Work - Volume 37, issue 1

Article Type: Other

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2010-1050

Citation: Work, vol. 37, no. 1, pp. 1-1, 2010

Authors: DeArmond, Sarah | Huang, Yueng-Hsiang | Chen, Peter Y. | Courtney, Theodore K.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Objective: Top-level managers make important decisions about safety-related issues, yet little research has been done involving these individuals. The current study explored corporate financial decisions makers' perceptions of their company's safety and their justifications for these perceptions. This study also explored whether their perceptions and justifications varied as a function of company size or industry injury risk. Participants: A total of 404 individuals who were the most senior managers responsible for making decisions about property …and casualty risk at their companies participated in this study. Methods: The participants took part in a telephone survey. Results: The results suggest that corporate financial decision makers have positive views of safety at their companies relative to safety at other companies within their industries. Further, many believe their company's safety is influenced by the attention/emphasis placed on safety and the selection and training of safety personnel. Participants' perceptions varied somewhat based on the size of their company and the level of injury risk in their industry. Conclusions: While definitive conclusions about corporate financial decision makers' perceptions of safety cannot be reached as a result of this single study, this work does lay groundwork for future research aimed at better understanding the perceptions top-level managers. Show more

Keywords: Occupational safety, top-level managers, company size, industry injury risk

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2010-1051

Citation: Work, vol. 37, no. 1, pp. 3-13, 2010

Authors: Roelen, Corné A.M. | Koopmans, Petra C. | Groothoff, Johan W.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Objective: The Dutch population is healthy in terms of living and working conditions, but the levels of subjective health complaints (SHC) and sickness absence are high in the Dutch workforce. Are SHC related to sickness absence? Participants: The study population included the personnel of four companies: a library (n= 185), an administrative office (n=114), a cheese factory (n=201) and a company producing metal constructions (n=65). Methods: The employees received the Basic …Occupational Health Questionnaire including 22 common SHC. For each employee, the number and type of SHC but not their intensity was linked to the number of sickness absence episodes between January 2003 and December 2004. Results: The questionnaires of 409 employees (72%) were suitable for statistical analysis. The prevalence of SHC in the study population was 78% between January and June 2003. Employees who reported ⩾ 5 SHC had higher rates of both short (1–7 days) and medium (8–42 days) sickness absence episodes. Long (> 42 days) episodes were strongly related to SHC amounting to a rate ratio (RR) of 4.2 with a 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.7 to 10.4 in workers reporting multiple SHC relative to those without complaints. Fatigue was associated with medium duration sickness absence (RR=1.6; 95% CI 1.1–2.2) and musculoskeletal complaints, particularly low back pain (RR= 1.8; 95% CI 1.2–2.8), with long episodes. Conclusions: The number of SHC was related to sickness absence. The 20% of participants reporting most SHC were responsible for about 40% of work days lost in the two-year period of study. Show more

Keywords: Health, subjective health complaints, illness, sickness, sickness absence

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2010-1052

Citation: Work, vol. 37, no. 1, pp. 15-21, 2010

Authors: Betters, Chad J.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Objective: Obesity has become a major public health concern in the United States, and has ultimately affected occupational health, including Workers' Compensation. Obesity has been determined to contribute to work-related injury. This analysis examined weight change post-injury during the Workers' compensation rehabilitation process, and specifically how it relates to perceived mental health need, perceived dietary habits, food stamp usage, and the amount of time since the work injury. Methods: Archival data analysis was conducted …examining Workers' Compensation claimants over a four year period. Participants: Data was collected from 1,864 valid Workers' Compensation claims and analyzed using descriptive statistics and a backwards elimination multiple regression analysis to examine predictive relationships between the variables of interest. Results: Approximately 2/3 of the sample reported weight gain post-injury, with the additional 1/3 reporting weight loss or no change. Both perceived benefit from mental health services and perceived healthy dietary habits were significantly predictive of weight gain. Conclusions: Clinical psychological distress, such as depression and anxiety, may be contributory factors to weight gain, and poor perceptions in food quality and caloric estimations may also relate to this problem. Suggestions for future research, including intervention studies, are also included. Show more

