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BACKGROUND: Hotel room cleaners are disproportionately exposed to hazards that increase risk for poor health outcomes. Interventions are needed to improve the health of these workers. Yet we know little about the expressed needs of hotel room cleaners nor do we know about managers' perspectives on how to best optimize employee health. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to develop an understanding of perceived intervention needs among hotel room cleaners and to assess managers' views on the acceptability of the proposed interventions. METHODS: We used a community-based approach to recruit study participants. We conducted five focus groups among hotel room cleaners and individual interviews with hotel managers. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using content analysis. RESULTS: The workers expressed needs centered on pay, workload, appreciation, ergonomics, chemical and biological hazards, nutrition, smoking cessation, exercise, mental health and stress management. In addition to echoing the workers' expressed needs, managers emphasized employee retention and financial literacy. CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this is the first paper to include both workers' and managers' accounts on intervention approaches that will optimize health and wellbeing. This paper offers a guide for future program development among hospitality workers. Effective interventions need to be integrated, encompassing the individual, intrapersonal, organizational, and policy levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human-sourced wastes seriously threaten human health and natural balance. Waste Workers are exposed to biological, chemical and physical risk factors during the collection and processing of waste. This study focused on biological risk factors, which are one of the risk factors faced by solid waste collectors. Biological samples were taken from the hands, gloves, respiratory areas of waste workers and waste collection vehicles before and after the work in two different periods as hot and cold. As a result of the study, a total of 29 different bacterial species that have a clinical significance defined as a pathogen or opportunistic pathogen have been identified that may create a threat to workers' health. This research results show that, working conditions should be regulated in waste collection works and human-pathogen interaction should be minimized. It was aimed to raise awareness for the protection and improvement of workers and public health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores practices and policies for managing information communication technologies (ICTs) and ensuring healthy and productive work environments in higher education settings. This was informed by: (1) semi-structured interviews with 12 senior Human Resource and Wellbeing personnel recruited from 11 public Australian universities; and (2) a review of policy documents that address ICTs/digital communication sourced from 37 Australian public universities. Analyses revealed that ICT management involved balancing flexibility and boundaries and expectations around responsiveness. Findings from interview data revealed that to improve ICT management it is important to develop university guidance material, detangle the notion of responsibility, establish boundaries around expectations of responsivity, provide more education and develop positive working practices. Thematic analysis and subsequent quantification of 654 policy documents revealed gaps in the university policy context on the topic of digital communication. The largest proportion of policies focused on privacy and security, followed by media representation of the university (e.g., throughout branding), then bullying, harassment and discrimination. We make recommendations for policy and practice improvement. It would be beneficial for future research to assess the impact of enacted digital communication management strategies (e.g., policy interventions) on worker wellbeing and work practice outcomes.

We explore how digital communication relates to worker health and wellbeing within Australian universities prior to COVID-19. To investigate effects of digital communication we sought perspectives of senior Human Resource and wellbeing personnel for semi-structured interviews. Analyses revealed that digital communication creates both negative and positive aspects of work, leading to differing effects and outcomes of health and wellbeing. Themes that emerged included flexibility, collaboration and access to resources, a sense of continual accessibility and connectivity to work, information overload and interpersonal relationships. Depending on how digital communication is managed, we found each aspect has the capacity to be simultaneously positive (i.e., resourceful) or negative (e.g., demanding). Drawing on organisational theory, we propose new ways to conceptualise workplace digital communication and propose practical management approaches. Future research should continue to unpack the relationship between digital communication and work practices, while considering potential management and policy strategies to protect worker health and safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: case tracking through COVID-19 screening tests is indispensable to control/delay the spread of the disease. Objective: to identify the incidence of COVID-19 through the positivity of rapid tests and associated factors in the population of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Methods: cross-sectional study, developed with 121,622 individuals notified and residing in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, from March to June 2020, from public domain data. For the analysis, positive results in COVID-19 rapid tests were considered. Bivariate analyses were performed to identify the association between the positive result in the rapid tests and demographic and clinical variables and the time elapsed between the onset of symptoms and the performance of the test. Likewise, odds ratios and their respective confidence intervals were calculated at the 95% level, and the p-value presented through the Wald method. Results: predominance of male individuals, 51%; in the age range of 20 to 39 years, 46,4%; and health professionals, 99,9%. Regarding the time elapsed between the onset of clinical signs and symptoms and diagnosis, 61,7% of the individuals who were tested up to 9 days after the onset of symptoms had a positive