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ISSN 1051-9815 (P)
ISSN 1875-9270 (E)
Impact Factor 2024: 1.7
WORK: A Journal of Prevention, Assessment & Rehabilitation is an interdisciplinary, international journal which publishes high quality peer-reviewed manuscripts covering the entire scope of the occupation of work. The journal's subtitle has been deliberately laid out: The first goal is the prevention of illness, injury, and disability. When this goal is not achievable, the attention focuses on assessment to design client-centered intervention, rehabilitation, treatment, or controls that use scientific evidence to support best practice.
WORK occasionally publishes thematic issues, but in general, issues cover a wide range of topics such as ergonomic considerations with children, youth and students, the challenges facing an aging workforce, workplace violence, injury management, performing artists, ergonomic product evaluations, and the awareness of the political, cultural, and environmental determinants of health related to work.
Dr. Karen Jacobs, the founding editor, and her editorial board especially encourage the publication of research studies, clinical practice, case study reports, as well as personal narratives and critical reflections of lived work experiences (autoethnographic/autobiographic scholarship),
Sounding Board commentaries and
Speaking of Research articles which provide the foundation for better understanding research to facilitate knowledge dissemination.
Narrative Reflections on Occupational Transitions, a new column, is for persons who have successfully transitioned into, between, or out of occupations to tell their stories in a narrative form. With an internationally renowned editorial board,
WORK maintains high standards in the evaluation and publication of manuscripts. All manuscripts are reviewed expeditiously and published in a timely manner.
WORK prides itself on being an author-friendly journal.
WORK celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2015.
*WORK is affiliated with the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists (CAOT)* *WORK is endorsed by the International Ergonomics Association (IEA)* *WORK gives out the yearly Cheryl Bennett Best Paper Award*
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Construction workers have intensive contact with their workplace and are possibly susceptible to Nutritional and Food Insecurity. OBJECTIVE: This paper assessed the Food Security status, diet and anthropometric measures of workers in the Construction Industry living in the city of João Pessoa, PB. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 59 workers housed at construction sites. The workers were given the Brazilian Scale for Measuring Food Insecurity and Nutrition, had anthropometric measures taken and completed the Diet Quality Index, comparing their eating at the construction site and at home. Statistical analyses described the mean, standard deviation,…frequency and Pearson correlations. RESULTS: Food Insecurity was reported by 71.2% of the workers, and 69.5% were overweight. The mean values of the Healthy Eating Index suggested that the workers’ diets were in need of modification. There were statistically significant inverse associations among the Healthy Eating Index and Body Mass Index, waist circumference, percentage of total fat and cholesterol. CONCLUSIONS: Values obtained using the Scale showed Food Insecurity coupled with high excess weight and dietary inadequacies, revealing that these workers are at risk for health problems.
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Keywords: Construction industry, food security, nutritional assessment, food consumption
Abstract: BACKGROUND: A job requiring stooping, lifting, carrying loads and multiple repetitions of the same movement patterns leads to overloading the musculoskeletal system. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to assess the work-related load experienced by physiotherapists and the occurrence of the musculoskeletal system overload. METHODS: The study included 108 young physiotherapists, 69 women and 39 men, aged from 25 to 35 years (mean 27.12 ± 3.72 years). The study used an anonymous questionnaire and Quick Exposure Check. RESULTS: The most common musculoskeletal complaints were as follows: 70 physiotherapists (64.8%) reported low back…pain, 60 (55.6%) cervical pain, and 34 (31.5%) pain in the wrists and fingers. Statistically significant positive correlations were revealed between the number of years worked in the profession and shoulder pain. The number of hours of work per week was positively correlated with the occurrence of pain in all analyzed body areas. Professional experience was negatively correlated with the level of stress felt. Physiotherapists dealing with manual therapy and exercise physiotherapy were particularly vulnerable to musculoskeletal overload. CONCLUSIONS: Popularization of knowledge regarding ergonomics among physiotherapists could reduce the occurrence of musculoskeletal overload.
