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

Background: Eczema is one of the most prevalent occupational skin diseases, with sea fishers being particularly vulnerable due to their harsh working conditions.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the prevalence of occupational eczema among fishers and identify risk factors contributing to its development.

Methods: A total of 119 fishers participated in this cross-sectional study, which was conducted in a single center on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey. Data were collected using two instruments: a "General Characteristics of Fishers Form," developed by the researchers based on relevant literature, and the Turkish version of the Nordic Occupational Skin Questionnaire-Long (NOSQ-2002/Long). Univariable analysis of eczema status was performed using the chi-square test, while a multivariable binary logistic regression model assessed the factors associated with eczema.

Results: All participants were male, with a mean age of 40.13 (±11.62) years. The median daily working time was 15 (12-16) hours, and their median experience in fishing was 17 (10-25) years. The prevalence of eczema in the last six months was 52.9% (n = 63). Significant risk factors for eczema included being under 40 years of age, being married, poor health status, and having a family member who was a fisher.

Conclusion: This study highlights the high prevalence of eczema among sea fishers and identifies work-related risk factors that contribute to its development. Future large-scale studies are recommended, along with preventive interventions to raise awareness and reduce the occurrence of occupational eczema.

Background: Under the background of increasingly prominent climate and environmental problems, as well as the goals of emission peak and carbon neutrality, integrating the concept of environmental protection into leadership work is becoming a hot topic for theoretical researchers and management practitioners.

Objective: This study aims to explore the relationship between environmental servant leadership, employee environmental proactivity, employee environmental creativity and organizational environmental citizenship behavior.

Methods: Based on social cognition theory, conservation of resources theory and self-determination theory, environmental servant leadership was used as an independent variable, with employee environmental proactivity as a mediating variable and employee environmental creativity and organizational environmental citizenship behavior as dependent variables. An integrated theoretical framework was constructed. SPSS23 and AMOS23 were used for statistical analysis, and structural equation models were constructed to empirically test 363 leader-employee pairing data from mechanical, IT and pharmaceutical organizations.

Results: The statistical results show the following: environmental servant leadership has a significant positive influence on employee environmental proactivity (β = 0.381, p < 0.01); employee environmental proactivity positively influences employee environmental creativity (β = 0.267, p < 0.01) and organizational environmental citizenship behavior (β = 0.345, p < 0.01); environmental servant leadership directly influences employee environmental creativity (β = 0.249, p < 0.01) and organizational environmental citizenship behavior (β = 0.353, p < 0.01). Employee environmental proactivity partly mediates the influence of environmental servant leadership on employee environmental creativity and organizational environmental citizenship behavior.

Conclusion: This indicates that environmental servant leadership not only directly influences employee environmental creativity and organizational environmental citizenship behavior but also indirectly influences the two dependent variables through employee environmental proactivity. Therefore, organizations must adopt environmental servant leadership and stimulate employee environmental proactivity to enhance employee environmental creativity and organizational environmental citizenship behavior.

Background: The phenomenon of prohibiting employees from expressing religious attire in the workplace involves a complex interplay of different parties and issues related to human rights protection. Addressing and resolving this issue holds significant implications for advancing the cause of global religious freedom.

Objective: Through an analysis of common features in eleven representative cases from English and American legal systems, the author further discusses the challenges faced by employees expressing their religious attire in the workplace, and the institutional and societal issues reflected through these decisions.

Methods: Through the application of a case study approach, this study analyzes eleven representative cases from both English and American legal systems in the early twenty-first century, probing into the persistent nature of religious discrimination in the workplace.

Results: The research reveals that the ways in which managers prohibit employees from expressing religious attire in the workplace are categorized into direct and indirect prohibitions, and the related systems of religious discrimination evolve over time. However, when employees oppose the managers' discriminatory policies based on religion, they often face the dilemma of dismissal and difficulty in seeking legal redress.

Conclusion: To confront this challenge, governments need to prioritize safeguarding equal rights among different religious and non-religious individuals when refining legislation. Furthermore, adhering to the principle of state neutrality, legal obligations shall not be arbitrarily attached to religious expression unless such expression poses a concrete threat to specific public interests. Managers, in formulating workplace management policies, should likewise adhere to these principles.

Background: The ICF-based Demand and Ability Protocol (DAP) is a dialogue tool to be used when assessing the balance between an employee's functional ability and the demands of their work and as a supportive measure for discussing work ability, workplace adaptations and return to work. The DAP has been used in Sweden since the twenty-first century, however revision nor content validity has not yet been evaluated.

