Problem-Based Learning: Using Ill-Structured Problems in Biology Project Work

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chin, Christine; Chia, Li-Gek

2006-01-01

This case study involved year 9 students carrying out project work in biology via problem-based learning. The purpose of the study was to (a) find out how students approach and work through ill-structured problems, (b) identify some issues and challenges related to the use of such problems, and (c) offer some practical suggestions on the…

Why is working memory capacity related to matrix reasoning tasks?

PubMed

Harrison, Tyler L; Shipstead, Zach; Engle, Randall W

2015-04-01

One of the reasons why working memory capacity is so widely researched is its substantial relationship with fluid intelligence. Although this relationship has been found in numerous studies, researchers have been unable to provide a conclusive answer as to why the two constructs are related. In a recent study, researchers examined which attributes of Raven's Progressive Matrices were most strongly linked with working memory capacity (Wiley, Jarosz, Cushen, & Colflesh, Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 37, 256-263, 2011). In that study, Raven's problems that required a novel combination of rules to solve were more strongly correlated with working memory capacity than were problems that did not. In the present study, we wanted to conceptually replicate the Wiley et al. results while controlling for a few potential confounds. Thus, we experimentally manipulated whether a problem required a novel combination of rules and found that repeated-rule-combination problems were more strongly related to working memory capacity than were novel-rule-combination problems. The relationship to other measures of fluid intelligence did not change based on whether the problem required a novel rule combination.

[Work days lost due to health problems in industry].

PubMed

Yano, Sylvia Regina Trindade; Santana, Vilma Sousa

2012-05-01

This cross-sectional study estimated the prevalence of work days lost due to health problems and associated factors among industrial workers. The study population was a simple random cluster sample of 3,403 workers from 16 to 65 years of age in the city of Salvador, Bahia State, Brazil. Data were collected with individual home interviews. Among industrial workers, one-year prevalence of work days lost to health problems was 12.5%, of which 5.5% were directly work-related and 4.1% aggravated by work. There were no statistically significant differences when compared to other worker categories. Self-perceived workplace hazards, history of work-related injury, and poor self-rated health were associated with work days lost due to work-related injuries/diseases. The findings showed that work days lost are common among both industrial and non-industrial workers, thereby affecting productivity and requiring prevention programs.

[Work-related stress and mental health - can work lead to mental disorders?

PubMed

Ptáček, Radek; Vňuková, Martina; Raboch, Jiří

2017-01-01

In the past two decades, special attention was paid to mental health issues. The available literature suggests, for example, the relationship between the workload and mental discomfort and the occurrence of myocardial infarction. This article focuses mainly on the issue of work-related stress and its impact on mental health. In this context, it must be acknowledged that possible psychological problems due to work are not only employees problem. These difficulties can significantly affect performance - and thus they should be the concern of the employer, but also of customers, clients and patients who come into contact with the worker who might develop some mental problems, due to the nature of his work and working conditions. This article provides an overview of the various factors affecting the mental health of employees. These are, for example, work demands, working hours and workplace relations. In conclusion, it brings results of Czech study examining job stress among working population.

Recovery after Work: The Role of Work Beliefs in the Unwinding Process

PubMed Central

Zoupanou, Zoe; Cropley, Mark; Rydstedt, Leif W.

2013-01-01

According to the Effort-Recovery model, mental or physical detachment from work is an important mechanism of work related recovery, as delayed recovery has been associated with range of negative health symptoms. In this paper, we examine whether recovery from work (in the form of mentally disengagement from work) is affected by the concept of ‘work ethic’, which refers to beliefs workers hold about their work and leisure and the effects of experiencing interruptions at work. Two indices of post-work recovery were utilized: problem solving pondering and psychological detachment. The study was conducted with 310 participants employed from diverse occupational sectors. Main effects of positive and negative appraisal of work interruption and beliefs were analysed using mediated and moderated regression analysis on problem-solving pondering and detachment. Weakened belief in wasted time as a partial mediator, reduced problem-solving pondering post work when interruptions were appraised as positive, and a high evaluation of leisure partially mediated problem-solving pondering when interruptions were appraised as positive. The results also showed that a high evaluation of centrality of work and leisure moderated the effect of negative appraisal of work interruption on elevated problem-solving pondering. Positive appraisal of work interruption was related to problem-solving pondering, and the strength of this association was further moderated by a strong belief in delay of gratification. In addition, employees' positive appraisal of work interruption was related to work detachment, and the strength of this association was further moderated by strong beliefs in hard work and self-reliance. These findings are discussed in terms of their theoretical and practical implications for employees who are strongly influenced by such work beliefs. PMID:24349060

Recovery after work: the role of work beliefs in the unwinding process.

PubMed

Zoupanou, Zoe; Cropley, Mark; Rydstedt, Leif W

2013-01-01

According to the Effort-Recovery model, mental or physical detachment from work is an important mechanism of work related recovery, as delayed recovery has been associated with range of negative health symptoms. In this paper, we examine whether recovery from work (in the form of mentally disengagement from work) is affected by the concept of 'work ethic', which refers to beliefs workers hold about their work and leisure and the effects of experiencing interruptions at work. Two indices of post-work recovery were utilized: problem solving pondering and psychological detachment. The study was conducted with 310 participants employed from diverse occupational sectors. Main effects of positive and negative appraisal of work interruption and beliefs were analysed using mediated and moderated regression analysis on problem-solving pondering and detachment. Weakened belief in wasted time as a partial mediator, reduced problem-solving pondering post work when interruptions were appraised as positive, and a high evaluation of leisure partially mediated problem-solving pondering when interruptions were appraised as positive. The results also showed that a high evaluation of centrality of work and leisure moderated the effect of negative appraisal of work interruption on elevated problem-solving pondering. Positive appraisal of work interruption was related to problem-solving pondering, and the strength of this association was further moderated by a strong belief in delay of gratification. In addition, employees' positive appraisal of work interruption was related to work detachment, and the strength of this association was further moderated by strong beliefs in hard work and self-reliance. These findings are discussed in terms of their theoretical and practical implications for employees who are strongly influenced by such work beliefs.

The correlations of work conditions with unhealthy lifestyles and occupational health problems of casino croupiers in Macau.

PubMed

Hu, Sydney X; Luk, Andrew; Leong, Carmen; U, Cecilia; Van, Florence

2013-06-01

The Macau economy and employment of residents rely heavily on the gaming industry. It is important that the working conditions in casinos are not harmful to the health of the casino employees. This study examines the correlations between work conditions, unhealthy lifestyles and occupational health problems amongst casino croupiers in Macau. Its findings will provide casino managers and policy makers with evidence and awareness of the workplace health risks for the casino workers. The data were gathered by a questionnaire survey of 1,042 croupiers, which represents roughly 5 % of the croupier population in Macau. Work conditions were measured by worker satisfaction towards the biological, chemical and physical elements in their work environments. Unhealthy lifestyles were measured by practices of excessive drinking, smoking, electronic game playing and addictive substance use as well as gambling. Occupational health problems were measured by experiences of work related illnesses or symptoms. Results showed that high percentages of respondents were dissatisfied with the work conditions. On average each croupier experienced 10 work related health problems in the past 7 days. Over 5 % of the respondents drank more than three glasses of alcohol a day, 24 % smoked cigarettes, 12 % took addictive substances, 14 % gambled in the past 7 days. The analysis showed that dissatisfaction with work conditions did not correlate with unhealthy lifestyles but were strongly and significantly correlated with stress-related occupational health problems (R = 0.377-0.479, P < 0.001) and other occupational health problems (R = 0.348-0.461, P < 0.001). Casino workers in Macau experience a variety of problems associated with their work conditions that can be hazardous to their health. The working conditions in casinos need to be regularly monitored and improvements such as occupational health training and enhanced health related policies can be introduced.

Estimating the Effect and Economic Impact of Absenteeism, Presenteeism, and Work Environment-Related Problems on Reductions in Productivity from a Managerial Perspective.

PubMed

Strömberg, Carl; Aboagye, Emmanuel; Hagberg, Jan; Bergström, Gunnar; Lohela-Karlsson, Malin

2017-09-01

The aim of this study was to propose wage multipliers that can be used to estimate the costs of productivity loss for employers in economic evaluations, using detailed information from managers. Data were collected in a survey panel of 758 managers from different sectors of the labor market. Based on assumed scenarios of a period of absenteeism due to sickness, presenteeism and work environment-related problem episodes, and specified job characteristics (i.e., explanatory variables), managers assessed their impact on group productivity and cost (i.e., the dependent variable). In an ordered probit model, the extent of productivity loss resulting from job characteristics is predicted. The predicted values are used to derive wage multipliers based on the cost of productivity estimates provided by the managers. The results indicate that job characteristics (i.e., degree of time sensitivity of output, teamwork, or difficulty in replacing a worker) are linked to productivity loss as a result of health-related and work environment-related problems. The impact of impaired performance on productivity differs among various occupations. The mean wage multiplier is 1.97 for absenteeism, 1.70 for acute presenteeism, 1.54 for chronic presenteeism, and 1.72 for problems related to the work environment. This implies that the costs of health-related and work environment-related problems to organizations can exceed the worker's wage. The use of wage multipliers is recommended for calculating the cost of health-related and work environment-related productivity loss to properly account for actual costs. Copyright © 2017 International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Exploring novice nurses' needs regarding their work-related health: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Ketelaar, Sarah M; Nieuwenhuijsen, Karen; Frings-Dresen, Monique H W; Sluiter, Judith K

2015-10-01

To investigate Dutch novice nurses' experiences and needs regarding occupational health support to prevent work-related health problems and to keep them well-functioning. A qualitative interview study was conducted with six nursing students and eight newly qualified nurses. The interviews covered three topics: experiences with the link between work and health, received occupational health support, and occupational health support needs. Data were analysed using a grounded theory approach. Participants reported experiences with work-related health problems early in their career and described experiences with how health problems lead to suboptimal work functioning. Occupational health support needs included knowledge and psychosocial support during nursing education, e.g. through paying attention to dealing with shift work, or career counselling. Also, they reported a need for knowledge and psychosocial support at the start of their clinical placement or new job in the hospital, e.g. information from occupational health services or having a mentor. Furthermore, they reported that occupational health support requires a more general place at work through offering knowledge, e.g. tailored advice on proper lifting position; psychosocial support, e.g. positive team atmosphere; and physical support, e.g. suitable preventive measures. Occupational health support for novice nurses is important, since they already experience work-related health problems and suboptimal work functioning due to health problems early in their career and while still in training to be a nurse. Novice nurses should be given more knowledge and support to help them stay healthy and well-functioning in their work. This is a joint responsibility of nurse educators, the employer and occupational health services.

Association of Subway Driver's Depressive Symptoms and Experience of Work-Related Problems.

PubMed

Jo, Sun-Jin; Yim, Hyeon Woo; Kim, Hyoung-Ryoul; Lee, Kang Sook; Park, Jong-Ik; Chang, Sung Man

2010-12-03

Subway drivers experience various types of work-related problems during their driving, and those experiences can act as risk factors for depressive symptoms. This study was conducted to investigate the association between work-related problems and subway driver's depressive symptoms. We recruited all of the 961 current subway drivers of a subway company located in Seoul, South Korea and conducted a survey of their socio-demographic and vocational characteristics, hospital visits as an outpatient or inpatient, and work-related problem experiences during the last year. Work-related problems included an accident resulting in death or injury, a conflict with a customer, a sudden stop from an emergency bell, or a near accident. Depressive symptoms were measured with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression (CES-D) instrument. The survey was performed using a self-report questionnaire from April 16 to July 13, 2007. The data of 827 drivers (86.2%) were analyzed. Experience of a conflict with a passenger (p=0.011), a sudden stop from an emergency bell (p=0.001), or a near accident (p=0.001) increased the prevalence of depressive symptoms among subway drivers. A multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that a sudden stop from an emergency bell increased the risk of depressive symptoms significantly (OR=2.59, p=0.026). Near accidents were marginally associated with a higher risk for depressive symptoms (OR=1.62, p=0.062). The experience of a sudden stop from an emergency bell increased subway driver's depressive symptoms, and near accidents may increase the risk of depressive symptoms. Therefore, interventions for the drivers who had experienced these work-related problems are needed.

The effectiveness of return-to-work interventions that incorporate work-focused problem-solving skills for workers with sickness absences related to mental disorders: a systematic literature review

PubMed Central

Dewa, Carolyn S; Loong, Desmond; Bonato, Sarah; Joosen, Margot C W

2015-01-01

Objectives This paper reviews the current state of the published peer-reviewed literature related to return-to-work (RTW) interventions that incorporate work-related problem-solving skills for workers with sickness absences related to mental disorders. It addresses the question: What is the evidence for the effectiveness of these RTW interventions? Design Using a multiphase screening process, this systematic literature review was based on publically available peer-reviewed studies. Five electronic databases were searched: (1) Medline Current, (2) Medline In-process, (3) PsycINFO, (4) Econlit and (5) Web of Science. Setting The focus was on RTW interventions for workers with medically certified sickness absences related to mental disorders. Participants Workers with medically certified sickness absences related to mental disorders. Interventions RTW intervention included work-focused problem-solving skills. Primary and secondary outcome measures RTW rates and length of sickness absences. Results There were 4709 unique citations identified. Of these, eight articles representing a total of six studies were included in the review. In terms of bias avoidance, two of the six studies were rated as excellent, two as good and two as weak. Five studies were from the Netherlands; one was from Norway. There was variability among the studies with regard to RTW findings. Two of three studies reported significant differences in RTW rates between the intervention and control groups. One of six studies observed a significant difference in sickness absence duration between intervention and control groups. Conclusions There is limited evidence that combinations of interventions that include work-related problem-solving skills are effective in RTW outcomes. The evidence could be strengthened if future studies included more detailed examinations of intervention adherence and changes in problem-solving skills. Future studies should also examine the long-term effects of problem-solving skills on sickness absence recurrence and work productivity. PMID:26078309

Can work make you mentally ill? A systematic meta-review of work-related risk factors for common mental health problems.

PubMed

Harvey, Samuel B; Modini, Matthew; Joyce, Sadhbh; Milligan-Saville, Josie S; Tan, Leona; Mykletun, Arnstein; Bryant, Richard A; Christensen, Helen; Mitchell, Philip B

2017-03-01

It has been suggested that certain types of work may increase the risk of common mental disorders, but the exact nature of the relationship has been contentious. The aim of this paper is to conduct the first comprehensive systematic meta-review of the evidence linking work to the development of common mental health problems, specifically depression, anxiety and/or work-related stress and to consider how the risk factors identified may relate to each other. MEDLINE, PsychInfo, Embase, the Cochrane Collaboration and grey literature databases were systematically searched for review articles that examined work-based risk factors for common mental health problems. All included reviews were subjected to a quality appraisal. 37 review studies were identified, of which 7 were at least moderate quality. 3 broad categories of work-related factors were identified to explain how work may contribute to the development of depression and/or anxiety: imbalanced job design, occupational uncertainty and lack of value and respect in the workplace. Within these broad categories, there was moderate level evidence from multiple prospective studies that high job demands, low job control, high effort-reward imbalance, low relational justice, low procedural justice, role stress, bullying and low social support in the workplace are associated with a greater risk of developing common mental health problems. While methodological limitations continue to preclude more definitive statements on causation between work and mental disorders, there is now a range of promising targets for individual and organisational-level interventions aimed at minimising mental health problems in the workplace. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Psychosocial work aspects, stress and musculoskeletal pain among musicians. A systematic review in search of correlates and predictors of playing-related pain.

PubMed

Jacukowicz, Aleksandra

2016-06-16

Musicians face numerous psychosocial and physical demands at work resulting in high prevalence of musculoskeletal problems. Unlike physical risks, little is known about psychosocial work factors influencing such health problems in this particular group. The paper aimed to identify psychosocial work demands resulting in musculoskeletal problems among musicians. A systematic review was undertaken to find data linking psychosocial work demands or stress with musculoskeletal disorders among musicians. The exploration of databases resulted in nine research studies linking psychosocial aspects of work or stress with musculoskeletal problems among musicians. The analyzed studies linked psychosocial aspects with musculoskeletal problems in three ways - showing proportions of people indicating particular causes of pain, indicating correlations between these variables or performing regression analysis showing psychosocial predictors of musculoskeletal pain. Only a few studies have undertaken the issue of psychosocial risk factors for musculoskeletal problems among musicians. The results revealed that some psychosocial aspects of work, e.g. long hours at work, work content, high job demands, low control/influence, lack of social support, were related to musculoskeletal pain, however, the methods and results were inconsistent. The extant studies employed variety of definitions of psychosocial aspects that hindered the possibility for consistent conclusions. Basing on those conclusions, future directions were offered.

Employee problems and their consequences in the technology industry: evidence from surveys and counseling records.

PubMed

Wang, Ching-Wen; Lin, Po-Chang; Sha, Chyuan

2014-06-01

To support employees' work and health, organizations should help employees cope with common problems. Previous studies have focused primarily on work-related problems across multiple industries rather than on evaluating industry-specific issues. Here, two approaches identified common work and non-work employee problems in the technology industry with the strongest correlations with psychosomatic health and life satisfaction. Study 1 used questionnaires to identify the problems that were perceived as the most frequent by lower-level employees (N = 355) working in the technology industry. Study 2 evaluated employees' coping behaviors by analyzing (with permission) counseling records collected from an employee assistance service company (N = 276). Employees reported a variety of problems; work problems were the only problems (of the top 5 problems) reported in both studies. Several problems emerged in the counseling records (e.g., legal issues, career development, family and marriage problems, and emotional problems) but not in the surveys. Future research should apply these observations to develop scales for measuring employee stressors.

Association between work-related health problems and job insecurity in permanent and temporary employees

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Objectives This research was conducted with an aim of determining the correlation between job insecurity and an employee’s work-related health problems among permanent and temporary workers. Methods Using the data from the First Korean Working Conditions Survey conducted in 2006, a total of 7,071 workers, excluding employers and the self-employed, were analyzed. Work-related health problems were categorized as backache, headache, abdominal pain, muscular pain, stress, fatigue, insomnia, anxiety or depression. Each problem was then analyzed for its relationship to job insecurity through logistic regression analysis. Results Among the 7,071 workers, 5,294 (74.9%) were permanent workers and 1,777 (25.1%) were temporary workers. For the permanent workers, presence of high or moderate job insecurity appeared more closely linked to backache, headache, abdominal pain, muscular pain, stress, fatigue, insomnia, anxiety, and depression compared to absence of job insecurity. However, for the temporary workers, only depression appeared to be associated with the presence of high job insecurity. Conclusion The study showed that the presence of job insecurity is correlated with work-related health problems. The deleterious effects of job insecurity appeared to be stronger in permanent than temporary workers. Additional research should investigate ways to effectively reduce job insecurity. PMID:24472497

Person-related factors associated with work participation in employees with health problems: a systematic review.

PubMed

de Wit, Mariska; Wind, Haije; Hulshof, Carel T J; Frings-Dresen, Monique H W

2018-07-01

The objective of this systematic review was to explore and provide systematically assessed information about the association between person-related factors and work participation of people with health problems. The research question was: what is the association between selected person-related factors and work participation of workers with health problems? A systematic review was carried out in PubMed and PsycINFO to search for original papers published between January 2007 and February 2017. The risk of bias of the studies included was assessed using quality assessment tools from the Joanna Briggs Institute. The quality of evidence was assessed using the GRADE framework for prognostic studies. In total, 113 studies were included, all of which addressed the association between person-related factors and work participation. The factors positively associated with work participation were positive expectations regarding recovery or return to work, optimism, self-efficacy, motivation, feelings of control, and perceived health. The factors negatively associated with work participation were fear-avoidance beliefs, perceived work-relatedness of the health problem, and catastrophizing. Different coping strategies had a negative or a positive relationship with work participation. The results of this review provide more insight into the associations between different cognitions and perceptions and work participation. The results of this study suggest that person-related factors should be considered by occupational- and insurance physicians when they diagnose, evaluate or provide treatment to employees. Further research is required to determine how these physicians could obtain and apply such information and whether its application leads to a better quality of care.

Identifying barriers to recovery from work related upper extremity disorders: use of a collaborative problem solving technique.

PubMed

Shaw, William S; Feuerstein, Michael; Miller, Virginia I; Wood, Patricia M

2003-08-01

Improving health and work outcomes for individuals with work related upper extremity disorders (WRUEDs) may require a broad assessment of potential return to work barriers by engaging workers in collaborative problem solving. In this study, half of all nurse case managers from a large workers' compensation system were randomly selected and invited to participate in a randomized, controlled trial of an integrated case management (ICM) approach for WRUEDs. The focus of ICM was problem solving skills training and workplace accommodation. Volunteer nurses attended a 2 day ICM training workshop including instruction in a 6 step process to engage clients in problem solving to overcome barriers to recovery. A chart review of WRUED case management reports (n = 70) during the following 2 years was conducted to extract case managers' reports of barriers to recovery and return to work. Case managers documented from 0 to 21 barriers per case (M = 6.24, SD = 4.02) within 5 domains: signs and symptoms (36%), work environment (27%), medical care (13%), functional limitations (12%), and coping (12%). Compared with case managers who did not receive the training (n = 67), workshop participants identified more barriers related to signs and symptoms, work environment, functional limitations, and coping (p < .05), but not to medical care. Problem solving skills training may help focus case management services on the most salient recovery factors affecting return to work.

Perceived organizational problems in health care: a pilot test of the structured problem and success inventory.

PubMed

Nyström, Monica E; Terris, Darcey D; Sparring, Vibeke; Tolf, Sara; Brown, Claire R

2012-01-01

Our objective was to test whether the Structured Problem and Success Inventory (SPI) instrument could capture mental representations of organizational and work-related problems as described by individuals working in health care organizations and to test whether these representations varied according to organizational position. A convenience sample (n = 56) of middle managers (n = 20), lower-level managers (n = 20), and staff (n = 16) from health care organizations in Stockholm (Sweden) attending organizational development courses during 2003-2004 was recruited. Participants used the SPI to describe the 3 most pressing organizational and work-related problems. Data were systematically reviewed to identify problem categories and themes. One hundred sixty-four problems were described, clustered into 13 problem categories. Generally, middle managers focused on organizational factors and managerial responsibilities, whereas lower-level managers and staff focused on operational issues and what others did or ought to do. Furthermore, we observed similarities and variation in perceptions and their association with respondents' position within an organization. Our results support the need for further evaluation of the SPI as a promising tool for health care organizations. Collecting structured inventories of organizational and work-related problems from multiple perspectives may assist in the development of shared understandings of organizational challenges and lead to more effective and efficient processes of solution planning and implementation.

Sleep problems across development: a pathway to adolescent risk taking through working memory.

PubMed

Thomas, April Gile; Monahan, Kathryn C; Lukowski, Angela F; Cauffman, Elizabeth

2015-02-01

Problematic sleep can be detrimental to the development of important cognitive functions, such as working memory, and may have the potential for negative behavioral consequences, such as risk-taking. In this way, sleep problems may be particularly harmful for youth-whose cognitive abilities are still developing and who are more susceptible to risky behavior. Using data from a large, national, longitudinal study, continuity and change in sleep problems were examined from 2 to 15 years of age and associated with deficits in working memory at age 15 and risk taking behaviors at age 18. Participants (N = 1,364 children; 48.3% female) were assessed for sleep problems (parent-report), working memory (behavioral task), and risk taking behavior (youth self-report). The sample was predominantly White (80.4%); additional races represented in the sample included Black/African American (12.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.6%), American Indian/Eskimo/Aleut (.4%), and Other (4.7%). The findings suggest that sleep problems are likely to cascade across development, with sleep problems demonstrating continuity from infancy to early childhood, early childhood to middle childhood, and middle childhood to adolescence. Although sleep problems in infancy, early childhood, and middle childhood were not directly related to adolescent working memory, sleep problems during adolescence were associated with poorer adolescent working memory. In turn, these deficits in working memory were related to greater risk taking in late adolescence. In summary, the present results suggest that sleep problems in earlier periods are indicative of risk for sleep problems later in development, but that sleep problems in adolescence contribute uniquely to deficits in working memory that, in turn, lead to risky behavior during late adolescence.

