Occupational Health

Applying exponential smoothing to forecast the number of occupational accidents in Bulgaria

by Preslav Dimitrov

Published in Journal of Science & Research, edition of The Bulgarian Chamber for Science, Education and Culture, Volume 2, 2011, pp. 38-50

The statistical recording of occupational accidents in Bulgaria has a history of almost a century. The first annual... more The statistical recording of occupational accidents in Bulgaria has a history of almost a century. The first annual statistical data were recorded 1922 and the annual statistical surveys were published in joint editions at every four or five years up to 1988. The only exception took place within the period 1948 – 1951 when there were no statistical records made due to the turbulent economic situation after the end of the World War II, the transition to a Soviet-style planned economy (the nationalization of the private industrial enterprises), the aftermaths of the Paris Treaty (stipulating the expropriation of all the German industrial property in Bulgaria in favour of the Soviet Union and the consequent having it back arrangements needed to be accepted by the Bulgarian government. Since 1989 till now, the annual statistic data have regularly been recorded in the statistical yearbooks of the Republic of Bulgaria. All these allows quite a long time series to built and thus to search for a method for the future forecasting of the occupational accidents in Bulgaria for planning and policing making purposes.
The present paper regards the application of some forecasting methods for the purpose of the short and long-run forecasting of occupational accidents in Bulgaria, as well as the circumstances that define certain variables (smoothing constants) in these methods.

Sunuş: Gerçek Olağanüstü Hal: Çalışırken Ölüyoruz, Yaralanıyoruz, Hasta Oluyoruz!

by Asli Odman

This is the review and presentation of the turkish translation of the book "Travailer peux nuir gravement a votre santé" by Annie Thébaud-Mony, published in 2007 by  La Decouverte, and in 2012 by Ayrıntı Yayınevi.

Tuzla’yı, Davutpaşa’yı, Karadon faciasını, saatli bomba asbestin etkilerini anlamak için kılavuz bir kitap. Usta... more Tuzla’yı, Davutpaşa’yı, Karadon faciasını, saatli bomba asbestin etkilerini anlamak için kılavuz bir kitap. Usta sosyolog Thébaud-Mony hepimizin bir politika olarak uygulanan güvencesizleştirme ile nasıl sağlık ve canımızı kaybettiğimizi, Fransa, İtalya, Hindistan, Brezilya, Güney Afrika, Kanada’dan somut örneklerle anlatıyor. Sırf iş güvenliği uzmanları için değil, güvenceli güvencesiz, evde, işyerinde, kadın, erkek, Türkiyeli, göçmen çalışma hayatının içindeki herkes için bir ‘YANGIN ALARMI’ veriyor bu kitap.

Workers' Risk Underestimation and Occupational Health and Safety Regulation

by Stavros Drakopoulos

Co-Author, I. Theodossiou
Discussion Paper, 2011

The epidemiology of neck pain.

by Melinda Protani

Authors: Hoy DG, Protani M, De R, Buchbinder R

Published in: Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol. 2010 Dec;24(6):783-92.

Neck pain is becoming increasingly common throughout the world. It has a considerable impact on individuals and their... more Neck pain is becoming increasingly common throughout the world. It has a considerable impact on individuals and their families, communities, health-care systems, and businesses. There is substantial heterogeneity between neck pain epidemiological studies, which makes it difficult to compare or pool data from different studies. The estimated 1 year incidence of neck pain from available studies ranges between 10.4% and 21.3% with a higher incidence noted in office and computer workers. While some studies report that between 33% and 65% of people have recovered from an episode of neck pain at 1 year, most cases run an episodic course over a person's lifetime and, thus, relapses are common. The overall prevalence of neck pain in the general population ranges between 0.4% and 86.8% (mean: 23.1%); point prevalence ranges from 0.4% to 41.5% (mean: 14.4%); and 1 year prevalence ranges from 4.8% to 79.5% (mean: 25.8%). Prevalence is generally higher in women, higher in high-income countries compared with low- and middle-income countries and higher in urban areas compared with rural areas. Many environmental and personal factors influence the onset and course of neck pain. Most studies indicate a higher incidence of neck pain among women and an increased risk of developing neck pain until the 35-49-year age group, after which the risk begins to decline. The Global Burden of Disease 2005 Study is currently making estimates of the global burden of neck pain in relation to impairment and activity limitation, and results will be available in 2011.

