Occupational Health Interventions Research Articles

Musculoskeletal Health and Work: Development and Internal-External Cross-Validation of a Model to Predict Risk of Work Absence and Presenteeism in People Seeking Primary Healthcare.

To develop and validate prediction models for the risk of future work absence and level of presenteeism, in adults seeking primary healthcare with musculoskeletal disorders (MSD). Six studies from the West-Midlands/Northwest regions of England, recruiting adults consulting primary care with MSD were included for model development and internal-external cross-validation (IECV). The primary outcome was any work absence within 6 months of their consultation. Secondary outcomes included 6-month presenteeism and 12-month work absence. Ten candidate predictors were included: age; sex; multisite pain; baseline pain score; pain duration; job type; anxiety/depression; comorbidities; absence in the previous 6 months; and baseline presenteeism. For the 6-month absence model, 2179 participants (215 absences) were available across five studies. Calibration was promising, although varied across studies, with a pooled calibration slope of 0.93 (95% CI: 0.41-1.46) on IECV. On average, the model discriminated well between those with work absence within 6 months, and those without (IECV-pooled C-statistic 0.76, 95% CI: 0.66-0.86). The 6-month presenteeism model, while well calibrated on average, showed some individual-level variation in predictive accuracy, and the 12-month absence model was poorly calibrated due to the small available size for model development. The developed models predict 6-month work absence and presenteeism with reasonable accuracy, on average, in adults consulting with MSD. The model to predict 12-month absence was poorly calibrated and is not yet ready for use in practice. This information may support shared decision-making and targeting occupational health interventions at those with a higher risk of absence or presenteeism in the 6 months following consultation. Further external validation is needed before the models' use can be recommended or their impact on patients can be fully assessed.

Cancer Prevention Among Firefighters: Examining Lifestyle, Screening Behavior, and Beliefs.

Firefighters are at increased risk of developing cancer due to occupational exposures, but they may also face increased risk due to their lifestyle, such as the quality of their diet and physical activity. Cancer beliefs and screening behavior could also influence their cancer risk. The current study aimed to identify individual differences associated with lifestyle behaviors, cancer screening, and cancer beliefs among firefighters; to describe the strategies firefighters use to adapt to their work schedule; and to describe topics firefighters believe are the most important to address in their workplace. Career firefighters (N = 171) in a medium-sized U.S. city completed an online survey. Logistic regression analyses identified age, education, racial identity, years of fire service, perceived stress, and rank as predictors of responses to items addressing cancer screening, lifestyle behaviors, and cancer beliefs. Although results varied, age, education, and racial identity were associated with most of the outcomes. Strategies related to sleep such as getting the right amount and napping, exercise, and getting family/roommate support were selected as the top adaptive strategies for work. Sleep, mental health/well-being, and work-life balance were selected most often as the most important topics to address in the fire service, with topics related to reducing occupational exposures receiving less attention. The findings suggest individual differences, such as age, education, and racial identity, should be considered when developing occupational health interventions for firefighters. Interventions related to mental health, work-life balance, and sleep may be desired most by those in the fire service.

What is the volume, quality and characteristics of evidence relating to the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of multi-disciplinary occupational health interventions aiming to improve work-related outcomes for employed adults? An evidence and gap map of systematic reviews.

What is the volume, quality and characteristics of evidence relating to the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of multi-disciplinary occupational health interventions aiming to improve work-related outcomes for employed adults? An evidence and gap map of systematic reviews.

Effectiveness of Occupational Safety and Health interventions: a long way to go.

Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) has become an area of increasing concern for organizations and institutions. As it evolves, it has gradually posed ongoing challenges, becoming more complex, for organizations. Consequently, more comprehensive studies are required to advance academic and institutional research. From this perspective, this study aims to gather research contributions on the effectiveness of existing interventions for OSH improvement and identify areas for further exploration. According to the nature of scientific literature, the overall process of a literature review was investigated following an integrative approach, which involved searching for, selecting, and analyzing various literature in a creative and integrated manner, without a predefined structure. The analysis suggests that there is room for improvement in understanding the effectiveness of OSH interventions and more concrete guidance is still desirable. Based on the literature, some research areas for future developments in OSH interventions are identified. One potential area to explore further is fostering human-centered technological development and a more conscious network of stakeholders, with higher coordination, shared knowledge, and open communication. Focusing on the proposed directions will support scholars and practitioners in pursuing continuous OSH improvement through more effective and well-grounded workplace interventions and encourage organizations to be proactive in daily OSH management.

