysis is used to separate the red blood cells from the white blood cells. The red blood cells obtained are counted using the labeling algorithm and circular Hough transform. The radius range for the circle-drawing algorithm is estimated by computing the distance of the pixels from the boundary which automates the entire algorithm. A comparison is done between the counts obtained using the labeling algorithm and circular Hough transform. Results of the work showed that circular Hough transform was more accurate in counting the red blood cells than the labeling algorithm as it was successful in identifying even the overlapping cells. The work also intends to compare the results of cell count done using the proposed methodology and manual approach. The work is designed to address all the drawbacks of the previous research work. The research work can be extended to extract various texture and shape features of abnormal cells identified so that diseases like anemia of inflammation and chronic disease can be detected at the earliest.

Health complaints and working conditions experienced in relation to work and age

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Broersen, J.P.J.; de Zwart, B.C H; van Dijk, F.J.H.; Meijman, T.F.; van Veldhoven, M.J.P.M.

Objectives-The main objective is to describe the potential health and work problems of the aging employees in the Dutch working population. In this way, we can identify groups at extra risk of specific health problems. Methods-In The Netherlands, occupational health services gather questionnaire

Work-Family Conflict, Sleep, and Mental Health of Nursing Assistants Working in Nursing Homes.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yuan; Punnett, Laura; Nannini, Angela

2017-07-01

Work-family conflict is challenging for workers and may lead to depression, anxiety, and overall poor health. Sleep plays an important role in the maintenance of mental health; however, the role of sleep in the association between work-family conflict and mental health is not well-studied. Questionnaires were collected from 650 nursing assistants in 15 nursing homes. Multivariate linear regression modeling demonstrated that increased work-family conflict was associated with lower mental health scores (β = -2.56, p work-family conflict was correlated with more job demands, less job control, less social support, and longer work hours. Poor sleep quality, but not short sleep duration, mediated the association between work-family conflict and mental health. Workplace interventions to improve nursing assistants' mental health should increase their control over work schedules and responsibilities, provide support to meet their work and family needs, and address healthy sleep practices.

Knowledge, Attitude and Practice on Blood Donation among Health Science Students in a University campus, South India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sabu Karakkamandapam

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Background: The major part of demand for blood in India has been meeting through voluntary blood donations. The healthy, active and receptive huge student population is potential blood donors to meet safe blood requirements. However, there is a paucity of studies on awareness and attitude among health science students on voluntary blood donation. Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the knowledge and attitude about blood donation among health science students. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 410 health sciences students from different streams in a University campus of South India through a structured survey questionnaire in the year 2009. Results: The overall knowledge on blood donation was good, but majority (62% of students never donated blood. Knowledge level was found highest among allied health science (53.1% and lowest among pharmacy students (20.7%. ‘Feeling of medically unfit’ and ‘never thought of blood donation’ were the major reasons for not donating blood. A significant association was observed between different streams of students and levels of knowledge and attitude about blood donation. Conclusion: This study elicits the importance of adopting effective measures in our campuses to motivate about voluntary blood donation among students.

Work-related stress perception and hypertension amongst health workers of a mission hospital in Oyo State, south-western Nigeria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Akinwumi O. Owolabi

2012-04-01

Objective: This study was a work site cross-sectional descriptive study carried out amongst the health workers at the Baptist Medical Centre Ogbomoso, Oyo State, south-western Nigeria. The aim of the study was to discern the prevalence of perceived work stress and to explore the relationship between perceived work stress and the presence of hypertension. Methods: A total of 324 consenting health workers of the institution were administered the job demand-control questionnaire to assess work stress. A standardised questionnaire was used to collect socio-demographic data and other personal data. Measurements of blood pressure, weight and height were carried out and body mass indices were calculated. Results: More than a quarter (26.2% of the subjects perceived themself as stressed at work. The single largest group of hypertensive subjects was seen amongst subjects with work stress. Conclusion: A significant number of health workers in this study is afflicted by work-related stress and perceived work stress was found to be significantly associated with higher hypertension prevalence.

[Study of the work and of working in Family Health Care Support Center].

Science.gov (United States)

Lancman, Selma; Gonçalves, Rita Maria de Abreu; Cordone, Nicole Guimarães; Barros, Juliana de Oliveira

2013-10-01

To understand the organization of and the working conditions in family health care support centers, as well as subjective experiences related to work in two of these centers. This was a case study carried out during 2011 and 2012 in two family health care support centers in Sao Paulo, Southeastern Brazil. Data were collected and analyzed using two theoretical-methodological references from ergonomics and work psychodynamics influenced, respectively, by ergonomic work analysis, developed based on open observations of a variety of tasks and on interviews and in practice in work psychodynamics, carried out using think tanks about the work. The work of the Family Health Care Support Centers in question is constituted on the bases of complex, diversified actions to be shared among the various professionals and teams involved. Innovative technological tools, which are not often adopted by primary health care professionals, are used and the parameters and productivity measures do not encompass the specificity and the complexity of the work performed. These situations require constant organizational rearrangement, especially between the Family Health Care Support Centers and the Family Health Care Teams, causing difficulties in carrying out the work as well as in constituting the identity of the professionals studied. The study attempts to lend greater visibility to the work processes at the Family Health Care Support Centers in order to contribute to advances in public policy on primary healthcare. It is important to stress that introducing changes at work, which affect both its organization and work conditions, is above all a commitment, which to be effective, must be permanent and must involve the different levels of hierarchy.

Work stress and health risk behavior.

Science.gov (United States)

Siegrist, Johannes; Rödel, Andreas

2006-12-01

This contribution discusses current knowledge of associations between psychosocial stress at work and health risk behavior, in particular cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption and overweight, by reviewing findings from major studies in the field published between 1989 and 2006. Psychosocial stress at work is measured by the demand-control model and the effort-reward imbalance model. Health risk behavior was analyzed in the broader context of a health-related Western lifestyle with socially and economically patterned practices of consumption. Overall, the review, based on 46 studies, only modestly supports the hypothesis of a consistent association between work stress and health risk behavior. The relatively strongest relationships have been found with regard to heavy alcohol consumption among men, overweight, and the co-manifestation of several risks. Suggestions for further research are given, and the need to reduce stressful experience in the framework of worksite health promotion programs is emphasized.

HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE: DOES THIS CONCERN ME?

CERN Multimedia

2007-01-01

To find out, the Medical Service's nurses are organising A HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE SCREENING AND PREVENTION CAMPAIGN from Monday, 26th to Thursday, 29th March 2007 at the Infirmary - Building 57 - ground floor A blood pressure test, advice, information and, if necessary, referral for specialist medical treatment will be offered to any person working on the CERN site. High blood pressure is a silent threat to health. So come and get your blood pressure checked.

HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE: DOES THIS CONCERN ME?

CERN Multimedia

2007-01-01

To find out, the Medical Service's nurses are organising A HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE SCREENING AND PREVENTION CAMPAIGN from Monday, 26th to Thursday, 29th March 2007 at the Infirmary - Building 57 - ground floor A blood pressure test, advice, information and, if necessary, referral for specialist medical treatment will be offered to any person working on the CERN site. High blood pressure is a stealth threat to health. So come and get your blood pressure checked.

Work of community health agents in the Family Health Strategy: meta-synthesis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carolina Maria do Carmo Alonso

2018-02-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To systematize and analyze the evidence from qualitative studies that address the perception of Brazilian Community Health Agents about their work. METHODS This is a systematic review of the meta-synthesis type on the work of community health agents, carried out from the Virtual Health Library using the descriptors “Agente Comunitário de Saúde” and “Trabalho”, in Portuguese. The strategy was constructed by crossing descriptors, using the Boolean operator “AND”, and filtering Brazilian articles, published from 2004 to 2014, which resulted in 129 identified articles. We removed quantitative or quanti-qualitative research articles, essays, debates, literature reviews, reports of experiences, and research that did not include Brazilian Community Health Agents as subjects. Using these criteria, we selected and analyzed 33 studies that allowed us to identify common subjects and differences between them, to group the main conclusions, to classify subjects, and to interpret the content. RESULTS The analysis resulted in three thematic units: characteristics of the work of community health agents, problems related to the work of community health agents, and positive aspects of the work of community health agents. On the characteristics, we could see that the work of the community health agents is permeated by the political and social dimensions of the health work with predominant use of light technologies. The main input is the knowledge that this professional obtains with the contact with families, which is developed with home visits. On the problems in the work of community health agents, we could identify the lack of limits in their attributions, poor conditions, obstacles in the relationship with the community and teams, weak professional training, and bureaucracy. The positive aspects we identified were the recognition of the work by families, resolution, bonding, work with peers, and work close to home. CONCLUSIONS

Work engagement in health professions education.

Science.gov (United States)

van den Berg, Joost W; Mastenbroek, Nicole J J M; Scheepers, Renée A; Jaarsma, A Debbie C

2017-11-01

Work engagement deserves more attention in health professions education because of its positive relations with personal well-being and performance at work. For health professions education, these outcomes have been studied on various levels. Consider engaged clinical teachers, who are seen as better clinical teachers; consider engaged residents, who report committing fewer medical errors than less engaged peers. Many topics in health professions education can benefit from explicitly including work engagement as an intended outcome such as faculty development programs, feedback provision and teacher recognition. In addition, interventions aimed at strengthening resources could provide teachers with a solid foundation for well-being and performance in all their work roles. Work engagement is conceptually linked to burnout. An important model that underlies both burnout and work engagement literature is the job demands-resources (JD-R) model. This model can be used to describe relationships between work characteristics, personal characteristics and well-being and performance at work. We explain how using this model helps identifying aspects of teaching that foster well-being and how it paves the way for interventions which aim to increase teacher's well-being and performance.

Work environments for healthy and motivated public health nurses.

Science.gov (United States)

Saito, Naoko; Yamamoto, Takeshi; Kitaike, Tadashi

2016-01-01

Objectives By defining health as mental health and productivity and performance as work motivation, the study aimed to identify work environments that promote the health and motivation of public health nurses, using the concept of a healthy work organizations, which encompasses the coexistence of excellent health for each worker and the productivity and performance of the organization.Methods Self-administered questionnaires were sent to 363 public health nurses in 41 municipal public health departments in Chiba prefecture. The questions were comprised of the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) for mental health and the Morale Measurement Scale (5 items) for work motivation. Demographic data, workplace attributes, workload, and workplace environment were set as independent variables. The Comfortable Workplace Survey (35 items in 7 areas) was used to assess workers' general work environments. The "Work Environment for Public Health Nurses" scale (25 items) was developed to assess the specific situations of public health nurses. While aggregation was carried out area by area for the general work environment, factor analysis and factor-by-factor aggregation were used for public health nurse-specific work environments. Mental health and work motivation results were divided in two based on the total scores, which were then evaluated by t-tests and χ(2) tests. Items that showed a significant correlation were analyzed using logistic regression.Results The valid responses of 215 participants were analyzed (response rate: 59.2%). For the general work environment, high scores (the higher the score, the better the situation) were obtained for "contributions to society" and "human relationships" and low scores were obtained for "career building and human resource development." For public health nurse-specific work environments, high scores were obtained for "peer support," while low scores were obtained for "easy access to advice and training" and

Health, work, and personal-related predictors of time to return to work among employees with mental health problems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Maj Britt D.; Bültmann, Ute; Madsen, Ida E.H.

2012-01-01

Purpose: To identify health-, personal- and work-related factors predictive of return to work (RTW) in employees sick-listed due to common mental health problems, such as, stress, depression, burnout, and anxiety. Methods: We distributed a baseline questionnaire to employees applying for sickness...... is determined by both health- and work-related factors....... absence benefits. Results: At baseline, about 9% of respondents had quit their job, 10% were dismissed and the remaining 82% were still working for the same employer. The mean time to RTW, measured from the first day of absence, was 25 weeks (median = 21) and at the end of follow-up (52 weeks) 85% had...

Work health determinants in employees without sickness absence.

Science.gov (United States)

Schell, E; Theorell, T; Nilsson, B; Saraste, H

2013-01-01

Working ability is known to be related to good physical condition, clear work tasks, positive feedback and other occupational, organizational and psychosocial factors. In Sweden, high levels of sickness absence are due to stress-related disorders and musculoskeletal pain. To identify work health characteristics in a working population with a large variety of professional skills and occupational tasks. Employers' data on occupation, sickness absence, age and gender in a working population of 11 occupational groups and questionnaire responses regarding work-organization, environment, work stress, pain, health, and socio-demographic factors were collected. Employees with no history of sick-leave were compared with those with a history of sick-leave (1-182 days, mean 25 days). Of 2641 employees, 1961 participated. Those with no history of sick-leave reported less work-related pain, work-related stress, sleep disturbances, worry about their health, 'sick-presenteeism', monotonous work, bent and twisted working positions and exposure to disturbing noise than those with a history of sick-leave (P health, support from superiors, having influence on their working hours and evening and week-end working, longer working hours per week (P health and less neck, shoulder and back pain and more support from their superiors and influence on their working hours.

A History of Social Work in Public Health

Science.gov (United States)

Ruth, Betty J.

2017-01-01

Social work is a core health profession with origins deeply connected to the development of contemporary public health in the United States. Today, many of the nation’s 600 000 social workers practice broadly in public health and in other health settings, drawing on a century of experience in combining clinical, intermediate, and population approaches for greater health impact. Yet, the historic significance of this long-standing interdisciplinary collaboration—and its current implications—remains underexplored in the present era. This article builds on primary and contemporary sources to trace the historic arc of social work in public health, providing examples of successful collaborations. The scope and practices of public health social work practice are explored, and we articulate a rationale for an expanded place for social work in the public health enterprise. PMID:29236533

A History of Social Work in Public Health.

Science.gov (United States)

Ruth, Betty J; Marshall, Jamie Wyatt

2017-12-01

Social work is a core health profession with origins deeply connected to the development of contemporary public health in the United States. Today, many of the nation's 600 000 social workers practice broadly in public health and in other health settings, drawing on a century of experience in combining clinical, intermediate, and population approaches for greater health impact. Yet, the historic significance of this long-standing interdisciplinary collaboration-and its current implications-remains underexplored in the present era. This article builds on primary and contemporary sources to trace the historic arc of social work in public health, providing examples of successful collaborations. The scope and practices of public health social work practice are explored, and we articulate a rationale for an expanded place for social work in the public health enterprise.

(Dissatisfaction of health professionals who work with oncology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maiara Bordignon

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Objective: identify sources of satisfaction and dissatisfaction at work for health professionals who work with oncology. Methods: Qualitative research conducted with 31 professionals from a multidisciplinary health team who worked in an Oncology Inpatient Unit of a public hospital in the south of Brazil, using a semi-structured interview, analyzed according to Bardin’s proposal. Results: the main sources of job satisfaction emerged from the relationship between patients and health professionals. The dissatisfaction sources were connected to the working environment and conditions. Conclusion:. A humanized look to health professionals who work with oncology, with changes in their work environment seems to be relevant in the context investigated.

Health economics and outcomes methods in risk-based decision-making for blood safety.

Science.gov (United States)

Custer, Brian; Janssen, Mart P

2015-08-01

Analytical methods appropriate for health economic assessments of transfusion safety interventions have not previously been described in ways that facilitate their use. Within the context of risk-based decision-making (RBDM), health economics can be important for optimizing decisions among competing interventions. The objective of this review is to address key considerations and limitations of current methods as they apply to blood safety. Because a voluntary blood supply is an example of a public good, analyses should be conducted from the societal perspective when possible. Two primary study designs are recommended for most blood safety intervention assessments: budget impact analysis (BIA), which measures the cost to implement an intervention both to the blood operator but also in a broader context, and cost-utility analysis (CUA), which measures the ratio between costs and health gain achieved, in terms of reduced morbidity and mortality, by use of an intervention. These analyses often have important limitations because data that reflect specific aspects, for example, blood recipient population characteristics or complication rates, are not available. Sensitivity analyses play an important role. The impact of various uncertain factors can be studied conjointly in probabilistic sensitivity analyses. The use of BIA and CUA together provides a comprehensive assessment of the costs and benefits from implementing (or not) specific interventions. RBDM is multifaceted and impacts a broad spectrum of stakeholders. Gathering and analyzing health economic evidence as part of the RBDM process enhances the quality, completeness, and transparency of decision-making. © 2015 AABB.

Long working hours, occupational health and the changing nature of work organization.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Jeffrey V; Lipscomb, Jane

2006-11-01

The impact of long working hours on health has been of major concern since the late 19th Century. Working hours are again increasing in the US. An overview of historical, sociological, and health-related research presented at an international conference on long working hours is discussed as an introduction to a special section in this issue. Research indicates that long working hours are polarizing along class lines with professionals working regular though longer hours and less well-educated workers having fewer though more irregular hours. Extended and irregular hours are associated with acute reactions such as stress and fatigue, adverse health behavior such as smoking, and chronic outcomes such as cardiovascular and musculoskeletal disorders. Improved methodologies are needed to track exposure to long working hours and irregular shifts longitudinally. Research should focus on the adverse impact that sleep-deprived and stressed workers may have on the health of the public they serve. A variety of protective efforts should be undertaken and evaluated. Copyright (c) 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

[Changes in the blood concentrations of interleukins and electrolytes in miners working in deep coal mines].

Science.gov (United States)

Belkina, E B; Rebrov, B A; Rebrova, O A; Stroilo, N G; Voloshinovich, A R

2001-01-01

Miners working in deep coal mines, engaged in hard physical work under most harsh mine conditions demonstrate a striking imbalance between pro- and antiinflammatory cytokines and a rise in the blood levels of electrolytes K+ and Na+ as well. The analysis performed revealed a direct correlation between the level of blood concentration of IL-6 and that of K+, Na+.

[How to promote health competence at work].

Science.gov (United States)

Eickholt, Clarissa; Hamacher, W; Lenartz, N

2015-09-01

Health competence is a key concept in occupational health and safety and workplace health promotion for maintaining and enhancing health resources. The effects of governmental or occupational measures to protect or improve health fall short of what is required with regard to the challenges of a changing workplace, e.g., due to the delimitation of work. To secure employability it is becoming more and more important to encourage the personal responsibility of employees. To offer new conclusions on how employers and employees can promote health competence, a survey is required of the research within the fields of health competence and competence development, and of the status quo in enterprises. In this context, a Delphi Study provides an important contribution, with a focus on small and medium-sized enterprises. The development of an extensive understanding of health competence is essential in a work-related context. Beyond knowledge-based health literacy, an action-oriented concept of competence implies the ability and willingness to act in a reasonable and creative manner in complex situations. The development of health competence requires learning embedded in working processes, which challenges competent behaviour. Enabling informal learning is a promising innovative approach and therefore coordinated operational activities are necessary. Ultimately, this is a matter of suitable organisational measures being implemented to meet the health competence needs of an enterprise. Even though the each individual employee bears his or her own health competence, the development potential lies largely within the prevailing working conditions.

Productivity loss at work; Health-related and work-related factors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Heuvel, S.G. van den; Geuskens, G.A.; Hooftman, W.E.; Koppes, L.L.J.; Bossche, S.N.J. van den

2010-01-01

Introduction Productivity loss is an increasing problem in an aging working population that is decreasing in numbers. The aim of this study is to identify work-related and health-related characteristics associated with productivity loss, due to either sickness absence or reduced performance at work.

[Work in mental health: a job satisfaction and work impact study].

Science.gov (United States)

Rebouças, Denise; Abelha, Lúcia; Legay, Letícia Fortes; Lovisi, Giovanni Marcos

2008-03-01

Knowledge of job satisfaction and work impact among psychiatric staff is highly useful for policymakers and mental health professionals. Since there are few studies on this issue in Brazil, a cross-sectional study was carried out among mental health professionals. Data were collected for 133 professionals from 4 mental health services in Rio de Janeiro, using SATIS-BR and IMPACTO-BR scales and a socio-demographic questionnaire. Statistical associations were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis, and chi-square tests and multiple linear regression. SPSS 10.1 for Windows was used for statistical analyses. Mean satisfaction was 3.30 and mean work impact was 2.08 (on a scale from 1 to 5). 62.4% of subjects reported moderate satisfaction. Mental health workers with less schooling showed higher satisfaction. Work impact was not associated with any explanatory variable. The results for job satisfaction were similar to those of other studies. Work impact was very low. Unlike studies from the United States and Europe, there were no differences between the community-based and in-hospital staff.

Which aspects of health differ between working and nonworking women with fibromyalgia? A cross-sectional study of work status and health

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Palstam Annie

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Women with fibromyalgia (FM describe great difficulties in managing work. Reported work ability in women with FM varies from 34 to 77 percent in studies from different countries. Many factors are suggested to affect the ability to work in women with FM, including pain, fatigue, impaired physical capacity and activity limitations. However, it is difficult to define to which extent symptom severity can be compatible with work. The aim of this study was to investigate which aspects of health differ between working women with FM and nonworking women with FM. Methods A cross-sectional study of 129 women of working age with FM which included clinical assessment, structured interviews, questionnaires and performance-based tests. The women were categorized as working or nonworking. Aspects of health are presented according to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF. Results Working women with FM presented better health than nonworking women with FM in ratings of body function (FIQ pain p p = 0.006, FIQ stiffness p = 0.009, HADS-Depression p = 0.007. Ratings of overall health status were also significantly better in working women with FM than in nonworking women with FM (FIQ total, eight-item p = 0.001 and SF-36 PCS p p  Conclusion Working women with FM reported better health than nonworking women with FM in terms of pain, fatigue, stiffness, depression, disease specific health status and physical aspects of quality of life, which represent body functions and overall health status. However, they were equally impaired in tests of physical capacity. Moderate pain levels were compatible with work, while severe pain appeared to compromise work. Fatigue was better tolerated, as women scoring severe levels of fatigue worked.

Working on wellness (WOW): A worksite health promotion intervention programme

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-01

Background Insufficient PA has been shown to cluster with other CVD risk factors including insufficient fruit and vegetable intake, overweight, increased serum cholesterol concentrations and elevated blood pressure. This paper describes the development of Working on Wellness (WOW), a worksite intervention program incorporating motivational interviewing by wellness specialists, targeting employees at risk. In addition, we describe the evaluation the effectiveness of the intervention among employees at increased risk for cardiovascular disease. Methods The intervention mapping (IM) protocol was used in the planning and design of WOW. Focus group discussions and interviews with employees and managers identified the importance of addressing risk factors for CVD at the worksite. Based on the employees’ preference for individual counselling, and previous evidence of the effectiveness of this approach in the worksite setting, we decided to use motivational interviewing as part of the intervention strategy. Thus, as a cluster-randomised, controlled control trial, employees at increased risk for CVD (N = 928) will be assigned to a control or an intervention group, based on company random allocation. The sessions will include motivational interviewing techniques, comprised of two face-to-face and four telephonic sessions, with the primary aim to increase habitual levels of PA. Measures will take place at baseline, 6 and 12 months. Secondary outcomes include changes in nutritional habits, serum cholesterol and glucose concentrations, blood pressure and BMI. In addition, healthcare expenditure and absenteeism will be measured for the economic evaluation. Analysis of variance will be performed to determine whether there were significant changes in physical activity habits in the intervention and control groups at 6 and 12 months. Discussion The formative work on which this intervention is based suggests that the strategy of targeting employees at increased risk for

Working on wellness (WOW: A worksite health promotion intervention programme

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kolbe-Alexander Tracy L

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Insufficient PA has been shown to cluster with other CVD risk factors including insufficient fruit and vegetable intake, overweight, increased serum cholesterol concentrations and elevated blood pressure. This paper describes the development of Working on Wellness (WOW, a worksite intervention program incorporating motivational interviewing by wellness specialists, targeting employees at risk. In addition, we describe the evaluation the effectiveness of the intervention among employees at increased risk for cardiovascular disease. Methods The intervention mapping (IM protocol was used in the planning and design of WOW. Focus group discussions and interviews with employees and managers identified the importance of addressing risk factors for CVD at the worksite. Based on the employees’ preference for individual counselling, and previous evidence of the effectiveness of this approach in the worksite setting, we decided to use motivational interviewing as part of the intervention strategy. Thus, as a cluster-randomised, controlled control trial, employees at increased risk for CVD (N = 928 will be assigned to a control or an intervention group, based on company random allocation. The sessions will include motivational interviewing techniques, comprised of two face-to-face and four telephonic sessions, with the primary aim to increase habitual levels of PA. Measures will take place at baseline, 6 and 12 months. Secondary outcomes include changes in nutritional habits, serum cholesterol and glucose concentrations, blood pressure and BMI. In addition, healthcare expenditure and absenteeism will be measured for the economic evaluation. Analysis of variance will be performed to determine whether there were significant changes in physical activity habits in the intervention and control groups at 6 and 12 months. Discussion The formative work on which this intervention is based suggests that the strategy of targeting

Working on wellness (WOW): a worksite health promotion intervention programme.

Science.gov (United States)

Kolbe-Alexander, Tracy L; Proper, Karin I; Lambert, Estelle V; van Wier, Marieke F; Pillay, Julian D; Nossel, Craig; Adonis, Leegale; Van Mechelen, Willem

2012-05-24

Insufficient PA has been shown to cluster with other CVD risk factors including insufficient fruit and vegetable intake, overweight, increased serum cholesterol concentrations and elevated blood pressure. This paper describes the development of Working on Wellness (WOW), a worksite intervention program incorporating motivational interviewing by wellness specialists, targeting employees at risk. In addition, we describe the evaluation the effectiveness of the intervention among employees at increased risk for cardiovascular disease. The intervention mapping (IM) protocol was used in the planning and design of WOW. Focus group discussions and interviews with employees and managers identified the importance of addressing risk factors for CVD at the worksite. Based on the employees' preference for individual counselling, and previous evidence of the effectiveness of this approach in the worksite setting, we decided to use motivational interviewing as part of the intervention strategy. Thus, as a cluster-randomised, controlled control trial, employees at increased risk for CVD (N = 928) will be assigned to a control or an intervention group, based on company random allocation. The sessions will include motivational interviewing techniques, comprised of two face-to-face and four telephonic sessions, with the primary aim to increase habitual levels of PA. Measures will take place at baseline, 6 and 12 months. Secondary outcomes include changes in nutritional habits, serum cholesterol and glucose concentrations, blood pressure and BMI. In addition, healthcare expenditure and absenteeism will be measured for the economic evaluation. Analysis of variance will be performed to determine whether there were significant changes in physical activity habits in the intervention and control groups at 6 and 12 months. The formative work on which this intervention is based suggests that the strategy of targeting employees at increased risk for CVD is preferred. Importantly

Health, work, and personal-related predictors of time to return to work among employees with mental health problems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nielsen, Maj Britt D.; Bultmann, Ute; Madsen, Ida E. H.; Martin, Marie; Christensen, Ulla; Diderichsen, Finn; Rugulies, Reiner

2012-01-01

Purpose: To identify health-, personal- and work-related factors predictive of return to work (RTW) in employees sick-listed due to common mental health problems, such as, stress, depression, burnout, and anxiety. Methods: We distributed a baseline questionnaire to employees applying for sickness

Work-family conflict as a mediator of the work stress - mental health relationship

OpenAIRE

Poelmans, Steven

2001-01-01

The relationship between work stressors and mental health outcomes has been demonstrated in a whole range of work stress models and studies. But less has been written about factors outside the work setting that might predict or moderate the relationship between work stressors and strain. In this exploratory study, we suggest a model linking work stressors and "time-based" work-family conflict (TWFC) with mental health, with the intention to contribute to the refinement of the traditional work...

[Work-related stress and mental health - can work lead to mental disorders?

Science.gov (United States)

Ptáček, Radek; Vňuková, Martina; Raboch, Jiří

2017-01-01

In the past two decades, special attention was paid to mental health issues. The available literature suggests, for example, the relationship between the workload and mental discomfort and the occurrence of myocardial infarction. This article focuses mainly on the issue of work-related stress and its impact on mental health. In this context, it must be acknowledged that possible psychological problems due to work are not only employees problem. These difficulties can significantly affect performance - and thus they should be the concern of the employer, but also of customers, clients and patients who come into contact with the worker who might develop some mental problems, due to the nature of his work and working conditions. This article provides an overview of the various factors affecting the mental health of employees. These are, for example, work demands, working hours and workplace relations. In conclusion, it brings results of Czech study examining job stress among working population.

