Work - Volume 67, issue 1

Authors: Pinto, Ofir Y. | Strawczynski, Michel | Rimmerman, Arie

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) assumes that persons with disabilities have similar rights, motivations to work and personal values as those without disabilities. OBJECTIVE: The article examines the corroboration between this assumption and real-life facts to better understand the importance of labor-oriented values in people with disabilities. METHODS: We tested the relationship between human values, employment and wages among Israelis with disabilities who cope with prejudice, negative attitudes and a lack of accessible workplaces in comparison to Israelis without disabilities. RESULTS: We found that the effect of …labor-oriented values on employment status is 70% higher among people with disabilities than among those without disabilities. Furthermore, persons with disabilities ranked power and achievement as important values related to employment, but these values were not included in the considerations of persons without disabilities. CONCLUSIONS: These results highlight the importance of labor-oriented values for people with disabilities to overcome challenges in the labor market. Our findings suggest that rehabilitation policies would benefit from identifying personal human values of people with disabilities at an early stage of their career. Show more

Keywords: CRPD, people with disabilities, work, human values

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-203265

Citation: Work, vol. 67, no. 1, pp. 193-202, 2020

Authors: Taylor, Wendell C. | Das, Bhibha M. | Paxton, Raheem J. | Shegog, Ross | Suminski, Richard R. | Johnson, Stephanie R. | Akintola, Omotola A. | Hammad, Asmaa | Guidry, Monica K.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: An increasing level of occupational stress is a major problem in the workplace that requires innovative approaches and strategies. An understudied research area pertains to the effects that physical activity performed during the workday can have on occupational stress. OBJECTIVE: To determine if and how an intervention that increases physical activity and reduces sedentary behavior affects workplace stress. The population of interest are employees at a large university medical center including support staff, healthcare professionals, physicians, and faculty members; the study design is longitudinal; the approach is the implementation of an innovative workplace program (i.e., the Booster …Break). METHODS: We present a logic model promoting physical activity and reducing sitting time during the workday as a feasible and practical strategy to cope with occupational stress. RESULTS: The logic model approach emphasizes that funding, partnerships, and incentives are inputs to implementing program activities such as Booster Break sessions, weekly meetings, social support, and personal self-monitoring. Short-term outcomes were categorized as psychosocial, goal setting, organizational, and social; intermediate outcomes were behavioral and psychosocial; and long-term outcomes were health status and physiological status. CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first known effort to outline a comprehensive intervention based on changing physical activity and sedentary behavior during the workday and the concomitant effects on occupational stress. The findings of this study can be used to develop and implement interventions at workplaces to target increases in physical activity, decreases in sedentary time, and improvements in overall employee health. Show more

Keywords: Public health practice, mental health, evaluation, health promotion, interventions, workplace, logic model

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-203266

Citation: Work, vol. 67, no. 1, pp. 203-213, 2020

Authors: Nazari, Goris | MacDermid, Joy C | Sinden, Kathryn | D’Amico, Robert | Brazil, Amanda | Carleton, Nicholas | Cramm, Heidi

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Firefighters partake in and are exposed to a range of potentially traumatic events throughout their careers and the impact of such critical events could last a life time. Therefore, capturing such lifetime exposures is necessary for supporting firefighter health. OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of critical incidents in firefighters across Canada and determine whether the number of critical events varied based on age, gender, years of service; and to integrate our prevalence estimates using meta-analysis with previous studies to provide a pooled estimate. METHODS: We recruited 464 firefighters. Firefighters were asked to complete a self-report …Critical Incident Inventory (CII) survey that included questions on exposure to critical events throughout their firefighting careers. Individual CII items were summarized as percentages, number of exposures, the total number and percentages of exposures to each of the six CII sub-scales. We also performed a multivariate enter regression analysis with the CII total score as dependant variable, and age, gender, years of service as independent variables, to estimate if the number of critical incidents among firefighters varied based on age, gender and years of service. RESULTS: Among the 390 full-time firefighters, 376 (96.4%) indicated exposure to some type of critical incident. More specifically, 351 (90%) reported a “respond to incident involving one or two deaths”, and 314 (81%) reported a “respond to incident involving multiple serious injuries”. Age, gender and years of service accounted for only 37.4% of the variance in the number of critical incidents among firefighters. In addition, our pooled estimate results of previous similar studies indicated an overall prevalence estimate of critical incident exposures was 93.40% (4 studies, 1725 of 1877 firefighters, 95% CI: 82.26 –99.30). CONCLUSIONS: Nearly all (96.4%) firefighters were exposed to some form of critical event over the span of their entire firefighting careers. Age, gender and years of service accounted for one-third of the variance in the number of critical incident exposures among firefighters. Show more

Keywords: First line responder, age/gender, full-time, volunteer, meta-analysis, firefighters, critical incidents

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-203267

Citation: Work, vol. 67, no. 1, pp. 215-222, 2020

Authors: Diener, Marissa L. | Wright, Cheryl A. | Taylor, Carly | D’Astous, Valerie | Lasrich, Lauren