What works to promote staff health in prison settings: a systematic review

Purpose Given epidemiological data highlighting poor health outcomes for prison staff and correctional workers, this systematic review aims to understand what health promotion interventions, delivered in prison settings, are effective for prison staff health. Design/methodology/approach A systematic review was undertaken, with search parameters encompassing papers published over a ten-year period (2013–2023). Health promotion programmes; well-being programmes; and occupational health interventions to support prison staff health as part of a targeted approach or as part of a whole-prison approach were included in the review. Findings The review identified 354 studies, of which 157 were duplicates and 187 did not meet the inclusion criteria. This left ten studies in the review from five countries. Reducing the impact of tobacco smoke was the commonly cited intervention, with four studies focusing on smoke-free prison legislation, but other studies focused on stress reduction for staff and supporting holistic health. The papers were of poor methodological quality, with the exception of three included studies that had robust designs. Most studies showed limited or no impact of interventions to support prison staff health, the exception being policy interventions to reduce second-hand smoke exposure. Originality/value Prison staff have poor health outcomes and yet limited attention has been paid to interventions to support their health. This review suggests a number of considerations for future policy and practice and direction for further research to improve prison staff health.

Enabling Effective Implementation of Occupational Safety and Health Interventions

BackgroundThe design, implementation, and evaluation are three important stages of occupational safety and health (OSH) interventions. Historically, there has been a tendency to prioritize implementation, often neglecting detailed design and rigorous outcome evaluation. Currently, much has changed, and contemporary approaches recognize the interdependence of these stages, considering them integral to the success of any intervention. This work presents a comprehensive procedure for implementing interventions, not only to ensure short-term effectiveness but also their long-term sustainability through continuous monitoring. The focus is on a national OSH project introducing a near-miss management system (NMS) in Italy. MethodsInitial meetings were convened among project partners, complemented by interviews with diverse stakeholders, to plan implementation steps and test the NMS. Tailored questionnaires were designed for diverse stakeholder groups – initial promoters, company managers and employers, and employees – facilitating targeted implementation, and three case studies were started in Italian regions to assess the structured implementation, involving intervention promoters and collaborating companies. ResultsThe primary outcome is the development of practical tools, specifically three questionnaires, which are considered valuable for establishing an effective human-centered implementation strategy, meticulously designed to facilitate ongoing monitoring of processes and continual enhancement of instruments intended for NMS integration within companies. ConclusionsThis work lays the foundation for successful NMS implementation in Italy and, although the outlined procedure had specific objectives, it also provides valuable insights applicable in enhancing the effectiveness and sustainability of interventions across diverse contexts. It underscores the importance of comprehensive planning, stakeholder engagement, and continuous evaluation in achieving lasting OSH interventions.

Care for Staff: A Novel Technical Assistance Approach to Promote Occupational Mental Health Among Healthcare Workers in Lower and Middle Income Country Settings.

Healthcare workers (HCWs) in lower- and middle-income countries (LMICs) face unique, intersectional threats to their mental health at work. Despite the existence of recommendations for multi-tiered interventions to promote and protect occupational mental health for HCWs, there remain significant challenges to implementation worldwide. FHI 360, a global development organization, developed a novel technical assistance framework to accompany partners, including government and healthcare leaders to design, implement, improve, or evaluate any mental health and psychosocial support intervention. The EpiC Project, implemented by FHI 360, has utilized this framework in four countries (Vietnam, Philippines, Paraguay and Sri Lanka) specifically to guide the development of locally adapted occupational mental health interventions for HCWs. Each country applied this framework in various project cycle phases and in their unique local contexts; all countries reported positive developments in the advancement of their chosen interventions. With the application of an adaptable, evidence-based technical assistance framework to guide collaborative consultation for project design, implementation, improvement, and/or evaluation, locally led teams pivoted from a solely "mental health" approach to more comprehensive, evidence-based interventions that framed mental health for HCWs as an occupational health priority. This allowed for teams advising interventions in LMICs to consider unique workplace, structural and policy-level factors rather than focusing solely on individual mental health strategies.

