Workers In Different Age Groups Research Articles

Health literacy, including related vaccination, of the working Russian population: data from a survey on the Atria platform

Health literacy (HL), including related vaccination, is an important health determinant. For the working population, it helps to maintain and improve their ability to work. Despite the clear benefits of vaccination, vaccine confidence has recently declined worldwide, which may lead to decreased vaccination coverage and a renewal of infectious diseases. Based on this, increasing the level of public health, including vaccination issues, is one of the preventive medicine tasks. Staff groups seem to be an effective place for implementing measures to improve the health and vaccination prevention of the working population.Aim. To assess the level of public health, including vaccination issues, among the working Russian population using digital technologies.Material and methods. The study was conducted online and included employees filling out a questionnaire on their own. The results were posted on the Atria digital platform, which is a tool for assessing and implementing corporate programs to improve employee health. HL was assessed using the updated 2019 Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire (HLS19-Q) adapted into Russian and validated. The study lasted 18 months (from December 2022 to May 2024).Results. A total of 58357 employees took part in the study on the Atria digital platform to assess the public health level, of which 47044 (80,6%) were women. In general, workers had a predominantly excellent HL (n=39637, 67,9%), while in women it was 69,4% (n=32644). The insufficient HL varied slightly among workers of different age groups. The fewest workers with an excellent HL were recorded in the age group of 40-49 years (65,4%, n=11857), and the most among workers >60 years old (74,2%, n=3573). The study found that 43,3% of men and 56,2% of women are vaccinated against influenza annually. Among those workers who are vaccinated against influenza annually, the highest HL rate was recorded among workers >60 years of age (63,4%, n=4188), and the lowest among workers <30 years of age (48,2%, n=4992). Workers with an excellent HL are predominantly vaccinated against influenza annually (77,8%, n=21306).Conclusion. For the first time in the Russian Federation, a study was conducted to assess the HL level, including vaccination issues, among workers using digital technologies. The results obtained indicate that further measures are needed to increase the HL level of workers, including in terms of vaccination. Based on research data, methodological documents and corporate programs aimed at improving the current situation should be developed and implemented.

Investigation and analysis of occupational hazard factors in different industries in Tongliao City

Objective: To investigate the occupational hazard factors of different industries in Tongliao City, and to provide scientific basis for the prevention and control of occupational disease in Tongliao City. Methods: In July 2021, the detection data of coal dust, silica dust, cement dust, benzene, noise and other occupational hazard factors, as well as the occupational health examination data of workers in various positions of 104 enterprises in different industries in Tongliao City were cllected and anylazed. χ(2) test was used to analyze the results of chest radiography of workers in different age groups. Results: A total of 104 enterprises were investigated, and the median time-weighted average concentration (C(TWA)) of coal dust, silic a dust, cement dust and benzene in contact with test posts were 0.94, 0.30, 0.70 and 0.95 mg/m(3), respectively. The median 8 h equivalent sound level (L(EX, 8 h)) of noise was 74.1 dB (A) . The over standard rates of silica dust, cement dust and noise contact positions were 10.83% (16/240) , 7.14% (2/28) and 0.48% (3/628) , respectively. The differences of chest X-ray examination of coal dust and silica dust workers in different working ages were statistically significant (χ(2)=218.50, 531.80, P<0.001) . The difference of hearing threshold of noise workers with different working age was statistically significant (χ(2)=1290.00, P<0.001) . The rates of leukopenia and neutropenia were 41.90% (44/105) and 20.95% (22/105) in benzene exposed workers. The positive rate of brucella exposure workers was 1.33% (1/75) for tiger red plate agglutination test and 3.23% (3/93) for tube agglutination test. Conclusion: Silica dust, cement dust and noise exceed the standard in some posts and places in the Tongliao City, and some workers are infected with Brucella. In the future, we can focus on monitoring noise-generating posts, strengthen supervision and implement prevention and control measures to reduce the incidence of occupational diseases.