[Biobanks and blood transfusion in France: a tool for public health].

Science.gov (United States)

Lefrère, J-J; Coudurier, N

2009-05-01

Donor and recipient sample biobanks are a precious tool in hemovigilance studies as well as in epidemiological and biological research, in particular with regards to safety against blood-borne agents. This paper describes the main transfusion biobanks existing in France and gives their advantages and limits. The National blood donation biobank, organized for medicolegal reasons, preserves samples of each blood donation for a 5-year period. The biobank of the Blood and Organ Transmissible Infectious Agents (BOTIA) project stocks paired donor-recipient samples with a research objective. Preserved over a long period of time, such transfusion biobanks will be useful in terms of public health, as a reflection of the biological state of a population at a given moment.

What are the effects of psychological stress and physical work on blood lipid profiles?

Science.gov (United States)

Assadi, Seyedeh Negar

2017-05-01

Blood lipids disorders are prevalent in the world. Some of their risk factors are modifiable such as mental and physical stress which existed in some places such as work environment.Objective of this study was to determine the effects of psychological and physical stress on the lipid profiles. It was a historical cohort study. The people who were employed as general worker were participated. The study was conducted with flexible interview for getting history, lipid profile examination, and a checklist including occupational and nonoccupational risk factors and using the health issues. According to the type of stress exposures, the study population was divided into 5 groups. Groups were followed for lipid profiles. These groups were exposed to psychological stress, physical stress or both of them; mild psychological stress (group 1), mild physical work without psychological stress (group 2), mild psychological stress and mild physical work (group 3), moderate physical work without psychological stress (group 4), and heavy physical work without psychological stress (group 5). Data were analyzed with SPSS 16. ANOVA, χ, and exact test were calculated with considering P less than 45 mg/dL was 14.61 (8.31-25.68) in group 1 and 16.00 (8.30-30.83) in group 3. After multinomial logistic regression they had significant differences. Psychological stress was a risk factor for lipid disorders, and suitable physical activity was protective in this situation.

The impact of shift work and organizational work climate on health outcomes in nurses.

Science.gov (United States)

von Treuer, Kathryn; Fuller-Tyszkiewicz, Matthew; Little, Glenn

2014-10-01

Shift workers have a higher rate of negative health outcomes than day shift workers. Few studies however, have examined the role of difference in workplace environment between shifts itself on such health measures. This study investigated variation in organizational climate across different types of shift work and health outcomes in nurses. Participants (n = 142) were nursing staff from a metropolitan Melbourne hospital. Demographic items elicited the type of shift worked, while the Work Environment Scale and the General Health Questionnaire measured organizational climate and health respectively. Analysis supported the hypotheses that different organizational climates occurred across different shifts, and that different organizational climate factors predicted poor health outcomes. Shift work alone was not found to predict health outcomes. Specifically, permanent night shift workers had significantly lower coworker cohesion scores compared with rotating day and evening shift workers and significantly higher managerial control scores compared with day shift workers. Further, coworker cohesion and involvement were found to be significant predictors of somatic problems. These findings suggest that differences in organizational climate between shifts accounts for the variation in health outcomes associated with shift work. Therefore, increased workplace cohesion and involvement, and decreased work pressure, may mitigate the negative health outcomes of shift workers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved).

Effect of a 21-day balneotherapy program on blood cell counts, ponogen levels, and blood biochemical indexes in servicemen in sub-health condition.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Li; Wu, Lin; Liu, Tingting; Xing, Wenrong; Cao, Xinsheng; Zhang, Shu; Su, Zongyi

2017-09-01

[Purpose] The aim of our study was to explore the changes in the blood of servicemen in sub-health conditions during a 21-day balneotherapy program. [Subjects and Methods] For this study, 129 servicemen in sub-health condition were recruited. The subjects were randomly divided into either the balneotherapy group (70) or the control group (59). Subjects in the balneotherapy group received whole-body immersion bath therapy in thermomineral water (30 min daily) for 21 days. Their blood samples were examined 1 day before and after balneotherapy. The parameters studied included mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), white blood cell (WBC), lactic acid (LAC), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), glucose (GLU), and triglycerides (TG) levels. [Results] After 21 days of balneotherapy, MCH levels and MCHC increased significantly and WBC counts increased significantly. LAC levels decreased significantly. ALT, GLU, and TG levels decreased significantly. In the control group, there were no statistical differences before and after tap water baths following the same procedure. [Conclusion] A 21-day balneotherapy program significantly improved blood cell counts and blood biochemical indexes and reduced ponogen levels in servicemen in sub-health condition.

Work disability resulting from chronic health conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Lerner, Debra; Allaire, Saralynn H; Reisine, Susan T

2005-03-01

To describe current programs and policies for addressing work disability among adults with chronic health conditions, and to identify opportunities for new research aimed at reducing the problem. The authors conducted secondary data analysis and a literature review. Millions of Americans with a chronic health condition have a work disability or are at risk of developing one. This public health problem is costing hundreds of billions of dollars a year nationally in lost productivity and diminishing the quality of life of millions of Americans. The medical care system, employers, and government--three traditional sources of help for adults with chronic health problems--are not sufficiently oriented toward the primary or secondary prevention of work disability. New research is urgently needed to reduce the burden of work disability on individuals and society.

Working Longer in Good Health

NARCIS (Netherlands)

F.R.M. Leijten (Fenna)

2015-01-01

markdownabstractAbstract Due to an ageing society, an increasing retirement age, and high prevalence of chronic health problems among older persons, it is important to understand how older employees [with health problems] can work for longer and productively, often this is termed ‘sustainable

Health surveillance of persons engaged in radiation work

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-01-01

The aims of the health surveillance of the workers engaged in radiation work prescribed in the section 33 of the Finnish Radiation Act (592/91) are: (1) to ensure that the workers are suitable for the radiation work, (2) to monitor the health of the workers during the radiation work, and (3) to define the implications to the health if the radiation exposure exceeding the prescribed maximum value or other abnormal exposure is suspected or observed. The health requirements related to radiation work, aspects to be considered in the health surveillance, and procedures relating to observed or suspected overexposure are defined in this guide

Which aspects of health differ between working and nonworking women with fibromyalgia? A cross-sectional study of work status and health.

Science.gov (United States)

Palstam, Annie; Bjersing, Jan L; Mannerkorpi, Kaisa

2012-12-14

Women with fibromyalgia (FM) describe great difficulties in managing work. Reported work ability in women with FM varies from 34 to 77 percent in studies from different countries. Many factors are suggested to affect the ability to work in women with FM, including pain, fatigue, impaired physical capacity and activity limitations. However, it is difficult to define to which extent symptom severity can be compatible with work. The aim of this study was to investigate which aspects of health differ between working women with FM and nonworking women with FM. A cross-sectional study of 129 women of working age with FM which included clinical assessment, structured interviews, questionnaires and performance-based tests. The women were categorized as working or nonworking. Aspects of health are presented according to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). Working women with FM presented better health than nonworking women with FM in ratings of body function (FIQ pain p working women with FM than in nonworking women with FM (FIQ total, eight-item p = 0.001 and SF-36 PCS p working- and nonworking women in tests of physical capacity. FIQ pain was an independent explanatory factor for work in stepwise multiple logistic regression analysis (OR 0.95, CI 0.93- 0.98), p Working women with FM reported better health than nonworking women with FM in terms of pain, fatigue, stiffness, depression, disease specific health status and physical aspects of quality of life, which represent body functions and overall health status. However, they were equally impaired in tests of physical capacity. Moderate pain levels were compatible with work, while severe pain appeared to compromise work. Fatigue was better tolerated, as women scoring severe levels of fatigue worked.

Unpaid work in health economic evaluations.

Science.gov (United States)

Krol, Marieke; Brouwer, Werner

2015-11-01

Given its societal importance, unpaid work should be included in economic evaluations of health care technology aiming to take a societal perspective. However, in practice this does not often appear to be the case. This paper provides an overview of the current place of unpaid work in economic evaluations in theory and in practice. It does so first by summarizing recommendations regarding the inclusion of unpaid labor reported in health economic textbooks and national guidelines for economic evaluations. In total, three prominent health economic text-books were studied and 28 national health economic guidelines. The paper, moreover, provides an overview of the instruments available to measure lost unpaid labor and reports on a review of the place of unpaid labor in applied economic evaluations in the area of rheumatoid arthritis. The review was conducted by examining methodology of evaluations published between 1 March 2008 and 1 March 2013. The results of this study show that little guidance is offered regarding the inclusion of unpaid labor in economic evaluations in textbooks and guidelines. The review identified five productivity costs instruments including questions about unpaid work and 33 economic evaluations of treatments for rheumatoid arthritis of which only one included unpaid work. The results indicate that unpaid work is rarely included in applied economic evaluations of treatments for rheumatoid arthritis, despite this disease expecting to be associated with lost unpaid work. Given the strong effects of certain diseases and treatments on the ability to perform unpaid work, unpaid work currently receives less attention in economic evaluations than it deserves. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Unnecessary work tasks and mental health

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Madsen, Ida E H; Tripathi, Manisha; Borritz, Marianne

2014-01-01

OBJECTIVES: According to the "stress-as-offense-to-self" perspective, work tasks that are considered unnecessary or unreasonable - so-called "illegitimate work tasks" - are likely to elicit stress-reactions. Previous studies, mostly cross-sectional, have shown that illegitimate tasks are associated...... with increased self-reported stress, cortisol, and counterproductive work behavior. In this article, we examine the prospective association between unnecessary work tasks, one type of illegitimate work tasks, and mental health among Danish human service workers. Further, we explore whether this association...... is modified by sex, age, occupational position, and baseline mental health status. METHODS: The data were obtained from self-administered questionnaires from 1351 Danish human service workers in three waves of data-collection during 1999-2005. We measured unnecessary work tasks by a single item, and assessed...

[Shift Work among Men and Women on the Threshold to Higher Working Age - Working Conditions and Health Status].

Science.gov (United States)

Leser, C; Tisch, A; Tophoven, S

2016-11-01

Background: The number of older employees in shift and night work has increased significantly in recent years. Furthermore, the proportion of women in shift and night work has increased markedly. This is due to the aging workforce and the expansion of shift work in the tertiary sector. Previous research shows that shift work is often associated with health risks. Against this background, the aim of the present study is to examine the situation of working men and women on the threshold to higher working age with regard to the relationship between shift work and physical health. Methods: We employed data from the study "lidA - leben in der Arbeit" German Cohort Study on Work, Age and Health, a survey of the German baby boom cohorts born in 1959 and 1965 (n=5 637). Linear regression models are used to study the effect of shift work - with and without night work - and of further work exposures on the baby boomers' physical health status. The models control for sleep and health-related behaviour and are stratified by gender. Among women, also the scope of work was taken into account. Results: The results show that male shift workers are burdened by their on average lower occupational status and by physical exposure; female shift workers additionally suffer from high personal effort and low rewards and female part-time shift workers also from overcommitment. Conclusion: Working conditions of shift workers are strongly characterised by work stress. In order to preserve aging shift workers' work ability, some organisational measures seem necessary. In this context, occupational safety and health management as well as opportunities for recovery and encouraging leadership should be considered. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Demand-specific work ability, poor health and working conditions in middle-aged full-time employees

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nabe-Nielsen, Kirsten; Thielen, Karsten; Nygaard, Else

2014-01-01

-sectional questionnaire data from 3381 full-time employees responding to questions about vocational education, job demands and social support (working conditions), musculoskeletal pain (MSP) and major depression (MD) (poor health) and seven questions about difficulty managing different job demands (reduced demand......We investigated the prevalence of reduced demand-specific work ability, its association with age, gender, education, poor health, and working conditions, and the interaction between poor health and working conditions regarding reduced demand-specific work ability. We used cross...... was associated with six measures of reduced demand-specific work ability. We found no interaction between working conditions and poor health regarding reduced demand-specific work ability....

IS WORK-FAMILY CONFLICT A MULTILEVEL STRESSOR LINKING JOB CONDITIONS TO MENTAL HEALTH? EVIDENCE FROM THE WORK, FAMILY AND HEALTH NETWORK.

Science.gov (United States)

Moen, Phyllis; Kaduk, Anne; Kossek, Ellen Ernst; Hammer, Leslie; Buxton, Orfeu M; O'Donnell, Emily; Almeida, David; Fox, Kimberly; Tranby, Eric; Oakes, J Michael; Casper, Lynne

Most research on the work conditions and family responsibilities associated with work-family conflict and other measures of mental health uses the individual employee as the unit of analysis. We argue that work conditions are both individual psychosocial assessments and objective characteristics of the proximal work environment, necessitating multilevel analyses of both individual- and team-level work conditions on mental health. This study uses multilevel data on 748 high-tech professionals in 120 teams to investigate relationships between team- and individual-level job conditions, work-family conflict, and four mental health outcomes (job satisfaction, emotional exhaustion, perceived stress, and psychological distress). We find that work-to-family conflict is socially patterned across teams, as are job satisfaction and emotional exhaustion. Team-level job conditions predict team-level outcomes, while individuals' perceptions of their job conditions are better predictors of individuals' work-to-family conflict and mental health. Work-to-family conflict operates as a partial mediator between job demands and mental health outcomes. Our findings suggest that organizational leaders concerned about presenteeism, sickness absences, and productivity would do well to focus on changing job conditions in ways that reduce job demands and work-to-family conflict in order to promote employees' mental health. We show that both work-to-family conflict and job conditions can be fruitfully framed as team characteristics, shared appraisals held in common by team members. This challenges the framing of work-to-family conflict as a "private trouble" and provides support for work-to-family conflict as a structural mismatch grounded in the social and temporal organization of work.

Work and health among Latina mothers in farmworker families.

Science.gov (United States)

Arcury, Thomas A; Trejo, Grisel; Suerken, Cynthia K; Grzywacz, Joseph G; Ip, Edward H; Quandt, Sara A

2015-03-01

Work organization is important for the health of vulnerable workers, particularly women. This analysis describes work organization for Latinas in farmworker families and delineates the associations of work organization with health indicators. Up to 220 Latina women in farmworker families completed interviews from October 2012 to July 2013. Interviews addressed job structure, job demand, job control, and job support. Health measures included stress, depressive symptoms, physical activity, family conflict, and family economic security. Three fifths of the women were employed. Several work organization dimensions, including shift, psychological demand, work safety climate, and benefits, were associated with participant health as expected, on the basis of the work organization and job demands-control-support models. Research should address women's health and specific work responsibilities. Occupational safety policy must consider the importance of work organization in the health of vulnerable workers.

Which aspects of health differ between working and nonworking women with fibromyalgia? A cross-sectional study of work status and health

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-01

Background Women with fibromyalgia (FM) describe great difficulties in managing work. Reported work ability in women with FM varies from 34 to 77 percent in studies from different countries. Many factors are suggested to affect the ability to work in women with FM, including pain, fatigue, impaired physical capacity and activity limitations. However, it is difficult to define to which extent symptom severity can be compatible with work. The aim of this study was to investigate which aspects of health differ between working women with FM and nonworking women with FM. Methods A cross-sectional study of 129 women of working age with FM which included clinical assessment, structured interviews, questionnaires and performance-based tests. The women were categorized as working or nonworking. Aspects of health are presented according to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). Results Working women with FM presented better health than nonworking women with FM in ratings of body function (FIQ pain p FIQ fatigue p = 0.006, FIQ stiffness p = 0.009, HADS-Depression p = 0.007). Ratings of overall health status were also significantly better in working women with FM than in nonworking women with FM (FIQ total, eight-item p = 0.001 and SF-36 PCS p FIQ pain was an independent explanatory factor for work in stepwise multiple logistic regression analysis (OR 0.95, CI 0.93- 0.98), p < 0.001. Conclusion Working women with FM reported better health than nonworking women with FM in terms of pain, fatigue, stiffness, depression, disease specific health status and physical aspects of quality of life, which represent body functions and overall health status. However, they were equally impaired in tests of physical capacity. Moderate pain levels were compatible with work, while severe pain appeared to compromise work. Fatigue was better tolerated, as women scoring severe levels of fatigue worked. PMID:23237146

[Work and health: Two social rights].

Science.gov (United States)

García Blanco, Lucía

2015-01-01

Work and health are two concepts whose formulation varies from one society to another depending on unique and temporal appreciation. Updating them to our time involves the challenge to understand their construction as part of consuming organized societies. Political and social processes during the last decades must be analyzed, and so must be the worker subject as a psychophysics unit. Health, as well, ought to be considered a universal right, from where to focus and understand pathological social behaviors impacting the workplace. The subject's social dimension and the health-work relationship are dynamic. And keeping this dynamic involves to continuously review principles, norms and regulations which need to fit reality, and specific communication and language modes, as well as working conditions and environmental aspects. These processes must be considered as taking part in Argentina's social imaginary worth highlighting: a shift in how the State's role is considered, the public policy's sense, the importance of working in a complementary and interdisciplinary way, redesigning the concept of health through the broadening of those under the State's care and considering and building the workplace as a healthy space.

Recovery, work-life balance and work experiences important to self-rated health : a questionnaire study on salutogenic work factors among Swedish primary health care employees

OpenAIRE

Ejlertsson, Lina; Heijbel, Bodil; Ejlertsson, Göran; Andersson, Ingemar

2018-01-01

BACKGROUND: There is a lack of information on positive work factors among health care workers. OBJECTIVE: To explore salutogenic work-related factors among primary health care employees. METHOD: Questionnaire to all employees (n = 599) from different professions in public and private primary health care centers in one health care district in Sweden. The questionnaire, which had a salutogenic perspective, included information on self-rated health from the previously validated SHIS (Salutogenic...

Farm elders define health as the ability to work.

Science.gov (United States)

Reed, Deborah B; Rayens, Mary Kay; Conley, Christina K; Westneat, Susan; Adkins, Sarah M

2012-08-01

Thirty percent of America's 2.2 million farms are operated by individuals older than 65 years. This study examined how older farmers define health and determined whether demographic characteristics, farm work, and physical and mental health status predict health definition. Data were collected via telephone and mailed surveys during the baseline wave of data collection in a longitudinal study of family farmers residing in two southern states (n=1,288). Nearly 42% defined health as the "ability to work" compared to a physical health-related definition. Predictors of defining health as the ability to work included being White, performing more farm tasks in the past week, taking prescription medications daily, and having minimal health-related limitations to farm work. Health behaviors are centered on the individual's perception of health. Understanding the defining attributes of health can support better approaches to health care and health promotion, particularly among rural subcultures such as farmers, whose identity is rooted in their work. Copyright 2012, SLACK Incorporated.

Health social work in Canada: Five trends worth noting.

Science.gov (United States)

Bryson, Stephanie A; Bosma, Harvey

2018-05-30

Highlighting a strong human rights and social justice orientation underlying health social work in Canada, this paper describes recent contributions of Canadian health social work practitioners and scholars to five areas identified by Auslander (2001) in a delphi study of health social work in its first century. Five current 'trends' are discussed which correspond with Auslander's themes of professional legitimacy and scope, social causation, dissemination of knowledge, interventions, and cultural appropriateness. These trends are: 1) defining the scope of health social work practice; 2) addressing the social determinants of health; 3) promoting evidence-based practice in health social work; 4) delivering client and family-centered care; and 5) implementing cultural safety and trauma-informed practice. Suggestions are made to further strengthen the position of health social work in Canada.

Creating Flexible and Sustainable Work Models for Academic Obstetrician-Gynecologists Engaged in Global Health Work.

Science.gov (United States)

Molina, Rose; Boatin, Adeline; Farid, Huma; Luckett, Rebecca; Neo, Dayna; Ricciotti, Hope; Scott, Jennifer

2017-10-01

To describe various work models for obstetrics and gynecology global health faculty affiliated with academic medical centers and to identify barriers and opportunities for pursuing global health work. A mixed-methods study was conducted in 2016 among obstetrics and gynecology faculty and leaders from seven academic medical institutions in Boston, Massachusetts. Global health faculty members were invited to complete an online survey about their work models and to participate in semistructured interviews about barriers and facilitators of these models. Department chairs and residency directors were asked to participate in interviews. The survey response rate among faculty was 65.6% (21/32), of which 76.2% (16/21) completed an interview. Five department leaders (45.5% [5/11]) participated in an interview. Faculty described a range of work models with varied time and compensation, but only one third reported contracted time for global health work. The most common barriers to global health work were financial constraints, time limitations, lack of mentorship, need for specialized training, and maintenance of clinical skills. Career satisfaction, creating value for the obstetrics and gynecology department, and work model flexibility were the most important facilitators of sustainable global health careers. The study identified challenges and opportunities to creating flexible and sustainable work models for academic obstetrics and gynecology clinicians engaged in global health work. Additional research and innovation are needed to identify work models that allow for sustainable careers in global women's health. There are opportunities to create professional standards and models for academic global health work in the obstetrics and gynecology specialty.

Conducting Organizational-level occupational health interventions: What works?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Karina; Randall, Raymond; Holten, Ann-Louise

2010-01-01

In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in how organizational-level occupational health interventions aimed at improving psychosocial working conditions and employee health and well-being may be planned, implemented and evaluated. It has been claimed that such interventions have...... the alteration of the way in which work is designed, organized and managed. The methods identified are the Risk Management approach and the Management Standards from Great Britain, the German Health Circles approach, Work Positive from Ireland and Prevenlab from Spain. Comparative analyses reveal...... their appropriateness in conducting organizationallevel occupational health interventions. Finally, we discuss where we still need more research to determine the working ingredients of organizational-level occupational health interventions....

Can mHealth improve access to safe blood for transfusion during obstetric emergency?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rahman A

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Aminur Rahman,1,2 Sadika Akhter,1 Monjura Khatun Nisha,3 Syed Shariful Islam,4 Fatema Ashraf,5 Monjur Rahman,1 Nazneen Begum,6 Mahbub Elahi Chowdhury,1 Anne Austin,7 Iqbal Anwar1 1International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b, Dhaka, Bangladesh; 2College of Public Health Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand; 3Sydney School of Public Health, Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia; 4Department of Public Health and Informatics, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, 5Department of Gyenaecology and Obstetric, Shaheed Suhrawardi Medical College and Hospital, 6Department of Gyenaecology and Obstetric, Dhaka Medical College and Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh; 7JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc., Boston, MA, USA Purpose: Of the 99% maternal deaths that take place in developing countries, one-fourth is due to postpartum hemorrhage (PPH. PPH accounts for one-third of all blood transfusions in Bangladesh where the transfusion process is lengthy as most facilities do not have in-house blood bank facilities. In this context, the location where blood is obtained and the processes of obtaining blood products are not standardized, leading to preventable delays in collecting blood, when it is needed. This study evaluated the effectiveness of an online Blood Information Management Application (BIMA system for reducing lag time in the blood transfusion process.Patients and methods: The study was conducted in a public medical college hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and in two proximate, licensed blood banks between January 2014 and March 2015, using a before after design. A total of 310 women (143 before and 177 after, who needed emergency blood transfusion during their perinatal period, as determined by a medical professional, were included in the study. A median linear regression model was employed to assess the adjusted effect of BIMA on transfusion time.Results: After the

Gender, work roles and psychosocial work characteristics as determinants of health.

Science.gov (United States)

Matthews, S; Hertzman, C; Ostry, A; Power, C

1998-06-01

This paper aims to identify gender similarities and differences in psychosocial work characteristics for those in and out of paid employment, to inform research on possible health-related effects. Specifically five questions are addressed: do women report poorer work characteristics than men; are gender differences related to specific characteristics; do work characteristics differ between full- and part-time women workers and between those in paid and unpaid work; are socio-economic gradients in work characteristics similar for men and women; and, if there are gradients, do they differ between women in paid and unpaid work? Analyses are based on the 33 year follow-up of the 1958 British birth cohort. Four psychosocial work characteristics were examined: learning opportunities, monotony, pace of work, and flexibility of breaks. Women reported more negative work characteristics than men, primarily because of differences in learning opportunities (26% lacked opportunity compared with 13% of men) and monotonous work (47 and 31% respectively). Women in full-time employment reported fewer negative characteristics (27%) than part-time (39%) or home-workers (36%). Home-workers had fewer opportunities for learning (36%) and greater monotony (49%) than paid workers (21 and 22% respectively), however fewer home-workers reported inability to control the work pace (11% compared to 23%) and inflexibility of breaks (21% compared to 47%). Socio-economic gradients in work characteristics were similar among men and women, except for flexibility of break times. A socio-economic gradient in work characteristics was found for full- and part-time workers, but not among home-workers. Differences in self reported health were also examined: a social gradient was found for all employment status groups, being strongest for home-workers despite the absence of a gradient in negative work characteristics. In conclusion, these marked gender differences in psychosocial work characteristics need

Working Health Services Scotland: a 4-year evaluation

Science.gov (United States)

Hanson, M; Bakhshi, A; Kennedy, M; Macdonald, E B

2018-01-01

Abstract Background Working Health Service Scotland (WHSS) supports the self-employed and employees of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Scotland with a health condition affecting their ability to work, who are either absent or at risk of becoming absent due to it. Aims To evaluate the impact on health and work outcomes of WHSS clients over a 4-year period. Methods Data were collected at enrolment, entry, discharge and follow-up at 3 and 6 months after discharge. Clients completed up to three validated health questionnaires at entry and discharge—EuroQol five dimensions (EQ-5D) and visual analogue scale (VAS); Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS); and Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM). Results A total of 13463 referrals occurred in the 4-year period; 11748 (87%) were eligible and completed entry assessment and 60% of the latter completed discharge paperwork. The majority of referrals were due to musculoskeletal conditions (84%) while 12% were referred with mental health conditions. Almost a fifth (18%) of cases were absent at entry and back at work at discharge. Work days lost while in WHSS was associated with age, length of absence prior to entering WHSS, primary health condition and time in programme. All health measures showed significant improvements from entry to discharge. Improvement in general health was sustained at 3- and 6-month follow-up. Conclusions The WHSS evaluation findings indicate that participation was associated with positive changes to health and return-to-work. The extent of the positive change in health measures and work ability can be highly important economically for employees and employers. PMID:29390161

Studies on the chronological alterations of blood counts on the radiological technicians at health centers in Japan (1957 - 1975)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Endo, Kouichi; Ishizaka, Masatsuna

1977-01-01

From the nine health surveys made on clinical radiation technicians working at health centers during the 18 years from 1957 to 1975, 679 technicians on whom blood examinations were made for not less than ten consecutive years were sampled to investigate for chronological alterations in their blood parameters. The radiation protective means at the health centers have made rapid progress ever since the atomic bomb experiment in 1954, and the dose of exposure to radiation then began to decrease. On the other hand, it was in about 1960 that the measurement of individual exposure doses began to be made on 60% of all the technicians. Chronological alterations in the average blood counts of these technicians under the abovementioned situation were such that RBC and hemoglobin level continued to increase from 1963 until about 1967, but then began to decrease, and that WBC was as low as 5,883/mm 3 in 1957, but tended to increase though slightly at each of the subsequent surveys, and was increased to 6,570/mm 3 in 1975, that is, WBC has been approaching the normal count of 6,774/mm 3 in the Japanese, with a significant difference at a not more than 1% level of significance in each survey year. For the purpose of preventing radiation hazard, further efforts should be made to protect the technicians from exposure to radiation and to control their health. (auth.)

[Cardiovascular hyperreactivity to physical stress predicts high blood pressure in working populations: 4 years follow-up].

Science.gov (United States)

Santana López, Sandra; Perdomo Hernández, María del Carmen; Montero Díaz, Rolando

2014-01-01

High blood pressure (HBP) is a disease, and as well as a risk factor for other diseases, such as atherosclerosis. Cardiovascular hyperreactivity (CVHR) is a predictor for this disease. The aim of this study was to demonstrate if CVHR to physical stress predicts HBP in working populations. A four year (2008-2012) cohort study was conducted on two population groups: CVHR (48), and normal cardiovascular reactivity (40) after applying the Sustained Weight test. A survival analysis was used to predict HBP, and the χ(2) test and hazard ratio, with a confidence interval of 95%, were used for the statistical analysis. The CVHR is a predictor of HBP, determined by the Sustained Weight test. The working populations can be stratified according to cardiovascular reactivity in order to introduce preventive health actions on the modifiable cardiovascular risk factors of future hypertensives in the workplace. Copyright © 2013 Sociedad Española de Arteriosclerosis. Published by Elsevier España. All rights reserved.

