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This study explores gender differences in managers' responses to a workplace initiative designed to reduce managers' concerns about schedule control in a large IT company. Drawing on a manager-level dataset collected from a group-randomized trial, results show that the workplace initiative significantly reduced concerns managers had about schedule control. In models stratified by gender, the initiative's effect was statistically significant among male managers, but not among female managers. Male managers tended to have greater concerns about schedule control than female managers, but male managers who received the intervention reduced their level of concern to the level of female managers who did not receive the intervention. These findings improve our understanding of the role of organizational initiatives in changing gendered attitudes toward familysupportive workplace policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To describe how managers of employees on sick-leave, due to chronic pain conditions, experience participating in a three-party meeting using the Demand and Ability Protocol (DAP) in the return-to-work process. This study is based on individual semi-structured interviews with 17 managers of employees with chronic pain. Interviews were conducted after participating in a three-party meeting including the employee, manager, and a representative from the rehabilitation team. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis with an inductive approach. Two main themes were identified – "to converse with a clear structure and setup" and "to be involved in the employee's rehabilitation." The first theme describe experiences from the conversation, and the second theme reflected the managers' insights when being involved in the employee's rehabilitation. The themes comprise 11 sub-themes describing how the DAP conversation and the manager′s involvement in the rehabilitation may influence the manager, the manager-employee relationship, and the organization. This study show, from a manager's perspective, how having a dialogue with a clear structure and an active involvement in the employee's rehabilitation may be beneficial for the manager-employee relationship. Insights from participating in the DAP may also be beneficial for the organization. A structured dialogue between the employee, employer, and rehabilitation supports the return to work (RTW) process A structured dialogue and collaboration may strengthen the relationship between the manager and employee An active engagement of managers in the employeès RTW process is beneficial for the manager-employee relationship, and for the organisation Healthcare professionals should collaborate with the workplace to promote participation of managers [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the usefulness and feasibility of a comprehensive vocational rehabilitation (C-VR) program and less comprehensive (LC-VR) program for workers on sick leave due to chronic musculoskeletal pain, from the perspective of patients, professionals, and managers. Semi-structured interviews were held with patients, professionals, and managers. Using topic lists, participants were questioned about barriers to and facilitators of the usefulness and feasibility of C-VR and LC-VR. Thirty interviews were conducted with thirteen patients (n = 6 C-VR, n = 7 LC-VR), eight professionals, and nine managers. All interviews were transcribed verbatim. Data were analyzed by systematic text condensation using inductive thematic analysis. Three themes emerged for usefulness ("patient factors," "content," "dosage") and six themes emerged for feasibility ("satisfaction," "intention to continue use," "perceived appropriateness," "positive/negative effects on target participants," "factors affecting implementation ease or difficulty," "adaptations"). The patients reported that both programs were feasible and generally useful. The professionals preferred working with the C-VR, although they disliked the fixed and uniform character of the program. They also mentioned that this program is too extensive for some patients, and that the latter would probably benefit from the LC-VR program. Despite their positive intentions, the managers stated that due to the Dutch healthcare system, implementation of the LC-VR program would be financially unfeasible. The main conclusion of this study is that it is not useful to have one VR program for all patients with CMP and reduced work participation, and that flexible and tailored-based VR are warranted. Both comprehensive and less comprehensive vocational rehabilitation are deemed useful for patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain and reduced work participation. Particular patient factors, for instance information uptake, discipline, willingness to change, duration of complaints, movement anxiety, obstructing thoughts, and willingness to return to work might guide the right program for the right patient. Both comprehensive and less comprehensive vocational rehabilitation are deemed feasible in practice. However, factors such as center logistic (schemes, rooms, professionals available) and country-specific healthcare insurance and sickness compensation systems should foster the implementation of less comprehensive programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Although it is believed that involving the workplace and stakeholders in return-to-work interventions is beneficial, Norwegian occupational rehabilitation programmes rarely do. During 2015–2016, Hysnes Rehabilitation Centre provided inpatient multimodal occupational rehabilitation, including workplace meetings with employees, supervisors, and rehabilitation therapists. This study aims to explore the meetings´ content and stakeholders´ experiences.Methods: This was a multiple case study including non-participant observation