Opportunities and challenges in designing and evaluating complex multilevel, multi-stakeholder occupational health interventions in practice

ABSTRACT Extant research suggests the effectiveness of Occupational Health Psychology (OHP) interventions depends on their design in the broader organisational context. While the field recognises that pre- and posttest evaluation do not sufficiently capture the complex dynamics around OHP interventions, complex multi-level OHP interventions are still scarce in the literature. As established intervention implementation frameworks suggest, it remains difficult to address this complexity in practice. The present position paper re-evaluates lessons learned from two complex European OHP intervention projects, by applying the Integrated Process Evaluation Framework (IPEF) and related theories to bridge the gap between the theoretically recognised complexity and practical challenges. The re-evaluations emphasise that programme-multilevel theories rooted in OHP-perspectives contribute to adequately hypothesising around systemic factors and mechanisms relevant to OHP interventions. Concretely, middle range theories that outline how an intervention’s mechanisms work within a specific context to produce certain outcomes are crucial. Additionally, strategically and actively involving key stakeholders at all levels of the system and across the different intervention phases improves the embedding of OHP interventions in organisations. We elaborate on these insights with seven concrete recommendations for complex OHP intervention research.

Prevalence and Effects of Plantar Fasciitis on Functional Activities among Doctors and Nurses in Sialkot, a Cross- Sectional Survey.

Background: Plantar fasciitis is a debilitating condition that affects a significant number of adults worldwide, characterized by heel pain and functional limitations. Healthcare professionals, particularly nurses and doctors, are at a heightened risk due to their prolonged standing and weight-bearing activities. Despite this, there remains a paucity of research focusing on this demographic, especially within the context of developing countries like Pakistan. Objective: This study aimed to determine the prevalence and impact of plantar fasciitis on the functional activities of doctors and nurses in Sialkot, Pakistan, thereby contributing to the existing literature and providing insights for occupational health interventions. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in two major hospitals of Sialkot from October 2023 to January 2024. The study recruited 165 participants through non-probability convenient sampling. Inclusion criteria were professionals aged 25-50 with positive windlass tests and experiencing morning pain for over a month, while those with heel fractures, surgeries, infections, or foot deformities were excluded. The Foot Function Index questionnaire was employed to measure pain, disability, and activity limitation. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 25, employing a one-sample t-test to compare group means. Results: The mean scores for pain, disability, and activity limitation were 53.48±12.24, 52.88±10.43, and 9.15±3.36, respectively. The one-sample t-test revealed significant differences from the test value of 50 for pain (t=3.663, p<0.001) and disability (t=3.548, p=0.001), with activity limitation significantly below the test value (t=-155.848, p<0.001). Conclusion: The study confirmed a high prevalence of plantar fasciitis among healthcare professionals, with notable implications for their daily functionality and occupational health. The condition was more prevalent among nurses compared to doctors, and significantly affected their ability to perform daily tasks, leading to increased disability and activity limitations.

The EMPOWER Occupational e-Mental Health Intervention Implementation Checklist to Foster e-Mental Health Interventions in the Workplace: Development Study.

Occupational e-mental health (OeMH) interventions significantly reduce the burden of mental health conditions. The successful implementation of OeMH interventions is influenced by many implementation strategies, barriers, and facilitators across contexts, which, however, are not systematically tracked. One of the reasons is that international consensus on documenting and reporting the implementation of OeMH interventions is lacking. There is a need for practical guidance on the key factors influencing the implementation of interventions that organizations should consider. Stakeholder consultations secure a valuable source of information about these key strategies, barriers, and facilitators that are relevant to successful implementation of OeMH interventions. The objective of this study was to develop a brief checklist to guide the implementation of OeMH interventions. Based on the results of a recently published systematic review, we drafted a comprehensive checklist with a wide set of strategies, barriers, and facilitators that were identified as relevant for the implementation of OeMH interventions. We then used a 2-stage stakeholder consultation process to refine the draft checklist to a brief and practical checklist comprising key implementation factors. In the first stage, stakeholders evaluated the relevance and feasibility of items on the draft checklist using a web-based survey. The list of items comprised 12 facilitators presented as statements addressing "elements that positively affect implementation" and 17 barriers presented as statements addressing "concerns toward implementation." If a strategy was deemed relevant, respondents were asked to rate it using a 4-point Likert scale ranging from "very difficult to implement" to "very easy to implement." In the second stage, stakeholders were interviewed to elaborate on the most relevant barriers and facilitators shortlisted from the first stage. The interview mostly focused on the relevance and priority of strategies and factors affecting OeMH intervention implementation. In the interview, the stakeholders' responses to the open survey's questions were further explored. The final checklist included strategies ranked as relevant and feasible and the most relevant facilitators and barriers, which were endorsed during either the survey or the interviews. In total, 26 stakeholders completed the web-based survey (response rate=24.8%) and 4 stakeholders participated in individual interviews. The OeMH intervention implementation checklist comprised 28 items, including 9 (32.1%) strategies, 8 (28.6%) barriers, and 11 (39.3%) facilitators. There was widespread agreement between findings from the survey and interviews, the most outstanding exception being the idea of proposing OeMH interventions as benefits for employees. Through our 2-stage stakeholder consultation, we developed a brief checklist that provides organizations with a guide for the implementation of OeMH interventions. Future research should empirically validate the effectiveness and usefulness of the checklist.