Workplace mental health: developing an integrated intervention approach.

PubMed

LaMontagne, Anthony D; Martin, Angela; Page, Kathryn M; Reavley, Nicola J; Noblet, Andrew J; Milner, Allison J; Keegel, Tessa; Smith, Peter M

2014-05-09

Mental health problems are prevalent and costly in working populations. Workplace interventions to address common mental health problems have evolved relatively independently along three main threads or disciplinary traditions: medicine, public health, and psychology. In this Debate piece, we argue that these three threads need to be integrated to optimise the prevention of mental health problems in working populations. To realise the greatest population mental health benefits, workplace mental health intervention needs to comprehensively 1) protect mental health by reducing work-related risk factors for mental health problems; 2) promote mental health by developing the positive aspects of work as well as worker strengths and positive capacities; and 3) address mental health problems among working people regardless of cause. We outline the evidence supporting such an integrated intervention approach and consider the research agenda and policy developments needed to move towards this goal, and propose the notion of integrated workplace mental health literacy. An integrated approach to workplace mental health combines the strengths of medicine, public health, and psychology, and has the potential to optimise both the prevention and management of mental health problems in the workplace.

Supporting cancer patients with work-related problems through an oncological occupational physician: a feasibility study.

PubMed

Zaman, A C G N M; Bruinvels, D J; de Boer, A G E M; Frings-Dresen, M H W

2017-09-01

To evaluate the feasibility of an oncological occupational physician (OOP) who is trained in oncological work-related problems, and in providing work-related support to cancer patients within the curative setting. We assessed facilitators and barriers that affect the activities of an OOP, and the satisfaction of the OOPs and patients with this new form of health care. Interviews were held with (1) OOPs (N = 13) to assess facilitators, barriers and their satisfaction with their ability to give supportive care and (2) cancer patients (N = 8) to assess their satisfaction concerning consulting an OOP. The main facilitators were positive feedback from health care providers and patients about the received care and support that the OOP had given, and the additional knowledge of the OOPs about cancer and work-related problems. Major barriers for being active as an OOP were lack of financial support for the OOP and the unfamiliarity of patients and health care providers with the specialised occupational physician. Both OOPs and the specialised knowledge and additional training of the OOPs facilitated providing support to cancer patients and survivors with work-related problems. Familiarity with the specialised occupational physician and financial support should be improved. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The effectiveness of return-to-work interventions that incorporate work-focused problem-solving skills for workers with sickness absences related to mental disorders: a systematic literature review.

PubMed

Dewa, Carolyn S; Loong, Desmond; Bonato, Sarah; Joosen, Margot C W

2015-06-15

This paper reviews the current state of the published peer-reviewed literature related to return-to-work (RTW) interventions that incorporate work-related problem-solving skills for workers with sickness absences related to mental disorders. It addresses the question: What is the evidence for the effectiveness of these RTW interventions? Using a multiphase screening process, this systematic literature review was based on publically available peer-reviewed studies. Five electronic databases were searched: (1) Medline Current, (2) Medline In-process, (3) PsycINFO, (4) Econlit and (5) Web of Science. The focus was on RTW interventions for workers with medically certified sickness absences related to mental disorders. Workers with medically certified sickness absences related to mental disorders. RTW intervention included work-focused problem-solving skills. RTW rates and length of sickness absences. There were 4709 unique citations identified. Of these, eight articles representing a total of six studies were included in the review. In terms of bias avoidance, two of the six studies were rated as excellent, two as good and two as weak. Five studies were from the Netherlands; one was from Norway. There was variability among the studies with regard to RTW findings. Two of three studies reported significant differences in RTW rates between the intervention and control groups. One of six studies observed a significant difference in sickness absence duration between intervention and control groups. There is limited evidence that combinations of interventions that include work-related problem-solving skills are effective in RTW outcomes. The evidence could be strengthened if future studies included more detailed examinations of intervention adherence and changes in problem-solving skills. Future studies should also examine the long-term effects of problem-solving skills on sickness absence recurrence and work productivity. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

A Comparison of Computation Span and Reading Span Working Memory Measures' Relations With Problem-Solving Criteria.

PubMed

Perlow, Richard; Jattuso, Mia

2018-06-01

Researchers have operationalized working memory in different ways and although working memory-performance relationships are well documented, there has been relatively less attention devoted to determining whether seemingly similar measures yield comparable relations with performance outcomes. Our objective is to assess whether two working memory measures deploying the same processes but different item content yield different relations with two problem-solving criteria. Participants completed a computation-based working memory measure and a reading-based measure prior to performing a computerized simulation. Results reveal differential relations with one of the two criteria and support the notion that the two working memory measures tap working memory capacity and other cognitive abilities. One implication for theory development is that researchers should consider incorporating other cognitive abilities in their working memory models and that the selection of those abilities should correspond to the criterion of interest. One practical implication is that researchers and practitioners shouldn't automatically assume that different phonological loop-based working memory scales are interchangeable.

The impact of child care problems on employment: findings from a national survey of US parents.

PubMed

Montes, Guillermo; Halterman, Jill S

2011-01-01

Many parents struggle to secure high-quality, consistent child care services, and this may impact employment decisions. Our objectives were to determine the type of employment problems that parents attribute to difficulties in securing child care and to identify whether having a child with behavior problems and/or chronic illness is independently associated with child care-related employment problems in the United States. This study included parents of children aged 0 to 13 years by using household-level sampling from the nationally representative random digit dial survey Gallup panel. We included 9 measures of child care-related employment problems. Poststratification weights were applied based on census region, income, and education by using Stata's poststratification commands. A survey was conducted of 1431 households with at least 1 parent employed. Overall, 46% of households reported 1 or more child care-related employment change. Being absent from work (21%) and changing the work schedule (27%) were the most prevalent changes reported. Two-parent households were significantly less likely to report child care-related employment changes compared with single parent households. Households with a stay-at-home parent were less likely to report child care-related absenteeism but more likely to report recently quitting work compared with households without a stay-at-home parent. Having a child with behavior problems or a serious chronic health condition was associated with double to triple odds of many child care-related employment problems. Child care-related employment problems are common among families with a child with chronic illness or behavior problems. These findings support the need for pediatricians and policy makers to strive for the implementation of more parent-friendly labor conditions. Copyright © 2011 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Work-related problems in multiple sclerosis: a literature review on its associates and determinants.

PubMed

Raggi, Alberto; Covelli, Venusia; Schiavolin, Silvia; Scaratti, Chiara; Leonardi, Matilde; Willems, Michelle

2016-01-01

To explore which variables are associated to or determinants of work-related difficulties or unemployment in persons with multiple sclerosis (MS). Papers published between 1993 and February 2015 were included. Quality was judged as poor, acceptable, good or excellent. Determinants were extracted from prospective and retrospective data, associated variables from cross-sectional data; variables were grouped by similarity. Evidence was judged as strong if there were at least two good studies reporting the same results; limited if there was only one good and some acceptable studies. Forty-two papers were selected, for a total of 31,192 patients (75% females). Work-related difficulties were referred as unemployment, lower amount of worked hours or job cessation. Strong evidence of impact over work-related difficulties was found for a core set of variables, i.e., expanded disability status scale, MS duration, patients' age, fatigue and walking problems. Little evidence exists on the impact of contextual factors. Most of the variables identified as associated to or determinants of work-related difficulties can be treated through rehabilitative interventions. It is important that future research addresses not only unemployment issues in MS, but also the amount and severity of problems affecting work-related tasks relying on specific assessment instruments. Multiple sclerosis (MS) affects young persons of working age and limitation in work activities is part of MS-related disability, but they are not consistently addressed in MS research: EDSS, MS duration, patients' age, fatigue, walking problems, cognitive and neuropsychological impairments were the factors most commonly found as associated to or determinant of difficulties with work. Evidence exists that rehabilitation interventions are effective for fatigue, cognitive impairment, mobility and walking difficulties. However, research did not address the impact of rehabilitation programmes on vocational outcomes. Rehabilitation researchers should include MS-specific assessment instruments for work-related difficulties to standardised clinical protocols, so that the benefits of rehabilitation on persons' ability to work can be demonstrated directly: in this way, cost-benefit balance analyses can be added to the evaluation of treatment effectiveness.

Space Life Sciences Social Innovation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Llewellyn, Alicia

2009-01-01

This slide presentation reviews some of the problems in the world, that NASA is working to solve. It reviews some of the problems that NASA has solved in the past, and is working to solve now. Particularly of interest are some of the problems related to medical delivery in rural and remote areas.

An Action-Research Program for Increasing Employee Involvement in Problem Solving.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pasmore, William; Friedlander, Frank

1982-01-01

Describes the use of participative action research to solve problems of work-related employee injuries in a rural midwestern electronics plant by increasing employee involvement. The researchers established an employee problem-solving group that interviewed and surveyed workers, analyzed the results, and suggested new work arrangements. (Author/RW)

Task-Analytic Design of Graphic Presentations

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-05-18

important premise of Larkin and Simon’s work is that, when comparing alternative presentations, it is fruitful to characterize graphic-based problem solving...using the same information-processing models used to help understand problem solving using other representations [Newell and Simon, 19721...luring execution of graphic presentation- 4 based problem -solving procedures. Chapter 2 reviews other work related to the problem of designing graphic

Views of Teachers Working in South-East Anatolia Region Regarding Current Problems in Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bagceci, Birsen

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study is to identify the current problems of the teachers working in the provinces of Southeastern Anatolia in Turkey and to list these problems according to their importance. Screening model is used in the study. One open-ended question was asked (identify seven problems related to the education system and order them according…

Work-Related Stress and Coping Strategies of Professional Women.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Long, Bonita C.

1988-01-01

Interviewed 20 professional women on their work-related stress and coping processes to identify those who were good and poor at coping. Found that more effective copers seemed to have used problem-focused coping such as seeking information or advice or taking problem-solving action, whereas less effective copers seemed to have used strategies such…

Using a Problem-Solving Strategy to Prevent Work-Related Accidents Due to Unsafe Worker Behavior.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martella, Ronald C.; And Others

1992-01-01

A two-stage problem-solving strategy involving cue cards and their gradual withdrawal was used to teach nine sheltered workshop employees how to prevent work-related accidents. Results indicated that participants used the strategy appropriately and generalized their skills to similar and dissimilar situations up to eight weeks after training.…

Work-supportive family, family-supportive supervision, use of organizational benefits, and problem-focused coping: implications for work-family conflict and employee well-being.

PubMed

Lapierre, Laurent M; Allen, Tammy D

2006-04-01

Employees (n = 230) from multiple organizations and industries were involved in a study assessing how work-family conflict avoidance methods stemming from the family domain (emotional sustenance and instrumental assistance from the family), the work domain (family-supportive supervision, use of telework and flextime), and the individual (use of problem-focused coping) independently relate to different dimensions of work-family conflict and to employees' affective and physical well-being. Results suggest that support from one's family and one's supervisor and the use of problem-focused coping seem most promising in terms of avoiding work-family conflict and/or decreased well-being. Benefits associated with the use of flextime, however, are relatively less evident, and using telework may potentially increase the extent to which family time demands interfere with work responsibilities. (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved.

Beating the Odds: Preparing Graduates to Address Gambling-Related Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Engel, Rafael J.; Bechtold, Jody; Kim, Yoonmi; Mulvaney, Elizabeth

2012-01-01

As gambling opportunities proliferate, social workers are likely to see clients with gambling-related problems, but they often lack the expertise to address these concerns. This descriptive study assessed the inclusion of content on gambling-related problems in graduate social work curricula. Responses to an online survey from 86 (43.7%) of the…

Generalized Hough Transform for Object Classification in the Maritime Domain

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-12-01

and memory storage problems of the GHT in this work . Neural networks have been used to provide excellent solutions to real-world problems in many...1 A. THESIS OBJECTIVE ...............................................................................1 B. RELATED WORK ...SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS ......................................................47  B.  RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE WORK ................................48

Maternal depression and trajectories of child internalizing and externalizing problems: the roles of child decision making and working memory.

PubMed

Flouri, E; Ruddy, A; Midouhas, E

2017-04-01

Maternal depression may affect the emotional/behavioural outcomes of children with normal neurocognitive functioning less severely than it does those without. To guide prevention and intervention efforts, research must specify which aspects of a child's cognitive functioning both moderate the effect of maternal depression and are amenable to change. Working memory and decision making may be amenable to change and are so far unexplored as moderators of this effect. Our sample was 17 160 Millennium Cohort Study children. We analysed trajectories of externalizing (conduct and hyperactivity) and internalizing (emotional and peer) problems, measured with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire at the ages 3, 5, 7 and 11 years, using growth curve models. We characterized maternal depression, also time-varying at these ages, by a high score on the K6. Working memory was measured with the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery Spatial Working Memory Task, and decision making (risk taking and quality of decision making) with the Cambridge Gambling Task, both at age 11 years. Maternal depression predicted both the level and the growth of problems. Risk taking and poor-quality decision making were related positively to externalizing and non-significantly to internalizing problems. Poor working memory was related to both problem types. Neither decision making nor working memory explained the effect of maternal depression on child internalizing/externalizing problems. Importantly, risk taking amplified the effect of maternal depression on internalizing problems, and poor working memory that on internalizing and conduct problems. Impaired decision making and working memory in children amplify the adverse effect of maternal depression on, particularly, internalizing problems.

[SIMBO: a Screening Instrument for Identification of Work-Related Disabilities--analyses of construct and prognostic validity].

PubMed

Streibelt, M; Gerwinn, H; Hansmeier, T; Thren, K; Müller-Fahrnow, W

2007-10-01

For a number of years, work-related interventions in medical rehabilitation (MBO) have been developed. Basically, these interventions concentrate on vocational problems of rehabilitees whose health disorders are strongly associated with contextual factors of the environment as well as personal factors. Previous studies showed a close relationship between the success of an intervention and identification of a specific demand. In fact there are several clinical concepts regarding specific demand. But there still is a lack of appropriate instruments for use in identification of occupational challenges. Therefore SIMBO (Screening Instrument for Identification of a Demand for Medical-Vocational Oriented Rehabilitation) has been developed recently. By using a scale for the intensity of work-related problems as well as a cut-off point, SIMBO is able to identify patients with and without a demand for work-related interventions. Analyses relative to construct validity and predictive validity were carried out on two different samples--a multi-clinic sample (patients with musculoskeletal disorders) and a sample from the German statutory pension insurance agency DRV Westfalen (successful applications for medical rehabilitation). In this context the cut-off level discussion is very important. By means of the multi-clinic sample--irrespective of cut-off definition--the SIMBO-decision and the clinical identification of MBO-demand were found to agree in 74-78% of the cases. This corresponds to a maximum adjusted correlation of r=0.59 (phi coefficient). Compared to the external ratings of vocational problems given by DRV staff in handling the applications, however, only little agreement is found (64%, r=0.25). In fact, SIMBO had in 77% (r=0.50) of the cases been able to correctly predict work-related problems to be expected. So the result obtained using this instrument is far better than prediction of these problems in the external ratings by DRV staff (54%, r=0,21). Also, return to work (RTW) in good health after six months can be predicted correctly by SIMBO in 77% of the cases. This means that the probability of RTW in good health is reduced by 90% (Odds Ratio=0.1) if work-related problems had been identified by SIMBO. Concerning its clinical as well as predictive quality, the validity of SIMBO-based ratings of work-related problems has been proven. Further, it has become obvious that SIMBO is suitable as an easy-to-handle tool for identification of a need for vocationally-focused interventions for use by the social insurance agencies which finance rehabilitation. Further interesting questions arise relative to application in different indications as well as potential uses as an outcome instrument.

On the relationship between math anxiety and math achievement in early elementary school: The role of problem solving strategies.

PubMed

Ramirez, Gerardo; Chang, Hyesang; Maloney, Erin A; Levine, Susan C; Beilock, Sian L

2016-01-01

Even at young ages, children self-report experiencing math anxiety, which negatively relates to their math achievement. Leveraging a large dataset of first and second grade students' math achievement scores, math problem solving strategies, and math attitudes, we explored the possibility that children's math anxiety (i.e., a fear or apprehension about math) negatively relates to their use of more advanced problem solving strategies, which in turn relates to their math achievement. Our results confirm our hypothesis and, moreover, demonstrate that the relation between math anxiety and math problem solving strategies is strongest in children with the highest working memory capacity. Ironically, children who have the highest cognitive capacity avoid using advanced problem solving strategies when they are high in math anxiety and, as a result, underperform in math compared with their lower working memory peers. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Return to work after vocational rehabilitation for sick-listed workers with long-term back, neck and shoulder problems: A follow-up study of factors involved.

PubMed

Rinaldo, Ulrika; Selander, John

2016-09-27

Absence from work due to musculoskeletal disorders is a significant problem from a number of perspectives, and there is a great need to identify factors that facilitate return to work (RTW). To identify factors related to RTW after vocational rehabilitation for sick-listed workers with long-term back, neck and/or shoulder problems, and to compare the results with those from a previous literature review based on studies from 1980 to 2000. A literature review based on studies published 2001-2014 in PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, ERIC and the Cochrane Library. Major risk factors for not returning to work are: higher age, factors related to pain such as higher levels of pain and pain related fear, avoidance of activity, high distress and depression. Facilitating factors for RTW are: lower functional disability, gaining control over one's own condition, believing in RTW and work-related factors such as occupational training, and having a job coach or an RTW coordinator. Compared with the results from the previous review, the present review shows less of a focus on sociodemographic factors and more on psychological factors. Both studies highlight risk factors such as older age, higher levels of pain, depression and less internal locus of control. Psychosocial and work-related factors are important and should be included in interventions for the RTW of people with long-term back, neck and/or shoulder problems.

Attentional and Executive Function Behaviours in Children with Poor Working Memory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gathercole, Susan E.; Alloway, Tracy P.; Kirkwood, Hannah J.; Elliott, Julian G.; Holmes, Joni; Hilton, Kerry A.

2008-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the profiles of classroom behaviour relating to attention and executive functions in children with very poor working memory, and to test the hypothesis that inattentive behaviour and working memory problems co-occur. Teachers rated problem behaviours of 52 children with low working memory scores aged 5/6…

Job dissatisfaction as a contributor to stress-related mental health problems among Japanese civil servants.

PubMed

Tatsuse, Takashi; Sekine, Michikazu

2013-01-01

Although studies on the association of job dissatisfaction with mental health have been conducted in the past, few studies have dealt with the complicated links connecting job stress, job dissatisfaction, and stress-related illness. This study seeks to determine how job dissatisfaction is linked to common mental health issues. This study surveyed 3,172 civil servants (2,233 men and 939 women) in 1998, taking poor mental functioning, fatigue, and sleep disturbance as stress-related mental health problems. We examine how psychosocial risk factors at work and job dissatisfaction are associated independently with poor mental functioning, fatigue, and sleep disturbance after adjustment for other known risk factors, and how job dissatisfaction contributes to change in the degree of association between psychosocial risk factors at work and mental health problems. In general, psychosocial risk factors were independently associated with mental health problems. When adjusted for job dissatisfaction, not only was job satisfaction independently associated with mental health problems but it was also found that the association of psychosocial risk factors with mental health problems declined. Our results suggest that, although longitudinal research is necessary, attitudes toward satisfaction at work can potentially decrease the negative effects of psychosocial risk factors at work on mental health.

How do Dutch GPs address work-related problems? A focus group study.

PubMed

de Kock, Cornelis A; Lucassen, Peter L B J; Spinnewijn, Laura; Knottnerus, J André; Buijs, Peter C; Steenbeek, Romy; Lagro-Janssen, Antoine L M

2016-09-01

In the Netherlands, there is a lack of knowledge about general practitioners' (GPs) perception of their role regarding patients' occupation and work related problems (WRP). As work and health are closely related, and patients expect help from their GPs in this area, a better understanding is needed of GPs' motivation to address WRP. To explore GPs' opinions on their role in the area of work and health. This is a qualitative study using three focus groups with Dutch GPs from the catchment area of a hospital in the Southeast of the Netherlands. The group was heterogeneous in characteristics such as sex, age, and practice setting. Three focus groups were convened with 18 GPs. The moderator used an interview guide. Two researchers analysed verbatim transcripts using constant comparative analysis. We distinguished three items: (a) work context in a GP's integrated consultation style; (b) counselling about sick leave; (c) cooperation with occupational physicians (OPs). The participants are willing to address the topic and counsel about sick leave. They consider WRP in patients with medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) challenging. They tend to advise these patients to continue working as they think this will ultimately benefit them. The participating GPs seemed well aware of the relation between work and health but need more knowledge, communication skills and better cooperation with occupational physicians to manage work-related problems. [Box: see text].

Effects of video-assisted training on employment-related social skills of adults with severe mental retardation.

PubMed Central

Morgan, R L; Salzberg, C L

1992-01-01

Two studies investigated effects of video-assisted training on employment-related social skills of adults with severe mental retardation. In video-assisted training, participants discriminated a model's behavior on videotape and received feedback from the trainer for responses to questions about video scenes. In the first study, 3 adults in an employment program participated in video-assisted training to request their supervisor's assistance when encountering work problems. Results indicated that participants discriminated the target behavior on video but effects did not generalize to the work setting for 2 participants until they rehearsed the behavior. In the second study, 2 participants were taught to fix and report four work problems using video-assisted procedures. Results indicated that after participants rehearsed how to fix and report one or two work problems, they began to fix and report the remaining problems with video-assisted training alone. PMID:1378826

Employment and Achievement in a Problem-Based Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van der Hurk, Marianne M. M.; van Berkel, Henk J. M.

2005-01-01

The purpose of this study is twofold: first, to examine to what extent the time students work on paid jobs is related to study-time (class attendance and time devoted to self-study) and second, to what extent the time students work on paid jobs is related to achievement. A number of 120 students from the problem-based Faculty of Health Sciences in…

Factors associated with suicide ideation among subway drivers in Korea.

PubMed

Byun, Junsu; Kim, Hyoung-Ryoul; Lee, Hye-Eun; Kim, Se-Eun; Lee, Jongin

2016-01-01

There were several suicide events of subway drivers in Korea. The aim of this study is to explore work-related factors associated with suicide ideation among subway drivers. We analyzed data from 980 male subway drivers. A section of the Korean version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (K-CIDI 2.1) was administered by trained interviewers to judge whether a driver has suicide ideation and to diagnose psychiatric disorders. A questionnaire was also administered to collect data on sociodemographic characteristics, work environments, occupational stress, person under train (PUT) experience, and work-related problems. Occupational stress was examined by using the Korean Occupational Stress Scale (KOSS). Logistic regression was applied to evaluate the association between work-related factors and suicide ideation among subway drivers. Regarding work-related problems, conflict with passengers and sudden stops due to the emergency bell were significantly associated with suicide ideation. MDD, PTSD, and panic disorder were strongly associated with suicide ideation. In the analysis of occupational stress, insufficient job control (OR 2.34) and lack of reward (OR 2.52) were associated with suicide ideation even after being adjusted for psychiatric disorders and other work-related factors. Insufficient job control and lack of reward were associated with suicide ideation among subway drivers. Strategies for drivers to have autonomy while working and to achieve effort-reward balance should be implemented. Furthermore, drivers who have experienced negative work-related problems should be managed appropriately.