of workplace meetings and interviews with participantsResults: Essential features of meetings included revealing and aligning the employee's and supervisor's understandings. Three components seemed instrumental in developing shared understandings leading to appropriate adjustments: 1) disclosing causes of absence, 2) validating difficulties, attitudes, and efforts, and 3) delimiting responsibility. Therapists played a vital role in addressing these components, supporting employees, and ensuring planning of appropriate solutions.Conclusion: Developing shared understandings by addressing and aligning illness- and return-to-work representations appears important for return-to-work interventions. Although pivotal to developing appropriate adjustments, disclosure depends upon supervisors' display of understanding and should not be encouraged without knowledge of the employee´s work situation. How supervisors relate to employees and implement adjustments may be as important as the types of adjustments. The therapist's support and validation of employees in vulnerable situations also seem valuable.Trial registration: The trial is registered at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT02541890), 4 September 2015. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02541890. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. The aim of this article was to evaluate the effects of cycle and treadmill desks on energy expenditure and cardiovascular and biochemical indicators in sedentary workers. Materials and methods. In February 2018, six databases were searched. Both parallel and crossover design studies evaluating workplace cycle and treadmill desks compared to a conventional seated condition were included. Results. Twenty-two studies met the inclusion criteria. Cycle and treadmill desks significantly increased energy expenditure (standard mean difference [SMD] = 3.84, p < 0.001, I2 = 95%) and the heart rate (SMD = 1.68, p < 0.001, I2 = 91%), and lowered blood glucose and insulin levels (SMD = –0.54, p < 0.001, I2 = 0% and SMD = –3.13, p < 0.001, I2 = 76%, respectively). The interventions had no effect on blood pressure and other biochemical indicators. Conclusion. Cycle and treadmill desks may positively influence energy expenditure in sedentary workers and could be effective for reducing negative effects of workplace-related sedentary behaviour. However, considerable heterogeneity is present in the measuring protocols for energy expenditure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Intimate partner violence (IPV) and workplace violence (WPV) against women are widespread globally, and we set out to establish whether an intervention on gender-transformative programming delivered to Bangladeshi garment factory workers could reduce women's experience of IPV and WPV. We developed and tested an intervention, HERrespect and encountered considerable obstacles. Objective: To describe the challenges in program implementation and evaluation in the factories and the serious implications that arose for the study outcomes. Methods: HERrespect is a participatory intervention with mostly parallel group sessions for female and male workers and the management staff, designed to be delivered weekly in three hourly sessions, and supported by some factory-wide and limited community information campaigns. It was evaluated in a quasi-experimental study conducted in eight garment factories in and around Dhaka city, with a cohort of 800 women workers and 395 management staff who were followed for 24 months. Results: The study was conducted in the ready-made garment industry with substantial power imbalances between buyers, factory management and workers. The factories were contacted through the buyers, and some factories had agreed to participate half-heartedly. Many did not make enough time available for optimal implementation. Thus, the sessions were shortened and spread out. The factories did not make all the group members available for sessions. Whilst agreeing to participate, some management undermined the research by warning workers against disclosing information that may harm the business, resulting in the endline data being unreliable. Conclusions: Future research on IPV prevention in this sector is advised to: (1) Gain genuine management buy-in prior to starting activities; (2) implement an optimally intensive programme for the workers and management; (3) engage men from the female workers' communities. WPV prevention will require a change in the structural violence of the just-in-time regime which contributes largely to WPV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Police work can be stressful and demanding and can impact on employee wellbeing. This study aimed to understand mental health (MH) issues and risk factors for poor MH in officers and staff of the Police Service of Scotland (PSoS); and gather their ideas of workplace wellbeing interventions that are suitable for this workforce. Face-to-face/telephone interviews were conducted with 30 Superintendents and eight stakeholders, recruited throughout PSoS. Interview topics included: MH issues; health/health behaviours; employment; and potentially beneficial workplace interventions. A thematic analysis approach was adopted. High levels of occupational stress and anxiety, currently or in the past, were reported, as were experiences of PTSD, anxiety and depression. The main stressors reported were working hours, workload, culture, leadership and organisational change. Officers and staff recognised progress towards promoting and managing MH in the service but identified interventions, including training, counselling, and environmental workplace changes as needed to address mental health issues within police cultures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To study the long-term effects of a workplace intervention in addition to structured physiotherapy regarding