Characterizing the Burden of Occupational Chemical Exposures by Sociodemographic Groups in the United States, 2021.

Objectives. To estimate the number and prevalence of workers in the United States exposed to chemical hazards available in the Canadian job-exposure matrix (CANJEM) database and examine exposure disparities across sociodemographic groups. Methods. We merged US worker demographic data from the Current Population Survey with CANJEM to characterize the burden and sociodemographic distribution of 244 chemical exposures in the United States in 2021. An interactive version of the full data set is available online (https://deohs.washington.edu/us-exposure-burden). Results. Of the chemical exposures examined, the most prevalent were cleaning and antimicrobial agents (14.7% of workforce estimated exposed), engine emissions (12.8%), organic solvents (12.1%), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (10.1%), and diesel engine emissions (8.3%). Racial and ethnic minoritized groups, persons with lower educational attainment, foreign-born noncitizens, and males were generally overrepresented in exposure to work-related chemical hazards. Conclusions. In the United States, marginalized sociodemographic groups are estimated to experience an inequitable burden to many chemical exposures because of occupational segregation. Data from this analysis can inform occupational and public health research, policy, and interventions aimed at reducing the burden of disease and health inequities in the United States. (Am J Public Health. 2024;114(1):57-67. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2023.307461).

A joint training of healthcare line managers and health and safety representatives in facilitating occupational health interventions: a feasibility study protocol for the Co-pilot project.

Healthcare employees are experiencing poor wellbeing at an increasing rate. The healthcare workforce is exposed to challenging tasks and a high work pace, a situation that worsened during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. In turn, exposure to these high demands contributes to poor health, increased turnover, reduced job satisfaction, reduced efficacy, and reduced patient satisfaction and safety. Therefore, it is imperative that we identify measures to mitigate this crisis. One piece of this puzzle is how to implement sustainable tools and processes to improve the work environment of healthcare organizations. In this paper, we present the study protocol for the outlining and piloting of a joint training for pairs of healthcare line managers and their associated health and safety representatives in a Swedish healthcare organization. The objective of the training is to aid and advance the implementation of interventions to improve the work environment at the unit level. Following recommendations in the literature, the training is based on a stepwise approach that considers the specific context and focuses on the involvement of employees in creating interventions based on their needs. A central component of the training is the development of the pairs' collaboration in prioritizing, developing, implementing, and evaluating the interventions. The training is based on an on-the-job train-the-trainer approach in which participants are progressively trained during four workshops in the steps of a participatory intervention process. Between these workshops, the pairs follow the same progressive steps together with their employees to develop and implement interventions at their unit. The pilot will involve four pairs (i.e., eight participants) representing different parts and functions of the organization and will be conducted over a period of three months. We will use a mixed method design to evaluate preconditions, the process, and proximal transfer and implementation outcome factors of the training. The overall aim of the pilot is to appraise its feasibility and be able to adjust the training before a potential scale-up.