Crossing Boundaries between School and Work during Apprenticeships

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akkerman, Sanne F.; Bakker, Arthur

2012-01-01

In vocational education, there is an ongoing discussion about problems occurring in school-work transitions and in relating school and work-based learning processes. Apprenticeships have been identified as valuable learning and working trajectories for making successful transitions and relations between school and work. However, they have been…

Determinants of Work-Life Balance: Shortcomings in the Contemporary Measurement of WLB in Large-Scale Surveys

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pichler, Florian

2009-01-01

Research on work-life balance (WLB) has presented important insights into the problems of combining family aspirations with paid work in relation to policy relevant agendas. Using the ESS II (2004/2005), we examine work-related and household/family-related causes of WLB. We can corroborate other research findings that show that work-related…

The prevalence of foot problems in older women: a cause for concern.

PubMed

Dawson, Jill; Thorogood, Margaret; Marks, Sally-Anne; Juszczak, Ed; Dodd, Chris; Lavis, Grahame; Fitzpatrick, Ray

2002-06-01

Painful feet are an extremely common problem amongst older women. Such problems increase the risk of falls and hamper mobility. The aetiology of painful and deformed feet is poorly understood. Data were obtained during a pilot case-control study about past high heel usage in women, in relation to osteoarthritis of the knee. A total of 127 women aged 50-70 were interviewed (31 cases, 96 controls); case-control sets were matched for age. The following information was obtained about footwear: (1) age when first wore shoes with heels 1, 2 and 3 inches high; (2) height of heels worn for work; (3) maximum height of heels worn regularly for work, going out socially and for dancing, in 10-year age bands. Information about work-related activities and lifetime occupational history was gathered using a Life-Grid. The interview included a foot inspection. Foot problems, particularly foot arthritis, affected considerably more cases than controls (45 per cent versus 16 per cent, p = 0.001) and was considered a confounder. Cases were therefore excluded from subsequent analyses. Amongst controls, the prevalence of any foot problems was very high (83 per cent). All women had regularly worn one inch heels and few (8 per cent) had never worn 2 inch heels. Foot problems were significantly associated with a history of wearing relatively lower heels. Few work activities were related to foot problems; regular lifting was associated with foot pain (p = 0.03). Most women in this age-group have been exposed to high-heeled shoes over many years, making aetiological research difficult in this area. Foot pain and deformities are widespread. The relationship between footwear, occupational activities and foot problems is a complex one that deserves considerably more research.

Work stress among nursing home care attendants in Taiwan: a questionnaire survey.

PubMed

Hsu, Hui-Chuan; Kung, Yuan-Wei; Huang, Hsiao-Chien; Ho, Pei-Yu; Lin, Ya-Ying; Chen, Wen-Shin

2007-07-01

Care attendants constitute the main workforce in nursing homes, but their heavy workload, low autonomy, and indefinite responsibility result in high levels of stress and may affect quality of care. However, few studies have focused of this problem. The aim of this study was to examine work-related stress and associated factors that affect care attendants in nursing homes and to offer suggestions for how management can alleviate these problems in care facilities. We recruited participants from nine nursing homes with 50 or more beds located in middle Taiwan; 110 care attendants completed the questionnaire. The work stress scale for the care attendants was validated and achieved good reliability (Cronbach's alpha=0.93). We also conducted exploratory factor analysis. Six factors were extracted from the work stress scale: insufficient ability, stressful reactions, heavy workload, trouble in care work, poor management, and working time problems. The explained variance achieved 64.96%. Factors related to higher work stress included working in a hospital-based nursing home, having a fixed schedule, night work, feeling burden, inconvenient facility, less enthusiasm, and self-rated higher stress. Work stress for care attendants in nursing homes is related to human resource management and quality of care. We suggest potential management strategies to alleviate work stress for these workers.

[Work-Anxieties and their Treatment in Medical Rehabilitation - Hand Tools for Capacity Training and Psychotherapy].

PubMed

Muschalla, B

2017-02-01

Work-anxieties are often going along with workplace problems and long-term sick leave. Psychopathologically, different qualities of work anxiety can be distinguished: worrying, phobic anxiety, health-related anxiety, anxiety of insufficiency. An evaluation of a work-anxiety treatment showed that confronting patients with the topic work during medical rehabilitation leads to a better course. In work-oriented capacity trainings or behavior therapy groups, coping with everyday phenomena at work may be trained (self-presentation, social rules, work organization and problem solving, coping with chronic illness and impairment conditions). Active coping and communication (explaining impairment to the supervisor and occupational physician for making problem solving possible) are helpful. In some cases, correction of expectations must be done, and normalizing everyday work problems (conflicts and achievement requirements are normal at work, work does not make happy all the time). © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Self-reported occupational health problems among Libyan dentists.

PubMed

Arheiam, Arheiam; Ingafou, Mohamed

2015-01-01

To investigate the prevalence of the most common occupation-related health problems as well as factors associated with their incidence among dental practitioners. A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based survey of Libyan dental practitioners. Participants provided information regarding their experience of occupationally related problems they encountered over the past 12 months which included inquiries about musculoskeletal pain, percutaneous injuries, allergy, eye and sight problems, and hearing problems. Musculoskeletal problems were the most frequently reported (48.2%), followed by percutaneous injuries (35%), eye problems (22%), allergy (11%) and hearing problems (7.6%). Musculoskeletal problems were significantly higher among dentists who work in private sector, full timer as well as those who prefer to work in a sitting position (p=0.021, 0.027 and 0.008, respectively). Practitioners with less than 5 years in service reported significantly higher percentage of percutaneous injuries (p=0.027) than their senior counterparts, whereas practitioners who spent more than 10 years in service were more likely to suffer from visual disturbances (p=0.033). The findings of this study indicate that musculoskeletal problems and percutaneous injuries are the most commonly reported occupational health problems among dentists, whereas allergic reactions and hearing problems are the least reported ones. Dentists should use alternate working positions to minimise musculoskeletal problems and adopt more effective strategies to prevent percutaneous injuries particularly among novices.

Dispositional Predictors of Problem Solving in the Field of Office Work

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rausch, Andreas

2017-01-01

It was investigated how domain-specific knowledge, fluid intelligence, vocational interest and work-related self-efficacy predicted domain-specific problem-solving performance in the field of office work. The participants included 100 German VET (vocational education and training) students nearing the end of a 3-year apprenticeship program as an…

Working Memory and Behavioural Problems in Relation to Malay Writing of Primary School Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ling, Teo-Sieak; Jiar, Yeo-Kee

2017-01-01

Deficit in working memory is common among young children across multiple abilities. Teachers have pointed to poor memory as one contributing factor to inattentiveness and short attention spans as well as some behavioural problems among students. This study aimed to explore the relationship among working memory, externalizing and internalizing…

Are disease severity, sleep-related problems, and anxiety associated with work functioning in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea?

PubMed

Timkova, Vladimira; Nagyova, Iveta; Reijneveld, Sijmen A; Tkacova, Ruzena; van Dijk, Jitse P; Bültmann, Ute

2018-04-17

To examine whether Obstructive Sleep Apnoea severity, sleep-related problems, and anxiety are associated with work functioning in Obstructive Sleep Apnoea patients, when controlled for age, gender and type of occupation. To investigate whether anxiety moderates the associations between sleep-related problems and work functioning. We included 105 Obstructive Sleep Apnoea patients (70% male; mean age 46.62 ± 9.79 years). All patients completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, the Beck Anxiety Inventory, and the Work Role Functioning Questionnaire-2.0. Obstructive Sleep Apnoea-severity, poor nighttime sleep quality, and anxiety were univariately associated with impaired work functioning. Multivariate analyzes revealed that poor perceived sleep quality was more strongly associated with work functioning than sleep efficiency and daily disturbances. Anxiety was strongly associated with impaired work functioning. After adding anxiety, the explained variance in work functioning increased from 20% to 25%. Anxiety moderated the association between low and medium levels of nighttime sleep quality problems and work functioning. Poor perceived sleep quality and anxiety were strongly associated with impaired work functioning in Obstructive Sleep Apnoea patients. These findings may help to optimize management, standard treatment, and work functioning in people with Obstructive Sleep Apnoea when confirmed in longitudinal studies. Implications for Rehabilitation Studies show an impairment of functional status, including work functioning, in obstructive sleep apnea patients. Aside from physical disorders, obstructive sleep apnea patients often experience mental problems, such as anxiety. As many people with obstructive sleep apnea are undiagnosed, our results demonstrate to employers and healthcare professionals the need to encourage patients for obstructive sleep apnea screening, especially in the situation of impaired work functioning, increased anxiety, and poor sleep quality. The associations between obstructive sleep apnea, sleep and anxiety might increase the awareness of health professionals towards optimizing diagnostic accuracy and standard treatment.

TSCA Work Plan Chemical Problem Formulation and Initial Assessment Tetrabromobisphenol A and Related Chemicals Cluster Flame Retardants

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA released a problem formulation for TBBPA and related chemicals used as a flame retardants in plastics/printed circuit boards for electronics. The goal of this problem formulation was to identify scenarios where further risk analysis may be necessary.

Vision-related problems among the workers engaged in jewellery manufacturing.

PubMed

Salve, Urmi Ravindra

2015-01-01

American Optometric Association defines Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS) as "complex of eye and vision problems related to near work which are experienced during or related to computer use." This happens when visual demand of the tasks exceeds the visual ability of the users. Even though problems were initially attributed to computer-related activities subsequently similar problems are also reported while carrying any near point task. Jewellery manufacturing activities involves precision designs, setting the tiny metals and stones which requires high visual attention and mental concentration and are often near point task. It is therefore expected that the workers engaged in jewellery manufacturing may also experience symptoms like CVS. Keeping the above in mind, this study was taken up (1) To identify the prevalence of symptoms like CVS among the workers of the jewellery manufacturing and compare the same with the workers working at computer workstation and (2) To ascertain whether such symptoms have any permanent vision-related problems. Case control study. The study was carried out in Zaveri Bazaar region and at an IT-enabled organization in Mumbai. The study involved the identification of symptoms of CVS using a questionnaire of Eye Strain Journal, opthalmological check-ups and measurement of Spontaneous Eye Blink rate. The data obtained from the jewellery manufacturing was compared with the data of the subjects engaged in computer work and with the data available in the literature. A comparative inferential statistics was used. Results showed that visual demands of the task carried out in jewellery manufacturing were much higher than that of carried out in computer-related work.

Motor learning and working memory in children born preterm: a systematic review.

PubMed

Jongbloed-Pereboom, Marjolein; Janssen, Anjo J W M; Steenbergen, Bert; Nijhuis-van der Sanden, Maria W G

2012-04-01

Children born preterm have a higher risk for developing motor, cognitive, and behavioral problems. Motor problems can occur in combination with working memory problems, and working memory is important for explicit learning of motor skills. The relation between motor learning and working memory has never been reviewed. The goal of this review was to provide an overview of motor learning, visual working memory and the role of working memory on motor learning in preterm children. A systematic review conducted in four databases identified 38 relevant articles, which were evaluated for methodological quality. Only 4 of 38 articles discussed motor learning in preterm children. Thirty-four studies reported on visual working memory; preterm birth affected performance on visual working memory tests. Information regarding motor learning and the role of working memory on the different components of motor learning was not available. Future research should address this issue. Insight in the relation between motor learning and visual working memory may contribute to the development of evidence based intervention programs for children born preterm. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fitness for work in health care workers: state of the art and possible operational recommendations for its formulation and management in relationship to alcohol and drug addiction.

PubMed

Riboldi, L; Bordini, L; Ferrario, M M

2012-01-01

Both chronic and acute alcohol or drug consumption have severe health consequences, alter the subject's cognitive functions and work performance and increase the risk of work-related accidents, for the worker and for third parties (e.g., co-workers and other people subject to negative impact of worker's actions). Limited scientific evidence has suggested that some working conditions present in the health care sector (e.g., high levels of responsibility, competitiveness, burnout, shiftwork, work-related stress) may favour alcohol and drug abuse. The aim of the present report is to describe the problem of alcohol and drug consumption among health care professionals and to evaluate the problem of related fitness for work. The magnitude of this problem remains unclear; recent estimates have reported alcohol abuse and addiction problems in 1-14% and psychotropic, illicit and non-illicit, substance abuse in 6-15% of health care workers. The prevalence of tranquilizer and sedative/hypnotic drug use is high, particularly among physicians. However, it remains unclear whether the incidence of workplace accidents and injuries is higher among drug abusers, and whether the statutory introduction of prevention programmes has led to actual control of this problem in the workplace. Italian legislation identifies the occupational physician as a key figure to prevent psychotropic substance abuse in some work activities, but some difficulties in its application remain. Legislators should issue simple norms that clearly define the responsibilities and skills of each actor involved in safeguarding workplace health and safety, as well as clearly outlining workplace monitoring procedures.

Ergonomic Training for Tomorrow's Office.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gross, Clifford M.; Chapnik, Elissa Beth

1987-01-01

The authors focus on issues related to the continual use of video display terminals in the office, including safety and health regulations, potential health problems, and the role of training in minimizing work-related health problems. (CH)

When work calls-associations between being contacted outside of regular working hours for work-related matters and health.

PubMed

Arlinghaus, Anna; Nachreiner, Friedhelm

2013-11-01

Boundaries between work and private life are diminishing, but little is known on how this influences worker health. Therefore, we examined the association between work-related contacts outside of regular working hours by e-mail or phone and self-reported health in a representative sample of European employees (n = 23 760). The risk of reporting ≥1 health problem(s) was increased in workers contacted sometimes (odds ratio [OR]: 1.16, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.06-1.27) or often (OR: 1.23, 95% CI: 1.12-1.34) as compared with never, controlling for several demographic and workplace characteristics. Further research is needed to quantify work and nonwork patterns and their health effects.

An investigation into the use of the car as a mobile office.

PubMed

Eost, C; Flyte, M G

1998-10-01

In today's business environment people can no longer afford to be 'out of touch' when they are away from the office, with the result, the car has become a mobile office for many workers. The aims of this study were * to review current technology in the mobile office, * to determine problems of office working in the car, * to offer design solutions. Case studies gained an insight into working practices and problems in the car. Diaries quantified the types and amounts of work done in the car and an interview survey measured the extent of mobile office technology implemented into cars, problems relating to working in the car and some potential solutions. People do experience problems trying to do office work in their car. These problems include lack of space, lack of storage, nowhere flat to rest work on, inadequate temperature control in the car and poor communication facilities.

Examining the Matthew effect on the motivation and ability to stay at work after heart disease.

PubMed

Meland, Eivind; Grønhaug, Siri; Oystese, Kristin; Mildestvedt, Thomas

2011-07-01

Cardiac rehabilitation should safeguard that socioeconomic factors or other differences that affect people's cardiovascular health are not further aggravated after healthcare treatment. The study examines whether socioeconomic status, emotional problems, or the severity of disease affect people's ability to continue to work after heart disease. We also examined if these effects can be explained by differences in motivational factors. 217 patients (41 women) from the Krokeide Rehabilitation Centre in Bergen participated. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to examine motivational differences, and logistic regression analysis was used to examine whether socioeconomic factors or other differences affected people's ability to continue to work after heart disease. Self-efficacy for future work strongly impacted the likelihood of being incapacitated for work during the 2-year follow-up. The household's total income and emotional problems were statistically significant related to patients dropping out from work in the course of the observation. The association between emotional problems and future work was mediated by motivational problems. The relation between income and future incapacity for work could not be explained by motivational factors. The study shows a clear Matthew effect on people's ability to continue to work after heart disease as low-income groups and people with emotional problems are more at risk of dropping out of work. This Matthew effect was, however, only explained by the motivational difficulties for the association between emotional distress and dropping out of work and not for the impact of household income on the likelihood of leaving work.

Good practices in managing work-related indoor air problems: a psychosocial perspective.

PubMed

Lahtinen, Marjaana; Huuhtanen, Pekka; Vähämäki, Kari; Kähkönen, Erkki; Mussalo-Rauhamaa, Helena; Reijula, Kari

2004-07-01

Indoor air problems at workplaces are often exceedingly complex. Technical questions are interrelated with the dynamics of the work community, and the cooperation and interaction skills of the parties involved in the problem solving process are also put to the test. The objective of our study was to analyze the process of managing and solving indoor air problems from a psychosocial perspective. This collective case study was based on data from questionnaires, interviews and various documentary materials. Technical inspections of the buildings and indoor air measurements were also carried out. The following four factors best differentiated successful cases from impeded cases: extensive multiprofessional collaboration and participative action, systematic action and perseverance, investment in information and communication, and process thinking and learning. The study also proposed a theoretical model for the role of the psychosocial work environment in indoor air problems. The expertise related to social and human aspects of problem solving plays a significant role in solving indoor air problems. Failures to properly handle these aspects may lead to resources being wasted and result in a problematic situation becoming stagnant or worse. Copyright 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

SOME NOTES ON A MODEL FOR AN INTEGRATED SOCIAL WORK APPROACH TO SOCIAL PROBLEMS.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

RIESSMAN, FRANK; SPECHT, HARRY

SOCIAL AGENCIES SHOULD BE ORGANIZED, NOT TO OFFER SPECIFIC SERVICES, BUT RATHER TO DEAL WITH SOCIAL PROBLEMS AND RELATED AREAS. SOCIAL WORK HAS TENDED TO DEVELOP TECHNICIANS WITH SPECIALIZED POINTS OF VIEW. SOCIAL PROBLEMS CAN OCCUR AT THE SOCIAL LEVELS OF THE INDIVIDUAL, THE GROUP, THE ORGANIZATION, OR THE INSTITUTION. EACH LEVEL INVOLVES A…

Workplace mental health: developing an integrated intervention approach

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Mental health problems are prevalent and costly in working populations. Workplace interventions to address common mental health problems have evolved relatively independently along three main threads or disciplinary traditions: medicine, public health, and psychology. In this Debate piece, we argue that these three threads need to be integrated to optimise the prevention of mental health problems in working populations. Discussion To realise the greatest population mental health benefits, workplace mental health intervention needs to comprehensively 1) protect mental health by reducing work–related risk factors for mental health problems; 2) promote mental health by developing the positive aspects of work as well as worker strengths and positive capacities; and 3) address mental health problems among working people regardless of cause. We outline the evidence supporting such an integrated intervention approach and consider the research agenda and policy developments needed to move towards this goal, and propose the notion of integrated workplace mental health literacy. Summary An integrated approach to workplace mental health combines the strengths of medicine, public health, and psychology, and has the potential to optimise both the prevention and management of mental health problems in the workplace. PMID:24884425

Modeling the Sliding/Falling Ladder Paradox

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fox, William P.; Fox, James B.

2003-01-01

Recently we were presented with an interesting twist to the sliding ladder problem viewed in the related rates section of most calculus textbooks. Our problem concerning a sliding ladder that eventually hits the ground. At first, those attempting this problem fell into the calculus trap using only related rates. Previous work for this problem…

Vocational Training of Young Migrants in Denmark.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koefoed, Else

A study looked at the overall situation of the immigrant population, and young immigrants in particular, and analyzed such problem areas as the transition from school to working life and the inadequacies of initial training with relation to the situation in Denmark. The study identified the following problem areas: (1) problems relating to the…

Technology Implementation and Workarounds in the Nursing Home

PubMed Central

Vogelsmeier, Amy A.; Halbesleben, Jonathon R.B.; Scott-Cawiezell, Jill R.

2008-01-01

Objective This study sought to explore the relationship of workarounds related to the implementation of an electronic medication administration record and medication safety practices in five Midwestern nursing homes. Design As a part of a larger study, this qualitative evaluation was conducted to identify workarounds associated with the implementation of an electronic medication administration record. Data were collected using multimethods including direct observation, process mapping, key informant interviews, and review of field notes from medication safety team meetings. Measurements Open and axial coding techniques were used to identify and categorize types of workarounds in relation to work flow blocks. Results Workarounds presented in two distinct patterns, those related to work flow blocks introduced by technology and those related to organizational processes not reengineered to effectively integrate with the technology. Workarounds such as safety alert overrides and shortcuts to documentation resulted from first-order problem solving of immediate blocks. Nursing home staff as individuals frequently used first-order problem solving instead of the more sophisticated second-order problem solving approach used by the medication safety team. Conclusion This study provides important practical examples of how nursing home staff work around work flow blocks encountered during the implementation of technology. Understanding these workarounds as a means of first-order problem solving is an important consideration to understanding risk to medication safety. PMID:17947626

Personnel and Welfare: The Case of the Problem Drinker at Work.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hyman, J.; Beaumont, P. B.

1985-01-01

Presents evidence of welfare activity in a number of work organizations based in Scotland that have introduced recovery programs for employees with alcohol-related problems. The study points to extensive involvement by personnel specialists in the operation of these policies. (CT)

[Subjective Aspects of Return to Work and Social Reintegration in Patients with Extensive Work-related Problems in Cardiac Rehabilitation - Results of a Qualitative Investigation].

PubMed

Schulz-Behrendt, C; Salzwedel, A; Rabe, S; Ortmann, K; Völler, H

2017-06-01

This study investigated subjective biopsychosocial effects of coronary heart disease (CHD), coping strategies and social support in patients undergoing cardiac rehabilitation (CR) and having extensive work-related problems. A qualitative investigation was performed in 17 patients (48.9±7.0 y, 13 male) with extensive work-related problems (SIMBO-C>30). All patients were interviewed with structured surveys. Data analysis was performed using a software that is based on the content analysis approach of Mayring. In regard to effects of disease, patients indicated social aspects including occupational aspects (62%) more often than physical or mental factors (9 or 29%). Applied coping strategies and support services are mainly focused on physical impairments (70 or 45%). The development of appropriate coping strategies was insufficient although social effects of disease were subjectively meaningful for patients in CR. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

The Chief Financial Officer and Government Relations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lasher, William F.; Grigsby, Gwen; Sullivan, Charlotte

1999-01-01

Examines the work of the college or university chief financial officer (CFO) in government relations, focusing on the CFO's responsibilities, methods of working with state legislatures, pitfalls in legislative relations, and special problems faced by institutions in capital cities. (Author/MSE)

Effect of job maintenance training program for employees with chronic disease - a randomized controlled trial on self-efficacy, job satisfaction, and fatigue.

PubMed

Varekamp, Inge; Verbeek, Jos H; de Boer, Angela; van Dijk, Frank J H

2011-07-01

Employees with a chronic physical condition may be hampered in job performance due to physical or cognitive limitations, pain, fatigue, psychosocial barriers, or because medical treatment interferes with work. This study investigates the effect of a group-training program aimed at job maintenance. Essential elements of the program are exploration of work-related problems, communication at the workplace, and the development and implementation of solutions. Participants with chronic physical diseases were randomly assigned to the intervention (N=64) or the control group (N=58). Participants were eligible for the study if they had a chronic physical disease, paid employment, experienced work-related problems, and were not on long-term 100% sick leave. Primary outcome measures were self-efficacy in solving work- and disease-related problems (14-70), job dissatisfaction (0-100), fatigue (20-140) and job maintenance measured at 4-, 8-, 12- and 24-month follow-up. We used GLM repeated measures for the analysis. After 24 months, loss to follow-up was 5.7% (7/122). Self-efficacy increased and fatigue decreased significantly more in the experimental than the control group [10 versus 4 points (P=0.000) and 19 versus 8 points (P=0.032), respectively]. Job satisfaction increased more in the experimental group but not significantly [6 versus 0 points (P=0.698)]. Job maintenance was 87% in the experimental and 91% in the control group, which was not a significant difference. Many participants in the control group also undertook actions to solve work-related problems. Empowerment training increases self-efficacy and helps to reduce fatigue complaints, which in the long term could lead to more job maintenance. Better understanding of ways to deal with work-related problems is needed to develop more efficient support for employees with a chronic disease.