The Effect of Working Conditions to the Health Status in Taxi and Bus Drivers in Canakkale, Turkey; Community Based Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aysegul Uludag

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Aim: The growing taxi and bus driver workforce is at risk for poor health status, obesity, hypertension, metabolic syndrome and with increased risk for cardiovascular disease. We aimed to determine the relationship between working conditions and health status in taxi and bus drivers. Material and Method: This study is a descriptive study. The population of the study was taxi and bus drivers in central of Canakkale. There were total 250 taxi and bus drivers who registered in The Chamber of Canakkale Drivers and Vehicle. We reached the 70 taxi drivers and 93 bus drivers. The participants were visited at their workplace. We performed the questionnaire that include the socio-demografic features, habits, the working conditions. We evaluated the blood pressure, waist-hip measurements and capillary blood glucose at any time. Results: Total of the 163 men drivers were enrolled the study. Nine (12.9% taxi drivers and 6 (6.5% bus drivers were hipertensive, and 1 taxi driver and 2 bus drivers with random capillary blood glucose levels higher than 200 mg. The prevalence of hypertension was 9.2%, diabetes mellitus was 1.8, obesity was 49.4%. Discussion: Drivers have many risk factors for CVD like stress and immobility. In our study, the socio-demografic and working conditions are limited for explaining the risk for hipertension, diabetes mellitus and obesity in drivers in Canakkale. These study have to be done in metropolitan cities. In this aspect, the drivers can be evaluated in their own living spaces and working conditions.

The social gradient in work and health: a cross-sectional study exploring the relationship between working conditions and health inequalities

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Background Social inequalities in health are widely examined. But the reasons behind this phenomenon still remain unclear in parts. It is undisputed that the work environment plays a crucial role in this regard. However, the contribution of psychosocial factors at work is unclear and inconsistent, and most studies are limited with regard to work factors and health outcomes. This study, therefore, aimed to explore the role and contribution of various physical and psychosocial working conditions to explaining social inequalities in different self-reported health outcomes. Methods Data from a postal survey among the workforces of four medium-sized and large companies from diverse industries of the secondary sector in Switzerland were used and analysed. The study sample covered 1,846 employees aged 20 and 64 and included significant proportions of unskilled manual workers and highly qualified non-manual workers. Cross tabulations and logistic regression analyses were performed to study multiple associations between social status, work factors and health outcomes. Combinations of educational level and occupational position wee used as a measure of social status or class. Results Clear social gradients were observed for almost all adverse working conditions and poor health outcomes studied, but in different directions. While physical workloads and other typical blue-collar job characteristics not suprisingly, were found to be much more common among the lower classes, most psychosocial work demands and job resources were more prevalent in the higher classes. Furthermore, workers in lower classes, i.e. with lower educational and occupational status, were more likely to report poor self-rated health, limited physical functioning and long sickness absence, but at the same time were less likely to experience increased stress feelings and burnout symptoms showing a reversed health gradient. Finally, blue-collar job characteristics contributed substantially to the social

IS WORK-FAMILY CONFLICT A MULTILEVEL STRESSOR LINKING JOB CONDITIONS TO MENTAL HEALTH? EVIDENCE FROM THE WORK, FAMILY AND HEALTH NETWORK

Science.gov (United States)

Moen, Phyllis; Kaduk, Anne; Kossek, Ellen Ernst; Hammer, Leslie; Buxton, Orfeu M.; O’Donnell, Emily; Almeida, David; Fox, Kimberly; Tranby, Eric; Oakes, J. Michael; Casper, Lynne

2015-01-01

Purpose Most research on the work conditions and family responsibilities associated with work-family conflict and other measures of mental health uses the individual employee as the unit of analysis. We argue that work conditions are both individual psychosocial assessments and objective characteristics of the proximal work environment, necessitating multilevel analyses of both individual- and team-level work conditions on mental health. Methodology/approach This study uses multilevel data on 748 high-tech professionals in 120 teams to investigate relationships between team- and individual-level job conditions, work-family conflict, and four mental health outcomes (job satisfaction, emotional exhaustion, perceived stress, and psychological distress). Findings We find that work-to-family conflict is socially patterned across teams, as are job satisfaction and emotional exhaustion. Team-level job conditions predict team-level outcomes, while individuals’ perceptions of their job conditions are better predictors of individuals’ work-to-family conflict and mental health. Work-to-family conflict operates as a partial mediator between job demands and mental health outcomes. Practical implications Our findings suggest that organizational leaders concerned about presenteeism, sickness absences, and productivity would do well to focus on changing job conditions in ways that reduce job demands and work-to-family conflict in order to promote employees’ mental health. Originality/value of the chapter We show that both work-to-family conflict and job conditions can be fruitfully framed as team characteristics, shared appraisals held in common by team members. This challenges the framing of work-to-family conflict as a “private trouble” and provides support for work-to-family conflict as a structural mismatch grounded in the social and temporal organization of work. PMID:25866431

Development of blood extraction system for health monitoring system

Science.gov (United States)

Tsuchiya, Kazuyoshi; Nakanishi, Naoyuki; Nakamachi, Eiji

2004-03-01

The purpose of this research is to develop the compact human blood sampling device applied for a health monitoring system(HMS), which is called "Mobile Hospital". The HMS consists of (1) a micro electrical pumping system for blood extraction, (2) a bio-sensor to detect and evaluate an amount of Glucose, Cholesterol and Urea in extracted blood, by using enzyme such as Glucoseoxidase (GOD), Cholesteroloxidase and Urease. The mechanical design elements of the device are bio-compatible microneedle, indentation unit using a shape memory alloy(SMA) actuator and pumping unit using a piezoelectric microactuator. The design concept is the biomimetic micromachine of female mosquito"s blood sampling mechanism. The performances of the main mechanical elements such as indentation force of the microneedle, actual stroke of the indentation unit using a SMA actuator and liquid sampling ability of the pumping unit using PZT piezoelectric microactuator were measured. The 3 mm stroke of the indentation load generated by SMA actuator was 0.8mN. The amount of imitation blood extracted by using bimorph PZT actuators was about 0.5 microliters for 10 sec. A 60-micrometer outer diameter and 25-micrometer inner diameter Titanium microneedle, which size is same as female mosquito"s labium, was produced by sputter deposition.

Psychological detachment from work during non-work time: linear or curvilinear relations with mental health and work engagement?

Science.gov (United States)

Shimazu, Akihito; Matsudaira, Ko; Jonge, Jan DE; Tosaka, Naoya; Watanabe, Kazuhiro; Takahashi, Masaya

2016-06-10

This study examined whether a higher level of psychological detachment during non-work time is associated with better employee mental health (Hypothesis 1), and examined whether psychological detachment has a curvilinear relation (inverted U-shaped pattern) with work engagement (Hypothesis 2). A large cross-sectional Internet survey was conducted among registered monitors of an Internet survey company in Japan. The questionnaire included scales for psychological detachment, employee mental health, and work engagement as well as for job characteristics and demographic variables as potential confounders. The hypothesized model was tested with moderated structural equation modeling techniques among 2,234 respondents working in the tertiary industries with regular employment. Results showed that psychological detachment had curvilinear relations with mental health as well as with work engagement. Mental health improved when psychological detachment increased from a low to higher levels but did not benefit any further from extremely high levels of psychological detachment. Work engagement showed the highest level at an intermediate level of detachment (inverted U-shaped pattern). Although high psychological detachment may enhance employee mental health, moderate levels of psychological detachment are most beneficial for his or her work engagement.

Working in Australia's heat: health promotion concerns for health and productivity.

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Sudhvir; Hanna, Elizabeth G; Kjellstrom, Tord

2015-06-01

This exploratory study describes the experiences arising from exposure to extreme summer heat, and the related health protection and promotion issues for working people in Australia. Twenty key informants representing different industry types and occupational groups or activities in Australia provided semi-structured interviews concerning: (i) perceptions of workplace heat exposure in the industry they represented, (ii) reported impacts on health and productivity, as well as (iii) actions taken to reduce exposure or effects of environmental heat exposure. All interviewees reported that excessive heat exposure presents a significant challenge for their industry or activity. People working in physically demanding jobs in temperatures>35°C frequently develop symptoms, and working beyond heat tolerance is common. To avoid potentially dangerous health impacts they must either slow down or change their work habits. Such health-preserving actions result in lost work capacity. Approximately one-third of baseline work productivity can be lost in physically demanding jobs when working at 40°C. Employers and workers consider that heat exposure is a 'natural hazard' in Australia that cannot easily be avoided and so must be accommodated or managed. Among participants in this study, the locus of responsibility for coping with heat lay with the individual, rather than the employer. Heat exposure during Australian summers commonly results in adverse health effects and productivity losses, although quantification studies are lacking. Lack of understanding of the hazardous nature of heat exposure exacerbates the serious risk of heat stress, as entrenched attitudinal barriers hamper amelioration or effective management of this increasing occupational health threat. Educational programmes and workplace heat guidelines are required. Without intervention, climate change in hot countries, such as Australia, can be expected to further exacerbate heat-related burden of disease and loss

Leveraging the Domain of Work to Improve Migrant Health.

Science.gov (United States)

Flynn, Michael A; Wickramage, Kolitha

2017-10-19

Work is a principal driver of current international migration, a primary social determinant of health, and a fundamental point of articulation between migrants and their host society. Efforts by international organizations to promote migrant health have traditionally focused on infectious diseases and access to healthcare, while international labor organizations have largely focused on issues of occupational health. The underutilization of the domain of work in addressing the health of migrants is truly a missed opportunity for influencing worker well-being and reducing societal economic burden. Understanding of the relationships among migration, work, and health would facilitate further integration of migrant health concerns into the policy agenda of governments and international agencies that work at the nexus of labor, health and development. The domain of work offers an opportunity to capitalize on the existing health and development infrastructure and leverage technical resources, programs and research to promote migrant health. It also provides the opportunity to advance migrant health through new and innovative approaches and partnerships.

Shift work-related health problems in

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Khavaji

2010-04-01

Full Text Available Background and aimsShift work is a major feature of working life that affects diverse aspects of human life. The main purposes of this study were to investigate shift work-related health problems and their risk factors among workers of "12-hour shift" schedule.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was carried out at 8 petrochemical industries in Asalooyeh area. Study population consisted of 1203 workers including 549 shift worker (46% and 654 day worker (54%. Data on personal details, shift schedule and adverse effects of shift work werecollected by anonymous questionnaire. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS, version 11.5. The level of significance was set at 5%.ResultsAlthough, the results showed that health problems among shift workers was more prevalent than day workers, but the differences were just significant in gastrointestinal and musculoskeletal disorders (p<0.05. Multiple linear regressions indicated that in addition to shift working, other variants such as long work hours, type of employment, second job, number of children and job title were associated with health problems.ConclusionPrevalence rates of gastrointestinal and musculoskeletal problems among shift workers were significantly higher than that of day workers. Although, working in shift system was the main significant factor associated with the reported problems, but other demographic andwork variables were also found to have association.

Strengthening health workforce capacity through work-based training

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matovu Joseph KB

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Although much attention has been given to increasing the number of health workers, less focus has been directed at developing models of training that address real-life workplace needs. Makerere University School of Public Health (MakSPH with funding support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC developed an eight-month modular, in-service work-based training program aimed at strengthening the capacity for monitoring and evaluation (M&E and continuous quality improvement (CQI in health service delivery. Methods This capacity building program, initiated in 2008, is offered to in-service health professionals working in Uganda. The purpose of the training is to strengthen the capacity to provide quality health services through hands-on training that allows for skills building with minimum work disruptions while encouraging greater involvement of other institutional staff to enhance continuity and sustainability. The hands-on training uses practical gaps and challenges at the workplace through a highly participatory process. Trainees work with other staff to design and implement ‘projects’ meant to address work-related priority problems, working closely with mentors. Trainees’ knowledge and skills are enhanced through short courses offered at specific intervals throughout the course. Results Overall, 143 trainees were admitted between 2008 and 2011. Of these, 120 (84% from 66 institutions completed the training successfully. Of the trainees, 37% were Social Scientists, 34% were Medical/Nursing/Clinical Officers, 5.8% were Statisticians, while 23% belonged to other professions. Majority of the trainees (80% were employed by Non-Government Organizations while 20% worked with the public health sector. Trainees implemented 66 projects which addressed issues such as improving access to health care services; reducing waiting time for patients; strengthening M&E systems; and improving data collection and

Women waste pickers: living conditions, work, and health.

Science.gov (United States)

Coelho, Alexa Pupiara Flores; Beck, Carmem Lúcia Colomé; Fernandes, Marcelo Nunes da Silva; Freitas, Natiellen Quatrin; Prestes, Francine Cassol; Tonel, Juliana Zancan

2016-09-29

To know the elements of work, health, and living conditions of women who pick recyclable waste and are members of a waste cooperative in a town of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. This is a qualitative, exploratory and descriptive study with seven subjects. Data were collected through participative observation, semi structured interview, and a focus group from July to August of 2013. The data were subjected to content analysis. The following thematic categories emerged: Women's work, informality and precariousness; Experiences of job satisfaction; and Working conditions and health: experiences with accidents, illness and health services. It was concluded that the women who collect recyclable material are exposed to precarious work conditions and potential health risks, such as work overload, accidents, illness, and social insecurity, and that nurses are responsible for promoting actions that ensure the health and inclusion of these workers.

When work calls-associations between being contacted outside of regular working hours for work-related matters and health.

Science.gov (United States)

Arlinghaus, Anna; Nachreiner, Friedhelm

2013-11-01

Boundaries between work and private life are diminishing, but little is known on how this influences worker health. Therefore, we examined the association between work-related contacts outside of regular working hours by e-mail or phone and self-reported health in a representative sample of European employees (n = 23 760). The risk of reporting ≥1 health problem(s) was increased in workers contacted sometimes (odds ratio [OR]: 1.16, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.06-1.27) or often (OR: 1.23, 95% CI: 1.12-1.34) as compared with never, controlling for several demographic and workplace characteristics. Further research is needed to quantify work and nonwork patterns and their health effects.

Busy yet socially engaged: volunteering, work-life balance, and health in the working population.

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Ramos, Romualdo; Brauchli, Rebecca; Bauer, Georg; Wehner, Theo; Hämmig, Oliver

2015-02-01

To understand the relationship between volunteering and health in the overlooked yet highly engaged working population, adopting a contextualizing balance approach. We hypothesize that volunteering may function as a psychosocial resource, contributing to work-life balance and, ultimately, health. A total of 746 Swiss workers participated in an online survey; 35% (N = 264) were additionally volunteers in a nonprofit organization. We assessed volunteering, work-life balance perceptions, paid job demands, and resources and health outcomes. After controlling for job characteristics, volunteering was associated with less work-life conflict, burnout and stress, and better positive mental health. Results further revealed that balance perceptions partly explained the relationship between volunteering and health. Volunteering, albeit energy and time-consuming, may contribute to a greater sense of balance for people in the workforce, which might, in turn, positively influence health.

Parents' work patterns and adolescent mental health.

Science.gov (United States)

Dockery, Alfred; Li, Jianghong; Kendall, Garth

2009-02-01

Previous research demonstrates that non-standard work schedules undermine the stability of marriage and reduce family cohesiveness. Limited research has investigated the effects of parents working non-standard schedules on children's health and wellbeing and no published Australian studies have addressed this important issue. This paper contributes to bridging this knowledge gap by focusing on adolescents aged 15-20 years and by including sole parent families which have been omitted in previous research, using panel data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia Survey. Multilevel linear regression models are estimated to analyse the association between parental work schedules and hours of work and measures of adolescents' mental health derived from the SF-36 Health Survey. Evidence of negative impacts of parents working non-standard hours upon adolescent wellbeing is found to exist primarily within sole parent families.

After the Baby: Work-Family Conflict and Working Mothers' Psychological Health

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Marshall, Nancy L.; Tracy, Allison J.

2009-01-01

This study examines work and family characteristics and depressive symptomatology among over 700 working mothers of infants. Working mothers in poorer quality jobs, as well as working mothers who were single or whose infant's health was poorer than that of other infants, reported greater depressive symptomatology. The effect of job quality on…

[Blood transfusion in emergency settings: French military health service experience].

Science.gov (United States)

Sailliol, A; Ausset, S; Peytel, E

2010-12-01

Blood transfusion is required in a number of emergency settings and the French military health service (FMHS) has issued specific guidelines for the treatment of war casualties. These guidelines take into account European standards and laws, NATO standards, and also public sentiment regarding transfusion. These guidelines reflect a determination to control the process and to avoid the improvisation frequently associated with wartime transfusion. The evolution in warfare (terrorism and bombing more frequent than gunshot) and the wide use of body armor have deeply changed the clinical presentation of war injuries. These now involve the extremities in 80% of cases, with extensive tissue damage and heavy blood loss. The FMHS recommends that war casualties with hemorrhagic shock be brought quickly to a medical treatment facility (MTF) after first-line treatment applied through buddy aid or by medics. In the MTF, before an early Medevac, a damage control surgery will be performed, with resuscitation using freeze-dried plasma, red blood cells and fresh whole blood. The French military blood bank is responsible for blood product supply, training and medical advice regarding transfusion therapy during wartime, as well as hemovigilance. All transfusion therapy practices are periodically assessed but research on whole blood pathogen reduction is being conducted in order to reduce the residual infectious risk associated with this product. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

[Results of Training for Personnel Involved in Blood-Transfusion Testing Outside of Regular Work Hours at Saga University Hospital].

Science.gov (United States)

Yamada, Marie; Yamada, Naotomo; Higashitani, Takanori; Ohta, Shoichiro; Sueoka, Eisaburo

2015-11-01

Laboratory testing prior to blood transfusion outside of regular hours in many hospitals and clinics is frequently conducted by technicians without sufficient experience in such testing work. To obtain consistent test results regardless of the degree of laboratory experience with blood transfusion testing, the number of facilities introducing automated equipment for testing prior to blood transfusion is increasing. Our hospital's blood transfusion department introduced fully automated test equipment in October of 2010 for use when blood transfusions are conducted outside of regular hours. However, excessive dependence on automated testing can lead to an inability to do manual blood typing or cross-match testing when necessitated by breakdowns in the automated test equipment, in the case of abnormal specimen reactions, or other such case. In addition, even outside of normal working hours there are more than a few instances in which transfusion must take place based on urgent communications from clinical staff, with the need for prompt and flexible timing of blood transfusion test and delivery of blood products. To address this situation, in 2010 we began training after-hours laboratory personnel in blood transfusion testing to provide practice using test tubes manually and to achieve greater understanding of blood transfusion test work (especially in cases of critical blood loss). Results of the training and difficulties in its implementation for such after-hours laboratory personnel at our hospital are presented and discussed in this paper. [Original

Health at Work and Low-pay:a European Perspective

OpenAIRE

Elena Cottini; Claudio Lucifora

2009-01-01

This study investigates the relationship between health, working conditions and pay in Europe. In particular, we measure health at work using self-assessed indicators for overall, as well as physical and mental health, using the 2005 wave of the EWCS (European Working Conditions Survey) for 15 EU countries. We find that, controlling for personal characteristics, (adverse) working conditions are associated with poor health status – both physical and mental. Low pay plays a role, mainly for men...

Blood donation practice and its associated factors among health professionals of University of Gondar Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia: a cross sectional study.

Science.gov (United States)

Arage, Getachew; Ibrahim, Seada; Adimasu, Endeshaw

2017-07-19

Blood donation has remained a challenge in developing countries, like Ethiopia. In Ethiopia there is a high reliance on family surrogate and waged blood donors which carries an attendant increased risk of transfusion transmissible infection. Health workers are expected to practice blood donation so as to create a good image to the public. A study on blood donation behavior may improve successful implementation of the blood donation programs. An institution based cross-sectional study was deployed from January to June 2015. An aggregate of 427 health workers were included in the study by using simple random sampling technique. Data were collected by using pre tested and structured questionnaire via self-administrated method. Descriptive and summary statistics were employed. Bivariate and multiple logistic regressions were computed. Odds ratios and their 95% confidence intervals were calculated to determine the level of significance. A total of 427 participants were included in the final analysis (response rate = 100%). Among these participants, 33.2% of them practice blood donation. Age above 25 years [AOR = 1.8 (95% CI 1.1, 3.0)], health professionals' knowledge of blood donation [AOR = 1.9 (95% CI 1.1, 3.1)], health professionals' attitude towards blood donation [AOR = 3.0, 95% CI 1. 8, 4.9)], and the presence of family members or relatives who received blood [AOR = 5.4, 95% CI 3.7, 8.7)] were significantly and independently associated with blood donation behavior of health professionals. Blood donation practice of health professionals in this study was found to be low as compared to other studies conducted in developing countries. Health professionals' knowledge, attitude, age and the presence of family members or relatives who received blood before were independently associated with blood donation practice. Thus, awareness has to be created for health professionals to improve blood donation practices.

The hidden magnitude of raised blood pressure and elevated blood ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Conclusions: The prevalence of undiagnosed raised blood pressure and elevated blood sugar was high in Ethiopia and only very small percentage of people had been aware of their high blood pressure and elevated blood sugar. Policy makers in the health sector including other health development partners need to ...

The Relationship Between Shift Work and Men's Health.

Science.gov (United States)

Deng, Nanfu; Kohn, Taylor P; Lipshultz, Larry I; Pastuszak, Alexander W

2018-01-19

More than 21 million Americans and nearly 20% of the U.S. workforce are shift workers. Non-standard shift work, defined as work that falls outside of 6 am-6 pm, can lead to poor diet, exercise, and sleep habits that lead to decreased productivity, increased workplace accidents, and a variety of negative health outcomes. To investigate the associations between shift work exposure and chronic medical conditions such as metabolic syndromes, cardiovascular disease, gastrointestinal disturbances, and depression as well as urologic complications including hypogonadism, male infertility, lower urinary tract symptoms, and prostate cancer with a focus on the effects of shift work sleep disorder (SWSD) on the severity of these negative health outcomes. We reviewed the literature examining effects of shift work and SWSD on general and urologic health. We produced a summary of effects of shift work on health with focus on the increased risk of negative health outcomes in non-standard shift workers, particularly those with SWSD, when compared to daytime workers or workers without SWSD. Studies have associated non-standard shift work schedules and poor health outcomes, including increased risks of diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, hypertension, heart disease, peptic ulcer disease, and depression, in shift workers. However, few studies have focused on the role that shift work plays in men's urologic health. Current evidence supports associations between non-standard shift work and increased hypogonadal symptoms, poor semen parameters, decreased fertility, lower urinary tract symptoms, and prostate cancer. These associations are strengthened by the presence of SWSD, which affects up to 20% of shift workers. Unfortunately, interventions, such as planned naps, timed light exposure, melatonin, and sedative hypnotics, aimed at alleviating excessive nighttime sleepiness and daytime insomnia in non-standard shift workers experiencing SWSD, are limited and lack strong evidence to support

Health and turnover of working mothers after childbirth via the work-family interface: an analysis across time.

Science.gov (United States)

Carlson, Dawn S; Grzywacz, Joseph G; Ferguson, Merideth; Hunter, Emily M; Clinch, C Randall; Arcury, Thomas A

2011-09-01

This study examined organizational levers that impact work-family experiences, participant health, and subsequent turnover. Using a sample of 179 women returning to full-time work 4 months after childbirth, we examined the associations of 3 job resources (job security, skill discretion, and schedule control) with work-to-family enrichment and the associations of 2 job demands (psychological requirements and nonstandard work schedules) with work-to-family conflict. Further, we considered subsequent impact of work-to-family conflict and enrichment on women's health (physical and mental health) 8 months after women returned to work and the impact of health on voluntary turnover 12 months after women returned to work. Having a nonstandard work schedule was directly and positively related to conflict, whereas schedule control buffered the effect of psychological requirements on conflict. Skill discretion and job security, both job resources, directly and positively related to enrichment. Work-to-family conflict was negatively related to both physical and mental health, but work-to-family enrichment positively predicted only physical health. Physical health and mental health both negatively influenced turnover. We discuss implications and opportunities for future research. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved

Designing Work, Family & Health Organizational Change Initiatives.

Science.gov (United States)

Kossek, Ellen Ernst; Hammer, Leslie B; Kelly, Erin L; Moen, Phyllis

2014-01-01

For decades, leaders and scholars have been advocating change efforts to improve work-life relationships. Yet most initiatives have lacked rigor and not been developed using scientific principles. This has created an evidence gap for employer support of work and personal life as a win-win for productivity and employees' well-being. This paper examines the approach used by the U.S. Work Family Health Network (WFRN) to develop an innovative workplace intervention to improve employee and family health. The change initiative was designed to reduce organizationally based work-family conflict in two contrasting contexts representative of major segments of today's U.S. workforce: health care employees and informational technology professionals. The WFRN Intervention (called STAR) had three theoretically based change elements. They were: 1) increase job control over work time and schedule; 2) increase supervisor social support for family and job effectiveness; and 3) improve organizational culture and job design processes to foster results orientation. Seven practical lessons for developing work-life interventions emerged from this groundbreaking endeavor.

Demand-specific work ability, poor health and working conditions in middle-aged full-time employees.

Science.gov (United States)

Nabe-Nielsen, Kirsten; Thielen, Karsten; Nygaard, Else; Thorsen, Sannie Vester; Diderichsen, Finn

2014-07-01

We investigated the prevalence of reduced demand-specific work ability, its association with age, gender, education, poor health, and working conditions, and the interaction between poor health and working conditions regarding reduced demand-specific work ability. We used cross-sectional questionnaire data from 3381 full-time employees responding to questions about vocational education, job demands and social support (working conditions), musculoskeletal pain (MSP) and major depression (MD) (poor health) and seven questions about difficulty managing different job demands (reduced demand-specific work ability). Reduced demand-specific work ability varied from 9% to 19% among the 46-year old and from 11% to 21% among the 56-year old. Age was associated with two, gender with four, and education with all measures of reduced demand-specific work ability. MSP was associated with four and MD was associated with six measures of reduced demand-specific work ability. We found no interaction between working conditions and poor health regarding reduced demand-specific work ability. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

Corporate working in health visiting: a concept analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Houston, A M; Clifton, J

2001-05-01

The aim of this paper is to examine individualized health visiting care and compare it to corporate working within a consensual management style. Corporate working has been discussed and used in many different ways since the idea first came to light at the end of the 1980s. Resource management makes it an appealing model, however, analysing how corporate working functions in the practice setting reveals the complexity of this method of service provision. This paper is based on a method of practice developed by health visitors in Haywards Heath, West Sussex, who implemented the process. The article examines individualized health visiting care and compares it to corporate working within a consensual management style. Important in this analysis are the elements of reflexivity, active listening, reflection and the application of 'praxis' within the corporate caseload approach. Rogers' evolutionary concept model was used to illuminate and explain the different ways of delivering the health visiting service. There are benefits in working corporately: shared workload, increased professional support and improved accountability. Alongside the integrated supervision of this model is the opportunity offered to practitioners to innovate. This offsets any initial difficulty experienced in setting up this method and makes it a worthwhile change of style in health visiting practice. Improved service delivery, enhanced professional growth and increased opportunity for public health work can be demonstrated as outcomes of this model. For professionals this method may prevent 'burn-out', enhance practice and increase innovation in health visiting practice. Using this method as a blueprint, practitioners can develop their own style of corporate working that offers a service that is equitable, proactive, efficient and accessible to clients.

Health in Transportation Working Group 2016 Annual Report

Science.gov (United States)

2017-06-30

The Health in Transportation Working Group 2016 Annual Report provides an overview of the Working Groups activities and accomplishments in 2016, summarizes other USDOT health-related accomplishments, and documents its progress toward the recommend...

Bike Desks in the Office: Physical Health, Cognitive Function, Work Engagement, and Work Performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Torbeyns, Tine; de Geus, Bas; Bailey, Stephen; De Pauw, Kevin; Decroix, Lieselot; Van Cutsem, Jeroen; Meeusen, Romain

2016-12-01

The aim of this study was to examine the longitudinal effect of implementing bike desks in an office setting on physical health, cognition, and work parameters. Physical health, cognitive function, work engagement, and work performance measured before (T0) and after (T2) the intervention period were compared between office workers who used the bike desk (IG, n = 22) and those who did not (CG, n = 16). The IG cycled approximately 98 minutes/week. The IG showed a significantly lower fat percentage and a trend toward a higher work engagement at T2 relative to T0, while this was not different for the CG. No effects on other parameters of health, cognition, or work performance were found. Providing bike desks in the office positively influences employees' fat percentage and could positively influence work engagement without compromising work performance.

