Work - Volume 68, issue 2

Article Type: Editorial

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-203374

Citation: Work, vol. 68, no. 2, pp. 267-268, 2021

Authors: Yang, Qiang | Huo, Jiale | Xi, Yue

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the social environment of most laborers around the world and has profoundly affected people’s ontological security and behavior choices. Among them, the migrant workers are one of the groups most affected by the pandemic. OBJECTIVE: This study explored the mechanism of the impact of the scarcity of ontological security caused by the pandemic on the risk-taking tendency of migrant workers in China through two studies. METHODS: This study adopts two experimental method, with 514 participants in the first study and 357 participants in the second study. RESULTS: The …results show that the pandemic-induced scarcity perception of ontological security promotes their risk-taking tendency, and the migrant workers’ cognitive reflection ability, sense of unfairness and expected benefits play a significant mediating role in this process. The scarcity perception of ontological security promotes migrant workers’ risk-taking tendency by reducing the cognitive reflection ability, triggering the sense of unfairness and overstating expected benefits. CONCLUSIONS: The conclusion of this study can help migrant workers, enterprises and government to avoid potential workplace and social bad behavior. Show more

Keywords: Pandemic control, sense of unfairness, scarcity perception, cognitive reflection, expected benefits

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-205017

Citation: Work, vol. 68, no. 2, pp. 269-283, 2021

Authors: Pniak, Bogumiła | Leszczak, Justyna | Adamczyk, Marzena | Rusek, Wojciech | Matłosz, Piotr | Guzik, Agnieszka

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Occupational burnout, which is more and more commonly encountered among medical professionals and investigated by researchers worldwide, may in particular affect health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to assess the risk of occupational burnout among physiotherapists working actively in clinical hospitals in south-eastern Poland during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: The level of burnout among the studied physiotherapists was assessed using the Polish version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory by Maslach (MBI). The study was conducted from 20 March to 3 May, 2020 among physiotherapists working professionally during …the COVID-19 pandemic in the south east of Poland, during which time health services related to therapeutic rehabilitation were suspended. The study was conducted among 1,540 physiotherapists with a license to practice who worked in clinical departments. Considering the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 106 physiotherapists were qualified for the study. RESULTS: The current findings show that during the COVID-19 pandemic physiotherapists present high burnout rates in all three dimensions: EE (Mean 32.31; CI 29.47–35.15); DP (Mean 16.25; CI 14.48–18.03); PA (Mean 26.25; CI 24.41–28.10). As for gender-related effects, higher burnout rates were observed in the male workers, compared to the females, in all three domains: EE (Men: Mean 34.70; CI 29.90–39.50 –Women: Mean 31.03; CI 27.45–34.60); DP (Men: Mean 18.78; CI 15.98–21.59 –Women: Mean 14.90; CI 12.64–17.16) and PA (Men: Mean 24.54; CI 21.32–27.76 –Women: Mean 27.17; CI 24.90–29.44). The highest burnout rates, presented by the physiotherapists working in the profession for more than 20 years, were identified in the domain of EE (Mean: 35.30; CI 30.51–40.10) and in those with 10–15 years of experience, in the domains of DP (Mean: 18.31; CI 14.89–21.73) and PA (Mean: 23.97; CI 20.13–27.81). The highest rate of occupational burnout, reflected by the scores in all three domains (EE, DP, PA), was identified in Department I –Intensive Care and Anaesthesiology Department: EE - (Mean: 40.89, CI 35.27–46.52); DP - (Mean: 21.39, CI 17.90–24.88); and PA - (Mean: 23.07, CI 20.04–26.10), compared to the other departments. The subjects who rarely participated in courses or training programs showed the highest burnout rates (EE- Mean: 33.55, CI 29.33–37.77; DP- Mean: 16.71, CI 13.99–19.43; PA- Mean: 25.45, CI 22.47–28.43). CONCLUSIONS: Occupational burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic is noticeable among physiotherapists working in clinical departments. The current findings show high burnout rates in all three domains: emotional exhaustion (EE), depersonalization (DP) and personal accomplishment (PA). A comparative analysis of these findings with reference to related studies published before the pandemic shows that the burnout rates among physiotherapists may have significantly increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, given the scarcity of scientific evidence related to this specific problem in Poland and worldwide, it is necessary to continue research in occupational burnout affecting physiotherapists, particularly during the second wave of the pandemic, in order to gain a better understanding of the possible effects of social isolation and greater personal work-related health risks on the mental health of these medical professionals. Show more

