Purchase individual online access for 1 year to this journal.
Price: EUR 250.00
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: The purpose of this research is to examine the influence of music and yogic breathing for the management and control of stress. OBJECTIVE: To discover the most effective stimuli to handle stress by measuring the effect of types of musical drills and yogic breathing on engineering students using the Galvanic Skin Response Sensor Meter (GSRSM). METHODS: The present study attempts to study the effectiveness of music and yoga drills for relieving and managing stress. The study used a stratified random sampling method selecting engineering students from four streams. The GSRSM was used as a tool…to record the responses after 300 seconds for the experimental and the control groups of 200 students each. Each group was comprised of 52 females (26%) and 148 males (74%). RESULTS: The experimental group reported reduction in mean value in Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) when they underwent deep yogic breathing, listened to religious hymns and listened to flute music. CONCLUSION: On the basis of the results, the researchers suggest that all three techniques i.e practicing yogic breathing, listening to religious hymns and listening to flute music were effective in reducing the stress level of engineering students. Listening to flute music emerged from these three drills, as the most effective stimulus for stress management.
Show more
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Handgrip strength is a measurement of upper extremity functionality and an indicator of overall physical ability. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to compare maximum handgrip strength (MGS) between manual workers and office employees and to investigate if the expected difference is related to the anthropometric dimensions of the workers’ hands and forearms. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study with a sample of 1740 male workers (905 light manual workers; and 835 office employees), aged 20–64 years. Maximum voluntary contractions were obtained using a JAMAR dynamometer according to the methodology proposed by the American…Society of Hand Therapy (ASHT). The highest value obtained from three trials was considered as the MGS for each side. Six anthropometric dimensions (i.e ., hand length, palm length, forearm length, hand breadth, wrist circumference and forearm circumference) were measured by digital caliper and tape measure. RESULTS: Maximum handgrip strength of light manual workers (52.7±8.5 kg) was significantly higher than that of office employees (47.3±8.4 kg) (p < 0.001). Maximum handgrip strength was positively correlated with Hand breadth (r = 0.781 for light manual workers and r = 0.766 for office employees; p < 0.001) and Forearm circumference (r = 0.741 for light manual workers and r = 0.752 for office employees; p < 0.001); the only dimensions which were significantly different between the two studied job groups. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study revealed that light manual workers are approximately 12.4% stronger than office employees in terms of maximum handgrip force. It is therefore imperative to consider the observed differences in clinical, workstations, and hand tool designs in order to increase efficiency and comfort at work.
Show more
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Harvesting is one of the most critical phases in any crop once it determines the quality of raw material obtained and future production for the next seasons. Sugarcane crops are more uniform allowing the complete mechanization of harvesting. Citrus crops, on the other hand, present variability and require special handling to preserve quality so the harvesting process remains manual preponderantly. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this research was to explore how the distinct characteristics of sugarcane and citrus crops influence the design of respective instruments, promoting a discussion about design-in-use in Brazilian fields and its role to improve…productivity and safety. METHODS: Multiple case studies were conducted at 9 sites: 3 sites of sugarcane crops and 6 sites of citrus crops. Task analysis, observations, interviews, questionnaires and video footage were undertaken at each site. RESULTS: The modifications made by the harvesting teams in all studied sites aimed the appropriateness of objects to local conditions and real needs, transforming them in instruments, improving reliability, safety, health and productivity. CONCLUSIONS: In agriculture, a sector where working conditions still need to be significantly improved especially in developing countries, design-in-use appears as a solution for the problems faced by workers in the field, as an essential mean to maintain health and productivity at work.
Show more
