Work-A Journal of Prevention Assessment & Rehabilitation最新文献

Background: Although work is reported to positively affect wellbeing and life satisfaction post-stroke, returning to work can be challenging.

Objective: The study objective was to identify the strategies used to cope by adults who had stroke during return-to-work processes.

Method: This was an exploratory qualitative study grounded in interpretative approaches. Individuals who have had stroke were recruited. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to understand the coping strategies that participants used. Transcripts were analyzed deductively.

Results: Twenty-seven participants completed the face-to-face interviews. The median age of participants was 61 years (interquartile range = 55-64). A majority were male (n = 19, 70.4%), Chinese (n = 20, 74.1%), and married (n = 21, 78.8%). All participants were employed before their stroke. Twenty participants (74.1%) reported that they had returned to work. The findings indicated that participants utilized a mix of problem- and emotion-focused coping strategies during their return-to-work process. While both types of coping strategies were used, participants who returned to work predominantly utilized problem-focused coping strategies.

Conclusions: Individuals returned to work by utilizing a combination of coping strategies to manage the effects of stroke. This suggests that comprehensive services are important to address personal and occupational challenges to assist stroke victims in resuming work.

Background: Automated driving offers enjoyable and comfortable trips, though not everyone will find the experience pleasant. Some special populations such as elderly people, individuals with physical or cognitive impairments, and pregnant women face different difficulties in mobility services to conduct their daily activities and, consequently, also in using new technologies like autonomous vehicles.

Objective: This study aims to review the specific needs, concerns, and difficulties of special populations when using autonomous vehicles and to highlight the primary issues affecting their acceptance of these technologies.

Methods: A review of 48 papers was conducted to identify the special needs, concerns, and difficulties faced by various demographic groups, including elderly individuals, people with physical disabilities, and pregnant women, in using or approaching the use of autonomous vehicles.

Results: The review revealed that aging individuals have received more attention by scientific community compared to other disabled populations. Acceptance of autonomous vehicles was identified as the primary issue across all surveyed groups. Safety, comfort, and dependability were also significant concerns, particularly among individuals with special needs.

Conclusions: This study outlines the unique concerns of various demographic groups using autonomous vehicles, with acceptance highlighted as a common issue. Designing user-friendly interfaces tailored to diverse demographics could enhance acceptance and improve the overall travel experience for those needing constant support.

Background: Educators are often viewed as emotional laborers who must be attuned to the emotional challenges of their profession and adept at managing their feelings, while a few studies that pay attention on the emotional labor strategies for special education teachers in China. Objective: The study aimed to understand the current situation of emotional labor strategies of special education teachers in China, to examine the relationship between different emotional labor strategies and job burnout, as well as the moderating effect of psychological capital. Methods: We applied Emotional Labor strategies, Job-burnout, and Psychological Capital to investigate 349 special education teachers teaching students with developmental disabilities. Hierarchical regression analysis was conducted to explore the moderating role of psychological capital in the relationship between special education teachers' emotional labor strategies and job burnout. Results: We found the three emotional labor strategies applied by special education teachers were natural acting, deep acting and surface acting from high to low. The emotional labor strategies of special education teachers were negatively correlated with their job burnout. Besides, psychological capital played a moderating role in the relationship of teachers' deep acting and job burnout, and the association of teachers' nature acting and job burnout. Conclusions: Special education teachers would use emotional labor strategies to deal with complex emotional events in their work, and it's related to their burnout. Strengthening psychological capital training for special education teachers is an important strategy to reducing their job-burnout as well.

Background: Burnout is becoming increasingly prevalent among healthcare professionals where it impacts quality of care and staff turnover, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. One promising strategy to reduce burnout is the use of mindfulness-based programs, which may aid allied health professionals (AHPs).

Objective: To explore the usefulness of a 10-week mindfulness program on reducing burnout symptoms in AHPs in Singapore, as well as to identify AHPs' attitudes and perceptions towards adopting mindfulness in practice.

Methods: In this mixed methods study, a purposive sample (n = 8) of physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and therapy assistants were recruited. Participants underwent a mindfulness program, comprising 5 face-to-face sessions every other week for 10 weeks. Quantitative data were collected at pre- and post-intervention stages using a survey on participant characteristics and the Maslach Burnout Inventory - Human Services Survey for Medical Personnel to assess burnout symptoms. Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews.