Investigation and analysis of the safety risk factors of aging construction workers

The proportion of middle-aged and aging workers is increasing year by year in the construction industry. Affected by their physical functions and other conditions, the death rate of aging construction workers is higher than that of the workers in other age groups, which brings higher risks to the safety of the industry. Therefore, the paper aims to determine the main risk factor of safety brought on by the aging construction workers, and the degree of influence of safety risk factor on aging construction workers. Through the design of the questionnaire, the number and type of index to be studied are selected. The 6 first-level indexes and 30 second-level indexes were selected from 100 indexes. The AHP method was used to evaluate the influence of aging construction workers on the safety risk factor. The classification of work contents of aging construction workers in different age groups is proposed to reduce safety risks and provide an effective basis for management. The significance of this study is as follows: (1) The concrete analysis of index affecting the safety risk of aging construction workers has enriched the existing academic research; (2) the quantitative risk index system in the study, provides a reference value for further research in the academic circle; (3) The study of this paper has certain reference significance for construction companies and government regulatory departments to formulate policies and measures, such as job classification of aging workers in different ages and restrictive conditions for high-risk work.

The Impact of New Media on Female Rights and Protection of Gender Equity in the Workplace

The advent of the new media era has provided a platform for demands of gender equity to be voiced. The article focuses on new media and gender equity in the workplace, citing the unequal treatment experienced by female workers of different age groups and providing a summary analysis. In this paper, research methods such as fieldwork and questionnaires were used to collect the problems encountered by women in the workplace and analyze them accordingly to provide strategies and possible solutions. The result shows that with the advent of the new media era, long-standing discriminatory issues will be tackled one by one. The new mainstream media has enriched the image of women in the new era; the interactive experience between users has spread the demands of working women more widely; the media literacy of women in the media era has improved their working performance; and the public opinion mechanism has made womens voices louder and more persistent, all of which make it possible to achieve gender equality in the workplace.

Investigation of Photometric Flicker Phenomenon Effect on the Perception Level of Office Workers in Different Age Groups

Abstract: Today, under the conditions where the number of office workers and artificial lighting applications have increased, although the effects of the Photometric Flicker phenomenon are serious, it is an issue that has not been understood in detail and people are not aware of it. Photometric Flicker phenomenon, which is a direct result of using ballasts or drivers with low power factor and lacking the necessary filtering features; It causes results such as decreased visual performance, loss of attention and perception. Considering that the conversion of LED luminaires is still not completed in many office buildings in the country, it is seen as an important requirement to investigate the Flicker effect in interior spaces that are considered to offer similar lighting levels and conditions, and to make a concrete due diligence by correlating this with the average age of office workers. For this reason, in this study, various tests and experiments were carried out with volunteer participants aged 18-30, 31-45 and 46 years of age and older without any significant vision problems, and the outputs of these studies were aimed to shed light on the relationship between age and lighting conditions. Keywords: Photometric Flicker, Interior lighting, Age and lighting relationship, Disruptive effects in lighting

Study of Age-Related Finger Span and Hand Grip Strength of Adult Female Garment Workers in Bangladesh

Background: Age related hand anthropometry is important for the effective designing of dimensionally compatible hand tools, gloves, machine access spaces and hand-held devices. The present study was designed to measure and compare finger spans and the hand grip strength of both hands of adult female garment workers of different age groups in Bangladesh and to establish correlation between finger spans and the hand grip strength of same hand.&#x0D; Materials and methods: The study was a descriptive, observational and cross sectional in nature with some analytic component; carried out in the Department of anatomy, Chittagong Medical College, Chattogram, from January 2015 to December 2015. A purposive non random convenient sampling was done to select 300 female garment workers, age ranging from 21-35 years. Hand grip strength and 5 finger spans were measured. ANOVA test was performed to correlate of finger spans and hand grip strength of different age groups.&#x0D; Results: Difference of hand grip strength with age showed significant in both hands. Difference of finger spans with age showed non-significant. There was positive correlation between finger spans and hand grip strength of the same hand.&#x0D; Conclusion: Study of age related anthropometric measurements of hand can play an important role to design same workplace, same hand tools, and same access spaces for the hand of the age group (21-35) years of adult female garment workers in Bangladesh and increase the usage of human resources.&#x0D; Chatt Maa Shi Hosp Med Coll J; Vol.20 (1); January 2021; Page 62-66

High physical work demands have worse consequences for older workers: prospective study of long-term sickness absence among 69 117 employees

ObjectiveThis study investigates the role of age for the prospective association between physical work demands and long-term sickness absence (LTSA).MethodsWe followed 69 117 employees of the general working population (Work...

