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Copyright of Journal of Academic Research in Nursing (JAREN) is the property of Hemsirelikte Egitim ve Arastirma Dergisi 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.)

Restrictive lung disease such as pneumoconiosis is the most common disease among people working in dusty environment such as mines and in industry. The gold standard diagnosis for this disease is spirometry, which is used to evaluate the lung performance. However, this tool has certain limitations such as high service costs, limited access to the device, and availability of specialists. These limitations impede early detection of this disease. The objective of this study is to utilize machine learning algorithms to predict the severity of restrictive lung defects among factory workers, aiding in early identification before proceeding to the spirometry test. Three severity classes considered. - Normal, Mild, and Moderate or Severe. By using spirometry's results and behavioral data among 685 workers from a cross-sectional study in a furniture factory in Thailand, six machine learning algorithms were developed. They were Logistic Regression, Decision Tree, Random Forest, Gradient Boosting, XGBoost and Support Vector Machine (SVM). The best model was Random Forest with Synthetic Minority Oversampling (SMOTE) to deal with imbalance class and Recursive Feature Elimination (RFE) to select most important features. The important features for prediction were weight, height, age, education, hours of work, smoking and mask wearing at the f1-score = 0.746, precision = 0.743, recall = 0.756, and accuracy = 0.75. The model was deployed through a web application for ease of use and the application was used among the factory workers for early screening of the disease. The users were satisfied with the application for its effectiveness, ease of use, time, and cost savings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elizabeth Gaskell's North and South introduces starving Irish immigrants to critique England's response to the Great Famine (1845-52) and to inspire compassion for the Irish laborers brought in as "knobsticks» or strike breakers in the factory town of Milton. Against this manufacturing backdrop, wherein immigrants are even more desperate than the native working-class, sympathy for the hungry motivates the striking English workers to overcome anti-Irish sentiment and to transcend differences through hospitality. Both working-class Nicholas Higgins and factory-owner John Thornton learn to accept responsibility for alleviating workers' suffering caused by Britain's commercial competition and global expansion, in the process establishing better understanding between classes and cultures. Despite their role as minor characters, the Irish immigrants prove central to the novel's humanistic message as recipients of English hospitality at a time when hosts had little to give. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic's impact on economies worldwide has caused changes in work patterns, reduced productivity, and job losses, particularly affecting factory workers. Lockdown measures have also led to reduced physical activity levels, which is a significant risk factor for chronic diseases. This study aims to investigate efficiency of factory workers pre and post lockdown periods. The findings will contribute to identifying evidence-based strategies to minimize the negative impact of lockdown measures on factory workers' productivity and health. Materials and methods A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the work performance of employees in a medicine manufacturing unit. Data was collected from factory workers online and study period was January 2021 to April 2022. Survey includes close ended questions regarding work performance of employees before lockdown period (Before 20/03/2020) and performance after lockdown period (After August 2020). The sample size of 196 employees selected through simple random sampling. A questionnaire consisting of demographic factors, work details, and work performance was prepared using pretested standard tools, including the Individual Work Performance Questionnaire (IWPQ), the World Health Organization Health and Work Performance Questionnaire (HPQ), and the Stanford Presenteeism Scale (SPS-6). The collected data was analysed using descriptive statistics and a paired t-test. Results The study found that prior to lockdown, 99% of employees consistently had higher performance, with 71.4% ranking in the top 10. However, after lockdown, the percentage of employees with high performance decreased to 91.8%, with only 63.3% ranking in the top 10. These differences were statistically significant, indicating a decrease in work efficiency of 8.1%. Before lockdown, employees worked longer hours, including on off days, while after lockdown, a small proportion missed work due to various reasons, resulting in better quality work. Conclusion In conclusion, the study highlights the significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the work efficiency of factory workers. The findings indicate a decrease in work efficiency after the lockdown, coupled with an increase in employee stress. This suggests that the pandemic has brought about unique challenges for factory workers that need to be addressed to maintain their well-being and productivity. This study emphasizes the importance of creating a supportive work environment that prioritizes the mental and physical health of employees, especially during times of crisis.