The implicit contract: implications for health social work.

Science.gov (United States)

McCoyd, Judith L M

2010-05-01

Identifying common patient dynamics is useful for developing social work practice sensitivity in health social work. This article draws on findings from a study of women who terminated desired pregnancies because of fetal anomalies and identifies dynamics that may be applicable to many health settings. Data suggest that women have expectations that submission to medical care, particularly high-tech medical care, should ensure a positive outcome--in this case a healthy baby. Analysis of data reveals the presence of an implicit contract that the women hold with the medical system,"Mother Nature," or society. The analysis carries an implication that health social work should help patients develop realistic expectations about health care. The presence of implicit contracts may have further implications for liability and litigation. Social work roles and interventions are addressed.

[A systematic review of working hours and mental health burden].

Science.gov (United States)

Fujino, Yoshihisa; Horie, Seichi; Hoshuyama, Tsutomu; Tsutsui, Takao; Tanaka, Yayoi

2006-07-01

There is growing concern over the possible increase in mental health problems among Japanese workers. This trend is generally regarded as a reflection of Japan's prolonged economic depression and changes in working environment. In fact, claims for compensation for industrial accidents related to mental health diseases have been rapidly increasing in recent years. Working hours, personal-relationships, support from supervisors/co-workers, job demand, job control, and payment are known to affect workers mental health. In 2004, the Government announced a guideline to combat overwork and mental health problems at work places. This guideline articulates that long overtime working is a major indicator, and workers who work over 100 h overtime in a month should be encouraged to see an occupational physician. This guideline takes into account the practicalities of occupational health at work places and the empiric knowledge that long working hours might associate with workers mental health status. It may be reasonable to assume that long working hours affect workers health status both psychologically and physiologically, interacting with a variety of occupational factors, particularly job stress. However, the association between working hours and workers mental health status has not been fully clarified. The present article aimed to provide a systematic review of the association between working hours and mental health problems. The authors conducted a systematic review of the published literature on the association between working hours and mental health problems using PubMed. Of 131 abstracts and citations reviewed, 17 studies met the predefined criteria. Ten of these are longitudinal studies, and the others are cross-sectional studies. Seven of the 17 studies report statistically significant associations between working hours and mental health problems, while the others report no association. In addition, comparison among these studies is difficult because a variety of

The Association between Spiritual Health and Blood Sugar Control in Elderly Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Moradali Zareipour

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Spirituality is taken deeply into consideration as a part of health because of its role in the control of chronic diseases and its importance in determination of life purpose in the elderly. This study aimed to investigate the association between spiritual health and blood sugar control in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 200 elderly patients with type 2 diabetes from 10 rural health centers of Urmia city, North West of Iran. These patients were selected by cluster random sampling. Data were collected by Spiritual Well-Being Scale of Paloutzian and Ellison. Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c was used to measure blood sugar control status of diabetic patients. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-square test and Pearson correlation coefficient in SPSS software. Results: The spiritual health score in 43% of the elderly with diabetes was moderate and 57 % had high spiritual health level. There was statistically significant relationship between Spiritual health and gender, age, education, occupation and economic status. The results also showed that there was no significant correlation between spiritual health and its subdomains with HbA1c (r=0.07. Conclusion: In this study, there was no statistically significant difference between spiritual health scores in patients with uncontrolled and controlled blood sugar. It is suggested to conduct case-control study with larger sample size on factors affecting blood sugar control.

The Impact of Work Ability on Work Motivation and Health: A Longitudinal Study Based on Older Employees.

Science.gov (United States)

Feißel, Annemarie; Swart, Enno; March, Stefanie

2018-05-01

Work participation is determined by work motivation and work ability with health as a significant component. Within the lidA-study, we explore the impact of work ability on work motivation and health with consideration of further influencing factors. Four thousand one hundred nine older employees were interviewed two times (t0 = 2011, t1 = 2014). Two multivariate analyses were performed regarding the influence of work ability on work motivation (Model 1) and health (Model 2). Within the multivariate analysis, of all the influencing factors, work ability has the strongest effect on work motivation (F = 37.761) and health (F = 76.402). It appears as a decisive determinant for both dimensions. Regarding the results, it is useful to focus on the work ability of older employees in order to maintain and boost their work motivation and health.

Does non-standard work mean non-standard health? Exploring links between non-standard work schedules, health behavior, and well-being

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Megan R. Winkler

2018-04-01

Full Text Available The last century has seen dramatic shifts in population work circumstances, leading to an increasing normalization of non-standard work schedules (NSWSs, defined as non-daytime, irregular hours. An ever-growing body of evidence links NSWSs to a host of non-communicable chronic conditions; yet, these associations primarily concentrate on the physiologic mechanisms created by circadian disruption and insufficient sleep. While important, not all NSWSs create such chronobiologic disruption, and other aspects of working time and synchronization could be important to the relationships between work schedules and chronic disease. Leveraging survey data from Project EAT, a population-based study with health-related behavioral and psychological data from U.S. adults aged 25–36 years, this study explored the risks for a broad range of less healthful behavioral and well-being outcomes among NSWS workers compared to standard schedule workers (n = 1402. Variations across different NSWSs (evening, night/rotating, and irregular schedules were also explored. Results indicated that, relative to standard schedule workers, workers with NSWSs are at increased risk for non-optimal sleep, substance use, greater recreational screen time, worse dietary practices, obesity, and depression. There was minimal evidence to support differences in relative risks across workers with different types of NSWSs. The findings provide insight into the potential links between NSWSs and chronic disease and indicate the relevancy social disruption and daily health practices may play in the production of health and well-being outcomes among working populations. Keywords: United States, Work schedule tolerance, Health behavior, Mental health, Substance abuse, Obesity

Promoting health and reducing costs: a role for reform of self-monitoring of blood glucose provision within the National Health Service.

Science.gov (United States)

Leigh, S; Idris, I; Collins, B; Granby, P; Noble, M; Parker, M

2016-05-01

To determine the cost-effectiveness of all options for the self-monitoring of blood glucose funded by the National Health Service, providing guidance for disinvestment and testing the hypothesis that advanced meter features may justify higher prices. Using data from the Health and Social Care Information Centre concerning all 8 340 700 self-monitoring of blood glucose-related prescriptions during 2013/2014, we conducted a cost-minimization analysis, considering both strip and lancet costs, including all clinically equivalent technologies for self-monitoring of blood glucose, as determined by the ability to meet ISO-15197:2013 guidelines for meter accuracy. A total of 56 glucose monitor, test strip and lancet combinations were identified, of which 38 met the required accuracy standards. Of these, the mean (range) net ingredient costs for test strips and lancets were £0.27 (£0.14-£0.32) and £0.04 (£0.02-£0.05), respectively, resulting in a weighted average of £0.28 (£0.18-£0.37) per test. Systems providing four or more advanced features were priced equal to those providing just one feature. A total of £12 m was invested in providing 42 million self-monitoring of blood glucose tests with systems that fail to meet acceptable accuracy standards, and efficiency savings of £23.2 m per annum are achievable if the National Health Service were to disinvest from technologies providing lesser functionality than available alternatives, but at a much higher price. The study uncovered considerable variation in the price paid by the National Health Service for self-monitoring of blood glucose, which could not be explained by the availability of advanced meter features. A standardized approach to self-monitoring of blood glucose prescribing could achieve significant efficiency savings for the National Health Service, whilst increasing overall utilisation and improving safety for those currently using systems that fail to meet acceptable standards for measurement accuracy

Relationships Among Intimate Partner Violence, Work, and Health.

Science.gov (United States)

Wathen, C Nadine; MacGregor, Jennifer C D; MacQuarrie, Barbara J

2018-07-01

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a major public health problem, and recent attention has focused on its impact on workers and workplaces. We provide findings from a pan-Canadian online survey on the relationships among IPV, work, and health. In total, 8,429 people completed the survey, 95.5% of them in English and 78.4% female. Reflecting the recruitment strategy, most (95.4%) were currently working, and unionized (81.4%). People with any lifetime IPV experience reported significantly poorer general health, mental health, and quality of life; those with both recent IPV and IPV experience over 12 months ago had the poorest health. Among those who had experienced IPV, about half reported that violence occurred at or near the workplace, and these people generally had poorer health outcomes. Employment status moderated the relationship between IPV exposure and health status, with those who were currently working and had experienced IPV having similar health status to those without IPV experience who were not employed. While there were gender differences in IPV experience, in the impacts of IPV at work, and in health status, gender did not moderate any associations. In this very large data set, we found robust relationships among different kinds of IPV exposure (current, recent, and lifetime), health and quality of life, and employment status, including the potentially protective effect of current employment on health for both women and men. Our findings may have implications for strategies to address IPV in workplaces, and should reinforce emerging evidence that IPV is also an occupational health issue.

Impact of a health promotion program on employee health risks and work productivity.

Science.gov (United States)

Mills, Peter R; Kessler, Ronald C; Cooper, John; Sullivan, Sean

2007-01-01

Evaluate the impact of a multicomponent workplace health promotion program on employee health risks and work productivity. Quasi-experimental 12-month before-after intervention-control study. A multinational corporation headquartered in the United Kingdom. Of 618 employees offered the program, 266 (43%) completed questionnaires before and after the program. A total of 1242 of 2500 (49.7%) of a control population also completed questionnaires 12 months apart. A multicomponent health promotion program incorporating a health risk appraisal questionnaire, access to a tailored health improvement web portal, wellness literature, and seminars and workshops focused upon identified wellness issues. Outcomes were (1) cumulative count of health risk factors and the World Health Organization health and work performance questionnaire measures of (2) workplace absenteeism and (3) work performance. After adjusting for baseline differences, improvements in all three outcomes were significantly greater in the intervention group compared with the control group. Mean excess reductions of 0.45 health risk factors and 0.36 monthly absenteeism days and a mean increase of 0.79 on the work performance scale were observed in the intervention group compared with the control group. The intervention yielded a positive return on investment, even using conservative assumptions about effect size estimation. The results suggest that a well-implemented multicomponent workplace health promotion program can produce sizeable changes in health risks and productivity.

Work Environment Satisfaction and Employee Health:

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gupta, Nabanita Datta; Kristensen, Nicolai

2008-01-01

  This paper investigates whether a satisfactory work environment can promote employee health even after controlling for socioeconomic status and life style factors. A dynamic panel model of health is estimated on worker samples from Denmark, France and Spain, employing both self-assessed general...

[Work organisation improvement methods applied to activities of Blood Transfusion Establishments (BTE): Lean Manufacturing, VSM, 5S].

Science.gov (United States)

Bertholey, F; Bourniquel, P; Rivery, E; Coudurier, N; Follea, G

2009-05-01

Continuous improvement of efficiency as well as new expectations from customers (quality and safety of blood products) and employees (working conditions) imply constant efforts in Blood Transfusion Establishments (BTE) to improve work organisations. The Lean method (from "Lean" meaning "thin") aims at identifying wastages in the process (overproduction, waiting, over-processing, inventory, transport, motion) and then reducing them in establishing a mapping of value chain (Value Stream Mapping). It consists in determining the added value of each step of the process from a customer perspective. Lean also consists in standardizing operations while implicating and responsabilizing all collaborators. The name 5S comes from the first letter of five operations of a Japanese management technique: to clear, rank, keep clean, standardize, make durable. The 5S method leads to develop the team working inducing an evolution of the way in the management is performed. The Lean VSM method has been applied to blood processing (component laboratory) in the Pays de la Loire BTE. The Lean 5S method has been applied to blood processing, quality control, purchasing, warehouse, human resources and quality assurance in the Rhône-Alpes BTE. The experience returns from both BTE shows that these methods allowed improving: (1) the processes and working conditions from a quality perspective, (2) the staff satisfaction, (3) the efficiency. These experiences, implemented in two BTE for different processes, confirm the applicability and usefulness of these methods to improve working organisations in BTE.

Healthy working days: The (positive) effect of work effort on occupational health from a human capital approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Urtasun, Ainhoa; Nuñez, Imanol

2018-04-01

The neoclassic economic rationale has taken for granted that the effect of effort on health is negative. However, several studies in the field of occupational health and medicine claim that working is clearly better for health than non-working or being unemployed, as some psychological and physical condition may improve with work effort. This paper analyzes the effect of work effort on occupational health. The proposed human capital approach builds upon the classic economic perspective, that assumes a negative effect of effort on health, and extends it by allowing positive effects, as suggested by occupational researchers. Using a sample from 2010 of 20,000 European workers we find that, under adequate working conditions, the level of effort (measured in working hours) at which health starts to deteriorate is very high (120 h per week). However, if working conditions are not adequate, even a moderate effort (35 h per week) can harm workers health. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Split-shift work in relation to stress, health and psychosocial work factors among bus drivers.

Science.gov (United States)

Ihlström, Jonas; Kecklund, Göran; Anund, Anna

2017-01-01

Shift work has been associated with poor health, sleep and fatigue problems and low satisfaction with working hours. However, one type of shift working, namely split shifts, have received little attention. This study examined stress, health and psychosocial aspects of split-shift schedules among bus drivers in urban transport. A questionnaire was distributed to drivers working more than 70% of full time which 235 drivers in total answered. In general, drivers working split-shift schedules (n = 146) did not differ from drivers not working such shifts (n = 83) as regards any of the outcome variables that were studied. However, when individual perceptions towards split-shift schedules were taken into account, a different picture appeared. Bus drivers who reported problems working split shifts (36%) reported poorer health, higher perceived stress, working hours interfering with social life, lower sleep quality, more persistent fatigue and lower general work satisfaction than those who did not view split shifts as a problem. Moreover, drivers who reported problems with split shifts also perceived lower possibilities to influence working hours, indicating lower work time control. This study indicates that split shifts were not associated with increased stress, poorer health and adverse psychosocial work factors for the entire study sample. However, the results showed that individual differences were important and approximately one third of the drivers reported problems with split shifts, which in turn was associated with stress, poor health and negative psychosocial work conditions. More research is needed to understand the individual and organizational determinants of tolerance to split shifts.

Why Does Disaster Recovery Work Influence Mental Health?: Pathways through Physical Health and Household Income.

Science.gov (United States)

Lowe, Sarah R; Kwok, Richard K; Payne, Julianne; Engel, Lawrence S; Galea, Sandro; Sandler, Dale P

2016-12-01

Disaster recovery work increases risk for mental health problems, yet the mechanisms underlying this association are unclear. We explored links from recovery work to post-traumatic stress (PTS), major depression (MD), and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) symptoms through physical health symptoms and household income in the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. As part of the NIEHS GuLF STUDY, participants (N = 10,141) reported on cleanup work activities, spill-related physical health symptoms, and household income at baseline, and mental health symptoms an average of 14.69 weeks (SD = 16.79) thereafter. Cleanup work participation was associated with higher physical health symptoms, which in turn were associated with higher PTS, MD, and GAD symptoms. Similar pattern of results were found in models including workers only and investigating the influence of longer work duration and higher work-related oil exposure on mental health symptoms. In addition, longer worker duration and higher work-related oil exposure were associated with higher household income, which in turn was associated with lower MD and GAD symptoms. These findings suggest that physical health symptoms contribute to workers' risk for mental health symptoms, while higher household income, potentially from more extensive work, might mitigate risk. © Society for Community Research and Action 2016.

Chronic health conditions and work ability in the ageing workforce : the impact of work conditions, psychosocial factors and perceived health

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Koolhaas, Wendy; van der Klink, Jac J. L.; de Boer, Michiel R.; Groothoff, Johan W.; Brouwer, Sandra

The aim of this study was to determine the influence of work conditions, psychosocial factors and perceived health on the association between the presence of a chronic health condition and (single-item) work ability among workers aged 45 years and older. In addition, we aimed to examine variables

Chronic health conditions and work ability in the ageing workforce: the impact of work conditions, psychosocial factors and perceived health

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Koolhaas, W.; van der Klink, J.J.L.; de Boer, M.R.; Groothoff, J.W.; Brouwer, S.

2014-01-01

Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine the influence of work conditions, psychosocial factors and perceived health on the association between the presence of a chronic health condition and (single-item) work ability among workers aged 45 years and older. In addition, we aimed to examine

Training program attracts work and health researchers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Skakon, Janne

2007-01-01

Each year in Canada, the costs of disability arising from work-related causes – including workers’ compensation and health-care costs – exceed $6.7 billion. Despite the significant financial and social impacts of worker injury and illness, only a small fraction of Canadian researchers are dedicated...... to examining work disability prevention issues. An innovative program that attracts international students, the Work Disability Prevention Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Strategic Training Program, aims to build research capacity in young researchers and to create a strong network that examines...

The Relationship and Understanding Between the Food we eat, Blood and Our Overall Health

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Irwin, Jennifer M

2005-01-01

... to someone's health depending on their blood type and the lifestyle they lead. The Health care profession predominantly focuses on curing disease while the preventative solutions are often overlooked and underestimated. Those who have...

Work-Family Life Courses and Metabolic Markers in the MRC National Survey of Health and Development.

Science.gov (United States)

Lacey, Rebecca E; Kumari, Meena; Sacker, Amanda; Stafford, Mai; Kuh, Diana; McMunn, Anne

2016-01-01

The aim was to investigate whether the combined work-family life courses of British men and women were associated with differences in metabolic markers-waist circumference, blood pressure, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, and glycated haemoglobin-in mid-life. We used data from the Medical Research Council's National Survey of Health and Development-the 1946 British birth cohort. Multi-channel sequence analysis was used to create a typology of eight work-family life course types combining information on work, partnerships and parenthood between ages 16-51. Linear regression tested associations between work-family types and metabolic outcomes at age 53 on multiply imputed data (20 imputations) of >2,400 participants. Compared with men with strong ties to employment and early transitions to family life, men who made later transitions to parenthood and maintained strong ties to paid work had smaller waist circumferences (-2.16cm, 95% CI: -3.73, -0.59), lower triglycerides (9.78% lower, 95% CI: 0.81, 17.94) and lower blood pressure (systolic: -4.03mmHg, 95% CI: -6.93, -1.13; diastolic: -2.34mmHg, 95% CI: -4.15, -0.53). Married men and women who didn't have children had increased high density lipoprotein cholesterol (7.23% higher, 95% CI: 0.68, 14.21) and lower waist circumferences (-4.67cm, 95% CI: -8.37, -0.97), respectively. For men later transitions to parenthood combined with strong ties to paid work were linked to reduced metabolic risk in mid-life. Fewer differences between work-family types and metabolic markers were seen for women.

Effects of extended work shifts and shift work on patient safety, productivity, and employee health.

Science.gov (United States)

Keller, Simone M

2009-12-01

It is estimated 1.3 million health care errors occur each year and of those errors 48,000 to 98,000 result in the deaths of patients (Barger et al., 2006). Errors occur for a variety of reasons, including the effects of extended work hours and shift work. The need for around-the-clock staff coverage has resulted in creative ways to maintain quality patient care, keep health care errors or adverse events to a minimum, and still meet the needs of the organization. One way organizations have attempted to alleviate staff shortages is to create extended work shifts. Instead of the standard 8-hour shift, workers are now working 10, 12, 16, or more hours to provide continuous patient care. Although literature does support these staffing patterns, it cannot be denied that shifts beyond the traditional 8 hours increase staff fatigue, health care errors, and adverse events and outcomes and decrease alertness and productivity. This article includes a review of current literature on shift work, the definition of shift work, error rates and adverse outcomes related to shift work, health effects on shift workers, shift work effects on older workers, recommended optimal shift length, positive and negative effects of shift work on the shift worker, hazards associated with driving after extended shifts, and implications for occupational health nurses. Copyright 2009, SLACK Incorporated.

Association of overtime work and hypertension in a Japanese working population: a cross-sectional study.

Science.gov (United States)

Imai, Teppei; Kuwahara, Keisuke; Nishihara, Akiko; Nakagawa, Tohru; Yamamoto, Shuichiro; Honda, Toru; Miyamoto, Toshiaki; Kochi, Takeshi; Eguchi, Masafumi; Uehara, Akihiko; Kuroda, Reiko; Omoto, Daisuke; Nagata, Tomohisa; Pham, Ngoc Minh; Kurotani, Kayo; Nanri, Akiko; Akter, Shamima; Kabe, Isamu; Mizoue, Tetsuya; Sone, Tomofumi; Dohi, Seitaro

2014-12-01

Long working hours have been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, but its relationship with hypertension remains unclear. The objective of this study is to examine the relationship between overtime and presence of hypertension using data from a large-scale multi-company study in Japan. Participants were 52 365 workers of four companies that provided both health-checkup data and self-reported data on overtime worked. Hypertension was defined as systolic blood pressure ≥140 mmHg, diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mmHg, and/or the use of antihypertensive drug. Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the odds ratio for hypertension for each category of overtime work (work: 17.5, 12.0, 11.1 and 9.1% for the shortest (work and presence of hypertension.

Health and psychosocial effects of flexible working hours.

Science.gov (United States)

Janssen, Daniela; Nachreiner, Friedhelm

2004-12-01

To examine whether any impairments in health and social lives can be found under different kinds of flexible working hours, and whether such effects are related to specific characteristics of these working hours. Two studies -- a company based survey (N=660) and an internet survey (N=528) -- have been conducted. The first one was a questionnaire study (paper and pencil) on employees working under some 'typical' kinds of different flexible working time arrangements in different companies and different occupational fields (health care, manufacturing, retail, administration, call centres). The second study was an internet-based survey, using an adaptation of the questionnaire from the first study. The results of both studies consistently show that high variability of working hours is associated with increased impairments in health and well-being and this is especially true if this variability is company controlled. These effects are less pronounced if variability is self-controlled; however, autonomy does not compensate the effects of variability. Recommendations for an appropriate design of flexible working hours should be developed in order to minimize any impairing effects on health and psychosocial well-being; these recommendations should include -- besides allowing for discretion in controlling one's (flexible) working hours -- that variability in flexible working hours should be kept low (or at least moderate), even if this variability is self-controlled.

The influence of psychosocial factors at work and life style on health and work ability among professional workers.

Science.gov (United States)

van den Berg, T I J; Alavinia, S M; Bredt, F J; Lindeboom, D; Elders, L A M; Burdorf, A

2008-08-01

The purpose of this article is to explore the associations of psychosocial factors at work, life style, and stressful life events on health and work ability among white-collar workers. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among workers in commercial services (n = 1141). The main outcome variables were work ability, measured by the work ability index (WAI), and mental and physical health, measured by the Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12). Individual characteristics, psychosocial factors at work, stressful life events, and lifestyle factors were determined by a questionnaire. Maximum oxygen uptake, weight, height, and biceps strength were measured during a physical examination. Work ability of white-collar workers in commercial services industry was strongly associated with psychosocial factors at work such as teamwork, stress handling, and self-development and, to a lesser extent, with stressful life events, lack of physical activity, and obesity. Determinants of mental health were very similar to those of work ability, whereas physical health was influenced primarily by life style factors. With respect to work ability, the influence of unhealthy life style seems more important for older workers, than for their younger colleagues. Among white-collar workers mental and physical health were of equal importance to work ability, but only mental health and work ability shared the same determinants. The strong associations between psychosocial factors at work and mental health and work ability suggest that in this study population health promotion should address working conditions rather than individual life style factors.

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

Science.gov (United States)

Laaksonen, Mikko; Rahkonen, Ossi; Martikainen, Pekka; Lahelma, Eero

2006-03-01

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. 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. 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. 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.

The Relationship and Understanding Between the Food we eat, Blood and Our Overall Health

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Irwin, Jennifer M

2005-01-01

... to someone's health depending on their blood type and the lifestyle they lead. The Health care profession predominantly focuses on curing disease while the preventative solutions are often overlooked and underestimated. Those who have ̀food...

Work-Related Mental Health and Job Performance: Can Mindfulness Help?

OpenAIRE

Van Gordon, W; Shonin, E; Zangeneh, M; Griffiths, MD

2014-01-01

Work-related mental health issues such as work-related stress and addiction to work impose a significant health and economic burden to the employee, the employing organization, and the country of work more generally. Interventions that can be empirically shown to improve levels of work-related mental health – especially those with the potential to concurrently improve employee levels of work performance – are of particular interest to occupational stakeholders. One such broad-application inte...

Impact of Work Task-Related Acute Occupational Smoke ...

Science.gov (United States)

Objective: A repeated measures study was used to assess the effect of work tasks on select proinflammatory biomarkers in firefighters working at prescribed burns. Methods: Ten firefighters and two volunteers were monitored for particulate matter and carbon monoxide on workdays, January-July 2015. Before and after work-shift dried blood spots were analyzed for inflammatory mediators using the Meso Scale Discovery assay, while blood smears were used to assess leukocyte parameters. Results: Firefighters lighting with drip-torches had higher cross-work-shift increases in interleukin-8, C-reactive protein, and serum amyloid A compared to holding, a task involving management of fire boundaries. A positive association between interleukin-8 and segmented-neutrophil was observed. Conclusion: Results from this study suggest that intermittent occupational diesel exposures contribute to cross-work-shift changes in host systemic innate inflammation as indicated by elevated interleukin-8 levels and peripheral blood segmented-neutrophils. The decision whether to perform a prescribed burn balances land use, risk of fire and potential health impacts. Understanding the latter requires a quick non intrusive assay which can be used to monitor the health of those exposed to smoke. This is first study to use blood smears to assess changes in systemic differential leukocyte cell populations following wood smoke exposure from prescribed burn. This research is useful for understandi

Shift work and burnout among health care workers.

Science.gov (United States)

Wisetborisut, A; Angkurawaranon, C; Jiraporncharoen, W; Uaphanthasath, R; Wiwatanadate, P

2014-06-01

Burnout, defined as a syndrome derived from prolonged exposure to stressors at work, is often seen in health care workers. Shift work is considered one of the occupational risks for burnout in health care workers. To identify and describe the association between shift work and burnout among health care workers. A cross-sectional study of health care workers in Chiang Mai University Hospital, Thailand. Data were collected via an online self-answered questionnaire and included details of shift work and burnout. Burnout was measured by the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI). Two thousand seven hundred and seventy two health care workers participated, a 52% response rate. Burnout was found more frequently among shift workers than those who did not work shifts (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.4, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.0-1.9). Among shift workers, over 10 years of being a shift worker was associated with increasing burnout (aOR 1.7, 95% CI: 1.2-2.6) and having 6-8 sleeping hours per day was associated with having less burnout (aOR 0.7, 95% CI: 0.5-0.9). Nurses who had at least 8 days off per month had lower odds of burnout compared with those with fewer than 8 days off (aOR 0.6, 95% CI: 0.5-0.8). Shift work was associated with burnout in this sample. Increased years of work as a shift worker were associated with more frequent burnout. Adequate sleeping hours and days off were found to be possible protective factors. Policies on shift work should take into account the potential of such work for contributing towards increasing burnout. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Occupational Medicine. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Work time control and mental health of workers working long hours: the role of gender and age.

Science.gov (United States)

Zołnierczyk-Zreda, Dorota; Bedyńska, Sylwia; Warszewska-Makuch, Magdalena

2012-01-01

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between work time control and mental health in workers working long hours. The study also attempted to show how that relationship depended on age and gender. Three hundred and six white-collar workers doing clerical work for over 8 h daily were diagnosed on work time control and mental health with the 28-item General Health Questionnaire. The results of an analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that participants working long hours but having high control over their work time had a significantly higher level of their mental health with regard to somatic complaints and anxiety and marginally higher with regard to social dysfunction than workers with low control over their work time. Male and female workers reported different problems with their mental health depending on what age (stage of life) they were at. It is hypothesized that the work-family conflict, inability to fulfil social commitments and poor working conditions can influence those effects.

Burnout and work environments of public health nurses involved in mental health care.

