Psychosocial Work Hazards Research Articles

GAMBARAN HAZARD KERJA PADA PERAWAT DI SMC RS TELOGOREJO

The hospital environment has the potential for disease transmission, nurses as implementing nursing care are at risk of contracting infectious diseases in carrying out their duties. In hospitals, there are occupational hazards including biological hazards, chemical hazards, ergonomic hazards, physical hazards, and psychosocial hazards. The purpose of this study was to describe the occupational hazard of nurses at SMC RS Telogorejo. This research is a descriptive survey by conducting observations and interviews, the technique of determining the sample is non-probability sampling, the type of purposive sampling with a large sample of 228 respondents. The results of this study illustrate that the majority of nurses have exposure to physical work hazards (cold climate), biological work hazards (airborne), chemical hazards (use of disinfectant liquids and handscoons), ergonomic work hazards (medical measures), and psychosocial work hazards (workload). From this study it was found that overall, nurses at SMC RS Telogorejo were exposed to occupational hazards in the mild category. It is expected that the SMC RS Telogorejo will monitor and evaluate the implementation of K3RS for nurses in carrying out their duties and responsibilities so as to improve the performance, safety and health of nurses.

Determinants of Home Economics Lecturers’ Psychological Work Hazards in Southeast Nigerian Universities

Nigerian schools are diverse, resulting in psychological hazards for most workers, particularly teachers. It is common for teachers to suffer from psychosocial work hazards in Nigeria, yet no research has been conducted to examine how teachers' demographics influence such hazards. Therefore, this study investigated the psychological hazards faced by Home Economics lecturers based on their age and location. The researcher employed an ex-post fact design and a quantitative approach to study 62 Home Economics lecturers in southeast Nigerian universities. In the study, researchers devised a 28-item questionnaire to collect data about work deviant behavior. A reliability index of 0.76 was estimated for the items of the questionnaire. The data were analyzed using analysis of variance. The findings revealed a high prevalence of Psychological job hazards among Home Economics lecturers in Southeast Universities. Psychological job hazards of Home Economics lecturers were not significantly influenced by their age or location. This implies that psychosocial job risks are not greatly influenced by the age and location of Home Economics lecturers. In conclusion, it was recommended that secondary school authorities consider teacher age and location when assessing psychosocial work hazards.

Impacts of university lecturers demographic characteristics on their psychosocial work hazards

There are a number of psychological risks associated with work for the majority of workers, and lecturers in particular. Nigerian workplaces are known to present psychosocial dangers, however, no studies have examined how the lecture attributes may affect these risks. In order to determine whether demographic factors can affect psychological workplace risks of academics, researchers examined factors such as age, education, and location of the university. A sample of 185 lecturers from universities in southeast Nigeria participated in the study, which utilized a qualitative research strategy and an ex-post facto research design. The study's data were collected using an adapted Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire. A reliability index of 0.87 was calculated for the survey items. In order to analyze the data, we applied the statistical procedure called analysis of variance. While lecturers' ages and university location affected their psychosocial occupational hazards, their educational qualification did not play a significant role. As a result, lecturers are more likely to experience psychological workplace risks as they grow older. It is recommended that University authorities should consider the age of candidates when making their hiring decisions in order to avoid recruiting lecturers more likely to suffer psychological hazards.

The Healthy Work Survey: A Standardized Questionnaire for the Assessment of Workplace Psychosocial Hazards and Work Organization in the United States.

Work-related psychosocial stressors have been recognized as occupational hazards and assessed in workplaces in many countries for decades. Identifying tools to measure work-related psychosocial hazards to increase awareness in the United States about the impact on employees' health and safety is critical ( J Occup Environ Med. 2021;63:e245-e249). We describe the development and psychometric validation of an online tool, the Healthy Work Survey, utilizing items from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Quality of Work Life questionnaire. There are 55 items in the final core work section of the HWS. Factor analyses confirmed nine factors, and the subsequent multi-item scales had acceptable internal consistency. A user-friendly, online system and automated report compares individual's and organization's scores to distributions from a representative US working population (General Social Survey Quality of Work Life). The HWS is a reliable, valid tool for organizations and individuals to assess psychosocial work hazards.

Prevalence, Socio-demographic Factors and Psychosocial Work Hazards of Primary School Teachers: A School-based Cross-sectional Study

This study investigated the prevalence, socio-demographic factors, and psychosocial work hazards of primary school teachers. This is a cross-sectional study that recruited 254 primary school teachers. The responses from the participants were collected using Copenhagen psychosocial questionnaire and teachers’ socio-demographic questionnaire. Bar chart, mean, standard deviation, and bivariate analysis were used to analyze the data collected. The result showed a high level of work-related psychosocial hazard among primary school teachers. The results showed that teachers’ age has a positive relationship with psychosocial work hazards. Also, the result showed that working status and years of experience have a significant relationship with psychosocial work hazards. Therefore, occupational health experts should consistently conduct psychosocial risks assessments on the teachers.