Results: There was a decrease in emotional exhaustion scores (34.50 to 25.50, p = 0.012) while depersonalization (p = 0.107) and personal accomplishment (p = 0.062) scores showed no significant changes. Qualitative benefits reported include increased introspection, improved emotional regulation and communication, and fostering of supportive workplace culture. Advocacy from superiors and the perceived effectiveness of mindfulness techniques can facilitate the adoption of the mindfulness program.

Conclusion: A 10-week mindfulness program reduced burnout symptoms, specifically emotional exhaustion, among AHPs. Future studies should explore the application of the program within a larger participant sample to develop an optimal model for feasible and pragmatic adoption within the clinical setting.

Background: Understanding the influence of empowering leadership and a supportive work environment on job stress and employee performance can help organizations adopt effective management strategies. This, in turn, can lead to higher productivity, better quality of work, and increased organizational success.

Objective: This study aims to investigate relationship between empowering leadership, work environment, and employee performance by emphasizing the mediating role of job stress.

Methods: The sample population comprised 100 employees working in the culinary industry in Central Java, Indonesia, who were selected using the purposive sampling method. The data obtained were analyzed using SmartPLS 3.2.9 version to understand relationship between these variables.

Results: The results showed that empowering leadership had no direct impact on employee performance and job stress. However, work environment was positively associated with employee performance and negatively related to job stress. The results also showed that job stress had a negative effect, and it partially mediated relationship between work environment and employee performance.

Conclusion: This study significantly advanced the understanding of organizational behavior by emphasizing the essential role of work environment in shaping employee performance. In addition, the results showed that a positive work environment was strongly associated with higher employee performance and reduced job stress.

Background: Work disability is a major public health challenge, with various health conditions leading to long-term sickness and early retirement, placing a substantial burden on individuals and society.

Objective: This systematic review aimed to identify key health-related risk factors for work disabilities, highlighting the importance of early prevention strategies.

Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted in 06/2023 using MEDLINE via PubMed, EMBASE via OVID, and CINAHL via Cochrane Library Trials. Two independent reviewers screened abstracts and reviewed full-text articles describing risk factors for work disabilities. Data extraction followed PRISMA guidelines, with the databases searched using synonymous keywords for "risk factors" and "work disability".

Results: Of the 61,872 articles identified, 17 met the inclusion criteria. The studies identified several health-related risk factors leading to work disabilities. The most frequently reported conditions were common mental disorders and musculoskeletal disorders, often leading to short- or long-term sick leave. The review highlighted that health-related risk factors frequently co-occur and interact, suggesting that work disability is rarely due to a single factor. The quality of the included studies varied, and many relied on self-reported data, which can introduce bias.

Conclusion: (Chronic) conditions, particularly mental and musculoskeletal disorders, are significant risk factors for work disability. Primary and secondary prevention measures, such as rehabilitation are crucial to mitigate the need for disability retirement. Future research should focus on prospective cohort studies and a thorough scientific investigation of potential intervention factors to provide decision-makers with information on cost-effective prevention programs.Prospero ID: CRD42023422118.

Background: The current high rate of employee turnover has become a key factor affecting organizational stability and core competitiveness, which requires organizational leaders to work with a higher sense of responsibility. Although several studies have confirmed that responsible leadership (RL) negatively affects employees' turnover intention, the specific mechanism of this effect has not been fully elucidated.

Objective: On the basis of the discrepancy model of psychological contract violation (PCV) and substitutes for leadership theory, this study aims to examine the indirect impact of RL on employees' turnover intention through employees' PCV and the moderating effect of organizational identification.

Method: We collected a sample of 389 employees from Chinese companies and used SPSS and Amos for confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), correlation analysis, and hypothesis testing.

Results: The findings show that RL can reduce employees' turnover intention directly and by influencing employees' PCV. Organizational identification negatively moderates the negative effect of RL on PCV and weakens the mediating effect of PCV in the relationship between RL and subordinates' turnover intention.

Conclusion: This study reveals the intrinsic mechanism by which RL impacts employees' turnover intention, providing theoretical support and practical experience for managers to set a learning example for employees and effectively suppress their turnover intention.