High-Frequency Audiometry for Early Detection of Hearing Loss: A Narrative Review.

The WHO considers hearing loss to be a major global problem. A literature search was conducted to see whether high-frequency audiometry (HFA) could be used for the early detection of hearing loss. A further aim was to see whether any differences exist in the hearing threshold using conventional audiometry (CA) and HFA in workers of different age groups exposed to workplace noise. Our search of electronic databases yielded a total of 5938 scientific papers. The inclusion criteria were the keywords “high frequency” and “audiometry” appearing anywhere in the article and the participation of unexposed people or a group exposed to workplace noise. Fifteen studies met these conditions; the sample size varied (51–645 people), and the age range of the people studied was 5–90 years. Commercial high-frequency audiometers and high-frequency headphones were used. In populations unexposed to workplace noise, significantly higher thresholds of 14–16 kHz were found. In populations with exposure to workplace noise, significantly higher statistical thresholds were found for the exposed group (EG) compared with the control group (CG) at frequencies of 9–18 kHz, especially at 16 kHz. The studies also showed higher hearing thresholds of 10–16 kHz in respondents aged under 31 years following the use of personal listening devices (PLDs) for longer than 5 years. The effect of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) first became apparent for HFA rather than CA. However, normative data have not yet been collected. Therefore, it is necessary to establish a uniform evaluation protocol accounting for age, sex, comorbidities and exposures, as well as for younger respondents using PLDs.

Perceptions of age in contemporary tech

Abstract This article attends to age stereotypes and ageism in contemporary tech. In academia, little attention has been devoted to this topic. Therefore, we intend to initiate a discussion around ageism in tech by studying perceptions of age in the tech industry. Our study is based on interviews with 18 tech workers around the world of varying age. According to our interviewees, tech workers over 35 are considered old in the tech industry. Older tech workers are expected to become managers, thought to become less interested in new technology, and expected to have more challenges when learning new software. We also look at how tech workers of different age groups experience entrepreneurial values of the company as a playground, staying hungry, and changing the future with technology, and how these values influence their professional careers. We conclude that ageism is reinforced in contemporary tech through several stereotypes related to age.

Who suffers from the COVID-19 shocks? Labor market heterogeneity and welfare consequences in Japan

Effects of the COVID-19 shocks in the Japanese labor market vary across workers of different age groups, genders, employment types, education levels, occupations, and industries. We document heterogeneous changes in employment and earnings in response to the COVID-19 shocks, observed in various data sources during the initial months after the onset of the pandemic in Japan. We then feed these shocks into a life-cycle model of heterogeneous agents to quantify welfare consequences of the COVID-19 shocks. In each dimension of the heterogeneity, the shocks are amplified for those who earned less prior to the crisis. Contingent workers are hit harder than regular workers, younger workers than older workers, females than males, and workers engaged in social and non-flexible jobs than those in ordinary and flexible jobs. The most severely hurt by the COVID-19 shocks has been a group of female, contingent, low-skilled workers, engaged in social and non-flexible jobs and without a spouse of a different group.