Effects of work-related stress on work ability index among refinery workers

PubMed Central

Habibi, Ehsanollah; Dehghan, Habibollah; Safari, Shahram; Mahaki, Behzad; Hassanzadeh, Akbar

2014-01-01

Introduction: Work-related stress is one of the basic problems in industrial also top 10 work-related health problems and it is increasingly implicated in the development a number of problems such as cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal diseases, early retirement to employees. On the other hand, early retirement to employees from the workplace has increased on the problems of today's industries. Hereof, improving work ability is one of the most effective ways to enhance the ability and preventing disability and early retirement. The aim of This study is determine the relationship between job stress score and work ability index (WAI) at the refinery workers. Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional study in which 171 workers from a refinery in isfahan in 2012 who were working in different occupational groups participated. Based on appropriate assignment sampling, 33 office workers, 69 operational workers, and 69 maintenance workers, respectively, were invited to participate in this study. Two questionnaires including work related-stress and WAI were filled in. Finally, the information was analyzed using the SPSS-20 and statistic tests namely, analysis of covariance Kruskal-Wallis test. Pearson correlation coefficient, ANOVA and t-test. Results: Data analysis revealed that 86% and 14% of participants had moderate and severe stress respectively. Average score of stress and standard deviation was 158.7 ± 17.3 that was in extreme stress range. Average score and standard deviation of WAI questionnaire were 37.18 and 3.86 respectively. That placed in a good range. Pearson correlation coefficient showed that WAI score had significant reversed relationship with a score of stress. Conclusion: According to the results, mean stress score among refinery worker was high and one fator that affect work abiity was high stress, hence training on communication skills and safe working environment in order to decreses stress, enhance the work ability of workers. PMID:24741658

Effects of work-related stress on work ability index among refinery workers.

PubMed

Habibi, Ehsanollah; Dehghan, Habibollah; Safari, Shahram; Mahaki, Behzad; Hassanzadeh, Akbar

2014-01-01

Work-related stress is one of the basic problems in industrial also top 10 work-related health problems and it is increasingly implicated in the development a number of problems such as cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal diseases, early retirement to employees. On the other hand, early retirement to employees from the workplace has increased on the problems of today's industries. Hereof, improving work ability is one of the most effective ways to enhance the ability and preventing disability and early retirement. The aim of This study is determine the relationship between job stress score and work ability index (WAI) at the refinery workers. This is a cross-sectional study in which 171 workers from a refinery in isfahan in 2012 who were working in different occupational groups participated. Based on appropriate assignment sampling, 33 office workers, 69 operational workers, and 69 maintenance workers, respectively, were invited to participate in this study. Two questionnaires including work related-stress and WAI were filled in. Finally, the information was analyzed using the SPSS-20 and statistic tests namely, analysis of covariance Kruskal-Wallis test. Pearson correlation coefficient, ANOVA and t-test. Data analysis revealed that 86% and 14% of participants had moderate and severe stress respectively. Average score of stress and standard deviation was 158.7 ± 17.3 that was in extreme stress range. Average score and standard deviation of WAI questionnaire were 37.18 and 3.86 respectively. That placed in a good range. Pearson correlation coefficient showed that WAI score had significant reversed relationship with a score of stress. According to the results, mean stress score among refinery worker was high and one fator that affect work abiity was high stress, hence training on communication skills and safe working environment in order to decreses stress, enhance the work ability of workers.

Occupational hypokinesia as a hygienic problem

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smirnov, K. M.

1980-01-01

Insufficient motor activity at the work place is discussed as a widely prevalent problem reducing worker efficiency and adversely affecting worker health. Some guidelines are provided for evaluating and promulgating measures to prevent and correct hypokinesia at the work place and compensate for it during off-hours. Suggestions included developing standards for optimal work-related motor activity and setting limits for its reduction.

Toward Solutions: The Work of the Chemistry Action-Research Group. Learning in Science Project. Working Paper No. 35.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Osborne, Roger; And Others

In the action-research phase of the Learning in Science Project, four groups of people worked on problems identified in the project's second (in-depth) phase. The Chemistry Action-Research Group considered problems related to the teaching and learning of ideas associated with particles and physical/chemical changes. Based on findings during the…

Relations between work and upper extremity musculoskeletal problems (UEMSP) and the moderating role of psychosocial work factors on the relation between computer work and UEMSP.

PubMed

Nicolakakis, Nektaria; Stock, Susan R; Abrahamowicz, Michal; Kline, Rex; Messing, Karen

2017-11-01

Computer work has been identified as a risk factor for upper extremity musculoskeletal problems (UEMSP). But few studies have investigated how psychosocial and organizational work factors affect this relation. Nor have gender differences in the relation between UEMSP and these work factors  been studied. We sought to estimate: (1) the association between UEMSP and a range of physical, psychosocial and organizational work exposures, including the duration of computer work, and (2) the moderating effect of psychosocial work exposures on the relation between computer work and UEMSP. Using 2007-2008 Québec survey data on 2478 workers, we carried out gender-stratified multivariable logistic regression modeling and two-way interaction analyses. In both genders, odds of UEMSP were higher with exposure to high physical work demands and emotionally demanding work. Additionally among women, UEMSP were associated with duration of occupational computer exposure, sexual harassment, tense situations when dealing with clients, high quantitative demands and lack of prospects for promotion, and among men, with low coworker support, episodes of unemployment, low job security and contradictory work demands. Among women, the effect of computer work on UEMSP was considerably increased in the presence of emotionally demanding work, and may also be moderated by low recognition at work, contradictory work demands, and low supervisor support. These results suggest that the relations between UEMSP and computer work are moderated by psychosocial work exposures and that the relations between working conditions and UEMSP are somewhat different for each gender, highlighting the complexity of these relations and the importance of considering gender.

Depression and work related stress problems, with notes of comparative law.

PubMed

Amorosi, Marilisa; Pettinelli, Roberto

2013-09-01

This paper supplies both a medical and legal analysis of work related stress problems, by going throught the role of prevention in the European legal system. The Authors, after reviewing the negative role that stress has in the management of the employment relationship, describe the main steps that have brought Europe to recognize the importance of the role of prevention, and to recognize the role of well-being in the workplace.

Adverse trajectories of mental health problems predict subsequent burnout and work-family conflict - a longitudinal study of employed women with children followed over 18 years.

PubMed

Nilsen, Wendy; Skipstein, Anni; Demerouti, Evangelia

2016-11-08

The long-term consequence of experiencing mental health problems may lead to several adverse outcomes. The current study aims to validate previous identified trajectories of mental health problems from 1993 to 2006 in women by examining their implications on subsequent work and family-related outcomes in 2011. Employed women (n = 439) with children were drawn from the Tracking Opportunities and Problems-Study (TOPP), a community-based longitudinal study following Norwegian families across 18 years. Previous identified latent profiles of mental health trajectories (i.e., High; Moderate; Low-rising and Low levels of mental health problems over time) measured at six time points between 1993 and 2006 were examined as predictors of burnout (e.g., exhaustion and disengagement from work) and work-family conflict in 2011 in univariate and multivariate analyses of variance adjusted for potential confounders (age, job demands, and negative emotionality). We found that having consistently High and Moderate symptoms as well as Low-Rising symptoms from 1993 to 2006 predicted higher levels of exhaustion, disengagement from work and work-family conflict in 2011. Findings remained unchanged when adjusting for several potential confounders, but when adjusting for current mental health problems only levels of exhaustion were predicted by the mental health trajectories. The study expands upon previous studies on the field by using a longer time span and by focusing on employed women with children who experience different patterns of mental health trajectories. The long-term effect of these trajectories highlight and validate the importance of early identification and prevention in women experiencing adverse patterns of mental health problems with regards to subsequent work and family-related outcomes.

Case management services for work related upper extremity disorders. Integrating workplace accommodation and problem solving.

PubMed

Shaw, W S; Feuerstein, M; Lincoln, A E; Miller, V I; Wood, P M

2001-08-01

A case manager's ability to obtain worksite accommodations and engage workers in active problem solving may improve health and return to work outcomes for clients with work related upper extremity disorders (WRUEDs). This study examines the feasibility of a 2 day training seminar to help nurse case managers identify ergonomic risk factors, provide accommodation, and conduct problem solving skills training with workers' compensation claimants recovering from WRUEDs. Eight procedural steps to this case management approach were identified, translated into a training workshop format, and conveyed to 65 randomly selected case managers. Results indicate moderate to high self ratings of confidence to perform ergonomic assessments (mean = 7.5 of 10) and to provide problem solving skills training (mean = 7.2 of 10) after the seminar. This training format was suitable to experienced case managers and generated a moderate to high level of confidence to use this case management approach.

Occupational Health Problems among Dentists in Croatia

PubMed Central

Vodanović, Marin; Sović, Slavica; Galić, Ivan

2016-01-01

Aim To assess the health status among dentists in Croatia regarding the symptoms of musculoskeletal, dermatological, sight, hearing and neurological disorders. Methods The anonymous online survey was conducted among 506 Croatian dentists. Results It was found that over 78.18% of the surveyed dentists experienced work related pain in upper back, 76.97% of them in lower back. Work-related skin problems were reported by 29.29% of dentists. Vision problems were reported by 46.87% and hearing problems by 19.03% of participants. Neurological disorders were reported by 15.76% of dentists. Conclusion This study is the first to report on the overall health status of Croatian dentists and, unfortunately, it showed undesirable results. Numerous health hazards, increased professional requirements and limited ergonomics in the work environment of Croatian dental practitioners cause various health disorders, and the prevalence of occupational diseases is very high. PMID:28275278

Teachers' Perceptions of Employment-Related Problems: A Survey of Teachers in Two States.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cutrer, Susan S.; Daniel, Larry G.

This study was conducted to determine the degree to which a randomly selected sample of teachers in Mississippi and Louisiana (N=291) experience various types of work-related problems. It provides an opportunity to either confirm or deny the findings of previous studies, many of them limited by various methodological problems. Data were collected…

Occupation-specific screening for future sickness absence: criterion validity of the trucker strain monitor (TSM).

PubMed

De Croon, Einar M; Blonk, Roland W B; Sluiter, Judith K; Frings-Dresen, Monique H W

2005-02-01

Monitoring psychological job strain may help occupational physicians to take preventive action at the appropriate time. For this purpose, the 10-item trucker strain monitor (TSM) assessing work-related fatigue and sleeping problems in truck drivers was developed. This study examined (1) test-retest reliability, (2) criterion validity of the TSM with respect to future sickness absence due to psychological health complaints and (3) usefulness of the TSM two-scales structure. The TSM and self-administered questionnaires, providing information about stressful working conditions (job control and job demands) and sickness absence, were sent to a random sample of 2000 drivers in 1998. Of the 1123 responders, 820 returned a completed questionnaire 2 years later (response: 72%). The TSM work-related fatigue scale, the TSM sleeping problems scale and the TSM composite scale showed satisfactory 2-year test-retest reliability (coefficient r=0.62, 0.66 and 0.67, respectively). The work-related fatigue, sleeping problems scale and composite scale had sensitivities of 61, 65 and 61%, respectively in identifying drivers with future sickness absence due to psychological health complaints. The specificity and positive predictive value of the TSM composite scale were 77 and 11%, respectively. The work-related fatigue scale and the sleeping problems scale were moderately strong correlated (r=0.62). However, stressful working conditions were differentially associated with the two scales. The results support the test-retest reliability, criterion validity and two-factor structure of the TSM. In general, the results suggest that the use of occupation-specific psychological job strain questionnaires is fruitful.

Self-Paced Physics, Segments 6-10.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New York Inst. of Tech., Old Westbury.

Five segments of the Self-Paced Physics Course materials are presented in this problems and solutions book for use as the second part of student course work. The subject-matter topics are related to circular motion, work, power, kinetic energy, potential energy, conservative forces, conservation of energy, spring problems, center of mass, and…

Cancer Pain Management and the Role of Social Work: Barriers and Interventions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glajchen, Myra; And Others

1995-01-01

Discusses the prevalence of cancer-related pain and identifies the barriers that undermine effective pain relief. Develops a model for social work intervention in terms of communication, assessment, problem solving, and psychological support for the patient. Emphasizes skills such as communication, assessment, problem solving, and psychological…

A complexity theory model in science education problem solving: random walks for working memory and mental capacity.

PubMed

Stamovlasis, Dimitrios; Tsaparlis, Georgios

2003-07-01

The present study examines the role of limited human channel capacity from a science education perspective. A model of science problem solving has been previously validated by applying concepts and tools of complexity theory (the working memory, random walk method). The method correlated the subjects' rank-order achievement scores in organic-synthesis chemistry problems with the subjects' working memory capacity. In this work, we apply the same nonlinear approach to a different data set, taken from chemical-equilibrium problem solving. In contrast to the organic-synthesis problems, these problems are algorithmic, require numerical calculations, and have a complex logical structure. As a result, these problems cause deviations from the model, and affect the pattern observed with the nonlinear method. In addition to Baddeley's working memory capacity, the Pascual-Leone's mental (M-) capacity is examined by the same random-walk method. As the complexity of the problem increases, the fractal dimension of the working memory random walk demonstrates a sudden drop, while the fractal dimension of the M-capacity random walk decreases in a linear fashion. A review of the basic features of the two capacities and their relation is included. The method and findings have consequences for problem solving not only in chemistry and science education, but also in other disciplines.

Working memory dysfunctions predict social problem solving skills in schizophrenia.

PubMed

Huang, Jia; Tan, Shu-ping; Walsh, Sarah C; Spriggens, Lauren K; Neumann, David L; Shum, David H K; Chan, Raymond C K

2014-12-15

The current study aimed to examine the contribution of neurocognition and social cognition to components of social problem solving. Sixty-seven inpatients with schizophrenia and 31 healthy controls were administrated batteries of neurocognitive tests, emotion perception tests, and the Chinese Assessment of Interpersonal Problem Solving Skills (CAIPSS). MANOVAs were conducted to investigate the domains in which patients with schizophrenia showed impairments. Correlations were used to determine which impaired domains were associated with social problem solving, and multiple regression analyses were conducted to compare the relative contribution of neurocognitive and social cognitive functioning to components of social problem solving. Compared with healthy controls, patients with schizophrenia performed significantly worse in sustained attention, working memory, negative emotion, intention identification and all components of the CAIPSS. Specifically, sustained attention, working memory and negative emotion identification were found to correlate with social problem solving and 1-back accuracy significantly predicted the poor performance in social problem solving. Among the dysfunctions in schizophrenia, working memory contributed most to deficits in social problem solving in patients with schizophrenia. This finding provides support for targeting working memory in the development of future social problem solving rehabilitation interventions. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Swedish Sonographers' perceptions of ergonomic problems at work and their suggestions for improvement.

PubMed

Gemark Simonsen, Jenny; Gard, Gunvor

2016-09-15

Sonographers' perceptions of ergonomic and work-related pain problems at work have so far mostly been researched in quantitative studies by questionnaires. There is a need of experience-based research to deepen the knowledge about how sonographers perceive ergonomic problems at work. Therefore, the aim of this qualitative study was to describe sonographers' perceptions of ergonomic problems at work, and their suggestions for improvement strategies. Twenty-two female sonographers were individually interviewed regarding different aspects of their physical working environment. Content analysis was applied. The sonographers perceived different ergonomic problems in their working environment, but to offer patient comfort and to obtain the best possible images were often prioritized over working posture. Echocardiography was considered demanding as the examination is performed with little variation in posture. Ergonomic improvements included reducing the manual handling of the transducer, optimizing the adjustability of equipment, and taking the patient's physique and health into account. As some examinations were perceived to be more ergonomically demanding, variation between examinations was suggested, however, this requires broader skills. Sonography, especially echocardiography is ergonomically demanding but the improvement strategies suggested were perceived useful and applicable.

Ethical problems in nursing management: The views of nurse managers.

PubMed

Aitamaa, Elina; Leino-Kilpi, Helena; Iltanen, Silja; Suhonen, Riitta

2016-09-01

Nurse managers have responsibilities relating to the quality of care, the welfare of the staff and running of the organization. Ethics plays significant role in these responsibilities. Ethical problems are part of daily management, but research in this area is limited. The aim of this study was to identify and describe ethical problems nurse managers encounter in their work to get more detailed and extensive view of these problems. The data consisted of nine interviews with nurse managers at different management levels in primary healthcare and specialized healthcare organizations, and it was analysed by inductive content analysis. Permission to conduct the interviews including ethical approval was given at all participating organizations according to national standards. The respondents were informed about the aim of the study, and voluntary participation, anonymous response and confidentiality were explained to them. Four main categories were found: conflicts in practical situations, lack of appreciation, disregard of problems and experienced inadequacy. Problems could also be divided to patient-related, staff-related, organization-related and other problems. The findings correspond with results from earlier studies but add knowledge of the nature and details of nurse managers' ethical problems. New information is produced related to the ethical problems with nurse managers' own courage, motivation and values. Nurse managers identified a variety of different ethical problems in their work. This information is useful in the development of ethics in nursing management. Further research about the frequency and intensity of nurse managers' ethical problems is needed as well as possible differences in different levels of management. © The Author(s) 2015.

Workload and awkward posture problems among small-scale strawberry farmers in Japan.

PubMed

Kumudini, Ganga; Hasegawa, Tetsuya

2009-12-01

Farmers handle heavy workloads, often in awkward postures and experiencing some work related problems. Farmers perceive them as no more than inevitable consequences of farming activities. Although many problems can be prevented or reduced by simple and inexpensive modifications to work, these problems are increasing among farmers. The main focus of the paper was to investigate workload and awkward postures among strawberry farmers and suggest possible solutions to overcome the identified problems. Questionnaires, direct observations and intertwining methods were used to collect the data. Low-level strawberry beds and long working hours were recognized as critical factors that led to farmers' health problems including suffering from low back pain, heavy fatigue, unsteady feeling after work, etc. There was a substantial increase in fatigue in busy seasons compared with slack seasons. When compared with the other workers such as office, technical, sales and blue-collar workers, female farmers' general fatigue level was considerably high. Findings indicated that strawberry farming was a stressful occupation and farmers were strained under heavy workload, monotonous and repetitive work and poor working conditions with frequent fatigue symptoms and severe influence on health.

Family Problems and Youth Unemployment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Goede, Martijn; Spruijt, Ed; Maas, Cora; Duindam, Vincent

2000-01-01

Examines how family and personal characteristics relate to the employment situation of adolescents (N=995) in Denmark. Results show that parental divorce, parental unemployment (only for males), low parental affective involvement, and adolescent relationship problems were related to youth unemployment, but educational career and work commitment…

Empowering employees with chronic diseases; development of an intervention aimed at job retention and design of a randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Varekamp, Inge; de Vries, Gabe; Heutink, Annelies; van Dijk, Frank J H

2008-11-04

Persons with a chronic disease are less often employed than healthy persons. If employed, many of them experience problems at work. Therefore, we developed a training programme aimed at job retention. The objective of this paper is to describe this intervention and to present the design of a study to evaluate its effectiveness. DEVELOPMENT AND DESCRIPTION OF INTERVENTION: A systematic review, a needs assessment and discussions with Dutch experts led to a pilot group training, tested in a pilot study. The evaluation resulted in the development of a seven-session group training combined with three individual counselling sessions. The training is based on an empowerment perspective that aims to help individuals enhance knowledge, skills and self-awareness. These advances are deemed necessary for problem solving in three stages: exploration and clarification of work related problems, communication at the workplace, and development and implementation of solutions. Seven themes are discussed and practised in the group sessions: 1) Consequences of a chronic disease in the workplace, 2) Insight into feelings and thoughts about having a chronic disease, 3) Communication in daily work situations, 4) Facilities for disabled employees and work disability legislation, 5) How to stand up for oneself, 6) A plan to solve problems, 7) Follow-up. Participants are recruited via occupational health services, patient organisations, employers, and a yearly national conference on chronic diseases. They are eligible when they have a chronic physical medical condition, have a paid job, and experience problems at work. Workers on long-term, 100% sick leave that is expected to continue during the training are excluded. After filling in the baseline questionnaire, the participants are randomised to either the control or the intervention group. The control group will receive no care or care as usual. Post-test mail questionnaires will be sent after 4, 8, 12 and 24 months. Primary outcome measures are job retention, self efficacy, fatigue and work pleasure. Secondary outcome measures are work-related problems, sick leave, quality of life, acquired work accommodations, burnout, and several quality of work measures. A process evaluation will be conducted and satisfaction with the training, its components and the training methods will be assessed. Many employees with a chronic condition experience problems in performing tasks and in managing social relations at work. We developed an innovative intervention that addresses practical as well as psychosocial problems. The results of the study will be relevant for employees, employers, occupational health professionals and human resource professionals (HRM). ISRCTN77240155.

Empowering employees with chronic diseases; development of an intervention aimed at job retention and design of a randomised controlled trial

PubMed Central

Varekamp, Inge; de Vries, Gabe; Heutink, Annelies; van Dijk, Frank JH

2008-01-01

Background Persons with a chronic disease are less often employed than healthy persons. If employed, many of them experience problems at work. Therefore, we developed a training programme aimed at job retention. The objective of this paper is to describe this intervention and to present the design of a study to evaluate its effectiveness. Development and description of intervention A systematic review, a needs assessment and discussions with Dutch experts led to a pilot group training, tested in a pilot study. The evaluation resulted in the development of a seven-session group training combined with three individual counselling sessions. The training is based on an empowerment perspective that aims to help individuals enhance knowledge, skills and self-awareness. These advances are deemed necessary for problem solving in three stages: exploration and clarification of work related problems, communication at the workplace, and development and implementation of solutions. Seven themes are discussed and practised in the group sessions: 1) Consequences of a chronic disease in the workplace, 2) Insight into feelings and thoughts about having a chronic disease, 3) Communication in daily work situations, 4) Facilities for disabled employees and work disability legislation, 5) How to stand up for oneself, 6) A plan to solve problems, 7) Follow-up. Methods Participants are recruited via occupational health services, patient organisations, employers, and a yearly national conference on chronic diseases. They are eligible when they have a chronic physical medical condition, have a paid job, and experience problems at work. Workers on long-term, 100% sick leave that is expected to continue during the training are excluded. After filling in the baseline questionnaire, the participants are randomised to either the control or the intervention group. The control group will receive no care or care as usual. Post-test mail questionnaires will be sent after 4, 8, 12 and 24 months. Primary outcome measures are job retention, self efficacy, fatigue and work pleasure. Secondary outcome measures are work-related problems, sick leave, quality of life, acquired work accommodations, burnout, and several quality of work measures. A process evaluation will be conducted and satisfaction with the training, its components and the training methods will be assessed. Discussion Many employees with a chronic condition experience problems in performing tasks and in managing social relations at work. We developed an innovative intervention that addresses practical as well as psychosocial problems. The results of the study will be relevant for employees, employers, occupational health professionals and human resource professionals (HRM). Trial registration ISRCTN77240155 PMID:18983652

A Kind of Nonlinear Programming Problem Based on Mixed Fuzzy Relation Equations Constraints

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Jinquan; Feng, Shuang; Mi, Honghai

In this work, a kind of nonlinear programming problem with non-differential objective function and under the constraints expressed by a system of mixed fuzzy relation equations is investigated. First, some properties of this kind of optimization problem are obtained. Then, a polynomial-time algorithm for this kind of optimization problem is proposed based on these properties. Furthermore, we show that this algorithm is optimal for the considered optimization problem in this paper. Finally, numerical examples are provided to illustrate our algorithms.