Background: The number of physiotherapy sessions needed to treat musculoskeletal conditions varies in the literature; age and gender may partly explain the discordant reports. However, no research has analysed whether occupation may influence this outcome in the working population.

Objectives: To assess the number of physiotherapy sessions performed for low back pain (LBP), cervicalgia (CG), and whiplash syndrome (WS) in workers on sickness absence, according to gender, age, and occupation.

Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, the outcome variable was the number of physiotherapy sessions needed to recover from LBP, CG, and WS. Explanatory variables were sex, age, occupation, year when physiotherapy ended, and treatment centre. The adjusted median differences in the number of sessions (MDa) were calculated.

Results: Older workers (55-65 years) needed a median of 2.6 additional sessions for LBP, 3.0 more sessions for CG, and 3.6 for WS. Men underwent fewer sessions than women (LBP and CG: MDa -0.9 sessions; WS: MDa -1.7 sessions). Compared to crafts and related trades workers, plant and machine operators and assemblers required more sessions to recover from LBP (MDa 0.7), as did service and sales workers (MDa 0.7). In CG and WS, differences were observed for technicians and associate professionals (MDa 1.3 and MDa 1.7, respectively), and for professionals (MDa 2.4 and MDa 1.6). Clerical support workers also needed significantly more sessions for CG.

Conclusions: The number of sessions required to recover from LBP, CG, and WS in workers on work-related sickness absence is different according to gender, age, and occupation.

Background: Recent shifts in hybrid working practices have coincided with rising prices, potentially inducing inflation-related stress among employees.

Objective: To investigate associations between remote work status and self-reported inflation-related stress among employed US adults in an overall sample and stratified by gender identity and race/ethnicity.

Methods: We pooled data across 15 survey cycles (September 2022-October 2023) from the US Census Bureau Household Pulse Survey. Remote work status was measured as 0, 1-2, 3-4, and 5 + days. Covariates included age, marital status, education, income, number of children, employment sector, region, and survey cycle.

Results: The weighted sample comprised 48,686,575 individuals (0 days = 24%, 1-2 days = 23%, 3-4 days = 15%, and 5 + days = 38%), with 93% who self-reported stress related to inflation. Among the overall sample, employed individuals working remotely for 5 + days (adjusted OR [aOR] 0.87, 95% CI 0.80, 0.95) had lower odds of self-reported inflation stress than workers with zero remote workdays. Similar associations were found among males (aOR 0.87, 95% CI 0.78, 0.98), females (aOR 0.87, 95% CI 0.76, 0.99), White individuals (aOR 0.84, 95% CI 0.77, 0.93), and individuals of other race/ethnicity (aOR 0.58, 95% CI 0.37, 0.90). We did not find any statistically significant remote work associations with self-reported inflation stress among Black, Hispanic, and Asian individuals.

Conclusions: Our findings have important implications for occupational health, elucidating a potential positive relationship between remote work and inflation stress. These findings can inform how organizations shape their hybrid-working policies to minimize financial stress on employees.

Background: The increasing prevalence of work-related stress and mental health issues has become a global concern, particularly in developing countries. The light environment in office spaces, known to influence both visual and non-visual aspects of health, is a critical factor that needs further exploration for its potential in enhancing employees' psychological well-being.

Objective: The aim of our study was to investigate the role of light environments in office spaces in influencing the psychological well-being of employees.

Methods: The study was conducted in 2 office locations in Shanghai and Dalian, China and analyzed data from 235 employees. Data on the effects of the light environment were self-reported by the participants, and the psychological well-being of the employees was measured on 2 dimensions (differences in color perception, and differences in perception between natural dynamic lighting and artificial static lighting). The effects of hue and lightness on employee psychology, and the effects of natural versus conventional static lighting on employee mood were analyzed.

Results: The findings revealed that the hue and luminance of office spaces significantly affect employees' psychological satisfaction and emotional states. Specifically, natural dynamic lighting, which aligns with the natural photoperiod, was found to effectively reduce negative emotions such as anger and depression, offering a promising intervention for improving mental health in the workplace.

Conclusions: The light environment in office settings plays a significant role in mitigating mental health issues among employees. While the study confirms the positive effects of dynamic lighting on mental health, it also highlights the need for further interdisciplinary research to fully understand the complex mechanisms involved.