The Loughborough Occupational Impact of Sleep Scale (LOISS): A New Instrument for Research and Clinical Practice

by Erica Kucharczyk

Published in Behavioral Sleep Medicine (2011)

Despite the emphasis placed on occupational impairment as a consequence of most sleep disorders, there is currently no... more Despite the emphasis placed on occupational impairment as a consequence of most sleep disorders, there is currently no standardized measure for quantifying the occupational impact of sleep quality at the individual level. Using existing scales, a comprehensive literature review, and focus groups to generate items, as well as psychometric analyses to reduce items, these analyses describe the development of a scale to assess workplace performance in relation to sleep quality. In a survey of 222 employees aged 20 to 64 years, the resulting 19-item instrument (the Loughborough Occupational Impact of Sleep Scale [LOISS]) showed satisfactory levels of reliability, effective discrimination between “good” and “poor” sleepers, and an interpretable 2-factor structure. LOISS provides a practical tool for population screening and clinical assessment.

Assessment of Radiation Exposure of Nuclear Medicine Staff using Personal TLD Dosimeters and Charcoal Detectors

by Fernando Jimenez

F. Jiménez, M. García-Talavera, P. García-Talavera, G. M. Singi, E. Martín , R. Pardo, L. Deban

International Radiation Protection Association XII Congress. Paris. 2006

Although the main concern regarding exposure to ionizing radiation for nuclear medicine workers is external radiation,... more Although the main concern regarding exposure to ionizing radiation for nuclear medicine workers is external radiation, inhalation of radionuclides can significantly contribute to the imparted doses. We propose a new approach to assess exposure to inhalation of 131I based on passive monitoring using activated charcoal detectors. We compared the inhalation doses to the staff of a nuclear medicine department, based on the measurements derived from charcoal detectors placed at various locations, and the external doses monitored using personal TLD dosimeters.

Predictors of self-reported burnout in nurses: work-related vs. individual factors in the European longitudinal Nurses' Early Exit-Study (NEXT). Comparing national differences and multivariate models.

by Juliane Hardt

Hardt J, Galatsch M, Schmidt SG, Müller BH. Predictors of self-reported burnout in nurses: work-related vs. individual factors in the European longitudinal Nurses' Early Exit-Study (NEXT). Comparing national differences and multivariate models. Mainz//2011. 56. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Medizinische Informatik, Biometrie und Epidemiologie (gmds), 6. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Epidemiologie (DGEpi). Mainz, 26.-29.09.2011. Düsseldorf: German Medical Science GMS Publishing House; 2011. Doc11gmds268 (11gmds268). DOI: 10.3205/11gmds268, URN: urn:nbn:de:0183-11gmds2681

Background: The demographic changes in Europe cause an increasing need of qualified nursing staff. Therefore, it is... more Background: The demographic changes in Europe cause an increasing need of qualified nursing staff. Therefore, it is important to develop concepts for maintaining a high work ability and motivation of the nursing workforce based on risk factor models. Previous results from the NEXT study have indicated that the individual risk of burnout is an important prognostic factor of the intention to leave nursing [1], [2]. The aim of this analysis was to investigate the associations of sociodemographic, individual and work-related factors with burnout measures one year later among nurses in Europe using questionnaire data of a longitudinal study.

Method: Longitudinal data of 8877 qualified nurses and nursing aids in Germany (n=1639), Finland (n=2335), Italy (n=2314), the Netherlands (n=952), Poland (n=1223) and Slovakia (n=414) from the NEXT study were available for analyses [3]. The questionnaire comprised sociodemographic and institutional factors, nine work-related factors as well as individual factors (overcommitment [4], positive and negative affectivity [5]) that may be associated with burnout. The subjective extent of burnout symptoms was assessed with the scale "personal burnout" (Copenhagen Burnout Inventory [6], [7] at baseline and at one-year follow-up. Uni- and multivariate linear regression analyses were applied to analyze four models of factor groups with increasing model complexity in comparison of the 6 countries.

