Work - Volume 71, issue 3

Authors: Jacobs, Karen

Article Type: Editorial

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-213630

Citation: Work, vol. 71, no. 3, pp. 471-471, 2022

Authors: Sarsak, Hassan Izzeddin

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has been associated with increased stressful impact among different populations that are at an increased risk of mental health problems, such as university students. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the psychological effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on medical and rehabilitation sciences university students, explore the factors affecting them, and provide helpful recommendations for better mental health. METHODS: An online survey was conducted with a sample of medical and rehabilitation sciences students. The anxiety visual analogue scale, the perceived stress scale (PSS), and the impact of events scale-revised (IES-R) were applied. RESULTS: A …total of 244 students completed the survey (60.7% were female). The mean scores of total anxiety, PSS and IES-R were significantly higher in females than males. 34.5% and 29.4% of the students reported that their sleep and appetite were respectively disturbed during the pandemic. Students with adequate knowledge about the COVID-19 pandemic reported a significant decrease in anxiety level (p  = 0.01), perceived stress (p  = 0.00), and less negative impacts of the pandemic (p  = 0.01). CONCLUSION: This study shed light on factors that play a major role in anxiety, perceived stress and stressful impact of COVID-19 pandemic among medical and health sciences students, such as gender, knowledge, educational level, presence of chronic condition, and family financial status. Developing proper mental health management guidelines and providing psychological support are recommended and should be considered. Show more

Keywords: Anxiety and perceived stress, coronavirus, medical and rehabilitation sciences students, mental health, psychological support

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-210243

Citation: Work, vol. 71, no. 3, pp. 473-480, 2022

Authors: Loscalzo, Yura | Giannini, Marco

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: To contain the COVID-19 pandemic, government adopted several measures to restrict social contacts including isolation, quarantine, and limitations on movement from location to location around the country. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the degree to which Italian college students agreed and complied with these measures and to determine if psychological variables have influenced compliance. METHODS: We evaluated 6075 students concerning their agreement with the government’s restrictions, as well as their health anxiety, trait positive and negative affect, and current symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress. We performed MANOVAs, ANOVAs, path analysis, and binary logistic regressions. …RESULTS: We found some differences in compliance with government restrictions concerning gender, geographic location, and major of study. Psychological variables did not play a significant role in predicting compliance with restriction measures and making a call for medical help. However, health anxiety predicted higher levels of worries about having contracted the virus. CONCLUSIONS: Based on our results, university-based interventions should primarily focus on males to foster compliance with government restriction during a pandemic, or health crisis. College students –Social Sciences students in particular –could benefit from counseling interventions to avoid the development of psychological disorders fueled by pandemic worries. Show more

Keywords: Health, lockdown, prevention, quarantine, worry

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-210697

Citation: Work, vol. 71, no. 3, pp. 481-491, 2022

Authors: Yorulmaz, Deniz S. | Karadeniz, Havva | Duran, Seçil | Çelik, İsa

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Musculoskeletal disorders are a significant public health issue that negatively affects individuals and society both socially and economically, and increases the cost of care and cure. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the musculoskeletal problems and risk factors of academicians who transitioned to provide distance education during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: The population of this descriptive cross-sectional study included academicians who worked in two public universities in Turkey. Ethical committee approval and institutional permissions were obtained between 1 and 28 February 2021. Data were collected using a personal information form, the Work Environment Evaluation Questionnaire, …and the Musculoskeletal Pain Intensity Assessment Questionnaire. The data were analyzed using the number, percentage, independent group t -test, ANOVA test, and linear regression analysis (forward method). The analysis was interpreted at the 95% confidence level and 0.05 error margin. RESULTS: Of the academicians, 78% were women, 54.6% were married, 80.6% did not regularly exercise, and 73.5% had more workload during the distance education period. Academicians mostly experienced discomfort about their eyes, necks, and waists, and an increase at a significant level was detected in their musculoskeletal system problems during the distance education period. Increasing workload, duration of mobile phone use, active time, having an ergonomic chair, and gender predicted the musculoskeletal system pain intensity by 20%. CONCLUSION: Musculoskeletal system problems are a significant public health issue. Academicians should be informed and consulted for the protection of musculoskeletal system health during the distance education period. Show more