result. Sex, age group and time to test were associated with a positive result for the COVID-19 rapid test. Conclusion: it is important to minimize false-positive test results by choosing an assay with high specificity and testing populations and individuals in a timely manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Artvin Çoruh Üniversitesi Orman Fakültesi Dergisi is the property of Artvin Coruh University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Texto & Contexto Enfermagem is the property of Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Programa de Pos-Graduacao de Enfermagem and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Texto & Contexto Enfermagem is the property of Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Programa de Pos-Graduacao de Enfermagem and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista Psicologia. Organizacoes e Trabalho is the property of Sociedade Brasileira de Psicologia Organizacional e do Trabalho and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The rapid growth of Bangladesh's ready-made garment sector has transformed the country's economy while also employing a predominantly female workforce. Companies have begun collaborating with NGOs to provide health messages to and expand health services for workers. This study evaluates the effect of the Health Enables Return (HER) health model's approach of using peer health educators to deliver health messages and increased availability of health products. Using repeated cross-sectional data from female workers in HERhealth and comparison factories between May 2015 and March 2017, baseline (n = 1704) and endline (n = 1503) samples were matched on eight characteristics and then difference-in-differences estimations were used to determine the effect of the HERhealth model on knowledge and behaviours. The average changes over time in knowledge and behaviours were statistically different between the HERhealth and comparison factories. Knowledge of when a woman is at higher risk for pregnancy during her menstrual cycle increased from baseline to endline in both groups but was 12 percentage points greater in the HERhealth factories than in the comparison. An increase in family planning use among ever-married women was observed in the HERhealth factories but decreased in the comparison factories leading to a 12 percentage point difference-in-differences. The greatest effect of the HERhealth model was observed on women's use of sanitary products for menstrual management which significantly increased in both groups, but the increase was 35% greater in the HERhealth factories. The HERhealth model is effective in increasing knowledge and in improving health behaviours when health products are available in factory infirmaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To provide a narrative review of best and promising practices for achieving exemplary mental health in the workplace as the foundation for the inaugural Carolyn C. Mattingly Award for Mental Health in the Workplace. Methods: Research was drawn from peer-reviewed articles using the search terms associated with workplace mental health. Results: Eight categories of best practices were identified: (1) culture, (2) robust mental health benefits, (3) mental health resources, (4) workplace policies and practices, (5) healthy work environment, (6) leadership support, (7) outcomes measurement, and (8) innovation. Conclusion: The review provided the scientific backing to support criteria developed for the Carolyn C. Mattingly Award for Mental Health in the Workplace. By recognizing organizations that apply evidence-based practices in their health and well-being programs, the Mattingly Award may inspire employers to adopt best practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid growth of Bangladesh’s ready-made garment sector has transformed the country’s economy while also employing a predominantly female workforce. Companies have begun collaborating with NGOs to provide health messages to and expand health services for workers. This study evaluates the effect of the Health Enables Return (HER) health model’s approach of using peer health educators to deliver health messages and increased availability of health products. Using repeated cross-sectional data from female workers in HERhealth and comparison factories between May 2015 and March 2017, baseline (n = 1704) and endline (n = 1503) samples were matched on eight characteristics and then difference-indifferences estimations were used to determine the effect of the HERhealth model on knowledge and behaviours. The average changes over time in knowledge and behaviours were statistically different between the HERhealth and comparison factories. Knowledge of when a woman is at higher risk for pregnancy during her menstrual cycle increased from baseline to endline in both groups but was 12 percentage points greater in the HERhealth factories than in the comparison. An increase in family planning use among ever-married women was observed in the HERhealth factories but decreased in the comparison factories leading to a 12 percentage point difference-in-differences. The greatest effect of the HERhealth model was observed on women’s use of sanitary products for menstrual management which significantly increased in both groups, but the increase was 35% greater in the HERhealth factories. The HERhealth model is effective in increasing knowledge and in improving health behaviours when health products are available in factory infirmaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heat stress is a growing concern in the occupational setting as it endangers worker health, safety, and productivity. Heat-related reductions in physical work capacity and missed workdays directly and indirectly cause productivity losses and may substantially affect the economic wellbeing of the organization. This review highlights the physiological, physical, psychological, and financial harms of heat stress on worker productivity and proposes strategies to quantify heat-related productivity losses. Heat stress produces a vicious-cycle feedback loop that result in adverse outcomes on worker health, safety, and productivity. We propose a theoretical model for implementing an occupational heat safety plan that disrupts this loop, preventing heat-related productivity losses while improving worker health and safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Child care workers are among the lowest paid US workers and experience a wide array of health concerns. The