self-reported measures in patients with acute/subacute neck and/or back pain. Design: WorkUp – a cluster-randomised controlled trial in 32 primary care centers in Sweden, from January 2013 through December 2014 (ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT02609750). Intervention: Structured physiotherapy with the workplace dialogue 'Convergence Dialogue Meeting' (CDM), conducted by the treating physiotherapist as an add-on. Reference group received structured physiotherapy. Subjects: Adults, 18–67 years (mean 43.7, standard deviation (SD) 12.2), 65.3% women with acute/subacute neck and/or back pain who had worked ≥4 weeks past year, considered at risk of sick leave or were on short-term sick leave (≤60 days) were included (n = 352). Outcome measures: Self-reported function, functional rating index (FRI), health-related quality of life (EQ-5D-3L) and work ability (Work Ability Score, WAS) at 12 months follow-up. Results: The mean differences in outcomes between intervention and reference group were; −0.76 (95% confidence interval (CI): −2.39, 0.88; FRI), 0.02 (95% CI: −0.04, 0.08; EQ-5D-3L) and −0.05 (95% CI: −0.63, 0.53; WAS). From baseline to 12 months, the intervention group improved function from 46.5 (SD 19.7) to 10.5 (SD 7.3) on FRI; health-related quality of life from 0.53 (SD 0.29) to 0.74 (SD 0.20) on EQ-5D and work ability from 5.7 (SD 2.6) to 7.6 (SD 2.1) on WAS. Conclusion: Despite a clinically relevant improvement over time, there were no significant differences in improvement between groups, thus we conclude that CDM had no effect on self-reported measures in this study. In earlier analysis of the primary outcome (work ability measured by absenteeism) in this trial, a positive effect was found when the workplace intervention 'Convergence Dialogue Meeting' (CDM) was added to structured physiotherapy for patients with neck or back pain. By contrast, in this new analysis of secondary outcomes (self-reported function, health and perceived work ability), there was no added effect of CDM above structured physiotherapy alone, although patients in both the intervention and reference group improved over time. The addition of CDM to physiotherapy is therefore justified by its specific effect on behavior (work absence) rather than any effect on clinical outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing numbers of people are employed in sedentary occupations, spending large amounts of time sitting at work which is detrimental to health and wellbeing. Evidence-based guidance is required to intervene to reduce sedentary behaviour, encourage physical activity and promote sustainable working. This article presents a process evaluation of a successful workplace intervention Walking Works Wonders, shown to be effective in improving health, job satisfaction and motivation (Haslam et al. 2018). In this qualitative process evaluation employees reported an increased awareness of their sedentary time and they particularly valued the monitoring of activity using pedometers. They described changes to their working and leisure time activity to accumulate more steps. Participants reported improved physiological and psychological health outcomes, improved working relations with colleagues, changes in dietary behaviour and involving their families in physical activity. The results highlight elements of the intervention that encouraged healthy and more sustainable working practices.Practitioner summary: This study provides the employees' perspective on the effective elements of a workplace intervention which encouraged physical activity and reduced sitting time. The results offer valuable insights for practitioners aiming to develop interventions to improve health and facilitate more sustainable working practices in a rapidly changing world of work. Abbreviations: BMI: body mass index; PDF: portable document format [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined whether one partner's additional resources obtained from a workplace intervention influence the other partner's perception of having those resources at home (crossover of resources). We also examined whether one partner's decreased stress by increased work resources crosses over to the other partner's stress levels (crossover of well-being). Longitudinal data came from IT employees and their married/cohabiting partners in midlife (N = 327). A randomized workplace intervention significantly increased employee-reported schedule control at the 6-month follow-up, which, in turn, increased partner-reported employees' work schedule flexibility to handle family responsibilities at the 12-month follow-up. The intervention also decreased partners' perceived stress at the 12-month follow-up through the processes by which increases in schedule control predicted decreases in employees' perceived stress, which further predicted decreased levels of partners' perceived stress. Notably, crossover of resources and well-being were found in couples who lived with children in the household, but not in couples without children. Our findings suggest that benefits of workplace support can permeate into the family domain, by increasing partner-perceived family resources and well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are researches highlighting the importance of mental health of employees, which benefit the workplace and personal life. It is identified that the employee effectiveness depends on the mental health and well-being of the employees, and it contributes to the organizational productivity. However, there is a dearth of effective models of mental health interventions implemented and documented for organizations to follow and research on. This reflective paper based on a theoretical perspective discusses the Psychosocial Intervention Model developed by Mental Health Assistance Centre at Rajagiri College of Social Sciences for the Federal Bank Employees as part