The effect of marital status and qualifications on the dangers of psychological work of plant science and science education lecturers

Because of the multicultural nature of Nigerian schools, most employees, particularly teachers, are exposed to one or more psychological hazards at work. In Nigeria, psychosocial work hazards are frequent, but no research has been done to see how lecturers' demographics affect their psychosocial work hazards. As a result, the impact of marital status and qualification on the psychological work hazards of plant science and science education lecturers was investigated in this study. The study used a quantitative research approach and an ex-post fact research design with a sample of 87 teachers from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. The researchers adapted a 28-item questionnaire on work deviant behaviour to collect data for the study. The questionnaire items have internal consistency reliability of 0.76. Mean and analysis of variance were used to analyze the data. The study's findings demonstrated that lecturers' marital status and qualifications had no bearing on their psychological work hazards. This suggests that the marital status and qualification of lecturers are not significant factors in their psychosocial work hazards. As a result, it was recommended that university authorities be equitable in their handling of psychosocial work hazards of lectures, taking into account their marital status and qualification.

Structural equation modeling of the influence of primary school teachers' demographics on their psychosocial work hazards.

Most workers, especially teachers experience one form of psychosocial work hazards or the other. In the Nigerian context, there is a high prevalence of psychosocial work hazards and no study has been conducted to ascertain the influence of teachers' demographics on their psychosocial work hazards. This study explored the influence of primary school teachers' demographics on their psychosocial work hazards using the structural equation modeling approach. Drawing from the tenets of Job-Demand-Control-Support theory, a correlational survey research design was used, using a sample of 254 primary school teachers, and the study was based on a quantitative research approach. The study's data were gathered utilizing a 28-item questionnaire adapted from the 30-item Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire developed by Kristensen and coworkers in 2005. The internal consistency reliability index of the questionnaire items was 0.74. The data were analyzed using a combination of frequency, percentage, chi-square test of independent samples, hierarchical multiple regression analysis, and structural equation modeling. It was revealed that demographic characteristics of teachers correlated with their psychosocial work hazards. However, it was found that only the age and location of the teachers had significant (p < .05) relationships with their psychosocial work hazards. The age and location of the teachers are significant determinants of their psychosocial work hazards. This our findings call for more research on the subject matter as some recent studies have documented that other demographics of teachers had significant relationships with psychosocial work hazards. It was therefore recommended that teachers' demographics should be considered as important factors in the recruitment of teachers.

Assessment of psychosocial work hazards and workplace deviant behaviours of teachers in rural community‐based schools

This is a cross-sectional study that assessed the psychosocial work hazards and workplace deviant behaviours of teachers in rural community-based schools. A total of 254 primary school teachers participated in the study. Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ) and Work Deviance Behaviour Scale were employed to elicit the teachers' responses. The descriptive statistics (frequency and percentage), and Pearson's correlation (r) statistical analysis were used to analyse the data. The results showed that the primary school teachers experience elements of psychosocial work hazards. It was also indicated that primary school teachers rarely exhibit work deviant behaviours. There is a significant positive relationship between psychosocial work hazards and workplace deviant behaviours of primary school teachers in Enugu State. In conclusion, it was suggested that teachers experience psychosocial work hazards and exhibit workplace deviant behaviours in primary schools in Enugu State Nigeria. Therefore, professionals in workplaces including schools should design practicable interventions that would help to reduce workplace deviance among employees in different works of life. With this, these should be reflected in decision-making and policies implementations to rural communities and beyond.

COVID–19 as a Source of Psychosocial Hazard Related to Work

The article deals with occupational health and safety in the context of the emergence of a new threat of COVID-19 disease. It focuses on occupational stress and organizational problems experienced by employees in the context of economic problems of companies and administrative restrictions caused by pandemic crisis situation. The research question of the article is: How do the employees adapt to the initial phase of coronavirus crisis situation in their working environment? The theoretical part of the article contains the comparative analysis of the psychosocial hazards and proposal of their classification with the reference to COVID-19 syndrome. The research part analyzes the current results of survey studies dedicated to the perception of pandemic by employees in Poland. In the conclusion the author advocates for including new psychosocial work hazards which appear in connection to COVID-19 outbreak into already existing official lists of work-related psychosocial risks. It is especially recommended in case of evaluation of occupational health and safety in flexible work and remote work models.

