Work - Volume 68, issue 4

Authors: Jacobs, Karen

Article Type: Editorial

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-213430

Citation: Work, vol. 68, no. 4, pp. 967-968, 2021

Authors: Zandian, Hamed | Alipouri Sakha, Minoo | Nasiri, Elhameh | Zahirian Moghadam, Telma

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Professionalism, stress and demographic factors are the three key influences in nurses’ intention to provide care. OBJECTIVES: This study examined the levels of work intention, stress and professionalism of nurses and determine the relationship between nursing work intention and factors in response to COVID-19. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 362 nurses from COVID-19-devoted hospitals in Iran. A self-administered electronic-based questionnaire was developed and used to determine levels of stress, professionalism, and nursing intention. Multiple regression analysis was carried out to analyze the correlation between nursing intention with respect to stress and professionalism. …RESULTS: The overall stress, professionalism, and nursing intention scores were 48.56, 21.46, and 17.83 respectively. There were significant differences in nursing intention scores between gender, marital status, and having training groups (p  < 0.05). The regression analysis revealed that nursing intention had a significant relationship with older age (p  < 0.001,S.E = 1.11,B = 17.02), higher income level (p  < 0.001,S.E = 1.81,B = 6.98), having previous training (p  = 0.008,S.E = 1.22,B = 3.27), higher stress level (p  < 0.001,S.E = 2.37,B = –21.39), and high professionalism level (p  < 0.001,S.E = 1.16,B = 11.99). CONCLUSION: Having an adequate staff requirement plan, planning appropriate training for nurses, and proactive psychological support are crucial to prevent burnout and continue to provide nursing services. Show more

Keywords: Work intention, coronavirus, hospital nurses, emotional stress

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-205099

Citation: Work, vol. 68, no. 4, pp. 969-979, 2021

Authors: Gerding, Thomas | Syck, Megan | Daniel, Denise | Naylor, Jennifer | Kotowski, Susan E. | Gillespie, Gordon L. | Freeman, Andrew M. | Huston, Thomas R. | Davis, Kermit G.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: As millions of workers have shifted to telework, special accommodations for workers with respect to ergonomics may be required to ensure the workforce remains healthy. METHODS: A survey about home office ergonomics and discomfort was sent to faculty, staff, and administrators by email and was completed by 843 individuals. RESULTS: Over 40%of the participants reported moderate to severe discomfort (severe low/middle back pain, moderate discomfort in eyes/neck/head, and discomfort in the upper back/shoulders). Laptops (always and often) were widely used (85%) with most using the laptop monitor (55%) of all respondents. Further, less than 45%of …the seating conditions were reported as having adjustable arm rests. CONCLUSION: As teleworking in makeshift offices becomes more common, the risk of significant discomfort and potentially more serious musculoskeletal disorders may result from poor static postures. Companies may need to accommodate workers by allowing them to take home office chairs, external monitors, keyboards, and mice as laptops are insufficient, ergonomically. Show more

Keywords: Telework, musculoskeletal disorder, human-computer interface

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-205294

Citation: Work, vol. 68, no. 4, pp. 981-992, 2021

Authors: Banaee, Sean | Claiborne, Denise M. | Akpinar-Elci, Muge

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has posed a substantial burden on dental care professionals. While dentistry is known as one of the most exposed and high-risk professions, dental care professionals are indeed at even greater risk. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess knowledge, attitudes, occupational health practices, personal protective equipment usage, and mental stressors during COVID-19 pandemic among dental care professionals. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among dental care professionals who were subscribers to a dental hygiene journal using a self-administered online survey (n  = 1047 respondents). Cross-tabulations were performed to determine differences …in the responses to the statements related to different domains. RESULTS: COVID-19 impacted the healthy work-life balance (p  <  0.001) and caused sleeping difficulty among the respondents (p  <  0.001). Moreover, a lower response on changing respirators and gloves for each patient compared with before viral pandemic was observed (p  <  0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Ongoing training on infection control, occupational health practices, and PPE usage can prevent the transmission of COVID-19 among dental care professionals and the public. Lack of adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) is a burden for applying occupational health practices in dental clinics and present a risk to the public. COVID-19 may contribute to developing psychological stress and disrupt healthy work-life balance among dental professionals. Show more

Keywords: Personal protective equipment, dentistry, coronavirus

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-205319

Citation: Work, vol. 68, no. 4, pp. 993-1000, 2021

Authors: Hanson, Brendan | Steele Cooper, Sherry | Tegarden, Taryn | Tipton, Logan | Freeman, Andrew M. | Davis, Kermit G. | Gillespie, Gordon L. | Huston, Thomas

