Occupational Work Research Articles

Assessing the efficacy of a job rotation for improving occupational physical and psychosocial work environment, musculoskeletal health, social equality, production quality and resilience at a commercial laundromat: protocol for a longitudinal case study

IntroductionJob rotation is a work organisation strategy used to reduce work-related exposures and musculoskeletal complaints, yet evidence for the efficacy of the approach is weak. Mismatch between job rotation and...

COMPARISON OF OUTCOME FOLLOWING TOTALLY EXTRAPERITONEAL REPAIR AND LICHTENSTEIN TENSION FREE HERNIOPLASTY FOR PRIMARY UNILATERAL INGUINAL HERNIA IN MALES

In spite of a steep learning curve, laparoscopic Totally Extraperitoneal repair (TEP) promises less wound complications and shorter hospital stays over Lichtenstein's repair for primary unilateral inguinal hernia. We randomly allocated 50 male patients with primary unilateral inguinal hernia into two groups (21 in TEPgroup and 29 in open group) during a one year period and followed them up for a minimum of 3 months. Mean duration of surgery was 88.00 ± 28.12 minutes in laparoscopic repair versus 77.97 ± 22.22 minutes for open repair (p = 0.30). TEP group had signicantly lesser wound complications overall (p = 0.004), signicantly shorter mean post-operative stay (p< 0.001) and earlier return to occupational work (p< 0.00001). The incidence of groin pain at 3 months was again less in the TEP group (p = 0.70) with similar recurrences in both groups. So, TEP did not lead to increased recurrence but surprisingly offered better post-operative outcomes than Lichtenstein's repair.

Analysis on the Abnormal Detection Rate of Blood Tests in 1790 Medical Radiation Workers in Nanjing

<i>Objective</i> To investigate the characteristics of abnormal detection rate of the Blood routine and the Serum biochemistry in medical radiation workers. <i>Methods</i> A total of 1790 medical radiologists and occupational workers taking part in a medical check-up without radiation exposure history nor toxic exposure history, were selected as the radiation group and the control group respectively. The abnormal detection rates of blood routine and serum biochemical indexes of the two groups were compared and analyzed. <i>Results</i> The top three abnormal detection rates of blood routine indexes were MONO% [177 (9.9)], NEUT% [108 (6.0)], and WBC [85 (4.7)]. The top three abnormal detection rates of serum biochemical indexes were UA [395 (22.1)], FBG [208 (11.6)], and ALT [195 (10.9)]. The percentage of monocyte, neutrophil, leukocyte, and platelet abnormalities in the female group was higher than that in the male group. The abnormal detection rates of uric acid, fasting blood glucose, γ-glutamyl transpeptidase, alanine aminotransferase, total bilirubin, globulin, creatinine, and albumin in the male group were higher than those in the female group. The detection rate of abnormal fasting blood glucose showed an increasing trend correlated with the increase in occupational working duration. Alanine aminotransferase, γ-glutamyl transpeptidase, and creatinine increased in the early stage and then fell. The Total protein (TP) was relatively higher in the group of radiologists with more than 21 years of exposure. <i>Conclusion</i> Most of the blood routine and serum biochemical indexes of radiation workers are affected by radiation, while the blood routine indexes in the female group are affected by radiation more than that in the male group, and the serum biochemical indexes in the male group are affected by radiation more than that in the female group.

Investigation of key domains associated with worker well-being and burnout and turnover in the early care and education workforce.