Keywords: COVID-19, distance education, musculoskeletal system, universities

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-210902

Citation: Work, vol. 71, no. 3, pp. 493-503, 2022

Authors: Rafiq, Muhammad | Shahzad, Fakhar | Farrukh, Muhammad | Khan, Imran

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: COVID-19 challenged and brought turmoil to the healthcare workers’ mental and psychological well-being. Specifically, they are feeling tremendous pressure and many of them worry about their work conditions and even intent to leave them. In this situation, it is of utmost for them to satisfied their lives during the challenging situation. OBJECTIVE: This paper explores the relationship of life satisfaction with healthcare workers' turnover intention during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was hypothesized that this relationship would be mediated by trust climate, and this mediation association would be stronger when workers experience job embeddedness in the workplace. …METHODS: Survey data were collected from the 520 healthcare workers. A moderated mediation examination was employed to test the hypotheses. RESULTS: Results revealed that life satisfaction is positively related to a trusting climate that, in turn, is negatively related to workers’ turnover intention. Moreover, the association between life satisfaction and turnover intention was moderated by job embeddedness. CONCLUSIONS: Focusing on improving healthcare workers’ job embeddedness and increasing their trust climate might enhance life satisfaction and reduce turnover intention. The implications of the findings are also discussed for research and practice. Show more

Keywords: Job embeddedness, wellbeing, COVID-19 pandemic, trust, turnover intention

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-210995

Citation: Work, vol. 71, no. 3, pp. 505-514, 2022

Authors: Üngüren, Engin | Ceyhan, Sefa | Türker, Nazlı

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Empirical findings are needed to determine how the fear of COVID-19 might change in the context of different individuals. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to determine the moderating role of fatalism and psychological resilience on the effect of fear of COVID-19 on general mental health. METHODS: This study makes use of qualitative research methods that involved collecting data from 355 full-time waiters via questionnaires on online platforms. RESULT: The collected data suggests that the fear of COVID-19 has a significant negative impact on mental well-being. Morever, the data gathered for this study also indicates …that the fear of COVID-19 infection differs significantly according to the fatalistic belief and psychological resilience levels of the waiters. CONCLUSIONS: Findings of this study indicate that the psychological effects of infectious diseases on individuals are not universal, but rather depend on the personal characteristics of individuals. It is hoped that the results of this study will contribute to the reduction of negative effects associated with the general anxiety of pandemic that individuals experience. Show more

Keywords: Fear of COVID-19, mental well-being, fatalism, psychological resilience.

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-211030

Citation: Work, vol. 71, no. 3, pp. 515-526, 2022

Authors: Matisāne, Linda | Paegle, Linda | Vanadziņš, Ivars | Rozentāle, Sarmīte | Grīntāle, Ieva | Mietule, Iveta | Lonska, Jeļena | Litavniece, Lienīte | Arbidāne, Iluta

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: In general, companies with trade unions perform better in occupational health and safety, therefore, we assume that these companies should have performed better in transition to healthy and safe telework if compared with other companies. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to assess the role of company trade unions on the implementation of telework arrangements in Latvia during the 1st emergency state in spring 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: A web-based survey based on snowball sampling method and social media advertisements was used to gather information from teleworkers. After data cleaning, …answers from 422 teleworkers reporting having (wTU) or not having trade unions (nTU) in their companies were included in the analysis. RESULTS: There was a significantly higher percentage of workers with teleworking experience in companies with no trade unions (37.4% nTU versus 18.1% wTU). More respondents from companies with trade unions reported buying a new computer and headphones which means that more persons had to invest their finances to be able to perform their work. Workers from companies with no trade unions were more often advised on home office ergonomics (21.2% wTU versus 28.1% nTU). The odds of all analyzed health problems (pain, sore eyes, and anxiety) were increased in workers who reported having trade unions. CONCLUSION: Companies with trade unions were less ready for the forced transition to teleworking. These results contradict the traditional understanding of trade unions as a promoting factor for a healthy and safe working environment. Show more

Keywords: Distance work, work from home, worker representation

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-211042

Citation: Work, vol. 71, no. 3, pp. 527-537, 2022

Authors: Sarfraz, Muddassar | Hafeez, Hira | Abdullah, Muhammad Ibrahim | Ivascu, Larisa | Ozturk, Ilknur

