Work - Volume 67, issue 3

Authors: Broday, Evandro Eduardo | de Paula Xavier, Antonio Augusto

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Over the last few decades, there has been a concern to improve the quality of indoor work environments and increase energy efficiency as people spend much of their time in such settings. OBJECTIVE: This study analyzed a group of women developing sedentary activities to determine the Actual Percentage of Dissatisfied (APD) in the environment, considering that all people who voted any value other than zero on the seven-point scale are deemed dissatisfied. METHODS: After this analysis, using the probit regression model, hot and cold air temperature curves were plotted so as to determine in which …situation the number of people dissatisfied with the environment is minimal. RESULTS: The results showed an APD of 52.31%, which is different from the ADP recommended by ISO 7730 (2005) [–0.5 < PMV < + 0.5, PPD < 10% ]. The probit analysis using the cut of 10% as dissatisfied, according to category B of ISO 7730 (2005), showed a comfort temperature of 21.1°C, with a comfort temperature range from 19.61 to22.61°C. CONCLUSIONS: Using the fraction of people dissatisfied with the environment (52.31%) as the cutoff, when the air temperature is equivalent to 20.2°C, the lowest percentage dissatisfied by the cold and heat in the environment occurs simultaneously. Show more

Keywords: Thermal comfort, Predicted Mean Vote (PMV), Predicted Percentage of Dissatisfied (PPD), Actual Percentage of Dissatisfied (APD), thermal comfort zones

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-203215

Citation: Work, vol. 67, no. 3, pp. 599-609, 2020

Authors: Hemati, Karim | Darbandi, Zahra | Kabir-Mokamelkhah, Elaheh | Poursadeghiyan, Mohsen | Ghasemi, Mohamad Sadegh | Mohseni-Ezhiye, Mohammad | Abdolahian, Yeganeh | Aghilinejad, Mashallah | Ali Salehi, Mohammad | Dehghan, Naser

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders are the most common occupational health hazards. In the flour production industry, the fast pace of work, high frequency of repetitive movements, manual handling of loads, and awkward postures put a lot of pressure on the worker’s body. OBJECTIVE: Given the high exposure of the workers of the flour production industry to ergonomic risk factors, this study aimed to reduce the rate of musculoskeletal disorders among a group of flour factory workers through ergonomic interventions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This interventional study was performed using the census method on the eligible workers of …a flour factory. An ergonomic intervention program was planned and implemented with the goal of reducing musculoskeletal disorders. The effectiveness of the program was evaluated by measuring the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders before and six months after the interventions. RESULTS: Before the intervention, musculoskeletal disorders were most prevalent in the lower back, arms, shoulders, legs, thighs, knees, neck and wrists, respectively. Evaluation of the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders after the intervention showed the positive effect of the ergonomic intervention program on musculoskeletal disorders in the neck, shoulders, lower back, thighs, knees, and legs (P  < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Engineering and management interventions implemented in this study led to a significant reduction in the level of ergonomic risk factors and a reduced rate of musculoskeletal disorders among workers of different units in the flour factory. Show more

Keywords: Flour factory, ergonomic intervention, Nordic Questionnaire, musculoskeletal disorders

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-203275

Citation: Work, vol. 67, no. 3, pp. 611-618, 2020

Authors: Sohail, Rida | Hayat, Sarah | Tariq, Jawaria | Ashraf, Danial | Karim, Meenaz | Rizvi, Beenish Elahee | Saad, Saadia | Alam, Mohammad Khursheed | Qamruddin, Irfan

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Sleep disturbances are be poorly documented by primary care physicians. OBJECTIVE: Our objective for this survey was to assess the awareness level amongst medical and dental house officers, medical and dental practitioners, and ear, nose and throat specialists (ENTs) regarding OSA and its effects on daily life. METHODS: This was a questionnaire-based survey with yes and no and true and false type questions. In order to assess knowledge, questions related to the most common signs and symptoms of OSA were selected. Questionnaires were distributed in seven medical and dental colleges in Karachi, Pakistan under graduates …and above. Stratified random sampling technique was used to assess specific professionals which made a total sample size of 614. The data of this descriptive study was compiled and analyzed using SPSS version 20. RESULTS: 84% of the participants stated their awareness about OSA. After analyzing a detailed response in the form of questionnaires, an average of only 15% showed adequate knowledge of the problem in question, the rest was unaware of the pathophysiology, signs, symptoms and management of a patient suffering from OSA. CONCLUSION: knowledge about pathophysiology of obstructive sleep apnea and its effect on daily routine work is insufficient among health professionals. It is essential to create awareness among medical and dental fraternity regarding OSA as it is often not diagnosed and treated. Show more