The early care and education (ECE) workforce provides care for children aged zero to five. This critical segment of the workforce experiences significant burnout and turnover rates resulting from extensive demands, including job stress and poor overall well-being. Factors associated with well-being in these settings and the resulting impacts on burnout and turnover are understudied. The purpose of this study was to investigate associations between five well-being domains and burnout and turnover outcomes among a large sample of Head Start ECE staff in the United States. An 89-item survey based off the National Institutes of Occupational Safety and Health Worker Wellbeing Questionnaire (NIOSH WellBQ) was administered to ECE staff employed in five large urban and rural Head Start agencies. The WellBQ is made up of five domains intended to measure worker well-being as a holistic construct. We utilized linear mixed-effect modeling with random intercepts to investigate associations between sociodemographic characteristics, well-being domain sum scores and burnout and turnover. After controlling for sociodemographic variables, the well-being Domain 1 (Work Evaluation and Experience) (β = -.73, p < .05) and Domain 4 (Health Status) (β = -.30, p < .05) were significantly and negatively associated with burnout; the well-being Domain 1 (Work Evaluation and Experience) (β = -.21, p < .01) was significantly and negatively associated with turnover intent. These findings suggest that multi-level well-being promotion programs could be critical to mitigate ECE teacher stress and address individual-, interpersonal-, and organizational-level predictors of overall ECE workforce well-being.

On modeling future workplace location decisions: An analysis of Texas employees

In this paper, we examine work place location (WPL) preferences of workers in an unpredictable and evolving future by investigating how workers would prefer to allocate their monthly working days among the three WPL alternatives of working from home, from the work office, and from a variable third WPL. In contrast to earlier studies that typically focus on telework as a binary of whether an individual is a teleworker or not, we focus our attention on workers’ preferences for specific combinations of all three WPLs over a period of a month (including, but not limited to, only selecting one WPL for all days of the month). In our analysis, we employ the multiple discrete–continuous extreme value (MDCEV) model, using a 2022 stated preference survey of future work preferences of employees residing in the state of Texas. The results indicate that single young women with very young children, those with long commutes and “intolerable” traffic congestion to the work office, individuals with a private study in their homes, self-employed workers, and those in non-essential service occupations have the highest preference for working from home. On the other hand, older men, individuals from low income households, those residing in rural areas, and workers in essential service occupations have the highest preference for the work office. And, for the third WPL, young non-single women with very young children, individuals from low income households, part-time employees, and those in professional, managerial or finance occupations have the highest predisposition. These results should provide valuable insights to urban planners, homebuilders, employers, travel demand modelers, and a whole host of other businesses to achieve specific desired end states. From a data collection standpoint, our study underscores the need to collect detailed information about work patterns in future activity-travel surveys.

Working Conditions and Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Self-rated Health.

The aims of the study are to examine racial and ethnic differences in occupational physical demands, substantive complexity, time pressure, work hours, and establishment size and to assess whether working conditions contribute to racial and ethnic differences in self-rated health. We used 2017 and 2019 Panel Study of Income Dynamics data for 8439 adults. Using path models, we examined working conditions among Black, Latino, and White workers and explored whether those conditions mediated racial and ethnic differences in incident poor self-rated health. Some working conditions disproportionately affected Black workers (high physical demands, low substantive complexity), Latino workers (low substantive complexity, small establishments), and White workers (time pressure). Time pressure predicted worse self-rated health; there was no evidence that the working conditions studied mediated racial/ethnic differences. Working conditions vary by racial and ethnic group; some predict worse health.

Avoiding, Resisting and Enduring: A New Typology of Worker Responses to Workplace Violence

Drawing on research on chefs and aspiring chefs in commercial kitchens, this article typologises workers’ strategic responses to violence and illustrates how these responses are shaped by occupational status and work experience, as well as industry structures. While previous scholarship indicates that workers actively avoid or resist violence in the workplace, this literature largely neglects ways in which workers endure violence in strategic ways. Based on ethnographic data and in-depth interviews, this article explores three key responses to violence – avoidance, resistance and endurance – and argues that while these reactions may complement workers’ occupational self-interest, they ultimately serve to reinforce, normalise and even exacerbate violence within commercial kitchens and other similar workplaces.