Cardiorespiratory fitness, occupational aerobic workload and age: workplace measurements among blue-collar workers

BackgroundThe knowledge, from laboratory studies dating back to the 1950s on the importance of the association between cardiorespiratory fitness and aerobic workload for workers health, is fundamental for promoting sustainable healthy employability among ageing blue-collar workers today. However, the association between cardiorespiratory fitness and aerobic workload has not yet been documented during daily work, and we do not know if it applies to the normal work of blue-collar workers in different age groups. We aim to investigate the association between cardiorespiratory fitness and aerobic workload among blue-collar workers using measurements of 24-h heart rate collected over consecutive working days.MethodsWe analyzed baseline cardiorespiratory fitness, assessed using a sub-maximal cycle ergometer test, and 1–4 days of 24-h heart rate measurement from 497 blue-collar workers participating in the DPHACTO study. We investigated the association between cardiorespiratory fitness and aerobic workload defined as the average percentage of heart rate reserve (%HRR), maximum %HRR and the duration time spent at a high HRR (> 30%) during working hours. The association was assessed using multivariate linear regression models adjusted for age, sex, self-rated health, shift-work, prescription medication and occupation, as well as for different age strata.ResultsHigher cardiorespiratory fitness was significantly associated with decreased mean %HRR −0.32 [95% CI −0.39 to −0.25], maximum %HRR −0.35 [95% CI −0.45 to −0.25] and time spent at ≥ 30% HRR; −1.8% [95% CI −2.2 to −1.5%]. These associations were evident across age groups, with slightly stronger associations for workers aged 46–51 (total range 18–68).ConclusionsHigher cardiorespiratory fitness was associated with the decreased aerobic workload during normal work across all age groups and levels of work intensity. Our findings highlight the importance of cardiorespiratory fitness when considering the workload and its relevance in the promotion of healthy sustainable employment.

Evaluate the adverse impact of metal oxide on workers of different age groups that engage with gas metal arc welding process: health risk assessment.

Immense epidemiological studies have been indicated about adverse effects of the welding fumes on the health of the welders, especially respiratory problems and other physiological disorders. The different types of welding mechanisms produce aerosols/fumes that contain different metals including chromium (Cr) and manganese (Mn). In the present study, the welders of two age groups (adolescents and adults) were selected; simultaneously the age-matched adolescents and adults belong to nonindustrial area as referents/control subjects. Biological samples (scalp hair) were collected from welders and referents, along with analyzed for Cr and Mn by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometer, prior to acid digestion. To evaluate the occupational exposure on the health of the workers, the clinical features and biochemical parameters of selected population (exposed and non-exposed age-matched groups) were also carried out. The resulted data indicated that the concentrations of Mn and Cr were significantly higher in scalp hair samples of welders as compared to referent subjects (p < 0.01), verifying the absorption/exposure of both metals produced in welding fumes. The high prevalence of anemia and stomach disorder was observed in adolescent than adult welding workers. The incidence of asthma and related symptoms was elevated in adult welders than in younger boys. The neurological problems were particularly observed in aged welders > 50years, might be due to long time exposure of welding fumes contains different toxicant especially Mn in ill ventilation system of workshops.

Who bears the brunt? The impact of banking crises on younger and older workers

How do workers in different age groups fare on the labor market when a banking crisis occurs? Using data on 41 banking crises in 38 developed countries between 1990 and 2014, we examine how banking crises affect the labor market position of workers from five different age groups (including those aged 65 years and older) and whether employment protection legislation shields workers from unemployment. Results show that unemployment increases for all age groups in the aftermath of banking crises, but much more so for younger workers. The labor force participation of older women increases significantly in the medium run, whereas older men close to retirement withdraw from the labor market. Countries with strong employment protection legislation shield workers from the impact of banking crises in the short run but show signs of increases in unemployment rates for young and middle-aged workers in the medium run.

Assessment of the state of the reproductive system of males of Northern sled dog breeds in a kennel

Due to the increased interest in sledding in dogs, the assessment of their reproductive function, in particular breeding males, is also relevant at the present time. In the course of the work, the prostate condition was assessed in breeding working animals in a kennel, as well as the quality of sperm in working dogs of different ages, as well as in non-working groups. The results showed that in 16.8% of males the prostate is not enlarged, the echostructure is uniform, the contours are even, and the echogenicity is normal. A slight increase in the organ without structural changes is observed in 42% of the examined animals and the same number of dogs (42%), have echostructural changes and increased organ size. Prostate enlargement in most of the examined males of the kennel may be associated with the crowding of their content, as well as the presence of bitches in neighboring enclosures. When assessing semen quality in workers of different age groups and non-group males in various time intervals at different intensity of physical activity. it is noted that the stability of sperm quality identified in males outside of the group, while animals in the system having both long and short-term physical load sperm quality is subject to considerable fluctuations. Thus, under intense load, the sperm quality indicators correspond to the reference values in animals of all groups, while during the long period of rest, working sled dogs have a significant decrease in the quality of sperm, which negatively affects their fertility.