The effects of maternal working conditions and mastery on child behavior problems: studying the intergenerational transmission of social control.

PubMed

Rogers, S J; Parcel, T L; Menaghan, E G

1991-06-01

We assess the impact of maternal sense of mastery and maternal working conditions on maternal perceptions of children's behavior problems as a means to study the transmission of social control across generations. We use a sample of 521 employed mothers and their four-to six-year-old children from the National Longitudinal Survey's Youth Cohort in 1986. Regarding working conditions, we consider mother's hourly wage, work hours, and job content including involvement with things (vs. people), the requisite level of physical activity, and occupational complexity. We also consider maternal and child background and current family characteristics, including marital status, family size, and home environment. Maternal mastery was related to fewer reported behavior problems among children. Lower involvement with people and higher involvement with things, as well as low physical activity, were related significantly to higher levels of perceived problems. In addition, recent changes in maternal marital status, including maternal marriage or remarriage, increased reports of problems; stronger home environments had the opposite effect. We interpret these findings as suggesting how maternal experiences of control in the workplace and personal resources of control can influence the internalization of control in children.

Scheduling Earth Observing Fleets Using Evolutionary Algorithms: Problem Description and Approach

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Globus, Al; Crawford, James; Lohn, Jason; Morris, Robert; Clancy, Daniel (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

We describe work in progress concerning multi-instrument, multi-satellite scheduling. Most, although not all, Earth observing instruments currently in orbit are unique. In the relatively near future, however, we expect to see fleets of Earth observing spacecraft, many carrying nearly identical instruments. This presents a substantially new scheduling challenge. Inspired by successful commercial applications of evolutionary algorithms in scheduling domains, this paper presents work in progress regarding the use of evolutionary algorithms to solve a set of Earth observing related model problems. Both the model problems and the software are described. Since the larger problems will require substantial computation and evolutionary algorithms are embarrassingly parallel, we discuss our parallelization techniques using dedicated and cycle-scavenged workstations.

[Intensified rehabilitation aftercare (IRENA): utilization alongside work and changes in work-related parameters].

PubMed

Lamprecht, J; Behrens, J; Mau, W; Schubert, M

2011-06-01

An aftercare programme following medical rehabilitation may be beneficial in order to reinforce and stabilize the positive effects of rehabilitation and to encourage individual health-related modifications of behaviour and lifestyle. Medical rehabilitation and the aftercare programme of the German Pension Insurance Fund primarily are intended to sustain earning capacity. As part of an evaluation of the Intensified Rehabilitation Aftercare Programme (IRENA) established by the German Pension Insurance Fund, work-related aspects in orthopaedic patients were analyzed based on various data sources. Firstly, the significance of institutional and individual conditions for utilization of IRENA alongside work was of interest. Secondly, the IRENA participants' judgements of the changes of work-related parameters due to the programme were examined, differentiating specifically by extent of earning capacity impairments as well as by particular work problems. The data set used for the analysis is composed of person-related routine data of the German Pension Insurance Fund relative to IRENA records of the year 2007 (n=30 663), interview data from orthopaedic rehabilitation centres providing IRENA (n=225), and questionnaires of IRENA participants (n=750) that were either collected during a broad evaluation of the IRENA programme or provided by the German Pension Insurance Fund. The results show that the compatibility of IRENA and work is facilitated by the institutional conditions. However, differences between inpatient and outpatient settings have to be recognized. The possibilities to participate in IRENA throughout the day frequently are more diverse in an outpatient setting. In contrast to inpatient centres, outpatient rehabilitation centres see clearly better chances for patients to return to work and to participate in IRENA alongside. With respect to the work-related parameters (work ability, periods of sick leave), clear improvements were reported by participants from the start of rehabilitation to the survey time after the end of IRENA. Particular work problems were reported by 33% of the IRENA participants. The work ability at the end of rehabilitation was found to have been the essential factor for improvement of work ability following IRENA. Particular work problems, however, had no influence, these individuals profited from IRENA to an equal extent. Institutional and individual view show that IRENA is compatible with utilization alongside work. Also, IRENA combined with prior medical rehabilitation will bring about subjective improvements in health and work-related parameters. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Perceived Problems of Public School Prekindergarten Teachers in Florida Related to Demographic Variables.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Micklo, Stephen J.

This study was conducted to identify and validate the work-related problems of public school teachers in Florida's Prekindergarten Early Intervention Program which targets economically at-risk 3- and 4-year olds. The study was designed to answer three questions: (1) What problems are perceived to be most bothersome and occur most frequently? (2)…

Using Students' Representations Constructed during Problem Solving to Infer Conceptual Understanding

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Domin, Daniel; Bodner, George

2012-01-01

The differences in the types of representations constructed during successful and unsuccessful problem-solving episodes were investigated within the context of graduate students working on problems that involve concepts from 2D-NMR. Success at problem solving was established by having the participants solve five problems relating to material just…

Absenteeism due to mental health problems and systems for return to work: an internet-based unmatched case-control study.

PubMed

Doki, Shotaro; Sasahara, Shinichiro; Hirai, Yasuhito; Oi, Yuichi; Matsuzaki, Ichiyo

2016-11-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the risk factors for absenteeism due to mental health problems with regard to company characteristics and systems for return to work in Japan. This was an Internet-based unmatched case-control study. Two hundred and fifty-eight workers who experienced over 28 days of sick leave due to mental health problems (cases) and 258 workers who have not taken sick leave (controls) were recruited. Company characteristics and the awareness and presence of systems for return to work were analysed as indicators of absenteeism. A total of 501 workers were included in the analysis. Females were less likely to experience absenteeism when adjustments were made for both the awareness and presence of systems [odds ratio (OR) = 0.51 and 0.41, respectively]. Large companies showed an increased risk of having absentee workers than small companies. The awareness of a gradual resumption system and the presence of a sick pay system were related to absenteeism (OR = 2.75 and 2.40, respectively). The awareness and presence of systems for return to work are related to the long-term absenteeism. The predictors of sex and company size are also related to the experience of the long-term absenteeism. To understand the effect of systems for return to work on absenteeism due to mental problems, further studies are needed.

Research in geosciences policy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brunner, Ronald D.

1992-01-01

The general task was to look beyond the adverse physical impacts and to defining the policy problem. In order for policy actions to be effective, they must address the right policy problems, which will be different from and broader than the physical problems. We will work on defining the policy problems with a view to indicating how practical solutions might be implemented. In particular, public officials need advice on what should be said, and done, and for what purposes. That advice needs to be based on systematic analysis of: (1) the scholarly literature in the social sciences, and related disciplines; (2) the charging content of the policy debate at the center of attention; and (3) how citizens perceive and understand issues related to global change. We will conduct this analysis. Chapter 1 and 2 each reports work on defining the policy problem and analyzing the scholarly literature. Chapters 3 and 4, respectively, address the policy debate and citizen viewpoints in issues related to global change.

[Management of the new first aid service at enterprises and construction sites].

PubMed

Prandi, E; Cantoni, S; Mosconi, G

2006-01-01

First aid at work organization and management represents a complex and critical aspect of the manifold problems of hygiene and security at work; nevertheless, even in relatively well organized productions, these themes are often neglected, if not completely ignored. In this work the authors analize the laws which regulate the correct first aid at work organization and management and an approach to the problem based on the preliminary risk assessment is suggested.

Integrated case management for work-related upper-extremity disorders: impact of patient satisfaction on health and work status.

PubMed

Feuerstein, Michael; Huang, Grant D; Ortiz, Jose M; Shaw, William S; Miller, Virginia I; Wood, Patricia M

2003-08-01

An integrated case management (ICM) approach (ergonomic and problem-solving intervention) to work-related upper-extremity disorders was examined in relation to patient satisfaction, future symptom severity, function, and return to work (RTW). Federal workers with work-related upper-extremity disorder workers' compensation claims (n = 205) were randomly assigned to usual care or ICM intervention. Patient satisfaction was assessed after the 4-month intervention period. Questionnaires on clinical outcomes and ergonomic exposure were administered at baseline and at 6- and 12-months postintervention. Time from intervention to RTW was obtained from an administrative database. ICM group assignment was significantly associated with greater patient satisfaction. Regression analyses found higher patient satisfaction levels predicted decreased symptom severity and functional limitations at 6 months and a shorter RTW. At 12 months, predictors of positive outcomes included male gender, lower distress, lower levels of reported ergonomic exposure, and receipt of ICM. Findings highlight the utility of targeting workplace ergonomic and problem solving skills.

How immigrant workers experience workplace problems: a qualitative study.

PubMed

de Castro, Arnold B; Fujishiro, Kaori; Sweitzer, Erica; Oliva, Jose

2006-01-01

In this qualitative study, the authors describe work organization factors, problems workers encounter on the job, consequences of these problems, and actions taken to deal with them. Study participants were immigrant workers seeking assistance at the Chicago Interfaith Workers' Rights Center. Using a grounded theory approach, the investigators coded narratives from 455 records describing workers' problems. Emerged sequences of events were then integrated into a model. Data show that workers' rights are systematically violated and problems are rooted in how jobs are designed and managed. Work organization factors are associated with occupational injury/illness, job loss, and worker actions. Employer responses included indifference and various forms of retaliation. This model provides insight into the work-related troubles immigrants face and informs hypothesis generation and action initiatives.

Committed to work but vulnerable: Self-perceptions and mental health in NEET 18-year-olds from a contemporary British cohort

PubMed Central

Goldman-Mellor, Sidra; Caspi, Avshalom; Arseneault, Louise; Ajala, Nifemi; Ambler, Antony; Danese, Andrea; Fisher, Helen; Hucker, Abigail; Odgers, Candice; Williams, Teresa; Wong, Chloe; Moffitt, Terrie E.

2016-01-01

Background Labour market disengagement among youths has lasting negative economic and social consequences, yet is poorly understood. We compared four types of work-related self-perceptions, as well as vulnerability to mental health and substance abuse problems, among youths not in education, employment, or training (NEET) and among their peers. Methods Participants were from the Environmental Risk (E-Risk) longitudinal study, a nationally representative U.K. cohort of 2,232 twins born in 1994–95. We measured commitment to work, job-search effort, professional/technical skills, “soft” skills (e.g., teamwork, decision-making, communication), optimism about getting ahead, and mental health and substance-use disorders at age 18. We also examined childhood mental health. Results At age 18, 11.6% of participants were NEET. NEET participants reported themselves as committed to work and searching for jobs with greater diligence than their non-NEET peers. However, they reported fewer “soft” skills (B = −0.98, p < .001) and felt less optimistic about their likelihood of getting ahead in life (B = −2.41, p < .001). NEET youths also had higher rates of concurrent mental health and substance-abuse problems, but these did not explain the relationship with work-related self-perceptions. Nearly 60% of NEET (vs. 35% of non-NEET) youths had already experienced ≥1 mental health problem in childhood/adolescence. Associations of NEET status with concurrent mental health problems were independent of pre-existing mental health vulnerability. Conclusions Our findings indicate that while NEET is clearly an economic and mental health issue, it does not appear to be a motivation issue. Alongside skills, work-related self-perceptions and mental-health problems may be targets for intervention and service provision among this high-risk population. PMID:26791344

An older worker's decision to "push or protect self" following a work-related injury.

PubMed

Stikeleather, Jill

2004-01-01

This study highlights the return-to-work experience of older workers on worker's compensation as there is a dearth of research in this area. Qualitative research methods delineated the experience of four older workers who had sustained work-related musculoskeletal injuries. "Push or Protect Self" emerged as the core category with three themes, including the level of employer support and degree of flexibility in work; continued health problems; and financial distress. These themes influenced each worker's decision to either "push self" to meet their pre-injury work demands, or "protect self" and accept a job post-injury that was less physically demanding, but was at a lower pay level. The four workers sustained financial difficulties subsequent to being off work, and reported continued health problems related to their injuries after being discharged from the worker's compensation system. Degree of employer support in providing flexibility in work demands varied, where low support and inflexibility in job tasks contributed to difficulty in returning to work or in sustaining the work demands of the job.

Extraction of a group-pair relation: problem-solving relation from web-board documents.

PubMed

Pechsiri, Chaveevan; Piriyakul, Rapepun

2016-01-01

This paper aims to extract a group-pair relation as a Problem-Solving relation, for example a DiseaseSymptom-Treatment relation and a CarProblem-Repair relation, between two event-explanation groups, a problem-concept group as a symptom/CarProblem-concept group and a solving-concept group as a treatment-concept/repair concept group from hospital-web-board and car-repair-guru-web-board documents. The Problem-Solving relation (particularly Symptom-Treatment relation) including the graphical representation benefits non-professional persons by supporting knowledge of primarily solving problems. The research contains three problems: how to identify an EDU (an Elementary Discourse Unit, which is a simple sentence) with the event concept of either a problem or a solution; how to determine a problem-concept EDU boundary and a solving-concept EDU boundary as two event-explanation groups, and how to determine the Problem-Solving relation between these two event-explanation groups. Therefore, we apply word co-occurrence to identify a problem-concept EDU and a solving-concept EDU, and machine-learning techniques to solve a problem-concept EDU boundary and a solving-concept EDU boundary. We propose using k-mean and Naïve Bayes to determine the Problem-Solving relation between the two event-explanation groups involved with clustering features. In contrast to previous works, the proposed approach enables group-pair relation extraction with high accuracy.

Etiological Distinction of Working Memory Components in Relation to Mathematics

PubMed Central

Lukowski, Sarah L.; Soden, Brooke; Hart, Sara A.; Thompson, Lee A.; Kovas, Yulia; Petrill, Stephen A.

2014-01-01

Working memory has been consistently associated with mathematics achievement, although the etiology of these relations remains poorly understood. The present study examined the genetic and environmental underpinnings of math story problem solving, timed calculation, and untimed calculation alongside working memory components in 12-year-old monozygotic (n = 105) and same-sex dizygotic (n = 143) twin pairs. Results indicated significant phenotypic correlation between each working memory component and all mathematics outcomes (r = 0.18 – 0.33). Additive genetic influences shared between the visuo-spatial sketchpad and mathematics achievement was significant, accounting for roughly 89% of the observed correlation. In addition, genetic covariance was found between the phonological loop and math story problem solving. In contrast, despite there being a significant observed relationship between phonological loop and timed and untimed calculation, there was no significant genetic or environmental covariance between the phonological loop and timed or untimed calculation skills. Further analyses indicated that genetic overlap between the visuo-spatial sketchpad and math story problem solving and math fluency was distinct from general genetic factors, whereas g, phonological loop, and mathematics shared generalist genes. Thus, although each working memory component was related to mathematics, the etiology of their relationships may be distinct. PMID:25477699

Predicting absenteeism: screening for work ability or burnout.

PubMed

Schouteten, R

2017-01-01

In determining the predictors of occupational health problems, two factors can be distinguished: personal (work ability) factors and work-related factors (burnout, job characteristics). However, these risk factors are hardly ever combined and it is not clear whether burnout or work ability best predicts absenteeism. To relate measures of work ability, burnout and job characteristics to absenteeism as the indicators of occupational health problems. Survey data on work ability, burnout and job characteristics from a Dutch university were related to the absenteeism data from the university's occupational health and safety database in the year following the survey study. The survey contained the Work Ability Index (WAI), Utrecht Burnout Scale (UBOS) and seven job characteristics from the Questionnaire on Experience and Evaluation of Work (QEEW). There were 242 employees in the study group. Logistic regression analyses revealed that job characteristics did not predict absenteeism. Exceptional absenteeism was most consistently predicted by the WAI dimensions 'employees' own prognosis of work ability in two years from now' and 'mental resources/vitality' and the burnout dimension 'emotional exhaustion'. Other significant predictors of exceptional absenteeism frequency included estimated work impairment due to diseases (WAI) and feelings of depersonalization or emotional distance from the work (burnout). Absenteeism among university personnel was best predicted by a combination of work ability and burnout. As a result, measures to prevent absenteeism and health problems may best be aimed at improving an individual's work ability and/or preventing the occurrence of burnout. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Occupational Medicine. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

The association between perceived distress tolerance and cannabis use problems, cannabis withdrawal symptoms, and self-efficacy for quitting cannabis: The explanatory role of pain-related affective distress.

PubMed

Manning, Kara; Rogers, Andrew H; Bakhshaie, Jafar; Hogan, Julianna B D; Buckner, Julia D; Ditre, Joseph W; Zvolensky, Michael J

2018-10-01

Rates of cannabis use and related problems continue to rise, ranking as the third most common substance use disorder in the United States, behind tobacco and alcohol use. Past work suggests that perceived distress tolerance is related to several clinically significant features of cannabis use (e.g., coping-oriented use). However, there has been little exploration of the mechanisms that may underlie relations between perceived distress tolerance and cannabis use problems, withdrawal severity, and self-efficacy for quitting. The current study sought to examine the experience of pain, which frequently co-occurs with cannabis use (Ashrafioun, Bohnert, Jannausch, & Ilgen, 2015), as an underlying factor in the relation between perceived distress tolerance and cannabis related problems among 203 current cannabis-using adults (29.2% female, M = 37.7 years, SD = 10.2, 63% African American). Results indicated that perceived distress tolerance via pain related affective distress significantly predicted the severity of cannabis use problems (Pm = 0.60), degree of cannabis withdrawal (Pm = 0.39), and lower self-efficacy for quitting cannabis (Pm = 0.36). Future work may usefully explore the role of pain-related affective distress as a mechanistic factor in the context of perceived distress tolerance-cannabis relations. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Foundation Officers, Evaluation, and Ethical Problems: A Pilot Investigation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morris, Michael

2007-01-01

Ethical problems encountered by foundation officers in their evaluation-related work were identified via an email survey of a sample of Council on Foundations member organizations. Of the respondents who had worked with evaluators, one-third indicated that they had faced ethical challenges. Most challenges fell into one of four categories:…

Validity of the MicroDYN Approach: Complex Problem Solving Predicts School Grades beyond Working Memory Capacity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schweizer, Fabian; Wustenberg, Sascha; Greiff, Samuel

2013-01-01

This study examines the validity of the complex problem solving (CPS) test MicroDYN by investigating a) the relation between its dimensions--rule identification (exploration strategy), rule knowledge (acquired knowledge), rule application (control performance)--and working memory capacity (WMC), and b) whether CPS predicts school grades in…

Statistical Debugging

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-03-01

in all parts of the program except the predicates. B. PRELIMINARY EXPERIMENTATION Working with the hand written program initially to get a feel...PROBLEM STATEMENT AND MOTIVATION .......................................2 II. RELATED WORK ...ISOLATION.........................................7 III. PRELIMINARY WORK

[Work-related medical rehabilitation for patients with rheumatic diseases].

PubMed

Ehlebracht-König, I; Dorn, M

2014-02-01

In recent years work-related rehabilitation has been intensified. Several studies have shown the effectiveness of work-related interventions in medical rehabilitation by improving participation in the work force and reducing sick leave. The German pension insurance fund has developed standardized requirements for medical work-related rehabilitation which include diagnostic procedures to identify patients with specific occupational problems and vocation-related interventions. These requirements address patients across different indications and diagnoses. Rehabilitation centers are assigned to different levels of work-related interventions depending on the intensity and specificity of the profile. Centers providing the complete range of work-related interventions offer differentiated work-related diagnostics, job training and occupational groups in addition to general social advice. In this article four case studies with different priorities regarding vocational interventions are presented.

Is work engagement related to work ability beyond working conditions and lifestyle factors?

PubMed

Airila, Auli; Hakanen, Jari; Punakallio, Anne; Lusa, Sirpa; Luukkonen, Ritva

2012-11-01

To examine the associations of age, lifestyle and work-related factors, and particularly work engagement with the work ability index (WAI) and its sub-dimensions. Step-wise regression analysis with a sample of Finnish firefighters (n = 403) was used. The outcome variables were the WAI and its six sub-dimensions. The independent variables consisted of age, lifestyle variables (alcohol consumption, BMI, smoking, physical exercise, and sleep problems), working conditions (job demands, physical workload, supervisory relations, and task resources), and work engagement. The outcome variables and all the variables related to lifestyle, working conditions, and work engagement were measured in 2009. Work ability at baseline 10 years earlier was adjusted for in the models. Work engagement, age, physical exercise, sleep problems, and physical workload were associated with the WAI. All independent variables, except BMI and alcohol consumption, were associated with at least one sub-dimension of the WAI after controlling the baseline WAI. Lifestyle variables, working conditions, and work engagement were more strongly related to the subjective WAI sub-dimensions than to the two more objective WAI sub-dimensions. Work engagement was significantly associated with work ability even after adjusting for various factors, indicating its importance in promoting work ability. Other key factors for good work ability were frequent exercise, good sleep, non-smoking, low job demands, low physical workload, and high task resources. More specifically, this study suggests that in maintaining work ability, it is valuable not only to promote lifestyle factors or working conditions, but also to enhance employees' positive state of work engagement.

Occupational stress and its association with early retirement and subjective need for occupational rehabilitation in cancer patients.

PubMed

Böttcher, Hilke M; Steimann, Monika; Rotsch, Martin; Zurborn, Karl-Heinz; Koch, Uwe; Bergelt, Corinna

2013-08-01

Returning to work often plays an important role for cancer survivors. Occupational stress may hamper a successful return to work, so cancer survivors should be given the opportunity to address occupational stress issues before returning to work. We investigated the amount of occupational stress among cancer patients and whether it is associated with their well-being, their subjective need for occupational rehabilitation and elevations in their risk of early retirement. At the beginning of rehabilitation, we asked cancer patients to respond to occupation-related and health-related questionnaires. We used t-tests, chi-square tests, and logistic regression analyses to address our research questions. A total of 477 patients participated in the study. Of these, 19% were occupationally stressed, and 26% reported subjective need for occupational rehabilitation. Patients who reported work-related stress had a diminished quality of life, were more likely to report subjective need for occupational rehabilitation (OR = 2.16), and had a higher risk of early retirement (OR = 5.44). Furthermore, cancer patients reported deficits in both active coping abilities and mental stability at work. Because occupational stress is associated with a higher risk of early retirement, both patients and physicians should take work-related problems seriously. Screening patients for occupational stress may help physicians identify patients who are at risk of experiencing problematic work re-entries. Furthermore, the results of the study suggest that cancer patients might have problems maintaining confidence in their abilities to solve work-related problems. Therefore, facilitating the development of a perception of self-efficacy might be an important treatment goal. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Validation of vocational assessment tool for persons with substance use disorders.

PubMed

Sethuraman, Lakshmanan; Subodh, B N; Murthy, Pratima

2016-01-01

Work-related problems are a serious concern among persons with substance use but due to lack of a standardized tool to measure it; these problems are neither systematically assessed nor appropriately addressed. Most existing measures of work performance cater to the needs of the workplace rather than focusing on the workers' perception of the difficulties at work. To develop a standardized instrument to measure work-related problems in persons with substance use disorders. Qualitative data obtained from interviews with substance users were used to develop a scale. The refined list of the scale was circulated among an expert panel for content validation. The modified scale was administered to 150 cases, and 50 cases completed the scale twice at the interval of 2 weeks for test-retest reliability. Items with a test-retest reliability kappa coefficient of 0.4 or greater were retained and subjected to factor analysis. The final 45-item scale has a five-factor structure. The value of Cronbach's alpha of the final version of the scale was 0.91. This self-report questionnaire, which can be completed in 10 min, may help us in making a baseline assessment of the work-related impairment among persons with substance use and the impact of substance use on work.