Keywords: Health workers, stress, coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-203375

Citation: Work, vol. 68, no. 2, pp. 285-295, 2021

Authors: Afshari, Davood | Nourollahi-darabad, Maryam | Chinisaz, Niloofar

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is mostly transmitted through respiratory droplets. One of the exposure methods pf this disease is through occupational exposures and, thereby, a large number of people are prone to catching this disease due to their occupations. Nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic are at the forefront of healthcare. There is no information about the level of resilience and the demographic and job factors predicting resilience in the critical conditions of this occupational group. Objective: The present study aims to determine the resilience score and its predictive demographic factors among the nurses working at the hospitals …involved with COVID-19 in Ahvaz, Iran. Methods: 387 nurses from Ahvaz hospitals participated in this study. The Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) was used to assess resilience. Demographic information was also collected using a designed questionnaire. Since the present study was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, the questionnaires were sent online. Data were entered into software SPSS (version 23) and T -test, ANOVA and regression methods were used for data analysis. Results: The mean score of 61.18 (±14.8) was obtained for CD-RISC. The results of this study showed that age (r  = 0.610, P  = 0.003), work experience (r  = 0.572, P  = 0.030), and level of education (r  = 0.514, P  = 0.044) had a significant positive correlation with nurses’ resilience score during the COVID-19 pandemic. Multiple regression analysis indicated that work experience and level of education were the predictors of nurses’ resilience (R2  = 0.15). Conclusion: The score of nurses’ resilience was low. Based on the results, education and work experience were determined as the contributing factors for resilience. The findings can help to better understand effective and predictive demographic factors to achieve higher resilience in stressful situations. Show more

Keywords: Demographic predictors, coronavirus disease 2019, nurses, resilience

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-203376

Citation: Work, vol. 68, no. 2, pp. 297-303, 2021

Authors: Shrivastava, Deepti | Alduraywish, Abdulrahman A. | Srivastava, Kumar Chandan | Alsharari, Abdalkarem F. | Al-Johani, Khalid | Sghaireen, Mohammed G. | Alam, Mohammad Khursheed

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has shown a catastrophic effect on mankind. The allied healthcare professionals (AHPs) play a pivotal role against COVID-19. OBJECTIVES: To appraise the knowledge and attitude about COVID-19 of AHPs working across Saudi Arabia. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted using Qualtrics software to gather data from all five regions of Saudi Arabia during the nationwide lockdown in April 2020. Complete responses of 195 AHPs were considered for analysis. The questionnaire consisted of 15 and 14 questions on knowledge and attitude, respectively. The overall scores of each domain were calculated and modified …Bloom’s criterion was applied to categorize them into a three-point ordinal scale. Statistical analysis was performed using Chi-square test along with multivariate logistic regression for significant parameters. RESULTS: The AHPs displayed a moderate level of knowledge (58.2%) and a good level of attitude (80%). The AHPs were found to have a non-significant (P  > 0.05) difference in the level of knowledge within age, gender, region, occupation, educational level, organizational setup and years of experience. The attitude of AHPs working in a private setup has shown a 2.8 times (P  = 0.020) higher risk for having moderate/poor attitude compared to the AHPs working in a government organization. CONCLUSIONS: AHPs displayed a moderate level of knowledge and good attitude towards COVID-19. Emphasis should be given to continuous professional development in order to enhance their knowledge. Furthermore, strategies should be developed in the private sector to positively reinforce the attitude of AHPs. Show more

