Work - Volume 72, issue 2

Authors: Mortazavi, Seyed Meysam | Choobineh, Alireza | Charkhabi, Soheyla Ahmadi | Qaem, Haleh

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: In nursing practice, cognitive failures can be evaluated as an essential indicator of the cognitive capacity of individuals. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to determine the validity and reliability of the Persian version of the Workplace Cognitive Failures Scale (P-WCFS) among Iranian nurses and its relationship with personality traits. METHODS: Data collection had two phases: 1) The P-WCFS prepared through a standard translation process. Then the content validity was evaluated by a panel of specialists. Reliability Cronbach’s coefficient alpha obtained 0.91 from a pilot study. 2) For measuring neuroticism and conscientiousness used the Goldberg Personality Questionnaire. …Exploratory and confirmatory factors analyzed in two separate parts of the sample (n  = 351). SPSS (v 18) and STATA 14 performed for Statistical analysis. Spearman correlation and Pearson correlation coefficient used to measuring the convergence and examine the relationship between the subscales of the questionnaire. RESULTS: Cronbach’s alpha was 0.92, which showed a high level of reliability for this questionnaire. The three-factor model of WCFS was well-fitted. The reliability of all three sub-scales was a reasonable level. Cognitive failures and its subscales had negative and strong relationships with conscientiousness and neuroticism. The highest internal consistency was related to memory subscale, and all scales had a success rate of 100%. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed the P-WCFS has high reliability and validity and can be used in nursing society. Show more

Keywords: Cognitive failure, personality, memory, attention

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-205269

Citation: Work, vol. 72, no. 2, pp. 719-725, 2022

Authors: Llamas-Ramos, Inés | Cortés-Rodríguez, María | Llamas-Ramos, Rocío

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Low back pain (LBP) is the most common musculoskeletal disorder work-related health problem in Europe, affecting millions of workers. It is estimated that 60–80% of the population will suffer at least one episode of mechanical LBP during their life. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the kinesiotape (KT) effectiveness in mechanical LBP. METHODS: This was a double blinded, randomized-controlled clinical trial. Twenty-eight nursing and cleaning auxiliaries from Salamanca received a manual therapy program and a bandage of KT or false kinesiotape (FKT). They received two sessions a week for three weeks and a follow-up one month after the …last session. Pain, range of motion and function were measured at baseline, at the end of each session and a month after the last session. RESULTS: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders and LBP are responsible for a high prevalence of sick-leave and absenteeism. Manual therapy and KT has demonstrated to reduce pain and to increase range of motion and function being effective in this population. There are statistically significant results in both groups in all measurements for all variables. KT seems to be superior, however, both have a positive effect on LBP. Although benefits decrease, long-term treatments focusing on pain alleviation and functional recovery is needed to maintain the benefits achieved. CONCLUSION: KT was an effective complement for this treatment. Although both show improvements, KT is recommended. Future studies are needed to demonstrate KT properties, to establish a treatment protocol to prevent chronic LBP and to avoid sick leave and absenteeism. Show more

Keywords: Low back pain, rehabilitation, bandage, sick-leave, MSD, KT

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-210693

Citation: Work, vol. 72, no. 2, pp. 727-736, 2022

Authors: Mehrabi Nejad, Mohammad Mehdi | Najafi, Arezu | Haji Ghadery, Abdolkarim | Izadi, Nazanin | Alemohammad, Zahra Banafsheh | Shabani, Mahya | Saraei, Maryam