COVID-19 Risk by Workers’ Occupation and Industry in the United States, 2020‒2021

Objectives. To assess the risk of COVID-19 by occupation and industry in the United States. Methods. Using the 2020-2021 National Health Interview Survey, we estimated the risk of having had a diagnosis of COVID-19 by workers' industry and occupation, with and without adjustment for confounders. We also examined COVID-19 period prevalence by the number of workers in a household. Results. Relative to workers in other industries and occupations, those in the industry "health care and social assistance" (adjusted prevalence ratio = 1.23; 95% confidence interval = 1.11, 1.37), or in the occupations "health practitioners and technical," "health care support," or "protective services" had elevated risks of COVID-19. However, compared with nonworkers, workers in 12 of 21 industries and 11 of 23 occupations (e.g., manufacturing, food preparation, and sales) were at elevated risk. COVID-19 prevalence rose with each additional worker in a household. Conclusions. Workers in several industries and occupations with public-facing roles and adults in households with multiple workers had elevated risk of COVID-19. Public Health Implications. Stronger workplace protections, paid sick leave, and better health care access might mitigate working families' risks from this and future pandemics. (Am J Public Health. 2023;113(6):647-656. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2023.307249).

Obstacles to Health Big Data Utilization Based on the Perceptions and Demands of Health Care Workers in South Korea: Web-Based Survey Study.

This study focuses on the potential of health big data in the South Korean context. Despite huge data reserves and pan-government efforts to increase data use, the utilization is limited to public interest research centered in public institutions that have data. To increase the use of health big data, it is necessary to identify and develop measures to meet the various demands for such data from individuals, private companies, and research institutes. The aim of this study was to identify the perceptions of and demands for health big data analysis and use among workers in health care-related occupations and to clarify the obstacles to the use of health big data. From May 8 to May 18, 2022, we conducted a web-based survey among 390 health care-related workers in South Korea. We used Fisher exact test and analysis of variance to estimate the differences among occupations. We expressed the analysis results by item in frequency and percentage and expressed the difficulties in analyzing health big data by mean and standard deviation. The respondents who revealed the need to use health big data in health care work-related fields accounted for 86.4% (337/390); 65.6% (256/390) of the respondents had never used health big data. The lack of awareness about the source of the desired data was the most cited reason for nonuse by 39.6% (153/386) of the respondents. The most cited obstacle to using health big data by the respondents was the difficulty in data integration and expression unit matching, followed by missing value processing and noise removal. Thus, the respondents experienced the greatest difficulty in the data preprocessing stage during the health big data analysis process, regardless of occupation. Approximately 91.8% (358/390) of the participants responded that they were willing to use the system if a system supporting big data analysis was developed. As suggestions for the specific necessary support system, the reporting and provision of appropriate data and expert advice on questions arising during the overall process of big data analysis were mentioned. Our findings indicate respondents' high awareness of and demand for health big data. Our findings also reveal the low utilization of health big data and the need to support health care workers in their analysis and use of such data. Hence, we recommend the development of a customized support system that meets the specific requirements of big data analysis by users such as individuals, nongovernmental agencies, and academia. Our study is significant because it identified important but overlooked failure factors. Thus, it is necessary to prepare practical measures to increase the utilization of health big data in the future.

News media framing of correctional officers: “Corrections is so Negative, we don’t get any Good Recognition”

The work of correctional officers (COs) is essential yet remains largely hidden from society. As such, media framing plays an important role in shaping public perceptions of COs and their work. COs encounter adverse events over the course of their occupational work and are legally—and sometimes publicly—held accountable. In the current study, we first present a text-based frame analysis of local news media published between January 2019 and December 2019 to see how COs are represented in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador (NL). We then draw from 25 interviews with COs employed at Her [His] Majesty’s Penitentiary in St. John’s, NL, to learn how the officers interpret the media’s framing of their occupation. Grounded emergent theme analyses of interview data reveal officers share concerns about what they perceived as unfair negative media framing. COs more often feel like objects of media framing with little agency to shape media narratives about their work. COs’ lay theories about their representation in mainstream news media illuminate a misalignment between media framing and their own work experience. This misalignment is a source of anxiety and additional job strain.

Explaining COVID-19 mortality among immigrants in Sweden from a social determinants of health perspective (COVIS): protocol for a national register-based observational study

IntroductionAdopting a social determinants of health perspective, this project aims to study how disproportionate COVID-19 mortality among immigrants in Sweden is associated with social factors operating through differential exposure to...