Keywords: Pathophysiology, health practitioners, work, apnea

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-203312

Citation: Work, vol. 67, no. 3, pp. 619-623, 2020

Authors: Fincke, Isabelle | Hieb, Amy | Harth, Volker | Mache, Stefanie

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: The changing of work, driven by digitization, leads to the demand of large, open spaces in which the employees can work alone or in teams, can hold meetings or even find corners to relax. OBJECTIVE: This study empirically analyzed job demands and resources that can be found in innovative office concepts, like so called “activity-based working concepts”. METHODS: 16 semi-structured face-to-face interviews were performed with employees working in activity-based offices. Content of the interviews included questions on their working conditions and health-related outcomes. RESULTS: The results show that work autonomy, the flexibility to …decide where and when to work, and an improved communication and collaboration between different departments had a perceived positive effect on well-being, performance and motivation. Job demands, like missing territoriality on individual and team level, limited privacy and distractions in form of noise and interruptions describe consequences in form of perceived strain. CONCLUSION: The study results contribute to the expansion of knowledge in the subject area of flexible work arrangements in open work spaces. They can serve to design future working environments and thus increase the well-being and job performance of employees. It needs additional research to investigate the effects of office designs on the health of employees in the long term. Show more

Keywords: Flexibility, health, office concept, organization, working conditions

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-203313

Citation: Work, vol. 67, no. 3, pp. 625-639, 2020

Authors: Duarte, Maria Lúcia Machado | Costal, Glauber Zerbini | Martinelli, Sthéfani Ferreira | Neves, Jorge Alexandre Barbosa

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Students, as well as other professional drivers, must have focus to adequately perform their tasks. However, they are subjected to whole-body vibration (WBV) in their journey to school or work. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the influence of in-loco WBV exposure on focus, both instantaneously, as well as residually. Analysis is performed for both genders, as well as for the presence of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). METHODS: Using a tablet computer, 20 volunteers played a focus game available on an app for brain training while exposed or not exposed to WBV. The exposure was that of …a car travelling on a stone paved route. The performance measure was the score provided at the end of each game. Subjective comfort and difficulty evaluations were also investigated. RESULTS: The results suggest that WBV had a negative effect on the focus performance. However, it proved positive three minutes after the exposure (residual effect). The mean scores of females were higher than for males for most of the tests, apart from the one under WBV although at the expense of getting more discomfort. The difficulty level was not different within the gender groups. CONCLUSION: It could be concluded that the group with ADHD had a small but positive influence on the results for most of the tests, indicating that they are less affected by the presence of WBV. Since many students and workers have ADHD, this may be considered an important finding. It was shown that objective results should not be the only measures to use, as the subjective evaluation may explain the results better. Show more

Keywords: Cognition, focus, gender, WBV, ADHD

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-203314

Citation: Work, vol. 67, no. 3, pp. 641-654, 2020

Authors: Calvo, Daniel de Souza Costa | Ferreira, João Alberto | Cunha, Daisy Moreira | Mendes, Davidson Passos

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Risk management analysis at work makes it possible to find individual and collective experiences of recognition and hierarchization of risks in view of the specificities of labor situations and the complex and contradictory application of the right to refuse in health work, whose space and technique are still in a deep structural transformation. OBJECTIVE: To investigate how work organization impacts on the daily life of nursing care, in a general hospital surgical center, (un)enabling individual and collective risk management strategies in the context analyzed and how the right to refuse can be appropriate as a condition and …strategy for work management. METHODS: Ergonomics (Work Ergonomic Analysis) was used to bring about the actual work activity and Ergology for epistemological deepening, whose research approach took place in a surgical center with four registered nurses. RESULTS: The results reveal that nursing work is invisible and that individual and collective strategies are used to manage the variability and constraints of the environment. The right to refuse is one of the competencies universe strategies conceived and built at work that ensure the realization of the results found. CONCLUSIONS: The right to refuse is full of meanings. Refusing does not mean “not doing”, but also to do otherwise, by other means. It is beyond health and security and can be linked to other variables such as quality, environment, social responsibility. Show more

Keywords: Right to refuse, ergonomy, ergology, occupational risks

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-203315

Citation: Work, vol. 67, no. 3, pp. 655-664, 2020

Authors: Uman, Timur | Broberg, Pernilla | Tagesson, Torbjörn

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Business professionals are an important occupational group that carries responsibility for the economic welfare of organizations and of society at large. These professionals have recently been reported to be experiencing increased mental strain, which may have a significant effect on the role they play in organizations and in society. Understanding the causes of this strain is thus an important endeavour. OBJECTIVE: This study explores the antecedents of the mental health of business professionals. METHODS: Multiple linear regression analyses were used to examine the relationship between business professionals’ mental health and its demographic, work-related, and other …triggers. T -tests and descriptive statistics were used to explore the gender of the respondents in relation to these triggers and mental health. RESULTS: Compared with their male counterparts, female business professionals report poorer mental health; however, no gender differences were found in job satisfaction or life satisfaction. According to this study, age, overtime pay, higher salary and position as a manager have a positive relation with mental health, whereas working overtime has a negative relation with mental health. Job satisfaction and life satisfaction are important determinants of the mental health of business professionals. CONCLUSIONS: Business professionals are important to the economic welfare of their organization and of society as a whole. Our study suggests that demographic characteristics, work-related aspects and subjective dimensions of well-being have a profound effect on the mental health of business professionals. Show more