A follow‐up evaluation of the health, wellbeing, and safety outcomes of implemented psychosocial safety interventions for disability support workers

BackgroundDisability support workers (DSWs) are an occupational group identified as at high risk of exposure to psychosocial work hazards. This research reports on follow‐up findings from action research undertaken over three separate studies over a 5‐year period to address DSW psychosocial work safety. The first study showed DSWs experienced poorer health and safety outcomes than norm groups (Study 1, n = 99). Stakeholder feedback informed work safety recommendations, seven of which were translated into practice and evaluated (Study 2, n = 129). Evaluation findings showed improved health and safety trends compared to Study 1.ObjectiveThis third study aimed to investigate whether Study 2 gains were maintained after 18 months.MethodA follow‐up evaluation (Study 3, n = 138) using the same survey (measuring burnout, physical and mental health, bullying and/or harassment, and safety climate) examined changes over time (analysis of variance) and relative to instrument norms (t tests and chi‐square test).ResultsFollow‐up findings showed that the health and safety outcomes continued improving after 18 months. While bullying levels remained higher than the norms, experienced and witnessed bullying progressively decreased, with witnessed bullying significantly lower than Study 1. Findings showed significant improvements across the three studies in personal and work‐related burnout, mental and physical health, and safety climate means. Furthermore, favourable safety climate findings were supported by improved incident and workers' compensation statistics for the organisation.ConclusionWhile causation cannot be established (e.g., due to the absence of control groups), numerous outcome improvements were observed, with findings supporting the use of a safety climate measure to assess and monitor work safety.

Associations of ergonomic and psychosocial work hazards with musculoskeletal disorders of specific body parts: A study of general employees in Taiwan

Background and aimsMusculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are major occupational health concerns. This study examined the associations of ergonomic and psychosocial work hazards with the risks of MSDs of specific body parts and their distribution across a wide range of occupational groups. MethodsStudy participants comprised 8,937 male and 7,052 female employees aged 20–65 years from a nationwide survey in 2016. A self-report questionnaire was administered to obtain information regarding demographic characteristics, work conditions, ergonomic and psychosocial work hazards, and MSDs of different body parts in 12 months. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to estimate prevalence ratios of MSDs in relation to ergonomic and psychosocial work hazards. ResultsIn professionals and skilled workers, MSDs of the neck and shoulders were more prevalent, whereas in manual workers, MSDs of the hands, wrists, and lower back were more prevalent. Psychosocial work hazards, including high psychological demand and low workplace justice, were major work-related risk factors for shoulder and neck disorders, whereas ergonomic hazards were major work-related risk factors for lower back and wrist or hand disorders. ConclusionDifferent workplace hazards contribute to the risks of different MSDs. To prevent the development of MSDs, occupational health professionals should evaluate both ergonomic and psychosocial work hazards and develop health prevention programs tailored to the risk profiles of working populations.

Psychosocial work environment, work engagement, and employee commitment: A moderated, mediation model

• Workplace bullying was found to be prevalent in the US hospitality sector. • Work engagement was found to be a full mediator of the relationships between HPWS, POS, and affective commitment. • Workplace bullying mediated the relationship between HPWS and affective commitment, while psychosocial safety climate moderated this mediating impact. This paper contributes to the growing body of literature on the wellbeing of hospitality employees from a perspective of strategic human resource management. The role of high performance work systems (HPWS) in enhancing the affective commitment of hospitality employees is examined. The study found work engagement to mediate the relationships between HPWS, perceived organizational support, and affective commitment. Workplace bullying, a highly prevalent phenomenon in the hospitality sector, was found to mediate the relationship between HPWS and affective commitment, while psychosocial safety climate moderated this mediating impact. We will suggest the implications for managing psychosocial work hazards in hospitality organizations.

Minor mental disorders in Taiwanese healthcare workers and the associations with psychosocial work conditions

Healthcare workers face multiple psychosocial work hazards intrinsic to their work, including heavy workloads and shift work. However, how contemporary adverse psychosocial work conditions, such as workplace justice and insecurity, may contribute to increased mental health risks has rarely been studied. This study aimed to search for modifiable psychosocial work factors associated with mental health disorders in Taiwanese healthcare workers. A total of 349 healthcare workers were identified from 19,641 employees who participated in a national survey of Taiwan. Minor mental disorder was assessed using the five-item brief symptom rating scale. We compared psychosocial work characteristics and the prevalence of minor mental disorder in healthcare workers with that in a sociodemographically matched sample, and examined the associations of psychosocial work conditions with mental health status. Healthcare workers were found to have a higher prevalence of minor mental disorder than general workers, and they were more likely to have longer working hours, heavier psychological job demands, higher job control, more workplace violence, and a higher prevalence of shift work. Among healthcare workers, experiences of workplace violence, lower workplace justice, heavier psychological job demands, and job insecurity were associated with a higher risk for minor mental disorder, even after controlling for working hours and shift work. Despite the fact that healthcare workers work longer hours and shift work, there were several modifiable psychosocial work conditions that should be targeted to improve their mental health.