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: The ravages of COVID-19 have created a worldwide emergency in healthcare units. Under these circumstances, the perception of an infection threat is primarily affecting the employees’ performance in reducing contagion effects. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to develop substantial measures of support for healthcare employees to maintain adequacy in job performance. METHODS: Data were collected from state-owned hospitals in Pakistan to test the current study’s proposed model. We applied structural equation modeling through a partial least square regression in addition to the blindfolding approach in Smart-PLS. Confirmatory factor analysis was also employed to …measure the study’s validity. RESULTS: The current study’s findings show that the perception of a threat from COVID-19 and the inadequate protective measures have influenced frontline healthcare workers’ performance levels. The mediating path of depression symptoms indicated the threat of COVID-19 and the absence of protective measures as potential determinants of poor performance. However, an employee’s ability to feel obligated toward their job duties reduces the effect of depression on employee performance. CONCLUSION: The current model highlights an individual’s feelings of obligation to maintain their performance level by minimizing the effect of depression and professional anxiety. The present study extensively described the psychological constraints healthcare workers are facing during the current pandemic. Current research addressing healthcare employees’ mental health is vital for better prevention and control during pandemic circumstances. The current study’s findings extend the emerging understanding of employee psychology in such circumstances. Show more

Keywords: Mental health, depression, nurses’ performance, psychology, felt obligation, public health

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-211073

Citation: Work, vol. 71, no. 3, pp. 539-550, 2022

Authors: Kakaraparthi, Venkata Nagaraj | Vishwanathan, Karthik | Gadhavi, Bhavana | Reddy, Ravi Shankar | Tedla, Jaya Shanker | Samuel, Paul Silvian | Dixit, Snehil | Alshahrani, Mastour Saeed | Gannamaneni, Vamsi Krishna

Article Type: Review Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) and ergonomic risk factors are widespread problems in the healthcare sector. OBJECTIVE: The primary objective of this review is to evaluate the application of the Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) tool in various healthcare professionals and to assess the level of ergonomic risk among them. METHODS: The databases MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, LILACS, SCIELO, DOAJ, PubMed, and PEDro were searched with terms associated with ergonomics, assessment, health care providers, risk factors, workplace, and RULA. We reviewed the literature from 2000 to 2020, including studies assessing RULA’s effectiveness for evaluating the WMSD’s and …ergonomic risk in health care practitioners. We excluded the studies which were not open access and freely available. RESULTS: Overall, 757 records were screened; of these 40 potential studies, 13 different healthcare professionals were identified as eligible for inclusion. In most studies, the RULA tool was established as an effective tool in application and evaluating the level of the ergonomic risk among them. CONCLUSIONS: The RULA tool assessed the high ergonomic risk levels in dental professionals and low ergonomic risk levels in professionals working in the pharmacy department, clearly suggesting potential changes in work postures were necessary to prevent or reduce these risk factors. Show more

Keywords: Ergonomics, assessment, musculoskeletal disease, health care providers, risk factors, workplace, RULA

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-210239

Citation: Work, vol. 71, no. 3, pp. 551-564, 2022

Authors: Villamil, Valentina | Wolbring, Gregor

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Early involvement of stakeholders in neuroethics and neurogovernance discourses of neuroscientific and neurotechnological advancements is seen as essential to curtail negative consequences. Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and audiologists (AUs) make use of neuroadvancements including cochlear implants, brain-computer interfaces, and deep-brain stimulation. Although they have a stake in neuroethics and neurogovernance discussions, they are rarely mentioned in having a role, whether as professionals or as citizens. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to explore the role of SLPs and AUs as professionals and citizens in neuroethics and neurogovernance discussions and examine the utility of lifelong learning mechanisms to …learn about the implications of neuroadvancements to contribute in a meaningful way to these discussions. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews conducted with 7 SLPs and 3 AUs were analyzed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Participants stated that their roles expected from them as professionals and as citizens indicate the importance to be knowledgeable on ethical, legal, and social implications of neuroadvancements and that lifelong learning is not used to learn about these implications. CONCLUSION: More must be done to facilitate the participation of SLPs and AUs in neuroethics and neurogovernance discussions, which would enrich the neuroethics and neurogovernance discourses benefitting patients, professionals, and the public. Show more

Keywords: Neuroscience, neurotechnologies, lifelong learning, neuroethics, role expectation

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-205104

Citation: Work, vol. 71, no. 3, pp. 565-584, 2022