Results: Differences in the reported extent of individual and work-related indicators and differences between the prediction models of the six countries were remarkable. Mean levels of burnout measures were lowest in Dutch nurses who also reported better social support, and lower levels of work-family conflict, individual overcommitment and negative affectivity. A model optimizing strategy (stepwise method) with four consecutive linear regression models was applied. Sociodemographic and institutional factors had no effects (R²corr:.004-.051). Individual factors showed substantial effects for five of the six countries (∆R²corr:.115-.251;MD=.172); in contrast to work-related factors (∆R²corr:-.008-.029;MD=.034). When the models were adjusted for burnout level in the first year, model-fit indices again slightly increased (∆R²corr:.075-.202;MD=.180). Models were best predictive for the German and least predictive for the Polish sample.

Discussion: Our results show individual factors to be important predictors for burnout scores of nurses one year later. These findings were supported by the literature of burnout research [8], [9], [10], [11]. However, problems of type III error also need to be considered [cf. [12], [13], [14], [15]. Further analyses should be extended to model specific interaction effects of individual and work-related factors. Such models will provide further evidence for predictor models as well as preventional and interventional concepts.


References

1. Hasselhorn HM, Tackenberg P, Müller BH. Intent to leave nursing in the European nursing profession. In: Hasselhorn HM, Tackenberg P, Müller BH, eds. Working conditions and intent to leave the profession among nursing staff in Europe. Stockholm: National Institute for Working Life and authors; 2003. p. 115-24.

2. Estryn-Behar M, Van der Heijden BI, Oginska H, et al. The impact of social work environment, teamwork characteristics, burnout, and personal factors upon intent to leave among European nurses. Med Care. 2007;45(10):939-50.

3. Hasselhorn HM, Müller BH, Tackenberg P, Kümmerling A, NEXT-Study-Group. NEXT Scientific Report. Wuppertal, Germany: 2005.

4. Siegrist J, Starke D, Chandola T, Godin I, Marmot M, Niedhammer I, et al. The measurement of effort-reward imbalance at work: European comparisons. Soc Sci Med. 2004;58(8):1483-99.

5. Watson D, Clark LA, Tellegen A. Development and validation of brief measures of positive and negative affect: the PANAS scales. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1988;54(6):1063-70.

6. Kristensen TS, Borritz M, Villadsen E, Christensen KB. The Copenhagen Burnout Inventory: A new tool for the assessment of burnout. Work & Stress. 2005;19(3):192-207.

7. Borritz M, Kristensen T. Copenhagen Burnout Inventory: Normative data from a presentative Danish population on Personal Burnout and Results from the PUMA Study on Personal Burnout, Work Burnout, and Client Burnout. Copenhagen: National Institute of Occupational Health; 2001.

8. Halbesleben JRB, Buckley MR. Burnout in organizational life. Journal of Management. 2004;30(6):859-79.

9. Jansen PGM, Kerkstra A, bu-Saad HH, Van Der Zee J. The effects of job characteristics and individual characteristics on job satisfaction and burnout in community nursing. International Journal of Nursing Studies. 1996;33(4):407-21.

10. Burisch M. A longitudinal study of burnout: The relative importance of dispositions and experiences. Work & Stress. 2002;16(1):1-17.

11. Bakker AB, Schaufeli WB, Sixma HJ, Bosveld W, van Dierendonck D. Patient demands, lack of reciprocity, and burnout: A five-year longitudinal study among general practitioners. Journal of Organizational Behavior. 2000;21(4):425.

12. Kimball AW. Errors of the Third Kind in Statistical Consulting. Journal of the American Statistical Association. 1957;52(278):133-42.

13
Lu TH. International comparisons: they do help and are essential for avoiding type III error. Injury Prevention. 2001;7(4):270-1.
14.
Schwartz S, Carpenter KM. The right answer for the wrong question: consequences of type III error for public health research. Am J Public Health. 1999;89(8):1175-80.
15.
Rose G. Sick Individuals and Sick Populations. International Journal of Epidemiology. 1985;14(1):32-8.