Association of Psychosocial Work Hazards With Depression and Suboptimal Health in Executive Employees.

This study aims to investigate whether psychosocial work-related hazards, measured by workplace justice and employment insecurity, are associated with depression and suboptimal health status in Taiwan's executive-level employees. There were 365 executives who have received a series of cardiovascular health examinations, blood sampling, and self-reported questionnaires, which included the psychosocial work-related hazards and the CES-D scale. Suboptimal health status was defined as the presence of dyslipidemia or prediabetes. Executive-level employees perceived lower workplace justice and higher employment insecurity and had a significantly higher risk of depression (CES-D scores ≥16 or ≥23). However, workplace justice was identified as a significant determinant factor that was negative for dyslipidemia but protective for prediabetes. This study supports the fact that psychosocial work-related hazards can independently contribute to the risk of developing depression, prediabetes, and dyslipemia in executives.

Workplace justice and psychosocial work hazards in association with return to work in male workers with coronary heart diseases: A prospective study

Psychosocial job stressors, such as high job demands, low control, and effort–reward imbalance, have been linked to higher risks of coronary heart disease (CHD) in a meta-analysis of many epidemiological studies [1]. In recent years, work-related CVD, with clinical presentations of cardiac arrhythmia, CHD, atherosclerosis or sudden cardiac death, have gained growing attention in Taiwan and its neighboring countries, such as Japan and Korea where long working hours and high stress at work are commonplace [2].

The recognition of occupational diseases attributed to heavy workloads: experiences in Japan, Korea, and Taiwan

Health problems caused by long working hours and work stress have gained growing concerns in Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. In all the three countries, cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and mental disorders attributed to heavy workloads or stressful work events are considered compensable occupational diseases by workers' compensation systems. This study compared the trends of such cases and correlated the trends with changes in working hours during the period from 1980 to 2010. Data on occupational diseases were obtained from official statistics of the workers' compensation systems. Information on working hours was obtained from official statistics and national surveys of employees. While occupational cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and mental disorders attributed to work stress were increasingly compensated in all the three countries, the averaged working hours and the percentage of employees with long working hours had been in decline discordantly. Findings of this study suggested that reducing working hours alone is unlikely to reduce the problems of work stress. There is an urgent need to monitor and regulate a wider range of psychosocial work hazards. Especially, precarious employment and its associated health risks should be targeted for effective prevention of stress-related health problems in the workplace.

Working conditions and Work-Family Conflict in German hospital physicians: psychosocial and organisational predictors and consequences

BackgroundGermany currently experiences a situation of major physician attrition. The incompatibility between work and family has been discussed as one of the major reasons for the increasing departure of German physicians for non-clinical occupations or abroad. This study investigates predictors for one particular direction of Work-Family Conflict – namely work interfering with family conflict (WIF) – which are located within the psychosocial work environment or work organisation of hospital physicians. Furthermore, effects of WIF on the individual physicians' physical and mental health were examined. Analyses were performed with an emphasis on gender differences. Comparisons with the general German population were made.MethodsData were collected by questionnaires as part of a study on Psychosocial work hazards and strains of German hospital physicians during April–July 2005. Two hundred and ninety-six hospital physicians (response rate 38.9%) participated in the survey. The Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ), work interfering with family conflict scale (WIF), and hospital-specific single items on work organisation were used to assess WIF, its predictors, and consequences.ResultsGerman hospital physicians reported elevated levels of WIF (mean = 74) compared to the general German population (mean = 45, p < .01). No significant gender difference was found. Predictors for the WIF were lower age, high quantitative demands at work, elevated number of days at work despite own illness, and consequences of short-notice changes in the duty roster. Good sense of community at work was a protective factor. Compared to the general German population, we observed a significant higher level of quantitative work demands among hospital physicians (mean = 73 vs. mean = 57, p < .01). High values of WIF were significantly correlated to higher rates of personal burnout, behavioural and cognitive stress symptoms, and the intention to leave the job. In contrast, low levels of WIF predicted higher job satisfaction, better self-judged general health status, better work ability, and higher satisfaction with life in general. Compared to the German general population, physicians showed significantly higher levels of individual stress and quality of life as well as lower levels for well-being. This has to be judged as an alerting finding regarding the state of physicians' health.ConclusionIn our study, work interfering with family conflict (WIF) as part of Work-Family Conflict (WFC) was highly prevalent among German hospital physicians. Factors of work organisation as well as factors of interpersonal relations at work were identified as significant predictors for WIF. Some of these predictors are accessible to alteration by improving work organisation in hospitals.