The article examines the policies of state authorities and social organisations in the Kingdom of Poland (1815–1914) towards people with disabilities. Gathering together the scattered secondary sources and supplementing them with new primary source research, the author demonstrates the phenomenon of the marginalisation of people with disabilities by state authorities. In general, there was no active policy in this regard, but three groups were exceptions: military invalids, factory workers and the deaf/Deaf. Instead, most activities for people with disabilities were carried out by local associations, which focused on providing minimal subsistence support, generally neglecting the social or cultural needs of these people. In addition, the article discusses the idealisation of large care institutions, typical of the century, and the tendency to confine people with disabilities within them. The author also raises the question of the possible implications of the issues discussed for contemporary policy towards the group in question. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Factory workers are a key population for HIV transmission in China, as they often engage in sexual risk behaviours. This study aims to evaluate sexual risk behaviours and associated factors among factory workers in Shenzhen, China. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted by using multi-stage stratified cluster random sampling. Full-time workers aged ≥18 years were eligible to participate in the study. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect information. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression were applied to assess factors associated with sexual risk behaviours. Results: A total of 2029 factory workers were included. Mean age was 37.2 (±4.4) years; 48.5% were men. Two-thirds (64.9%) had had vaginal intercourse. Their sexual risk behaviours included condomless sex with casual partners in the last sex episode (23.6%), multiple sex partners (11.5%) and engaging in commercial sex (8.4%), in the past year. Having HIV/AIDS knowledge (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 0.41, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.24–0.70) and using a condom at sexual debut (AOR 0.08, 95% CI 0.05–0.13) were factors associated with condomless sex with casual partners in the last sex episode. Males (AOR 3.03, 95% CI 1.96–4.69 and AOR 2.19, 95% CI 1.33–3.60), local workers (AOR 2.11, 95% CI 1.01–4.42 and AOR 3.42, 95% CI 1.63–7.21), being single (AOR 2.04, 95% CI 1.39–3.01 and AOR 2.49, 95% CI 1.61–3.87), having sexual debut aged <18 years (AOR 5.98, 95% CI 3.28–10.89 and AOR 3.34, 95% CI 1.74–6.39), and substance use (AOR 2.01, 95% CI 1.38–2.93 and AOR 4.43, 95% CI 2.85–6.87) were associated with both having multiple sex partners and engaging in commercial sex in the past year. Conclusions: Sexual risk behaviours were prevalent despite most participants having basic HIV/AIDS knowledge. Future workplace-based prevention programs should target factory workers and there should be a focus on enhanced sexual education to reduce HIV transmission in China. Sexual transmission has been the main mode of HIV transmission, and data on sexual risk behaviours among factory workers from various industries are scarce in China. Sexual risk behaviours that showed associations with certain characteristics and experience of sexual debut were prevalent among factory workers in Shenzhen, China. There are massive labour forces in China, indicating an urgent need to strengthen sexual health education and promote safer sexual behaviours among factory workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) has very swiftly seeped into all the classes of our society. It was a belief, a few decades back, that these diseases cannot affect the labor class or industrial workers. However, this has been proved wrong. Objective: To determine the trend of blood pressure among industrial workers at the same factory recorded between 2018 and 2022. Materials and Methods: A record-based analysis was conducted on the available records of health screening camps conducted at a steel dockyard located in Haryana, India. The blood pressure was measured using standard technique and was used as the outcome variable. Among all the records, data of 18 workers were available for all the five visits. Their trend was presented over the 5-year period. To account for regression to mean and effect of passage of time on blood pressure measurements of the industrial workers, repeated measures linear regression analysis was conducted on 18 observations at five points of time. Results: The prevalence of hypertension was 24.8% in the year 2018, it increased to 25.7% in 2020 and then drastically reduced to 16.8% in 2022. Among the 18 workers who were screened on all five visits, two were known hypertensives and taking treatment. Their mean systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) demonstrated a rising trend from baseline mean SBP of 126.61 ± 12.50 to 132.89 ± 16.19 mmHg and DBP of 81.72 ± 6.46 to 84.39 ± 12.31 mmHg. The estimated mean blood pressure in the repeated measures model was higher than the original means (although both followed the same trend over time). Although the blood pressure values of the industrial workers depicted a rising trend, the reported prevalence of hypertension was quite low. Therefore, the huge chunk of industrial population being constantly exposed to strenuous working conditions comprise of a highly vulnerable group warranting regular NCD screening and tracking.

Objectification, treating others merely as things or tools while denying their personhood, results in severe consequences. While prior research predominantly focused on the triggers of objectification, we aimed to investigate a possible intervention. We hypothesized that gratitude could reduce objectification toward general others (i.e., people who are not the benefactors). Across three studies (N = 1007), our hypothesis was supported. Study 1 showed that dispositional gratitude negatively predicted trait objectification. Studies 2 and 3 further found a causal relationship. Specifically, after heightening participants' state of gratitude, participants showed a lower level of objectification towards others (Study 2). Using a scenario study that described a working context, we further showed the alleviating effect of gratitude on objectification toward a group of factory workers, targets often suffering from objectification (Study 3). Our reported effect is prevalent, such that it is observed across samples from two countries (i.e., the United States and China). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic's impact on economies worldwide has caused changes in work patterns, reduced productivity, and job losses, particularly affecting factory workers. Lockdown measures have also led to reduced physical activity levels, which is a significant risk factor for chronic diseases. This study aims to investigate efficiency of factory workers pre and post lockdown periods. The findings will contribute to identifying evidence-based strategies to minimize the negative impact of lockdown measures on factory workers' productivity and health. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the work performance of employees in a medicine manufacturing unit. Data was collected from factory workers online and study period was January 2021 to April 2022. Survey includes close ended questions regarding work performance of employees before lockdown period (Before 20/03/2020) and performance after lockdown period (After August 2020). The sample size of 196 employees selected through simple random sampling. A questionnaire consisting of demographic factors, work details, and work performance was prepared using pretested standard tools, including the Individual Work Performance Questionnaire (IWPQ), the World Health Organization Health and Work Performance Questionnaire (HPQ), and the Stanford Presenteeism Scale (SPS-6). The collected data was analysed using descriptive statistics and a paired t-test. Results: The study found that prior to lockdown, 99% of employees consistently had higher performance, with 71.4% ranking in the top 10. However, after lockdown, the percentage of employees with high performance decreased to 91.8%, with only 63.3% ranking in the top 10. These differences were statistically significant, indicating a decrease in work efficiency of 8.1%. Before lockdown, employees worked longer hours, including on off days, while after lockdown, a small proportion missed work due to various reasons, resulting in better quality work. Conclusion: In conclusion, the study highlights the significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the work efficiency of factory workers. The findings indicate a decrease in work efficiency after the lockdown, coupled with an increase in employee stress. This suggests that the pandemic has brought about unique challenges for factory workers that need to be addressed to maintain their well-being and productivity. This study emphasizes the importance of creating a supportive work environment that prioritizes the mental and physical health of employees, especially during times of crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Linhas is the property of Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina 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.)

