Workplace Health Research Articles

Flemish critical care nurses’ experiences regarding the influence of work-related demands on their health: a descriptive interpretive qualitative study

BackgroundCritical care nurses (CCNs) around the globe face other health challenges compared to their peers in general hospital nursing. Moreover, the nursing workforce grapples with persistent staffing shortages. In light of these circumstances, developing a sustainable work environment is imperative to retain the current nursing workforce. Consequently, this study aimed to gain insight into the recalled experiences of CCNs in dealing with the physical and psychosocial influences of work-related demands on their health while examining the environments in which they operate. The second aim was to explore the complex social and psychological processes through which CCNs navigate these work-related demands across various CCN wards.MethodsA qualitative study following Thorne’s interpretive descriptive approach was conducted. From October 2022 to April 2023, six focus groups were organised. Data from a diverse sample of 27 Flemish CCNs engaged in physically demanding roles from three CCN wards were collected. The Qualitative Analysis Guide of Leuven was applied to support the constant comparison process.ResultsParticipants reported being exposed to occupational physical activity, emotional, quantitative, and cognitive work-related demands, adverse patient behaviour, and poor working time quality. Exposure to these work-related demands was perceived as harmful, potentially resulting in physical, mental, and psychosomatic strain, as well as an increased turnover intention. In response to these demands, participants employed various strategies for mitigation, including seeking social support, exerting control over their work, utilising appropriate equipment, recognising rewards, and engaging in leisure-time physical activity.ConclusionsCCNs’ health is challenged by work-related demands that are not entirely covered by the traditional quantitative frameworks used in research on psychologically healthy work. Therefore, future studies should focus on improving such frameworks by exploring the role of psychosocial and organisational factors in more detail. This study has important implications for workplace health promotion with a view on preventing work absenteeism and drop-out in the long run, as it offers strong arguments to promote sufficient risk management strategies, schedule flexibility, uninterrupted off-job recovery time, and positive management, which can prolong the well-being and sustainable careers of the CCN workforce.

Comparing Human-Smartphone Interactions and Actigraphy Measurements for Circadian Rhythm Stability and Adiposity: Algorithm Development and Validation Study.

This study aimed to investigate the relationships between adiposity and circadian rhythm and compare the measurement of circadian rhythm using both actigraphy and a smartphone app that tracks human-smartphone interactions. We hypothesized that the app-based measurement may provide more comprehensive information, including light-sensitive melatonin secretion and social rhythm, and have stronger correlations with adiposity indicators. We enrolled a total of 78 participants (mean age 41.5, SD 9.9 years; 46/78, 59% women) from both an obesity outpatient clinic and a workplace health promotion program. All participants (n=29 with obesity, n=16 overweight, and n=33 controls) were required to wear a wrist actigraphy device and install the Rhythm app for a minimum of 4 weeks, contributing to a total of 2182 person-days of data collection. The Rhythm app estimates sleep and circadian rhythm indicators by tracking human-smartphone interactions, which correspond to actigraphy. We examined the correlations between adiposity indices and sleep and circadian rhythm indicators, including sleep time, chronotype, and regularity of circadian rhythm, while controlling for physical activity level, age, and gender. Sleep onset and wake time measurements did not differ significantly between the app and actigraphy; however, wake after sleep onset was longer (13.5, SD 19.5 minutes) with the app, resulting in a longer actigraphy-measured total sleep time (TST) of 20.2 (SD 66.7) minutes. The obesity group had a significantly longer TST with both methods. App-measured circadian rhythm indicators were significantly lower than their actigraphy-measured counterparts. The obesity group had significantly lower interdaily stability (IS) than the control group with both methods. The multivariable-adjusted model revealed a negative correlation between BMI and app-measured IS (P=.007). Body fat percentage (BF%) and visceral adipose tissue area (VAT) showed significant correlations with both app-measured IS and actigraphy-measured IS. The app-measured midpoint of sleep showed a positive correlation with both BF% and VAT. Actigraphy-measured TST exhibited a positive correlation with BMI, VAT, and BF%, while no significant correlation was found between app-measured TST and either BMI, VAT, or BF%. Our findings suggest that IS is strongly correlated with various adiposity indicators. Further exploration of the role of circadian rhythm, particularly measured through human-smartphone interactions, in obesity prevention could be warranted.