physical and mental demands of their job and the lack of employer-provided health-insurance increase health risks. The Caring and Reaching for Health (CARE) study evaluated a 6-month Healthy Lifestyles intervention targeting child care workers’ physical activity (primary outcome), other health behaviors, and their workplace health environment. Methods Eligible child care centers, defined as being in operation for at least 2 years and employing at least four staff, were enrolled into CARE’s cluster-randomized trial. Centers and their child care staff were randomly assigned to either the Healthy Lifestyles (HL) intervention arm or the Healthy Finances (HF) attention control arm using a block randomization approach. Intervention components were delivered through in-person workshops, center-level displays, informational magazines, director coaching, electronic messaging, and an interactive website. Outcome measures were collected during center visits at baseline and immediately post-intervention by trained data collectors blinded to center arm assignment. Workers’ physical activity was assessed with accelerometers, worn for 7 days. Secondary outcome measures included biometric assessments of health and fitness, web-based surveys about health behaviors, and an environmental audit of workplace supports for health. Multi-level linear mixed models assessed worker- and center-level changes in these outcomes. Results Participants included 553 child care workers representing 56 centers (HL = 250 staff/28 centers, HF = 303 staff/28 centers). At 6 months, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity declined slightly in both arms (− 1.3 min/day, 95% CI: − 3.0, 0.3 in HL; − 1.9 min/day, 95% CI: − 3.3, − 0.5 in HF), but there was no significant group by time interaction. Several secondary outcomes for other health behaviors and workplace health environment showed improvements in favor of the intervention arm, yet differences did not remain statistically significant after adjustment for multiple comparisons. Conclusions While the Healthy Lifestyles intervention did not improve health behaviors or the workplace health environment, results confirmed the pressing need to focus on the health of child care workers. Future interventions should focus on prevalent health issues (e.g., weight, stress), include both high-tech and high-touch intervention strategies, and address work conditions or other social determinants of health (e.g. wages) as a means of improving the health of these essential workers. Trial registration Care2BWell: Worksite Wellness for Child Care ( NCT02381938 ).

Abstract Background More than two million early care and education (ECE) providers care for young children in the USA each day. These providers tend to earn low wages and many are enrolled in public assistance programs. Nearly all ECE providers are female and they are disproportionately women of color. Despite the fact that these attributes place the ECE workforce at greater risk of chronic disease, the health status of the workforce is not established and the availability and effectiveness of interventions to improve their health status is also not known. Methods We conducted a scoping review of both the published literature and current practice to identify all articles and interventions targeting the health status of the ECE workforce. Our search strategy identified scientific articles published in English within the past 10 years as well as any interventions targeting the ECE workforce that have been implemented within the past 3 years. Data from both scientific articles and practice were extracted using systematic methods and summarized. Results Thirteen studies described some component of physical health including diet quality (11 studies), physical activity (8 studies), and height/weight/body mass index (7 studies), and 21 studies assessed component(s) of mental health including depression (15 studies), stress (8 studies), and mindfulness (3 studies). ECE providers reported a high prevalence of overweight, obesity, and chronic disease diagnoses and spend significant time being sedentary, and some report low diet quality. Mental health concerns in this population include depression and high stress. Eleven interventions targeting ECE workforce wellness were also identified; most focused on nutrition, physical activity and/or stress. Conclusion The limited evidence available for review describes a workforce in need of health promotion interventions to address high levels of mental and physical health challenges, some above and beyond peers with comparable demographic characteristics. Several promising interventions were identified from both the published and unpublished literature; these interventions should be further implemented and evaluated to assess their impact on the workforce.

The rapid growth of Bangladesh’s ready-made garment sector has transformed the country’s economy while also employing a predominantly female workforce. Companies have begun collaborating with NGOs to provide health messages to and expand health services for workers. This study evaluates the effect of the Health Enables Return (HER) health model’s approach of using peer health educators to deliver health messages and increased availability of health products. Using repeated cross-sectional data from female workers in HERhealth and comparison factories between May 2015 and March 2017, baseline (n = 1704) and endline (n = 1503) samples were matched on eight characteristics and then difference-in-differences estimations were used to determine the effect of the HERhealth model on knowledge and behaviours. The average changes over time in knowledge and behaviours were statistically different between the HERhealth and comparison factories. Knowledge of when a woman is at higher risk for pregnancy during her menstrual cycle increased from baseline to endline in both groups but was 12 percentage points greater in the HERhealth factories than in the comparison. An increase in family planning use among ever-married women was observed in the HERhealth factories but decreased in the comparison factories leading to a 12 percentage point difference-in-differences. The greatest effect of the HERhealth model was observed on women’s use of sanitary products for menstrual management which significantly increased in both groups, but the increase was 35% greater in the HERhealth factories. The HERhealth model is effective in increasing knowledge and in improving health behaviours when health products are available in factory infirmaries.