In the early years of the twentieth century, U.S. relationships with the East were shaped by influential men and women bent on modernising and Christianising other countries. Sidney Gulick, whose 1915 Working Women of Japan is part of a larger effort to support Japan's modernisation, writes about a charitable institution as an exemplar for future projects. Although the project successfully attracted many young textile workers and assisted them by providing education, healthy living, and new opportunities, it also reveals a darker underside to western charitable impulses. Gulick conflates morality with industry, happiness with production, and success with profit, reducing a laudable attempt to interest fellow Americans in charitable efforts to an attempt to gain buy-in for a commercial project. By working in close partnership with exploitative factories and their owners, these would-be reformers end by supporting the very conditions which they set out to reform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Noise is a health-threatening phenomenon, which often affects health, safety, and efficiency of people at workplace, home, and socio-educational gatherings. Therefore, exposure to this noise and work-related stress has been observed to have deleterious effect on the auditory performance and psychological wellbeing of industrial workers. The study investigated the influence of industrial noise and work-related stress on the auditory performance and psychological well-being of factory workers in Ibadan. The study adopted a survey research design, and purposively sampled 304 industrial workers through the use of a self-developed questionnaire titled 'Influence of Industrial Noise Exposure and Work-Related Scale', with a reliability coefficient of 0.76. Afterwards, all the participants were audiologically examined via Pure-Tone Audiometric Assessment (PTA). Data generated were analysed using frequency counts, percentage, mean and Pearson's Product Moment Correlation (PPMC). 206 (67.8%) participants who were audiologically tested presented with different types and patterns of hearing loss, as 130 (47.0%) of the participants had high frequency hearing loss in the right ear, while 150(54.6%) had same in the left ear. Also, 90 (33.0%) of the participants had mild hearing loss in the right ear, while 80 (29.0%) had same in the left ear. 188 (61.8%) of the participants reported difficulty in hearing when someone speaks in a whisper or at a very low voice. 216 (71.1%) of the participants claimed that they frequently change their phone from one ear to another when receiving calls via mobile phone. 181 (59.5%) of the participants admitted that they hear better in one ear than the other. Further findings revealed that 179 (58.9%) of the participants do have difficulty hearing as well as understanding their fellow co-workers, clients or customers whenever engaging in conversation. 163 (53.6%) of the participants agreed that they always tune up to high volume when using mobile phone, TV or Radio. Consequently, reduced auditory performance and poor psychological wellbeing have been found to be associated with industrial noise exposure and work-related stress among industrial workers in Ibadan. Therefore, the study recommends periodic audiological evaluation, appropriate use of hearing protective devices, regular public awareness on effects of work-related stress on quality of life as well as the psychological well-being. Government should ensure that industrial firms adhere strictly to health and safety policies, hearing conservation protocols, and regular medical check-ups. Working hours at various industrial firms should be reduced to allow for adequate rest and off-duty relaxation as well as physical exercise to prevent unnecessary fatigue, reduced auditory performance and poor psychological well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: The ongoing corona pandemic has created medical crises all over the world. An increased surge in the number of COVID-19 cases was observed in the month of August, September and October 2020. Punjab has around 10 Lakh migrant workers. Intensive rapid antigen testing was done during this surge among factory workers. With this background, the study aims to find out the positivity rate of rapid antigen testing and to find out the final outcome of the COVID positive cases in terms of morbidity. Materials and methods: Screening of factory workers working in various factories was done for COVID-19 by rapid antigen testing from 26th august to 31st October 2020. Those who tested positive were clinically examined, counseled, and followed up telephonically to get information regarding their course of illness. The collected information was entered in Microsoft excel sheet and analyzed using SPSS. Results: A total of 11045 factory workers were screened using the rapid antigen test. The mean age of subjects was 33.37 ± 10.97 years. The majority of them were males (88.3%) and migrants (who did not belong to Punjab) (97.3%). The majority of the subjects (97.3%) had no symptoms at the time of screening. COVID-19 positivity rate increased with age, was found to be higher in males (2.3%) as compared to females. Conclusion: The positivity rate was higher in asymptomatic males and local resident workers. Rapid antigen testing is an important public health measure to prevent the further spread of the disease during a pandemic due to its quick results and detection of asymptomatic patients.

Objective: To identify the prevalence, determinants of reproductive tract infection, and healthcare seeking behavior among ever married women of reproductive age residing in an urban slum of Faridabad, Haryana, North India. Methods: This community based cross-sectional study was conducted among ever married women aged between 15 and 49 years insured under employees state insurance scheme and residing in an urban slum of Faridabad. Simple random sampling technique was used to interview 149 eligible women using a predesigned structured questionnaire. Study variables included sociodemographic profile, family planning methods, menstrual absorbent usage, and symptoms of reproductive tract infection. Binary logistic regression was used to investigate the determinants of reproductive tract infection. Results: Of the women, 46.3% had at least one reproductive tract infection or sexually transmitted infection symptom and 28.9% among them sought treatment for the symptom. Vaginal discharge, itching (14.1%) and lower abdominal pain (30.2%) were the major symptoms reported. Non-usage of condoms as contraceptive was significantly associated with a higher rate of symptoms (50.4% vs. 20.0%). Abortion had a significantly high odds of having reproductive tract infection symptoms (aOR 3.71, 95% CI 1.59-8.62; P

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: Piperacillin is an antibiotic that belongs to the ureidopenicillin family. Piperacillin-tazobactam provides cover against gram-positive, gram-negative bacteria and some bacteria of anaerobic nature. It is an extended-spectrum antibiotic and is used along with tazobactam which is an inhibitor of beta-lactamase. The main objective of our research was to identify the hypersensitivity reactions of piperacillin-tazobactam in pharmaceuticals factory and office workers. METHODOLOGY: A Cross-sectional study was conducted at Stallion Pharmaceuticals (Pvt) Ltd located at Sundar Industrial Estate Lahore, Pakistan, from March to April 2018, after approval from the institutional research committee. All the workers, including factory workers and office workers at Stallion Pharmaceuticals (Pvt) Ltd were included in this study. Data was collected from each respondent by immediate-type skin testing. Data analysis was done by SPSS version 25, the demographic data was evaluated by descriptive statistics, Fisher Exact test was used for comparison and p≤0.05 was taken as significant. RESULTS: The results of the study presented that hypersensitivity reaction was present in (7.5%) of males and (3.8%) of females. It was also observed that (8.8%) of factory workers had hypersensitivity reactions when they are gone through skin tests, and only (2.5%) of office workers were skin test positive. From the above results (11.2%) of all the respondents developed hypersensitivity reactions and (88.8%) showed no reaction when they were gone through skin tests, which contain 0.1 ml of piperacillin and tazobactam. Fisher exact test was applied, and results showed no significant difference between hypersensitivity reactions among factory and office workers as the p-value was 01. CONCLUSION: Hypersensitivity reaction to piperacillin-tazobactam was minimal in the factory & office workers, and this was not significant.