Psychometrische Validierung von Fragebögen für epidemiologische Studien: Psychometrische Prüfung der COPSOQ-Skalen in der lidA-Kohortenstudie. Ergebnisse des Pretests zum Befragungsinstrument (CAPI). (Willner M, Iskenius M, Hardt J

by Juliane Hardt

Willner M, Iskenius M, Hardt J. Psychometrische Validierung von Fragebögen für epidemiologische Studien: Psychometrische Prüfung der COPSOQ-Skalen in der lidA-Kohortenstudie. Ergebnisse des Pretests zum Befragungsinstrument (CAPI). Mainz//2011. 56. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Medizinische Informatik, Biometrie und Epidemiologie (gmds), 6. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Epidemiologie (DGEpi). Mainz, 26.-29.09.2011. Düsseldorf: German Medical Science GMS Publishing House; 2011. Doc11gmds127 (11gmds127)
DOI: 10.3205/11gmds127, URN: urn:nbn:de:0183-11gmds1276.

Einleitung: Die lidA-Kohortenstudie untersucht die Einflüsse arbeitsbezogener (vor allem psychosozialer... more Einleitung: Die lidA-Kohortenstudie untersucht die Einflüsse arbeitsbezogener (vor allem psychosozialer Arbeitsfaktoren), personenbezogener sowie sozialer Faktoren auf die Gesundheit älterer Erwerbstätiger sowie weitere Outcomes. In einem sequentiellen Kohortendesign werden 6.600 Erwerbstätige zweier Geburtsjahrgänge (1959, 1965) mit einem Computer-assisted Personal Interview (CAPI) befragt [1]. Das Befragungsinstrument umfasst vorwiegend Skalen und Items etablierter Instrumente, die jeweils originär als Fragebogen entwickelt wurden. In einer Feasibility-Studie wurde 2010 ein Pretest des CAPI-Instruments durchgeführt und mithilfe psychometrischer Analysen wurde geprüft, ob die testtheoretischen Gütekriterien [2], [3], [4] der Skalen bei Verwendung im CAPI mit den Werten der Fragebogenversionen vergleichbar sind und im Rahmen einer epidemiologischen Studie eingesetzt werden können. Die Ergebnisse der psychometrischen Analysen werden hier für 6 Skalen des COPSOQ-Fragebogens [5], [6] dargestellt.

Methoden: Der Pretest des CAPI-Instruments wurde an einer Stichprobe von 200 Personen durchgeführt. Das umfangreiche Befragungsinstrument umfasst u.a. 6 Skalen des COPSOQ, der die individuelle Bewertung von Arbeitsbedingungen (z.B. quantitative Arbeitsanforderungen, soziale Unterstützung, Führungsqualität) mit validierten Skalen basierend auf likertskalierten Items erfragt. Für die Items der COPSOQ-Skalen wurden deskriptive Statistiken, Schwierigkeitsindizes, Trennschärfekoeffizienten und interne Konsistenzen (Cronbach's alpha) berechnet sowie Verteilungsannahmen geprüft. Zur Analyse der Konstruktvalidität wurde die Dimensionalität der Skalen geprüft. Nach Interkorrelationsanalysen der Skalen wurden die Item-Werte z-transformiert und mit einer Hauptkomponentenanalyse (Varimax-Rotation) die Faktorenstruktur der verwendeten COPSOQ-Skalen geprüft.

Ergebnisse: Es zeigten sich Decken- und Bodeneffekte für Items in drei der sechs Skalen (soziale Unterstützung, Entwicklungsmöglichkeiten, Einfluss bei der Arbeit). Die Werte aller Items der 6 Skalen waren nicht normalverteilt, Schiefe (Median = -0.14; Range: -1.45 – 1.03) und Kurtosis (Median = -0.62; Range: -1.39 – 1.64) variierten stark. Die Schwierigkeitsindizes für die 6 Skalen variierten von 25-77, die Trennschärfekoeffizienten von 0.57-0.86 (alle signifikant) und Cronbach's alpha von 0.63-0.88. In der Hauptkomponentenanalyse bestätigte sich die angenommene 6-Faktoren-Lösung mit den höchsten Faktorladungen der Items auf dem jeweiligen Skalenfaktor (MW = .760, Range: .518-.864).