Ant activity-rest rhythms vary with age and interaction frequencies of workers

Social insect colonies are highly organized systems, where communication among nestmates (i.e., social interactions) has a pivotal function for colonial organization. In order to further the understanding of social organization, the chronobiological system of social insect species, particularly their circadian rhythm, has recently attracted much attention. However, gaps still remain in our understanding of how individual active/rest rhythms are governed in various social contexts. In this study, we investigate the effects of worker-worker interactions on circadian activity rhythms, using the monomorphic ant, Diacamma sp. Continuous tracking of solitary ants elucidated circadian activity rhythms, both in young and old workers ( 70 days after eclosion, respectively). The color tag–based automatic tracking of multiple workers revealed that young-old interactions reduced circadian rhythmic activities in both young and old workers, whereas young workers retained active/rest rhythms under young-young worker interactions. Together with the analyses of worker-worker interaction frequencies, we conclude that interactions between workers in different age groups (i.e., workers with different tasks) function as different cues to alter worker active/rest patterns. We discuss the potential roles of worker-worker interactions on the chronobiological organization of the ant society. In social animals, how individual behavioral rhythms are governed by social interactions is a fundamental question towards the mechanistic understanding of complex biological systems. Using an image-based tracking system, we composed artificial ant worker groups consisting of different functions (i.e., young nurses and old foragers) and investigated whether the age composition and the resulting interactions had an effect on the active/rest rhythms of individual workers, and of the whole group. In solitary conditions, both young and old workers showed circadian activity; however, when grouped with workers from different age groups, both young and old workers turned to show weak circadian rhythmicity or around-the-clock activity. Our results suggest that even simple social cues (i.e., frequency of contact with young and old workers) could alter worker activity patterns. To our knowledge, this is the first evidence showing that specific worker-worker interaction induces weakly rhythmic and/or arrhythmic states.

The economic burden of chronic diseases: Estimates and projections for China, Japan, and South Korea

We propose a novel framework to analyse the macroeconomic impact of noncommunicable diseases. We incorporate measures of disease prevalence into a human capital augmented production function, which enables us to determine the economic costs of chronic health conditions in terms of foregone gross domestic product (GDP). Unlike previously adopted frameworks, this approach allows us to account for i) variations in human capital for workers in different age groups, ii) mortality and morbidity effects of non-communicable diseases, and iii) the treatment costs of diseases. We apply our methodology to China, Japan, and South Korea, and estimate the economic burden of chronic conditions in five domains (cardiovascular diseases, cancer, respiratory diseases, diabetes, and mental health conditions). Overall, total losses associated with these non-communicable diseases over the period 2010-2030 are $16 trillion for China (measured in real USD with the base year 2010), $5.7 trillion for Japan, and $1.5 trillion for South Korea. Our results also highlight the limits of cost-effectiveness analysis by identifying some intervention strategies to reduce disease prevalence in China that are cost beneficial and therefore a rational use of resources, though they are not cost-effective as judged by conventional thresholds.