Objective: To update and revise the Demand and Ability Protocol and to assess the content validity of the dialogue tool.

Methods: A qualitative design was used involving a multidisciplinary expert panel (n = 7) and a group of experienced DAP-users (n = 13) who participated in think-aloud interviews. Data were analyzed with thematic analysis.

Results: Several significant changes were made to the domains to enhance the clarity and conciseness of the DAP. Some changes in formulations were identified and changed, even though the questions were mostly perceived as clear and relevant. Overall, the DAP can be considered as a dialogue tool with good content validity.

Conclusion: The revision and validation process of the DAP have clarified the theoretical concepts and their link to the ICF, establishing a strong basis for the dialogue tool's content.

Background: Individuals with arthritis often face significant challenges in their activities of daily living and work performance, resulting in substantial effects on both their personal and professional lives.

Objective: This study aims to determine whether workers with arthritis within the Canadian working-age population are more or less likely to miss work, sustain injuries, or experience activity limitations compared to those without arthritis.

Methods: The analysis utilized data from the Canadian Community Health Survey, focusing on employed individuals over 20 from two datasets: 2015-2016 (n = 107,705) and 2017-2018 (n = 112,947). Logistic regression examined occupational health factors, while bivariate analyses via chi-squared tests (p < 0.01) filtered variables and Tukey's HSD was used for post hoc analysis (p < 0.05). Multinomial models addressed complex responses, and Wald's test compared differences between males and females.

Results: Individuals with arthritis (n = 27,720) were more likely to miss work, experience difficulties in daily functioning and report injury compared to their non-arthritis counterparts. Women with arthritis were also more likely to face difficulties in daily functioning and report joblessness. Men with arthritis were more likely to report work absences but less likely to report injury compared to both women and non-arthritis men.

Conclusion: Despite individuals with arthritis being heavily impacted in terms of functionality, there is a disconnect between accommodations provided and usage. Further research on inclusive accommodations (e.g., ergonomic tools and equipment, flexible work arrangements) and self-management strategies that can account for the problems faced by individuals with arthritis need to be established.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated job pressure and risks for healthcare workers (HCWs), who have a significantly higher prevalence of COVID-19 than the general population. The study examines the work-related stressors encountered by healthcare professionals treating COVID-19 patients, focusing on potential variations based on personal and work-related variables.

Objective: This study investigated work-related stressors among healthcare professionals treating coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients, aiming to identify challenges and inform targeted support. The hypothesis posited that stress levels vary based on workload, extended hours, insufficient rest, discomfort from protective gear, burnout, and job dissatisfaction. Additionally, stress effects were expected to differ by sex, age, marital status, income, and education, with younger individuals, women, and those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds experiencing higher rates of stress.

Methods: This study examined 198 Jordanian healthcare professionals treating COVID-19 patients across four government, semi-governmental, and private hospitals. The custom-designed instrument assessed demographics and work-related stressors. The measurement instrument and model showed high reliability and validity.

Results: The findings revealed that work-related stress and fatigue were rampant among participants, influenced by workload, extended working hours, insufficient rest time, and discomfort from protective gear. Burnout and job dissatisfaction were also reported, with a significant proportion contemplating leaving their jobs. Gender disparities were noted: males struggled with shift systems, while females faced difficulties accessing personal protective equipment and feared job loss. Younger individuals experienced higher stress and fatigue levels, whereas older groups reported significant stress and fatigue compared to middle-aged groups. Additionally, the marital status, education level, and income were linked to specific stress factors.

Conclusions: The findings confirm that healthcare professionals treating COVID-19 patients experience varying work-related stress levels due to workload, long hours, insufficient rest, protective gear discomfort, burnout, and job dissatisfaction. The findings, therefore, underscore the need for targeted support and interventions to address stress and safeguard their well-being during the pandemic.