View access index: The effects of geometric variables of window views on occupants’ satisfaction

One of the important aims of window design is to provide quality views that affect occupant health, well-being, and work performance. We assessed the effect of geometric variables (i.e., view angles, glazing area (Window-to-Wall Ratio, WWR), window distance, viewing direction and percentage of window view area in the visual field (PWV)) had on occupants’ satisfaction to view access. We conducted a human subject experiment with 40 participants using simulated images displayed in virtual reality headsets. Each participant rated 40 images with the geometric window view variables being presented in various combinations. The results showed that glazing area (WWR), window distance, and viewing direction were the three primary predictors for view access satisfaction. Based on the empirical results, we developed a view access index. This index found that satisfactory view access cannot be achieved with WWRs < ∼25%, and the level of satisfaction with view access did not increase substantially when WWRs > ∼65%. The proposed index is the first model that predicts occupant satisfaction to view access by considering the complex interplay of multiple geometric window view variables derived from an immersive environment. Given the impact of glazing area, window distance and viewing direction have on occupant satisfaction in the workplace, it is important to integrate them during the early stages of building design. For minimum view access requirements, we recommend WWRs and horizontal view angles that are greater than 25% and to 35°.

A pilot study investigating motor adaptations when learning to walk with a whole-body powered exoskeleton

Evidence is emerging on how whole-body powered exoskeleton (EXO) use impacts users in basic occupational work scenarios, yet our understanding of how users learn to use this complex technology is limited. We explored how novice users adapted to using an EXO during gait. Six novices and five experienced users completed the study. Novices completed an initial training/familiarization gait session, followed by three subsequent gait sessions using the EXO, while experienced users completed one gait session with the EXO. Spatiotemporal gait measures, pelvis and lower limb joint kinematics, muscle activities, EXO torques, and human-EXO interaction forces were measured. Adaptations among novices were most pronounced in spatiotemporal gait measures, followed by joint kinematics, with smaller changes evident in muscle activity and EXO joint torques. Compared to the experienced users, novices exhibited a shorter step length and walked with significantly greater anterior pelvic tilt and less hip extension. Novices also used lower joint torques from the EXO at the hip and knee, and they had greater biceps femoris activity. Overall, our results may suggest that novices exhibited clear progress in learning, but they had not yet adopted motor strategies similar to those of experienced users after the three sessions. We suggest potential future directions to enhance motor adaptations to powered EXO in terms of both training protocols and human-EXO interfaces.

Job crafting and boredom as mediators of the relationship between occupational self-efficacy and work engagement

Previous studies have examined the impact of occupational self-efficacy and work engagement, but studies investigating job crafting and boredom as mediators of the relationship between occupational self-efficacy and work engagement among traffic control officers are lacking. Therefore, the present study tested the indirect effects of job crafting and boredom on work engagement, alongside the sequential effects of occupational self-efficacy, job crafting, and job boredom on work engagement. Time- lagged data were collected at three points of measurement among 320 traffic control officers from South-eastern Nigeria. Results of the multiple serial mediation analysis indicated that occupational self-efficacy positively predicted higher work engagement by activating higher job crafting behaviours. We also found an indirect effect of job boredom,which suggests that a higher level of occupational self-efficacy reduces job boredom via job crafting which increased work engagement. Results of the study supported the sequential mediating effects of occupational self-efficacy, job crafting and job boredom on work engagement. These results imply that occupational self-efficacy and job crafting are resources that can be used to relief employees’ feeling of boredom about their job, which in turn enhances work engagement. The limitations of the study and suggestions for further research were highlighted.