The Prevalence of Duplicate Prescription of Oral Antibiotic Drugs in Outpatient Care among People Insured by Corporate Health Insurance Societies in Japan.

Inappropriate antimicrobial use is a global problem, especially because the use of antimicrobials in excess of appropriate doses is associated with increased antimicrobial resistance. Duplicate prescriptions are an issue contributing to inappropriate antimicrobial use. This study aimed to analyse antibiotic prescriptions during a specific month to examine the frequency of outpatients receiving duplicate antibiotic prescriptions and the associated determinants. Utilizing the Japan Medical Data Centre health insurance claim database, we retrospectively identified 527,110 insured individuals with at least one medicine prescription in October 2014. Data regarding age, gender, antibiotic drug usage, and health insurance status were extracted. Duplicate prescriptions entailed a patient receiving two or more prescriptions of systemic antibiotics from multiple facilities within one month. The risk factors for duplicate antibiotic prescriptions were evaluated using logistic regression analysis. Of the total sample, 131,709 individuals (25.0%) received antibiotics, and 24,529 of these individuals (18.6%) had duplicate prescriptions. Third-generation cephalosporins accounted for the largest proportion of prescriptions (37.4%). Duplicate prescriptions were significantly associated with sex, age, medical facilities, and health insurance status. These findings could help to identify patients at risk of duplicate antibiotic prescriptions, highlighting the need to promote proper antimicrobial use in both patients and medical professionals.

208a - Workplace health without borders: its mission, vision and impact from training

208a - Workplace health without borders: its mission, vision and impact from training

Health and Wellness Characteristics of Employees Enrolled in a Workplace Wellness Study in the United Arab Emirates: A Descriptive Analysis of a Pilot Study.

Modifiable health behaviors have the power to increase (or decrease) the risk of chronic diseases, impacting a population's health. Health and wellness programs can potentially play a major role in initiating and supporting positive changes in health behaviors, which may lead to reducing the risk of premature mortality. A better understanding of the health and well-being status of the population is crucial to the design of proper and effective interventions. This pilot study aimed to describe the health and well-being status of a cohort of employees in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This pilot study reports the demographic characteristics, body composition, cardiovascular fitness, functional fitness, biological age, and well-being of employees from a large health sector company enrolled in a workplace wellness study in the UAE. Employees were invited to participate in an intervention that was designed to validate the efficacy of weekly health and wellness challenges. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the employees' distribution. Of the 123 selected, 116 employees participated in the study. The mean age of participants was 39.2 years old, 80% of them were non-Emirati, and the majority were from Middle-Eastern and South Asian ethnicities. The prevalence of overweight, obesity, hypercholesterolemia, hyperlipidemia, prediabetes, and diabetes was 35%, 29%, 34%, 79%, 30%, and 7%, respectively. Almost half of the participants (47%) were prehypertensive for systolic blood pressure (BP), 80% had the fitness category of poor-very poor, and the majority (60%) reported exercising <150 minutes/week. The mean functional fitness score was 12.2 points, which indicated an increased risk of injury with physical activity. The findings of this pilot study suggest that despite the advancements in healthcare in the UAE, several key preventable risk factors are still prevalent in its population. The introduction of comprehensive health and wellness programs at a broader scale holds the potential to facilitate the adoption of healthier lifestyle behaviors, thereby contributing to improvements in the overall quality of life across the population.