Validation of vocational assessment tool for persons with substance use disorders

PubMed Central

Sethuraman, Lakshmanan; Subodh, B. N.; Murthy, Pratima

2016-01-01

Background: Work-related problems are a serious concern among persons with substance use but due to lack of a standardized tool to measure it; these problems are neither systematically assessed nor appropriately addressed. Most existing measures of work performance cater to the needs of the workplace rather than focusing on the workers' perception of the difficulties at work. Aim: To develop a standardized instrument to measure work-related problems in persons with substance use disorders. Methods: Qualitative data obtained from interviews with substance users were used to develop a scale. The refined list of the scale was circulated among an expert panel for content validation. The modified scale was administered to 150 cases, and 50 cases completed the scale twice at the interval of 2 weeks for test–retest reliability. Results: Items with a test–retest reliability kappa coefficient of 0.4 or greater were retained and subjected to factor analysis. The final 45-item scale has a five-factor structure. The value of Cronbach's alpha of the final version of the scale was 0.91. Conclusions: This self-report questionnaire, which can be completed in 10 min, may help us in making a baseline assessment of the work-related impairment among persons with substance use and the impact of substance use on work. PMID:28163409

Teaching about Race Relations: Problems and Effects.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stenhouse, Lawrence; And Others

This is a report on the work of two linked research projects into teaching about race relations that were mounted at the Centre for Applied Research in Education (CARE) of the University of East Anglia, England, between 1972 and 1975. The projects sought to throw light on the problems and effects of teaching adolescents about race relations by…

Work Place Impact of Working Parents. Preliminary Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Phillips, Tyler D.; And Others

Intended for employers requiring facts about the child care problems of their working-parent employees, findings reported here relate primarily to the amount of work time which working parents devote to child care. Specifically discussed are frequency of care changes, time spent finding care, work time missed by working parents, consideration…

Electrodynamics; Problems and solutions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ilie, Carolina C.; Schrecengost, Zachariah S.

2018-05-01

This book of problems and solutions is a natural continuation of Ilie and Schrecengost's first book Electromagnetism: Problems and Solutions. Aimed towards students who would like to work independently on more electrodynamics problems in order to deepen their understanding and problem-solving skills, this book discusses main concepts and techniques related to Maxwell's equations, conservation laws, electromagnetic waves, potentials and fields, and radiation.

Student Development of Information Literacy Skills during Problem-Based Organic Chemistry Laboratory Experiments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shultz, Ginger V.; Li, Ye

2016-01-01

Problem-based learning methods support student learning of content as well as scientific skills. In the course of problem-based learning, students seek outside information related to the problem, and therefore, information literacy skills are practiced when problem-based learning is used. This work describes a mixed-methods approach to investigate…

Work-related violence and incident use of psychotropics.

PubMed

Madsen, Ida E H; Burr, Hermann; Diderichsen, Finn; Pejtersen, Jan H; Borritz, Marianne; Bjorner, Jakob B; Rugulies, Reiner

2011-12-15

Although the mental health consequences of domestic violence are well documented, empirical evidence is scarce regarding the mental health effects of violence in the workplace. Most studies have used data from small occupation-specific samples, limiting their generalizability. This article examines whether direct exposure to work-related violence is associated with clinically pertinent mental health problems, measured by purchases of psychotropics (antidepressants, anxiolytics, hypnotics), in a cross-occupational sample of 15,246 Danish employees free from using psychotropics at baseline. Self-reported data on work-related violence were merged with other data on purchases of medications through a national registry to estimate cause-specific hazard ratios during 3.6 years (1,325 days) of follow-up in the years 1996-2008. Outcomes were examined as competing risks, and analyses were adjusted for gender, age, cohabitation, education, income, social support from colleagues, social support from supervisor, and influence and quantitative demands at work. Work-related violence was associated with purchasing antidepressants alone (hazard ratio = 1.38, 95% confidence interval: 1.09, 1.75) or in combination with anxiolytics (hazard ratio = 1.74, 95% confidence interval: 1.13, 2.70) but not with purchasing anxiolytics or hypnotics only. The frequency of violent episodes and risk of caseness were unrelated. Work-related violence is associated with increased risk of clinically pertinent mental health problems. Reducing levels of work-related violence may help to prevent mental disorders in the working population.

The Center on Race and Social Problems at the University of Pittsburgh

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, Larry E.; Bangs, Ralph L.

2007-01-01

In 2002, the School of Social Work at the University of Pittsburgh established the Center on Race and Social Problems (CRSP). CRSP, which is the first race research center to be housed in a school of social work, has six foci: economic disparities; educational disparities; interracial group relations; mental health; youth, families, and elderly;…

What Is the Problem in Problem-Based Learning in Higher Education Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dahl, Bettina

2018-01-01

Problem and Project-Based Learning (PBL) emphasise collaborate work on problems relevant to society and emphases the relation between theory and practice. PBL fits engineering students as preparation for their future professions but what about mathematics? Mathematics is not just applied mathematics, but it is also a body of abstract knowledge…

Poor comprehenders in the classroom: teacher ratings of behavior in children with poor reading comprehension and its relationship with individual differences in working memory.

PubMed

Pimperton, Hannah; Nation, Kate

2014-01-01

Differing etiological explanations have been proposed to account for poor comprehenders' difficulties with reading comprehension, with some researchers emphasizing working memory deficits and others arguing for oral language weaknesses playing a key causal role. The authors contrasted these two theoretical accounts using data obtained from direct measures of working memory and from teacher ratings of poor comprehenders' behavior in the classroom. At the group level, poor comprehenders showed weaknesses on verbal but not nonverbal working memory tasks, in keeping with the "language account." However, they also showed evidence of elevated levels of problem behaviors specifically associated with working memory deficits. Further analysis revealed that these group differences in working-memory-related problem behaviors were carried by a small subgroup of poor comprehenders who also displayed domain-general (verbal and nonverbal) working memory problems, argued to be reflective of "genuine" underlying working memory deficits.

Effects of occupational future time perspective on managing stressful work situations.

PubMed

Ho, Henry C Y; Yeung, Dannii Y

2016-08-01

According to the socioemotional selectivity theory (SST; Carstensen, 2006), older adults perceive their future time as increasingly limited, which motivates them to focus more on emotional goals and prefer passive emotion-focused strategies. This study aims to investigate the effect of occupational future time perspective (OFTP) on the use of problem-solving strategies in stressful work situations and to examine the effectiveness of these strategies on psychological well-being. A sample of 199 Chinese clerical workers responded to a structured questionnaire on problem-solving strategy use in relation to hypothetical work scenarios. Results revealed that relative to those with limited OFTP, workers with expansive OFTP preferred problem-focused and proactive strategies in both low- and high-emotionally salient scenarios. Workers with limited OFTP consistently preferred passive strategies irrespective of emotional salience. OFTP moderated the effect of problem-focused strategies on psychological distress. In particular, there was a significant negative relationship between problem-focused strategies and psychological distress among workers with expansive OFTP, but such pattern of relationship was not observed among workers with limited OFTP. Findings of this study inform the training strategies employed by practitioners to fit the developmental goals of workers in order to maximise their strengths at work. © 2015 International Union of Psychological Science.

Tracking It Down: Predictors of Risky Drinking in an Australian Railway.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zinkiewicz, Lucy; Davey, Jeremy; Obst, Patricia; Sheehan, Mary

1999-01-01

Surveys employees (N=4,979) of an Australian state railway to determine self-reported employee alcohol use and the influence of work-related risk factors on this use. Examination of risk factors previously associated with work-related problem drinking showed that gender, nights away from home for work, job satisfaction, and availability of alcohol…

New Rule Use Drives the Relation between Working Memory Capacity and Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wiley, Jennifer; Jarosz, Andrew F.; Cushen, Patrick J.; Colflesh, Gregory J. H.

2011-01-01

The correlation between individual differences in working memory capacity and performance on the Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices (RAPM) is well documented yet poorly understood. The present work proposes a new explanation: that the need to use a new combination of rules on RAPM problems drives the relation between performance and working…

Teacher Interventions in Small Group Work in Secondary Mathematics and Science Lessons

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hofmann, R.; Mercer, N.

2016-01-01

Collaborative problem solving, when students work in pairs or small groups on a curriculum-related task, has become an increasingly common feature of classroom education. This paper reports a study of a topic which has received relatively little attention: how teachers can most usefully intervene when students are working in a group, but have…

Neuropsychological sequelae of work-stress-related exhaustion.

PubMed

Österberg, Kai; Skogsliden, Sofia; Karlson, Björn

2014-01-01

The aim was to assess long-term cognitive performance after substantial recovery from work-stress-related exhaustion, in relation to subjective cognitive complaints and return to active work. In total, 54 patients previously diagnosed with work-stress-related exhaustion participated in a neuropsychological examination ∼2 years after initial sick leave. Most participants were substantially recovered at follow-up, with only 13% still meeting the criteria for exhaustion disorder suggested by the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare. When participants' scores on 14 neuropsychological tests were compared to a matched group of 50 controls, the former patient group showed lower performance mainly on attention tests of the reaction time type, but also slightly lower scores on visuo-spatial constructional ability. However, the former patient group performed better than controls on two memory tests and, in part, on a test of simultaneous capacity. Self-ratings of everyday cognitive problems remained significantly higher in the former patient group than among controls, but the extent of self-rated cognitive problems was generally unrelated to performance on the neuropsychological tests. No relationship between performance on these tests and the extent of work resumption was observed. In summary, persons with previous work-stress-related exhaustion showed persistent signs of a minor attention deficit, despite considerable general recovery and return to work.

The relation of post-work ruminative thinking with eating behaviour.

PubMed

Cropley, Mark; Michalianou, Georgia; Pravettoni, Gabriella; Millward, Lynne J

2012-02-01

Inability to unwind about work during leisure time has been associated with a number of negative health outcomes. This study was concerned with a possible behavioural pathway between unwinding and disease and examined the relationship between work-related rumination and food choice. Work-related rumination is arguably a core to understanding the 'unwinding process', and food choice is a well-established indicator of nutritional health. Two hundred and sixty-eight full-time workers from a range of white-collar occupations completed a self-report measure of ruminative thinking about work and an eating behaviour questionnaire. Three types of ruminative thinking were identified by factor analysis and labelled affective rumination, problem-solving pondering and detachment. In terms of food choice, high-relative to low-affective ruminators reported eating more unhealthy foods, and low detachers reported eating less cooked meals and more processed foods compared to high detachers. Problem-solving pondering was not associated with food choice, and none of the factors were associated with healthy food choice. It was concluded that failure to unwind from work is not necessarily related to unhealthy food choices. What appears to be the crucial factor is the type of perseverative thinking that people engage in post-work. Limitations and future directions are discussed. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The prevalence of musculoskeletal problems and risk factors among women assembly workers in the semiconductor industry.

PubMed

Chandrasakaran, A; Chee, H L; Rampal, K G; Tan, G L

2003-12-01

A cross-sectional study to determine work-related musculoskeletal problems and ergonomic risk factors was conducted among 529 women semiconductor workers. Overall, 83.4% had musculoskeletal symptoms in the last one year. Pain in the back (57.8%), lower leg (48.4%) and shoulder (44.8%) were the three most common musculoskeletal problems. Significant associations were found between prolonged standing and upper and lower leg pain, between prolonged sitting and neck and shoulder pain and between prolonged bending and shoulder arm, back and upper leg pain. The study therefore showed a clear association between work-related musculoskeletal pain and prolonged hours spent in particular postures and movements.

Mental Illness

MedlinePlus

... or other problems related to work or school Legal and financial problems Poverty and homelessness Self-harm and harm to others, including suicide or homicide Weakened immune system, so your body has a hard time resisting ...

The Problem-Solving Process in Physics as Observed When Engineering Students at University Level Work in Groups

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gustafsson, Peter; Jonsson, Gunnar; Enghag, Margareta

2015-01-01

The problem-solving process is investigated for five groups of students when solving context-rich problems in an introductory physics course included in an engineering programme. Through transcripts of their conversation, the paths in the problem-solving process have been traced and related to a general problem-solving model. All groups exhibit…

"Cancer Put My Life on Hold": Work-Related Challenges Among Middle-aged Adults 12 Months After a Diagnosis of Colorectal Cancer.

PubMed

McGrath, Catherine; Mihala, Gabor; Beesley, Vanessa L; Lynch, Brigid M; Graves, Nicholas; Gordon, Louisa G

Colorectal cancer affects a wide range of working-age people. Little is known about the consequent work limitations. The aim of this study was to understand the extent and changing nature of work-related limitations of middle-aged (45-64 years) people over the first 12 months of colorectal cancer. Surveys were administered to participants recruited via the Queensland Cancer Registry, at 6 and 12 months after diagnosis. Among those who returned to work, the Work Limitations Questionnaire measured 4 job performance domains (time management, physical, mental-interpersonal, and output demands) and an overall productivity score. Open-ended questions supplemented the Work Limitations Questionnaire, and responses were thematically analyzed. Of 239 participants, 8% did not continue in the study, and 20% left employment by 12 months, leaving 171 participants eligible for this analysis. Open-ended responses for why participants stopped work included bowel problems and stoma, loss of strength, and medication adverse effects. At 12 months, 22% to 39% of participants reported work limitations, but there was no overall significant change in work limitations between 6 and 12 months. Qualitative data highlighted the key work-related issues were changes in work functioning, attitudes of employers and colleagues, financial pressures, and emotional responses. While a significant proportion left work because of treatment-related problems, and the majority of participants did not experience workplace limitations, some reported considerable work-related challenges. Discussions with health professionals about the possible impact of treatment adverse effects on employment, good communication with employers, and workplace flexibility may facilitate return to work for this population.

Identification and testing of countermeasures for specific alcohol accident types and problems. Volume 2, General driver alcohol problem

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1984-12-01

This report summarizes work conducted to investigate the feasibility of developing effective countermeasures directed at specific alcohol-related accidents or problems. In Phase I, literature and accident data were reviewed to determine the scope and...

Information Graphic Classification, Decomposition and Alternative Representation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gao, Jinglun

2012-01-01

This thesis work is mainly focused on two problems related to improving accessibility of information graphics for visually impaired users. The first problem is automated analysis of information graphics for information extraction and the second problem is multi-modal representations for accessibility. Information graphics are graphical…

Subcontractors and increased risk for work-related diseases and absenteeism.

PubMed

Min, Kyoung B; Park, Shin G; Song, Jae S; Yi, Kwan H; Jang, Tae W; Min, Jin Y

2013-11-01

Despite increasing reliance on subcontracting in many economic sectors, there is little information available on occupational health and safety issues among subcontractor employees. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of subcontracting on self-reported health problems and absences due to occupational accidents and sickness using a nationally representative sample from South Korea. The data used were sampled from the second wave of the Korean Working Conditions Survey [2010]. Information on 3,282 parent firm employees and 728 subcontractor employees was obtained. For the logistic regression model, the outcomes were work-related health problems and absenteeism. The independent variables were personal and occupational characteristics, job aspects, and working hazards. Subcontractor employees were significantly more likely to experience health problems than the employee at parent firms. In particular, subcontractors' risk of injuries and anxiety/depression increased twofold (odd ratios, OR=2.01, 95% confidence interval, CIs, 1.24-3.26) and threefold (OR=2.95, 95% CIs 1.52-5.73), respectively, after controlling for potential variables. In addition, subcontractor employees were three times more likely than employees at parent firms to miss work due to illness (OR=3.56; 95% CIs 2.02-6.26). Working conditions, especially those related to job aspects and workplace exposures, attenuated these risks. Subcontracting workers were found to have a higher risk of work-related diseases and a higher absenteeism rate than parent firm workers. Our study highlights the need to protect and improve the occupational health and safety of subcontractor employees. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Do Working Memory Deficits Underlie Reading Problems in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)?

PubMed

Kofler, Michael J; Spiegel, Jamie A; Soto, Elia F; Irwin, Lauren N; Wells, Erica L; Austin, Kristin E

2018-06-19

Reading problems are common in children with ADHD and show strong covariation with these children's underdeveloped working memory abilities. In contrast, working memory training does not appear to improve reading performance for children with ADHD or neurotypical children. The current study bridges the gap between these conflicting findings, and combines dual-task methodology with Bayesian modeling to examine the role of working memory for explaining ADHD-related reading problems. Children ages 8-13 (M = 10.50, SD = 1.59) with and without ADHD (N = 78; 29 girls; 63% Caucasian/Non-Hispanic) completed a counterbalanced series of reading tasks that systematically manipulated concurrent working memory demands. Adding working memory demands produced disproportionate decrements in reading comprehension for children with ADHD (d = -0.67) relative to Non-ADHD children (d = -0.18); comprehension was significantly reduced in both groups when working memory demands were increased. These effects were robust to controls for foundational reading skills (decoding, sight word vocabulary) and comorbid reading disability. Concurrent working memory demands did not slow reading speed for either group. The ADHD group showed lower comprehension (d = 1.02) and speed (d = 0.69) even before adding working memory demands beyond those inherently required for reading. Exploratory conditional effects analyses indicated that underdeveloped working memory overlapped with 41% (comprehension) and 85% (speed) of these between-group differences. Reading problems in ADHD appear attributable, at least in part, to their underdeveloped working memory abilities. Combined with prior cross-sectional and longitudinal findings, the current experimental evidence positions working memory as a potential causal mechanism that is necessary but not sufficient for effectively understanding written language.

Exposure to Workplace Bullying: The Role of Coping Strategies in Dealing with Work Stressors

PubMed Central

Baillien, Elfi; Vander Elst, Tinne; De Witte, Hans; Van den Broeck, Anja

2017-01-01

Studies investigating both work- and individual-related antecedents of workplace bullying are scarce. In reply, this study investigated the interaction between workload, job insecurity, role conflict, and role ambiguity (i.e., work-related antecedents), and problem- and emotion-focused coping strategies (i.e., individual-related antecedents) in association with exposure to workplace bullying. Problem-focused coping strategies were hypothesised to decrease (i.e., buffer) the associations between workload, job insecurity, role conflict, and role ambiguity and exposure to bullying, while emotion-focused coping strategies were hypothesised to increase (i.e., amplify) these associations. Results for a heterogeneous sample (N = 3,105) did not provide evidence for problem-focused coping strategies as moderators. As expected, some emotion-focused coping strategies amplified the associations between work-related antecedents and bullying: employees using “focus on and venting of emotions” or “behavioural disengagement” in dealing with job insecurity, role conflict, or role ambiguity were more likely to be exposed to bullying. Similarly, “seeking social support for emotional reasons” and “mental disengagement” amplified the associations of role ambiguity and the associations of both role conflict and role ambiguity, respectively. To prevent bullying, organisations may train employees in tempering emotion-focused coping strategies, especially when experiencing job insecurity, role conflict, or role ambiguity. PMID:29270424

Maternity rights, work, and health in France and Italy.

PubMed

Romito, Patrizia; Saurel-Cubizolles, Marie-Josephe; Escriba-Aguir, Vicenta

2002-01-01

This article focuses on the principles and the implementation of maternity rights (MR) in France and Italy. Results show that MR are well established in both countries, where about 80% of women employed during pregnancy were back to work 1 year after childbirth. Nevertheless, social inequalities were found. Less-educated women and those who had manual jobs or worked in small firms in the private sector or off-the-books were less likely to take an extended leave and to return to work. Despite differences in child care provisions, quality and accessibility of child care were common concerns for both French and Italian mothers. Employment was not related to any health problem in Italy 1 year after birth; in France, unemployed new mothers had high rates of psychological distress. Financial worries and marital problems were associated with several health problems in both countries. In conclusion, combining work and motherhood is possible in these 2 countries without too many costs for women, at least for the more privileged among them. However, this relative ease could vanish if social and economic conditions changed for the worse.

Distraction during learning with hypermedia: difficult tasks help to keep task goals on track

PubMed Central

Scheiter, Katharina; Gerjets, Peter; Heise, Elke

2014-01-01

In educational hypermedia environments, students are often confronted with potential sources of distraction arising from additional information that, albeit interesting, is unrelated to their current task goal. The paper investigates the conditions under which distraction occurs and hampers performance. Based on theories of volitional action control it was hypothesized that interesting information, especially if related to a pending goal, would interfere with task performance only when working on easy, but not on difficult tasks. In Experiment 1, 66 students learned about probability theory using worked examples and solved corresponding test problems, whose task difficulty was manipulated. As a second factor, the presence of interesting information unrelated to the primary task was varied. Results showed that students solved more easy than difficult probability problems correctly. However, the presence of interesting, but task-irrelevant information did not interfere with performance. In Experiment 2, 68 students again engaged in example-based learning and problem solving in the presence of task-irrelevant information. Problem-solving difficulty was varied as a first factor. Additionally, the presence of a pending goal related to the task-irrelevant information was manipulated. As expected, problem-solving performance declined when a pending goal was present during working on easy problems, whereas no interference was observed for difficult problems. Moreover, the presence of a pending goal reduced the time on task-relevant information and increased the time on task-irrelevant information while working on easy tasks. However, as revealed by mediation analyses these changes in overt information processing behavior did not explain the decline in problem-solving performance. As an alternative explanation it is suggested that goal conflicts resulting from pending goals claim cognitive resources, which are then no longer available for learning and problem solving. PMID:24723907

Musculoskeletal injuries in construction: a review of the literature.

PubMed

Schneider, S P

2001-11-01

The first step in addressing any problem is recognition of the problem and a measure of its size and scope. There have been few reviews to date of the evidence of a musculoskeletal disorders problem in construction, particularly in the United States. Construction contractors in the United States have questioned the existence of a musculoskeletal disorders problem in construction, so a review of the evidence is warranted. The types of evidence reviewed include: 1) historical evidence, 2) injury data, 3) workers' compensation data, 4) medical exam data, 5) survey data, and 6) exposure data. Injury data generally represent injuries that the employers have identified as work-related and recorded or reported. Workers' compensation data are from cases that have been filed by workers for compensation and quite often represent only "closed" cases where compensation has been awarded. Medical exam data are from physical examinations of workers. Symptom survey data are the most inclusive and show the number of workers who self-report musculoskeletal problems. Exposure data include measurements made of exposure to musculoskeletal risk factors. The existing data show construction workers to be at significant risk of musculoskeletal injury, specifically related to the work they do. Their risk of musculoskeletal injury is much higher than that of other workers who have less heavy work, about 50 percent higher than all other workers. Several trades have been extensively studied, while others have been studied to a lesser extent. While the exact relationship between exposures and injuries is complex and often multifaceted, it would be difficult to deny the existence of the problem and the fact that these injuries are, to a great extent, related to the work that construction workers perform.

Technology for Director Dubious: Evaluation and Decision in Public Contexts

DTIC Science & Technology

1977-08-01

Utilities at six Nuclear Waste Disposal Sites v . . . ".. . Acknowledgment h., Preparation of this report and conceptual work on the place of decision...cannot necessarily be related to public decisions without a great deal of intermediate work ." On the question of measuring values, Mr. Coates seems to...is addressed to the first of the two key problems that Mr. Coates identified: the problem of uncer- tainty. The work that I will be reporting comes

Appropriate glove use in dermatitis prevention.

