Giornale italiano di medicina del lavoro ed ergonomia最新文献

Summary: Background. Workers exposed to occupational hazards for the ocular apparatus are subject to health surveillance which includes an eye examination. Objectives. To assess the prevalence of eye diseases among University employees and analyze the association between socio-demographic factors and eye conditions by analyzing computerized data. Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted on the collected data. A univariate analysis and a logistic regression were performed to verify the association between eye diseases and socio-demographic factors, such as gender and age. This study was carried out using a database of computerized eye charts of a University of Rome, referring to the 2017-2018 period. Results. The sample study consists of 4503 employees, 44.86% men 55.13% women. The average age was 44.53 years. The most frequent eye conditions in University workers are refractive ones: myopia (53.87%), astigmatism (37.95%), presbyopia (34.06%), hypermetropia (14.25%). Multivariate analysis shows that increasing age is associated with an increase in risk with all outcome variables, except for myopia (OR = 0.98; 95% CI: 0.97 - 0.98). Moreover, women have a lower risk of astigmatism (OR = 0.83; C 95%: 0.73 - 0.94), keratoconus (OR = 0.22; 95% CI: 0.09 - 0.54) and dyschromatopsia (OR = 0.08; 95% CI: 0.02 - 0.34). Conclusions. Considering the high number of workers involved in the study, the frequency of exposure to occupational risks and the exposure to multiple risk factors at the same time in some categories of workers, the health surveillance resulted to be a useful tool for monitoring and control of eye diseases in workers at risk.

Summary: Mobbing at work is defined as the presence of violent behaviors, including physical and emotional abuse, by co-workers, subordinates or superiors to force someone out of the workplace through rumor, innuendo, intimidation, humiliation, discrediting, and isolation. According to recent Italian data, it has been estimated that about 1 million and 404 thousand women have been victims of mobbing or sexual abuse. Unfortunately, to date, a specific legislation for mobbing is lacking, and judge's sentences are based only on personal interpretations/applications on current Italian laws on violence and work-stress, as well as on the growing Supreme Court sentences regarding this hot issue. This perspective paper aims to better define the mobbing phenomenon, highlighting the main concerns and offering potential solutions.

Summary: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders are among the main occupational health problems. Substantial evidence has shown that work-related physical risk factors are the main source of low back complaints, particularly affecting heavy and repetitive manual lifting activities. The aim of the study is, during load lifting tasks, to explore the correlation between the time domain features extracted from the acceleration and angular velocity signals of the performing subject and the load lifted, and to explore the feasibility of a multiple linear regression model to predict the lifted load. The acceleration and angular velocity signals were acquired along the three directions of space by means of an inertial sensor placed on the subject's chest, during lifting activities with load gradually increased by 1 kg from 0 kg to 18 kg. Successively three time-domain features (Root Mean Square, Standard Deviation and MinMax value) were extracted from the acquired signals. First a correlation analysis was carried out between each individual feature and the load lifted (calculating r); then the time-domain features that proved most representative (strong correlation) were used to create a multiple linear regression model (calculating R-square). The statistical analysis was carried out by means of the Pearson correlation and multiple linear regression model was fed with the most informative time-domain features according to the correlation analysis. The correlation analysis showed a strong correlation (r > 0,7) between six features (three extracted from z-axes acceleration and three extracted from y-axes angular velocity) and the lifted load. The predictive multiple linear regression model, fed with these six features achieved a Rsquare greater than 0,9.The study demonstrated that the proposed combination of kinematic features and a multiple regression model represents a valid approach to automatically calculate the load lifted based on raw signals obtained by means of an inertial sensor placed on the chest. The results confirm the potential application of this methodology to indirectly monitor the load lifted by workers during their activity.

Summary: Since ancient times there has been recognition of music's therapeutic powers, inherent in the properties of sound and its effects on human beings at a psychophysical level. Literature showed the development of therapeutic applications of music in numerous clinical settings. Music-listening itself can qualify as an effective therapeutic means within clinical contexts. Numerous studies document the potentialities of this practice. Whilst, it appears to be difficult to study the phenomenon of music from a scientific point of view, it may be possible to attempt moving music closer to science. Algorithms are of help in this process. Only recently has algorithmic music been used within the context of composing music with therapeutic aims helping to create songs for precise therapeutic aims: music characteristics can be altered and re-modelled and, above all, simplified. It was exactly this intent that recently brought into being an algorithm, Melomics-Health, which composes music with a "therapeutic" logic. Melomics-Health allows us to study the effect of specific musical parameters and structures on individuals (including neuro-scientific aspects) with the possibility to correlate effectiveness and efficiency to those precise musical aspects and to re-model the latter based on these findings. The use of algorithms applied to music as therapy constitutes a new starting point, an attempt to bring art and science closer together, to increase awareness and effectiveness in the use of music in therapeutic contexts; a new perspective integrating art, science and technology in the service of medicine, in clinical work and research.

