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

BackgroundPoultry industry is vital to the Indian economy, significantly contributing to agriculture and providing low-cost animal protein. India ranks third globally in egg production, with southern states like Tamil Nadu, a major hub for egg and broiler production. Workers in poultry farms face serious health hazards because of their physically demanding jobs, which include handling heavy loads and performing repetitive motions. Individuals with mental stress often experience higher frequencies of musculoskeletal pain. The physically demanding nature of these jobs exacerbates musculoskeletal pain and fatigue that can affect one's QOL and mental well-being.ObjectiveTo investigate the prevalence of musculoskeletal pain and fatigue and their associations with quality of life and mental health among poultry farm workers.MethodsAn observational study was conducted from May 2024 to July 2024, involving 369 poultry farm workers in southern Tamilnadu district. Data were collected using the Extended Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (Tamil version) to assess musculoskeletal pain, the Fatigue Assessment Scale to measure fatigue levels, the WHOQOL-BREF (Tamil version) to evaluate quality of life, and the GHQ-28 (Tamil version) to assess mental health status.ResultsChi-square analysis showed significant associations between pain and physical QoL (χ² = 203.08), psychological QoL (χ² = 125.25), and mental health (χ² = 196.59) (p < 0.05). Fatigue was also significantly associated with physical QoL (χ² = 22.80), psychological QoL (χ² = 8.03), and mental health (χ² = 26.71) (p < 0.05).ConclusionThis study highlights the high prevalence of musculoskeletal pain and fatigue among poultry farm workers and their significant associations with QoL and mental health.

BackgroundWeaving is a key livelihood in Erode, Tamil Nadu. Long COVID-19 symptoms, especially kinesiophobia, hinder weavers' ability to work, necessitating better interventions.ObjectiveTo study the impact of Pain Apprehension Re-Activation of Movement (PARAM) VR intervention compared to conventional exercises in mitigating kinesiophobia among the target population.MethodsA quasi-experimental design involved 84 silk weavers from southern India divided into Ex-Groups (n = 42) that received conventional exercises and VR-Group (n = 42) that received the same set of exercises in virtual ambience in PARAM protocol which is a novel approach where the patient compares video graphs taken in virtual ambience with physical environment for self-realization on their movement capacity. Totally 48 males and 36 females participated, with an average age of 45.2 (4.7). Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia (TSK), Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for pain, and SF-12 scale for health-related quality of life were used at baseline, after two weeks and at the end of the 4 weeks of intervention.ResultsBoth groups showed significant improvements (VR-Group- TSK:χ²= 18.42, p < 0.001;VAS:χ²= 16.21, p < 0.001;SF-12:χ²= 19.55, p < 0.001 and Ex-Group TSK:χ²= 10.67, p = 0.005, VAS:χ²= 8.49, p = 0.014, SF-12:χ²= 12.34, p = 0.002). Improvement in the VR-Group was immediate and consistently better than the Ex-group. (Post-test-1, TSK:U = 45, p = 0.002; VAS: U = 50.5, p = 0.004; SF-12: U = 42, p = 0.001, Post-test-2-TSK: U = 60, p = 0.048; VAS: U = 65.5, p = 0.036; SF-12: U = 58, p = 0.044).ConclusionPARAM and conventional exercises were effective in reducing apprehension to movement among silk weavers with long-term COVID-19. However, PARAM training resulted in a significantly better improvement that was faster and more consistent.

BackgroundWork accidents have been studied from the perspective of outcome indicators, quantifying the frequency and severity of the occurrences. However, accidents at work continue to be a problem. In 2019, 611,275 accidents occurred in Colombia. All of this led workers to file lawsuits against employers, resulting in rulings by the Supreme Court of Justice's Labor Cassation Chamber-a topic that has been little studied.ObjectiveThis paper aims to develop and evaluate a machine learning model, the Surface Tension Neural Net-Decision Tree (STNN-DT), for classifying and predicting the favorability of verdicts related to employer liability in work accidents in Colombia.MethodsThis cross-sectional study defines and trains the proposed system based on data collected from 76 different cases in the Colombian context between 2019 to 2020. These cases correspond to actual verdicts issued by the Labor Cassation Chamber of the Colombian Supreme Court of Justice. An equal proportion of cases ruled in favor of and against employers was maintained. Methodologically, the study applied machine learning algorithms; a Bayesian Network and Surface Tension Neural Network-Decision Tree (STNN-DT).ResultsThe results show that, in 85.43% of cases, the classifier Surface Tension Neural Network-Decision Tree correctly identified the judgments due to employer liability.ConclusionsA striking 97% of the sentences for non-material damage reveal non-compliance by employers with legal regulations that predate current Safety and Health at Work standards. These violations primarily occur in IV-V risk companies, including mining, construction, and the installation of electrical networks.

In today's fast-paced work environments, the emphasis on maximizing efficiency within the shortest possible timeframe often leads organizations to compromise safety protocols. Indeed, an inherent conflict may arise between strict adherence to safety principles and meeting project deadlines or financial objectives. Multiple studies indicate that in high-pressure production environments, decision-makers frequently prioritize productivity over safety (1). Furthermore, management theories suggest that resource constraints-such as time, budget, and workforce-force organizations to make trade-offs between safety and productivity, particularly in time-sensitive or budget-limited projects (2). A systematic review revealed a significant correlation between increased monthly working hours and higher incident rates, underscoring the risks of neglecting safety in pursuit of efficiency (3). The slogan "Safety First, Then Work" has long been a foundational principle in industrial and occupational settings, advocating for safety as a prerequisite to work activities. While this mantra has played a pivotal role in promoting safety awareness, its practical implementation faces critical challenges. First, strict adherence to this approach may delay workflows, negatively impacting organizational productivity (2) Second, it risks fostering a counterproductive culture where employees prioritize safety compliance over operational performance, potentially stifling innovation and engagement (4).