Science.gov (United States)

Imai, H; Nakao, H; Tsuchiya, M; Kuroda, Y; Katoh, T

2004-09-01

(1) To examine whether prevalence of burnout is higher among community psychiatric nurses working under recently introduced job specific work systems than among public health nurses (PHNs) engaged in other public health services. (2) To identify work environment factors potentially contributing to burnout. Two groups were examined. The psychiatric group comprised 525 PHNs primarily engaged in public mental health services at public health centres (PHCs) that had adopted the job specific work system. The control group comprised 525 PHNs primarily engaged in other health services. Pines' Burnout Scale was used to measure burnout. Respondents were classified by burnout score into three groups: A (mentally stable, no burnout); B (positive signs, risk of burnout); and C (burnout present, action required). Groups B and C were considered representative of "burnout". A questionnaire was also prepared to investigate systems for supporting PHNs working at PHCs and to define emergency mental health service factors contributing to burnout. Final respondents comprised 785 PHNs. Prevalence of burnout was significantly higher in the psychiatric group (59.2%) than in the control group (51.5%). Responses indicating lack of job control and increased annual frequency of emergency overtime services were significantly correlated with prevalence of burnout in the psychiatric group, but not in the control group. Prevalence of burnout is significantly higher for community psychiatric nurses than for PHNs engaged in other services. Overwork in emergency services and lack of job control appear to represent work environment factors contributing to burnout.

Health status, work limitations, and return-to-work trajectories in injured workers with musculoskeletal disorders

Science.gov (United States)

Franche, Renée-Louise; Hogg-Johnson, Sheilah; Côté, Pierre; Lee, Hyunmi; Severin, Colette; Vidmar, Marjan; Carnide, Nancy

2007-01-01

Background The purpose of this study was to describe the health status and work limitations in injured workers with musculoskeletal disorders at 1 month post-injury, stratified by return-to-work status, and to document their return-to-work trajectories 6 months post-injury. Methods A sample of 632 workers with a back or upper extremity musculoskeletal disorder, who filed a Workplace Safety and Insurance Board lost-time claim injury, participated in this prospective study. Participants were assessed at baseline (1 month post-injury) and at 6 months follow-up. Results One month post-injury, poor physical health, high levels of depressive symptoms and high work limitations are prevalent in workers, including in those with a sustained first return to work. Workers with a sustained first return to work report a better health status and fewer work limitations than those who experienced a recurrence of work absence or who never returned to work. Six months post-injury, the rate of recurrence of work absence in the trajectories of injured workers who have made at least one return to work attempt is high (38%), including the rate for workers with an initial sustained first return to work (27%). Conclusions There are return-to-work status specific health outcomes in injured workers. A sustained first return to work is not equivalent to a complete recovery from musculoskeletal disorders. PMID:17616838

Reducing social inequalities in health: work-related strategies.

Science.gov (United States)

Siegrist, Johannes

2002-01-01

Despite reduced health risks in terms of physical and chemical hazards current trends in occupational life continue to contribute to ill health and disease among economically active people. Stress at work plays a crucial role in this respect, as evidenced by recent scientific progress. This paper discusses two leading theoretical models of work-related stress, the demand-control model and the model of effort-reward imbalance, and it summarizes available evidence on adverse health effects. As work stress in terms of these models is more prevalent among lower socioeconomic status groups, these conditions contribute to the explanation of socially graded risks of morbidity and mortality in midlife. Implications of this new knowledge for the design and implementation of worksite health-promotion measures are elaborated. In conclusion, it is argued that workplace strategies deserve high priority on any agenda that aims at reducing social inequalities in health.

Perceived reciprocal value of health professionals' participation in global child health-related work.

Science.gov (United States)

Carbone, Sarah; Wigle, Jannah; Akseer, Nadia; Barac, Raluca; Barwick, Melanie; Zlotkin, Stanley

2017-05-22

Leading children's hospitals in high-income settings have become heavily engaged in international child health research and educational activities. These programs aim to provide benefit to the institutions, children and families in the overseas locations where they are implemented. Few studies have measured the actual reciprocal value of this work for the home institutions and for individual staff who participate in these overseas activities. Our objective was to estimate the perceived reciprocal value of health professionals' participation in global child health-related work. Benefits were measured in the form of skills, knowledge and attitude strengthening as estimated by an adapted Global Health Competency Model. A survey questionnaire was developed following a comprehensive review of literature and key competency models. It was distributed to all health professionals at the Hospital for Sick Children with prior international work experience (n = 478). One hundred fifty six health professionals completed the survey (34%). A score of 0 represented negligible value gained and a score of 100 indicated significant capacity improvement. The mean respondent improvement score was 57 (95% CI 53-62) suggesting improved overall competency resulting from their international experiences. Mean scores were >50% in 8 of 10 domains. Overall scores suggest that international work brought value to the hospital and over half responded that their international experience would influence their decision to stay on at the hospital. The findings offer tangible examples of how global child health work conducted outside of one's home institution impacts staff and health systems locally.

Giving birth and returning to work: the impact of work-family conflict on women's health after childbirth.

Science.gov (United States)

Grice, Mira M; Feda, Denise; McGovern, Patricia; Alexander, Bruce H; McCaffrey, David; Ukestad, Laurie

2007-10-01

Since 1970, women of childbearing age have increasingly participated in the workforce. However, literature on work-family conflict has not specifically addressed the health of postpartum women. This study examined the relationship between work-family conflict and mental and physical health of employed mothers 11 weeks after childbirth. Employed women, 18 years and older, were recruited while in the hospital for childbirth (N = 817; 71% response rate). Mental and physical health at 11 weeks postpartum was measured using SF-12 version 2. General linear models estimated the associations between the independent variables and health. A priori causal models and directed acyclic graphs guided selection of confounding variables. Analyses revealed that high levels of work interference with family were associated with significantly lower mental health scores. Medium and high levels of family interference with work revealed a dose-response relationship resulting in significantly worse mental health scores. Coworker support was strongly and positively associated with better physical health. Work-family conflict was negatively associated with mental health but not significantly associated with physical health. Availability of social support may relieve the burden women can experience when balancing work roles and family obligations.

The relationship between uranium in blood and the number of working years in the Syrian phosphate mines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Othman, I.

1993-01-01

Since phosphate contains uranium, workers in phosphate mines may be expected to be exposed to radioactive elements from this source. Uranium is concentrated in three main areas in the body: bone, liver and kidney. The author chose three carriers of uranium, blood, urine and hair to study the relationship between uranium concentration and the number of working years spent in the mine. Uranium was measured in samples from workers and their families by fluorimetry. The quenching effect of blood, urine and heir on uranium standards was determined. The results show that uranium concentrations (in blood) increase with the number of working year in the mine. In addition, it has also been determined that uranium concentrations in blood samples of families living near the mine are higher than those in families living in Damascus city. Finally, it has been found that hair is not a good biological indicator for this type of study. (author). 13 refs., 4 tabs., 3 figs

Between health and work

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Prendecki Krzysztof

2016-06-01

Full Text Available In this article the concept of work in the context of workers’ health is being considered. Different types of employers and their impact on quality and productivity have been analyzed. The authors mentioned also a very important and frequently occurring problem of mobbing or bullying of employees by supervisors or co-workers. Theoretical considerations have been supported by analysis of available empirical studies. Reference was made to the situation in Poland and in other countries. The last part of the article pointed out the relationship between working time and productivity. Authors quoted interesting insights and examples associated with humans’ laziness, which can achieve exactly the opposite effect.

[Work and health inequalities: The unequal distribution of exposures at work in Germany and Europe].

Science.gov (United States)

Dragano, Nico; Wahrendorf, Morten; Müller, Kathrin; Lunau, Thorsten

2016-02-01

Health inequalities in the working population may partly be due to the unequal exposure to work-related risk factors among different occupational positions. Empirical data, however, exploring the distribution of exposures at work according to occupational position for Germany is missing. This paper summarizes existing literature on occupational inequalities and discusses the role of working conditions. In addition, using European survey data, we study how various exposures at work vary by occupational class. Analyses are based on the European Working Condition Survey, and we compare the German sample (n = 2096) with the sample from the EU-27 countries (n = 34,529). To measure occupational position we use occupational class (EGP-classes). First, we describe the prevalence of 16 different exposures at work by occupational class for men and women. Second, we estimate regression models, and thereby investigate if associations between occupational class and self-perceived health are related to an unequal distribution of exposures at work. For various exposures at work we found a higher prevalence among manual workers and lower-skilled employees for both physical and psychosocial conditions. With few exceptions only, this finding was true for men and women and consistent for Germany and Europe. Results indicate that the unequal distribution of health-adverse conditions at work contribute towards existing health inequalities among the working population.

Busy yet socially engaged: volunteering, work-life balance, and health in the working population.

OpenAIRE

Ramos Romualdo; Brauchli Rebecca; Bauer Georg; Wehner Theo; Hämmig Oliver

2015-01-01

OBJECTIVE To understand the relationship between volunteering and health in the overlooked yet highly engaged working population, adopting a contextualizing balance approach. We hypothesize that volunteering may function as a psychosocial resource, contributing to work-life balance and, ultimately, health. METHODS A total of 746 Swiss workers participated in an online survey; 35% (N = 264) were additionally volunteers in a nonprofit organization. We assessed volunteering, work-life balance...

[Health and exercise: effects of exercise on high blood pressure].

Science.gov (United States)

Ikeda, M; Nanri, H; Himeno, E

1993-09-01

Many factors, such as genetic, psychological, environmental, and socioeconomical factors, influence the health of individuals. Recently behavioral risks which cause preventable chronic diseases or premature death have been increasing. These risk factors are mainly due to living habits, such as over-eating, less exercise and psychological stress. Physical activity or fitness is reported to be inversely associated with morbidity and mortality from chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases diabetes mellitus, cancer and so on. Hypertension has also been reported to be associated with low physical fitness in cross-sectional studies. We have so far reported a significant blood pressure reduction in mild hypertensive patients who completed mild intensity exercise training in well controlled studies. Exercise seemed to modify the multiple factors that might participate in raising and maintaining high blood pressure. The mechanisms of lowering blood pressure by exercise training are mainly due to a depletion of blood volume or the reduction of both cardiac output and the sympathetic tone. They were supported by the evidence of increased levels of prostaglandin E, dopamine, taurine, and decreased levels of plasma norepinephrine and endogenous ouavain-like substance. In this article, we have reviewed the physiological and biochemical roles of exercise, the effects of exercise on high blood pressure, and the hypotensive mechanism of mild aerobic exercise hypertensive patients.

The Effect of Work on Health and Work Ability

NARCIS (Netherlands)

S.M. Alavinia (Seyed Mahammad)

2008-01-01

textabstractIn many countries through the industrial world the population is aging. Despite an increased life expectancy, improved living conditions, and better health status, the average time people spend in paid work is decreasing. There are several mechanisms of withdrawal from the labor force

Enhancing retention of occupational therapists working in mental health: relationships between wellbeing at work and turnover intention.

Science.gov (United States)

Scanlan, Justin Newton; Meredith, Pamela; Poulsen, Anne A

2013-12-01

Occupational therapists working in mental health who experience burnout, low work engagement or poor job satisfaction are at risk of poor wellbeing at work and may be more likely to leave their jobs. The aim of this project was to explore factors associated with wellbeing at work and turnover intention in a sample of occupational therapists working in mental health. One hundred and three occupational therapists working in mental health in Queensland completed a survey exploring work/life balance, effort invested in work, rewards received from work, wellbeing at work (job satisfaction, burnout and work engagement) and turnover intention. Analyses were conducted to explore relationships between work/life balance, effort, reward, wellbeing at work and turnover intention. All measures of wellbeing at work were significantly associated with turnover intention. A large proportion (33%) of the variance in turnover intention was predicted by job satisfaction. Perceptions of both work/life balance and effort invested in work, as well as perceived rewards in terms of recognition, prestige and personal satisfaction were significantly associated with work-related wellbeing scores. Results from this study deepen the understanding of factors associated with wellbeing at work and turnover intention for occupational therapists in mental health. This knowledge will support the development of interventions aimed at reducing turnover intention and enhancing retention of occupational therapists in the mental health workforce. © 2013 Occupational Therapy Australia.

Episodic work-family conflict, cardiovascular indicators, and social support: an experience sampling approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Shockley, Kristen M; Allen, Tammy D

2013-07-01

Work-family conflict, a prevalent stressor in today's workforce, has been linked to several detrimental consequences for the individual, including physical health. The present study extends this area of research by examining episodic work-family conflict in relation to objectively measured cardiovascular health indicators (systolic and diastolic blood pressure and heart rate) using an experience sampling methodology. The results suggested that the occurrence of an episode of work interference with family conflict is linked to a subsequent increase in heart rate but not blood pressure; however, the relationship between episodes of family interference with work conflict and both systolic and diastolic blood pressure is moderated by perceptions of family-supportive supervision. No evidence was found for the moderating role of work-supportive family. Further theoretical and practical implications are discussed. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved.

Some Health Problems Among Working Children In Zagzig City ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: Children's increased vulnerability puts them at a high risk of work related health problems. Objectives: 1) identifying the characteristics of the child labor, work perceptions and job satisfaction among working children in Zagazig City 2) determining some health problems among them, 3) determining the ...

Preparing Master of Public Health Graduates to Work in Local Health Departments.

Science.gov (United States)

Hemans-Henry, Calaine; Blake, Janice; Parton, Hilary; Koppaka, Ram; Greene, Carolyn M

2016-01-01

To identify key competencies and skills that all master of public health (MPH) graduates should have to be prepared to work in a local health department. In 2011-2012, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene administered electronic surveys to 2 categories of staff: current staff with an MPH as their highest degree, and current hiring managers. In all, 312 (77%) staff members with an MPH as their highest degree and 170 (57%) hiring managers responded to the survey. Of the respondents with an MPH as their highest degree, 85% stated that their MPH program prepared them for work at the New York City Health Department. Skills for which MPH graduates most often stated they were underprepared included facility in using SAS® statistical software, quantitative data analysis/statistics, personnel management/leadership, and data collection/database management/data cleaning. Among the skills hiring managers identified as required of MPH graduates, the following were most often cited as those for which newly hired MPH graduates were inadequately prepared: quantitative data analysis, researching/conducting literature reviews, scientific writing and publication, management skills, and working with contracts/requests for proposals. These findings suggest that MPH graduates could be better prepared to work in a local health department upon graduation. To be successful, new MPH graduate hires should possess fundamental skills and knowledge related to analysis, communication, management, and leadership. Local health departments and schools of public health must each contribute to the development of the current and future public health workforce through both formal learning opportunities and supplementary employment-based training to reinforce prior coursework and facilitate practical skill development.

Employees' perceptions of the impact of work on health behaviours.

Science.gov (United States)

Payne, Nicola; Jones, Fiona; Harris, Peter R

2013-07-01

Research examining the impact of work on health behaviours has rarely provided a complete picture of the impact across health behaviours. Twenty-four employees were interviewed about their smoking, drinking, exercise and eating. Themes included the impact of the work environment, including policy, convenience and workplace cultural norms; business events effecting one's routine and again convenience and workplace cultural norms; being busy at work effecting time and energy for healthy behaviour; and work stress leading to health behaviours being used as coping responses on bad and good days. The impact of work is similar across health behaviours and is primarily detrimental.

Shift work and health--a critical review of the literature on working hours.

Science.gov (United States)

Harrington, J M

1994-09-01

Working outside normal hours either by extended days or shift work is a fact of industrial society. Its economic advantages must be weighed against detrimental effects on the individual worker in the form of circadian rhythm disturbance, poorer quality and quantity of sleep and increased fatigue. The link between shift work and increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality has strengthened in recent years. The case for an association with gastrointestinal disease remains quite good. Evidence of poorer work performance and increased accidents, particularly on the night shift, is persuasive, although individual factors may be as important as workplace factors. Correct shift work scheduling is important and for rotating shifts, rapid forward rotation is the least disruptive option. The compressed working week of 10 to 12-hour shifts is gaining popularity but evidence is too scant at present to suggest there are many long-term health and safety risks provided the rest day block is preserved. Optimal hours for the working week cannot be formulated on present scientific evidence, though working more than 48-56 hours a week probably carries serious health and safety implications. The inherent conflict between the interest of the worker and the enterprise over unsocial hours can be mitigated by improvements in working conditions especially at night and by advice to the worker on coping strategies. Further research is needed on the effects of the compressed working week, as well as the influence of culture, task and gender on any health effects. Studies to define individual characteristics which may cause shift work intolerance would be of great practical use.

The Implicit Contract: Implications for Health Social Work

Science.gov (United States)

McCoyd, Judith L. M.

2010-01-01

Identifying common patient dynamics is useful for developing social work practice sensitivity in health social work. This article draws on findings from a study of women who terminated desired pregnancies because of fetal anomalies and identifies dynamics that may be applicable to many health settings. Data suggest that women have expectations…

Social capital at work as a predictor of employee health: multilevel evidence from work units in Finland.

Science.gov (United States)

Oksanen, Tuula; Kouvonen, Anne; Kivimäki, Mika; Pentti, Jaana; Virtanen, Marianna; Linna, Anne; Vahtera, Jussi

2008-02-01

The majority of previous research on social capital and health is limited to social capital in residential neighborhoods and communities. Using data from the Finnish 10-Town study we examined social capital at work as a predictor of health in a cohort of 9524 initially healthy local government employees in 1522 work units, who did not change their work unit between 2000 and 2004 and responded to surveys measuring social capital at work and health at both time-points. We used a validated tool to measure social capital with perceptions at the individual level and with co-workers' responses at the work unit level. According to multilevel modeling, a contextual effect of work unit social capital on self-rated health was not accounted for by the individual's socio-demographic characteristics or lifestyle. The odds for health impairment were 1.27 times higher for employees who constantly worked in units with low social capital than for those with constantly high work unit social capital. Corresponding odds ratios for low and declining individual-level social capital varied between 1.56 and 1.78. Increasing levels of individual social capital were associated with sustained good health. In conclusion, this longitudinal multilevel study provides support for the hypothesis that exposure to low social capital at work may be detrimental to the health of employees.

The Effect of Working Hours on Health

OpenAIRE

Berniell, Maria Ines; Bietenbeck, Jan

2017-01-01

Does working time causally affect workers' health? We study this question in the context of a French reform which reduced the standard workweek from 39 to 35 hours, at constant earnings. Our empirical analysis exploits variation in the adoption of this shorter workweek across employers, which is mainly driven by institutional features of the reform and thus exogenous to workers' health. Difference-in-differences and lagged dependent variable regressions reveal a negative effect of working hou...

Quality of Working Life of cancer survivors: associations with health- and work-related variables.

Science.gov (United States)

de Jong, Merel; Tamminga, Sietske J; Frings-Dresen, Monique H W; de Boer, Angela G E M

2017-05-01

This study aimed to (1) describe the Quality of Working Life (QWL) of cancer survivors and (2) explore associations between the QWL of cancer survivors and health- and work-related variables. Employed and self-employed cancer survivors were recruited through hospitals and patient organizations. They completed the Quality of Working Life Questionnaire for Cancer Survivors (QWLQ-CS) and health- and work-related variables in this cross-sectional study. The QWL scores of cancer survivors were described, and associations between QWL and health- and work-related variables were assessed. The QWLQ-CS was completed by 302 cancer survivors (28% male) with a mean age of 52 ± 8 years. They were diagnosed between 0 and 10 years ago with various types of cancer, such as breast cancers, gastrointestinal cancers, urological cancers, and haematological cancers. The QWL mean score of cancer survivors was 75 ± 12 (0-100). Cancer survivors had statistically significant lower QWL scores when they had been treated with chemotherapy or when they reported co-morbidity (p ≤ 0.05). Cancer survivors without managerial positions, with low incomes or physically demanding work, and who worked a proportion of their contract hours had statistically significantly lower QWL scores (p ≤ 0.05). This study described the QWL of cancer survivors and associations between QWL and health- and work-related variables. Based on these variables, it is possible to indicate groups of cancer survivors who need more attention and support regarding QWL and work continuation.

Higher risks when working unusual times? A cross-validation of the effects on safety, health, and work-life balance.

Science.gov (United States)

Greubel, Jana; Arlinghaus, Anna; Nachreiner, Friedhelm; Lombardi, David A

2016-11-01

Replication and cross-validation of results on health and safety risks of work at unusual times. Data from two independent surveys (European Working Conditions Surveys 2005 and 2010; EU 2005: n = 23,934 and EU 2010: n = 35,187) were used to examine the relative risks of working at unusual times (evenings, Saturdays, and Sundays) on work-life balance, work-related health complaints, and occupational accidents using logistic regression while controlling for potential confounders such as demographics, work load, and shift work. For the EU 2005 survey, evening work was significantly associated with an increased risk of poor work-life balance (OR 1.69) and work-related health complaints (OR 1.14), Saturday work with poor work-life balance (OR 1.49) and occupational accidents (OR 1.34), and Sunday work with poor work-life balance (OR 1.15) and work-related health complaints (OR 1.17). For EU 2010, evening work was associated with poor work-life balance (OR 1.51) and work-related health complaints (OR 1.12), Saturday work with poor work-life balance (OR 1.60) and occupational accidents (OR 1.19) but a decrease in risk for work-related health complaints (OR 0.86) and Sunday work with work-related health complaints (OR 1.13). Risk estimates in both samples yielded largely similar results with comparable ORs and overlapping confidence intervals. Work at unusual times constitutes a considerable risk to social participation and health and showed structurally consistent effects over time and across samples.

Work stress and health effects among university personnel.

Science.gov (United States)

Donders, N C G M; van der Gulden, J W J; Furer, J W; Tax, B; Roscam Abbing, E W

2003-10-01

(1) To investigate the contribution of job characteristics and personal characteristics to the explanation of health effects among university personnel; (2) to investigate the differences between scientific personnel (SP) and non-scientific personnel (NSP); (3) to investigate whether health effects occurred one after another. The well being at work of employees at a Dutch university (n=2,522) was investigated by means of a questionnaire. A model was constructed in which several job and personal characteristics were set out against health effects. The latter were assumed to occur in phases: decreased "job satisfaction" as an early effect, followed by increased "tension" and "emotional exhaustion", and possibly also by increased "perceived health complaints". The contribution of job and personal characteristics to the explanation of health effects was investigated by means of linear regression analysis, with separate analyses for SP and NSP. Positive job characteristics, especially professional expertise and work variety, contributed to the explanation of "job satisfaction". The major contributors to "tension" and "emotional exhaustion" were negative characteristics, such as work pressure. Besides the negative aspects, the major contributors to the explanation of "perceived health complaints" were sex, age and other health effects. In NSP, social support contributed to the explanation of "tension" and "emotional exhaustion", but not in SP. The explained variance of "job satisfaction" by the positive job characteristics in NSP was much higher than that in SP. To investigate whether health effects occurred one after another, we considered explained variance. Explained variance in "job satisfaction" was much higher than in "perceived health complaints". "Emotional exhaustion" and "tension" were in between. Contrary to expectations, decision latitude and social support played only minor roles. Also, the differences between SP and NSP were smaller than expected. As

Recovery Processes During and After Work: Associations With Health, Work Engagement, and Job Performance.

Science.gov (United States)

de Bloom, Jessica; Kinnunen, Ulla; Korpela, Kalevi

2015-07-01

We examined energy management during work, recovery experiences after work and their connections to health, work engagement, and job performance. An online survey was completed by 1208 Finnish employees. Energy management was assessed through 13 strategies and recovery experiences through four experiences. As outcomes of recovery, we examined self-reported health, work engagement, and job performance. On average, employees applied three energy management strategies. The most beneficial strategies were work-related: shifting focus, goal setting, and helping coworkers. Both energy management and recovery experiences contributed to the outcomes. Employees benefit in terms of energy from shifting their focus to positive aspects of their jobs and demonstrating proactive social behavior at work. Recovery processes during and after work are closely connected to each other, to well-being and performance at work.

[Work days lost due to health problems in industry].

Science.gov (United States)

Yano, Sylvia Regina Trindade; Santana, Vilma Sousa

2012-05-01

This cross-sectional study estimated the prevalence of work days lost due to health problems and associated factors among industrial workers. The study population was a simple random cluster sample of 3,403 workers from 16 to 65 years of age in the city of Salvador, Bahia State, Brazil. Data were collected with individual home interviews. Among industrial workers, one-year prevalence of work days lost to health problems was 12.5%, of which 5.5% were directly work-related and 4.1% aggravated by work. There were no statistically significant differences when compared to other worker categories. Self-perceived workplace hazards, history of work-related injury, and poor self-rated health were associated with work days lost due to work-related injuries/diseases. The findings showed that work days lost are common among both industrial and non-industrial workers, thereby affecting productivity and requiring prevention programs.

Work Ability Index (WAI) and its health-related determinants among Iranian farmers working in small farm enterprises.

Science.gov (United States)

Rostamabadi, Akbar; Mazloumi, Adel; Rahimi Foroushani, Abbas

2014-01-01

This study aimed to determine the Work Ability Index (WAI) and examine the influence of health dimensions and demographic variables on the work ability of Iranian farmers working in small farm enterprises. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 294 male farmers. The WAI and SF-36 questionnaires were used to determine work ability and health status. The effect of demographics variables on the work ability index was investigated with the independent samples t-test and one-way ANOVA. Also, multiple linear regression analysis was used to test the association between the mean WAI score and the SF-36 scales. The mean WAI score was 35.1 (SD=10.6). One-way ANOVA revealed a significant relationship between the mean WAI and age. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that work ability was more influenced by physical scales of the health dimensions, such as physical function, role-physical, and general health, whereas a lower association was found for mental scales such as mental health. The average WAI was at a moderate work ability level for the sample population of farmers in this study. Based on the WAI guidelines, improvement of work ability and identification of factors affecting it should be considered a priority in interventional programs. Given the influence of health dimensions on WAI, any intervention program for preservation and promotion of work ability among the studied farmers should be based on balancing and optimizing the physical and psychosocial work environments, with a special focus on reducing physical work load.(J Occup Health 2014; 56: 478-484).

Work Process in Primary Health Care: action research with Community Health Workers.

Science.gov (United States)

Cordeiro, Luciana; Soares, Cassia Baldini

2015-11-01

The aim of this article was to describe and analyze the work of community health workers (CHW). The main objective of study was to analyze the development process of primary health care practices related to drug consumption. The study is based on the Marxist theoretical orientation and the action research methodology, which resulted in the performance of 15 emancipatory workshops. The category work process spawned the content analysis. It exposed the social abandonment of the environment in which the CHWs work is performed. The latter had an essential impact on the identification of the causes of drug-related problems. These findings made it possible to criticize the reiterative, stressful actions that are being undertaken there. Such an act resulted in raising of the awareness and creating the means for political action. The CHWs motivated themselves to recognize the object of the work process in primary health care, which they found to be the disease or addiction in the case of drug users. They have criticized this categorization as well as discussed the social division of work and the work itself whilst recognizing themselves as mere instruments in the work process. The latter has inspired the CHW to become subjects, or co-producers of transformations of social needs.

Work-related stress management between workplace and occupational health care.

Science.gov (United States)

Kinnunen-Amoroso, Maritta; Liira, Juha

2016-06-13

Work-related stress has been evaluated as one of the most important health risks in Europe. Prevention of work related stress and interventions to reduce risk factors for stress in the workplace are conducted together by the enterprise and occupational health services. The aim of the study was to examine the experiences of Finnish occupational physicians on the stress management with enterprises. From the Finnish Association of Occupational Health Physicians membership list 207 physicians responded to self-administered anonymous questionnaire. The data were analysed using SPSS 17.0. The client enterprises contacted occupational health services frequently about work-related stress. Collaboration between occupational health and enterprises was strongest in companies' own occupational health services and generally with most experienced physicians. Occupational health services and enterprises shared responsibility for managing work-related stress. Professional experience and close contact with organisation management favours successful stress management between occupational health and enterprises.

Work, obesity, and occupational safety and health.

Science.gov (United States)

Schulte, Paul A; Wagner, Gregory R; Ostry, Aleck; Blanciforti, Laura A; Cutlip, Robert G; Krajnak, Kristine M; Luster, Michael; Munson, Albert E; O'Callaghan, James P; Parks, Christine G; Simeonova, Petia P; Miller, Diane B

2007-03-01

There is increasing evidence that obesity and overweight may be related, in part, to adverse work conditions. In particular, the risk of obesity may increase in high-demand, low-control work environments, and for those who work long hours. In addition, obesity may modify the risk for vibration-induced injury and certain occupational musculoskeletal disorders. We hypothesized that obesity may also be a co-risk factor for the development of occupational asthma and cardiovascular disease that and it may modify the worker's response to occupational stress, immune response to chemical exposures, and risk of disease from occupational neurotoxins. We developed 5 conceptual models of the interrelationship of work, obesity, and occupational safety and health and highlighted the ethical, legal, and social issues related to fuller consideration of obesity's role in occupational health and safety.