Age-related distribution of cardiovascular risk factors in a Corporate Wellness Program: a case study of occupational cardiology at Ferrari

Age-related distribution of cardiovascular risk factors in a Corporate Wellness Program: a case study of occupational cardiology at Ferrari

Occupation and demand for health services in Italy: Ways and means to reduce the opportunity costs imposed on patients

This paper explores whether and to which extent employment condition and working hours influence individuals’ decision process in consuming primary care. The hypothesis is that the higher the workers’ opportunity cost in terms of earning forgone, the less the demand for General Practitioner (GP) visits. Using survey data provided by the Italian National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT), we estimate a negative binomial regression model of GP visits as a function of employment related variables, controlling for a rich set of individual demographic characteristics, socio-economic variables, health status, supply and geographical factors. We show that self-employed workers, managers and cadres use significantly less primary care services notwithstanding the access is free. We conclude that they have higher opportunity costs than white and blue collars since they suffer more from the loss of earnings related to the absence from work. Self-employed individuals often face barriers to accessing healthcare services, such as lack of employer-sponsored health insurance and concerns about lost income during time off for medical appointments. As a result, they may delay seeking healthcare until their condition becomes more severe, leading to poorer health outcomes. Managers and cadres, on the other hand, may have greater access to healthcare services due to higher income levels and better job benefits. However, they may still face challenges such as long working hours and job-related stress, which can impact their ability to prioritize their health and seek timely medical care.From a policy perspective, our results suggest potential policy interventions aimed at addressing barriers to healthcare access for self-employed workers and promoting equitable healthcare utilization across different employment groups. Policy recommendations may include measures to enhance financial support (tax deductions for medical expenses, subsidies for health insurance premiums, or grants to cover the costs of healthcare-related absences from work), increase healthcare accessibility (enhancing the availability of mobile clinics, and extending operating hours for primary care facilities to accommodate the needs of working individuals) and raise awareness about preventive care among self-employed workers (workplace wellness programs, and incentives for regular health check-ups, screenings and healthy lifestyle choices, can encourage managers and self-employed workers to prioritize preventive measures). These policy implications are essential for ensuring equitable and universal access to healthcare services for all workers, regardless of their employment status.

Interactive assistance via eHealth for small- and medium-sized enterprises’ employer and health care manager teams on tobacco control (eSMART-TC): A cluster randomized hybrid type II trial (N-EQUITY2101/J-SUPPORT2102).

10606 Background: Organizational commitment and consistent leadership are crucial to facilitate implementation of workplace wellness programs. We aimed to investigate whether interactive assistance for SME managers to implement tobacco control programs (compared with usual practice) would increase 6-month abstinence rates in tobacco-smoking employees. Methods: This hybrid type II cluster randomized effectiveness implementation trial was done in Japan. SMEs in the intervention group received interactive assistance to employers and health managers for 6 months by supporting employees through campaigns, tailored ongoing facilitation, and ensuring executive engagement and support, aiming to promote utilization of reimbursed smoking cessation treatments and implement smoke-free workplaces. SMEs in the control group received feedback on the results of the baseline survey and information on smoking cessation measures. Stratified randomization was used to allocate SMEs to either group. The primary outcome was salivary cotinine-validated 7-day point-prevalence abstinence rate at 6 months, and the key secondary outcome was the adoption score of the two recommended measures (promote smoking cessation standard treatment visits, and smoke-free policy) at each SME at 6 months (range: 0–2). Other secondary outcomes included implementation and process outcomes (e.g., proportion of smoking cessation treatment use). Results: Between July 1, 2021, and May 16, 2022, 38 SMEs enrolled. Twenty SMEs were randomly assigned to the intervention group and 18 SMEs to the control group. Among 2,929 employees enrolled, 2,556 responded the baseline survey (response rate: 87.3%; men 65.0%; mean age 44.8 years) and 713 of them (27.9%) indicated being a current smoker in the baseline. Then 176 (6.9%) were omitted because of missing primary outcome data (mainly owing to not responding, turnover, resignation, or retirement); therefore, 537 participants (21.0%) were included in the intention-to-treat based analyses of the primary outcome. At 6 months, the validated 7-day point-prevalence abstinence rate in the intervention group was significantly higher than that in the control group (11.2% vs 4.6%; difference = 6.6%, 95% confidence interval: 2.2%–11.1%, p=0.004). Regarding the analysis for key secondary outcomes, all randomized SMEs were included. At 6 months, adoption score of the two recommended measures was also significantly higher than that in the control group (1.5 vs 1.1; difference = 0.4, 95% confidence interval: 0.01–0.86, p=0.047). Conclusions: Interactive support for SME managers to implement tobacco control measures (compared with usual practice) can accelerate the implementation of evidence-based smoking cessation measures and significantly increase 6-month abstinence rates. Clinical trial information: UMIN000044526.