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Abstract: BACKGROUND: Estimating health and safety costs in the construction industry presents various difficulties, including the complexity of cost allocation, the inadequacy of data available to managers and the absence of an accounting model designed specifically for safety cost management. Very often, the costs arising from accidents in the workplace are not fully identifiable due to the hidden costs involved. OBJECTIVE: This paper reviews some studies of occupational health and safety cost management and proposes a means of classifying these costs. METHODS: We conducted an empirical study in which the health and safety costs of 40…construction worksites are estimated. RESULTS: A new classification of the health and safety cost and its categories is proposed: Safety and non-safety costs. CONCLUSIONS: The costs of the company’s health and safety policy should be included in the information provided by the accounting system, as a starting point for analysis and control. From this perspective, a classification of health and safety costs and its categories is put forward.
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Keywords: Occupational risk, prevention management, construction industry, accounting
analysis
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Human service professionals are concerned with the intervention and empowerment of vulnerable social populations. The human service industry is laden with employment-related stressors and emotionally demanding interactions, which can lead to deleterious effects, such as burnout and secondary traumatic stress. Little attention has been given to developing knowledge of what might enable human service workers to persist and thrive. Cultivating and sustaining resilience can buffer the impact of occupational stressors on human service professionals. One of the psychological factors associated with cultivating resilience is mindfulness. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this current research is to improve our…understanding of the relationship between resilience, mindfulness, burnout, secondary traumatic stress, and psychological distress among human service professionals. METHODS: The current study surveyed 133 human service professionals working in the fields of psychology, social work, counseling, youth and foster care work to explore the predictive relationship between resilience, mindfulness, and psychological distress. RESULTS: The results showed that higher levels of resilience were a significant predictor of lower levels of psychological distress, burnout and secondary traumatic stress. In addition, higher levels of mindfulness were a significant predictor of lower levels of psychological distress and burnout. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that cultivating resilience and mindfulness in human service professionals may assist in preventing psychological distress burnout and secondary traumatic stress. Limitations of this study are discussed together with implications for future research.
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Abstract: BACKGROUND: Electrical contact is a leading cause of occupational fatality in the construction industry. However, research on the factors that contribute to electricity-related fatality in construction is limited. OBJECTIVES: To characterize, using an adapted Haddon’s Matrix, the factors that contribute to electricity-related occupational fatalities in the construction industry in Ontario, Canada. METHODS: Coroner’s data on occupational electricity–related fatalities between 1997-2007 in the construction industry were acquired from the Ontario Ministry of Labour. Using an adapted Haddon’s Matrix, we characterized worker, agent, and environmental characteristics of electricity-related occupational fatalities in the province through a narrative text…analysis. RESULTS: Electrical contact was responsible for 15% of all occupational fatalities among construction workers in Ontario. Factors associated with said occupational fatalities included direct contact with electrical sources, lower voltage sources, and working outdoors. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides a profile of electricity-related occupational fatalities among construction workers in Ontario, and can be used to inform safety regulations.
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Keywords: Working outdoors, environmental factors, Haddon’s Matrix
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Dialogue between supervisor and employee is of great importance for occupational rehabilitation. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of a convergence dialogue meeting (CDM) of employee, therapist and supervisor aimed at facilitating return to work (RTW) as part of cognitive-behavioural treatment. METHODS: Randomized controlled trial including 60 employees sick-listed with common mental disorders and referred for specialized mental healthcare. Employees were randomly allocated either to an intervention group (n = 31) receiving work-focused cognitive-behavioural therapy plus CDM or a control group (n = 29) receiving work-focused cognitive-behavioural therapy without CDM. RESULTS: The time to first…RTW was 12 days shorter (p = 0.334) in the intervention group, although full (i.e., at equal earnings as before reporting sick) RTW took 41 days longer (p = 0.122) than the control group. The odds of full RTW at the end of treatment were only 7% higher (p = 0.910) in the intervention group as compared to the control group. CONCLUSIONS: CDM did not significantly reduce the time to RTW. We recommend that therapists who are trained on CDM focus on barriers and solutions for RTW.