Development and validation of a clinical prediction model for return to work after arthroscopic anterior crucial ligament reconstruction

BackgroundOccupational reintegration after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture is an important clinical issue including economic and health-related perspectives. This study aims to develop and validate a clinical prediction model of return to work in patients with ACL reconstruction surgery considering evidence-based clinical, anthropometric and occupational factors. MethodsData of 562 patients with an ACL rupture receiving an arthroscopic ACL reconstruction were used for analysis. A model for the binary outcome of experiencing an inability to work period of less or more than 14 days (model 1), and a model for finding predictor variables that are linearly associated with a continuous longer inability to work period of over 14 days (model 2) was calculated. Pre-operative determinants including patient characteristics and peri-operative factors were used as predictors for both models. ResultsFor model 1, the highest increase in odds was observed for the occupational type of work, followed by injury of the medial collateral ligament together with partial weight bearing. Small protective effects were observed for female sex, meniscal suture and work with light occupational strain. The type of occupational work, together with revision surgery, a longer duration of limited range of motion and the presence of cartilage therapy were risk factors for longer inability to work. Discrimination and calibration statistics were satisfactory in internal validation. ConclusionWithin the framework of clinical consideration, these prediction models will serve as an estimator for patients, their treating physicians and the socioeconomic partners to forecast the individual cost and benefit of ACL injury.

Mining Migrant Worker Recruitment Policy and the Production of a Silicosis Epidemic in Late 20th-Century Southern Africa.

Between the 1980s and 2000s, an epidemic of silicosis was identified in migrant black gold miners, many from neighbouring countries, who had worked in the South African gold mines. This study uses the newly available employment database of a large gold mining company to demonstrate how a sustained rise in employment duration in a new cohort of black migrant workers resulted from changes in recruitment policy, and it examines the implications for current surveillance and redress. Contract data of 300,774 workers from the employment database of a multi-mine gold mining company were analysed for 1973-2018. Piecewise linear regression was applied to determine trends in cumulative employment, including South African versus cross-border miners. The proportions with cumulative employment of at least 10, 15, or 20 years, typical thresholds for chronic silicosis, were also calculated. Five calendar phases were identified between 1973 and 2018. During the second phase, 1985-2013, mean cumulative duration of employment rose fivefold, from 4 to 20 years. Cumulative employment continued to rise, although more slowly, before peaking in 2014 at 23.5 years and falling thereafter to 20.1 years in 2018. Over most of the 1973-2018 period, miners from neighbouring countries had greater cumulative employment than South African miners. Overall, the proportion of miners exiting with at least 15 years of cumulative employment rose from 5% in 1988 to 75% in 2018. This report identifies a number of fundamental changes in labour recruitment policy in the gold mining industry in the 1970s which provide an explanation for the subsequent rise in cumulative exposure and associated silicosis risk. These new data support the hypothesis of a silicosis epidemic driven by increasing cumulative silica dust exposure in a new cohort of circular migrant workers from the 1970s. They inform current programmes to improve surveillance of this neglected population for silicosis and related disease and to provide medical examinations and compensation to a large number of former gold mines. The analysis highlights the lack of information on cumulative employment and silicosis risk among migrant miners in previous decades. The findings have global relevance to the plight of such migrant workers in hazardous occupations.

The Mediating Role of Quality of Work Life on Occupational Stress and Work Life Balance of Police Personnel

Stress is a widespread difficulty that impacts everyone differently. Stress, whatever of occupation, may have adverse consequences if left unchecked. Given the demanding nature of policemen's employment, this study was initiated. One purpose of this research was to explore the influence of quality of work life in influencing occupational stress and work-life balance in police officers. This research used a non-experimental quantitative research design using the descriptive-correlational and mediation approaches and the appropriate statistical treatments: mean, Pearson r, regression, and Sobel z-test. The intent of this study was to pinpoint and clarify the technique or processes that underpin an observed relationship between variables. The variables that were selected for this research comprise occupational stress as the independent variable and work-life balance as the dependent variable. The quality of work life was included as a third explanatory variable, known as a mediator variable. In the study, standardized questionnaires were used. The form was reframed to match the study's aims. The data was obtained in person while adhering to the necessary health and safety measures. 300 police officers were the participants using stratified random sampling. The findings indicate that occupational stress is minimal level, work-life balance is moderate level, and quality of work life is high level. The findings demonstrated a substantial link between occupational stress and work-life balance. Because the p-value is less than 0.05, occupational stress and quality of work life, quality of work life and work-life balance, occupational stress and work-life balance are deemed significant. It has additionally been shown that the quality of work life of police officers partially mediates the association between occupational stress and work-life balance.