Keywords: Pandemic, health services research, SARS CoV-2, infection control, coronavirus

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-203377

Citation: Work, vol. 68, no. 2, pp. 305-315, 2021

Authors: Lütke Lanfer, Sarah S. | Becker, Cathrin | Göritz, Anja S.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: There has been a trend to implement open space offices: wide-spread office floors with modern and colourful furniture. However, there is limited scientific knowledge on the effects of Open Space Offices (OSO). Studies are scarce and show heterogeneous results. OBJECTIVE: By using the Job Demands-Resources model as a conceptual framework, the present study aimed at investigating the influence of subjective and objective features of the OSO (i.e., office size, desk-sharing, openness) next to classical psychosocial working conditions (i.e., demands, resources) on irritation and subjective well-being. METHODS: Cross-sectional and longitudinal data out of four different organisations …(490 participants, 43.73 years of age, SD  = 12.02) were used. RESULTS: Results showed that both features of the OSO and working conditions play a role in well-being at work. In line with current studies, job demands and resources contributed more to irritation and subjective well-being than features of the OSO. CONCLUSION: The influence of traditional psychosocial working conditions has so far been neglected in research on OSOs. However, their contribution to employees’ well-being next to features of the OSO could explain the heterogeneous findings of the existing research on well-being in OSOs. Thus, when implementing OSOs, employees’ well-being can only be enhanced if working conditions are targeted in parallel. Show more

Keywords: Office concept, offices design, health, psychosocial working conditions

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-203378

Citation: Work, vol. 68, no. 2, pp. 317-332, 2021

Authors: Perig, Alexander V. | Zavdoveev, Anatoliy V. | Skyrtach, Violetta M. | Kovalov, Oleksii D. | Arnout, Boshra A. | Uskoković, Vuk | Gavrish, Pavlo A. | Hanevych, Oleh D. | Sharapaniuk, Bohdan Yu. | Kostikov, Alexander A. | Subotin, Oleg V.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Existing issues with student mental health are the sources of ongoing violation of academic and educational integrity in learning and instructional dynamics in all educational institutions worldwide. OBJECTIVE: This didactical paper addresses the practical case of educational integrity violations induced by student mental illness. It presents a thought-provoking unified viewpoint of the existence of a non-obvious geometric analogy between the irreversible psycho-social process of mental disorder growth and the irreversible pressure forming-induced deformation process of materials extrusion through an angular domain. METHODS: This paper uses the method of geometric analogy between the dynamics of social …irreversible processes in human society and technical irreversible processes in materials extrusion. RESULTS: The novel analogy between the loss of elliptical shape of an initial circular material element within pressure-extruded material and the development of student mental inadequacy during intensive university education was firstly studied and analyzed in detail. CONCLUSIONS: The author-proposed original socio-technical cross-disciplinary analogy improves and broadens student understanding of nonlinear dynamics both in the technical processes of macroscopic rotation formation in pressure-formed material and in the bio-social processes of psycho-neurological pathology development within a learner’s mind. Show more

Keywords: Extremal education, environment-induced psychological stress, education integrity violation, student mental health, technical analogy of substandard student behavior