Summary: Low back pain is a deeply felt problem among the world's population, and it causes distress for health care workers, especially in nurses. Therefore, it is important to investigate the incidence of low back pain in Italian nurses. Methods. A search has been conducted on the main international databases, only studies conducted in Italian nurse have been considered. Results. Results are various: 13.7% - 20% of annual incidence and 17% - 63.7% of prevalence; working night shifts, insufficient training, frequent patient handling, lack of devices, work department, obesity, age, work-related stress and no physical activity represent a greater risk to incur in low back pain. Conclusions. There is a need to improve devices, training and lifestyle to reduce chronic situations.

Summary: Background and Aim. Starting from March 9, 2020, the Italian government has proclaimed a state of health emergency due to the epidemic, which later became a SARSCoV- 2 infection pandemic. The present study aimed to perform differences and any potential risk factors in anxious and depressive symptoms in Italian nurses during the Covid-19 pandemic according to selected sociodemographic variables. Methods. In November 2020 an "ad hoc" questionnaire was administered online to all Italian nurses. In the first part, a whole series of socio-demographic variables relating to the reference sample were collected, as: gender, the department to which participants belonged, if the respondent suffered from pulmonary or cardiovascular diseases, if the nurse lived alone or with other cohabitants and whether during the pandemic the participant contracted the SARS-CoV-2 infection or not. In the second part of the questionnaire, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale was administered to quickly and easily assess the anxiety and depression levels among the Italian nurses during the Covid-19 pandemic. Results. 732 nurses agreed to participate to this survey. Among participants, 479 (65.3%) recorded an anxious symptomatology and 267 (6.4%) a depressive one. According to anxious symptoms, a significant difference was recorded between females and males (p min 0.001), as females recorded higher mild (24.04%), moderate (23.09%) and severe (13.39%) anxious symptom levels than males (Mild:1.50%; Moderate: 2.46%; Severe: 0.96%). By considering depressive symptoms according to socio demographic variables, only nurses without cardiovascular diseases recorded higher frequencies in mild (21.58%), moderate (8.47%) and severe (2.46%) depressive symptoms than nurses who suffered from a cardiovascular disease (Mild:2.05%; Moderate: 1.64%; Severe: 0.27%). Potential risk factors identified for anxious symptoms were: gender, both for mild (p min 0.001), moderate (p=.008) and severe (p=.003) anxious symptoms, and pulmonary diseases for severe anxious disorders (p=.014). Potential risk factors identified for the onset of depressive symptoms were: gender (p=.026), pulmonary diseases (p=.021), domestic partnership (p=.035), for mild symptoms; the presence of cardiac diseases (p=.006) for moderate symptoms. Conclusions. It urged to begin to further implement all forms of psychological support for nurses and further implementation of university nursing training programs that aim at both the technical and psychological management of the future professional to cope with maxi emergencies.

Summary: Introduction. The global sanitary crisis due to covid 19 has had an unprecedent impact on human health and on the global economy creating unexpected challenges on work life. In Italy in order to limit the velocity of virus transmission, measures aimed towards social distancing were adopted by suspending all non essential working activities, with the recommendation of the maximum use of smart working (DPCM 01 MARCH 2020). Literature regarding precedent experiences worldwide on the impact of epidemic or pandemic flu viruses on the working enviroment report of a strong presence of correlated work stress. Objectives. The study is focalized in identifying the individual stress level correlated to work percieved in workers in the context of the unexpected scenario in adapting to work in a short time period relative to the emergency context. Materials and Methods. An epidemiological observational survey was conducted on the web during the months of May and June. The workers were invited in answering a questionnaire using a dedicated link. The questionnaire consisted in a introductive scheme(card) built ad hoc for the study containing information for the socio-demographic variables and work experience. The Evaluation Rapid Stress scale (VRS) was used for the rating of the subjective stress. The t Student test was used for the independant samples in the assay for the average scores of the VRS for sex and age. The ANOVA test was used in order to compare the various scores of the VRS in the three different working modes investigated (work on site, smart working or for both the modalities). A p0.05 was considered as level of significance. The statistical assay was conducted with the STATA software packet. Results. 337 workers answered the questionnaire. The rating of the VRS scores for sex highlighted significative differences between men and women in the levels of anxiety, depression, somatization and aggression showing higher values in women. The highest total scores of the VRS questionnaire and those related to the anxiety and somatization dimensions express higher levels of stress levels in response to the emergency situation in workers who carry out their activity in a on-site mode over the age of 40 and in parents. The comparison with the scores reported between the different working modes was resulted statistically significant. Conclusions. The results of our investigation are an expression of the perception of a widespread danger, linked to the threat of contracting the COVID-19 virus, whose mode and speed of transmission is surprising and for which therapy and in definitive treatment is not yet available. This leads to a series of emotional reactions in which stress is the main condition. The timely exploration aimed at the individuation of a stress problem in the working environment is extremely important especially in emergency situations in order to implement appropriate strategies of prevention.