Using conceptual work products of health care to design health IT.

Science.gov (United States)

Berry, Andrew B L; Butler, Keith A; Harrington, Craig; Braxton, Melissa O; Walker, Amy J; Pete, Nikki; Johnson, Trevor; Oberle, Mark W; Haselkorn, Jodie; Paul Nichol, W; Haselkorn, Mark

2016-02-01

This paper introduces a new, model-based design method for interactive health information technology (IT) systems. This method extends workflow models with models of conceptual work products. When the health care work being modeled is substantially cognitive, tacit, and complex in nature, graphical workflow models can become too complex to be useful to designers. Conceptual models complement and simplify workflows by providing an explicit specification for the information product they must produce. We illustrate how conceptual work products can be modeled using standard software modeling language, which allows them to provide fundamental requirements for what the workflow must accomplish and the information that a new system should provide. Developers can use these specifications to envision how health IT could enable an effective cognitive strategy as a workflow with precise information requirements. We illustrate the new method with a study conducted in an outpatient multiple sclerosis (MS) clinic. This study shows specifically how the different phases of the method can be carried out, how the method allows for iteration across phases, and how the method generated a health IT design for case management of MS that is efficient and easy to use. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The hematocrit paradox--how does blood doping really work?

Science.gov (United States)

Böning, D; Maassen, N; Pries, A

2011-04-01

The wide-spread assumption that doping with erythropoietin or blood transfusion is only effective by increasing arterial blood O2 content because of rising hematocrit is not self-evident. "Natural blood dopers" (horses, dogs) increase both hematocrit and circulating blood volume during exercise by releasing stored erythrocytes from the spleen. Improvement of aerobic performance by augmenting hemoglobin concentration may be expected until the optimal hematocrit is reached; above this value maximal cardiac output declines due to the steep increase of blood viscosity. Therefore an enlarged blood oxygen content might only be useful if the normal hematocrit of man during exercise is suboptimal. However, recent studies suggest that cardiac power rises after erythropoietin allowing an unchanged cardiac output in spite of increased viscosity. Other factors underlying improved performance after blood doping might be: augmented diffusion capacity for oxygen in lungs and tissues, increased percentage of young red cells with good functional properties (after erythropoietin), increased buffer capacity, increase of blood volume, vasoconstriction, reduced damage by radicals, mood improvement by cerebral effects of erythropoietin. Also the importance of placebo is unknown since double-blind studies are rare. It is suggested that blood doping has multifactorial effects not restricted to the increase in arterial oxygen content. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Take your blood pressure to heart! Screening programme 13-17 October

CERN Multimedia

2014-01-01

The silent health threat, high blood pressure, can only be detected by regular blood pressure tests. In Switzerland, one in four people suffer from high blood pressure without being aware of it.  A screening programme will take place from 13 to 17 October 2014 at the Medical Service Infirmary, Building 57, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 1.30 to 4.30 p.m. Blood pressure tests, advice and general information on high blood pressure will be available to everyone working at CERN. Medical Service

Strategic transformation of population studies: recommendations of the working group on epidemiology and population sciences from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Advisory Council and Board of External Experts.

Science.gov (United States)

Roger, Véronique L; Boerwinkle, Eric; Crapo, James D; Douglas, Pamela S; Epstein, Jonathan A; Granger, Christopher B; Greenland, Philip; Kohane, Isaac; Psaty, Bruce M

2015-03-15

In 2013, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute assembled a working group on epidemiology and population sciences from its Advisory Council and Board of External Experts. The working group was charged with making recommendations to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Advisory Council about how the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute could take advantage of new scientific opportunities and delineate future directions for the epidemiology of heart, lung, blood, and sleep diseases. Seven actionable recommendations were proposed for consideration. The themes included 1) defining the compelling scientific questions and challenges in population sciences and epidemiology of heart, lung, blood, and sleep diseases; 2) developing methods and training mechanisms to integrate "big data" science into the practice of epidemiology; 3) creating a cohort consortium and inventory of major studies to optimize the efficient use of data and specimens; and 4) fostering a more open, competitive approach to evaluating large-scale longitudinal epidemiology and population studies. By building on the track record of success of the heart, lung, blood, and sleep cohorts to leverage new data science opportunities and encourage broad research and training partnerships, these recommendations lay a strong foundation for the transformation of heart, lung, blood, and sleep epidemiology. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

The association between work-life balance and health status among Korean workers.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Eunsuk; Kim, Jiyun

2017-01-01

Although the relationship between work-life balance (WLB) and health is well known, it has been poorly studied in Korea. This study investigated factors related to WLB for Korean workers, including working time features and the relationships between WLB and health outcomes. Data were obtained from the third Korean Working Conditions Survey, which examined a representative working population. This study investigated general characteristics, working time characteristics, work related health, and WLB. A multivariate logistic regression was used to test the associations between WLB and health outcome variables, including general health status, mental health, work-related risks to health and safety, sickness absenteeism, presenteeism, musculoskeletal disease, headache/eyestrain, and fatigue. General characteristics including gender, age, working sector, occupation, and employment type were found to be related to WLB. Moreover, working time characteristics were found to be strongly related to WLB. In addition, WLB was significantly related to various health outcomes. Our findings indicate that WLB is strongly related to health outcomes among Korean workers. The results suggest that there is a need for interventions that focus on implementing working time strategies for better health.

Conflicts at work--the relationship with workplace factors, work characteristics and self-rated health.

Science.gov (United States)

Oxenstierna, Gabriel; Magnusson Hanson, Linda L; Widmark, Maria; Finnholm, Kristina; Stenfors, Cecilia; Elofsson, Stig; Theorell, Töres

2011-01-01

Few studies have considered the work environment in relation to workplace conflicts and those who have been published have included relatively few psychosocial work environment factors. Little research has been published on the consequences of workplace conflicts in terms of employee health. In this study, the statistical relationships between work and workplace characteristics on one hand and conflicts on the other hand are examined. In addition, the relationship between conflicts at work and self-rated health are described. The study population was derived from the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health (SLOSH) 2006; n=5,141. Among employees at workplaces with more than 20 employees (n=3,341), 1,126 (33.7%) responded that they had been involved in some type of conflict during the two years preceding the survey. Among the work and workplace characteristics studied, the following factors were independently associated with increased likelihood of ongoing conflicts: Conflicting demands, emotional demands, risk of transfer or dismissal, poor promotion prospects, high level of employee influence and good freedom of expression. Factors that decreased the likelihood of ongoing conflicts were: Good resources, good relations with management, good confidence in management, good procedural justice (fairness of decisions) and good social support. After adjustment for socioeconomic conditions the odds ratio for low self-rated health associated with ongoing conflict at work was 2.09 (1.60-2.74). The results provide a good starting point for intervention and prevention work.

The correlation between serum leptin and blood pressure after exposure to noise at work

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muayad S Rahma

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Several epidemiologic studies have reported that exposure to noise is associated with cardiovascular disease. The increased body weight is often associated with metabolic as well as increased blood pressure. The aim of this study is to investigate the correlation between the elevation of blood pressure and serum leptin hormones due to the effects of noise in the work place. A total of 80 volunteer males where included in this study with an age range between of 20 and 45 years, they were divided in two groups equally, the 1 st group were exposed to noise in the workplace while the 2 nd group were not. The individual noise exposure was determined by using a sound level meter. The range of noise was 80-100 dBA. Body Mass Index was also taken for each individual by a standard measure, blood pressure was measured by OMRON sphygmomanometer and serum leptin was measured through venous blood sample analysis enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Spearman rank order correlation was used to examine the correlations between Blood pressure value (Systolic, Diastolic and Leptin. All the relationships between parameters showed a positive correlation. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure values had a significant correlation to leptin hormone level in comparison to the control. There was a significant relation between leptin and blood pressure. leptin effects on the sympathetic nervous system may provide a partial explanation. Therefore, Leptin might have diverse cardiovascular actions.

Cost effectiveness of cord blood versus bone marrow and peripheral blood stem cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thomas Bart

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Thomas BartSwiss Blood Stem Cells, Bern, SwitzerlandAbstract: Umbilical cord blood (CB has become, since its first successful use more than two decades ago, an increasingly important source of blood stem cells. In this light, an overview of current usage of CB in the field of unrelated hematopoietic blood stem cell transplantation (HSCT is given. The three main sources of hematopoietic stem cells: bone marrow (BM, peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC, and cord blood (CB are compared as regards their current quantitative usage in HSCT. A cost analysis of the named three hematopoietic blood stem cell (HSC sources, taking into account various factors, is undertaken. The health economical comparison shows significant differences between CB on the one side, and BM and PBSC on the other. The consequences for the public health side and propositions for a possible health care policy, especially regarding future resource allocation towards the different choices for HSCT products, are discussed. An outlook on the possible future usage of BM, PBSC, and CB and its implications on health systems, donor registries, and CB banks is given.Keywords: health economy, cord blood, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

Hyperglycemia (High Blood Glucose)

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... Blood Pressure Physical Activity High Blood Glucose My Health Advisor Tools To Know Your Risk Alert Day ... DKA (Ketoacidosis) & Ketones Kidney Disease (Nephropathy) Gastroparesis Mental Health Step On Up Treatment & Care Blood Glucose Testing ...

Work stress and mental health in a changing society.

Science.gov (United States)

Kopp, Maria S; Stauder, Adrienne; Purebl, György; Janszky, Imre; Skrabski, Arpád

2008-06-01

The aim of this representative study in the Hungarian population was to analyse the association between work-related factors and self-reported mental and physical health after controlling for negative affect and hostility as personality traits. The effects of job related factors on Beck Depression Score, WHO well-being score and self-rated health (SRH) were analysed in a representative sample of 3153 male and 2710 female economically active Hungarians. In both genders negative affect was the most important correlate of depression, well-being and SRH, whereas hostility was closely associated only with depression. Job insecurity, low control and low social support at work, weekend work hours, job-related life events and dissatisfaction with work and with boss were independent mental health risk factors, but there were important gender differences. Job related factors seem to be equally important predictors of mental health as social support from family. The results of this large national representative study indicate that independent of negative affect and hostility, a cluster of stressful work-related psychosocial conditions accounts for a substantial part of variation in self-reported mental and physical health of the economically active population in Hungary.

Cohort profile: the lidA Cohort Study-a German Cohort Study on Work, Age, Health and Work Participation.

Science.gov (United States)

Hasselhorn, Hans Martin; Peter, Richard; Rauch, Angela; Schröder, Helmut; Swart, Enno; Bender, Stefan; du Prel, Jean-Baptist; Ebener, Melanie; March, Stefanie; Trappmann, Mark; Steinwede, Jacob; Müller, Bernd Hans

2014-12-01

The lidA Cohort Study (German Cohort Study on Work, Age, Health and Work Participation) was set up to investigate and follow the effects of work and work context on the physical and psychological health of the ageing workforce in Germany and subsequently on work participation. Cohort participants are initially employed people subject to social security contributions and born in either 1959 (n = 2909) or 1965 (n = 3676). They were personally interviewed in their homes in 2011 and will be visited every 3 years. Data collection comprises socio-demographic data, work and private exposures, work ability, work and work participation attitudes, health, health-related behaviour, personality and attitudinal indicators. Employment biographies are assessed using register data. Subjective health reports and physical strength measures are complemented by health insurance claims data, where permission was given. A conceptual framework has been developed for the lidA Cohort Study within which three confirmatory sub-models assess the interdependencies of work and health considering age, gender and socioeconomic status. The first set of the data will be available to the scientific community by 2015. Access will be given by the Research Data Centre of the German Federal Employment Agency at the Institute for Employment Research (http://fdz.iab.de/en.aspx). © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the International Epidemiological Association.

Improving work functioning and mental health of health care employees using an e-mental health approach to workers' health surveillance: pretest-posttest study.

Science.gov (United States)

Ketelaar, Sarah M; Nieuwenhuijsen, Karen; Bolier, Linda; Smeets, Odile; Sluiter, Judith K

2014-12-01

Mental health complaints are quite common in health care employees and can have adverse effects on work functioning. The aim of this study was to evaluate an e-mental health (EMH) approach to workers' health surveillance (WHS) for nurses and allied health professionals. Using the waiting-list group of a previous randomized controlled trial with high dropout and low compliance to the intervention, we studied the pre- and posteffects of the EMH approach in a larger group of participants. We applied a pretest-posttest study design. The WHS consisted of online screening on impaired work functioning and mental health followed by online automatically generated personalized feedback, online tailored advice, and access to self-help EMH interventions. The effects on work functioning, stress, and work-related fatigue after 3 months were analyzed using paired t tests and effect sizes. One hundred and twenty-eight nurses and allied health professionals participated at pretest as well as posttest. Significant improvements were found on work functioning (p = 0.01) and work-related fatigue (p Work functioning had relevantly improved in 30% of participants. A small meaningful effect on stress was found (Cohen d = .23) in the participants who had logged onto an EMH intervention (20%, n = 26). The EMH approach to WHS improves the work functioning and mental health of nurses and allied health professionals. However, because we found small effects and participation in the offered EMH interventions was low, there is ample room for improvement.

Health problems due to long working hours in Japan: working hours, workers' compensation (Karoshi), and preventive measures.

Science.gov (United States)

Iwasaki, Kenji; Takahashi, Masaya; Nakata, Akinori

2006-10-01

Late in the 1970s, serious social concern over health problems due to long working hours has arisen in Japan. This report briefly summarizes the Japanese circumstances about long working hours and what the Government has achieved so far. The national statistics show that more than 6 million people worked for 60 h or more per week during years 2000 and 2004. Approximately three hundred cases of brain and heart diseases were recognized as labour accidents resulting from overwork (Karoshi) by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) between 2002 and 2005. Consequently, the MHLW has been working to establish a more appropriate compensation system for Karoshi, as well as preventive measures for overwork related health problems. In 2001, the MHLW set the standards for clearly recognizing Karoshi in association with the amount of overtime working hours. These standards were based on the results of a literature review and medical examinations indicating a relationship between overwork and brain and heart diseases. In 2002, the MHLW launched the program for the prevention of health impairment due to overwork, and in 2005 the health guidance through an interview by a doctor for overworked workers has been enacted as law. Long working hours are controversial issues because of conflicts between health, safety, work-life balance, and productivity. It is obvious that we need to continue research regarding the impact on worker health and the management of long working hours.

Depression in working adults: comparing the costs and health outcomes of working when ill.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fiona Cocker

Full Text Available Working through a depressive illness can improve mental health but also carries risks and costs from reduced concentration, fatigue, and poor on-the-job performance. However, evidence-based recommendations for managing work attendance decisions, which benefit individuals and employers, are lacking. Therefore, this study has compared the costs and health outcomes of short-term absenteeism versus working while ill ("presenteeism" amongst employed Australians reporting lifetime major depression.Cohort simulation using state-transition Markov models simulated movement of a hypothetical cohort of workers, reporting lifetime major depression, between health states over one- and five-years according to probabilities derived from a quality epidemiological data source and existing clinical literature. Model outcomes were health service and employment-related costs, and quality-adjusted-life-years (QALYs, captured for absenteeism relative to presenteeism, and stratified by occupation (blue versus white-collar.Per employee with depression, absenteeism produced higher mean costs than presenteeism over one- and five-years ($42,573/5-years for absenteeism, $37,791/5-years for presenteeism. However, overlapping confidence intervals rendered differences non-significant. Employment-related costs (lost productive time, job turnover, and antidepressant medication and service use costs of absenteeism and presenteeism were significantly higher for white-collar workers. Health outcomes differed for absenteeism versus presenteeism amongst white-collar workers only.Costs and health outcomes for absenteeism and presenteeism were not significantly different; service use costs excepted. Significant variation by occupation type was identified. These findings provide the first occupation-specific cost evidence which can be used by clinicians, employees, and employers to review their management of depression-related work attendance, and may suggest encouraging employees to

Depression in working adults: comparing the costs and health outcomes of working when ill.

Science.gov (United States)

Cocker, Fiona; Nicholson, Jan M; Graves, Nicholas; Oldenburg, Brian; Palmer, Andrew J; Martin, Angela; Scott, Jenn; Venn, Alison; Sanderson, Kristy

2014-01-01

Working through a depressive illness can improve mental health but also carries risks and costs from reduced concentration, fatigue, and poor on-the-job performance. However, evidence-based recommendations for managing work attendance decisions, which benefit individuals and employers, are lacking. Therefore, this study has compared the costs and health outcomes of short-term absenteeism versus working while ill ("presenteeism") amongst employed Australians reporting lifetime major depression. Cohort simulation using state-transition Markov models simulated movement of a hypothetical cohort of workers, reporting lifetime major depression, between health states over one- and five-years according to probabilities derived from a quality epidemiological data source and existing clinical literature. Model outcomes were health service and employment-related costs, and quality-adjusted-life-years (QALYs), captured for absenteeism relative to presenteeism, and stratified by occupation (blue versus white-collar). Per employee with depression, absenteeism produced higher mean costs than presenteeism over one- and five-years ($42,573/5-years for absenteeism, $37,791/5-years for presenteeism). However, overlapping confidence intervals rendered differences non-significant. Employment-related costs (lost productive time, job turnover), and antidepressant medication and service use costs of absenteeism and presenteeism were significantly higher for white-collar workers. Health outcomes differed for absenteeism versus presenteeism amongst white-collar workers only. Costs and health outcomes for absenteeism and presenteeism were not significantly different; service use costs excepted. Significant variation by occupation type was identified. These findings provide the first occupation-specific cost evidence which can be used by clinicians, employees, and employers to review their management of depression-related work attendance, and may suggest encouraging employees to continue

Factors Affecting Blood Pressure in Women with Hypertension Who Were Referred to Beyrag Health House - Tabriz 1391

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sirvan Majidi

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Background and Objective: The prevalence of hypertension in general is estimated about 18.4%   and women are more affected than men. The overall aim of this study was to investigate factors that increase blood pressure in women with hypertension from the perspective of those who were referred to health house of Beyrag village. Material and Methods : This is a study qualitative. Statistical population of this study was  65 women with high blood pressure that were referred to health house in Beyrag village which were chosen by simple sampling method and interviewed individually and in groups. Results : The findings showed that the majority of people with high blood pressure believe that stress and anxiety of routine problems in life are the main causes of their disease. Many interviewees named income and socioeconomic status as the most affecting factors on their health status. Other affecting factors included lack of exercise, poor physical statues and poor diet. Conclusion :  The study indicated that the majority of people who participated in this survey used excessive amount of salt and fat due to lack of knowledge about their side effects.  Also, according to the results of this study, economy is recognized as a major factor which has a significant impact on human health. Consequently, strategies to improve the health status of women with high blood pressure are advised as follows: 1- modification of lifestyle 2 – healthy diet 3 - light exercise and walking 4 - Stress and anxiety control 5 - regular blood pressure measurement 6 - improving the rural economy. ​

Dietary sodium and health: more than just blood pressure.

Science.gov (United States)

Farquhar, William B; Edwards, David G; Jurkovitz, Claudine T; Weintraub, William S

2015-03-17

Sodium is essential for cellular homeostasis and physiological function. Excess dietary sodium has been linked to elevations in blood pressure (BP). Salt sensitivity of BP varies widely, but certain subgroups tend to be more salt sensitive. The mechanisms underlying sodium-induced increases in BP are not completely understood but may involve alterations in renal function, fluid volume, fluid-regulatory hormones, the vasculature, cardiac function, and the autonomic nervous system. Recent pre-clinical and clinical data support that even in the absence of an increase in BP, excess dietary sodium can adversely affect target organs, including the blood vessels, heart, kidneys, and brain. In this review, the investigators review these issues and the epidemiological research relating dietary sodium to BP and cardiovascular health outcomes, addressing recent controversies. They also provide information and strategies for reducing dietary sodium. Copyright © 2015 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Health Outcomes and Costs of Social Work Services: A Systematic Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Steketee, Gail; Ross, Abigail M; Wachman, Madeline K

2017-12-01

Efforts to reduce expensive health service utilization, contain costs, improve health outcomes, and address the social determinants of health require research that demonstrates the economic value of health services in population health across a variety of settings. Social workers are an integral part of the US health care system, yet the specific contributions of social work to health and cost-containment outcomes are unknown. The social work profession's person-in-environment framework and unique skillset, particularly around addressing social determinants of health, hold promise for improving health and cost outcomes. To systematically review international studies of the effect of social work-involved health services on health and economic outcomes. We searched 4 databases (PubMed, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Social Science Citation Index) by using "social work" AND "cost" and "health" for trials published from 1990 to 2017. Abstract review was followed by full-text review of all studies meeting inclusion criteria (social work services, physical health, and cost outcomes). Of the 831 abstracts found, 51 (6.1%) met criteria. Full text review yielded 16 studies involving more than 16 000 participants, including pregnant and pediatric patients, vulnerable low-income adults, and geriatric patients. We examined study quality, health and utilization outcomes, and cost outcomes. Average study quality was fair. Studies of 7 social work-led services scored higher on quality ratings than 9 studies of social workers as team members. Most studies showed positive effects on health and service utilization; cost-savings were consistent across nearly all studies. Despite positive overall effects on outcomes, variability in study methods, health problems, and cost analyses render generalizations difficult. Controlled hypothesis-driven trials are needed to examine the health and cost effects of specific services delivered by social workers independently and through interprofessional team

[Structural Equation Modeling of Quality of Work Life in Clinical Nurses based on the Culture-Work-Health Model].

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Miji; Ryu, Eunjung

2015-12-01

The purpose of this study was to construct and test a structural equation model of quality of work life for clinical nurses based on Peterson and Wilson's Culture-Work-Health model (CWHM). A structured questionnaire was completed by 523 clinical nurses to analyze the relationships between concepts of CWHM-organizational culture, social support, employee health, organizational health, and quality of work life. Among these conceptual variables of CWHM, employee health was measured by perceived health status, and organizational health was measured by presenteeism. SPSS21.0 and AMOS 21.0 programs were used to analyze the efficiency of the hypothesized model and calculate the direct and indirect effects of factors affecting quality of work life among clinical nurses. The goodness-of-fit statistics of the final modified hypothetical model are as follows: χ²=586.03, χ²/df=4.19, GFI=.89, AGFI=.85, CFI=.91, TLI=.90, NFI=.89, and RMSEA=.08. The results revealed that organizational culture, social support, organizational health, and employee health accounted for 69% of clinical nurses' quality of work life. The major findings of this study indicate that it is essential to create a positive organizational culture and provide adequate organizational support to maintain a balance between the health of clinical nurses and the organization. Further repeated and expanded studies are needed to explore the multidimensional aspects of clinical nurses' quality of work life in Korea, including various factors, such as work environment, work stress, and burnout.

Shifting schedules: the health effects of reorganizing shift work.

Science.gov (United States)

Bambra, Clare L; Whitehead, Margaret M; Sowden, Amanda J; Akers, Joanne; Petticrew, Mark P

2008-05-01

Approximately one fifth of workers are engaged in some kind of shift work. The harmful effects of shift work on the health and work-life balance of employees are well known. A range of organizational interventions has been suggested to address these negative effects. This study undertook the systematic review (following Quality Of Reporting Of Meta [QUORUM] analyses guidelines) of experimental and quasi-experimental studies, from any country (in any language) that evaluated the effects on health and work-life balance of organizational-level interventions that redesign shift work schedules. Twenty-seven electronic databases (medical, social science, economic) were searched. Data extraction and quality appraisal were carried out by two independent reviewers. Narrative synthesis was performed. The review was conducted between October 2005 and November 2006. Twenty-six studies were found relating to a variety of organizational interventions. No one type of intervention was found to be consistently harmful to workers. However, three types were found to have beneficial effects on health and work-life balance: (1) switching from slow to fast rotation, (2) changing from backward to forward rotation, and (3) self-scheduling of shifts. Improvements were usually at little or no direct organizational cost. However, there were concerns about the generalizability of the evidence, and no studies reported on impacts on health inequalities. This review reinforces the findings of epidemiologic and laboratory-based research by suggesting that certain organizational-level interventions can improve the health of shift workers, their work-life balance, or both. This evidence could be useful when designing interventions to improve the experience of shift work.

The association of IgA deficiency on infection rate, self-perceived health, and levels of C-reactive protein in healthy blood donors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hauge, Sabina Chaudhary; Jensen, Charlotte Kæstel; Nielsen, Leif Kofoed

2018-01-01

The clinical importance of immunoglobulin A (IgA) deficiency in otherwise healthy individuals is not well described. We aimed to investigate the self-reported mental and physical health and the risk of infection in IgA-deficient blood donors compared to healthy control blood donors. Infectious...... events, recorded in public health registries either as prescriptions filled of any antimicrobial medicine or as hospital infections, were compared between 177 IgA-deficient blood donors and 1770 control blood donors. A subset of the IgA-deficient donors were further characterized by self-reported health...... was found with hospital infections (hazard ratio = 1.02, p = 0.95) or self-reported physical health (p = 0.86). IgA-deficient blood donors have impaired self-reported mental health, enhanced inflammation and possibly an increased risk of infection. Despite these findings, this study does not provide...

[Duration of work absence attributable to non work-related diseases by health regions in catalonia].

Science.gov (United States)

Torá Rocamora, Isabel; Martínez Martínez, José Miguel; Delclos Clanchet, Jordi; Jardí Lliberia, Josefina; Alberti Casas, Constança; Serra Pujadas, Consol; Manzanera López, Rafael; Benavides, Fernando G

2010-01-01

This study analyze the duration of episodes of work absence due to non work-related diseases in Catalonia by health regions, assuming a homogeneous distribution of durations between health regions. A retrospective cohort study of 811.790 episodes in 2005 and followed to episode closure through July 2007 provided by the Institut Català d'Avaluacions Mèdiques, describing their median duration (MD) in days for each of the seven health regions of Catalonia. The probability of returning to work was plotted according to Wang_Chang survival curves and median durations were then compared using the Barcelona health region as the referent group. Results were extended through stratification by sex. The Camp de Tarragona health region had the shortest MD (5 days), while the episodes in the Alt Pirineu i Aran region had the longest (MD, 13 days). The Barcelona health region had a MD of 7 days as was the case for Cataluña Central. MD in Girona was 8 days, and in Lleida and Terres de l'Ebre it was 9 days. This latter region also had the highest median duration 13 days. The are significant differences in the duration of work absence between the health regions of Catalonia. These differences persisted after adjusting for age, management of episodes and social security system status, in both men and women.

Working time, health and safety a research synthesis paper

OpenAIRE

Tucker, Philip; Folkard, Simon

2012-01-01

Outlines contemporary trends, developments and effects with regard to different aspects of working time, such as hours of work and work schedules. Examines the impact of modern working time arrangements on workers' health, well-being and workplace safety. Argues that while long daily hours tend to be associated with acute effects of fatigue, long weekly hours tend to be associated both with acute effects of fatigue as well as chronic fatigue, generating long-term negative health effects. Look...

Health Effects of Vanpooling to Work.

Science.gov (United States)

Robbins, Wendie A; Berman, Barbara A; Stone, Dawn S

2015-12-01

Shared commutes to work, such as vanpooling, benefit the environment and provide economic gain for riders in terms of fuel costs, parking fees, and personal vehicle wear and tear. Although ride sharing is commonly believed to promote health through stress reduction, published evidence on this topic is limited, and findings vary. This study explored the perceived health and well-being of vanpoolers using a qualitative, descriptive design. Five focus groups of vanpoolers and two individual interviews with drivers were conducted (N=40 participants). Stress, change in sleep patterns, and interpersonal relationships emerged as major themes. Employee insights about the impact of vanpooling on work productivity and how employer commitment to the vanpool program influences the vanpool experience also were important findings. © 2015 The Author(s).