Diskussion: Die psychometrische Qualität der COPSOQ-Skalen im CAPI wurde insgesamt als gut bewertet. Die bekannten Decken- und Bodeneffekt bestätigten sich. Schwierigkeitsindizes und Trennschärfekoeffizienten zeigten akzeptable Werte und die faktorielle Struktur konnte bestätigt werden. Die COPSOQ-Skalen scheinen damit für die Verwendung im CAPI ausreichend validiert und werden in der deutschen Version [6] vergleichbar mit Referenzpopulationen eingesetzt.
Gliederung
Literatur

1. du Prel JB, Hardt J, Rauch A, Rose U, Schröder H, Steinwede J, Swart E, Trappmann M, Müller BH, Hasselhorn HM, Peter R, the lidA Study Group. A prospective longitudinal investigation of work-related health determinants of an aging workforce in Germany – the lidA Study. Longitudinal and Life Course Studies. 2010;1(3 Suppl):281.

2. Lienert G, Raatz U. Testaufbau und Testanalyse. Weinheim: Beltz Psychologie Verl.-Union; 1998.
3. Bühner M. Einführung in die Test- und Fragebogenkonstruktion. 3rd ed. München, Boston: Pearson Studium; 2010
4. Streiner D, Norman GR. Health measurement scales: a practical guide to their development and use. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press; 2008.
5.
Pejtersen JH, Kristensen TS, Borg V, Björner JB. The second version of the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire. Scand J Public Health. 2010;38(3 Suppl):8-24.
6.
Methoden zur Erfassung psychischer Belastungen – Erprobung eines Messinstrumentes (COPSOQ). Schriftenreihe der Bundesanstalt für Arbeitsschutz und Arbeitsmedizin (BAuA), Fb 1058. Berlin: BAuA; 2005.

Griffiths, M.D. (2011). Workaholism: A 21st century addiction. The Psychologist: Bulletin of the British Psychological Society, 24, 740-744.

by Mark Griffiths

Despite four decades of research into workaholism, Taris, Geurts, Schaufeli, et al. (2008) contend that no single... more Despite four decades of research into workaholism, Taris, Geurts, Schaufeli, et al. (2008) contend that no single definition or conceptualization of this phenomenon has emerged. Much that has been written about workaholism has been anecdotal and/or clinical in nature. Furthermore, much of the work into the area has used operational definitions that do not conceptualise workaholism as an addiction or if they do conceptualise it as an addiction, the criteria used are somewhat dissimilar to the criteria used when examining other behavioural addictions such as gambling addiction, Internet addiction, sex addiction, exercise addiction, video game addiction, etc. In this paper the definitions and criteria used by researchers in the field of workaholism are briefly overviewed and it is argued that few researchers to date have really focused on workaholism as ‘addiction to work’. In this paper, a different set of criteria for workaholism is suggested based on the author’s research into other behavioural addictions including gambling addiction, video game addiction, internet addiction and sex addiction. Although all addictive behaviours have idiosyncratic differences, addictions commonly share more similarities than dissimilarities.

Methodological aspects of the lidA cohort study

by Juliane Hardt

Hardt J, Iskenius M, du Prel JB, Rose U, Peter R, and the lidA Study Group. Methodological aspects of the lidA cohort study. Gesundheitswesen 2010; 72, 681. DOI: 10.1055/s-0030-1266756

A prospective longitudinal investigation of work-related health determinants of an aging workforce in Germany - the lidA Study

by Juliane Hardt

du Prel JB, Hardt J, Rauch A, Rose U, Schröder H, Steinwede J, Swart E, Trappmann M, Müller BH, Hasselhorn HM, Peter R, and the lidA Study Group. A prospective longitudinal investigation of work-related health determinants of an aging workforce in Germany - the lidA Study. Longitudinal and Life Course Studies (LLCS), 2010;1(3): 281 (Suppl.).