Summary: Following the reduction in levels of exposure to benzene over the last few decades, the cancer risk of refuelers currently represents an occupational hygiene issue potentially underestimated by employers and workers themselves. Based on the literature data, the occurrence of adverse effects of neoplastic nature can not actually be excluded in this professional category, since it is not possible to define a threshold dose. In the period 2016 - 2019, an extensive focused campaign of labour inspections was conducted in the province of Bari by the OSH inspection services of the Health Local Authority in order to verify the compliance with the legislation on the workers' protection from carcinogenic agents at fuel stations. In particular, the obligations referring risk assessment, workplace hygiene, environmental monitoring, personal protective equipment (PPE), health surveillance, biological monitoring and recording of exposure to carcinogens were verified. Although these obligations were documentarily fulfilled by almost all the 162 plants inspected in the province of Bari, several critical issues were found in the approach to carcinogenic risk, including, more frequently, the lack of suitable changing rooms with relative lockers for clothing, the scarce use of gloves when dispensing fuel, the absence or incompleteness of the carcinogenic risk assessment documents, the failed or incorrect execution of biological monitoring. Data of the environmental monitoring carried out by the companies confirm that the current exposures to benzene of fuel distributors are considerably below the limit values set by the Italian legislation. The most frequently used biological exposure indicator was trans, trans-muconic urinary acid (TTMA-U). In order to reduce as much as possible the health risks for refuelers, it is needed that employers, workers and occupational physicians pay more attention to their respective duties, ensuring corrective or ameliorative interventions focused on assessment of the risk of carcinogens, supply and use of PPE, design of workplaces, health surveillance and biological monitoring of workers. The poor value of the end-of-shift TTMA-U as a biological indicator of exposure to low-dose benzene is also confirmed.

Summary: Background. Disability Management (DM) was born to improve workers' health and to optimize return to work for people with disabilities. Objectives. The objective of this study was to elaborate a review of reviews published in literature on the use of Disability Management in international contexts and the strategies used to facilitate the return to work for individuals with cronic disabilities or post injury. Methods. The present review was carried out by consulting the Pubmed and Scopus database from 1994 to January 2021, according to the PRISMA guidelines. Initially, the duplicates were removed. Then, the eligible studies were selected through a multistep approach (title evaluation, abstract and full-text). The systematic reviews were evaluated using the AMSTAR method, while for the narrative reviews the INSA scale was used. Results. The research produced 186 results. Following the removal of the duplicates and articles with no available or not pertinent full text, 51 reviews were included: 17 systematic and 34 narrative. The analyzed studies were related to the DM policies of the United States, Canada and UK. Ten topics emerged, the most frequent ones including: possible solutions to adopt in the event of workers with musculo-skeletal diseases (50% of the studies); legal matters regarding issues of mental health and stress (41.2%). The quality of the articles was generally high. Discussion. The systematic review showed that the research activity on DM is conducted mainly in the Anglo-Saxon world. This review can give some interesting insights for the full implementation of DM at the national level.

Summary: Introduction. An injury caused by a biological agent is an event that causes damage to the health of the operator. Nursing is one of the most affected professions. Objectives. This study aims to analyze and quantify the injuries caused by exposure to biological agents among working nurses and students of the degree course in Nursing at the "F. Miulli" Regional General Ecclesiastical Body, located in Acquaviva delle Fonti, province of Bari, Italy. Methods. The retrospective study was carried out by collecting data from May 2019 to July 2019. The data were collected from the archive of biological accidents for the five-year period 2014-2018. The data collected was divided according to the professional category of the subject: whether it is a nurse-worker, or a nurse-student, enrolled in the Nursing course of the University of Bari Aldo Moro. Results. 249 injuries caused by biological agents were recorded, of which 69.1% were female and 30.9% were male. The operating units most involved are the medical branch departments (55.4%). The anatomical sites most affected are the upper limbs with 205 cases. Discussion. It is necessary to invest in training and refresher campaigns for nursing staff and nursing students in order to ensure the standards of effectiveness of the services provided and safety in providing them.