Quais os principais motivos da não comparência aos exames de Saúde no Trabalho? Estudo observacional numa instituição hospitalar pública

Introduction Non-attendance at medical appointments is a widely recognized problem in healthcare systems, and it is associated with various factors. Occupational health examinations have distinct characteristics from medical appointments in other specialties due to their mandatory nature, legally required for both the employer and the employee. However, despite efforts, a considerable number of absences persist. Objectives To understand the underlying reasons for absences from these examinations. Methodology This was a cross-sectional observational study conducted in a public hospital institution. Employees of the hospital who missed their appointments in the first half of 2023 were contacted in July of the same year to conduct a telephone survey consisting of three multiple-choice questions related to the study’s theme. Microsoft Excel and SPSS Statistics programs were used for data analysis. Results A total of 278 absences were identified during the aforementioned period out of a total of 1589 scheduled health examinations, resulting in an absenteeism rate of 17.5%. Among the 212 telephone responses obtained, the primary reasons for non-compliance with occupational health examinations were mainly due to absence caused by acute illness, vacation, or time off, accounting for 20.3% of occurrences (n=43); lack of awareness of the appointment or it not occurring in a timely manner, representing 19.8% of responses (n=42); prolonged absence due to chronic illness, pregnancy, or parental leave, comprising 17.9% (n=38); inability to be absent from work in 16.5% of cases (n=35), and forgetfulness in approximately 12.7% (n=27). Additionally, only 26.9% of the workers rescheduled their health examination. Approximately 59.9% of the working population considers themselves insufficiently informed about the purpose and importance of health examinations, as well as the areas of Occupational Health intervention, showing receptiveness to further training in this area. Conclusion This study provided a deeper understanding of the underlying reasons for absences from occupational health examinations, opening an opportunity for the implementation of interventions aimed at minimizing this organizational problem, which has a substantial impact on the surveillance of workers’ health. KEYWORDS: health examinations; absences; occupational health; occupational medicine.

Occupational health and safety regulatory interventions to improve the work environment: An evidence and gap map of effectiveness studies

AbstractBackgroundUnsafe and unhealthy working conditions lead to injuries and financial losses across the globe, resulting in a need for research into effective work environment interventions.ObjectivesThe objective of this evidence and gap map (EGM) is to provide an overview of existing systematic reviews and primary studies examining the effects of occupational health and safety regulatory interventions.Search MethodsRelevant studies are identified through searches in published and unpublished literature performed up to January 2023.Selection CriteriaThe population for this EGM is workers above the age of 15 and their workplaces within the OECD. We include randomised controlled trials, non‐randomised studies with a comparison of two or more groups of participants, and systematic reviews of effects.Data Collection and AnalysisThe map has been populated based on information about interventions and outcomes, study design, OECD country, and publication status. We have performed critical appraisal of included systematic reviews using an adjusted version of the AMSTAR‐2 tool.Main ResultsThe included studies for this report consist of six systematic reviews, 28 primary effect studies, and three on‐going studies. The interactive map shows that the largest cluster of studies is located in the inspection activity domain, while the sickness absence outcome domain and the intervention categories for training initiatives and formulation of regulatory standards are only scarcely populated. Additionally, the AMSTAR‐appraisal suggests a lack of rigorous systematic reviews and meta‐analyses.Authors’ ConclusionsMore research in the form of primary studies and rigorous systematic reviews is needed to provide stakeholders with better guidance as to what constitutes the most efficient regulatory approaches to improve the work environment.

Evaluation of occupational health and safety intervention for the waste and sanitation workers in Bangladesh during COVID-19

Waste and sanitation workers in South-Asian countries are vulnerable to injuries and diseases, including COVID-19. In Bangladesh, an intervention was implemented during COVID-19 to lower these workers' occupational health risks through training and PPE distribution.We assessed how the intervention affected their occupational health behaviors using a randomized cluster trial in 10 Bangladeshi cities, including seven intervention and three control areas. We conducted 499 surveys (Control-152, Intervention-347) and 47 structured observations (Control:15, Intervention:32) at baseline and 499 surveys (Control:150, Intervention:349) and 50 structured observations (Control:15, Intervention:35) at endline. To evaluate the impact of intervention at the endline, we used the difference in difference (DID) method.Compared to control, workers from intervention areas were more likely to have increased knowledge of using/maintaining PPEs (adjusted DID: 21%, CI: 8, 33), major COVID-19 transmission causes (adjusted DID: 27%, CI: 14, 40), and preventive measures (adjusted DID: 12%, CI: -0.6, 25), and improved attitude about using PPEs (adjusted DID: 36%, CI: 22, 49), washing PPEs (adjusted DID: 20%, CI: 8, 32). The intervention was more likely to improve workers' self-reported practice of taking adequate precautions after getting back from work (adjusted DID: 37%, CI: 27, 47) and changing/cleaning masks every day (adjusted DID: 47%, CI: 0.03, 94), and observed practices of maintaining coughing etiquette (DID: 20%, CI: 0.2, 40) at workplace and handwashing before wearing PPEs (DID: 27%, CI: 2, 52), after finishing work (DID: 31%, CI: -7, 69) & during work intervals (DID: 30%, CI: -33, 93). There was not much improvement in observed practices of mask use (DID: 1%, CI: -40, 42), handwashing before meals (DID: 2%, CI: -61, 65), and after toilet (DID: 7%, CI: -41, 55).This intervention has improved the knowledge, attitude and practice of the workers about critical occupational risk mitigation, which may be replicated in similar settings. Future interventions need to address occupational health-related injuries and health complications, introduce regular health checkups/insurance for the workers, create a balance between the quality and comfort of the PPEs and ensure a mechanism to ensure a regular supply of PPEs.