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Sleep disturbance including insomnia and poor sleep quality has been shown to be a major health determinant in occupational settings. Specific occupational exposures to hazards in most workplaces can lead to various health problems, especially sleep problems. OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to investigate sleep characteristics, and their relationships with work-related exposures, demographics, and other related variables in workers of a smelting factory. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was carried out on workers in a 40-year smelting factory located in the East of Tehran Province. A total of 200 male participants were included in the study. Among …them, 51 workers were from the production process staff and the rest were office workers. Their shifts were from 6 AM to 5 PM. All participants were asked about demographic characteristics and exposure to respiratory pollutants. All participants answered validated Persian versions of the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). RESULTS: The means (SD) of age and BMI were 39.1 (8.9) years and 26.8 (4.5) kg/m2, respectively. Among all participants, 51 (25.5%) experienced exposure to a respiratory pollutant. Among all workers, 96 (48%) experienced poor sleep quality and 87 (43.5%) and 10 (5%) had subthreshold and clinical insomnia, respectively. The mean (SD) night sleep duration was 6.4 (0.96) hours. Data analysis illustrated a significant positive relationship between exposure to respiratory pollutants and insomnia (p -value = 0.03). Howewer, this association between sleep quality and exposure to repiratory pollutants was not significant (p -value = 0.25). Further analysis with binominal regression showed participants with exposure to respiratory pollutants were more susceptible to clinical insomnia (p- value = 0.02, exp(B) = 0.213), and after regressing out the effect of smoking, participants with exposure to respiratory pollutants remained susceptible to clinical insomnia. A lower night sleep duration was observed among participants with exposure to inhalational material (p -value = 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Occupational exposures to hazardous material, including inhalational exposures, could cause sleep disturbance, which warrants more attention paid by sleep specialists. Show more

Keywords: Insomnia, occupational air pollutant, sleep disturbance, occupational exposure, work

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-213637

Citation: Work, vol. 72, no. 2, pp. 737-743, 2022

Authors: Irmak, Rafet

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: The Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) is a common outcome-measure used for assessment of spinal disorders with three officially updated versions. However, there are recently published articles that still use ODI-1.0. This suggests the existence of a block on information flow between developers and end-users. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the articles with missing citation to the latest ODI version, to calculate the life span of previous ODI version and to investigate the existence of a block on information flow. METHODS: PMC-PubMed citation dataset is analyzed by CNA and text processing methods. RESULTS: The most important …finding of this study is that there is no block on information flow between developers and users in terms of visibility in citations and full text access restrictions. Three different sub-networks are identified between ODI-1.0 and ODI-2.0 articles. 14% (165) of articles have citation to ODI-1.0 and ODI-2.0 version-articles. The time limit that is required for the new ODI version to become dominant in the literature is between 4 and 9 years. CONCLUSION: There is a missing citation problem in the ODI literature which is not a result of a block on information flow between developers and end-users. Show more

Keywords: Oswestry Disability Index, citation network analysis, ODI-1.0, ODI-2.0, ODI-2.1, ODI-2.1a, version updates, dissemination, PMC, PubMed, physiotherapy

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-213639

Citation: Work, vol. 72, no. 2, pp. 745-752, 2022

Authors: Bernardes, Sarah M.F. | Assunção, Ana | Fujão, Carlos | Carnide, Filomena

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: The aging of the workforce is changing, but working conditions have not changed at the same exponential growth rate for senior workers. Such a situation can compromise the worker’s physical and cognitive capability, reducing the ability to perform work activities. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to understand the main functional capacity changes in senior workers in the automotive industry and to determine the contribution of working conditions on the decline of the functional capacity in senior workers. METHODS: To achieve the objectives of the study, a set of questionnaires (Sociodemographic Data, COPSOQ, Nordic Questionnaire, and Par-Q) …and a battery of 4 functional capacity tests were used. Results: Work conditions, namely awkward postures, force demands and manual material handling, and age, were statistically associated to the functional decline in workers. Additionally, multiple linear regression showed that height, weight, seniority, and strength have predictive value to the handgrip decline (both positions HG2 and HG5). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that workers’ handgrip assessment should be considered as a future measure as an indicator of strength ability in the occupational field. Show more