Keywords: Workers' compensation, occupational rehabilitation, obesity

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2010-1053

Citation: Work, vol. 37, no. 1, pp. 23-27, 2010

Authors: Muschalla, Beate | Markova, Mariya | Linden, Michael

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Objective: Job-related distress has often been found to be related with low social support at work. The question is whether dimensions of social support outside work have a similar relation with job-anxiety or whether they are independent. Participants: A sample of 154 employed inpatients from a psychosomatic rehabilitation center (70% women) participated in this study. Methods: Participants completed self-rating questionnaires on perceived symptom load in the domain of work (job-anxiety) and in general life (general …psychosomatic symptom load), and on perceived social support at work and outside work. Results: Job-anxiety showed moderate correlations with the perceived level of social support through colleagues. Thereby the social support dimensions of "consolation and encouragement" and "criticism, overload, rejection" were more strongly related to job-anxiety than the dimension of "practical support". There were no significant correlations between job-anxiety and social support through household members, leisure time partners or neighbors. Conclusions: Social support is in a specific way important in the context of work other than concerning general mental health outside the work-context. Job-anxiety is a domain-specific clinical phenomenon and independent from perceived social support outside the workplace. Show more

Keywords: Social support, participation disorders, job-anxiety, anxiety disorders

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2010-1054

Citation: Work, vol. 37, no. 1, pp. 29-39, 2010

Authors: Reinholdt, Sofia | Upmark, Marianne | Alexanderson, Kristina

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Studies emphasizing the disability pension (DP) process are rare. Objective: To identify similarities and differences in work and health between persons who, prior to DP changed jobs due to health-reasons (health-selectors) to other disability pensioners. Participants: a retrospective cohort study was performed on a random sample of all individuals in three counties of Sweden who, in 1998, were under the age of 65 and had been granted DP. Methods: A questionnaire was administered in 2000 (n=917, response rate …52%). The responses and register data on sickness absence in 1990--1998 and DP diagnoses were analysed. Results: The health-selection group had lower self-perceived health; more partial sick-leave days during the eight years preceding DP, and DP diagnoses were more often musculoskeletal and psychiatric disorders, than the other disability pensioners. The groups did not differ regarding occupational affiliation before the last job. For subjects in the health-selection group, the job change did more often not involve a change of employer, and more had switched to jobs entailing less physical strain, particularly customer service work. Work history did not differ between the groups regarding the average level of physical work demands during the work career, however, disparities were found in the distribution of demands. Conclusions: The findings pinpoint the importance of studying disability pensioning as a process over time in order to identify and elucidate how exposure and selection interact and contribute to early exclusion from the labour market. Show more

Keywords: Health selection, sick leave, disability pension process, physical exposure, occupational affiliation

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2010-1055

Citation: Work, vol. 37, no. 1, pp. 41-51, 2010

Authors: Haslam, Julie | Pépin, Geneviève | Bourbonnais, Renée | Grignon, Sylvain

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Objective: To determine whether the processes of task performance as measured by the Assessment of Motor and Process Skills (AMPS) would discriminate between the employment levels of adults with schizophrenia. Participants: Twenty adults with schizophrenia who were engaged either in competitive employment, supported employment, prevocational training, or non-vocational activities, participated in this exploratory study. Methods: Each participant completed the AMPS, the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), the Addiction Severity Index (ASI), and the …Worker Role Interview (WRI) to gather data about their occupational performance, symptoms, drug / alcohol use, and psychosocial / environmental factors that might influence their work-related outcomes. Results: Analysis revealed a moderate correlation between the level of employment and the global scores of the process skills scale in the AMPS. Conclusions: This should be seen as preliminary evidence that beyond the basic cognitive functions, processes of task performance may also be a predictor of work-related outcomes for this population. The results also highlighted the importance of considering personal causation and worker roles when assessing the work capacities of these clients. Finally, findings supported the four levels of employment used in this study, which appeared to form a continuum from non-vocational activities, prevocational training, supported employment, through to competitive employment. Show more