of the Employee Assistance Programme in the bank. This paper includes the basic processes, modalities, framework and two cases of intervention conducted as part of employee mental health well-being. This collaborative model progresses through various stages with different intervention strategies of Clinical Social Work, aligned to the mental health well-being of employees at the workplace. The major mental health issues of the employees identified are discussed with the outcome of the interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents baseline data from 1120 employees across 10 worksites enrolled in a workplace physical activity intervention. The study provides new data on physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and health and highlights gender, geographical, job type and industrial sector differences. Sitting at work accounted for more than 60% of participants' total daily sitting time on work days. Weekly and monthly hours worked, body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference were significantly higher for workers in the private sector compared to the public sector. Employees in sales and customer services had significantly higher BMI scores and significantly lower scores for workability index (WAI), job satisfaction, organisational commitment and job motivation, compared to other groups. This study provides further evidence that work is a major contributor to sedentary behaviour and supports the pressing need for interventions particularly targeting private sector industries and sales and customer service sectors. Practitioner Summary: Work accounts for more than 60% of the daily sitting time. Private sector employees had higher BMIs than those in the public sector and employees in sales and customer services had higher BMIs and poorer health compared to other occupations, suggesting that these groups should be targeted in workplace interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study assessed the effect of a default nudge to reduce sedentary behaviour at work over time. Design and main outcome measures: A field study was conducted at a governmental organisation. In the present study, the default setting of sit-stand desks (SSDs) was changed from sitting to standing height during a two-week intervention. Stand-up working rates were calculated based on observations that were done prior to, during, two weeks after and two months after the intervention. Additionally, a pre-measure survey (n = 606) and post-measure survey (n = 354) were completed. Intention and social norms concerning stand-up working were compared for the 183 employees who completed both pre- and post-assessments (45.4% female, Mage = 44.21). Results: Stand-up working rates raised from 1.82% in the baseline to 13.13% during the intervention. After the nudge was removed the percentage was 10.01% after two weeks and 7.78% after two months. A multilevel analysis indicated a significant increase in both intention and social norms after the nudge intervention. Conclusions: This study shows that a default nudge can increase stand-up working rates in offices with SSDs at least until two months after the nudge intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Work-related stressors are known to adversely affect employees’ stress physiology, including the cortisol awakening response (CAR) - or the spike in cortisol levels shortly after people wake up that aids in mobilizing energy. A flat or blunted CAR has been linked to chronic stress and burnout. This daily diary study tested the effects of a workplace intervention on employed parents’ CAR. Specifically, we tested whether the effects of the intervention on CAR were moderated by the type of days (workday versus non-work day). Data came from 94 employed parents from an information technology firm who participated in the baseline and 12-month diurnal cortisol components of the Work, Family, and Health Study, a group-randomized field experiment. The workplace intervention was designed to reduce work-family conflict (WFC) and implemented after the baseline data collection. Diurnal salivary cortisol was collected on 4 days at both baseline and 12 months. Multilevel modeling revealed that the intervention significantly increased employees’ CAR at 12 months on non-workdays, but this was not evident on workdays or for employees in the usual practice condition. The results provide evidence that the intervention was effective in enhancing employees’ biological stress physiology particularly during opportunities for recovery that are more likely to occur on non-work days. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vulnerability to Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection among factory workers is a global problem. This study investigated the effectiveness of an intervention to increase AIDS knowledge, perceived accessibility to condoms and condom use among young factory workers in Thailand. The intervention was a workplace program designed to engage the private sector in HIV prevention. A cross-sectional survey conducted in 2008 to measure program outcomes in factories in Thailand was used in this study. The workplace intervention included the development of policies for management of HIV-positive employees, training sessions for managers and workers, and distribution of educational materials and condoms. A multi-level analysis was used to investigate the effect of HIV/AIDS prevention program components at the workplace on HIV/AIDS knowledge, perceived accessibility to condoms and condom use with regular sexual partners among 699 young factory workers (aged 18–24 years), controlling for their individual socio-demographic characteristics. Interventions related to the management and services component including workplace AIDS policy formulation, condom services programs and behavioral change campaigns were found to be significantly related to