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Abstract: BACKGROUND: Musicians face numerous psychosocial and physical demands at work resulting in high prevalence of musculoskeletal problems. Unlike physical risks, little is known about psychosocial work factors influencing such health problems in this particular group. OBJECTIVE: The paper aimed to identify psychosocial work demands resulting in musculoskeletal problems among musicians. METHODS: A systematic review was undertaken to find data linking psychosocial work demands or stress with musculoskeletal disorders among musicians. RESULTS: The exploration of databases resulted in nine research studies linking psychosocial aspects of work or stress with musculoskeletal problems among musicians. The analyzed…studies linked psychosocial aspects with musculoskeletal problems in three ways – showing proportions of people indicating particular causes of pain, indicating correlations between these variables or performing regression analysis showing psychosocial predictors of musculoskeletal pain. CONCLUSIONS: Only a few studies have undertaken the issue of psychosocial risk factors for musculoskeletal problems among musicians. The results revealed that some psychosocial aspects of work, e.g. long hours at work, work content, high job demands, low control/influence, lack of social support, were related to musculoskeletal pain, however, the methods and results were inconsistent. The extant studies employed variety of definitions of psychosocial aspects that hindered the possibility for consistent conclusions. Basing on those conclusions, future directions were offered.
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Keywords: Work demands, health problems, stressors, occupational diseases, work-related stress
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Among workers with injuries who seek compensation, a general practitioner (GP) usually plays an important role in a person’s return to work (RTW) by advising if the worker is unfit for work (UFW), is able to work on alternate (ALT) duties or is fit for work and also providing referrals to other health service providers. OBJECTIVE: To examine patterns of health service utilization (HSU) in workers with injuries by condition and type of certificate issued by GP. METHODS: Zero-inflated negative binomial and logistic regressions were conducted for major healthcare services accessed over the 12-month…period post-initial medical examination. Services included GP consultations, pharmacy, physiotherapy, occupational rehabilitation and psychology. RESULTS: The average number of physiotherapy services was greater in workers with musculoskeletal disorders, back pain and fractures. In contrast, the median number of psychological services was greater in mental health conditions (MHC). Workers with ALT certificates were more likely to use GPs, pharmacy and physiotherapy services. CONCLUSION: HSU in the 12 months post-initial medical certification varied substantially according to the worker’s condition, certificate type, age, gender and residential location. Understanding these factors can facilitate more appropriate resource allocation; strategic thinking on optimal use of particular health services and enables better targeting of particular provider groups for more education on the health benefits of RTW.
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Keywords: Injury, workers’ compensation, return-to-work, mental health
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Previous research has demonstrated links between musculoskeletal injury risk and measures of obesity and movement efficiency among the firefighter population. However, the influence of obesity on movement efficiency among firefighter recruits remains uninvestigated. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the influence of obesity on movement efficiency measures among firefighter recruits. METHODS: Measures of obesity were collected among 73 male firefighter recruits. Participants were grouped into standard body mass index (BMI) categories (normal, overweight, obese). Differences in Total Functional Movement Screen (FMS) scores and Y-Balance Test (YBT) composite scores were examined between BMI categories. In addition, the relationships…between measures of obesity and movement efficiency were also examined. RESULTS: No significant differences in movement efficiency measures were identified between BMI categories (p > 0.05). However, significant bivariate correlations were identified between BMI (kg/m2 ) and Total FMS score (r = –0.235, p = 0.045), as well as between fat-free mass (FFM) and Total FMS score (r = –0.231, p = 0.049), when examined among all participants. CONCLUSIONS: BMI may influence measures of movement efficiency among firefighter recruits to a lesser extent than among other previously examined populations. Future research should examine the influence of other unexamined physiological variables on movement efficiency.
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Keywords: Obesity, functional movement screen, Y-balance test
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Work-related musculoskeletal pain is a major occupational problem. Those with pain in multiple sites usually report worse health outcomes than those with pain in one site. OBJECTIVE: This study explored prevalence and associated predictors of multi-site pain in health care sector employees. METHOD: Survey responses from 1348 health care sector employees across three organisations (37% response rate) collected data on job satisfaction, work life balance, psychosocial and physical hazards, general health and work ability. Musculoskeletal discomfort was measured across 5 body regions with pain in ≥ 2 sites defined as multi-site pain. Generalized linear models…were used to identify relationships between work-related factors and multi-site pain. RESULTS: Over 52% of the employees reported pain in multiple body sites and 19% reported pain in one site. Poor work life balance (PRR = 2.33, 95% CI = 1.06–5.14). physical (PRR = 7.58, 95% CI = 4.89–11.77) and psychosocial (PRR = 1.59, 95% CI = 1.00–2.57) hazard variables were related to multi-site pain (after controlling for age, gender, health and work ability. Older employees and females were more likely to report multi-site pain. CONCLUSION: Effective risk management of work related multi-site pain must include identification and control of psychosocial and physical hazards.
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