Work-related factors and individual predictors of self-reported burnout among nurses in Europe - results from the longitudinal Nurses’ Early Exit-Study (NEXT)

by Juliane Hardt

Galatsch M, Hardt J, Schmidt SG, Nienhaus A, Müller BH, Hasselhorn HM. Work-related factors and individual predictors of self-reported burnout among nurses in Europe - results from the longitudinal Nurses’ Early Exit-Study (NEXT). Conference Paper. 4th International Scientific Conference on Nursing and Health Care Research. Proceedings of Lectures with Peer Review. ISBN 978-961-92918-5-6.Jesenice College of Nursing, Lubljana (Slovenia), 2011. p. 106-117.

Griffiths, M.D. (2005). Tips on…Appraisals. British Medical Journal Careers, 331, 244.

by Mark Griffiths

Sense of humor at work: Assessment and associations with work

by Sibe Doosje

Ph.D. thesis (2010)

Aim of the study was to connect humorous coping and occupational health. Humorous coping measurement was reviewed. A... more Aim of the study was to connect humorous coping and occupational health. Humorous coping measurement was reviewed. A new Questionnaire of Occupational Humorous Coping (QOHC) was developed and validated. The QOHC was tested in a health psychological model incorporating other occupational health related variables. Finally, burnout was related to humorous coping and humor styles. The QOHC scales had good validity and reliability. Humorous coping was slightly related to common cold incidence and also to burnout dimensions. Positive humor styles and humorous behaviors were negatively related to burnout dimensions.

Laboratorium der Informalität: Angekündigte Arbeitsunfälle in der Schiffsbauindustrie in Tuzla/İstanbul

by Asli Odman

published in: Perspektiven auf die Türkei - Ökonomische und gesellschaftliche (Dis)Kontinuitäten im Kontext der Europäisierung. 2008, ed. by Ataç, İlker / Küçük, Bülent / Şener, Ulaş; Münster: Westfällisches Dampfboot, 164-185.

Die Schiffsbauindustrie in der Türkei ist heute zu etwa 90% (räumlich und produktionswertmäßig) an der Aydınlı Bucht... more Die Schiffsbauindustrie in der Türkei ist heute zu etwa 90% (räumlich und produktionswertmäßig) an der Aydınlı Bucht in Tuzla zentralisiert. Tuzla ist somit auch der einzige Fall in der globalen Schiffsbauindustrie, wo der Sektor fast völlig an einem Standort zentralisiert ist. Das Werden der Aydınlı Bucht zum Schiffsbaustandort ist eine Geschichte von mehreren Verschiebungen, im räumlichen, sozialen und metaphorischen Sinne. Auf diese Verschiebungen wollen wir eingehen, um die „Chronik der angekündigten Tode“ in Tuzla zu beleuchten.

Indoor Air Quality and Sick Building Syndrome in Malaysian Buildings

by Syazwan Aizat Ismail [RMNVR]

http://profile.upm.edu.my/syazwan/en.html

This study was done to investigate the association between sick building syndrome (SBS) and indoor air pollutants in... more This study was done to investigate the association between sick building syndrome (SBS) and indoor air pollutants in two
different buildings (old and new). Hundred and seventy six office workers were randomly selected in this study form
April to September 2008. One office from Tower 1, in one private building at Kuala Lumpur City Center (KLCC)
categorized as Building A (old building), while another government building, Malaysia Energy Center categorizes as
Building B (new building). Modified IAQ and Work Symptoms Survey, NIOSH Indoor Environmental Quality Survey (1991) was used to measure the SBS occurrence. Measurement of IAQ was performed according to IAQ Code of Practice,
Department Occupational Safety and Health, (DOSH, 2005) Malaysia. Building A and B recorded 93 and 83 respondents
respectively. Ventilation rate were significantly higher in Building B compared to Building A with median 21.10
cfm/person and 18.60 cfm/person respectively (z = -11.70, p < 0.001). Higher prevalence of SBS recorded in Building A,
compared to Building B (Z2 = 11.9, p = 0.001). Significantly higher of IAP in Building A compare to B for CO2, CO,
TVOC, PM10, PM2.5, while Building B showed higher concentration of Ultrafine Particle and Temperature Humidity
Index (THI) value. There were significant association between ventilation rate and the prevalence of SBS (OR = 3.13,
95% CI = 1.62 – 6.06). Study result showed that indoor pollutants in old building were high, while new building showed
indoor pollutants high for THI value and UFP. The level of THI and CO2 concentration was major factor contribute to
SBS complain among office workers.
Keywords: Indoor air quality (IAQ), Sick building syndrome (SBS), Old and new building, Indoor Air Pollutants (IAP),
KLCC, PTM