Resources and interventions to support psychological health and wellbeing in the pharmacy workforce: Analysis and use of a health worker ‘burnout’ toolkit

BackgroundPharmacists have experienced declines in psychological health and wellbeing post-pandemic. The phenomena of moral distress, disengagement and burnout are associated with workforce attrition, unfitness to practice and inferior quality of patient care. A working group of the Canadian Pharmacists Association (CPhA) was formed to identify resources and interventions (R&I) for occupational psychological health and wellbeing. ObjectiveTo characterize R&I from an evidence-based national health worker ‘burnout’ Toolkit with potential to support the pharmacy workforce. MethodsAll R&I included within a draft ‘burnout’ Toolkit from the Canadian Health Workforce Network (CHWN) were screened to determine relevancy and usefulness for the pharmacy workforce. R&I with higher grades were data-charted to capture information on topic and content delivery. Final R&I were determined through consensus meetings where ‘highly rated’ R&I were discussed and selected. ResultsOf 140 original CHWN Toolkit R&I, 53 (37.8%) were of potential relevance or usefulness to improve well-being for most in the pharmacy workforce. Of those 53 R&I, 28 (20% of original) were final selections. The majority of R&I at each stage were focused on ‘preventing burnout’ and ‘promoting mental health’ (>60%) rather than ‘addressing burnout’, ‘supporting recovery’ or managing specific issues in the workplace (i.e. stigma, discrimination, bullying, hostility, workload). No R&I were specifically developed or studied within the pharmacy workforce. ConclusionsHealth professions may benefit from the CHWN Toolkit and the knowledge translation activity described here. R&I relevant and useful to the pharmacy workforce generally require adaptation for dissemination and/or implementation. The set of final R&I form the basis for orchestrated plans to support the pharmacy workforce with respect to psychological health and wellbeing. There is a relative lack of R&I devoted to addressing and recovering from burnout and workload management issues.

A Systematic Review of Social Marketing Interventions Promoting Occupational Health and Safety

Background Unintentional and preventable workplace injuries are a common occurrence across employment contexts. Campaign and intervention initiatives are often implemented to promote health and safety in the workplace. However, to date, scarce research has reviewed the manner in which social marketing principles have been used to inform these efforts. Focus of Article The current review seeks to address this gap by completing a systematic review of occupational health and safety interventions that utilize social marketing approaches. Research Question This review sought to identify key trends and characteristics across occupational health and safety social marketing efforts such as what topics, theories, and design characteristics are most often used to inform these initiatives. The review also sought to determine how effective social marketing tactics were in promoting behavior change. Method In total, 4,354 article titles and abstracts were reviewed across four databases. Ultimately, 11 articles reviewed met the set inclusion criteria, were reviewed, and subsequently analyzed. Results Results indicated that social marketing interventions typically addressed behaviors related to construction safety, agricultural safety, and safety within healthcare environments. While little continuity existed among information dissemination approaches specified, it was clear that many interventions used some form of traditional media (e.g., print, radio, etc.) as a mainstay of their approach. Further, most were effective in promoting behavior change. Importance to the Social Marketing Field While this review identified vital information relating to the development and implementation of occupational health and safety initiatives, clear gaps exist in how key campaign elements, messaging approaches, and strategies are documented in the literature. Recommendations for Research and Practice Practitioners can and should use information identified from this review to guide the development of social marketing interventions. Further, this work also provides important guidance on best practices for documenting features and outcomes of future social marketing efforts.