increased AIDS knowledge, perceived accessibility to condoms and condom use with regular partners. The effect of the HIV/AIDS training for managers, peer leaders and workers was positive but not statistically significant. With some revision of program components, scaling up of workplace interventions and the engagement of the private sector in HIV prevention should be seriously considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Workplace interventions may change how employed parents experience family and personal time. This study examined the day-to-day linkages between time resources (assessed by time use and perceived time adequacy for parenting, partner, and personal roles) and daily well-being and tested whether a workplace intervention enhanced the linkages. Participants were employed, partnered parents in the information technology division of a large US firm and who provided eight-day diary data at two times (N = 90). Multilevel modeling revealed that, on days when parents perceived lower time adequacy than usual for the three roles, they reported less positive affect, more negative affect, and more physical symptoms, independent of time spent in the roles. Moreover, a workplace intervention designed to give employees more temporal flexibility and support for family responsibilities increased daily time spent with the focal child and increased perceived time adequacy for exercise. The intervention also decreased negative affect and physical symptoms for parents who spent more time with child and partner than the sample average. Our results highlight the importance of perceived time adequacy in daily well-being and suggest that workplace support can enhance perceived time adequacy for self and the experience of family time. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Sedentary behaviour has been shown to have a negative impact on health. As such, prolonged sitting in the workplace is being increasingly seen as a public health problem. Multi-component interventions to reduce sedentary time at work are being used as a way of addressing the different environmental, personal and organisational influences on sedentary behaviour. The role of the organisational context on behaviour has rarely been explored in depth or theorised in the sedentary workplace behaviour literature yet a rich body of theory and evidence exists outside the field. The current article applies an organisational cultural framework for exploring how organisational factors and dynamics impact on sedentary behaviour in the workplace. Empirical data are taken from a qualitative study of office workers' responses to a 'sit less' initiative. Thirteen in-depth interviews and documentary analysis were conducted to help elucidate the ways in which organisational assumptions, strategy, structures, activities, operations, actions and norms combine to constrain reduced sitting time at work. The article offers a theoretical approach to understanding how organisational culture can influence interventions aimed at encouraging people to sit less in the workplace. It also offers an opportunity to consider how intervention design can better account for the 'whole systems' of an organisation and how 'sit less' initiatives can be positioned within them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This quasi-experimental longitudinal study assessed the effect of a one-day Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)-based workshop on work-related rumination, chronic fatigue, and sleep quality. We hypothesized that participants who attended the workshop would report lower levels of affective work-related rumination, chronic fatigue, and improved sleep quality, at follow-up, 6 months after workshop completion. Two hundred and twenty-seven participants took part in the study, with 102 participants attending a one-day workshop delivered in their workplace. Participants completed an online questionnaire at two time-points, with follow-up occurring 6 months after initial survey completion. Results showed that participants who took part in the CBT workshop reported significantly lower levels of affective rumination (p = .03) and chronic fatigue (p = .003), at follow-up in comparison with individuals who did not attend the workshop; however, there were no significant differences between the groups in self-reported sleep quality (p = .06). A combination of more effective recovery both at work and outside of work may explain the reductions in both affective rumination and fatigue over time. This study adds to the recovery from work literature by providing initial support for a one-day CBT-based workshop delivered in the workplace. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Although the number of illnesses resulting from indirect viral pathogen transmission could be substantial, it is difficult to estimate the relative risks because of the wide variation and uncertainty in human behavior, variable viral concentrations on fomites, and other exposure factors. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the micro-activity approach for assessment of microbial risk by adapting a mathematical model to estimate probability of viral infection from indirect transmission. To evaluate the model, measurements of phage loading on fomites and hands collected before and after implementation of a Healthy Workplace Project intervention were used. Parameter distributions were developed from these data, as well as for micro-activity rates, contact surface areas, phage transfer efficiencies, and inactivation rates. Following the Monte Carlo simulations (n = 1,000), the estimated phage loading on hands was not significantly different from the loading of phage on hands measured in the experimental trials. The model was then used to demonstrate that the Healthy Workplace Project intervention significantly reduced risk of infection by 77% for rotavirus and rhinovirus. This