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Emergency personnel operate in environments that put them at higher risk of injury to the musculoskeletal system. These injuries result in lost workdays, medical costs, and decreased productivity, all which impact emergency response systems. OBJECTIVE: This study serves to assess the causes, costs, and disability of common work-related musculoskeletal injuries within the police, emergency medical service (EMS) workers, and firefighters of Ohio based on data from the OBWC (Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation). METHODS: Our dataset included all OBWC injury claims involving a shoulder, low back, or knee from 2010 through 2014. Police and Firefighter …leaders were analyzed separately from those not in a leadership role, and workers with combined Firefighter/EMS roles were analyzed separately from “pure” Firefighters and EMS personnel. Data were organized through univariate analysis of variance with post-hoc Tukey tests and analyzed based on the job of the individual and whether the individual was in a leadership role. RESULTS: Police Officers had the highest number of total injuries in the dataset, followed by Firefighters and Firefighters/EMS workers. Police Officers and Firefighters injured their back and knees more often than their shoulders, while EMS workers injured their backs and shoulders more often than their knees. CONCLUSIONS: The mechanisms through which injuries occur are also dependent on the job. Police officers experienced a higher percentage of motor vehicle related back problems, while firefighters had a higher percentage of injuries from overexertion. Musculoskeletal injury claims in these emergency personnel resulted in opioid prescriptions approximately 10%of the time. Show more

Keywords: Police, emergency medical services, firefighters, ergonomics, opioids

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-205065

Citation: Work, vol. 68, no. 4, pp. 1001-1008, 2021

Authors: Placeres, Aline Ferreira | Fiorati, Regina Célia | Alonso, Jonas Bodini | Carrijo, Débora Couto de Mello | Jesus, Tiago Silva

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Psychological morbidity is commonly experienced by people with a spinal cord injury (SCI), but whether it is associated with occupational role transitions in is unknown. OBJECTIVE: To analyze whether anxiety or depression symptoms are independently associated to increased likelihoods of role transitions in adults with SCI. METHODS: Cross-sectional study; multivariate analysis using a heteroscedastic Dirichlet regression. Participants: Thirty persons with traumatic SCI. Measures: Role Checklist (e.g. role transitions: dependent variables) and Beck’s Depression Inventory and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (independent variables), adjusted for socio-demographic, functional, and injury-level confounders. RESULTS: Greater depression symptoms independently increased …the likelihood of occupational role transitions, either for roles loss [adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR): 1.04; 95% confidence interval (CI):1.009–1.080] or roles gain [AOR: 1.07; 95% CI:1.02–1.13], as opposed to continued occupational roles. Higher anxiety as a trait, in turn, independently reduced the likelihood of occupational roles gain [AOR: 0.93; 95% CI: 0.869–0.992]. The “worker” role was the one lost more frequently (83%). CONCLUSION: Psychological morbidity is associated to occupational role transitions, as opposed to continued roles. Further research (e.g. with larger samples, longitudinal design, using structural equation modelling) should elucidate on the intricate relationships between mental health status and occupational role transitions in people experiencing SCI. Show more

Keywords: Mental health, role performance, worker

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-213431

Citation: Work, vol. 68, no. 4, pp. 1009-1018, 2021

Authors: Hicks-Roof, Kristen K. | Franklin, Mallory P. | Sealey-Potts, Claudia V. | Zeglin, Robert J.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Worksite wellness programs have the ability to activate health promotion and stimulate behavior change. OBJECTIVE: To measure longitudinal associations between visits with a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), as part of worksite wellness programs, on dietary and lifestyle behavior changes. METHODS: The study sample included 1,123 employees with 77 different worksite wellness programs across the United States from March to December 2017. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to evaluate the associations of RDN visits with behavior changes. RESULTS: The mean BMI at baseline was 33.48, indicating over half of all employees are considered obese. …Employees who attended more than one visit showed an increase in whole grain consumption and corresponding weight loss (t- ratio = 2.41, p  = 0.02). Age played a significant factor in the rise of systolic blood pressure; employees who attended more visits showed an increase in whole grain consumption and corresponding blood pressure (t- ratio = –2.11, p  = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: RDNs as part of worksite wellness programs, can contribute to improvements in lifestyle behavior changes. These data highlight the need for nutrition intervention at the workplace. Research on nutrition-focused worksite wellness programs is needed to assess the long-term health outcomes related to dietary and lifestyle behavior changes. Show more

Keywords: Worksite safety and health, behavior change, nutrition, health promotion, prevention