BackgroundExcessive workload, a key workplace stressor, occurs when job demands exceed employees' physical and mental capacities because of limited resources and time.ObjectiveThrough a meta-analysis, we examined the correlations of workload with personality traits, perceived negative and positive behaviors, and organizational factors.MethodsWe conducted a meta-analysis of 106 Taiwanese studies on workload published from 1999 to 2022.ResultsWorkload was positively correlated with personality traits and organizational factors; individuals with certain traits or organizational environments experienced elevated workload. Furthermore, workload was positively correlated with perceived negative behaviors, such as job stress and burnout, but negatively correlated with perceived positive behaviors, such as job satisfaction and well-being. These results highlight the complex and multidimensional effects of workload on employees and organizations.ConclusionsThis study offers a comprehensive econometric analysis of workload in the Taiwanese context and underscores the importance of effective workload management in enhancing employee well-being and organizational efficiency. Practical recommendations include optimizing task allocation on the basis of individual personality traits, implementing supportive organizational policies, and fostering a positive work culture. Future studies should explore additional moderating variables and compare domestic and international data to gain deeper insights into workload dynamics.

BackgroundWorkplace accidents, particularly those resulting in fatalities, are critical public health and labor issues with profound human and societal consequences. Beyond immediate impacts, such incidents often attract extensive media coverage, which can shape public perception and emotional responses. Understanding how emotions evolve in media narratives is essential for effective crisis communication and public engagement. The Amasra mining disaster in Türkiye, which caused the death of 41 miners in 2022, provided a significant case to explore emotional dynamics in news reporting.ObjectiveThis study aimed to analyze how emotional tone and sentiment in print media shift over time in response to a major workplace accident. The goal was to develop and apply a novel sentiment analysis framework to evaluate public discourse during the accident, post-accident, and trial periods.MethodsA lexicon-based sentiment analysis approach was used, incorporating word frequency analysis, expert classification of emotions, and Levenshtein distance to normalize word variations. News articles from ten major Turkish media outlets were collected and processed. Sentiment polarity (positive, neutral, negative) and Plutchik's eight-emotion model (e.g., sadness, anger, fear) were applied across three defined timeframes: the accident period (October 14-16, 2022), post-accident period (until December 13, 2024), and trial period (December 13-15, 2024).ResultsThe analysis showed a decrease in neutral sentiment and a steady increase in negative sentiment over time. Emotionally, sadness was most prevalent immediately after the accident but declined in the following periods, while anger increased, especially during the trial. These results indicate a shift from grief to frustration and demands for accountability. Fear and surprise remained consistently present across all periods.ConclusionsThe study demonstrates that emotional dynamics in media coverage of workplace disasters evolve predictably, offering critical insights for media professionals, policymakers, and safety regulators. Monitoring such emotional shifts can enhance crisis communication strategies, improve public trust, and inform policy interventions. However, the study is limited by its reliance on a lexicon-based approach and the exclusion of social media data, which may have offered a broader perspective on public sentiment. To understand societal responses to occupational accidents through media narratives, the proposed sentiment analysis approach provides a valuable tool.

Background: In vehicles there is often limited space for seats. This might mean that reclining the back rest reduces the legroom. The second row in a cargo van has this problem and in this limited space an upright seat and a reclined seat with less legroom was developed and tested.

Objective: The research question of this study is: Does a reclined backrest with less leg room result in the same comfort and/or discomfort as an upright backrest with more leg room?Methods:Twenty participants are asked to sit 45 minutes in the upright seat with 8 cm more legroom and 45 minutes in the reclined seat. Ten participants started in the upright seat and ten in the reclined. Participants had to complete a comfort and discomfort questionnaire every 15 minutes and a qualitative interview was conducted after experiencing both seats.

Results: For comfort no statistically significant differences were found between both seats. For discomfort statistically significant differences were found where discomfort was lower in the reclined seat. Half of the participants preferred the upright and half the reclined seat. The interviews showed that the reclined position was more related to relaxation.

Conclusions: This study indicates that a more reclined back rest results in less discomfort, but that does not lead to a clear preference of participants. The reclined position is associated with relaxing, and this study indicates that for the relaxing state the more reclined seat is preferred. For more active situations the upright posture seems better.

BackgroundThe rapid advancement of robotic technology is transforming the manufacturing industry, with collaborative robots (Cobots) increasingly deployed to improve productivity and reduce ergonomic risks. However, ensuring ergonomic compatibility between Cobots and human operators remains a critical challenge.ObjectiveThis study aims to evaluate the ergonomic impact of Cobot integration in industrial settings by developing a comprehensive assessment framework covering physical, cognitive, and organizational ergonomics.MethodsAn ergonomic evaluation framework was proposed and implemented using the interval-valued intuitionistic uncertain fuzzy (IVIUF) method to accommodate both quantitative data and qualitative judgments. The interval-valued intuitionistic uncertain linguistic weighted geometric (IVIULWG) aggregation operator was used to combine objective and subjective information with improved robustness and accuracy.ResultsThe analysis revealed that dual-arm Cobots equipped with display interfaces exhibit superior ergonomic performance compared to other configurations. The IVIULWG approach effectively preserved and integrated both numerical measurements and linguistic assessments in the evaluation process.ConclusionsThe proposed methodology provides a scientifically rigorous and practical tool for the ergonomic evaluation of Cobots. These findings support more informed decisions in Cobot design and deployment, contributing to safer and more sustainable industrial operations.