279b - Sound solutions: navigating the frontiers of hearing health in modern workplaces

279b - Sound solutions: navigating the frontiers of hearing health in modern workplaces

Research on the relationship between nurses’ emergency public health response capacity and workplace resilience: A cross-sectional study

ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate the factors influencing nurses’ ability to respond to public health emergencies and understand the relationship between nurses’ ability to respond to emergencies and workplace resilience. MethodsA cross-sectional study of 361 nurses from military hospitals was conducted from January 18 to September 6, 2022, using an online survey. The Infectious Diseases Emergency Response Capacity (IDERC) questionnaire and the Workplace Resilience Scale (WRS) were utilized, and sociodemographic information was also collected. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and frequency analysis. Differences between groups were identified by one-way analysis of variance, and linear regression was used to analyze the main factors influencing the infectious emergency response capacity. ResultsThe average infectious emergency response capacity score on the IDERC questionnaire and workplace resilience, measured by WRS, were 4.01 (SD = 0.76) and 3.85 (SD = 0.71), respectively, on a scale of 1–5, indicating high performance. Factors such as degree of education, nurses’ service years and experience in epidemic prevention participation were found to be the main influencing factors of the score of IDERC. The level of workplace resilience showed a positive correlation with the capacity to respond to infectious disease, the score of WRS and the service year accounted for 63.6% of the variance in emergency response capabilities. ConclusionThe results indicate an urgent need to strengthen the training of nurses with lower degree of education, shorter service years, no prior work, or no experience of epidemic prevention participation, and hospitals should also prioritize improving nurses’ workplace resilience through targeted interventions, enhancing their abilities in infectious disease prevention, preparation, first aid, and subsequent critical patient care.

Doctors’ and nurses’ eating practices during shift work: Findings from a qualitative study

Doctors’ and nurses’ (DNs) wellbeing in the National Health Service is important for safe healthcare for those in need. However, their demanding duties, including irregular shift work, can significantly impact their health. Unfortunately, irregular working patterns are associated with higher sickness rates and stress among healthcare professionals due to the inherent challenges of the work(1,2). For example, shift work disrupts sleep and impairs cognitive function and performance, leading to poorer physiological and cardiovascular health(3), workforce shortages and difficulties adapting to a consistently demanding workload, which can impact patient care delivery(4). Despite the importance of workplace health and nutrition for DNs, our understanding of their dietary practices during shift work remains limited. Therefore, gaining insights into DNs’ eating habits during shifts is imperative to supporting their health. Our research aimed to understand DNs’ eating practices during their work, including the types of food consumed throughout the day.Online semi-structured interviews (n=16) were conducted with a convenience sample of current practising medical doctors (n=11) and nurses (n=5) in England. This provided an opportunity to compare and contrast the research data between DNs on workplace nutrition. All participants did shift work, encompassing varied working patterns, including day and night shifts, short and long days and weekends. Following Braun and Clarke’s(5) approach, an inductive thematic analysis presented the findings.Results elucidate six areas of DNs’ eating practices and dietary intake: before and during shifts, on long shifts, after shifts, during night shifts, and on non-working days. Our data suggests that DNs prioritise their clinical responsibilities over their dietary intake at work. Consequently, they often miss eating opportunities and consume caffeine to stay alert during their shifts. Furthermore, DNs viewed night shifts as involving less healthy food choices. While participants expressed their intention to eat healthily during their shifts, their clinical responsibilities made maintaining regular and nutritious dietary practices throughout the day challenging. Nevertheless, DNs value their meal after a shift as the most important, as this could be the only meal they eat throughout the day.Our results suggest that DNs’ eating practices and dietary intake are sub-optimal to recommended dietary guidelines. It also suggests that eating practices are varied, individualised and not applicable to all, considering the many environmental and occupational factors contributing to DNs’ nutritional behaviours. Therefore, dietary workplace interventions are recommended to improve DNs’ dietary behaviours at work. Future research should explore DNs’ eating practices through follow-up interviews at various time points. This approach will provide valuable insights into DNs’ dietary and nutritional behaviours during shift work, helping to uncover additional barriers and challenges beyond DNs’ daily experiences.