Simple roads to failure, complex paths to success: An evaluation of conditions explaining perceived fit of an organizational occupational health intervention

AbstractOrganizational occupational health interventions (OOHIs) that are perceived by employees as relevant for their workplace are more likely to be implemented successfully, yet little is known about the conditions that produce such perceptions. This study identifies the conditions that create a perception among employees that an intervention fits their organization as well as the conditions that result in low levels of perceived fit. We used two‐wave data from 40 Danish preschools that underwent a quasi‐experimental OOHI. Perceived fit was assessed through employee ratings at follow‐up, while survey responses from implementation team members at five time points were used to assess four context and 14 process factors. The results of a coincidence analysis showed that high levels of perceived fit were achieved through two paths. Each path consisted of a lack of co‐occurring changes together with either very high levels of managerial support (path_1) or a combination of implementation team role clarity, staff involvement, and team learning (path_2). In contrast, low levels of perceived fit were brought about by single factors: limited leader support, low degree of role clarity, or concurrent organizational changes. The findings reveal the complexity involved in implementing OOHIs and offer insights into reasons they may fail.

A participatory approach to designing and implementing an occupational health intervention for the nail salon community in the Greater Philadelphia region.

The nail salon industry in the US comprises mostly immigrant-owned, small mom-and-pop salons that employ primarily first-generation immigrant workers from Asia. Because of the cultural and language barriers, both owners and workers may not avail themselves of the occupational safety resources. We formed an academic-community partnership to co-design a feasibility study and multi-level occupational health intervention for Vietnamese-speaking salon owners, workers, and community-based organization. The intervention for each salon included (i) 2-h in-person training covering chemical safety, infection control, musculoskeletal prevention, and workers' rights for both the owners and their employees, (ii) a tailored recommendation report for the owner, and (iii) check-ins with the owner during the 3-month follow-up. Community partner was trained to deliver the in-language training with technical assistance from the research team. Baseline and post-intervention individual data about health symptoms and behaviors, as well as personal chemical exposures were collected and analyzed. A total of 44 participants from 12 consented salons enrolled in the study. One salon dropped out at follow-up due to change of ownership. Analysis of the differences between post-and pre-intervention showed a tendency toward reduction in some self-reported symptoms in the respiratory system, skin, and eyes, neurotoxicity score, as well as chemical exposures. We could not rule out seasonality as an explanation for these trends. Increase in self-efficacy in some areas was observed post-intervention. Our study demonstrated a successful academic-community partnership to engage community members in the intervention study. While the intervention effects from this feasibility study should be interpreted with caution, our preliminary results indicated that our community-based intervention is a promising approach to reduce work-related exposures among Asian American nail salon workers.

A preliminary study on the barriers and facilitators to improving the health, safety, and well-being of aging heavy vehicle drivers

Introduction. Managers from road freight transportation organizations were interviewed on barriers and facilitators to implementation of occupational health, safety, and well-being interventions for aging heavy vehicle drivers. As aging drivers are more likely to be seriously injured or die in a work-related incident than younger drivers, it is important to recognize strengths and weaknesses throughout the system to identify intervention that addresses their specific needs. Method: A Systems Theoretic Accident Model and Processes (STAMP) control structure was constructed to chart the controllers, controls, and feedback channels in the system to identify gaps in health, safety, and well-being intervention in the system. The STAMP control structure also charted the barriers and facilitators within levels across the system. Eleven managers were recruited into the study representing a range of road freight transportation organizations throughout Australia. Results: Interview data revealed that barriers and facilitators existed at most levels of the system. Facilitators included advice from external agencies, support from upper management, modern technology, and regular social communication with drivers. Barriers were a lack of guidance on aging issues, operational conflicts with health and safety objectives, and the drivers’ fear of disclosing health information associated with their driving role. In regards to formalized intervention in place to support aging heavy vehicle drivers, the system is reliant on fitness to drive medical assessments based on age and jurisdiction. Conclusions: As there was generally a lack of senior direction cited from the upper levels of the system on aging issues, there was much variation across the study on how aging risks are managed in the workplace for heavy vehicle drivers. Practical Applications: This study recommends that managers across the road freight transportation industry receive formalized aging-awareness health and safety training in how to manage work-related driving hazards for aging heavy vehicle drivers.