The work accident occurs during the work exercise within the company. Nursing workers are exposed to various occupational hazards in order to highlight the prevalence of biological risks. The objective was to investigate the prevalence, as well as the intervention, of occupational risks in the work process of nurses. This is a descriptive, exploratory study, supported by an integrative literature review, conducted in the following databases: Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature and Scientific Electronic Library Online. Data collection was performed during the second semester of 2016. The sample consisted of 30 scientific articles published during the period 2009-2016. In the sample analyzed, there was a prevalence of occupational accidents in the nursing staff due to the handling of sharps contaminated with biological fluid. The most affected category were nursing technicians. In these studies, work overload associated with physical and mental stress is pointed as the main cause of these accidents. Physical, chemical or accident risk factors make minimal contribution to their occurrence. It is noted that in some studies, personal protective equipment is not properly available to the worker in order to facilitate the acquisition of a work accident, as well as a work-related musculoskeletal disease. Therefore, the creation of protocols and programs of permanent education for health professionals is of fundamental importance for the improvement of practical and routine forms of accident prevention, as well as exposure to risk situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an editorial in an earlier issue of this journal, Johanson & Tinnerberg (1) expressed serious and well-founded concern over the large number of future occupational cancer cases that will result if exposures for a number of substances are not reduced below the so-called "binding occupational exposure limit values" (BOELV) issued by the EU (2). The balance between what is perceived as possible to comply with and the foreseeable health gain when setting BOELV is further discussed in a letter to the Editor by Cherrie (3). This debate raises several important aspects of how to protect workers from cancer as well as other potentially lethal diseases. Herewith, we discuss some of these aspects. One problem in setting OEL is that levels that are considered safe may not be seen as feasible when accounting for technological and societal aspects. The EU has recognized this problem by distinguishing between so-called "indicative" (health-based) and legally binding OEL (4). However, a BOELV that does not protect from a high risk for severe health effects is not adequate. Both Johanson & Tinnerberg and Cherrie point to respirable crystalline silica (RCS) as an example: While the EU’s Scientific Committee on Occupational Exposure Limits (SCOEL) recommended an OEL

Flexible work provisions are justified as enabling workers to manage their personal lives, including their health, around work. This study deploys social theories of practice to investigate how the temporal characteristics of flexible work can produce, alter and disrupt the health improvement efforts of workers, concentrating on healthy eating and keeping physically active. Drawing from in-depth interviews with 12 Australian workers, the study explores the temporal mechanisms linking flexible work to health practices, focusing on routines, rhythms and rituals (the three Rs). This research finds that work-time arrangements can provide the temporal scaffolding necessary for health practices (through routines, rhythms and rituals), but only when there is day-to-day, mid-term, and long-term work predictability. Australia's flexible work policies do not provide this requisite temporal predictability. Health promoting employment provisions would have to reinstate employment standards from the 1970s, providing the desired predictability for flexible provisions to benefit workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Studies show deterioration in emotion regulation skills regarding behavioral and mental disorders in underground mine workers. For this reason, in this study, the change in the electrophysiological responses of miners to emotional stimuli was examined by the event-related oscillations method. Methods: The study sample consisted of 19 underground workers and a matched aboveground control group (p>0.05). Neutral, negative, and positive pictures taken from the International Affective Picture System (IAPS) were shown to the participants, while EEG recordings were made from 20 channels. Within the scope of this study, event-related power spectrum and phase locking analyzes were performed in delta (0.5-3.5Hz) and theta (4-7Hz; 50-400ms and 400-800ms) frequency bands. Results: According to the statistical analysis, In the first time window, the group main effect was statistically significant for theta phase locking and power spectrum (p<0.05). In the second time window, the group main effect is significant for the theta power spectrum but not for phase locking (p>0.05). In delta responses, a significant difference was found for negative stimuli in the power spectrum; In the phase-locking analysis, the main group effect was significant (p<0.05). Considering the correlation of event-related responses with underground working duration, a statistically negative significant correlation was found between the theta power spectrum and the working duration (r=-0.54--0.75; p<0.05). In all of the findings found to be significant, the miners' values were found to be lower. Conclusion: Studies with healthy samples emphasize the importance of prolonged theta and delta responses in emotion processing. In addition, it is known that there is deterioration in theta and delta responses to affective stimuli in different psychiatric and neurological disorders. In this study, it was observed that miners could not occur an electrophysiological response to emotional stimuli like healthy ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Labor relations in self-managed