Journal of occupational and environmental medicine最新文献

Objective: We examined the relationships between psychosocial factors and employee well-being in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: Survey data were from Finnish public sector employees from 2018 (T1 = before), 2020 (T2 = during), and 2022 (T3 = after the pandemic) (N= 29,360). Employee well-being was measured with self-rated health, work ability, and recovery from work. The generalized linear models using Poisson distribution were adjusted for age, sex, socioeconomic status, obesity, and health behaviors.

Results: Psychosocial factors were associated with suboptimal employee well-being in every timepoint. The association between high effort-reward imbalance and suboptimal work ability was strongest during the pandemic (risk ratio 1.53, 95% confidence interval 1.47-1.59). The association between high job strain and suboptimal recovery from work was stronger during the pandemic (1.49, 1.46-1.52) than postpandemic (1.45, 1.43-1.48).

Conclusions: Job stress had the strongest associations with suboptimal well-being during the pandemic.

Objective: Hotel workers are at risk for burnout. We tested the association between effort-reward imbalance (ERI) and burnout.

Methods: Participants were recruited through social media and completed an online survey. ERI and burnout were analyzed using an adjusted multivariable regression model.

Results: Two hundred twenty-four hotel workers were surveyed. Eighty-three percent were female, 38% were guest room attendants, and 19% were in leadership. Most were White (62%), nonunionized (78%), and worked full-time (76%). The mean age was 39.4 (SD = 13). The mean burnout score was 41.8 (SD = 6.6, range of 20.0-59.0). 50.5% of participants reported high ERI, especially among leadership, food workers, and guest room attendants.

Conclusions: High ERI was associated with higher burnout. Older age was associated with reduced burnout. Hotel workers experience high levels of stress. Targeted interventions are necessary to foster coping and mitigate risk factors.

Objective: The study investigated the effects of air pollutants on the incidence of acute angle-closure glaucoma (AACG) in Hefei, China.

Methods: A combination of generalized additive models and distributed lag nonlinear models was used to explore the relationship between air pollutants and the incidence of AACG.

Results: Exposure-response curves showed that exposure to PM 2.5 , PM 10 , NO 2 , SO 2 , CO, and O 3 were all positively correlated with the onset of AACG. Among them, NO 2 , and CO having higher relative risk values for AACG onset.

Conclusions: This study highlighted the potential risks of these pollutants and expanded the knowledge of the environmental role in AACG incidence, which will encourage local governments to adopt policy measures and guidance to improve public health.

Objective: To date, research and policy directives have focused on identifying individual risk factors for moral injury, with less attention to solutions for establishing nonmorally injurious cultures and practices.

Methods: Experts with academic or clinical knowledge of moral injury were recruited to a three-round e-Delphi survey exploring descriptors and characteristics of nonmorally injurious organizations.

Results: Forty-nine, 41, and 39 experts responded at each round. Morally "healthy," "congruent," and "centered" were endorsed as descriptors for nonmorally injurious organizations. Consensus was also obtained on 111 characteristics and behaviors relating to organizational identity (eg, just culture), behaviors and practices (eg, transparency in decision-making), and self-awareness (eg, monitoring of moral injury in workforce).

Conclusions: The findings implicate the need for a strengths-oriented, solution-focused approach to addressing moral injury. The recommendations proposed warrant evaluation and operationalization within formal guidance.

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic is associated with increased difficulties in emotional well-being among healthcare workers. The current investigation assesses how changes in depression and anxiety symptoms fluctuate relative to resilience across three time points: baseline, 1-year, and 2-year follow-up among a cohort of physicians and nurses ( n = 728).

Methods: Generalized linear mixed modeling for repeated-measures was used to assess the association between resilience and mental health symptoms using validated measures for all variables.

Results: The odds of probable anxiety were reduced by 81% for each one-unit increase in resilience (odds ratio = 0.19, 95% confidence interval [0.14, 0.26]). The odds of probable depression were reduced by 88% for each one-unit increase in BRS (odds ratio = 0.12, 95% confidence interval [0.07, 0.2]).

Conclusions: Results highlight the importance of developing and implementing interventions that foster resilience among healthcare workers.

Background: This study aimed to assess Work Ability Score (WAS) in 2018 based on self-reported data regarding inhalable occupational exposure and data from a Northern European Job-Exposure Matrix recorded in 2013.

Methods: During the 5-year follow-up period of this population-based study, 4423 participants completed a postal questionnaire comprising self-reported questions regarding occupational exposure, work history, and WAS.

Results: Ever, weekly, and daily exposure to vapors, gas, dust, and fumes in the last 5 years in 2013 was associated with reduced WAS in 2018. The Northern European Job-Exposure Matrix data showed that exposure to irritants, wood and paper dust, and mixed agricultural agents was associated with reduced WAS.

Conclusions: Exposure to several occupational inhalable substances is associated with reduced work ability. We recommend reducing inhalable occupational exposure to prevent reduced work ability.

Objective: This study examined healthcare worker perceptions of physical environment and safety climate contributors to workplace violence.

Methods: Inpatient hospital employee (2015) convenience sample survey ( n = 327) comparisons were via Mann-Whitney, Wilcoxon rank sum, or chi-squared to determine response differences by workplace violence experience (yes/no) and hospital units (higher/lower) violence rates.

Results: Employees with workplace violence experience and units with higher violence rates identified a higher number of contributing physical environment factors. Safety climate ratings were higher among employees without workplace violence experience but did not differ between hospital units with higher and lower violence rates.

Conclusions: Prioritization of staff perceived climate safety and physical environment contributors can support organizational efforts to mitigate specific workplace violence hazards on hospital units.

Objective: Concern about psychiatric injuries for first responders has grown. We examine alternatives to workers' compensation (WC).

Method: We conducted 15 interviews across five California departments contracted with non-WC mental health (MH) providers. We performed content analysis.

Results: MH support outside of WC most often was a dedicated contract with outside MH providers for assessment, diagnosis, and treatment. Departments had formal financing mechanisms with union and city support designating funding for MH care. Frustration and past WC experiences drove the desire for WC alternatives. First responders reported high levels of stigma associated with MH care. Compared to WC, these alternatives allowed more comprehensive services to injured workers along with ease of accessing care, expediting the healing process.

Conclusions: Contracting culturally competent MH providers outside of WC for first responders has potential and needs formal evaluation.

Objective: This study investigated the association between leave use and improvement of work functioning impairment affecting presenteeism.

Methods: A prospective, observational study was conducted among 5752 employees in a single corporate group in Japan to analyze the number of days of leave taken over a 1-year period and changes in work functioning impairment.

Results: As the number of leave days increased, work functioning impairment improved significantly.

Conclusions: These results suggest that allowing employees to take more leave significantly contributes to improving work functioning impairment. Companies need to promote appropriate leave use to improve employee health and overall work productivity.