Keywords: Keyterms: Antecedents, business professionals, mental health, occupational health

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-203316

Citation: Work, vol. 67, no. 3, pp. 665-669, 2020

Authors: Strecker, Cornelia | Höge, Thomas | Brenner, Mirjam | Huber, Alexandra | Hausler, Melanie | Höfer, Stefan

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Work demands, resources and stressors affecting health, well-being and motivation also exist in the work of university students. There is a shortage of measures for analyzing work characteristics in this setting. OBJECTIVE: This article addresses that shortage of measures and describes the development and the validation of the short Work Analysis Measure for Students (WA-S Screening ). METHODS: In study 1 (N  = 422 students in Austria) the final version of the measure was developed based on analyzing the factor structure and psychometric properties of items and scales. Study 2 (N  = 333 German-speaking students in …Germany, Austria and Switzerland) was conducted for a cross validation and analyzing the criterion validity. RESULTS: An eight-scale structure of the WA-S Screening was supported in study 1 and 2. The scales have shown to be significantly associated with burnout and work engagement in study 2. CONCLUSIONS: The examinations indicate that the WA-S Screening is a short, reliable and valid instrument to identify critical, health-promoting work characteristics in the context of studying at university. Show more

Keywords: Work characteristics, studying, university, burnout, work engagement

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-203317

Citation: Work, vol. 67, no. 3, pp. 671-688, 2020

Authors: Weber, Vinicius Muller Reis | Romanzini, Marcelo | Queiroga, Marcos Roberto | Panchoni, Camila | da Costa, Julio Cesar | da Silva, Luiz Augusto | Sergio Portela, Bruno | Ronque, Enio Ricardo Vaz

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: In the adult population, the work environment and physical fitness levels are directly related to the onset of musculoskeletal pain, repetitive strain injuries, and decreased blood circulation. Although low levels of muscle strength and flexibility may lead to a higher prevalence of pain, specific anatomic regions are poorly addressed. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of musculoskeletal pain and the association between strength or flexibility and pain in university staff. METHODS: The sample was composed of 110 members of staff from a university in Guarapuava-PR. Body mass and height values were obtained, from which the BMI …was calculated. The pain evaluation was performed by means of a questionnaire, analyzing the intensity, frequency, and anatomical region. The subjects were then submitted to strength (right and left hand grip, lumbar traction, lower limb traction) and flexibility tests (sit and reach test). RESULTS: The anatomical region with the highest prevalence of pain was the lumbar region (43.4%). When the association between the presence of pain and flexibility was performed, only the lumbar traction presented significant results, with the weakest group demonstrating pain (OR: 3.47 [1.27 – 9.49]). CONCLUSION: The results demonstrate that low levels of strength in the lumbar region are associated with the presence of painful symptomatology. Show more

Keywords: Muscle pain, work, physical fitness, health, lumbar strength

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-203318

Citation: Work, vol. 67, no. 3, pp. 689-696, 2020

Authors: Sormunen, Erja | Ylisassi, Hilkka | Mäenpää-Moilanen, Eija | Remes, Jouko | Martimo, Kari-Pekka

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Occupational health service (OHS) providers and their client organizations are obligated to collaborate in promoting health and work ability. Little is known how this multiprofessional co-operation is implemented in relation to the prevention of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD). OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the working practices of co-operation among OHS professionals, and between the OHSs and workplaces. METHODS: In 2015 a web-based questionnaire was sent to 3900 OHS professionals in Finland. A total of 589 responded: 106 physicians, 322 nurses, 134 physiotherapists and 27 psychologists. RESULTS: The co-operation within OHS …personnel was regarded to strengthen the processes to promote work ability of workers with MSD. Despite the positive expectations of co-operation, there is a problem of having enough time to put good ideas into practice. Four main possibilities to develop co-operation were identified: creating proactive working models with defined roles; increasing awareness of importance of early intervention models; implementing the principles of good OH practice; and adopting the knowledge of the latest information to promote work ability. CONCLUSIONS: Despite its recognized importance, co-operation both with OHS colleagues and with the workplaces was not always optimal. There is a need for defined roles and common proactive working models between each stakeholder for more effective co-operation. Show more

Keywords: Occupational health services, multiprofessional work, rehabilitation, work ability promotion

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-203319

Citation: Work, vol. 67, no. 3, pp. 697-708, 2020