organizations, regulated by Brazilian Federal law No 12,690 of July 19, 2012, are different from organizations governed by CLT and RJU. Self-managed organizations need a worker health and safety service adapted to their characteristics, capabilities and limitations. The article aims to propose a service model of attention to health and safety of workers applicable in cooperatives of collectors of recyclable materials. Based on a socioeconomic profile of waste pickers from 12 organizations studied, the characteristics of these organizations and a bibliographic survey of health care and worker safety service models developed for these organizations, an analysis was made of the applicability of these models in these organizations. The results showed that these service models, despite presenting characteristics of a health care and worker safety model, do not fully meet the demand of these organizations, making it necessary to develop a proposal whose fundamentals aim to meet the needs identified in the situation of vulnerability of this population of workers, resulting from health conditions, permeated by work and environmental conditions. The proposed model seeks to contemplate relevant characteristics such as self-management, cooperativism, health promotion, the training of workers in environmental health, and environmental education, as it allows the creation of an environment of interlocutions and political conformations with government agencies, and investments of these organizations, in the acquisition collective and individual protection equipment, in the training of its members, and in the prevention of accidents and occupational diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista de Pesquisa: Cuidado é Fundamental is the property of Revista de Pesquisa: Cuidado e Fundamental Online and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Turkish Journal of Public Health is the property of Turkish Journal of Public Health and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Job discrimination, a social stressor, may lead to sleep health disparities among workers; yet, limited research has examined this relationship and specific sources of job discrimination. We used a US sample of working women (n  = 26,085), participants in the Sister Study (2008–2016), to examine the associations of perceived job discrimination due to sex, race, age, health conditions, and/or sexual orientation with sleep health. Cross-sectionally, linear or logistic regression models revealed that each source of job discrimination was independently associated with different sleep problems after controlling for other sources of job discrimination. Longitudinally, among participants without short sleep (<7 hours/night) at time 1 (2012–2014), age-specific job discrimination was associated with 21% increased odds of new-onset short sleep (odds ratio = 1.21, 95% confidence interval: 1.03, 1.43) at time 2 (2014–2016). Among those without insomnia symptoms at time 1, race-specific job discrimination was associated with 37% increased odds of new-onset insomnia symptoms (odds ratio = 1.37, 95% confidence interval: 1.07, 1.75) at time 2. Sex- and health-specific job discrimination also predicted new-onset sleepiness. There were dose-response relationships such that a greater number of sources of job discrimination (≥3) was associated with greater odds of prevalent and incident sleep problems. Perceived job discrimination may contribute to working women's poor sleep health over time, raising concerns about sleep health disparities emanating from the workplace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Ciência & Saúde Coletiva is the property of Associacao Brasileira de Pos-Graduacao em Saude Coletiva and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The construction of Workers' Health (WH) intersectoriality, while fundamental, has been a challenge for this field of knowledge and practice. This paper aims to present and discuss how intersectorality is addressed in WH public policies, in what contexts it is used, how it is defined, and the guidelines for its implementation. This is qualitative documentary research that analyzed documents enacted between 1986 and 2015, accessed through the databases of the Ministries of Health, Labor and Social Security, and the websites of FUNDACENTRO and the National Association of Occupational Medicine (ANAMT). There is clear leadership of the health sector in the documents proposing the construction of intersectoriality. Terms such as "integrated actions", "articulation", "dialogue", and "integration", and finally, "intersectoriality" were used sometimes as synonyms or conceptual advances, and generic, polysemic, and supposedly consensual expressions. Despite the developing concept of intersectoriality in the policies of this field and the growing participation of the different sectors in this construction, few clear propositions about the effectiveness of this practice among managers and workers underlying the field are observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To analyze the association of psychosocial risk factors at work, sociodemographic, and occupational characteristics with the level of physical activity among motorcycle taxi drivers. Methods: Cross-sectional study with 750 male motorcycle taxi drivers from the municipality of Jequié, Bahia, Brazil. A form containing sociodemographic and occupational characteristics was utilized. The psychosocial risk factors at work were evaluated by the Job Content Questionnaire and the level of physical activity by the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. The adjusted associations were analyzed by means of the Poisson regression with robust variance. Results: the prevalence of an insufficiently active level of physical activity was of 59.6%. The crude prevalence ratios (PR) showed an association between physical inactivity in motorcycle taxi drivers and high strain job (PR: 1.31), with 5 or more years of experience (PR: 1.67), in night shifts (PR: 1.36) and 40 or more years old (PR: 1.77). In