When factory industrial development occurs in a region, people's livelihoods shift from the agrarian to the industrial sectors. The factory industry makes job opportunities available to people from all walks of life. The purpose of this research was to identify the strategies employed by factory workers to ensure their own survival. The study used qualitative descriptive methods. Research was conducted in Mojokerto Regency, Indonesia. The research used observations, interviews, and documentation. The findings were as follows: (1) survival mechanisms used by factory workers to meet their own needs are very diverse. They include doing side work, bringing family members to work, borrowing money from friends and cooperatives, and saving money for family expenses. They are all done to meet their own needs. (2) Workers' attempts to keep working are carried out by operating various machines, demonstrating the best work abilities possible, following factory rules, and attempting to win the approval of superiors so that their employment contracts might be extended. They act in order to be able to survive in competition with other factory workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: Piperacillin is an antibiotic that belongs to the ureidopenicillin family. Piperacillintazobactam provides cover against gram-positive, gram-negative bacteria and some bacteria of anaerobic nature. It is an extended-spectrum antibiotic and is used along with tazobactam which is an inhibitor of beta-lactamase. The main objective of our research was to identify the hypersensitivity reactions of piperacillin-tazobactam in pharmaceuticals factory and office workers. METHODOLOGY: A Cross-sectional study was conducted at Stallion Pharmaceuticals (Pvt) Ltd located at Sundar Industrial Estate Lahore, Pakistan, from March to April 2018, after approval from the institutional research committee. All the workers, including factory workers and office workers at Stallion Pharmaceuticals (Pvt) Ltd were included in this study. Data was collected from each respondent by immediate-type skin testing. Data analysis was done by SPSS version 25, the demographic data was evaluated by descriptive statistics, Fisher Exact test was used for comparison and p≤0.05 was taken as significant. RESULTS: The results of the study presented that hypersensitivity reaction was present in (7.5%) of males and (3.8%) of females. It was also observed that (8.8%) of factory workers had hypersensitivity reactions when they are gone through skin tests, and only (2.5%) of office workers were skin test positive. From the above results (11.2%) of all the respondents developed hypersensitivity reactions and (88.8%) showed no reaction when they were gone through skin tests, which contain 0.1 ml of piperacillin and tazobactam. Fisher exact test was applied, and results showed no significant difference between hypersensitivity reactions among factory and office workers as the p-value was 01. CONCLUSION: Hypersensitivity reaction to piperacillin-tazobactam was minimal in the factory & office workers, and this was not significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Undocumented Latino workers often work in unsafe and underpaid jobs. There is limited research on this demographic, especially as it relates to the factors that motivate these workers to work under undesirable working conditions. Self-Determination Theory states that relatedness, competence, and autonomy are three intrinsic psychological needs that, when met, will lead to optimal human flourishing. These three needs directly translate to the workplace. A workplace that provides an environment for workers to have a sense of belonging, accomplishment, and self-control, unlocks greater satisfaction, performance, and wellbeing. Moreover, Self- Determination Theory states that intrinsic psychological needs can be challenged by extrinsic rewards and punishments. This raises a question: what motivates undocumented Latino workers to continue working in undesirable working conditions? This study qualitatively examines the potential factors affecting undocumented Latino factory workers’ motivation in the workplace, and this study provides a platform for these workers to share their daily life struggles.