An investigation of reproductive health in female workers engaged in administrative management

Objective: To investigate the reproductive health status of female workers engaged in administrative management, and to provide a reference for protecting the reproductive health of female workers. Methods: From April to November, 2016, a cross-sectional survey was performed for 2717 female workers aged 18-60 years and engaged in administrative management from 13 cities and provinces in China, and a questionnaire was used to investigate their general information, occupational hazards in workplace, and reproductive health status, and the reproductive health status of female workers was analyzed. Results: Of all 2 717 female workers, 1 170 had gynecological diseases or symptoms, resulting in an incidence rate of 43.06%, and among these workers, 11.15% had abnormal menstruation, 34.64% had infertility, and 38.76% had a history of abortion. There were significant differences in the rates of abnormal results of gynecological examination, abnormal menstruation, abortion, and infertility between the female workers in different age groups (P<0.01) . Unhealthy living habits and major events were risk factors for gynecological diseases, abnormal menstruation, and abortion (P<0.05) ; bad working status was a risk factor for gynecological diseases and abortion (P<0.05) ; exposure to harmful factors was a risk factor for gynecological diseases and abnormal menstruation (P<0.05) . Conclusion: Living habits, major events, working status, and occupational harmful factors have certain influence on reproductive health of female workers engaged in administrative management. Occupational health protection should be strengthened, working patterns should be improved, self-protection awareness should be raised, and health protection should be enhanced for women of childbearing age to protect and promote the reproductive health of female workers.

사회심리적 작업환경이 문제음주에 미치는 영향: 연령 차이

Purpose: This study firstly examined the pattern and prevalence of drinking. Secondly, we investigated the association between various psychosocial work environment and problem drinking among Korean male workers in different age groups. Methods: The study sample was a weighted population of 3,289 (3,289 survey samples) men aged 20 to 64 years who responded to the 2006 Korean Working Condition Survey. Social support from colleague and supervisor, work autonomy, psychological wellbeing at work, and intellectual and emotional work demand were assessed. Results: After considering sociodemographic factors, smoking, occupational characteristics and other psychosocial work environment factors, problem drinking was associated with "intellectual work demand" for the 20~34 year old group. Social support from colleague and supervisor was significantly associated with problem drinking in the 35~49 year old group. For the 50~64 year old group, problem drinking was associated with 'work autonomy'. Conclusion: The present study clarified that certain psychosocial work environmental factors relate to problem drinking, and the association varies among different age groups.

Estimation of the Prevalence of Latent Abnormalities in the Lung and the Accuracy of Indirect Chest X-ray Examination among Japanese Workers of Different Age Groups

It is considered that annual chest x-ray (CXR) examination can be restricted to workers by age; however, adequate epidemiological evidence is needed regarding the difference in the effectiveness of CXR examination between younger and older age groups. This study attempted to estimate the prevalence of latent abnormalities (P) in the lung and the false negative rate (F) and false positive rate (G) of examinations among workers of different age groups. 112,482 subjects who were screened for three consecutive years with no findings at the first screening, were selected. The proportion of positive findings at the second screening and the proportion of negative findings at the third screening were incorporated into a stochastic model, and 5-yr-age-specific P, F, and G were estimated. P tended to increase with increasing age. F was 40-45% in <45-yr-old subjects and was only 10% in the older age groups. G showed a steady increase with increasing age. This study indicates that the nature of findings differs between younger and older age groups, and this difference affects the accuracy of examination. In Japan, the age of workers should be considered when a CXR examination is performed.

Design of a workstation and its evaluation under the influence of noise and illumination for an assembly task

An experimental research was conducted to design a workstation for a lock manufacturing assembly. Two experiments were conducted in the present study. Nine male subjects in the age range of 18-35 years participated in the first experiment. For the second experiment, nine subjects in each of the three age groups (viz. 17-22, 23-28 and 29-35 years) volunteered for experimental investigations. The designed workstation was evaluated under varying levels of noise and illumination for workers of different age groups. Three different workstations were evaluated. The task was performed by a worker in two different sitting positions and three settings of arms position. It was found that workstation type, backrest support and arms positions were all having a statistically significant effect on task performance. Workstation with work surface to seat height ratio of 1.82 was found to be better when the task was performed using backrest and arms were supported on the work surface. This workstation was evaluated for three different age groups of workers under different levels of noise and illumination. The results of the study showed that age of the worker, illumination level and level of noise were all contributing significantly towards task performance. The design of a workstation for assembly task would help greatly in creating a better working environment and enhancing the productivity of workers exposed to environmental stressors like noise and illumination.