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ISSN 1051-9815 (P)
ISSN 1875-9270 (E)
Impact Factor 2024: 1.7
WORK: A Journal of Prevention, Assessment & Rehabilitation is an interdisciplinary, international journal which publishes high quality peer-reviewed manuscripts covering the entire scope of the occupation of work. The journal's subtitle has been deliberately laid out: The first goal is the prevention of illness, injury, and disability. When this goal is not achievable, the attention focuses on assessment to design client-centered intervention, rehabilitation, treatment, or controls that use scientific evidence to support best practice.
WORK occasionally publishes thematic issues, but in general, issues cover a wide range of topics such as ergonomic considerations with children, youth and students, the challenges facing an aging workforce, workplace violence, injury management, performing artists, ergonomic product evaluations, and the awareness of the political, cultural, and environmental determinants of health related to work.
Dr. Karen Jacobs, the founding editor, and her editorial board especially encourage the publication of research studies, clinical practice, case study reports, as well as personal narratives and critical reflections of lived work experiences (autoethnographic/autobiographic scholarship),
Sounding Board commentaries and
Speaking of Research articles which provide the foundation for better understanding research to facilitate knowledge dissemination.
Narrative Reflections on Occupational Transitions, a new column, is for persons who have successfully transitioned into, between, or out of occupations to tell their stories in a narrative form. With an internationally renowned editorial board,
WORK maintains high standards in the evaluation and publication of manuscripts. All manuscripts are reviewed expeditiously and published in a timely manner.
WORK prides itself on being an author-friendly journal.
WORK celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2015.
*WORK is affiliated with the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists (CAOT)* *WORK is endorsed by the International Ergonomics Association (IEA)* *WORK gives out the yearly Cheryl Bennett Best Paper Award*
Abstract: BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to provide evidence regarding the Baltimore Therapeutic Equipment (BTE) Work Simulator II’s recommended grip endurance protocol. The grip endurance protocol of the BTE Simulator II has never been validated, though it has been used often for the rehabilitation of work-related injuries and other occupational dysfunctions. Without validation, the grip endurance protocol may or may not be providing skilled clinicians with appropriate evaluation results. This study evaluated a protocol comparing the BTE Simulator II to the Jamar Dynamometer to determine how the BTE compares to the Jamar device. OBJECTIVE: To establish…whether the recommended grip endurance protocol for the BTE Simulator II is comparable to the parameters established for the Jamar handgrip dynamometer. METHODS: Data were gathered from 140 participants ages 18 to 40 at the time of the study. Participants completed protocols established for the BTE Simulator II and compared to a performance of a grip strength endurance protocol for the Jamar Handgrip Dynamometer. After establishing baseline strength levels for the participants, they were timed to see how long they could sustain a 30% maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) on each device. Sample t -tests were calculated to compare the results of the BTE Simulator II to the previously validated Jamar device. RESULTS: A dependent sample t- test found no statistically significant difference between the times a participant sustained 30% of their maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) on the BTE Simulator II with attachment #162 versus the Jamar Dynamometer when comparing the differences of the means. This provides possible evidence of validity for the BTE endurance protocol. The independent sample t- test found no statistically significant difference between the grip endurance of the males versus the females, however, the means indicate men sustained 30% of their MVC longer than their female counterparts on the BTE. CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicate that the 30% MVC may be a reliable baseline for grip strength endurance testing following the BTE Simulator II protocol. This suggests that the BTE Simulator II’s endurance protocol may be a useful tool to document client progression during rehabilitation after sustaining an upper extremity dysfunction. Further research is needed to validate this protocol using different populations.