Stephan, U. & Roesler, U. (2010). Comparison of entrepreneurs’ and employee’s health in a national representative sample. Journal of Occupational & Organisational Psychology, 83(3), 717-738.

by Ute Stephan

http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/bpsoc/joop/2010/00000083/00000003/art00009

Prior research has found entrepreneurs to experience significantly higher job control and job demands compared with... more Prior research has found entrepreneurs to experience significantly higher job control and job demands compared with employees. This suggests that entrepreneurs have so-called active jobs and thus may benefit from positive health consequences. Thev present research compared entrepreneurs’ health with employees’ health in a national representative sample with regard to the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th revision (ICD-10) diagnoses of somatic diseases, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition (DSM-IV) diagnoses of mental disorders, blood pressure, well-being (life-satisfaction) as well as behavioural health indicators (sick days, physician visits). Entrepreneurs showed significantly lower overall somatic and mental morbidity, lower blood pressure, lower prevalence rates of hypertension, and somatoform disorders, as well as higher well-being and more favourable behavioural health indicators. The results are discussed with regard to the
active job hypothesis and recommendations for future research are provided.

Occupational Stressors and the Mental Health of Truckers

by Mona Shattell

This paper was published in Issues in Mental Health Nursing and was co-authored by Yorghos Apostolopoulos, Sevil Sönmez, and Mary Griffin.

Trucking has been classified as one of the highest-risk occupations in the United States. Occupational stress is even... more Trucking has been classified as one of the highest-risk occupations in the United States. Occupational stress is even greater for long-haul truckers who are away from home, family, friends, and other support networks for several days or weeks at a time. Occupational stressors and the mental health of truckers was studied using data collected as part of a large multisite ethnoepidemiological study of trucker networks. Findings from the current study show that truckers face many occupational stressors including constant time pressures, social isolation, disrespectful treatment from others, driving hazards such as weather changes, traffic, and road conditions, and violence or fear of violence. Facing such stressors may be a factor in the prevalence of risky behaviors including drug use and paying for sex. Therefore, mental health promotion and treatment for truckers is an important area of concern and must be examined within the broader context of the transportation environment.

Worksite-induced morbidities of truck drivers in the United States.

by Mona Shattell

Why Don't Pesticide Applicators Protect Themselves?: Exploring the Use of Personal Protective Equipment Among Colombian Smallholders

by Giuseppe Feola

with C.R. Binder, International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health, 16(1):11-23. Also available here: http://centaur.reading.ac.uk/23999/

The misuse of personal protective equipment (PPE) during pesticide application was investigated among smallholders in... more The misuse of personal protective equipment (PPE) during pesticide application was investigated among smallholders in Colombia. The integrative agent-centered (IAC) framework and a logistic regression approach were adopted. The results suggest that the descriptive social norm was significantly influencing PPE use. The following were also important: (1) having experienced pesticide-related health problems; (2) age; (3) the share of pesticide application carried out; and (4) the perception of PPE hindering work. Interestingly, the influence of these factors differed for different pieces of PPE. Since conformity to the social norm is a source of rigidity in the system, behavioral change may take the form of a discontinuous transition. In conclusion, five suggestions for triggering a transition towards more sustainable PPE use are formulated: (1) diversifying targets/tools; (2) addressing structural aspects; (3) sustaining interventions in the long-term; (4) targeting farmers’ learning-by-experience; and (5) targeting PPE use on a collective level.