PubMed

Gallagher, Rose; Sunley, Kim

Work-related skin problems in nursing staff have risen in recent years, and inspections by the Health and Safety Executive in 2011 found a number of NHS trusts failing in their duties to prevent and manage the risks of work-related dermatitis. In response, the Royal College of Nursing issued guidelines on glove use and the prevention of contact dermatitis in nursing (RCN, 2012). These involved close collaboration between the professional and trade union parts of the RCN because failure to prevent and manage skin problems affects the safety of both staff and patients.

A survey of health problems of Nepalese female migrants workers in the Middle-East and Malaysia.

PubMed

Simkhada, Padam; van Teijlingen, Edwin; Gurung, Manju; Wasti, Sharada P

2018-01-18

Nepal is a key supplier of labour for countries in the Middle East, India and Malaysia. As many more men than women leave Nepal to work abroad, female migrant workers are a minority and very much under-researched. The aim of the study was to explore the health problems of female Nepalese migrants working in the Middle-East and Malaysia. The study was conducted among 1010 women who were registered as migrant returnees at an organisation called Pourakhi Nepal. Secondary data were extracted from the records of the organisation covering the five-year period of July 2009 to July 2014. The 1010 participants were aged 14 to 51 with a median age of 31 (IQR: 38-25) years. A quarter of respondents (24%) reported having experienced health problems while in the country of employment. Fever, severe illness and accidents were the most common health problems reported. Working for unlimited periods of time and not being able to change one's place of work were independently associated with a greater likelihood of health problems. Logistic regression shows that migrant women who are illiterate [OR = 1.56, 95% CI: 1.02 to 2.38, p = 0.042], who had changed their workplace [OR = 1.63, 95% CI: 1.14 to 2.32, p = 0.007], who worked unlimited periods of time [OR = 1.64, 95% CI: 1.44 to 1.93, p = 0.020], had been severely maltreated or tortured in the workplace [OR = 1.84, 95% CI: 1.15 to 2.92, p = 0.010], were not being paid on time [OR = 2.38, 95% CI: 1.60 to 3.55, p = 0.038] and migrant women who had family problems at home [OR = 3.48, CI 95%: 1.22 to 9.98, p = 0.020] were significantly associated with health problems in their host country in the Middle East. Female migrant workers face various work-related health risks, which are often related to exploitation. The Government of Nepal should initiate awareness campaigns about health risks and rights in relation to health care services in the host countries. Recruiting agencies/employers should provide information on health risks and training for preventive measures. Raising awareness among female migrant workers can make a change in their working lives.

Does Cognitive Strategy Training on Word Problems Compensate for Working Memory Capacity in Children with Math Difficulties?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swanson, H. Lee

2014-01-01

Cognitive strategies are important tools for children with math difficulties (MD) in learning to solve word problems. The effectiveness of strategy training, however, depends on working memory capacity (WMC). Thus, children with MD but with relatively higher WMC are more likely to benefit from strategy training, whereas children with lower WMC may…

Resource Management Resource Guide. A Resource for Teaching the Resource Management Core Course Area of Ohio's Work and Family Life Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kister, Joanna; And Others

This Resource Management Resource Guide is intended to help teachers implement Ohio's Work and Family Life Program. Course content focuses on the practical problems related to managing human and material resources, making consumer decisions, and feeding, clothing, and housing the family. These practical problems are posed through case studies and…

Child Care and Work Absences: Trade-Offs by Type of Care

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gordon, Rachel A.; Kaestner, Robert; Korenman, Sanders

2008-01-01

Parents face a trade-off in the effect of child-care problems on employment. Whereas large settings may increase problems because of child illness, small group care may relate to provider unavailability. Analyzing the NICHD Study of Early Child Care, we find that child-care centers and large family day care lead to mothers' greater work absences…

Alcohol effects on family relations: a case study.

PubMed

Reinaldo, Amanda Márcia Dos Santos; Pillon, Sandra Cristina

2008-01-01

Problems related to alcohol abuse have been associated to different factors, regardless of the causes attributed to this phenomenon. Alcohol consumption and dependence is considered a public health problem and deserve attention because of the social, work, family, physical, legal and violence-related risks it represents. This study aimed to identify the effects of alcoholism on family relations and, by means of case management, to encourage the recovery of these relationships. The results show that the problems caused by alcohol abuse impose profound suffering to family members, which contributes to high levels of interpersonal conflict, domestic violence, parental inadequacy, child abuse and negligence, financial and legal difficulties, in addition to clinical problems associated to it.

Student Motivation in Response to Problem-Based Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fukuzawa, Sherry; Boyd, Cleo; Cahn, Joel

2017-01-01

Problem-based learning (PBL) is a self-directed learning strategy where students work collaboratively in small groups to investigate open-ended relatable case scenarios. Students develop transferable skills that can be applied across disciplines, such as collaboration, problem-solving, and critical thinking. Despite extensive research on…

Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders and Risk Factors among Chinese Medical Staff of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

PubMed

Wang, Jingjing; Cui, Ya; He, Lihua; Xu, Xiangrong; Yuan, Zhiwei; Jin, Xianning; Li, Zhimin

2017-05-26

Medical staff in the department of obstetrics and gynecology are a group of professionals reportedly at high risk of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSD), however, little is known about the current status of this problem in China. The aim of this study was to investigate prevalence and risk factors of work-related musculoskeletal disorders among this population in China. A self-developed questionnaire was distributed to 1017 obstetrics and gynecology practitioners to collect information on musculoskeletal symptoms and relevant factors. Prevalence and severity of work-related musculoskeletal disorders in different parts of the body were calculated and the relationship between personal and ergonomic factors and work-related musculoskeletal disorders was analyzed using Chi-square test and unconditional logistic regression models. The results indicated a high prevalence of 85.5% among the subjects, with the shoulder ( n = 575, 62.0%), neck ( n = 560, 60.3%) and lower back ( n = 504, 54.3%) being the three most affected regions. Individual, postural, work-environmental as well as psychosocial factors were recognized to be associated with WMSDs in different body parts. Therefore, attention must be given to the problem of musculoskeletal disorders among Chinese obstetrics and gynecology staff. It is recommended to develop good life habits, improve work environment, adjust work organization as well as train on proper postures in their daily operation.

New Trends in School Science Equipment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lowe, Norman K., Ed.

This four-part volume examines trends, problems, and issues related to school science equipment. Part 1 focuses on laboratory work and practical activities in science and technology education, considering equipment and curriculum development, equipment development related to curricula in Brazil, uses of local resources for practical work,…

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders in Australian dentists and orthodontists: Risk assessment and prevention.

PubMed

Sakzewski, Lisa; Naser-ud-Din, Shazia

2015-01-01

As professionals work longer hours and live longer there have been concerns regarding the Work related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WMSD) affecting both professional and personal lives. Moreover, past decade has seen a surge in interest in all allied health sciences personnel with self reporting cross sectional studies. Health professionals often suffer WMSD due to occupational stress. It is important to assess the problem in order to find ways to prevent it. Hence, the focus of this cross-sectional survey. The aim was to investigate the prevalence and risk factors of WMSD between Australian dentists and orthodontists. A postal survey was sent to 447 Australian orthodontists and 450 Queensland dentists using the universal Nordic scale previously piloted at UQ and refined for this cross-sectional study. Questions were directed towards individuals, workplace and psychosocial variables and were designed to gather information regarding health, lifestyle, education, awareness of musculoskeletal problems and current preventative strategies. A high prevalence of musculoskeletal problems was found for both dentists (88.9%) and orthodontists (83.6%) reported in the last 12 months. The main predictor in both groups was increased work stress. Less than a third of those professionals surveyed had received education regarding dental practice ergonomics during their tertiary education. Dentists and orthodontists experienced a high rate of musculoskeletal problems which were associated with increased levels of stress at work. Further research should be directed toward interventions aimed at reducing stress in the work environment as well as improving work posture.

Developing the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus. Applications of Calculus to Work, Area, and Distance Problems. [and] Atmospheric Pressure in Relation to Height and Temperature. Applications of Calculus to Atmospheric Pressure. [and] The Gradient and Some of Its Applications. Applications of Multivariate Calculus to Physics. [and] Kepler's Laws and the Inverse Square Law. Applications of Calculus to Physics. UMAP Units 323, 426, 431, 473.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lindstrom, Peter A.; And Others

This document consists of four units. The first of these views calculus applications to work, area, and distance problems. It is designed to help students gain experience in: 1) computing limits of Riemann sums; 2) computing definite integrals; and 3) solving elementary area, distance, and work problems by integration. The second module views…

The Effect of Incidental Hints when Problems Are Suspended before, during, or after an Impasse

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moss, Jarrod; Kotovsky, Kenneth; Cagan, Jonathan

2011-01-01

Two studies examine how the time at which problem solving is suspended relative to an impasse affects the impact of incidental hints. An impasse is a point in problem solving at which a problem solver is not making progress and does not know how to proceed. In both studies, work on remote associates problems was suspended before an impasse was…

Group relationships in early and late sessions and improvement in interpersonal problems.

PubMed

Lo Coco, Gianluca; Gullo, Salvatore; Di Fratello, Carla; Giordano, Cecilia; Kivlighan, Dennis M

2016-07-01

Groups are more effective when positive bonds are established and interpersonal conflicts resolved in early sessions and work is accomplished in later sessions. Previous research has provided mixed support for this group development model. We performed a test of this theoretical perspective using group members' (actors) and aggregated group members' (partners) perceptions of positive bonding, positive working, and negative group relationships measured early and late in interpersonal growth groups. Participants were 325 Italian graduate students randomly (within semester) assigned to 1 of 16 interpersonal growth groups. Groups met for 9 weeks with experienced psychologists using Yalom and Leszcz's (2005) interpersonal process model. Outcome was assessed pre- and posttreatment using the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems, and group relationships were measured at Sessions 3 and 6 using the Group Questionnaire. As hypothesized, early measures of positive bonding and late measures of positive working, for both actors and partners, were positively related to improved interpersonal problems. Also as hypothesized, late measures of positive bonding and early measures of positive working, for both actors and partners, were negatively related to improved interpersonal problems. We also found that early actor and partner positive bonding and negative relationships interacted to predict changes in interpersonal problems. The findings are consistent with group development theory and suggest that group therapists focus on group-as-a-whole positive bonding relationships in early group sessions and on group-as-a-whole positive working relationships in later group sessions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Reducing heavy alcohol consumption in young restaurant workers.

PubMed

Broome, Kirk M; Bennett, Joel B

2011-01-01

Restaurant employees often have high rates of heavy drinking and problems with alcohol. This study evaluates reductions in drinking and associated problems at work, in connection with a new program for prevention and early intervention. The program, called Team Resilience, is designed for young restaurant workers. A cluster-randomized trial design was used, with 28 stores from a national casual-dining restaurant chain and 235 of their employees (54% male, 46% female). Fourteen stores received the Team Resilience training workshop, consisting of three 2-hour sessions held on 3 consecutive days. Sessions included group discussion, role-play and practice activities, and a learning game. Workers in trained stores reported significantly greater decreases in recurring heavy drinking (i.e., having five or more drinks on the same occasion, on 5 or more days in the past month) and work-related problems with alcohol than workers in control stores. In the intervention group, the odds of recurring heavy drinking declined by about one half and the number of work-related problem areas declined by one third following training. In addition, drinking behaviors and problems were tied to age and were most common among employees in their middle 20s. Findings support Team Resilience as an effective intervention for reducing drinking and associated problems among young restaurant workers, a population with substantial needs.

Some Little Night Problems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cannon, Lawrence O.; Elich, Joe

In most mathematics problem solving work, students' motivation comes from trying to please their teachers or to earn a good grade. The questions students must tackle are almost never generated by their own interest. Seven open-ended college algebra-level problems are presented in which the solution of one question suggests other related questions.…

Committed to work but vulnerable: self-perceptions and mental health in NEET 18-year olds from a contemporary British cohort.

PubMed

Goldman-Mellor, Sidra; Caspi, Avshalom; Arseneault, Louise; Ajala, Nifemi; Ambler, Antony; Danese, Andrea; Fisher, Helen; Hucker, Abigail; Odgers, Candice; Williams, Teresa; Wong, Chloe; Moffitt, Terrie E

2016-02-01

Labour market disengagement among youths has lasting negative economic and social consequences, yet is poorly understood. We compared four types of work-related self-perceptions, as well as vulnerability to mental health and substance abuse problems, among youths not in education, employment or training (NEET) and among their peers. Participants were from the Environmental Risk (E-Risk) longitudinal study, a nationally representative UK cohort of 2,232 twins born in 1994-1995. We measured commitment to work, job-search effort, professional/technical skills, 'soft' skills (e.g. teamwork, decision-making, communication), optimism about getting ahead, and mental health and substance use disorders at age 18. We also examined childhood mental health. At age 18, 11.6% of participants were NEET. NEET participants reported themselves as committed to work and searching for jobs with greater diligence than their non-NEET peers. However, they reported fewer 'soft' skills (B = -0.98, p < .001) and felt less optimistic about their likelihood of getting ahead in life (B = -2.41, p < .001). NEET youths also had higher rates of concurrent mental health and substance abuse problems, but these did not explain the relationship with work-related self-perceptions. Nearly 60% of NEET (vs. 35% of non-NEET) youths had already experienced ≥1 mental health problem in childhood/adolescence. Associations of NEET status with concurrent mental health problems were independent of pre-existing mental health vulnerability. Our findings indicate that while NEET is clearly an economic and mental health issue, it does not appear to be a motivation issue. Alongside skills, work-related self-perceptions and mental health problems may be targets for intervention and service provision among this high-risk population. © 2015 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

Still a difficult business? Negotiating alcohol-related problems in general practice consultations.

PubMed

Rapley, Tim; May, Carl; Frances Kaner, Eileen

2006-11-01

This paper describes general practitioners' (GPs) experiences of detecting and managing alcohol and alcohol-related problems in consultations. We undertook qualitative research in two phases in the North-East of England. Initially, qualitative interviews with 29 GPs explored their everyday work with patients with alcohol-related issues. We then undertook group interviews--two with GPs and one with a primary care team--where they discussed and challenged findings of the interviews. The GPs reported routinely discussing alcohol with patients with a range of alcohol-related problems. GPs believed that this work is important, but felt that until patients were willing to accept that their alcohol consumption was problematic they could achieve very little. They tentatively introduced alcohol as a potential problem, re-introduced the topic periodically, and then waited until the patient decided to change their behaviour. They were aware that they could identify and manage more patients. A lack of time and having to work with the multiple problems that patients brought to consultations were the main factors that stopped GPs managing more risky drinkers. Centrally, we compared the results of our study with [Thom, B., & Tellez, C. (1986). A difficult business-Detecting and managing alcohol-problems in general-practice. British Journal of Addiction, 81, 405-418] seminal study that was undertaken 20 years ago. We show how the intellectual, moral, emotional and practical difficulties that GPs currently face are quite similar to those faced by GPs from 20 years ago. As the definition of what could constitute abnormal alcohol consumption has expanded, so the range of consultations that they may have to negotiate these difficulties in has also expanded.

Scanning through the pain: ergonomic considerations for performing echocardiography of animals.

PubMed

Macdonald, Kristin; Scott, Patrick

2013-03-01

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) are a common problem among sonographers, with prevalence in human sonographers of 80-90%. However, this problem appears to be largely neglected in the veterinary literature. Awareness of MSDs, ergonomic redesign, workplace management, and physical self-care are components to reducing the risk of developing MSDs. Work-place redesign and alterations in work flow management are discussed, and a template for a more ergonomically favorable echocardiogram table is provided. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Employment Patterns of Less-Skilled Workers: Links to Children’s Behavior and Academic Progress

PubMed Central

Kalil, Ariel; Dunifon, Rachel E.

2012-01-01

Using data from five waves of the Women’s Employment Survey (WES; 1997–2003), we examine the links between low-income mothers’ employment patterns and the emotional behavior and academic progress of their children. We find robust and substantively important linkages between several different dimensions of mothers’ employment experiences and child outcomes. The pattern of results is similar across empirical approaches—including ordinary least squares and child fixed-effect models, with and without an extensive set of controls. Children exhibit fewer behavior problems when mothers work and experience job stability (relative to children whose mothers do not work). In contrast, maternal work accompanied by job instability is associated with significantly higher child behavior problems (relative to employment in a stable job). Children whose mothers work full-time and/or have fluctuating work schedules also exhibit significantly higher levels of behavior problems. However, full-time work has negative consequences for children only when it is in jobs that do not require cognitive skills. Such negative consequences are completely offset when this work experience is in jobs that require the cognitive skills that lead to higher wage growth prospects. Finally, fluctuating work schedules and full-time work in non-cognitively demanding jobs are each strongly associated with the probability that the child will repeat a grade or be placed in special education. PMID:22246798

Selective Spatial Working Memory Impairment in a Group of Children with Mathematics Learning Disabilities and Poor Problem-Solving Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Passolunghi, Maria Chiara; Mammarella, Irene Cristina

2012-01-01

This study examines visual and spatial working memory skills in 35 third to fifth graders with both mathematics learning disabilities (MLD) and poor problem-solving skills and 35 of their peers with typical development (TD) on tasks involving both low and high attentional control. Results revealed that children with MLD, relative to TD children,…

Work related risk factors for musculoskeletal complaints in the spinning industry in Lithuania

PubMed Central

Gamperiene, M.; Stigum, H.

1999-01-01

OBJECTIVES: To describe the prevalence of self reported musculoskeletal complaints in the back, arms or neck, and legs among workers in the spinning industry, and to investigate the relations between these complaints and work related variables. METHODS: An interview based questionnaire survey was carried out in two spinning industry factories in Lithuania. RESULTS: The study group consisted of all workers in production (n = 363). Symptoms of the legs were the musculoskeletal symptom reported most often (61%). Many subjects had arms or neck (55%) or back problems (28%). 20% had experienced pain from all three sites. Almost 25% had had musculoskeletal pain every day and 16% had experienced constant pain during previous year. Packers had the highest risk of arms or neck problems whereas spinners had the highest risk of back or leg problems. Working in a strained posture (bending, work with arms raised up above shoulder level, and repetitive movements of the fingers) was associated with all three complaints. Only arms or neck complaints were associated with age. CONCLUSIONS: Musculoskeletal disorders are a common problem among workers producing gobelin or synthetic thread in Lithuania and working in a strained posture is a risk factor for developing musculoskeletal disorders in three body sites: legs, arms or neck, and back. To better understand the different aspects of physical load as risk factors, a more detailed study of the frequency of postural changes as well as an observation of individually adopted postures would be necessary. This applies to intervention studies in factories of the spinning industry to prevent complaints of the legs and shoulders.   PMID:10474538

Self-help cognitive behavior therapy for working women with problematic hot flushes and night sweats (MENOS@Work): a multicenter randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Hardy, Claire; Griffiths, Amanda; Norton, Sam; Hunter, Myra S

2018-05-01

The aim of the study was to examine the efficacy of an unguided, self-help cognitive behavior therapy (SH-CBT) booklet on hot flush and night sweat (HFNS) problem rating, delivered in a work setting. Women aged 45 to 60 years, having 10 or more problematic HFNS a week, were recruited to a multicenter randomized controlled trial, via the occupational health/human resources departments of eight organizations. Participants were 1:1 randomized to SH-CBT or no treatment waitlist control (NTWC). The primary outcome was HFNS problem rating; secondary outcomes included HFNS frequency, work and social adjustment, sleep, mood, beliefs and behaviors, and work-related variables (absence, performance, turnover intention, and work impairment due to presenteeism). Intention-to-treat analysis was used, and between-group differences estimated using linear mixed models. A total of 124 women were randomly allocated to SH-CBT (n = 60) and NTWC (n = 64). 104 (84%) were assessed for primary outcome at 6 weeks and 102 (82%) at 20 weeks. SH-CBT significantly reduced HFNS problem rating at 6 weeks (SH-CBT vs NTWC adjusted mean difference, -1.49; 95% CI, -2.11 to -0.86; P < 0.001) and at 20 weeks (-1.09; 95% CI, -1.87 to -0.31; P < 0.01). SH-CBT also significantly reduced HFNS frequency, improved work and social adjustment; sleep, menopause beliefs, HFNS beliefs/behaviors at 6 and 20 weeks; improved wellbeing and somatic symptoms and reduced work impairment due to menopause-related presenteeism at 20 weeks, compared with the NTWC. There was no difference between groups in other work-related outcomes. A brief, unguided SH-CBT booklet is a potentially effective management option for working women experiencing problematic HFNS.

Discipline Problems at Teachers' Colleges: Lessons for Lecturers and Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yariv, Eliezer

2010-01-01

This case study worked with 80 lecturers drawn from Israeli teachers' colleges who reported that they face relatively few discipline problems; most appeared to be related to low motivation and/or dishonest behaviour. They treated each case in an ad hoc way, responded mildly and avoided imposing sanctions. It is argued that the student teachers'…

Solving Drug-Related Problems in the Professional Experience Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kane, Michael P.; And Others

1993-01-01

A study investigated the effectiveness of using the Pharmacist's Work-up of Drug Therapy (PWDT) in teaching 91 pharmacy students in a clinical clerkship program to identify and solve drug-related problems. Because the instructional technique was recently implemented, the study looked at effects of 3 different quantities of training (0, 1, and 3…

Identifying employed multiple sclerosis patients at-risk for job loss: When do negative work events pose a threat?

PubMed

Kordovski, Victoria M; Frndak, Seth E; Fisher, Carrie S; Rodgers, Jonathan; Weinstock-Guttman, Bianca; Benedict, Ralph H B

2015-09-01

Physical disability and cognitive impairment are significant predictors of unemployment in multiple sclerosis (MS). However, little is known about the frequency of work problems in employed patients, in comparison to employed healthy persons. Use an online monitoring tool to compare the frequency of negative work events in MS patients and healthy controls, and determine a threshold at which the frequency of work problems is clinically meaningful. The sample comprised 138 MS patients and 62 healthy controls. All reported on recent negative work events and accommodations using an online survey. The clinical test battery measured depression, motor and cognitive function. Statistical tests compared the frequency of work problems in MS patients and healthy controls. Clinical neuro-performance scales were then assessed in at-risk patients with many work problems, versus those with no work problems. As a group, employed MS patients exhibited deficits in motor ability, verbal memory, and processing speed and were more likely than controls to report negative work events and accommodations. At-risk patients, that is, those reporting more than one negative work event, had more pronounced motor and cognitive deficits than their relatively stable counterparts. The data show that employed MS patients report more negative work events and accommodations than employed healthy persons. Those patients deemed at risk for job loss have more cognitive and motor impairment, suggesting the need for cognitive training and specific accommodation strategies in the work place. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Workplace Phobic Anxiety as a Mental Health Phenomenon in the Job Demands-Resources Model.

PubMed

Vignoli, Michela; Muschalla, Beate; Mariani, Marco Giovanni

2017-01-01

Anxiety-related problems at work are a serious problem in the occupational context, as they come along with sick leave and problems in work participation. The aim of this study is to analyse workplace phobic anxiety in nonclinical context using the Job Demands-Resources model. The study involved a sample of 739 workers from a retail company, mostly with permanent contracts. Structural equation modelling analyses were performed using AMOS software. Both the health impairment and motivational variables in the JD-R model were significantly related to workplace phobic anxiety and subsequently to absenteeism, specifically, exhaustion mediated between perceived job demands and workplace phobic anxiety and work engagement mediated between perceived job resources and workplace phobic anxiety. Moreover, workplace phobic anxiety was significantly positively related to absenteeism. Results suggest that workplace phobic anxiety is a specific concept and an important issue in organizations for both workers' health and the organizational costs linked to absenteeism. Supervisors and occupational physicians should be aware of workplace phobic anxiety, especially when workers are on sick leave often or for long periods.