There is a strong belief that employment is a crucial avenue for the empowerment of young women, through income, greater autonomy, and bargaining power within the family. However, experiences of workplace sexual harassment undermine these potential gains. This qualitative study among agro-processing factory workers and domestic workers in Uganda and Bangladesh demonstrates that sexual harassment is widespread in both formal and informal workplaces, while domestic workers are particularly vulnerable to its most severe forms. Women's agency to challenge harassment is severely constrained by social and gender norms. Most find that the best possible strategy is to avoid and prevent physical forms of sexual harassment from happening. Language is essential for voicing and challenging sexual harassment, but the study shows that social and gender norms constrain young women in articulating transgressive and inappropriate behaviour by men. Many women hide detail, deliberately use euphemisms, and even lack a vocabulary to explain what happened to them, ultimately limiting opportunities for redressal. At the same time, formal institutions are failing young female workers. Local authorities in both countries reproduced prejudice about women 'inviting' sexual attention, whereas the police are generally distrusted because of corruption and the need for bribes. To tackle sexual harassment in the workplace, multipronged strategies are needed that target employers and government actors. The right policies and adequate safeguarding and reporting mechanisms need to be implemented, whereas programmes need to support women to help them gain the confidence to speak about sexual harassment and support (collective) action. Longer-term strategies need to address gender norms that condone sexual harassment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Factory workers make up a large proportion of China's internal migrants and may be highly susceptible to job and adaptation stress, negative affective states (e.g., depression and anxiety), and Internet gaming disorder (IGD). This cross-sectional study investigated the relationships between job stress, psychological adaptation, negative affective states and IGD among 1,805 factory workers recruited by stratified multi-stage sampling between October and December 2019. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was conducted to test the proposed mediation model. Among the participants, 67.3% were male and 71.7% were aged 35 years old or below. The prevalence of probable depression, probable anxiety, and IGD was 39.3, 28.7, and 7.5%. Being male, younger age, and shorter duration of living in Shenzhen were associated with higher IGD scores. Job stress was significantly associated with IGD (β = 0.11, p = 0.01) but not with negative affective states (β = 0.01, p = 0.77). Psychological adaptation was significantly associated with negative affective states (β = −0.37, p < 0.001) but not with IGD (β = 0.09, p > 0.05). Negative affective states were positively associated with IGD (β = 0.27, p < 0.001). The indirect effect of psychological adaptation (β = −0.10, p = 0.004) but not job stress (β = 0.003, p = 0.77) on IGD through negative affective states was statistically significant. The observed psychological correlates and mechanisms are modifiable, and can inform the design of evidence-based prevention programs for depression, anxiety, and IGD in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Factory workers in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are vulnerable to HIV transmission. Interventions are needed to prevent HIV in this population. We systematically reviewed published literature on the efficacy of various HIV interventions in reducing stigma, risk behaviors and HIV transmission among factory workers. Methods A systematic review was performed using predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Four databases (PubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus and EMBASE) were searched for relevant publications between January 1, 1990 and December 31, 2018. Two independent reviewers assessed the methodological quality of studies. Results Thirteen articles were included, with 2 randomized controlled trials and 11 cohort studies. Five interventions and their combinations were summarized. Educational intervention increased condom use and reduced the use of recreational drugs and alcohol before sex. Community intervention that proactively provide HIV counselling and testing (HCT) services could increase the detection rate of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Lottery intervention increased HCT uptake and decreased HIV public stigma. Education combined with community intervention reduced the proportion of workers with casual sex and enhanced HIV knowledge. Peer education combined with community intervention increased the proportion of workers who were willing to take their partners to HCT. Policy intervention combined with peer education enhanced HIV knowledge, perceived condom accessibility and condom use with regular partners. Conclusions Various interventions improved HIV knowledge, decreased HIV stigma and reduced HIV-related risk behaviors among factory workers in LMICs. The combination of multiple interventions tended to achieve better efficacy than a single intervention. Persistent combination interventions are essential to address HIV in this population.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop a brief screening instrument to identify risk factors of factory workers experiencing mass fainting illness (MFI) due to work-environmental determinants. Design/methodology/approach – A factory-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 740 workers in October 2017 and was completed with face-to-face interviews. Data analyses included univariate logistic regression, backward stepwise linear regression and multiple logistic regression. Sum scores on significant items and receiver operator characteristic curves were used to compute potential cut-off points and the sensitivity and specificity rates. Findings – Significant work-environmental factors were identified as working at very high speeds, having less influence on the choice of working partners, perceived high temperature at work, having less opportunity to do their best at work, and concern about losing a job in the next six months. In developing a screening instrument, a 6.5 cut-off point that corresponded to 99.6 percent sensitivity and 92.2 percent specificity was identified. Originality/value – The study concludes that this MFI-instrument could potentially be used to prevent MFI. By understanding the policy implications, the government body, employers, workers, development partners and stakeholders should work toward preventing MFI. Implementing a preventive measure is therefore warranted due to the health education impact.

Officially opened in mid-1882, Antonio José Maia & Cia.'s steam factory had Portuguese owners. They were required by law to hire a quota of national apprentices and secure their livelihoods. At the heart of this demand was the problem of the “transition” from slavery to free labour and the historical conflicts between natives and foreigners in the labour market. At the beginning of the operation of the factory work, most of the specialized workforce was Portuguese. Pernambucans men and women of various ages were generally assigned the most simple and provisional services. Between 1882 and 1886, the Portuguese were gradually replaced by nationals, trained at the very hat steam factory, thus making production costs cheaper. In that same period of time, boys, girls, teenagers and adult women, all Brazilians and hired as apprentices, were the ones who suffered the most from precariousness and the high turnover in the headgear workshops. Our article analyses the complexities of the object of study through the instruments of social history of labour.

Factory workers make up a large proportion of China’s internal migrants and may be highly susceptible to job and adaptation stress, negative affective states (e.g., depression and anxiety), and Internet gaming disorder (IGD). This cross-sectional study investigated the relationships between job stress, psychological adaptation, negative affective states and IGD among 1,805 factory workers recruited by stratified multi-stage sampling between October and December 2019. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was conducted to test the proposed mediation model. Among the participants, 67.3% were male and 71.7% were aged 35 years old or below. The prevalence of probable depression, probable anxiety, and IGD was 39.3, 28.7, and 7.5%. Being male, younger age, and shorter duration of living in Shenzhen were associated with higher IGD scores. Job stress was significantly associated with IGD (β = 0.11, p = 0.01) but not with negative affective states (β = 0.01, p = 0.77). Psychological adaptation was significantly associated with negative affective states (β = −0.37, p < 0.001) but not with IGD (β = 0.09, p > 0.05). Negative affective states were positively associated with IGD (β = 0.27, p < 0.001). The indirect effect of psychological adaptation (β = −0.10, p = 0.004) but not job stress (β = 0.003, p = 0.77) on IGD through negative affective states was statistically significant. The observed psychological correlates and mechanisms are modifiable, and can inform the design of evidence-based prevention programs for depression, anxiety, and IGD in this population.