the multivariate model, adjusted by income, work in high strain is kept associated to a situation of being insufficiently active (PR: 1.13), duration of employment of five or more years raised by 51.0% the frequency of insufficiently active physical activity (PR: 1.51) and the work in predominantly nocturnal shifts increased it by 26.0% (PR: 1.26). It is made evident that age was an effect modifier (p < 0.001) and its interaction was evaluated by including the corresponding product term (job Demand–Control model), which shows that the association between highly straining work and being insufficiently active was observed only among the youngest (21–39 years old) (PR: 1,21). Conclusions: the age and exposure to unfavorable working conditions, like long duration of employment, night work and work under high psychological demand and low control, have an influence on the insufficient physical activity among motorcycle taxi drivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aims to investigate the association between psychosocial aspects at work and the quality of sleep of professors in a public university in Feira de Santana, Bahia, Brazil. A cross-sectional study was conducted, with descriptive, bivariate and multivariate analysis, including a random sample of 423 professors. The psychosocial aspects work aspects were associated to a perception of poor sleep quality. In analysis of effect modifiers, the variable "practice of physical activity" modified the main association under test. Among professors that did not practice physical activity, the following variables kept statistically associated to the perception of poor sleep quality: having children (PR = 1.33, CI 95% 1.02–1.74), poor self-rated health (PR = 1.49; CI 95% 1.24–1.79) and quality of life self-evaluation (PR = 1.60, CI 95% 1.45–2.00), insufficient time for regular leisure activities (PR = 1.52, CI 95% 1.23–1.86) and high psychological demand (PR = 1.40, CI 95% 1.14–1.72). In final analysis, high strain and passive work were experiences associated to the perception of a poor sleep quality among professors that did not practice physical activity. The results confirmed that the adverse psychosocial aspects at work are associated to negative impacts on the professor's quality of sleep. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Farol - Revista de Estudos Organizacionais e Sociedade is the property of Farol - Revista de Estudos Organizacionais e Sociedade and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

We assessed Knowledge Attitude and Practice (KAP) regarding occupational noise exposure, Noise-induced hearing loss, audiometry and use of hearing protection devices among iron and steel factory workers exposed to high noise level. A modified, validated, structured questionnaire was used to collect information from 253 male workers randomly selected from the four factories. The sum scores for each domain of KAP were computed. Scores above 75% were defined as good knowledge and positive attitude. For practice, scores of >50% were defined as good. Independent samples t-test and Chi-squared test were used to analyze association between KAP and continuous/categorical variables respectively. Majority of workers displayed poor knowledge and poor practice (94%), but 76% displayed a positive attitude. Most of the workers (86%) had never been provided with hearing protection devices. The mean scores for attitude and practice differed significantly between the four factories (one-way ANOVA, p < 0.001). Implementation of hearing conservation program with provision of hearing protection devices are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Child care workers are among the lowest paid US workers and experience a wide array of health concerns. The physical and mental demands of their job and the lack of employer-provided health-insurance increase health risks. The Caring and Reaching for Health (CARE) study evaluated a 6-month Healthy Lifestyles intervention targeting child care workers' physical activity (primary outcome), other health behaviors, and their workplace health environment. Methods: Eligible child care centers, defined as being in operation for at least 2 years and employing at least four staff, were enrolled into CARE's cluster-randomized trial. Centers and their child care staff were randomly assigned to either the Healthy Lifestyles (HL) intervention arm or the Healthy Finances (HF) attention control arm using a block randomization approach. Intervention components were delivered through in-person workshops, center-level displays, informational magazines, director coaching, electronic messaging, and an interactive website. Outcome measures were collected during center visits at baseline and immediately post-intervention by trained data collectors blinded to center arm assignment. Workers' physical activity was assessed with accelerometers, worn for 7 days. Secondary outcome measures included biometric assessments of health and fitness, web-based surveys about health behaviors, and an environmental audit of workplace supports for health. Multi-level linear mixed models assessed worker- and center-level changes in these outcomes. Results: Participants included 553 child care workers representing 56 centers (HL = 250 staff/28 centers, HF = 303 staff/28 centers). At 6 months, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity declined slightly in both arms (− 1.3 min/day, 95% CI: − 3.0, 0.3 in HL; − 1.9 min/day, 95% CI: − 3.3, − 0.5 in HF), but there was no significant group by time interaction. Several secondary outcomes for other health behaviors and workplace health environment showed improvements in favor of the intervention arm, yet differences did not remain statistically significant after adjustment for multiple comparisons. Conclusions: While the Healthy Lifestyles intervention did not improve health behaviors or the workplace health environment, results confirmed the pressing need to focus on the health of child care workers. Future interventions should focus on prevalent health issues (e.g., weight, stress), include both high-tech and high-touch intervention strategies, and address work conditions or other social determinants of health (e.g. wages) as a means of improving the health of these essential workers. Trial registration: Care2BWell: Worksite Wellness for Child Care (NCT02381938). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The purpose of the study was to explore the relationship between job families and blood pressure (BP). Methods: Subjective (self-report questionnaire) and objective (on-site health screening including blood pressure) data were collected at a large academic institution from employees, which were categorized into 10 job families based on Human Resources career paths. Analysis included descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression. Results: A total of 20,198 employees participated. Some specific job families were significantly associated with having high BP (P<0.01). Being 58 years old and older (odds ratio [OR] 2.33, P < 0.01) and being man (OR 2.52, P<0.01) were the strongest predictors for elevated BP. Conclusions: Certain job families may need interventions that target and mitigate particular circumstances in order to reduce and maintain lower BP levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Design: To examine the effectiveness of İstanbul Occupational Diseases Hospital on employer attitude and worker's health in terms of occupational skin diseases and also to investigate the prognosis of occupational skin diseases. Materials and Methods: In 2014-2015, 56 patients who were admitted to İstanbul Occupational Disease Hospital and diagnosed with occupational dermatosis were included in the study. The examination findings, diagnoses, disease involvement areas and the consultation data of patients who were replaced, not made and dismissed, and professional groups files were obtained and analyzed retrospectively during the initial and subsequent checkups of the patients. Results: Of the 56 patients with a mean age of 36, 9 (16.1%) were female and 47 (83.9%) were male. The most common occupational dermatosis was contact dermatitis. Of these, 29 (51.8%) were evaluated as irritants and 22 (39.3%) as allergic contact dermatitis. Allergic contact urticaria in 3 patients, perniosis in one patient and systemic sclerosis in one patient were detected. The most common locations of the dermatoses were the hands. Irritant dermatitis was the most common in metal and allergic dermatitis was the most common in textile workers. 32 (57.1%) patients underwent a departmental changewhile 24 (42.9%) patients did not. While 14 (58.3%) patients were dismissed, 10 (41.7%) continued to work in the same department. Of the 32 patients who underwent departmental changes, 24 (75%) were monitored for improvement, while 8 (25%) were not. Recovery was observed in 32 (71.2%) of the 46 patients with environment change and it was statistically significant (p=0.001). No recurrence was observed in any of the patients who fully recovered during their the six-month follow-up. Conclusion: Environment change improvement monitoring in 32 of 46 workers (71.2%) shows the importance of environment change in occupational dermatoses and the contribution of our hospital to worker health. The fact that 32 (57.1%) patients underwent department changes suggests that our hospital is effective on employers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: More than two million early care and education (ECE) providers care for young children in the USA each day. These providers tend to earn low wages and many are enrolled in public assistance programs. Nearly all ECE providers are female and they are disproportionately women of color. Despite the fact that these attributes place the ECE workforce at greater risk of chronic disease, the health status of the workforce is not established and the availability and effectiveness of interventions to improve their health status is also not known. Methods: We conducted a scoping review of both the published literature and current practice to identify all articles and interventions targeting the health status of the ECE workforce. Our search strategy identified scientific articles published in English within the past 10 years as well as any interventions targeting the ECE workforce that have been implemented within the past 3 years. Data from both scientific articles and practice were extracted using systematic methods and summarized. Results: Thirteen studies described some component of physical health including diet quality (11 studies), physical activity (8 studies), and height/weight/body mass index (7 studies), and 21 studies assessed component(s) of mental health including depression (15 studies), stress (8 studies), and mindfulness (3 studies). ECE providers reported a high prevalence of overweight, obesity, and chronic disease diagnoses and spend significant time being sedentary, and some report low diet quality. Mental health concerns in this population include depression and high stress. Eleven interventions targeting ECE workforce wellness were also identified; most focused on nutrition, physical activity and/or stress. Conclusion: The limited evidence available for review describes a workforce in need of health promotion interventions to address high levels of mental and physical health challenges, some above and beyond peers with comparable demographic characteristics. Several promising interventions were identified from both the published and unpublished literature; these interventions should be further implemented and evaluated to assess their impact on the workforce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: the present study aimed to conduct a systematic review to evaluate the relationship between organizational working conditions and health complaints and / or grievances in higher education teachers Methods: Five databases were searched through the keywords "university professors", "occupational risks", "worker's health" and Brazil. Were included original articles, master dissertations and doctoral