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-203301

Citation: Work, vol. 68, no. 2, pp. 333-352, 2021

Authors: Fraeulin, L. | Holzgreve, F. | Haenel, J. | Filmann, N. | Schmidt, H. | Bader, A. | Frei, M. | Groneberg, D. A. | van Mark, A. | Ohlendorf, D.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: It is unclear whether and under which conditions stretch training programs lead to gains in flexibility when applied in work health promotion for office workers in order to reduce musculoskeletal disorders (MSD). OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to analyze whether the stretch training “five-Business” leads to gains in range of motion (ROM). Furthermore, the influence of baseline flexibility and socio-demographic factors (sex, age, weight, height and body mass index (BMI)) on trainability was assessed. METHODS: 161 office workers (n  = 45 female; n  = 116 male) without major MSD were recruited. Over three months, a …standardized static stretch training (“five-Business”) was executed on a device, supervised twice per week for 10 min. ROM was assessed using a digital inclinometer (shoulder, hip and trunk extension) and a tape measure (fingertip-to-floor and lateral inclination). RESULTS: ROM gains (p ≤0.001) were present in all tests, except for the hip extension. ROM changes correlated moderately (0.24–0.62) with the baseline flexibility (p ≤0.001). Subjects with limited flexibility reached the largest gains (1.41–25.33%). Regarding the socio-demographic factors only one low correlation occurred (weight - retroflexion; –0.177). CONCLUSION: The “five-Business” stretch training effectively increases ROM in office workers, especially when baseline flexibility is limited. Show more

Keywords: Musculoskeletal disorders, desk worker, occupational medicine

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-203273

Citation: Work, vol. 68, no. 2, pp. 353-364, 2021

Authors: Andersen, Simone Nyholm | Broberg, Ole

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Participatory simulation (PS) is a method that can be used to integrate ergonomics and safety into workplace design projects. Previous studies have mainly focused on tools and methods for the simulation activities. The subsequent process of transferring and integrating the simulation outcomes into the design of workplaces is poorly understood. OBJECTIVE: This study sets out to study the role of actors and objects in the transfer of ergonomics knowledge generated in PS events and in the integration of this knowledge into a design project. The study identifies factors that influence what part of the simulation outcomes are …integrated. METHODS: The empirical context of the study was six PS events that were part of a hospital design project. The events were investigated based on knowledge transfer theory, observations, interviews and document studies. RESULTS: Actors and objects with abilities of transferring ergonomics knowledge from the PS events to the hospital design project were identified. The study indicated that persons producing the objects functioned as a filter, meaning that not all ergonomics knowledge was transferred from the PS events. The main influencing factors on the integration were: predetermined building dimensions and room interdependency. CONCLUSIONS: Four recommendations were proposed for ergonomists and safety professionals when planning PS events. Show more

Keywords: Participatory ergonomics, work system design, knowledge transfer, healthcare

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-203379

Citation: Work, vol. 68, no. 2, pp. 365-378, 2021

Authors: Bagheri Hosseinabadi, Majid | Khanjani, Narges | Norouzi, Pirasteh | Mirbadie, Seyed Reza | Fazli, Mozhgan | Mirzaii, Mehdi

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Occupational exposure to extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF-EMFs) may have harmful effects on biologic systems and has raised many concerns in the last decades. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the effects of exposure to extremely low frequency electric and magnetic fields on lipid peroxidation and antioxidant enzyme activities. METHODS: This study was conducted on 115 power plant workers as the exposed group and 145 office workers as the non-exposed group. The levels of Malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), Catalase (Cat), and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) were measured in the serum …of all subjects. Exposure to ELF-EMFs was measured based on spot measurements and the IEEE Std C95.3.1 standard. RESULTS: The levels of MDA, SOD, and Cat in the exposed group were significantly higher than in the non-exposed group. However, the level of TAC was not significantly different between the exposed (2.45±1.02) and non-exposed (2.21±1.07) groups. The levels of MDA and SOD were higher among workers with higher exposure to electric fields than workers with low exposure. All oxidative stress indicators increased with increased exposure to magnetic fields, except TAC. CONCLUSIONS: The antioxidant system imbalance among power plant workers may be related to long term occupational exposure to electromagnetic fields. Show more

Keywords: Catalase, Malondialdehyde, power plant workers, superoxide dismutase, total antioxidant capacity

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-203244

Citation: Work, vol. 68, no. 2, pp. 379-386, 2021