Context: The ongoing corona pandemic has created medical crises all over the world. An increased surge in the number of COVID-19 cases was observed in the month of August, September and October 2020. Punjab has around 10 Lakh migrant workers. Intensive rapid antigen testing was done during this surge among factory workers. With this background, the study aims to find out the positivity rate of rapid antigen testing and to find out the final outcome of the COVID positive cases in terms of morbidity. Materials and methods: Screening of factory workers working in various factories was done for COVID-19 by rapid antigen testing from 26th august to 31st October 2020. Those who tested positive were clinically examined, counseled, and followed up telephonically to get information regarding their course of illness. The collected information was entered in Microsoft excel sheet and analyzed using SPSS. Results: A total of 11045 factory workers were screened using the rapid antigen test. The mean age of subjects was 33.37 ± 10.97 years. The majority of them were males (88.3%) and migrants (who did not belong to Punjab) (97.3%). The majority of the subjects (97.3%) had no symptoms at the time of screening. COVID-19 positivity rate increased with age, was found to be higher in males (2.3%) as compared to females. Conclusion: The positivity rate was higher in asymptomatic males and local resident workers. Rapid antigen testing is an important public health measure to prevent the further spread of the disease during a pandemic due to its quick results and detection of asymptomatic patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the situation of the sugar industry during the new economic policy in Left-Bank Ukraine. The task is to determine the working conditions of the industry, financing, land issue, and the impact of political events on the development of the sugar industry. The authors identify such important areas of research as recovery, production, achievements, the position of workers during production, the formation of sugar prices, and so on. It is necessary to take into account the conditions of the new economic policy, which significantly changed the life of sugar factories. The article examines the issues of sugar beet cultivation technology and technical support of the industry, the cost and competitiveness of sugar industry products. The article describes the impact of the new conditions on the management of sugar factories in Ukraine as a whole and separately in the Left-Bank Ukraine, as well as the activities of Tsukrotrest. The article examines the importance of the sugar industry for agriculture and for the country’s economy. The authors explore sugar factories in the Left-Bank Ukraine in the article, and also use a vivid example of the Tsyhlerivka Sugar Factory, which is located in the Kharkiv region. This helps to recreate a clear picture of the“ sweet life”, the specifics of the industry. It is concluded that the sugar industry in the NEP environment required a lot of effort to achieve high performance, and indeed, to produce highquality products for the Ukrainian population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study Design: Observational study design. Background- COVID-19 is a novel corona virus which has not been found in humans. The very first case was detected in the Hubei, China at the end of December 2019. Objectives: To find the musculoskeletal pain in body areas in those factory workers who resumed work following recovery in Post Covid-19 phase. Procedure: 50 participants were recruited based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. An informed consent was taken from the subjects. Online informed consent was taken from the participants. Questionnaire was filled by the participants. Subject data was computed and analyzed. Conclusion: According to the findings of the study, we conclude that musculoskeletal pain was prevalent among factory workers who resumed duty in the post Covid-19 phase. This study highlighted the presence of musculoskeletal pain in various region of the body with moderate intensity and dominant in lower back region followed by neck and upper back area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The work on the factory floor is gradually changing to resemble knowledge work due to highly automated manufacturing machines. In the increasingly automated work environment, the machine operator's task is to keep the production running and to solve possible problems quickly. This work is expected to become more autonomous, which raises the importance of supporting the workers' well-being. An important aspect of that is giving concrete feedback of success at work as well as feedback on physical and mental load. We implemented a smartphone optimized web application, Worker Feedback Dashboard that offers feedback to machine operators about their well-being at work and personally relevant production data as well as their connections to each other. The feedback is personal and based on objective, near real-time measurements. We present the results of a field study, in which ten machine operators used the application for 2–3 months. We studied the operators' user experience, usage activity, perceived benefits and concerns for the application with questionnaires, interviews and application log data. The operators found the feedback interesting and beneficial, and used the application actively. The perceived benefits indicate impacts on well-being as well as on work performance. Based on the results, we highlight three design implications for quantified worker applications: presenting meaningful overviews, providing guidance to act based on the feedback and refraining from too pervasive quantification not to narrow down the meaningful aspects in one's work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Labour scholars have carefully examined how being daughters, wives, and mothers influences women's labour process. In contrast, labour studies on men have rarely considered their family involvement except for being the breadwinners. Based on an ethnographic study on rural migrant workers in a Chinese factory, this article presents more complex work-family mechanisms for male workers. First, the married male migrant workers expressed deep family commitment. Shouldering family responsibilities made them more labour conservative, not only because they prioritized having a stable income but also because they empathized with the family obligations of married managers. However, the same family value could also lead to labour resistance when it was disrespected by the management. Second, the parents and relatives of single young male migrant workers played crucial roles in directing them to factories and made it difficult for them to resist unpleasant working conditions or leave. And the anticipation of future marriage further shaped the young male migrant workers' labour practices. This article contributes to labour studies by demonstrating the indispensability of family to the analysis of male workers' labour practices. It also challenges the gender stereotypes of male breadwinner/female caregiver and presents working-class men as being deeply embedded in family lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: In modern world Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is the major killer causes almost 44 million deaths each year, equivalent to 72% of all deaths globally. Cardio-vascular diseases account for most NCD deaths or 17.81 million people annually. Factory workers has been exposed to the most stressful occupations in the world, so these workers are more susceptible to coronary heart disease. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out during Jan 2021– March 2021 among 456 Factory workers posted in Udaipur city of Rajasthan selected randomly. The investigator made two measurements of blood pressure. Data were collected using predesigned, pretested, semi-structured interview schedule, and analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 20.0. Results: Among 456 participants, 142 (31.1%) participants were found to be hypertensive. Age of study participants, duration of service, rank, and education are significantly associated with the prevalence of hypertension (HTN) among Factory workers. Conclusion: HTN in Factory workers has emerged as an important public health problem. Knowledge of important risk factors for HTN may give tracks for better prevention in this population. Therefore, it is very important to make screening strategy to diagnose HTN among Factory workers and devise a comprehensive strategy for the management of HTN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The oral cavity is a port for entry of many diseases and presents several unique features which make it especially prone to occupational disease. Aim: To describe the oral health problems among multiple factory workers of Tumkur city. Methodology: A cross-sectional, observational study was designed to include multiple (garment, leather, cement, and food) factories. A total of 3551 workers who voluntarily gave consent to participate were included and the data were recorded using modified WHO proforma - 2013. Statistical analysis was performed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS 19.0, IBM, Armonk, NY, USA). Descriptive statistics and Spearmen's correlation were applied and the P < 0.05 were considered as significant. Results: The mean age of the study participants was 32.12 ± 2.02 years. Oro mucosal lesions were found among 15.8% of people and 1.6% of subjects had leukoplakia. Alveolar ridge/gingiva (28%) was the most common site of occurrence for oro-mucosal lesions. The mean Decay, Missing, Filled Teeth (DMFT) was 3.11 ± 1.72. There was a positive correlation with age and all other parameters such as oro-mucosal lesions, decayed status, treatment needs, periodontal conditions and prosthetic status (P < 0.001). Conclusions: Oral health among multiple factory workers was poor. There was a trend of increase in DMFT, prosthetic need, oro-mucosal lesion along with the age of the factory workers which was statistically highly significant.