Keywords: Schizophrenia, employment, vocational performance, work capacity evaluation, assessment of motor and process skills

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2010-1056

Citation: Work, vol. 37, no. 1, pp. 53-64, 2010

Authors: Poon, Magdalene Y.C. | Siu, Andrew M.H. | Ming, Sin Yuk

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Objective: This study examined the vocational outcomes of young persons with early psychosis after their participation in an occupational therapy program, and identified clinical or process variables that are linked to the vocational outcomes. Participants: A total of 147 clients, aged between 15 and 25, with early psychosis or schizophrenia participated in this study. Methods: A retrospective review of case management plans and outcomes was conducted. A survey form was designed to …record demographic and clinical variables, and a follow-up telephone interview was conducted to monitor the vocational status of clients during the first three months after discharge. Results: Although none of the clients had been engaged in work prior to participation in the programme, 53.7% could maintain a productive role in work (27.2%) or training/education (16.3%) in the three-month follow-up. Better mental condition and insight, stronger motivation for joining treatment, better social support, longer work history, and a shorter period of idleness before joining the programme, were significantly related to more favourable vocational outcomes. Older clients and those with more years of education were more likely to maintain a worker role. Parents were much more conservative about the future work plan than the clients themselves. Conclusions: Symptom management, work habit training, enrichment of the work experience, building social support and cultivation of insight into illness were important strategies related to the successful adoption of a productive role. Show more

Keywords: Early psychosis, occupational therapy, outcome

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2010-1057

Citation: Work, vol. 37, no. 1, pp. 65-70, 2010

Authors: Westerlund, Hugo | Nyberg, Anna | Bernin, Peggy | Hyde, Martin | Oxenstierna, Gabriel | Jäppinen, Paavo | Väänänen, Ari | Theorell, Töres

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Objectives: Research on health effects of managerial leadership has only taken established work environment factors into account to a limited extent. We therefore investigated the associations between a measure of Attentive Managerial Leadership (AML), and perceived stress, age-relative self-rated health, and sickness absence due to overstrain/fatigue, adjusting for the dimensions of the Demand-Control-Support model. Participants: Blue- and white-collar workers from Finland, Germany and Sweden employed in a multi-national forest industry company (N=12,622). …Methods: Cross-sectional data on leadership and health from a company-wide survey analysed with logistic regression in different subgroups. Results: AML was associated with perceived stress, age-relative self-rated health, and sickness absence due to overstrain/fatigue after controlling for the Demand-Control-Support model. Lack of AML was significantly associated with a high stress level in all subgroups (OR=1.68–2.67). Associations with age-relative self-rated health and sickness absence due to overstrain/fatigue were weaker, but still significant, and in the expected direction for several of the subgroups studied, suggesting an association between lack of AML and negative health consequences. Conclusion: The study indicates that managerial leadership is associated with employee stress, health, and sickness absence independently of the Demand-Control-Support model and should be considered in future studies of health consequences for employees, and in work environment interventions. Show more

Keywords: Demands, control, social support, stress, self-rated health

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2010-1058

Citation: Work, vol. 37, no. 1, pp. 71-79, 2010

Authors: McCormack,

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Objective: Work-related injuries (WRI) are costly to employers and the United States government due to missed days at work and medical expenses. This case report documents the results of using ergonomic and behavioral changes to address a client's symptoms due to a WRI. Participant: The client worked as an administrative assistant at a small, private medical college and presented with lateral epicondylitis. Method: She received ergonomic and behavioral interventions to treat her …injury that included modification to her work environment and education on modifying behaviors that would decrease stress and excessive work. Results: The client reported decreased headaches with improved lighting and increased tolerance to typing with the addition of a keyboard tray, but not elimination of her chief complaints with the tray, floor mat, and behavioral changes. Conclusion: Some interventions that occurred at the client's desk resulted in decreased secondary symptoms. No improvements in the primary symptoms were found. Show more