Background: Marketisation trends have introduced new elements in residential care homes, potentially related to the psychosocial work environment and well-being of care workers. Objective: This study examined differences in job demands and resources across public, outsourced, and private residential care home providers and their associations with care workers' burnout, job satisfaction, and turnover intentions. Methods: Data from 253 care workers across 19 residential care homes in three municipalities were analysed using a cross-sectional design, with a 45.3% response rate. We applied the Job Demands-Resources theory and the Copenhagen psychosocial questionnaire, conducting analyses of variance and multiple regressions with Generalised Estimating Equations to account for nested data. Results: Outsourced care workers reported higher emotional demands than those in the public sector, while private providers offered greater influence and supervisor support compared to public ones. Burnout levels were significantly higher in the medium-sized municipality compared to the small one, while provider type was not significant. Private care workers reported higher job satisfaction, but public sector workers reported better work-life balance. Approximately 60% of respondents considered leaving their jobs at least occasionally, with public sector workers reporting higher turnover intentions than those in for-profit settings. Conclusions: The study highlights the need for targeted work environment improvements, including better leadership and support in the public sector, addressing emotional demands in outsourced settings, and encouraging full-time employment to support work-life balance in the private sector. Stakeholders should prioritise improving job resources to improve care workers' well-being, especially amid budget constraints and profit goals.

Background: It is crucial to understand perceptions on exposure to air pollution for designing targeted interventions, raising awareness, and fostering measures to mitigate occupational health risk and improve the overall health outcomes.

Objective: This study aims at understanding the perception of the practitioners of various occupations vis-à-vis the general public on occupational exposure to air pollution (OEAP).

Methods: The four-step assessment we carried out involved recording perceptions via Google forms and in-person surveys, conducting statistical analyses (descriptive statistics, regression analyses and tests of significance), analyses using Odds Ratio (OR) and comparing the results with risk perception theories.

Results: 712 respondents across the country participated in the survey and 57% of them perceived that they work in a moderately healthy environment. Test of significance showed that gender and age do not significantly affect the perception. However, factors like education, income level, locality, and location of the job significantly influenced the perception. Linear regression analysis showed that ambient air quality is a significant predictor of workplace air quality perception. The OR indicated strong dependence of workers' perception on the actual OEAP. Regarding the exposure associated with a profession, the perception of the practitioners of that profession and the public matched for those professions where the exposures were expected to be high but deviated significantly when the profession had relatively lower exposure to pollution.

Conclusion: The perception of risks compared to actual risks will serve as the foundation for developing awareness and sensitization programmes focused on occupational risk.

Background: This study explores the psychosocial impact of sports-related injuries on elite basketball players and their search for psychological and counselling support.

Objective: The objective is to examine how injuries affect athletes' mental well-being, their attitudes toward received support, and their use of psychological interventions.

Methods: A phenomenological approach, analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM), was applied to data from 253 elite Turkish basketball players, including active and retired athletes. A structured questionnaire was administered to gather the data.

Results: The results show that while athletes seek individual psychological support, they often feel neglected by their clubs, leading to insecurity and helplessness. Many report dissatisfaction with the mental health services provided by their organisations.

Conclusions: The study recommends integrating sports psychologists and counsellors within clubs, promoting mental health awareness, and forming interdisciplinary teams to address this. Holistic sports education programs that foster psychological resilience and emotional regulation are also advised. Further research is needed to assess the long-term effects of interventions and the role of organizational support on athletes' mental well-being.

Background: This is the next entry in the WORK "Bridging the Gap" series. It continues the case study by describing procedures and methods used by occupational therapists in work-oriented neurorehabilitation to help clients bridge the gap between their work tasks and their abilities, using information from the Occupational Information Network (O*NET).

Objective: To demonstrate the potential of integrating O*NET information with occupational therapy procedures and practices.

Methods: A competitive employment disability case study provided the context for an interdisciplinary work-oriented reflective practice and dialogic inquiry approach to post-professional mentoring involving the authors and a fictional client's occupational therapist. The dialogue focuses on integrating information from O*NET about the target job's tasks and necessary abilities to improve client-centered practice for persons focused on returning to competitive employment.

Results: In this case study, O*NET information facilitated return-to-work planning and the selection of evaluation and therapy tools. Information about the client's job tasks found in O*NET was used to set a detailed vocational ecological context for work-oriented services, beginning with the intake interview. Concerns about the use of self-report data were addressed. Screening for executive dysfunction with the BRIEF questionnaire guided clinical focus on O*NET cognitive ability variables.

Conclusions: This case study shows how O*NET empirical data can improve the relevance of Occupational Therapy assessment and treatment for individuals aiming to return to competitive employment. The study illustrates how O*NET data can help guide occupational therapy intervention by addressing clients' specific concerns about potential limitations in their ability to perform job tasks.