is the first published study to successfully evaluate a model focused on the indirect transmission of viruses via hand contact with measured data and provide an assessment of the micro-activity approach to microbial risk evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Worksite health promotion is seldom offered to workers who are low-educated and multi-ethnic, possibly due to an assumption that they are more reluctant to participate. Furthermore, little has been done to promote health at female-dominated workplaces. The main aim of this study was to investigate differences in participation among immigrant and Danish cleaners throughout a 1-year randomised controlled study tailored to cleaners and carried out in predominantly female workplaces. No significant differences in ethnicity were found in consent and participation throughout the 1-year intervention. Dropout was equally distributed among Danish and immigrant cleaners. This study indicates that a worksite health promotion intervention among a female-dominated, high-risk occupation such as cleaning can be equally appealing for Danes and immigrants. Practitioner Summary: This study provides insight about participation of Danish and immigrant cleaners in a worksite health promotion intervention in a predominantly female occupation. For attaining high participation and low dropout in future worksite health promotion interventions among cleaners, the intervention ought to not only target the ethnic background of the workers, but also to be specifically tailored to the job group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The aim of this desktop study was to review all workplace interventions having a nutrition component, published in peer-reviewed literature between 1995 and 2006 by WHO, and to document activities that were successful, as well as possible barriers to their success. Methodology: A systematic review of workplace studies revealed 41 interventions, of which 30 complied with the predetermined search criteria. The following outcome measures were considered in the evaluation of the interventions: (i) changes in nutritional knowledge, attitudes, self-efficacy, intentions and stage of change; (ii) changes in dietary behaviours; (iii) changes in clinical/physical markers, such as: body weight or body-mass index (BMI), blood pressure (BP) or serum cholesterol concentrations; and (iv) process and/or policy outcomes. Results: A large number of diverse workplace interventions were successful in changing outcomes positively in the interventions evaluated. The following were key success factors: i) there was a nutrition and physical activity component; ii) dietitians were involved in nutrition education; iii) changes occurred in the cafeteria/canteen, which increased the availability of healthy food options and advertised them accordingly; iv) tailored feedback on diet (and clinical values) was given to subjects; v) employees were involved in planning and managing programmes; vi) the reduced prices (of healthy food items) in vending machines encouraged employees to buy healthier options; and vii) the stages of change theory was most commonly associated with best practice outcomes. Conclusions: Numerous workplace interventions have shown significant improvements in employees' health and behaviours. However, it is necessary to plan intervention programmes based on the existing evidence of best practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study sought to elicit the diagnoses behind the pain conditions causing complaints by female hospital cleaners and home-help personnel who were working despite their symptoms. We also wished to describe the prevalence of musculoskeletal diagnoses and the intensity, frequency and location of pain, and changes in the clinical picture and pain after personnel supporting interventions. A prospective study was carried out with intervention groups and non-randomized comparison groups. The hospital cleaners intervention programme comprised occupational organizational measures, competence development, physical and psychosocial working environmental measures and individual and rehabilitation measures on both an individual and a group basis. The home-help programme comprised a 2-week stay at an orthopaedic rehabilitation unit, training of supervisors, comrade massage, purchase of training equipment and stress management. Myalgia/tendinitis occurred in 61% of shoulder girdle elevators, 18% of rotator cuffs, 16% of dorsal neck muscles and 29% of hip muscles. There was musculoskeletal pain in the lower back in 28% of cases. Referred pain from a musculoskeletal focus occurred in about one-sixth to one-third of individuals with the diagnosis in question. Neurogenic pain occurred in 6% of cases. No fibromyalgia syndrome was found. One-third of individuals felt pain all the time or almost all the time. The mean rated perceived "worst pain" was 70 mm on a visual analogue scale of 1-100 mm. Comparisons between intervention and reference groups indicated that some improvement in the clinical picture can be attained using this kind of general support programme for employees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new methodology is presented for using uniquely structured mine injury data analyses to determine prioritized workplace intervention strategies. The methodology was applied using 1993 West Virginia mine accident data, resulting in the targeting of specific counties, mine sizes, and job titles for greatest-impact interventions. Besides nested analyses for focusing attention, microanalyses of high-injury job titles were used to break the accident experience down into miners' work cycles and frame the situations and conditions under which the accidents occurred. The results from microanalyses were then used in focused-discussion groups during interventions at mines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]