Keywords: Aging, functional decline, work conditions, handgrip

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-213638

Citation: Work, vol. 72, no. 2, pp. 753-763, 2022

Authors: Sharifi, Ali Seyed | Danesh, Mojtaba Khosravi | Gholamnia, Reza

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Call center workers are highly susceptible to work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) as well as mental stress. Nonetheless, there has been a surprising paucity in the body of the research regarding interventions among call center workers. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effectiveness of a multicomponent ergonomic intervention program on mental workload, mental fatigue and WRMSDs of call center employees. METHOD: A non-randomized interventional study with a single group pretest-posttest design was conducted among 84 call center workers of a private telecommunication company in the city of Tehran, Iran. At the baseline, …data regarding WRMSDs prevalence, mental workload and mental fatigue were collected by means of standard Nordic, NASA-TLX and SOFI questionnaires, respectively. Then, subjects participated in a multifaceted intervention program including comprehensive office ergonomic training, work layout improvement, supervised on-site face to face visits, and provision of quality break time encompassing regular exercise program. Follow-up assessment was carried out after 6 months. RESULTS: After the intervention, prevalence of WMSDs in the neck (10%, P  = 0.022), lower back (8.4%, P  = 0.04), and knees (9.5%, P  = 0.02) decreased significantly, while improvements in other body areas remained insignificant. Results also showed a significant decrease in overall score of mental demand (P  = 0.000) as well as three of its subscales including performance (P  = 0.02), effort (P  = 0.001), and frustration (P  = 0.025). Additionally, positive effect of the intervention was also observable on overall mental fatigue of call center workers (P  = 0.016). As for its subscales, Lack of energy was reported to decrease meaningfully (P  = 0.007) while lack of motivation did not change significantly (P  = 0.240). CONCLUSION: Although the primary focus of many ergonomic interventions has remained to measure physical outcomes of the work place, our findings show that multicomponent interventions are indeed capable of boosting cognitive aspects of the work as well. The future studies should consider investigating such outcomes. Show more

Keywords: WRMSDs, occupational fatigue, office work, mental demand

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-213641

Citation: Work, vol. 72, no. 2, pp. 765-774, 2022

Authors: Zango-Martín, Inmaculada | Nafai, Said | El Ouazzani, Sophia | Derkaoui, Jamal | Stevens-Nafai, Elizabeth | Codern-Bové, Nuria

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Across the global landscape, mental health care still exhibits challenges because of the lack of human and professional resources to face its consequences. In Morocco, mental health problems affect mainly adolescents and young adults, with a clear impact on functional engagement in their daily lives. Occupational therapy, as a holistic and person-centered practice, may be an ideal mental health strategy to promote health and well-being through occupation, thereby enabling individuals to participate in regular daily activities. OBJECTIVE: To understand, from an intercultural perspective, the point of view of mental health professionals regarding the role and importance of …occupation-based practices in Errazi Mental Health Hospital in Salé(Rabat) Morocco. METHOD: A qualitative research design was used for this study. Data collection consisted of semi-structured interviews with 12 mental health care professionals (non-occupational therapists). These results were used to gain an understanding of their perspectives regarding the main role of human occupation in mental health services in Morocco, and to incorporate an intercultural outlook in terms of occupational therapy. Data analysis was conducted in three phases, by following the grounded theory methodology. RESULTS: Two categories, “dimensions of occupation in Moroccan mental health ” and “the interplay between traditional and western perspectives involving mental health ” emerged from this research. Both categories included five subcategories. CONCLUSION: This study identifies how occupation-based services in Moroccan mental health care require considering not only the cultural perspective of mental health, and the sociocultural meaning rooted in occupations, but also the relevance of incorporating a community-centered approach. Moreover, it discusses how occupational therapy education in Morocco must incorporate an intercultural perspective of the therapy’s theory and practice. Show more

Keywords: Cultural diversity, interculture, occupations, qualitative research, Arab culture

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-213644

Citation: Work, vol. 72, no. 2, pp. 775-784, 2022