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Compared with people with other disabilities, individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have the lowest rates of employment and switch jobs at a higher frequency. Thus, understanding how to support workplace success for people with ASD is important. OBJECTIVE: Grounded in an ecological conceptual model, this study explores the dual employment perspectives of adults with ASD and supervisors who worked with individuals with ASD. METHODS: Using participatory research methods, a purposive sample of ten adults with ASD (all verbal with high school diplomas) and ten supervisors participated in semi-structured interviews on employment experiences. Qualitative analyses …were used to identify themes. RESULTS: Four major themes emerged from an ecological framework to create a strong person-environment fit in the workplace: 1) building on interest/experiences/strengths/skills, 2) reducing social demands, 3) clear communication and expectations, and 4) ASD awareness for work environment. Comparisons between the two groups of participants showed substantive differences in expectations and accommodations. CONCLUSIONS: Supervisors, although eager to employ individuals with ASD, could benefit by employing an ecological model to successful employment. Results indicate that multiple lenses on the process of employment for those with ASD can lead to better outcomes in the workplace. Show more

Keywords: Occupational readiness, accommodations, strength-based, participatory research, ecological model, autism spectrum disorders, employment, workplace

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-203268

Citation: Work, vol. 67, no. 1, pp. 223-237, 2020

Authors: Yiu, Xin Yi | Maguire, Andrea | Johnson, Marcelle | Wåhlin, Charlotte | Johnston, Venerina

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Dental workers including dental health students experience a high incidence of neck/shoulder symptoms. However, research into interventions has been scarce and largely focused on tools and technological modifications. OBJECTIVE: This study investigates the feasibility and benefits of a neck/shoulder exercise intervention on work posture and local symptoms in dental health students. METHODS: Twenty-three students participated in a 10-week resistance exercise program for 2 minutes daily, 5 days per week. Work posture (evaluated with the Rapid Upper Limb Assessment tool, RULA), muscle strength measures, self-rated symptom severity and function were collected. Feasibility of the intervention was …determined with six items scored on a 5-point Likert scale. RESULTS: The exercise intervention improved: work posture score by 1.88 (95% CI 1.05–2.70, p  < 0.01) points on the RULA; isometric maximal strength of neck flexor and extensor muscles by 17.2% (95% CI 6.9–27.6%, p  < 0.01) and 23.2% (95% CI 10.2–36.3%, p  < 0.01) respectively; and clinical performance (77%). Isometric strength of the shoulder muscles, and symptom severity at the neck/shoulder showed no improvement. Adherence to training was 77%. CONCLUSION: Ten weeks of exercise was feasible for dental health students, and likely beneficial with improvements in work posture and neck muscle strength. Show more

Keywords: Resistance training, students, dental, cohort studies, exercise intervention, work posture

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-203269

Citation: Work, vol. 67, no. 1, pp. 239-249, 2020

Authors: Tremblay, Mathieu | Albert, Wayne J. | Lavallière, Martin | Belanger, Mathieu | Gallant, François | Cloutier, Frank | Johnson, Michel J.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: There are over 12,000 professional truck drivers in the Canadian Maritime provinces, with the majority being in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Previous studies have focused on the health of Canadian and American truck drivers but the occupational health status of truck drivers in the Maritime Provinces remains undocumented. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this cross-sectional study was to provide a general, occupational health and demographic characteristics description of professional truck drivers in the Maritimes. METHODS: One-hundred and four male truck drivers from the Canadian Maritime Provinces volunteered for this study. Nine occupational health indicators were …measured (seven were self-reported via questionnaire and two were physical measurements). Participants self-reported their age, years of truck driving experience and education. RESULTS: Only one-quarter of the current sample had no health conditions. In contrast, more than half were obese, one third had back problems, and one-sixth had a high risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD). The group comparison analysis showed that the group without health condition was younger and more educated than the group with multiple health conditions. For this study, age and low rate of education were associated with an increased number of health conditions. CONCLUSIONS: Similar to health profiles of other populations of North American truck drivers, this study suggests that the majority of truck drivers in the Canadian Maritime Provinces have at least one poor indicator of occupational health. Show more

Keywords: Health indicators, truck driving experience, education, age, occupational health

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-203270

Citation: Work, vol. 67, no. 1, pp. 251-257, 2020

Authors: Khosravi, Zahra | Razeghi, Mohsen | Choobineh, Alireza | Ghaem, Haleh

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: The prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders is high among teachers. Poor posture when writing on whiteboards is considered among the important causes of these disorders. OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to evaluate an electromechanical rolling whiteboard for educational environments as an ergonomic intervention. METHODS: Thirty university lecturers volunteered to take part in the study. Participants performed a 5-minute writing task on a regular board and on the newly modified whiteboard in random order. The comfort and effectiveness of the boards and the perceived physical effort and posture of the participants were evaluated and compared by applying …the verbal rating scale, Borg’s rating of physical exertion scale, and rapid entire body assessment, respectively. RESULTS: A total of 83.2% of participants reported the new whiteboard to be comfortable or more comfortable to use than the regular whiteboard, and 76.6% of them found the new whiteboard to be higher or much higher in effectiveness and usefulness in comparison with the regular whiteboard. The comfort and posture ratings revealed that exertion was significantly less and posture improved while writing on the new board as compared to its counterpart (p  < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: The new whiteboard increased user comfort, reduced physical effort, and improved posture, hopefully leading to a decreased number of work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Show more

Keywords: Teachers, ergonomics, musculoskeletal disorders, postural analysis, REBA

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-203271

Citation: Work, vol. 67, no. 1, pp. 259-265, 2020