Abstract Breastfeeding may be particularly challenging for female factory workers who have long working hours and inadequate access to health information and care. In Chattogram, Bangladesh, a peer counselling intervention was undertaken to improve infant feeding practices of factory workers. Counselling started during pregnancy and continued until children were 18 months old. This article presents the results of a cross‐sectional survey undertaken during 2 weeks in March–April 2017, after the project's conclusion. The aim was to compare breastfeeding practices, specifically early breastfeeding initiation and exclusive breastfeeding (EBF), among factory workers who had received peer counselling in the intervention areas (IA) with those of non‐counselled factory workers in the nearby comparison areas (CA). Six female interviewers, trained over 3 days, conducted interviews at the workers' homes. Data were analysed to assess the association of peer counselling with infant feeding practices. Factory workers (N = 382) with infants between 0 and 18 months of age participated in the survey, in IA (n = 188) and in CA (n = 194). Although there were more health facility deliveries among the CA workers, only 43 (22%) of those workers had initiated breastfeeding within 1 h of birth versus 166 (88%) of the IA workers (p < .001). EBF prevalence on 24‐h recall in infants aged 0–6 months was only 7/83 (8%) for the CA workers versus 73/75 (97%) for IA workers (p < .001). The survey showed that breastfeeding practices of factory workers in the IA after the intervention were significantly better than those of factory workers in the CA.

The collapse of the Rana Plaza factory building in Bangladesh on April 24, 2013, was one of the world’s deadliest industrial disasters. Killing over 1,100 garment workers, it set the stage for a renewed discussion about working conditions for the people who make the clothes Americans wear.  Roughly 97% of the clothing sold in the US is made internationally, largely in export factories and Export Processing Zones (EPZs) scattered across the globe. The dramatic expansion of these factories and EPZs in their various forms has occurred without an increased commitment on the part of manufacturers, producers, investors, or governments to workers’ health and safety on the job.

Breastfeeding may be particularly challenging for female factory workers who have long working hours and inadequate access to health information and care. In Chattogram, Bangladesh, a peer counselling intervention was undertaken to improve infant feeding practices of factory workers. Counselling started during pregnancy and continued until children were 18 months old. This article presents the results of a cross‐sectional survey undertaken during 2 weeks in March–April 2017, after the project's conclusion. The aim was to compare breastfeeding practices, specifically early breastfeeding initiation and exclusive breastfeeding (EBF), among factory workers who had received peer counselling in the intervention areas (IA) with those of non‐counselled factory workers in the nearby comparison areas (CA). Six female interviewers, trained over 3 days, conducted interviews at the workers' homes. Data were analysed to assess the association of peer counselling with infant feeding practices. Factory workers (N = 382) with infants between 0 and 18 months of age participated in the survey, in IA (n = 188) and in CA (n = 194). Although there were more health facility deliveries among the CA workers, only 43 (22%) of those workers had initiated breastfeeding within 1 h of birth versus 166 (88%) of the IA workers (p <.001). EBF prevalence on 24‐h recall in infants aged 0–6 months was only 7/83 (8%) for the CA workers versus 73/75 (97%) for IA workers (p <.001). The survey showed that breastfeeding practices of factory workers in the IA after the intervention were significantly better than those of factory workers in the CA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mass fainting Illness (MFI) has occurred repeatedly for years in factory settings in Cambodia. This study examines factors related to MFI, such as worker ‘characteristics, organizational, psychosocial-work, and non-work factors, among Cambodian-factory workers. A factory-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 740 workers in October 2017 using structured questionnaires. Female workers and workers with longer duration of work had a higher-risk of MFI, but a lower-risk for those working in factory before and those absent due to occupational accident. Organizational determinants, such as workers employed in a shorter fixed-term, and those performing repetitive task and a low-skill work were significantly at a higher-risk of MFI, but a lower-risk for those performing a night/evening shift work. The study also showed that Psychosocial-work complaints, workers with less influence on their choice of co-workers, perceived a high temperature at work, and have little opportunity to work at their best had a lower-risk, but a higher-risk for those who lost jobs and those traveling by bicycles/walking to work. Overall, worker characteristics, organizational determinants, psychosocial-work complaints, and external-work factors were independent predictors explaining 31.8% of the overall-MFI prevalence.

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of periodontal disease, oral mucosal lesions, and tobacco usage among rubber factory workers of Bahadurgarh, Haryana, India. Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on a total sample size of 3290 workers with an age group of 19–60 years old. Tobacco-related habits, periodontal health, and oral mucosal lesions were recorded using the modified World Health Organization pro forma (1997). Descriptive statistics, Pearson Chi-square, and one-way analysis of variance were used. Results: Higher tobacco usage frequency (78.28%) in both forms smoking and smokeless was found. The prevalence of periodontal disease and oral mucosal lesions was 87.4% and 41.24%, respectively, among the study population. The most common oral mucosal lesion found was leukoplakia (10.13%), followed by oral submucous fibrosis (4.67%) among the 50–60 years age group. The most commonly involved site in the present study for the occurrence of oral mucosal lesions is buccal mucosa (30.5%), followed by vestibular region (22.3%), tongue (16.1%), labial mucosa (10.3%), and palate (9.7%), whereas floor of mouth (6.4%) and commissures (4.7%) were the least involved. Conclusions: The findings of this study provided an insight into the periodontal health status, adverse oral habits, and the prevalence of oral mucosal lesions of factory workers, which may be useful in planning oral health programs and free services for tobacco cessation and dental treatment, especially to this industrial sector.