Spirometric Profile among Detergents Factory Workers in the North West Bank of Palestine: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: The exposure to chemicals in detergent factories, as some studies have shown, has a negative impact the health of workers’ respiratory systems. The aim of the study was to assess the lung function parameters of detergent factory workers and compare it with those of a group of non-chemical workers using spirometry. Methods: A comparative cross-sectional study was performed involving male detergent factory workers and a comparison group of non-chemical workers. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to record workers’ characteristics, and the data were entered to the spirometry device. The spirometry test was performed to assess workers’ lung functions; we recorded the forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), FEV1/FVC ratio, peak expiratory flow (PEF), forced expiratory flow between 25 and 75% of FVC (FEF25–75%), and lung age. Results: A total of 94 participants (28 detergent factory workers and 66 non-chemical workers) were included in the study. Detergent factory workers showed significant decreasing in the values of FEV1, FEV1/FVC ratio, PEF, FEF25–75%, and increased lung age compared to non-workers group (p &lt; 0.05 to p &lt; 0.001). Conclusions: This study showed that detergent factory workers have significantly lower pulmonary functions compared to workers in other non-chemical occupations. Further studies are needed to find the cause of this difference.

Time-intensive occupations and the motherhood gap in authority

ABSTRACT Mothers experience diminished opportunities for advancement in the workplace, but it is unclear how particular occupational conditions help or hinder their attainment of occupational authority. In the current study, I analyze data from a panel survey of contemporary U.S. workers to examine the link between motherhood, women’s power and authority, and their underrepresentation in time-intensive occupations. Analyzing data from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Information Network and 15 waves of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997, I find that even when mothers remain employed full-time, they are less likely than childless women to work in occupations that require a lot of time. Occupational time intensity explains about forty percent of the motherhood gap in occupational authority. If childless women and mothers were equally likely to work in time-intensive occupations, almost half of the motherhood gap in occupational authority would disappear. In contrast, there are fewer differences between mothers and childless women in the likelihood of working in highly stressful, competitive occupations or those requiring a lot of work effort or persistence.

Quantitative risk assessment of occupational exposure to PCDD/Fs in the waste incineration industry

Objective: To analyze the level of PCDD/Fs exposure of occupational workers in the waste incineration industry and explore the risk of occupational exposure. Methods: In September 2021, literature on environmental PCDD/Fs exposure in waste incineration plants published from the establishment of the database to February 10, 2021 was retrieved from CNKI database. A total of 1365 literatures were retrieved, and 7 met the criteria for inclusion. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) inhalation risk model was used to assess and analyze carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks of PCDD/Fs exposure among occupational workers in the waste incineration industry. Results: A total of 86 sampling sites were included in incineration plants in 7 regions. The study of Wuhan area showed that the concentration of working environment near the waste incinerator in the same factory was the highest, followed by the rest and office area in the factory. The concentration of PCDD/Fs in waste incinerators was the highest in Southwest China (4880.00-24880.00 pg TEQ/m(3)), and the lowest in Shenzhen (0.02-0.44 pg TEQ/m(3)). According to the cancer risk assessment, with the increase of exposure years, the risk of cancer increased. The highest risk of cancer was found in the waste incineration plants in Southwest China. When the exposure period was 1 year, the risk was moderate (22.40×10(-6)-114.20×10(-6)). When the exposure time was more than 5 years, the risk of cancer was high. In Jinan, workers working near the incinerator had a moderate risk of cancer after five years of exposure. In Zhejiang, workers were at medium risk of cancer after exposure for more than 20 years. Workers in Wuhan, Shanghai, Zhejiang Province, Shenzhen and the Pearl River Delta were still at low risk of cancer after 40 years of occupational exposure. HQ>1 of workers working near the waste incinerators in Jinan, Zhejiang Province and Southwest China, and the qualitative evaluation results showed that the non-carcinogenic risk was unacceptable. Conclusion: There are great differences in PCDD/Fs of occupational exposure in waste incineration industry, and the occupational exposure exceeding the occupational exposure limit has higher carcinogenic and non carcinogenic risks.