Disease distribution disaggregated by sex and age in employees of the german federal armed forces to improve workplace health promotion measures

Disease distribution disaggregated by sex and age in employees of the german federal armed forces to improve workplace health promotion measures

The Power of Commitment: Creating an Award-Winning Culture of Health and Well-Being at DTE Energy.

The evidence that a healthy and safe workforce provides a competitive business advantage is increasingly clear. However, how to obtain this may be unclear to many. This article presents a case study showcasing how one large employer worked toward improving its culture of health and well-being. Measuring progress using an established corporate health assessment tool, results improved 75% over a 5-year period. In addition, site scan culture checks showed annual improvement, exceeding best-in-class scores by the fifth year. Building a culture of health and well-being often requires a few years to implement fully and involves a commitment to plan, deploy, improve, and manage over time. Ultimately, by following approaches taken by best-in-class employers, this can be accomplished with some ease and without missteps along the way.

Innovative Safety Moderation Among Workplace Environment, Workplace Health, and Employee Sustainable Performance: A Holistic Approach for SMEs

Innovative Safety Moderation Among Workplace Environment, Workplace Health, and Employee Sustainable Performance: A Holistic Approach for SMEs

Role of participation committee in developing workplace condition, safety and welfare services in Ready-Made Garment Industry of Bangladesh

An abstract is a summary of entire paper should be written in Cambria with font size- 10. The Ready-Made Garment (RMG) industry in Bangladesh plays a crucial role in the country's economy. Nonetheless, it frequently encounters challenges concerning workplace conditions, safety standards, and welfare services. This study investigates the participation committee's (PC) role in ensuring sustainable working conditions, workplace safety, and welfare within Bangladesh's RMG industry. Employing a qualitative research approach, the study conducted interviews with 30 respondents using semi-structured questions and employed a convenient sampling technique to select participants. The findings reveal that the participation committee has notably enhanced workplace safety in the RMG industry. Through active involvement, the committee has fostered improved communication between management and employees, leading to better working conditions, the eradication of labor rights neglect, and strengthened enforcement of national employment and labor regulations. The paper concludes by stressing the necessity for collaborative efforts involving stakeholders at various levels to consistently enhance workplace conditions, safety standards, and welfare services in Bangladesh's Ready-Made Garment industry. Originality in a study on participation committees in Bangladesh's ready-to-garment industry lies in presenting innovative approaches, methods, or insights, addressing literature gaps, or exploring uncharted territories, thus enhancing welfare services and workplace health and safety.

Python Based Stress Detection System Using Machine Learning &amp; Algorithm’s

In today's high-pressure world, the need for innovative, non-intrusive stress monitoring solutions is more critical than ever. This paper introduces a sophisticated stress detection system that combines facial expression analysis with machine learning to deliver real-time, continuous stress assessment. Our system employs Haar Cascade classifiers for precise face detection, CNN for feature extraction and utilizes the K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN) algorithm to classify stress-related facial expressions. A significant advantage of our system is its non-intrusive nature, relying solely on visual data, thus eliminating the need for cumbersome wearable sensors. This enhances user comfort and convenience. This paper outlines the design, implementation, and evaluation of our stress detection system, emphasizing its potential applications in workplace wellness, mental health monitoring, and human-computer interaction Key Words: - KNN, Facial Expressions, Machine Learning, Stress Detection, Image Processing, CNN

Assessing Weekly Wellness Sessions: Cordillera Administrative Region's Social Welfare Impact

This literature review examines the efficacy of workplace wellness initiatives, focusing on the Weekly Wellness Sessions (WWS) conducted by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office Cordillera Administrative Region. The study evaluates staff participation rates, the effectiveness of wellness programs, and challenges encountered in availing the WWS. Primary and secondary sources materials were used in the analysis of this literature review. Casual observations were also integrated. Findings reveal coffee sessions as the most popular activity, while limited facilities and costs hindered participation in other activities. The WWS were perceived as highly effective across multiple dimensions of well-being, with minimal variation based on gender or age. However, differences in effectiveness were noted among different positions and offices/divisions. Common challenges included time constraints, financial limitations, and personal barriers. Recommendations include enhancing financial accessibility, tailoring interventions, offering flexible scheduling, promoting awareness, and cultivating a culture of health and wellness. Addressing these recommendations can optimize the impact of the WWS and contribute to a healthier, more productive workforce within DSWD FO CAR.