theses, published between 2000 and 2016 in the English and Portuguese languages. Results: the review identified 162 studies that addressed the subject, of which 22 met the established criteria. The study evidenced several factors of the work interfering in the state of health of the teachers, triggering aggravations, with emphasis on changes in mental health, but also pointed personal fulfillment in the development of work activities and satisfactory quality of life. Conclusion: the sickness among university professors occurs mainly due to the exhaustion caused by the way of production of the work, which imposes an overload of activities, leaving them in a situation of vulnerability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Cogitare Enfermagem is the property of Cogitare Enfermagem and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Turkish Journal of Public Health is the property of Turkish Journal of Public Health and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Sensory irritation is a health endpoint that serves as the critical effect basis for many occupational exposure limits (OELs). Schaper 1993 described a significant relationship with high correlation between the measured exposure concentration producing a 50% respiratory rate decrease (RD 50 ) in a standard rodent assay and the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH®) Threshold Limit Values (TLVs®) as time-weighted averages (TWAs) for airborne chemical irritants. The results demonstrated the potential use of the RD 50 values for deriving full-shift TWA OELs protective of irritant responses. However, there remains a need to develop a similar predictive model for deriving workplace short-term exposure limits (STELs) for sensory irritants. The aim of our study was to establish a model capable of correlating the relationship between RD 50 values and published STELs to prospectively derive short-term exposure OELs for sensory irritants. A National Toxicology Program (NTP) database that included chemicals with both an RD 50 and established STELs was used to fit several linear regression models. A strong correlation between RD 50 s and STELs was identified, with a predictive equation of ln (STEL) (ppm) = 0.86 * ln (RD 50 ) (ppm) - 2.42 and an R 2 value of 0.75. This model supports the use of RD 50 s to derive STELs for chemicals without existing exposure recommendations. Further, for data-poor sensory irritants, predicted RD 50 values from in silico quantitative structure activity relationship (QSAR) models can be used to derive STELs. Hence, in silico methods and statistical modeling can present a path forward for establishing reliable OELs and improving worker safety and health.

Introduction: Small business beauty salons have volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in their workplace air. VOCs are present as ingredients in beauty or hair products. They may also form because of chemical reactions, where thermal-styling elements accelerate the volatilization of these compounds. Uncertainties remain about the relationship between air pollutant concentrations and the variety of beauty salon activities in a work shift. Investigating these associations can help determine high-risk services, associated products, and at-risk workers., Methods: In this exploratory study, female community health workers recruited beauty salons from target zip codes in predominately Latino neighborhoods, including primarily Spanish-speaking small businesses. We collected salon chemical inventories, business characteristics, and participant activity logs to understand how chemicals and activities influence the total and specific VOC concentrations. We sampled personal total VOCs and specific VOCs from the same shop during the participant work shift. We also measured personal total VOCs for four work shifts per shop., Results: A linear mixed effects model of log VOCs on the fixed effect of activity and the random effects of salon and shift within the salon showed that the variance between salons explains over half (55%) of the total variance and is 4.1 times bigger than for shifts within salons. Summa canisters detected 31 specific VOCs, and hazard scores ranged between 0 and 4.3. 2-Propanol (isopropyl alcohol) was the only VOC detected in all shifts of all salons., Discussion: In this study, differences in VOC measurements were primarily between salons. These differences may result from differences in ventilation, services rendered, and product lines applied., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted without any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Ramírez, Gutenkunst, Lothrop, Quijada, Chaires, Cortez, Sandoval, Camargo, Gallardo, Torabzadeh, Wagoner, Lopez-Galvez, Ingram, Billheimer, Wolf and Beamer.)

To investigate the prevalence of SB in nurses working in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. This is a descriptive, exploratory study with a quantitative approach carried out in a public maternity hospital in the city of João Pessoa - Paraíba, Brazil. Ten nurses working in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit participated in the study. Data were collected between September and October 2016, through the application of the "Questionnaire for the Evaluation of the Query for Work Syndrome (CESQT)" developed by Gil-Monte (2005). Data analysis shows that the average for the Guilt dimension was 1 (rarely: sometimes per year); for Psychic Wear, the average was 2 (sometimes: sometimes a month); for indolence, the result was 1 (rarely: a few times a year); and concerning size, Illusion by work, the average was 3 (often: a few times a week). The results indicated that the nurses participating in the study did not present high SB levels. However, when the dimensions are analyzed in isolation, it is possible to conclude that some professionals present risks for a future illness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista de Atencao Primaria a Saude is the property of Revista de Atencao Primaria a Saude and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)