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Abstract: BACKGROUND: Workers in the animal slaughter and processing industry in the United States experience high rates of occupational injury as well as stressful work conditions, yet mental health in this workforce remains largely unstudied. OBJECTIVE: To assess prevalence of serious psychological distress (SPD) in a sample of industrial US slaughterhouse workers. PARTICIPANTS: Workers at an industrial beef packing plant in Nebraska, United States (n = 137). METHODS: We interviewed workers using the Kessler-6, a well-validated measure of non-specific anxiety disorders, to assess SPD. We compared SPD prevalence with national estimates from 2009 CDC’s Behavioral…Risk Factor Surveillance Study. RESULTS: Prevalence of SPD among workers was 4.4%, compared to United States population-wide prevalence of 3.6%. Prevalence of mild and moderate psychological distress among these workers (14.6%) was also higher than national estimates. Recent occupational injury, work area and job activities were not associated with elevated prevalence of SPD. Non-Hispanic white workers experienced elevated prevalence of SPD compared to Hispanic or Latino workers (prevalence odds ratio: 6.4; CI: 1.3, 30.5; p = 0.012). CONCLUSION: Workers at a US industrial slaughterhouse experienced higher prevalence of SPD compared to United States population-wide estimates, but occupational risk factors for this outcome were not identified.
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Keywords: Abattoir, stress, agricultural workers, occupational health psychology, occupational injury
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Return to work is an issue of concern for stroke survivors and their spouses. Ramifications may include loss of income and self-efficacy. OBJECTIVE: This study describes the return to work patterns of stroke survivors and their spousal caregivers post stroke. METHODS: One hundred fifty-nine dyads were examined for their return to work patterns at baseline (post hospital discharge) and then at 3 month intervals for one year. Relationships were determined between work and gender, age, ethnicity, education, type of insurance, type of stroke, location of stroke, motor and cognitive functional status, depression, mutuality, and…life satisfaction. RESULTS: Low levels of return to work by stroke survivors (7.5%) and a small decrease in the amount of working caregivers (from 45.3% to 40.35%) were found one year post baseline. Variables that predicted return to work changed over the five data points except for younger age for the caregiver, which was consistently significant across all data points. Three case scenarios representative of working patterns are offered. CONCLUSIONS: Further research is needed regarding the return to work needs of stroke survivors and their spousal caregivers, particularly what role the occupational therapist may play in facilitating that process.
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Abstract: BACKGROUND: Workplace violence is a serious concern for workers’ mental health and well-being in high risk work sectors. OBJECTIVE: This study examined victims’ and witnesses’ experiences after exposure to workplace violence, and the types of help they used to cope with the violent event. METHODS: Workers (n = 211) from five different work sectors participated in our study. Multiple mediation analysis was used to investigate the indirect effects through psychological and work consequences on victims’ versus witnesses’ differential likelihood of using formal, paraformal and informal helping. RESULTS: Results showed that workplace violence has detrimental…effects on both victims and witnesses. Direct victims were more negatively affected psychologically and at work than witnesses. The indirect effect through psychological difficulty after experiencing workplace violence was significant in predicting formal helping. The indirect effect through reduced work functioning in predicting paraformal helping was also significant. No significant indirect effect was found in predicting informal helping. CONCLUSIONS: Both victims and witnesses used multiple types of helping to cope with the violent event. This study has practical implications on management and clinical practices for better organizations of resources in helping victims and witnesses to cope with workplace violence.
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Abstract: BACKGROUND: Statistics indicate a high risk of developing work-related musculoskeletal disorders among hospital nurses. The challenge is to understand the associations between musculoskeletal symptoms and various individual and occupational risk factors. OBJECTIVE: This study examined the direct and indirect interactions of various risk factors with musculoskeletal complaints in hospital nurses. METHOD: In a cross-sectional design, Iranian hospital nurses from Semnan University of Medical Sciences participated in a questionnaire survey reporting their perceived perceptions of various work-related risk factors and musculoskeletal symptoms. We tested our proposed structural equation model to evaluate the relations between latent and…observed concepts and the relative importance and strength of exogenous variables in explaining endogenous musculoskeletal complaints. RESULTS: Measurement model fits the data relatively acceptable. Our findings showed direct effects of psychological, role-related and work posture stressors on musculoskeletal complaints. Fatigue mediated the adverse indirect relations of psychological, role-related, work posture and individual factors with musculoskeletal complaints. CONCLUSIONS: Structural equation modeling may provide methodological opportunities in occupational health research with a potential to explain the complexity of interactions among risk factors. Prevention of work-related musculoskeletal disorders among nurses must account for physical and psychosocial conditions.
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