Prevalence of Blood-Borne Viruses in Health Care Workers of a Northern District in Pakistan: Risk Factors and Preventive Behaviors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muhammad Zuhaib Khan

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Background. Blood-borne viral infections like viral hepatitis are highly prevalent in Pakistan. There is also a potential threat of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV spread in the country. Health care workers (HCWs are a high risk population for acquiring such viral infections and potential spread to the patients. This study aimed to determine the frequency of three blood-borne viruses: HCV, HBV, and HIV in HCWs of district Malakand in northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK province of Pakistan. Moreover, risk factors and preventive behaviors among HCWs were investigated in detail. Materials and Methods. Prevalence was investigated using serological assays followed by real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR based characterization. A total of 626 health care workers working at 17 different health care units, belonging to 6 different job categories, were included in this study. Results. HIV was not detected in the HCWs while rate of prevalence of HCV and HBV was far less (0.8 % and 0.64 %, resp. as compared to general population (4.7%–38%. The majority of HCWs were aware of the mode of spread of these viruses and associated risk factors. Needle stick injury was found to be the most important risk factor for possible acquisition of these infections.

The impact of shift and night work on health related quality of life of working women: findings from the Korea Health Panel.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Woorim; Kim, Tae Hyun; Lee, Tae-Hoon; Choi, Jae Woo; Park, Eun-Cheol

2016-11-28

Night and shift work status has been associated with health related quality of life (HRQoL) in economically active women. This study aimed to investigate the association between night or shift work status and HRQoL of economically active women and to further analyze how marital status interplays in the objected relationship. Data were from the Korea Health Panel, 2011 to 2013. A total of 2238 working women were included for analysis. Work status was categorized into day work, night work, and rotating shift work and its association with HRQoL, measured using the EuroQol-5D (EQ-5D) index, was investigated using the generalized estimating equation (GEE) model. Compared to the day work reference group, the night work group (β: -0.9757, P = 0.0202) and the rotating shift work group (β: -0.7947, P = 0.0363) showed decreases in EQ-5D scores. This trend was maintained regardless of marital status, although decreases in health related quality of life were particularly pronounced among night shift workers with a spouse. Night and rotating shift work status was associated with HRQoL of economically active women as individuals working night and rotating shifts showed decreases in EQ-5D scores compared to individuals working day shifts. The findings of this study signify the importance of monitoring the HRQoL status of women working night and rotating shifts as these individuals may be comparatively vulnerable to reduced HRQoL.

Health and Work of the Elderly

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lindeboom, Maarten; Kerkhofs, Marcel

2002-01-01

This paper aims to exp1ore the interre1ation between hea1th and work decisions of e1der1y workers, taking the various ways in which hea1th and work can influence each other exp1icitly into account. For this, two issues are of re1evance. Se1f-assessed health measures are usually at hand in

International society of blood transfusion working party on red cell immunogenetics and terminology: report of the Seoul and London meetings

Science.gov (United States)

Storry, J. R.; Castilho, L.; Chen, Q.; Daniels, G.; Denomme, G.; Flegel, W. A.; Gassner, C.; de Haas, M.; Hyland, C.; Keller, M.; Lomas-Francis, C.; Moulds, J. M.; Nogues, N.; Olsson, M. L.; Peyrard, T.; van der Schoot, C. E.; Tani, Y.; Thornton, N.; Wagner, F.; Wendel, S.; Westhoff, C.; Yahalom, V.

2017-01-01

The Working Party has met twice since the last report: in Seoul, South Korea 2014, and in London, UK 2015, both in association with the International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT) Congress. As in previous meetings, matters pertaining to blood group antigen nomenclature were discussed. Eleven new blood group antigens were added to seven blood group systems. This brings the current total of blood group antigens recognized by the ISBT to 346, of which 308 are clustered within 36 blood groups systems. The remaining 38 antigens are currently unassigned to a known blood group system. PMID:29093749

Analysis of blood glucose distribution characteristics in a health examination population in Chengdu (2007–2015)

OpenAIRE

Huang, Wenxia; Xu, Wangdong; Zhu, Ping; Yang, Hanwei; Su, Linchong; Tang, Huairong; Liu, Yi

2017-01-01

Abstract With socioeconomic growth and cultural changes in China, the level of blood glucose may have changed in recent years. This study aims to detect the blood glucose distribution characteristics with a large size of health examination population. A total of 641,311 cases (360,259 males and 281,052 females) more than 18 years old during 2007 to 2015 were recruited from the Health Examination Center at West China hospital, Sichuan University. The percentage of cases with abnormal glucose l...

Occupational health care return-to-work practices for workers with job burnout.

Science.gov (United States)

Kärkkäinen, Riitta; Saaranen, Terhi; Räsänen, Kimmo

2018-02-23

Occupational health care supports return to work in cases of burnout; however, there is little research on return-to-work practices. To describe occupational health care return-to-work practices for workers with burnout and to identify potential for the development of the practices. Open-ended interviews and essays were used to collect data from 25 occupational health care professionals. A qualitative content analysis method was used. Occupational health care was involved in the return-to-work support in the off-work, work re-entry and maintenance phases during the return-to-work process. However, occupational health care had no influence in the advancement phase. The key return-to-work actions were: (i) defining burnout, (ii) supporting disengagement from work, (iii) supporting recovery, (iv) determining the return-to-work goal, (v) supporting re-engagement with work, (vi) monitoring the job-person match, (vii) re-evaluating the return-to-work goal, (viii) supporting the maintenance of the achieved return-to-work goal, and, where appropriate, (ix) supporting an alternative return-to-work goal. There were varied return-to-work practices among the occupational health care centers evaluated. The occupational health care return-to-work practices for workers with burnout are described with recommendations to further develop common practice guidelines.

The effect of aerobic exercise training on work ability of midwives working in health care centers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zahra Abedian

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Background & aim: Maintaining and improving the work ability are important social goals, which challenge the health care and rehabilitation systems as well as health providers. The physical and mental health status affect the work ability. Regarding this, the current study aimed to investigate the effect of aerobic training on the work ability of the midwives in the health care centers of Mashhad, Iran in 2013. Methods: This randomized clinical trial was conducted on 60 midwives working in the health centers of Mashhad, Iran, using purposeful sampling method. The health care centers were selected randomly, and then assigned into the intervention and control groups. Subsequently, the intervention group performed aerobic exercise for 24 sessions. Data collection was performed using the work ability index and the Bruce test (to compare the fitness of the participants at the pre- and post-intervention stages. For data analysis, the two-way ANOVA, Mann-Whitney U, and Chi-square tests as well as independent and paired sample t-tests were employed, using SPSS version 19. The P-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: According to the results of the study, the mean score of work ability was significantly higher in the intervention group than that in the control group (40.5±4.9 vs. 36.4± 5.3, respectively; P=0.004. Furthermore, there was a significant difference between the two groups regarding the two variables including work ability compared with life time best (P

Relations between mental health team characteristics and work role performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Fleury, Marie-Josée; Grenier, Guy; Bamvita, Jean-Marie; Farand, Lambert

2017-01-01

Effective mental health care requires a high performing, interprofessional team. Among 79 mental health teams in Quebec (Canada), this exploratory study aims to 1) determine the association between work role performance and a wide range of variables related to team effectiveness according to the literature, and to 2) using structural equation modelling, assess the covariance between each of these variables as well as the correlation with other exogenous variables. Work role performance was measured with an adapted version of a work role questionnaire. Various independent variables including team manager characteristics, user characteristics, team profiles, clinical activities, organizational culture, network integration strategies and frequency/satisfaction of interactions with other teams or services were analyzed under the structural equation model. The later provided a good fit with the data. Frequent use of standardized procedures and evaluation tools (e.g. screening and assessment tools for mental health disorders) and team manager seniority exerted the most direct effect on work role performance. While network integration strategies had little effect on work role performance, there was a high covariance between this variable and those directly affecting work role performance among mental health teams. The results suggest that the mental healthcare system should apply standardized procedures and evaluation tools and, to a lesser extent, clinical approaches to improve work role performance in mental health teams. Overall, a more systematic implementation of network integration strategies may contribute to improved work role performance in mental health care.

A technology-supported collaboration between a health plan and a community pharmacy to improve blood pressure control.

Science.gov (United States)

Frail, Caitlin K; Cooper, Susan; Gallagher, Tim; Sarkis, Josh; Topor, Laura; Bruzek, Richard J

To assess the impact of a health plan and community pharmacy partnership to improve blood pressure control. A midwestern health plan and a regional community pharmacy chain. Health plan members with a hypertension diagnosis and attributed to the pharmacy chain based on prescription claims were invited to participate. Interested patients enrolled in the program at their pharmacies and were assigned a "smart card" for use with a blood pressure kiosk in the pharmacy. When the card was used at the kiosk, individual patient readings were linked directly to their electronic pharmacy record and an online patient portal. Pharmacists intervened with patients and prescribers as necessary to address adherence issues and adjust therapy as needed. Before and after blood pressure readings were assessed to determine the impact of patient self-monitoring and pharmacist intervention for patients with 1) uncontrolled blood pressure at first reading and 2) multiple readings throughout the pilot period. Fifty-six of 276 eligible patients (20%) were enrolled in the program. Fourteen patients qualified for before and after assessments, having uncontrolled blood pressure on initial reading and multiple readings throughout the pilot. These patients demonstrated a mean reduction in systolic blood pressure of 12 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure of 8 mm Hg. Nine of 16 eligible pharmacy locations enrolled patients at their sites. Challenges faced in the initiative included gaining adequate pharmacist and patient engagement. The pilot demonstrated promising early results in a model that has potential to improve blood pressure monitoring and management in a community pharmacy setting. Copyright © 2017 American Pharmacists Association®. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The healthy donor effect impacts self-reported physical and mental health - results from the Danish Blood Donor Study (DBDS)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rigas, A S; Skytthe, A; Erikstrup, C

2017-01-01

AIMS: This study aimed at quantifying the healthy donor effect by comparing self-perceived mental and physical health between blood donors and non-donors. BACKGROUND: In theory, the selection process known as the healthy donor effect should result in better self-perceived, health-related quality...... of life in donors than in non-donors. METHODS: The Short Form-12 data from the Danish Twin Registry (DTR) was compared with the data from the Danish Blood Donor Study (DBDS). Data on age, sex and smoking status were included in the analyses. The multivariable linear regression analysis was stratified......-perceived mental health was associated with a blood donor. With the increase in age, better self-perceived physical health was associated with blood donation....

Blood Sugar - Multiple Languages

Science.gov (United States)

... Mass Health Promotion Clearinghouse Massachusetts Department of Public Health Fasting Blood Sugar Test - español (Spanish) Bilingual PDF Health Information Translations Ukrainian (українська ) Expand Section Fasting Blood ...

Work motivation in health care: a scoping literature review.

Science.gov (United States)

Perreira, Tyrone A; Innis, Jennifer; Berta, Whitney

2016-12-01

The aim of this scoping literature review was to examine and summarize the factors, context, and processes that influence work motivation of health care workers. A scoping literature review was done to answer the question: What is known from the existing empirical literature about factors, context, and processes that influence work motivation of health care workers? This scoping review used the Arksey and O'Malley framework to describe and summarize findings. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were developed to screen studies. Relevant studies published between January 2005 and May 2016 were identified using five electronic databases. Study abstracts were screened for eligibility by two reviewers. Following this screening process, full-text articles were reviewed to determine the eligibility of the studies. Eligible studies were then evaluated by coding findings with descriptive labels to distinguish elements that appeared pertinent to this review. Coding was used to form groups, and these groups led to the development of themes. Twenty-five studies met the eligibility criteria for this literature review. The themes identified were work performance, organizational justice, pay, status, personal characteristics, work relationships (including bullying), autonomy, organizational identification, training, and meaningfulness of work. Most of the research involved the use of surveys. There is a need for more qualitative research and for the use of case studies to examine work motivation in health care organizations. All of the studies were cross-sectional. Longitudinal research would provide insight into how work motivation changes, and how it can be influenced and shaped. Several implications for practice were identified. There is a need to ensure that health care workers have access to training opportunities, and that autonomy is optimized. To improve work motivation, there is a need to address bullying and hostile behaviours in the workplace. Addressing the factors that

Effects of new ways of working on work hours and work location, health and job-related outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Nijp, Hylco H; Beckers, Debby G J; van de Voorde, Karina; Geurts, Sabine A E; Kompier, Michiel A J

2016-01-01

New ways of working (NWW) is a type of work organization that is characterized by temporal and spatial flexibility, often combined with extensive use of information and communication technologies (ICT) and performance-based management. In a three-wave intervention study, we examined the effects of NWW on both the organization of work (changes in control over time and place of work; working hours and work location; and other key job characteristics), and on employees' outcomes (work-nonwork balance; health and well-being; and job-related outcomes). We applied a quasi-experimental design within a large Dutch financial company (N = 2,912). We studied an intervention group (n = 2,391) and made comparisons with a reference group (n = 521). There were three study waves: (i) one/two months before, and (ii) 4 months and (iii) 10 months after implementation of NWW. Repeated measures analyses of covariance (involving 361 participants from the intervention group and 80 participants from the reference group) showed a large and significant shift from hours worked at the office to hours worked at home after implementation of NWW. Accordingly, commuting time was reduced. Employees remained working on week days and during day time. Psychosocial work-characteristics, work-nonwork balance, stress, fatigue, and job-related outcomes remained favourable and largely unaffected, but the health score in the intervention group decreased (medium effect). These findings suggest that the implementation of NWW does not necessarily lead to changes in psychosocial work characteristics, well-being or job-related outcomes.

A Safe and Healthful Work Environment: Development and Testing of an Undergraduate Occupational Health Nursing Curriculum.

Science.gov (United States)

McCullagh, Marjorie C; Berry, Peggy

2015-08-01

Occupational health nursing focuses on promotion and restoration of health, prevention of illness and injury, protection from work-related and environmental hazards, and corporate profitability. Quality education about the relationship between work and health is critical for nurses' success regardless of work setting, and is consistent with Healthy People 2020 goals, but is lacking or limited in some programs. This report introduces an innovative occupational health nursing curriculum for students enrolled in baccalaureate nursing programs. The process of designing and pilot testing this novel curriculum, its alignment with nursing competencies, and its format and learning activities are described. Preparing professional nurses to understand the role of the occupational health nurse and the relationship between work and health is an essential curricular consideration for contemporary nursing education. © 2015 The Author(s).

Exploring novice nurses' needs regarding their work-related health: a qualitative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Ketelaar, Sarah M; Nieuwenhuijsen, Karen; Frings-Dresen, Monique H W; Sluiter, Judith K

2015-10-01

To investigate Dutch novice nurses' experiences and needs regarding occupational health support to prevent work-related health problems and to keep them well-functioning. A qualitative interview study was conducted with six nursing students and eight newly qualified nurses. The interviews covered three topics: experiences with the link between work and health, received occupational health support, and occupational health support needs. Data were analysed using a grounded theory approach. Participants reported experiences with work-related health problems early in their career and described experiences with how health problems lead to suboptimal work functioning. Occupational health support needs included knowledge and psychosocial support during nursing education, e.g. through paying attention to dealing with shift work, or career counselling. Also, they reported a need for knowledge and psychosocial support at the start of their clinical placement or new job in the hospital, e.g. information from occupational health services or having a mentor. Furthermore, they reported that occupational health support requires a more general place at work through offering knowledge, e.g. tailored advice on proper lifting position; psychosocial support, e.g. positive team atmosphere; and physical support, e.g. suitable preventive measures. Occupational health support for novice nurses is important, since they already experience work-related health problems and suboptimal work functioning due to health problems early in their career and while still in training to be a nurse. Novice nurses should be given more knowledge and support to help them stay healthy and well-functioning in their work. This is a joint responsibility of nurse educators, the employer and occupational health services.

Blood Selenium Associated with Health and Fertility in Norwegian Dairy Herds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kommisrud E

2006-12-01

Full Text Available A survey of blood selenium (Se concentrations in Norwegian Red heifers and dry period cows was conducted to reveal possible association to management, feeding, health and fertility. Selenium contents were determined in 254 herd blood samples consisting of pooled samples from individual non-lactating animals from herds in 5 counties. The Se concentrations showed a normal distribution with mean 0.09 μg Se/g blood, with a standard deviation (SD of 0.05, and ranged from 0.02 to 0.23 μg/g, with 50 % of the samples being between 0.06 and 0.11 μg/g. The herds with Se concentrations below 0.06 μg/g were smaller (21.4 ± 8.7 cow-years than those with Se levels above 0.11 μg/g (27.5 ± 14.1 cow-years (P pre partum and decreased incidence of mastitis, ovarian cysts and anoestrus/silent oestrus post partum.

Health, Work Intensity, and Technological Innovations

OpenAIRE

Raouf Boucekkine; Natali Hritonenko; Yuri Yatsenko

2013-01-01

Work significantly affects human life and health. Overworking may decrease the quality of life and cause direct economic losses. Technological innovations encourage modernization of firms' capital and improve labor productivity in the workplace. The paper investigates the optimal individual choice of work intensity under improving technology embodied in new equipment leading to shorter lifetime of capital goods (obsolescence). The balanced growth trajectories are analyzed in this context to f...

Health consequences of shift work and insufficient sleep.

Science.gov (United States)

Kecklund, Göran; Axelsson, John

2016-11-01

This review summarises the literature on shift work and its relation to insufficient sleep, chronic diseases, and accidents. It is based on 38 meta-analyses and 24 systematic reviews, with additional narrative reviews and articles used for outlining possible mechanisms by which shift work may cause accidents and adverse health. Evidence shows that the effect of shift work on sleep mainly concerns acute sleep loss in connection with night shifts and early morning shifts. A link also exists between shift work and accidents, type 2 diabetes (relative risk range 1.09-1.40), weight gain, coronary heart disease (relative risk 1.23), stroke (relative risk 1.05), and cancer (relative risk range 1.01-1.32), although the original studies showed mixed results. The relations of shift work to cardiometabolic diseases and accidents mimic those with insufficient sleep. Laboratory studies indicate that cardiometabolic stress and cognitive impairments are increased by shift work, as well as by sleep loss. Given that the health and safety consequences of shift work and insufficient sleep are very similar, they are likely to share common mechanisms. However, additional research is needed to determine whether insufficient sleep is a causal pathway for the adverse health effects associated with shift work. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Work Health & Safety legislation; the fire engineer’s neglected duty?

OpenAIRE

P.A. (Tony) Enright

2014-01-01

Fire engineers are in general, aware of their duties under Building legislation. However, they are often unfamiliar of separate duties under Work Health and Safety legislation. This paper describes an Australian case-study, but one that is presented generally so as to have applicability in those other jurisdictions where similar Work Health and Safety obligations exist. As society becomes safer, Work Health and Safety has evolved from being solely about the employer–employee relationshi...

Burnout syndrome among physicians working in primary health care ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Objective: The aim of the study was to reveal extent of burnout problem among primary care physicians and the socio-demographic factors affecting its occurrence. Methods: The target population included all physicians working in these two health regions in Kuwait. Two hundred physicians working in the primary health ...

The Association between Long Working Hours and Self-Rated Health

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Objectives This study was conducted to determine the number of hours worked per week by full-time wage workers by using the data of the Korean Labor and Income Panel Study (KLIPS), which represents the domestic urban area household, and to determine the association between weekly working hours and the level of self-rated health. Methods We used data from the 11th KLIPS conducted in 2008. The subjects of this study were 3,699 full-time wage workers between the ages of 25 and 64 years. The association between weekly working hours and self-rated health was analyzed considering socio-demographic characteristics, work environment, and health-related behaviors. Results Among the workers, 29.7% worked less than 40 hours per week; 39.7%, more than 40 to 52 hours; 19.7%, more than 52 to 60 hours; and 10.9%, more than 60 hours per week. After controlling for socio-demographic variables, work environment-related variables, and health-related behavior variables, the odds ratio (OR) for poor self-rated health for the group working more than 40 hours and up to 52 hours was calculated to be 1.06 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.89-1.27) when the group working less than 40 hours per week was considered the reference. The OR for the group working more than 60 hours was 1.42 (95% CI, 1.10-1.83) and that for the group working more than 52 hours and up to 60 hours was 1.07 (95% CI, 0.86-1.33). After stratification by gender and tenure, the OR of the female workers group and that of the group with a tenure of more than 1 year were found to be significantly higher than those of the other groups. Conclusions This study showed that workers working more than 60 hours per week have a significantly higher risk of poor self-rated health than workers working less than 40 hours per week. This effect was more obvious for the female workers group and the group with a tenure of more than 1 year. In the future, longitudinal studies may be needed to determine the association between long working

The Association between Long Working Hours and Self-Rated Health.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Jun-Taek; Lee, Goeun; Kwon, Jongho; Park, Jung-Woo; Choi, Hyunrim; Lim, Sinye

2014-01-20

This study was conducted to determine the number of hours worked per week by full-time wage workers by using the data of the Korean Labor and Income Panel Study (KLIPS), which represents the domestic urban area household, and to determine the association between weekly working hours and the level of self-rated health. We used data from the 11th KLIPS conducted in 2008. The subjects of this study were 3,699 full-time wage workers between the ages of 25 and 64 years. The association between weekly working hours and self-rated health was analyzed considering socio-demographic characteristics, work environment, and health-related behaviors. Among the workers, 29.7% worked less than 40 hours per week; 39.7%, more than 40 to 52 hours; 19.7%, more than 52 to 60 hours; and 10.9%, more than 60 hours per week. After controlling for socio-demographic variables, work environment-related variables, and health-related behavior variables, the odds ratio (OR) for poor self-rated health for the group working more than 40 hours and up to 52 hours was calculated to be 1.06 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.89-1.27) when the group working less than 40 hours per week was considered the reference. The OR for the group working more than 60 hours was 1.42 (95% CI, 1.10-1.83) and that for the group working more than 52 hours and up to 60 hours was 1.07 (95% CI, 0.86-1.33). After stratification by gender and tenure, the OR of the female workers group and that of the group with a tenure of more than 1 year were found to be significantly higher than those of the other groups. This study showed that workers working more than 60 hours per week have a significantly higher risk of poor self-rated health than workers working less than 40 hours per week. This effect was more obvious for the female workers group and the group with a tenure of more than 1 year. In the future, longitudinal studies may be needed to determine the association between long working hours and various health effects in Korean

Experts: hospitals can improve care, save health care dollars by cracking down on unnecessary blood transfusions.

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Leading health care quality organizations say that blood transfusions are among the most overused treatments. The problem wastes a precious resource as well as health care dollars, continues to stretch what is known to be in short supply in some parts of the country. Part of the problem is continued adherence to an outdated medical practice that calls for transfusions when they are not medically necessary. Also, experts say many guidelines are vague regarding hemoglobin triggers. However, education coupled with IT-driven interventions can help hospitals make dramatic improvements in their blood usage, potentially preserving blood products for patients who really need them. The American Red Cross says that blood use rose by 40% in the United States between 1994 and 2008. Studies show there is wide variation regarding when blood transfusions are called for by practitioners. The latest research suggests hemoglobin thresholds of 7 or 8 grams per deciliter are acceptable, although practitioners often call for transfusions when hemoglobin is at 10 grams per deciliter. Of particular importance to EDs, the lower hemoglobin triggers don't always apply to actively bleeding patients. Through a comprehensive blood conservation program, Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, ME, has been able to nearly halve the number of patients who now receive transfusions without negatively impacting patient care. Also, the program has saved the hospital more than $5 million in blood costs.

Prevention and management of work-related cardiovascular disorders

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Akizumi Tsutsumi

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Cardiovascular disorders (CVDs constitute a major burden for health of working populations throughout the world with as much as 50% of all causes of death and at least 25% of work disability. There are some changes in CVD risk factors among occupational classes. This is mainly due to the new types of work-related causes of morbidity associated with the recent developments in global work life, particularly in the industrialized countries. Meanwhile, in the developing countries or those in transition (e.g., in Eastern Europe, CVD mortality is increasing due to major socioeconomic changes, the demographic transition and rapid industrialisation and urbanisation, all leading to growing challenges to cardiovascular health. Better control of known risk factors (i.e., smoking, obesity, physical inactivity, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and high blood glucose is effective to prevent CVD incidence. But the expected improvement has not been achieved. The obstacles of achieving such impact are due to lack of awareness, lack of policies and their implementation into practice and shortage of infrastructures and human resources. These are needed for wide-scale and long-term programme implementation. Considering the WHO Global Strategy on Occupational Health for All, the WHO Global Action Plan on Workers’ Health, the WHO Programme on Prevention of Non-communicable Diseases and the ILO Decent Work agenda, the 6th ICOH International Conference on Work Environment and Cardiovascular Diseases adopted the Tokyo Declaration.

Association between religiousness and blood donation among Brazilian postgraduate students from health-related areas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Edson Zangiacomi Martinez

2014-06-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the association between religiousness and blood donation among postgraduate students.METHODS: The Portuguese-language version of the Duke University Religion Index was administered to a sample of 226 Brazilian students with ages ranging from 22 to 55 years. All study participants had completed undergraduate courses in health-related areas.RESULTS: In the present study, 23.5% of the students were regular donors. Organizational religiousness was found to be associated with attitudes related to blood donation. This study also shows evidence that regular blood donors have a higher intrinsic religiousness than subjects who donate only once and do not return.CONCLUSION: This study shows that the attitudes concerning blood donation may have some association with religiosity.

Transfusion transmissible infections among healthy blood donors at blood bank from children's hospital and institute of child health lahore

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zameer, M.; Shahzad, F.; Khan, F.S.; Farooq, M.; Ali, H.; Saeed, U.

2017-01-01

Objective: To determine the frequency of HIV, HBV, HCV, syphilis and malaria in blood donors at Children Hospital and Institute of Child Health (ICH), Lahore and compare with other local and international published data. Study Design: Descriptive study. Place and Duration of Study: This was conducted at the blood bank of Children's Hospital and ICH, Lahore from October 2015 to February 2016. Patient and Methods: All adult male blood donors who had donated blood during above mentioned period, between 18 to 55 years of age were included in this study. Each and every donor was subjected to a predetermined, prepared questionnaire to find out their eligibility for donation. All blood donors' serum samples were screened for HBsAg, Anti-HCV, syphilis, HIV and malaria by immuno chromatography technique according to manufacturer instruction. Results: Statistical analysis showed that out of 10,048 blood donors, 7.94 percent (n=798) were infected with any one of the above mentioned diseases and 92.05 percent (n=9,250) had no infection. The overall frequency of HBsAg, HCV, HIV, syphilis and malaria were found to be 1.59 percent, 3.75 percent, 0.11 percent, 2.08 percent and 0.39 percent respectively. The co-infections of HCV + Syphilis, HBsAg + HCV, HBsAg + Syphilis, HCV + malarial parasite (M.P) and HBsAg + HIV + syphilis was 0.12 percent, 0.11 percent, 0.01 percent and 0.0099 percent respectively. Conclusion: There is a decreasing trend of HBsAg, HCV infections but increasing trend of HIV and syphilis infections in blood donors that is an alarming situation. (author)

Working on wellness (WOW): a worksite health promotion intervention programme

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kolbe-Alexander, T.L.; Proper, K.I.; Lambert, E.V.; van Wier, M.F.; van Wier, M.F.; Pillay, J.; Nossel, C.; Adonis, L.; van Mechelen, W.

2012-01-01

Background: Insufficient PA has been shown to cluster with other CVD risk factors including insufficient fruit and vegetable intake, overweight, increased serum cholesterol concentrations and elevated blood pressure. This paper describes the development of Working on Wellness (WOW), a worksite

A constructivist grounded theory of generalist health professionals and their mental health work.

Science.gov (United States)

Brunero, Scott; Ramjan, Lucie M; Salamonson, Yenna; Nicholls, Daniel

2018-05-30

Generalist health professionals, often without formal mental health training, provide treatment and care to people with serious mental illness who present with physical health problems in general hospital settings. This article will present findings from a constructivist grounded theory study of the work delivered by generalist health staff to consumers with mental illness on the general medical/surgical wards of two metropolitan hospitals in Sydney, Australia. The results analysed included three participant observations, two focus groups, and 21 interviews and hospital policy and protocol documents. A substantive theory of mental health work in general hospital settings is illustrated which conceptualizes the following categories: (i) the experience: conflicting realities and ideals; (ii) The Context: facilitating social distancing; and (iii) the social processes: invisibility affecting confidence. The categories are understood through the theoretical lens of symbolic interactionism with the theory providing insights into how the generalist health professionals understand their sense of self or identity. © 2018 Australian College of Mental Health Nurses Inc.