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-213432

Citation: Work, vol. 68, no. 4, pp. 1019-1025, 2021

Authors: Shanmugam, Ramalingam

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: By dividing the burden of one’s weight between the shins and the buttocks in the sitting position on an office or saddle chair, a person can avoid back pain. In this 21st century, sitting on a chair for long hours in workplace on office chair is unavoidable necessity and hence, millions in different countries undergo a risk for backpain. Is there a right sitting position? OBJECTIVE: The aim of this article is to find out how much a correlation exists between the angle of sitting and the length of spinal curvature which is the source of …backpain. An experiment can be designed and carried out to measure various angles in sitting and the changing length of the person’s spinal cord curvature. METHOD: The usual statistical methodology requires a pair of values namely x and y to quantify the correlation. The data on sitting angles and the length of spinal curvature do not have such pairing, and hence, the traditional approach to find the correlation between the sitting angle and length of spinal curvature is not applicable. Yet, an approach is necessary. This article constructs an innovative statistical approach to fulfil this need. RESULTS: Our approach yields a correlation of 0.998 for sitting on office chair and an increased correlation of 0.999 on saddle chair, according to the Truszczyńska-Baszaka et al.’s data. CONCLUSIONS: An adjustment is made in various angles of sitting on office chair to transform the comfortable sitting on a saddle chair. In consequence, the proportional effect on the spinal curvature is estimable with the data and it is phenomenal (that is significantly more than one). No wonder people prefer saddle chair over office chair when it comes to avoid back pain and this article proves the convenience statistically. Show more

Keywords: Bivariate distribution, linear model, conditional mean and variance, Kronecker vector

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-213433

Citation: Work, vol. 68, no. 4, pp. 1027-1033, 2021

Authors: Almhdawi, Khader A. | Alrabbaie, Hassan | Kanaan, Saddam F. | Alahmar, Moh’d Rami | Oteir, Alaa O. | Mansour, Zaid Modhi | Obeidat, Donia S.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) represent a significant health challenge facing nurses. However, very few studies investigated the prevalence of WMSDs among nurses and their predictors comprehensively using a valid and reliable set of standardized outcome measures. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence WMSDs of upper quadrants and their predictors among registered nurses in Jordanian hospitals. METHODS: A cross-sectional study recruited 597 registered nurses from different hospitals in Jordan. A self-administered survey distributed in targeted hospitals wards. Outcome measures included Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ), Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), …International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), sociodemographic data, and manual handling and work habits. Prevalence of musculoskeletal complaints was reported using descriptive analysis. Logistic regression analyses were used to identify predictors of WMSDs at each upper quadrant body site. RESULTS: Twelve-month WMSDs prevalence was the highest at the neck (61.1%), followed by the upper back (47.2%), shoulders (46.7%), wrist and hands (27.3%), and finally at the elbow (13.9%). Being a female, poor sleep quality, high physical activity level, poor ergonomics, increased workload, and mental stress were significant predictors of increased upper quadrant WMSDs among nurses. CONCLUSIONS: Upper quadrant WMSDs among nurses in Jordan are highly prevalent. Identified significant predictors of these WMSDs should be given full consideration by clinicians and health policymakers. Future studies are needed to reveal the progressive nature of upper quadrant WMSDs and strategies to modify their risk factors. Show more

Keywords: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders, upper quadrant, nursing, ergonomic, occupational stress

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-213434

Citation: Work, vol. 68, no. 4, pp. 1035-1047, 2021

Authors: Yuen, Hon K. | Becker, Sarah W. | Ellis, Michelle T. | Moses, Joi

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Employee wellness programs (EWPs) aim to support positive changes in employees’ modifiable behavioral health risk factors for disease prevention and management. OBJECTIVE: This study described the prevalence and characteristics of EWPs in US accredited college and university campuses. METHODS: Identification of the prevalence of EWPs and programming activities offered in 3039 accredited higher education institutions/campuses, and characteristics of these institutions/campuses were conducted, mainly through searching the institution’s web page. RESULTS: Overall, 36%of the institutions/campuses offered EWPs, with a significantly larger percentage of 4-year public colleges/universities providing EWPs and wellness programming activities than the …4-year private colleges/universities and community colleges. When limiting the institutions/campuses to 4-year colleges and universities with at least 500 employees, the percentage of these institutions/campuses offering EWPs increased to 57.7%, which was comparable to the findings in the literature. The percentage of the institutions/campuses offering wellness programming activities ranged from 18.1%for injury prevention and ergonomics to 30.2%for stress management. The percentage of institutions/campuses offering injury prevention and ergonomics was significantly lower than the percentage of institutions/campuses offering other typical wellness activities. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of EWPs offered in accredited college and university campuses do not meet the national goal of 75%, which was set by Healthy People 2010. Show more

Keywords: Workplace health promotion, cross-sectional survey, universities, health promotion, statistics, numerical data

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-213435

Citation: Work, vol. 68, no. 4, pp. 1049-1057, 2021