Keywords: Industrial rehabilitation, work-related musculoskeletal disorder, physical therapy

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2010-1059

Citation: Work, vol. 37, no. 1, pp. 81-86, 2010

Authors: Melkas, Helinä

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Objective: This article explores the use of information and communication technologies including safety alarm technologies and their impacts on elderly-care organizations' informational ecology, or internal information environment. Results are reported from a case study on the use of safety telephones and high-tech well-being wristbands that monitor vital signs in Finnish elderly-care organizations. Participants and methods: Data collection involved human impact assessment methodologies including interviews and longer-term assessment processes among 78 care workers at 8 workplaces …offering sheltered accommodation. The assessment results were analyzed qualitatively, also with the help of the concept of information quality. Results and conclusions}: Changes in the informational ecology were identified; informational ecology in a care unit is in many ways affected by technology use. The human impact assessment methodologies and the topic of information quality offered useful and novel points of view about daily care work in increasingly technological environments. Show more

Keywords: Care work, impact assessment, informational ecology, information quality, safety alarm systems

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2010-1060

Citation: Work, vol. 37, no. 1, pp. 87-97, 2010

Authors: Andersen, Gunn Robstad | Aasland, Olaf Gjerlöw | Fridner, Ann | Lövseth, Lise Tevik

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Objectives: The objective of this cross-national study was to identify work-related factors related to the prevalence of harassment, and identify potential similarities and differences in harassment levels and appointed perpetrators within the same professional group across four European cities. Participants: 2078 physicians working in university hospitals in Trondheim, Stockholm, Reykjavik, and Padova participated in the study. Methods: Questionnaire comprised items on direct and indirect experience of workplace harassment, appointed perpetrators, psychosocial work …environment and basic socio-demographics. Results: Harassment was found to be a relatively frequent work environment problem among physicians in all four European cities, with particular high levels in Padova. Role conflict, human resource primacy, empowerment leadership, and control over work pace were all found to be significantly related to workplace harassment. Conclusions: Differences in harassment prevalence and perpetrators indicated a cultural difference between the Italian and the Nordic hospitals. Harassment followed the line of command in Padova in contrast to being a horizontal phenomenon in the Scandinavian hospitals. This may be explained by national differences in organizational systems and traditions. In order to decrease harassment level and create a positive and productive work environment, each organization must employ different strategies in accordance with their harassment patterns. Show more

Keywords: Harassment, bullying, psychosocial work environment, physician working climate, role conflict

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2010-1061

Citation: Work, vol. 37, no. 1, pp. 99-110, 2010

Authors: Gouttebarge, Vincent | Wind, Haije | Kuijer, P. Paul F.M. | Sluiter, Judith K. | Frings-Dresen, Monique H.W.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Objective: The objective of this paper is to propose a three-step procedure that can be used in the selection of functional tests from any full Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE) method in order to assess efficiently physical work-ability in workers with musculoskeletal complaints (MSC) and related functional limitations. Methods: Recently, some authors have considered the selection of functional tests specific to particular jobs from within a full FCE method. In the present study, based on …existing literature and on their own expertise on FCE methods, the authors develop in an analogous manner a conceptual framework for selecting functional tests specific to particular MSCs from within a full FCE method. Results: The first step is to establish the worker's medical condition and to assign it to one or more defined MSC categories (upper extremity, back, lower extremity). The second step is to identify activities that are restricted by the medical condition (e.g., lifting and bending for MSC of the back). The third and final step is to select functional tests from a full FCE tests battery to permit measurement of the restricted activities identified in Step 2, striving to avoid redundancy by selecting a limited number of tests for each activity under investigation. Conclusions: The proposed three-step procedure is a new approach to enhance the efficiency and practicality of FCEs. Show more

Keywords: Physical work-ability, musculoskeletal complaints, practicality, efficiency

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2010-1084

Citation: Work, vol. 37, no. 1, pp. 111-115, 2010