Work environment and health among Swedish livestock workers

OpenAIRE

Kolstrup, Christina

2008-01-01

During the last decades, Swedish livestock farming has undergone considerable structural changes and technical development, which have influenced the work environment and health of the workers in several ways. The general aim of the studies was to investigate the work environment and health among Swedish livestock workers on large modern dairy and pig farms. The studies were mainly based on questionnaires. The results showed that the livestock workers reported high frequencies of musculoskele...

Work-related psychological health among clergywomen in Australia

OpenAIRE

Robbins, Mandy; Francis, Leslie J.; Powell, Ruth, Ph.D.

2012-01-01

Drawing on the classic model of balanced affect, the Francis Burnout Inventory conceptualises good work-related psychological health among clergy in terms of negative affect being balanced by positive affect. This paper sets out to explore the relationship between work-related psychological health and psychological type (as assessed by the Francis Psychological-Type Scales) among a sample of 212 Australian clergywomen who completed the National Church Life Survey Form L in 2006. The data supp...

Socioeconomic inequalities in health in the working population: the contribution of working conditions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

C.Th.M. Schrijvers (Carola); H. van de Mheen (Dike); K. Stronks (Karien); J.P. Mackenbach (Johan)

1998-01-01

textabstractBACKGROUND: The aim was to study the impact of different categories of working conditions on the association between occupational class and self-reported health in the working population. METHODS: Data were collected through a postal survey conducted in 1991

Shift Work and Health: Current Problems and Preventive Actions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giovanni Costa

2010-12-01

Full Text Available The paper gives an overview of the problems to be tackled nowadays by occupational health with regards to shift work as well as the main guidelines at organizational and medical levels on how to protect workers’ health and well-being. Working time organization is becoming a key factor on account of new technologies, market globalization, economic competition, and extension of social services to general populations, all of which involve more and more people in continuous assistance and control of work processes over the 24 hours in a day. The large increase of epidemiological and clinical studies on this issue document the severity of this risk factor on human health and well being, at both social and psychophysical levels, starting from a disruption of biological circadian rhythms and sleep/wake cycle and ending in several psychosomatic troubles and disorders, likely also including cancer, and extending to impairment of performance efficiency as well as family and social life. Appropriate interventions on the organization of shift schedules according to ergonomic criteria and careful health surveillance and social support for shift workers are important preventive and corrective measures that allow people to keep working without significant health impairment.

Gender and Ageing at Work in Chile: Employment, Working Conditions, Work-Life Balance and Health of Men and Women in an Ageing Workforce.

Science.gov (United States)

Vives, Alejandra; Gray, Nora; González, Francisca; Molina, Agustín

2018-04-18

In Chile, working after retirement age has grown substantially over the last years. This, in addition to the country's current discussion about extending retirement age, motivates the need of generating evidence on the occupational health and safety of the working old, with a special focus on women, who are critically disadvantaged in Chile's labour market. The objective of this paper is to describe and compare the ageing workforce of women and men in Chile in terms of labour market participation, employment and working conditions, work-life balance, and health. The social determinants of health and employment sustainability frameworks guide this study. Cross-sectional data from three publicly available sources: the Chilean Labour Force Survey, NENE (2010); the first Chilean Employment and working conditions survey, ENETS (2009-2010) and the second National Health Survey, ENS (2009). Participation rates and employment conditions (NENE and ENETS), working conditions, occupational health and work-life balance (ENETS) and chronic health conditions (ENS) were described by 5-year age groups separately for women and men. Descriptions cover all age groups in order to identify trends and patterns characteristic of older workers. Rates of occupation decrease sharply after age 54 in women and 59 in men. Ageing women and men who continue to work are more likely to be in own-account (self-employed) work than younger workers; in the case of women, in households as domestic workers, and men, in agriculture. Social protection and workplace rights are markedly reduced in older workers. Part-time work increases from the age of 50 onwards, especially among women, but average working hours do not decrease under 30 h a week for either women or men. Interestingly, between ages 60 and 64, there is a peak increase of day and night shift-work among women, which co-occurs with a peak in domestic work, possibly corresponding to women working as caretakers of elderly people. Several

The role of work ability and health on sustaining employability

NARCIS (Netherlands)

T.I.J. van den Berg (Tilja)

2010-01-01

textabstractThis thesis aimed to contribute to the understanding of the role of decreased work ability and ill health on work participation and work performance of older workers. The longitudinal study on the role of four different health measures on exit from paid employment among workers aged 50

Return to work, economic hardship, and women's postpartum health.

Science.gov (United States)

Tucker, Jenna N; Grzywacz, Joseph G; Leng, Iris; Clinch, C Randall; Arcury, Thomas A

2010-10-01

This study followed a sample of 217 new mothers in a North Carolina county as they returned to work full-time, measuring their mental and physical health-related quality of life through 16 months postpartum. In general, working mothers of infants had mental health scores that were comparable to the general population of U.S. women, and physical health that was slightly better than women in general. Using ANCOVA and controlling for important demographic characteristics, health-related quality of life was compared between mothers experiencing low and high levels of economic hardship. Across the study period, women with high economic hardship, who constituted 30.7% of the sample, had levels of mental and physical health below those of women with low economic hardship. Mothers with high economic hardship also had less stable health trajectories than mothers with low economic hardship. The findings highlight the importance of reconsidering the traditionally accepted postpartum recovery period of six weeks and extending benefits, such as paid maternity and sick leave, as well as stable yet flexible work schedules.

Motivations for health and their associations with lifestyle, work style, health, vitality, and employee productivity.

Science.gov (United States)

van Scheppingen, Arjella R; de Vroome, Ernest M M; ten Have, Kristin C J M; Zwetsloot, Gerard I J M; Bos, Ellen H; van Mechelen, Willem

2014-05-01

Investigate employees' underlying motivational regulatory styles toward healthy living and their associations with lifestyle, work style, health, vitality, and productivity. Regression analyses on cross-sectional data from Dutch employees (n = 629), obtained as baseline measurement before a workplace health promotion project. Controlled regulation was not associated with smoking and alcohol use, and negatively associated with physical activity, healthy dietary habits, relaxation, and a balanced work style. Autonomous regulation was positively associated with physical activity, healthy dietary habits, and relaxation, and negatively associated with smoking and alcohol use. Healthy lifestyle and work style were associated with perceived health and vitality, which in turn were associated with employees' productivity (absenteeism and presenteeism). Internalization of the value of health is important to promote a healthy lifestyle and work style among employees, and has meaningful business implications.

Health promotion as multi-professional and multi-disciplinary work

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chrisanthy Sotiriadou

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Background: A health promoter is the name given to all those experts who are intended to prevent disease andill health and to increase well-being at the community level. That seems to be a very good and useful idea ingeneral, but can it be achieved by individuals alone?Objective: Review to what extend team work and the concept of team development are a pre-requisite foreffective health promotion. That is the central objective of this article and the answer will be explored through ananalysis of the international literature.Discussion: The first part will set out to define the notions of both health promotion and health promotionspecialists, in order to provide a framework for the multi-professional and multi-disciplinary nature of healthpromotion. The second part will try to establish the meaning of collaboration for health promotion, starting withdefinitions of the concepts: group, team and teamwork. The benefits of collaborative work in health promotionwill be discussed alongside the common barriers that can arise during the process.Conclusions: The article will conclude by proposing the characteristics of a successful team-working healthpromotion group.

Stigma and Attitude of Mental Health Help-Seeking Among a Sample of Working Versus Non-working Egyptian Women.

Science.gov (United States)

Zalat, Marwa Mohamed; Mortada, Eman Mohamed; El Seifi, Omnia Samir

2018-06-21

This study was conducted to assess the level of mental health difference between working and non-working women, to explore their stigma and attitude toward seeking psychological help for mental-health problems. World Health Organization's Self-reporting questionnaire (SRQ-20), adoption of Discrimination-Devaluation scale (D-D) scale for measuring self-stigma and attitude toward Seeking Mental Health Services (IASMHS) Inventory were used. The sampled teachers reported a higher attitude towards seeking mental health services when compared to housewives. Social support and personal stigma were the main factors that significantly predict total IASMHS. Although working females are more susceptible to mental health disorders, yet less stigmatized towards mental health problems and a better attitude for seeking mental health services than housewives.

WORKING ENVIRONMENT AND JOB SATISFACTION AMONG HEALTH PROFESSIONAL WORKING AT A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL OF PAKISTAN.

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Aziz, Imrana; Kumar, Ramesh; Rathore, Anita; Lal, Manohr

2015-01-01

Work environment is believed to be a major factor for better performance of human resource for health in any organization. This study concentrated on multiple factors involved in job satisfaction was appraised to critique their efficient significance in calculation of the health professional liking. Factors included job matched with workers' skills/experience, incentives, supervision, administrator support; convenient work load, training, appreciation, low pay and job protection were major contributors in job satisfaction. A mix method study was done in 2014; an initial descriptive cross sectional survey was done followed by qualitative approach. Eighteen in-depth interviews with health care providers were conducted after taking written consent. Nodes, sub-nodes and final themes were generated during qualitative data analysis. Main findings and themes were, generated after making the nodes and sub-nodes from the most frequent responses. These themes were; absence of work pressure, work place safety, social support, learning opportunities, and employee influence on conditions and recognition individual or team efforts. Work environment is a major contributing factor towards job satisfaction among the health workers.

Latina Workers in North Carolina: Work Organization, Domestic Responsibilities, Health, and Family Life.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodriguez, Guadalupe; Trejo, Grisel; Schiemann, Elizabeth; Quandt, Sara A; Daniel, Stephanie S; Sandberg, Joanne C; Arcury, Thomas A

2016-06-01

This analysis describes the work organization and domestic work experienced by migrant Latinas, and explores the linkage between work and health. Twenty Latina workers in North Carolina with at least one child under age 12 completed in-depth interviews focused on their work organization, domestic responsibilities, work-family conflict, health, and family health. Using a systematic qualitative analysis, these women described a demanding work organization that is contingent and exploitative, with little control or support. They also described demanding domestic roles, with gendered and unequal division of household work. The resulting work-family conflict affects their mental and physical health, and has negative effects on the care and health of their families. The findings from this study highlight that work stressors from an unfavorable work organization create work-family conflict, and that work-family conflict in this population has a negative influence on workers' health and health behaviors.

Inequalities in mental health in the working population of Spain: a National Health Survey-based study.

Science.gov (United States)

Arias-de la Torre, Jorge; Artazcoz, Lucía; Molina, Antonio José; Fernández-Villa, Tania; Martín, Vicente

2016-01-01

In the working population, poor mental health is a significant problem whose prevalence rates and associated factors could differ by gender, especially in a period of socioeconomic changes. The aims of this study were: a) to determine the prevalence of poor mental health in the working population of Spain in 2011; b) to identify the association of this prevalence with socioeconomic and work-related variables for men and women separately; c) to determine if the patterns differ by gender. A cross-sectional study was conducted with data from the National Health Survey of Spain (2011). Of the 21,007 participants in the survey, we selected 7396 whose employment status was described as "working" The General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) was used as a screening tool to detect poor mental health. Prevalences were calculated and bivariate and multivariate logistic regression models were fitted to verify the association between variables. The prevalence of poor mental health was higher among women (19.9%) than men (13.9%), the overall prevalence being 16.8%. The variables associated with a higher prevalence were type of contract and work-related variables in men, and age and socioeconomic variables in women. This study shows that, in the working population of Spain, the prevalence of poor mental health and its related factors differ by gender. Poor mental health is mainly related to socioeconomic variables in women but is mostly associated with work-related variables in men. Copyright © 2016 SESPAS. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

The effect of work-time influence on health and well-being: a quasi-experimental intervention study among eldercare workers.

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Nabe-Nielsen, Kirsten; Garde, Anne Helene; Diderichsen, Finn

2011-08-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of work-time influence on stress and energy, work-family conflicts, lifestyle factors, and biomarkers of cardiovascular disease risk. The study was a quasi-experimental intervention study with a one-year follow-up among eldercare workers (baseline: n = 309; follow-up: n = 297). The nine work units in the intervention group designed their own intervention. We categorized these work units into three subgroups according to the interventions that they initiated: (A) self-scheduling via a computer program (n = 35), (B) setting up a task group that developed a questionnaire on work-time preference and participated in a one-day course on flexible working hours with the intention to increase employee influence on the fixed rota (n = 62), and (C) discussions of how employee work-time influence could be increased (n = 25). These subgroups were compared with a reference group consisting of ten work units (n = 187). Data consisted of questionnaires, blood samples, and measurements of waist and hip circumference. The employees in subgroup A became increasingly involved in the planning of their own work schedule. Nevertheless, we found no effect on health and well-being attributable to the intervention. The introduction of self-scheduling can successfully increase employee work-time influence. Yet, this study does not support the theory that increased work-time influence leads to better health and well-being.

Blood pressure monitoring: theory and practice. European Society of Hypertension Working Group on Blood Pressure Monitoring and Cardiovascular Variability Teaching Course Proceedings.

Science.gov (United States)

Stergiou, George S; Palatini, Paolo; Asmar, Roland; Bilo, Grzegorz; de la Sierra, Alejandro; Head, Geoff; Kario, Kazuomi; Mihailidou, Anastasia; Wang, Jiguang; Mancia, Giuseppe; O'Brien, Eoin; Parati, Gianfranco

2018-02-01

The European Society of Hypertension (ESH) Working Group on Blood Pressure (BP) Monitoring and Cardiovascular Variability organized a Teaching Course on 'Blood Pressure Monitoring: Theory and Practice' during the 2017 ESH Meeting in Milan, Italy. This course performed by 11 international BP monitoring experts covered key topics of BP monitoring, including office BP measurement, ambulatory BP monitoring, home BP monitoring, ambulatory versus home BP, white-coat and masked hypertension, cuff use, and BP variability. This article presents a summary of the proceedings of the ESH BP Monitoring Teaching Course, including essential information, practical issues, and recommendations on the clinical application of BP monitoring methods, aiming to the optimal management of patients with suspected or diagnosed hypertension.

Beyond workers' compensation: men's mental health in and out of work.

Science.gov (United States)

Oliffe, John L; Han, Christina S E

2014-01-01

The mental health of men is an important issue with significant direct and indirect costs emerging from work-related depression and suicide. Although the merits of men's community-based and workplace mental health promotion initiatives have been endorsed, few programs are mandated or formally evaluated and reported on. Conspicuously absent also are gender analyses detailing connections between masculinities and men's work-related depression and suicide on which to build men-centered mental health promotion programs. This article provides an overview of four interconnected issues, (a) masculinities and men's health, (b) men and work, (c) men's work-related depression and suicide, and (d) men's mental health promotion, in the context of men's diverse relationships to work (including job insecurity and unemployment). Based on the review, recommendations are made for advancing the well-being of men who are in as well as of those out of work.

Poorer Health – Shorter Hours? Health and Flexibility of Hours of Work

OpenAIRE

Geyer, Johannes; Myck, Michal

2010-01-01

We analyse the role of health in determining the difference between desired and actual hours of work in a sample of German men using the Socio-Economic Panel Data for years 1996-2007. The effects of both self-assessed health and legal disability status are examined. About 60% of employees report working more than they would wish with the mean difference of -3.9 hours/week. We estimate static and dynamic model specifications allowing for auto-regressive nature of the dependent variable and tes...

Prevalence of work-related health problems among providers of car ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Prevalence of work-related health problems among providers of car battery ... the use of personal protective devices and safety measures should be promoted. Keywords: Prevalence, work-related, battery chargers, occupational health, Nigeria ...

Health status of people with work-related musculoskeletal disorders in return to work programs: a Malaysian study.

Science.gov (United States)

Murad, Mohd Suleiman; O'Brien, Lisa; Farnworth, Louise; Chien, Chi-Wen

2013-07-01

This study examined the health status of injured workers with musculoskeletal disorders enrolled in the Malaysian Return to Work (RTW) program. The 102 participants were categorized into three RTW groups: Off-work (n = 30, 29.4%), Re-entry (n = 44, 43.1%), and Maintenance (n = 28, 27.5%). Overall health status, as measured by the SF-36 version 2, of the workers exhibited below average compared to the internationally established normative population, with their physical health component summary rated lower than mental health. Across the different groups, significant differences were found in role-physical, vitality, bodily pain, general health, and mental health. However, the mean values of these variables were higher in the Maintenance group and were found significant. The current health status of injured workers at Off-work and Re-entry phases was significantly low and warranted to be improved by involving other health professionals such as occupational therapists, ergonomists, and psychologists.

Work, Health, And Worker Well-Being: Roles And Opportunities For Employers.

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McLellan, Robert K

2017-02-01

Work holds the promise of supporting and promoting health. It also carries the risk of injury, illness, and death. In addition to harms posed by traditional occupational health hazards, such as physically dangerous workplaces, work contributes to health problems with multifactorial origins such as unhealthy lifestyles, psychological distress, and chronic disease. Not only does work affect health, but the obverse is true: Unhealthy workers are more frequently disabled, absent, and less productive, and they use more health care resources, compared to their healthy colleagues. The costs of poor workforce health are collectively borne by workers, employers, and society. For business as well as altruistic reasons, employers may strive to cost-effectively achieve the safest, healthiest, and most productive workforce possible. Narrowly focused health goals are giving way to a broader concept of employee well-being. This article explores the relationship between health and work, outlines opportunities for employers to make this relationship health promoting, and identifies areas needing further exploration. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

Prevention and management of work-related cardiovascular disorders.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsutsumi, Akizumi

2015-01-01

Cardiovascular disorders (CVDs) constitute a major burden for health of working populations throughout the world with as much as 50% of all causes of death and at least 25% of work disability. There are some changes in CVD risk factors among occupational classes. This is mainly due to the new types of work-related causes of morbidity associated with the recent developments in global work life, particularly in the industrialized countries. Meanwhile, in the developing countries or those in transition (e.g., in Eastern Europe), CVD mortality is increasing due to major socioeconomic changes, the demographic transition and rapid industrialisation and urbanisation, all leading to growing challenges to cardiovascular health. Better control of known risk factors (i.e., smoking, obesity, physical inactivity, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and high blood glucose) is effective to prevent CVD incidence. But the expected improvement has not been achieved. The obstacles of achieving such impact are due to lack of awareness, lack of policies and their implementation into practice and shortage of infrastructures and human resources. These are needed for wide-scale and long-term programme implementation. Considering the WHO Global Strategy on Occupational Health for All, the WHO Global Action Plan on Workers' Health, the WHO Programme on Prevention of Non-communicable Diseases and the ILO Decent Work agenda, the 6th ICOH International Conference on Work Environment and Cardiovascular Diseases adopted the Tokyo Declaration. This work is available in Open Access model and licensed under a CC BY-NC 3.0 PL license.

Barriers to partnership working in public health: a qualitative study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David Carlton Taylor-Robinson

Full Text Available Public health provision in England is undergoing dramatic changes. Currently established partnerships are thus likely to be significantly disrupted by the radical reforms outlined in the Public Health White Paper. We therefore explored the process of partnership working in public health, in order to better understand the potential opportunities and threats associated with the proposed changes.70 participants took part in an in-depth qualitative study involving 40 semi-structured interviews and three focus group discussions. Participants were senior and middle grade public health decision makers working in Primary Care Trusts, Local Authorities, Department of Health, academia, General Practice and Hospital Trusts and the third sector in England. Despite mature arrangements for partnership working in many areas, and much support for joint working in principle, many important barriers exist. These include cultural issues such as a lack of shared values and language, the inherent complexity of intersectoral collaboration for public health, and macro issues including political and resource constraints. There is particular uncertainty and anxiety about the future of joint working relating to the availability and distribution of scarce and diminishing financial resources. There is also the concern that existing effective collaborative networks may be completely disrupted as the proposed changes unfold. The extent to which the proposed reforms might mitigate or potentiate these issues remains unclear. However the threats currently remain more salient than opportunities.The current re-organisation of public health offers real opportunity to address some of the barriers to partnership working identified in this study. However, significant threats exist. These include the breakup of established networks, and the risk of cost cutting on effective public health interventions.

Constrained choices? Linking employees' and spouses' work time to health behaviors.

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Wen; Lam, Jack; Moen, Phyllis; Kelly, Erin; King, Rosalind; McHale, Susan

2015-02-01

There are extensive literatures on work conditions and health and on family contexts and health, but less research asking how a spouse or partners' work conditions may affect health behaviors. Drawing on the constrained choices framework, we theorized health behaviors as a product of one's own time and spouses' work time as well as gender expectations. We examined fast food consumption and exercise behaviors using survey data from 429 employees in an Information Technology (IT) division of a U.S. Fortune 500 firm and from their spouses. We found fast food consumption is affected by men's work hours-both male employees' own work hours and the hours worked by husbands of women respondents-in a nonlinear way. The groups most likely to eat fast food are men working 50 h/week and women whose husbands work 45-50 h/week. Second, exercise is better explained if work time is conceptualized at the couple, rather than individual, level. In particular, neo-traditional arrangements (where husbands work longer than their wives) constrain women's ability to engage in exercise but increase odds of men exercising. Women in couples where both partners are working long hours have the highest odds of exercise. In addition, women working long hours with high schedule control are more apt to exercise and men working long hours whose wives have high schedule flexibility are as well. Our findings suggest different health behaviors may have distinct antecedents but gendered work-family expectations shape time allocations in ways that promote men's and constrain women's health behaviors. They also suggest the need to expand the constrained choices framework to recognize that long hours may encourage exercise if both partners are looking to sustain long work hours and that work resources, specifically schedule control, of one partner may expand the choices of the other. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mental Health of Elementary Schoolteachers in Southern Brazil: Working Conditions and Health Consequences.

Science.gov (United States)

Cezar-Vaz, Marta Regina; Bonow, Clarice Alves; de Almeida, Marlise Capa Verde; Rocha, Laurelize Pereira; Borges, Anelise Miritz

2015-01-01

The mental health of educators is a growing problem in many countries. This study sought to identify self-reported stressful working conditions of elementary schoolteachers and the biopsychosocial consequences of those working conditions and then identify working conditions that promote well-being for teachers in the workplace. Exploratory study was done with 37 teachers. Data collection was performed using a structured interview with a questionnaire. Results show that stressful working conditions are related to inadequate salary, an excessive number of activities, and having to take work home. Biopsychosocial consequences include anxiety, stress, and sleep disorders. There was a statistically significant association between inadequate salary and anxiety (p = 0.01) and between an excessive number of activities and stress (p = 0.01). Teachers reported that a good relationship among colleagues is a working condition that promotes well-being in the workplace. The identification of stressful working conditions for teachers, the biopsychosocial consequences, and working conditions that promote well-being in the workplace are relevant to determining actions that improve the work environment and, consequently, the health of teachers.

Mental Health of Elementary Schoolteachers in Southern Brazil: Working Conditions and Health Consequences

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marta Regina Cezar-Vaz

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The mental health of educators is a growing problem in many countries. This study sought to identify self-reported stressful working conditions of elementary schoolteachers and the biopsychosocial consequences of those working conditions and then identify working conditions that promote well-being for teachers in the workplace. Exploratory study was done with 37 teachers. Data collection was performed using a structured interview with a questionnaire. Results show that stressful working conditions are related to inadequate salary, an excessive number of activities, and having to take work home. Biopsychosocial consequences include anxiety, stress, and sleep disorders. There was a statistically significant association between inadequate salary and anxiety (p = 0.01 and between an excessive number of activities and stress (p = 0.01. Teachers reported that a good relationship among colleagues is a working condition that promotes well-being in the workplace. The identification of stressful working conditions for teachers, the biopsychosocial consequences, and working conditions that promote well-being in the workplace are relevant to determining actions that improve the work environment and, consequently, the health of teachers.

The importance of organizational characteristics for psychosocial working conditions and health

OpenAIRE

Bolin, Malin

2009-01-01

The importance of organizations for understanding differences in the working conditions and health of employees is often emphasized but rarely explored empirically. The general aim of this thesis is to describe organizational characteristics of workplaces, and to assess their impact on the psychosocial working conditions and health of employees. In modern working life, it is assumed that employees' working conditions and health are affected by a general transformation of workplaces from burea...

Health-related quality of life measured by the SF12 in working populations: associations with psychosocial work characteristics.

Science.gov (United States)

Kudielka, Brigitte M; Hanebuth, Dirk; von Känel, Roland; Gander, Marie-Louise; Grande, Gesine; Fischer, Joachim E

2005-10-01

This study investigated the contribution of psychosocial work characteristics (decision latitude, job demand, social support at work, and effort-reward imbalance) to health-related quality of life. Data were derived from 2 aircraft manufacturing plants (N=1,855) at the start of a longitudinal study. Regression analysis showed that work characteristics (1st model) explained 19% of the variance in the mental summary score of the Short Form-12 Health Survey. R2 change for work characteristics decreased to 13%, accounting for demographics, socioeconomic status, body mass index, and medical condition (5th model). Including health behavior and personality factors (full model), R2 change for work characteristics remained significant. Psychosocial work characteristics account for relevant proportions in the subjective perception of mental health beyond a wide array of medical variables and personality factors. Copyright (c) 2005 APA, all rights reserved.

Monitoring Your Blood Sugar Level

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... and NutritionHealth Insurance: Understanding What It CoversHigh Homocysteine Level: How It Affects Your Blood VesselsUnderstanding Your Medical ... Health Resources Healthcare Management Monitoring Your Blood Sugar Level Monitoring Your Blood Sugar Level Share Print What ...

Myoglobin blood test

Science.gov (United States)

Serum myoglobin; Heart attack - myoglobin blood test; Myositis - myoglobin blood test; Rhabdomyolysis - myoglobin blood test ... too high, it can damage the kidneys. This test is ordered when your health care provider suspects ...

Work-based social networks and health status among Japanese employees.

Science.gov (United States)

Suzuki, E; Takao, S; Subramanian, S V; Doi, H; Kawachi, I

2009-09-01

Despite the worldwide trend towards more time being spent at work by employed people, few studies have examined the independent influences of work-based versus home-based social networks on employees' health. We examined the association between work-based social networks and health status by controlling for home-based social networks in a cross-sectional study. By employing a two-stage stratified random sampling procedure, 1105 employees were identified from 46 companies in Okayama, Japan, in 2007. Work-based social networks were assessed by asking the number of co-workers whom they consult with ease on personal issues. The outcome was self-rated health; the adjusted OR for poor health compared employees with no network with those who have larger networks. Although a clear (and inverse) dose-response relationship was found between the size of work-based social networks and poor health (OR 1.53, 95% CI 1.03 to 2.27, comparing those with the lowest versus highest level of social network), the association was attenuated to statistical non-significance after we controlled for the size of home-based social networks. In further analyses stratified on age groups, in older workers (> or =50 years) work-based social networks were apparently associated with better health status, whereas home-based networks were not. The reverse was true among middle-aged workers (30-49 years). No associations were found among younger workers (social support on health according to age groups. We hypothesise that these patterns reflect generational differences in workers' commitment to their workplace.

[Psychosocial working conditions and mental health status of the German babyboomer generation].

Science.gov (United States)

Tophoven, S; Tisch, A; Rauch, A; Burghardt, A

2015-04-01

The baby boomers are the first to be available to the German labour market up to the age of 67. A crucial premise for a long working life is good health. However, there is evidence that psychosocial working conditions are related to health. More and more employees report psychosocial stress at work. In addition, mental illness has become one of the main reasons for the entry into disability pension. Against this background this study considers the relationship between psychosocial work conditions and mental health exemplarily for two birth cohorts of the German baby boomers. For the analysis of the assumed relationships data of the lidA study "lidA - leben in der Arbeit - German Cohort Study on Work, Age and Health" is used (N=6 057). Mental health is assessed by the mental health scale of the SF-12. In addition, the items and the scales quantitative job requirements, work pace and support from colleagues from the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ) are used. As further control variables cohort affiliation, level of education, occupational status and partnership are considered. Multivariate analyses of the relations between quantitative job requirements, work pace and the experienced support from colleagues show significant relationship to mental health. The increasing frequency of the requirement to work quickly and increasing quantitative job demands are negatively associated to mental health. However, support of colleagues shows a positive relationship to mental health. These results are similarly observed for women and men. For the regarded group of the German babyboomers, employees at the threshold to higher working age, it is clearly shown that psychosocial working conditions are related to mental health. Since this group still has to work up to 18 years given a statutory retirement age of 67, psychosocial working conditions should rather be in the focus of occupational safety. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.