Can exports be pain relievers? The effect of exports on workplace safety and health

AbstractThis study examines the effect of exports on worker safety and health in the US. We use foreign countries' unilateral liberalization as an instrument to capture the demand shocks on US exports. Our two‐stage estimates with establishment fixed effects suggest that a $1000 increase in exports per worker decreased the workplace injury rate by a significant 0.7%, which implies an annual reduction of about 55,000 injuries among manufacturing workers. The reduction in injuries is more salient among establishments with lower injury rates, indicating an increase of inequality in working conditions. The improvement in working conditions might come from more investment in advanced equipment and better compliance with safety and health regulations.

A comparison of periodic health examinations and workplace health screening for workers in Singapore and Japan.

This article aims to provide a historical overview of how workplace safety and health legislations in Singapore and Japan have evolved, and perform a comparative analysis of the occupational health systems where work-related medical examinations and health screening are concerned. The discourse is centered on three key themes - coverage, comprehensiveness, and continuity of care. The comparative analysis was performed based on secondary data obtained from open-source platforms. Singapore and Japan have robust workplace safety and health legislative frameworks and laws. However, their approaches diverge because of differing socioeconomic and political contexts. Japan's regulations are generally more comprehensive, require more frequent monitoring of workers' health status, and encompass both physical and mental health components. Singaporean companies focus primarily on the physical component of health, and statutory examinations are required only for exposure to specific occupational hazards. With increasing prominence of mental health issues and shift towards preventive care in Singapore, there will be greater emphasis on a holistic approach to each employee's overall health in future. For Japan, the challenge would be to strike a balance between long-term sustainability of current policies against the need for state and corporations to still retain an adequate stake in ensuring workers' overall health.

Youth not engaged in education, employment, or training: a discrete choice experiment of service preferences in Canada

BackgroundPrior research has showed the importance of providing integrated support services to prevent and reduce youth not in education, employment, or training (NEET) related challenges. There is limited evidence on NEET youth’s perspectives and preferences for employment, education, and training services. The objective of this study was to identify employment, education and training service preferences of NEET youth. We acknowledge the deficit-based lens associated with the term NEET and use ‘upcoming youth’ to refer to this population group.MethodsCanadian youth (14–29 years) who reported Upcoming status or at-risk of Upcoming status were recruited to the study. We used a discrete choice experiment (DCE) survey, which included ten attributes with three levels each indicating service characteristics. Sawtooth software was used to design and administer the DCE. Participants also provided demographic information and completed the Global Appraisal of Individual Needs–Short Screener. We analyzed the data using hierarchical Bayesian methods to determine service attribute importance and latent class analyses to identify groups of participants with similar service preferences.ResultsA total of n=503 youth participated in the study. 51% of participants were 24–29 years of age; 18.7% identified as having Upcoming status; 41.1% were from rural areas; and 36.0% of youth stated that they met basic needs with a little left. Participants strongly preferred services that promoted life skills, mentorship, basic income, and securing a work or educational placement. Three latent classes were identified and included: (i) job and educational services (38.9%), or services that include career counseling and securing a work or educational placement; (ii) mental health and wellness services (34.9%), or services that offer support for mental health and wellness in the workplace and free mental health and substance use services; and (iii) holistic skills building services (26.1%), or services that endorsed skills for school and job success, and life skills.ConclusionsThis study identified employment, education, and training service preferences among Upcoming youth. The findings indicate a need to create a service model that supports holistic skills building, mental health and wellness, and long-term school and job opportunities.