The features of the coverage of the mores of factory workers of mining and military departments in the regional press at the turn of the 19th-20th centuries are considered. The study is based on the materials of the official edition - “Vyatskiye gubernskiye vedomosti.” Special attention is paid to the opinion of contemporaries who published essays, notes, correspondence on acute public topics in the newspaper. It is shown that the term morals in the study period, as a rule, was used to refer to local customs, the specifics of behaviour, illustrating deviations from the norms of morality, respectively, the publications were characterized by an accusatory tone. A review is made of journalistic materials reflecting the problems of the plant society during the crisis of the Ural mining industry on the example of Izhevsk, Kamsko-Votkinsk, Omutninsk, Peskov, Klimkovsk, Shurminsk and Glavnokholunitsk plants. It is concluded that the periodical press focused attention on topical social issues: level of crime, imperfection of justice, drunkenness, low cultural level of working youth, lack of educational and leisure institutions, etc. As a result, the reader formed mainly negative view of the daily life of industrial workers. Nevertheless, the messages on the topic of the day not only supported interest of the public, but also offered ways to solve the problems and exit from the crisis.

Food waste is a critical issue affecting the world, and more research is needed to find ways to reduce it. Much of the existing research has examined supply chain inefficiencies and plate waste in restaurants and homes, while few researchers have studied the food waste which occurs in factory cafeterias. As many factories are in Asia, examining factory cafeteria food waste behavior in an Asian context is a good starting point. With this in mind, the authors research drivers that influence Taiwanese factory workers’ behavioral intentions toward food waste reduction. To do so, a conceptual framework model is constructed using the Theory of Planned Behavior and extended using the Norm action model and Proenvironmental factors, as well as additional factors including habit, cafeteria-service quality and situational factors. A pencil-and-paper survey was conducted with 156 participants, and collected data were evaluated using a partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) analysis. Results reveal that climate change awareness, injunctive norms and habit are strong motivating factors towards Taiwanese factory workers’ intention to reduce food waste. When combined with cafeteria-service quality and situational factors, intention to reduce food waste is also shown to have a significant explanatory effect on food waste behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Noise induced hearing loss is a well known recognized hazard in factory workers. This is due to the fact that the level of noise in most factories exceed the WHO acceptable limits. This was an 8 year follow up study on glass factory workers to determine the effect of noise on their hearing status over that period. Materials and Methods: Audiometry was carried out on the factory workers using a diagnostic audiometer. This was repeated after 8 years. All the workers had their ears examined prior to Audiometry which was done in a quiet area in the factory clinic. Thereafter data was collected and analysed. Results: The subsequent screening showed that all the workers had increased threshold of hearing and the Prevalence rate of hearing impairment had increased from 9.1% to 40.8%. All workers admitted to intermittent use of personal protective devices (ear muffs/ear plugs) despite being counselled on their use 8 years earlier. Conclusion: Hearing Conservation measures should be instituted in factories. Pre-employment screening should be mandatory as well as annual audiological screening and the labour laws should be strengthened to ensure adequate compliance by industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coronavirus has become a very serious global health problem. Since December 2019, a number of new cases of patients with pneumonia caused by the Coronavirus disease have been found in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China. With the global spread of the epidemic, other types of cases have been found in other regions of China and abroad. Factory workers play an important and essential role in the production of goods needed by society. Protecting them is essential to maintain the stability of factory productivity. This editorial provides guidance in how to protect factory workers from COVID-19 infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Violence related injury is a serious public health issue all over the world. This study aims to assess the association between several socio-economic factors and intimate partner violence (IPV) in Nepal. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among 236 women working in carpet and garment factories in Kathmandu, Nepal. Interviews were conducted to collect quantitative data on three forms of IPV, namely physical violence, psychological violence and sexual violence, as well as on a number of potentially associated factors. Results Twenty-two percent of women experienced sexual IPV, 28% physical IPV and 35% psychological IPV at least once in the last 12 months. The variables independently associated with at least one form of IPV were: age of the woman >29 years [OR = 4.23, p = 0.025 for physical IPV; OR = 6.94, p = 0.008 for sexual IPV; OR = 3.42, p = 0.043 for psychological IPV], alcohol consumption of the husband [OR = 9.97, p

Heimito von Doderer's uncle, Richard Gottlieb Wilhelm von Doderer, was a lifelong supporter of his nephew's literary ambitions. The paper concentrates on his life, especially his involvement in the Karlova huť steel works in the Silesian region from 1928 to 1932. After World War I the politically and economically important Silesian region was a great gain for the new Czechoslovak Republic and a great loss for the First Austrian Republic. When the Great Depression came about, the Czechoslovak Communist Party tried to exploit the crisis. Richard Gottlieb Wilhelm von Doderer, as top management, was a central figure of a labour dispute in 1931 and left a lasting impression when many workers lost their jobs. After the coup of the Czechoslovak Communist Party in 1948, the events in the Silesian region contributed to the creation of the legend of the heroic factory worker versus the workers' perfect enemy – Richard Gottlieb Wilhelm von Doderer.

Objective: To investigate the relationship between sick building syndrome (SBS) and job performance of women factory workers. Methodology: This was a correlational study. A sample of 200 women working in different industrial sectors including pharmaceuticals, hosiery, polyester fiber, and stitching units was recruited with purposive sampling technique,. Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)1 was employed to assess sick building syndrome while Individual Work Performance Questionnaire (IWPQ)2 was used to assess job performance. Results: Results for correlation analyses revealed significant relationship between SBS and job performance while demographic variables including age, family system, working hours as negatively correlated with SBS and job performance. Moreover, SBS was found to be a significant negative predictor of job performance, while age was found to be a significant negative predictor of contextual and adaptive performance domains of job performance. Conclusion: It was concluded that SBS negatively affects the performance level of the factory workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]