Workplace Phobic Anxiety as a Mental Health Phenomenon in the Job Demands-Resources Model

PubMed Central

Mariani, Marco Giovanni

2017-01-01

Purpose Anxiety-related problems at work are a serious problem in the occupational context, as they come along with sick leave and problems in work participation. The aim of this study is to analyse workplace phobic anxiety in nonclinical context using the Job Demands-Resources model. Methods The study involved a sample of 739 workers from a retail company, mostly with permanent contracts. Structural equation modelling analyses were performed using AMOS software. Results Both the health impairment and motivational variables in the JD-R model were significantly related to workplace phobic anxiety and subsequently to absenteeism, specifically, exhaustion mediated between perceived job demands and workplace phobic anxiety and work engagement mediated between perceived job resources and workplace phobic anxiety. Moreover, workplace phobic anxiety was significantly positively related to absenteeism. Conclusions Results suggest that workplace phobic anxiety is a specific concept and an important issue in organizations for both workers' health and the organizational costs linked to absenteeism. Supervisors and occupational physicians should be aware of workplace phobic anxiety, especially when workers are on sick leave often or for long periods. PMID:29318143

Water problems in the present trend towards greater aridity

USGS Publications Warehouse

Leopold, Luna Bergere; Craig, Harmon

1957-01-01

In the past few days we have heard a number of scientists, gathered here at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, discuss research work which, in one manner or another, bears on problems related to water resources. They have been discussing, particularly, problems in the field of climatology, and have speculated on the meaning of the results of this research. One of the problems under discussion was the nature, and possible cause, of the climatic fluctuation which we have experienced in recent decades, and its relation to climatic changes in recent geologic time since the last glaciation. These discussions have given me the courage, or perhaps the recklessness, to indulge in some speculation relative to various aspects of water resource problems in the United States.

The Dynamic Multi-objective Multi-vehicle Covering Tour Problem

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-06-01

AI Artificial Intelligence AUV Autonomous Underwater Vehicle CLP Clover Leaf Problem CSP Covering Salesman Problem CTP Covering Tour Problem CVRP...introduces a new formalization - the DMOMCTP. Related works from routing problems, Artificial Intelligence ( AI ), and MOPs are discussed briefly. As a...the rest of that framework being replaced. The codebase differs from jMetal 4.2 in that it can handle the time and DM dependent nature of the DMOMCTP

Validity and test-retest reliability of an at-work production loss instrument.

PubMed

Aboagye, E; Jensen, I; Bergström, G; Hagberg, J; Axén, I; Lohela-Karlsson, M

2016-07-01

Besides causing ill health, a poor work environment may contribute to production loss. Production loss assessment instruments emphasize health-related consequences but there is no instrument to measure reduced work performance related to the work environment. To examine convergent validity and test-retest reliability of health-related production loss (HRPL) and work environment-related production loss (WRPL) against a valid comparable instrument, the Health and Work Performance Questionnaire (HPQ). Cross-sectional study of employees, not on sick leave, who were asked to self-rate their work performance and production losses. Using the Pearson correlation and Bland and Altman's Test of Agreement, convergent validity was examined. Subgroup analyses were performed for employees recording problem-specific reduced work performance. Consistency of pairs of HRPL and WRPL for samples responding to both assessments was expressed using Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) and tests of repeatability. A total of 88 employees participated and 44 responded to both assessments. Test of agreement between measurements estimates a mean difference of 0.34 for HRPL and -0.03 for WRPL compared with work performance. This indicates that the production loss questions are valid and moderately associated with work performance for the total sample and subgroups. ICC for paired HRPL assessments was 0.90 and 0.91 for WRPL, i.e. the test-retest reliability was good and suggests stability in the instrument. HRPL and WRPL can be used to measure production loss due to health-related and work environment-related problems. These results may have implications for advancing methods of assessing production loss, which represents an important cost to employers. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Occupational Medicine. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Perceived impeding factors for return-to-work after long-term sickness absence due to major depressive disorder: a concept mapping approach.

PubMed

de Vries, Gabe; Hees, Hiske L; Koeter, Maarten W J; Lagerveld, Suzanne E; Schene, Aart H

2014-01-01

The purpose of the present study was to explore various stakeholder perspectives regarding factors that impede return-to-work (RTW) after long-term sickness absence related to major depressive disorder (MDD). Concept mapping was used to explore employees', supervisors' and occupational physicians' perspectives on these impeding factors. Nine perceived themes, grouped in three meta-clusters were found that might impede RTW: Person, (personality / coping problems, symptoms of depression and comorbid (health) problems, employee feels misunderstood, and resuming work too soon), Work (troublesome work situation, too little support at work, and too little guidance at work) and Healthcare (insufficient mental healthcare and insufficient care from occupational physician). All stakeholders regarded personality/coping problems and symptoms of depression as the most important impeding theme. In addition, supervisors emphasized the importance of mental healthcare underestimating the importance of the work environment, while occupational physicians stressed the importance of the lack of safety and support in the work environment. In addition to the reduction of symptoms, more attention is needed on coping with depressive symptoms and personality problems in the work environment support in the work environment and for RTW in mental healthcare, to prevent long term sickness absence.

Split-shift work in relation to stress, health and psychosocial work factors among bus drivers.

PubMed

Ihlström, Jonas; Kecklund, Göran; Anund, Anna

2017-01-01

Shift work has been associated with poor health, sleep and fatigue problems and low satisfaction with working hours. However, one type of shift working, namely split shifts, have received little attention. This study examined stress, health and psychosocial aspects of split-shift schedules among bus drivers in urban transport. A questionnaire was distributed to drivers working more than 70% of full time which 235 drivers in total answered. In general, drivers working split-shift schedules (n = 146) did not differ from drivers not working such shifts (n = 83) as regards any of the outcome variables that were studied. However, when individual perceptions towards split-shift schedules were taken into account, a different picture appeared. Bus drivers who reported problems working split shifts (36%) reported poorer health, higher perceived stress, working hours interfering with social life, lower sleep quality, more persistent fatigue and lower general work satisfaction than those who did not view split shifts as a problem. Moreover, drivers who reported problems with split shifts also perceived lower possibilities to influence working hours, indicating lower work time control. This study indicates that split shifts were not associated with increased stress, poorer health and adverse psychosocial work factors for the entire study sample. However, the results showed that individual differences were important and approximately one third of the drivers reported problems with split shifts, which in turn was associated with stress, poor health and negative psychosocial work conditions. More research is needed to understand the individual and organizational determinants of tolerance to split shifts.

Social Consequences of Nomadic Working: A Case Study in an Organization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Ramanjit; Wood-Harper, Trevor

This research study identified social challenges that knowledge workers in the Swedish organization TeliaSonera (Telia) face when utilizing wireless technologies to conduct work on the move. Upon collecting the relevant research data, five problem areas were identified: work and life balance, addiction, organizational involvement, nomadic work and control, and individual productivity. Each problem area was examined with the philosophical underpinning of socio-technical design principles. The results confirm that better role boundary management, self-discipline, work negotiation, and e-mail communication skills may be required for the knowledge workers to manage the demands of nomadic working. Similarly, rewarding nomadic work performance, building employee supervisor trust relations, and designing jobs that enhance work and life balance can be imperative.

Inattentive behaviour is associated with poor working memory and slow processing speed in very pre-term children in middle childhood.

PubMed

Mulder, Hanna; Pitchford, Nicola J; Marlow, Neil

2011-03-01

BACKGROUND. Problem behaviour is common following pre-term birth, but the underlying nature of these difficulties is not well known. AIMS. We sought to establish the mechanisms underpinning behavioural difficulties in very pre-term (VPT) children in middle childhood by comparing their performance to that of term born peers on tasks of working memory, inhibition, and processing speed, and relating these to parent and teacher assessments of their behaviour. Particular focus was given to inattention and overactive/impulsive behaviour, as these behaviours have been associated with different neuropsychological problems in term children. SAMPLES. A group of VPT children (gestational age < 31 weeks, N= 56) aged 9-10 years and term controls (N= 22) participated in the study. METHOD. Children were assessed with measures of working memory, inhibition, and processing speed. Parents and teachers reported behavioural problems using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and two additional scales measuring overactive/impulsive behaviour and inattention. RESULTS. Results revealed increased rates of problem behaviour in VPT compared to term children for parent-rated total difficulties, hyperactivity, emotional problems, peer problems, prosocial behaviour, overactive/impulsive behaviour, and parent- and teacher-rated inattention. Processing speed and working memory, but not inhibition, were significantly related to inattentive and overactive/impulsive behaviour. CONCLUSIONS. The increased rates of inattention and overactive/impulsive behaviour in VPT children may be explained by impairment in processing speed and working memory. Expected links between overactive/impulsive behaviour and inhibitory control were not identified, suggesting the nature of such difficulties may be different in VPT compared to term children. © 2010 The British Psychological Society.

Mental health of children who work on the streets in Brazil after enrollment in a psychosocial program.

PubMed

Hoffmann, Elis Viviane; Duarte, Cristiane S; Fossaluza, Victor; Milani, Ana Carolina C; Maciel, Mariana R; Mello, Marcelo F; Mello, Andrea F

2017-01-01

To evaluate the mental health status of children working on the streets in Sao Paulo City, Brazil, two years after their participation in a psychosocial program, and to identify factors associated with their mental health status. From a total sample of 126 children working on the streets, 107 (85%) were re-evaluated two years after the initiation of a psychosocial program which aimed to cease their work on the streets. The focus was the presence of mental health problems, defined based on a screening instrument (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire). Logistic regression models tested factors related to the probability that a child would not present mental health problems at follow-up. The likelihood of a child presenting mental health problems was higher at baseline compared to the two-year follow-up (67.5 and 56.1%, respectively). Absence of mental health problems two years after a psychosocial intervention was significantly correlated with the following baseline factors: lower level of caregiver's psychiatric symptoms as measured by the SRQ (Self-Report Questionnaire) (AOR = 0.84, p = 0.0065), absence of child physical neglect (AOR = 0.38, p = 0.0705) and parental Protestant religion affiliation, compared to other religions (AOR = 4.06; p = 0.0107). Different factors are related to the absence of mental health problems of children working on the streets after enrollment in a two-year psychosocial program. Our findings suggest that interventions that aim to improve child mental health should consider the detection of psychiatric symptoms in caregivers, provide treatment when it is needed, and also assess other problems such as neglect in the family setting.

Age-related changes in strategic variations during arithmetic problem solving: The role of executive control.

PubMed

Hinault, T; Lemaire, P

2016-01-01

In this review, we provide an overview of how age-related changes in executive control influence aging effects in arithmetic processing. More specifically, we consider the role of executive control in strategic variations with age during arithmetic problem solving. Previous studies found that age-related differences in arithmetic performance are associated with strategic variations. That is, when they accomplish arithmetic problem-solving tasks, older adults use fewer strategies than young adults, use strategies in different proportions, and select and execute strategies less efficiently. Here, we review recent evidence, suggesting that age-related changes in inhibition, cognitive flexibility, and working memory processes underlie age-related changes in strategic variations during arithmetic problem solving. We discuss both behavioral and neural mechanisms underlying age-related changes in these executive control processes. © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[Management of the visual risk in VDT workers and the role of the occupational physician (Medico competente)].

PubMed

Signorelli, C; Lepratto, M; Summa, A

2005-01-01

The enormous increasing of computer use in work activities has carried great progresses and many other advantages, but it has brought also possible health problems for the workers. The occupational risk in VDT workers involves the visual system, work-related muscoloskeletal disorders and also the mental state. This article concerns the major problems related to the obligations of the employer and to health surveillance, with special care to ophtalmologist examination for the ability, the responsibility and duty of occupational physicians (medici competenti) and the possible role of the ophthalmologists.

[Health effects and psychological stress in pregnant women engaged in work outside the home].

PubMed

Anan, Ayumi; Shiiba, Michiyo; Sibata, Eiji; Kawamoto, Rieko

2010-12-01

Modern society demands working conditions in which pregnant women can successfully deliver children and maintain a professional position. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of work on the health and psychological stress in working women and their newborns. We reviewed twenty-eight publications and found that health problems in working women occur at high rates. However, there is no report investigating the mechanism by which health problems occur, or describing the precise working conditions and symptoms in pregnant women who are engaged in work outside the home. In addition, the literature uses subjective evaluations, including psychological tests, to quantify stress and anxiety, but no biochemical analyses of stress-related substances were conducted. We suggest that a standard index to represent working conditions and job category, as well as an investigation of the workload of house-keeping, is needed to understand the total work effort by pregnant women in modern times. Finally, measurement of stress-related biological markers may be effective in the investigation from various perspectives of occupational stress in pregnant women.

Proposal for an Evaluation Method for the Performance of Work Procedures.

PubMed

Mohammed, Mouda; Mébarek, Djebabra; Wafa, Boulagouas; Makhlouf, Chati

2016-12-01

Noncompliance of operators with work procedures is a recurrent problem. This human behavior has been said to be situational and studied by many different approaches (ergonomic and others), which consider the noncompliance with work procedures to be obvious and seek to analyze its causes as well as consequences. The object of the proposed method is to solve this problem by focusing on the performance of work procedures and ensuring improved performance on a continuous basis. This study has multiple results: (1) assessment of the work procedures' performance by a multicriteria approach; (2) the use of a continuous improvement approach as a framework for the sustainability of the assessment method of work procedures' performance; and (3) adaptation of the Stop-Card as a facilitator support for continuous improvement of work procedures. The proposed method emphasizes to put in value the inputs of continuous improvement of the work procedures in relation with the conventional approaches which adopt the obvious evidence of the noncompliance to the working procedures and seek to analyze the cause-effect relationships related to this unacceptable phenomenon, especially in strategic industry.

Use of Problem-Based Learning in the Teaching and Learning of Horticultural Production

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abbey, Lord; Dowsett, Eric; Sullivan, Jan

2017-01-01

Purpose: Problem-based learning (PBL), a relatively novel teaching and learning process in horticulture, was investigated. Proper application of PBL can potentially create a learning context that enhances student learning. Design/Methodology/Approach: Students worked on two complex ill-structured problems: (1) to produce fresh baby greens for a…

Stress and prevalence of hearing problems in the Swedish working population

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Current human and experimental studies are indicating an association between stress and hearing problems; however potential risk factors have not been established. Hearing problems are projected to become among the top ten disabilities according to the WHO in the near future. Therefore a better understanding of the relationships between stress and hearing is warranted. Here we describe the prevalence of two common hearing problems, i.e. hearing complaints and tinnitus, in relation to different work-and health-related stressors. Methods A total of 18,734 individuals were invited to participate in the study, out of which 9,756 (52%) enrolled. Results The results demonstrate a clear and mostly linear relationship between higher prevalence of hearing problems (tinnitus or hearing loss or both) and different stressors, e.g. occupational, poorer self-rated health, long-term illness, poorer sleep quality, and higher burnout scores. Conclusions The present study unambiguously demonstrates associations between hearing problems and various stressors that have not been previously described for the auditory system. These findings will open new avenues for future investigations. PMID:21345187

A proposal for the measurement of graphical statistics effectiveness: Does it enhance or interfere with statistical reasoning?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agus, M.; Penna, M. P.; Peró-Cebollero, M.; Guàrdia-Olmos, J.

2015-02-01

Numerous studies have examined students' difficulties in understanding some notions related to statistical problems. Some authors observed that the presentation of distinct visual representations could increase statistical reasoning, supporting the principle of graphical facilitation. But other researchers disagree with this viewpoint, emphasising the impediments related to the use of illustrations that could overcharge the cognitive system with insignificant data. In this work we aim at comparing the probabilistic statistical reasoning regarding two different formats of problem presentations: graphical and verbal-numerical. We have conceived and presented five pairs of homologous simple problems in the verbal numerical and graphical format to 311 undergraduate Psychology students (n=156 in Italy and n=155 in Spain) without statistical expertise. The purpose of our work was to evaluate the effect of graphical facilitation in probabilistic statistical reasoning. Every undergraduate has solved each pair of problems in two formats in different problem presentation orders and sequences. Data analyses have highlighted that the effect of graphical facilitation is infrequent in psychology undergraduates. This effect is related to many factors (as knowledge, abilities, attitudes, and anxiety); moreover it might be considered the resultant of interaction between individual and task characteristics.

Associations between psychological distress and the most concerning present personal problems among working-age men in Japan.

PubMed

Wada, Koji; Eguchi, Hisashi; Yoneoka, Daisuke; Okahisa, Jun; Smith, Derek R

2015-03-31

Personal problems are known to influence mental health among workers. The current study investigated the most concerning present personal problems which have the greatest impact on psychological distress among working-age Japanese men, rather than issues relating to work tasks or duties. We obtained data from the 2010 Comprehensive Survey of Living Conditions conducted by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. The original survey interviewed 289,363 households in 5,150 randomly selected municipalities of Japan, from which 228,664 households agreed to participate. We analyzed the data pertaining to men who were 20 to 59 years of age and the head of a family. The questionnaire included occupation, employment status, the most concerning present personal problems, and a measure of psychological distress (the Kessler 6 scale). Multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted to delineate the association between present personal problems and psychological distress. A total of 76,950 males were included in the analysis, 27.7% of whom reported some type of psychological distress. Statistical analysis revealed that psychological distress was associated with bullying and harassment (Odds Ratio (OR): 2.05, 95% Confidence Interval (95% CI): 1.50-2.56), divorce (OR: 1.90, 95% CI: 1.53-2.26), concerns about one's purpose in life (OR: 1.73, 95% CI: 1.59-1.88), personal relationships with family members (OR: 1.49, 95% CI: 1.37-1.60), personal relationships with others (OR: 1.38, 95% CI: 1.29-1.48), own diseases (OR: 1.24, 95% CI: 1.15-1.33), and financial difficulties (OR: 1.16, 95% CI: 1.12-1.20); when compared with problems related to work tasks or duties. Several personal factors appear to have a greater impact on the mental health of Japanese men of working age, when compared to the influence of work tasks or duties. Asking workers directly about the problems that most concern them in life might help better identify those in need psychological support. Multidisciplinary interventions to address their life concerns will likely be necessary for solving these problems and reducing psychological distress.

A Qualitative Analysis of the Coping Strategies of Substitute Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vorell, Matthew S.

2011-01-01

This study distinguishes whether substitute teachers enact coping strategies that mitigate the source of work-related stress (problem-centered) or coping strategies that enable them to adapt to stress created by work-related stressors (avoidance-centered). The author gathered data for this analysis by conducting 37 in-depth interviews with…

Emotional Labour, Training Stress, Burnout, and Depressive Symptoms in Junior Doctors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rogers, Mary E.; Creed, Peter A.; Searle, Judy

2014-01-01

Junior doctors are at risk of work-related burnout and mental health problems due to training workload demands and responsibilities. This study investigated the predictors of work-related burnout and depressive symptoms in junior doctors. Participants were 349 Australian doctors in postgraduate years 1-4, who completed a web-based survey assessing…

Testing a Model of Special Educators' Intent to Stay in Teaching.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cross, Lawrence H.; Billingsley, Bonnie S.

1994-01-01

This study used path analysis to examine the effects of work-related factors--including principal support, stress, role problems, job satisfaction, and commitment--on 542 Virginia special educators' expressions of intent to stay in teaching. The study concluded that these work-related variables should be included in strategies for retaining…

Factors Related to Early Termination from Work for Youth with Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pebdani, Roxanna Nasseri

2012-01-01

Youth with disabilities face significant barriers in achieving positive post-high school outcomes, particularly when transitioning out of high school and entering the workforce, a problem that has been documented and studied by many researchers. The impact of previous work experience has long been viewed as related to positive outcomes when youth…

Low back pain in physical therapists: a cultural approach to analysis and intervention.

PubMed

Hanson, Heather; Wagner, Mairead; Monopoli, Vanessa; Keysor, Julie

2007-01-01

Low back pain is one of the most prevalent work related injuries in the physical therapy profession. New graduates and therapists working in rehabilitation and acute care hospitals are at the highest risk for developing low back pain [9]. Although physical therapists are trained in maintaining proper body mechanics and preventing work related injuries, between 30% and 63% of therapists will experience low back pain at some point in their careers [2,4,9]. The culture of physical therapy is one of the primary factors contributing to this problem, with many therapists reporting that their decision to use back pain preventive strategies depends on their colleagues' use of these strategies. The authors will use Green and Kreuter's PRECEDE-PROCEED model to identify behavioral, environmental, educational and ecological factors contributing to the problem; then will propose a health promotion intervention using the social action theory at the community level to decrease work-related low back pain in physical therapists while simultaneously addressing the culture of physical therapy.

Sports Medicine Concerns in Special Olympics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Low, Leslie J.; Sherrill, Claudine

1988-01-01

The article provides information on medical problems (including seizures, nutrition, atlantoaxia instability, and congenital heart disorders), and guidelines for training (including weight management, acclimation, heat related problems, and warm-up) for volunteers working with mentally retarded participants in Special Olympics. (DB)

Do rheumatologists recognize their patients' work-related problems?

PubMed

Gilworth, G; Haigh, R; Tennant, A; Chamberlain, M A; Harvey, A R

2001-11-01

The question addressed in this pilot study was 'Does the addition of an occupational health physiotherapist offering early vocational assessment influence the management of rheumatology patients (clinically and related to the workplace)?' Sequential vocational assessments were offered to 78 subjects with rheumatological complaints of more than 1 yr duration experiencing difficulties in working. The findings from the vocational assessments were fed back to rheumatologists. Where necessary and acceptable, workplace interventions were made and the Employment Service's Access to Work scheme was utilized to address the employment problems found. The intervention vocational assessments trebled the number of subjects seeing a Disability Employment Adviser (17% before the study, a further 37% during it). High levels of satisfaction were reported for interventions made at work. Some important changes to the management of some patients by a few doctors were made, but information from the vocational assessments did not reach them reliably in a number of cases. An unmet need for advice and workplace aids and equipment was identified. Vocational assessment by a practitioner with clinical knowledge, ergonomic and workplace experience proved helpful to patients in this pilot study. Without vocational assessment, the hospital-based team rarely identified what were often remediable, work problems and appeared unaware of the appropriate referral route for this group of patients. Rheumatologists may need to expand their management to include consideration of work issues to ensure that their patients are referred early for appropriate ergonomic intervention when required. Further study is required to help facilitate easy identification in the clinical setting of patients with problems at work.

Examining the Relationship between Psychosocial Work Factors and Musculoskeletal Discomfort among Computer Users in Malaysia

PubMed Central

Zakerian, SA; Subramaniam, ID

2011-01-01

Background: With computers rapidly carving a niche in virtually every nook and crevice of today’s fast-paced society, musculoskeletal disorders are becoming more prevalent among computer users, which comprise a wide spectrum of the Malaysian population, including office workers. While extant literature depicts extensive research on musculoskeletal disorders in general, the five dimensions of psychosocial work factors (job demands, job contentment, job control, computer-related problems and social interaction) attributed to work-related musculoskeletal disorders have been neglected. This study examines the aforementioned elements in detail, pertaining to their relationship with musculoskeletal disorders, focusing in particular, on 120 office workers at Malaysian public sector organizations, whose jobs require intensive computer usage. Methods: Research was conducted between March and July 2009 in public service organizations in Malaysia. This study was conducted via a survey utilizing self-complete questionnaires and diary. The relationship between psychosocial work factors and musculoskeletal discomfort was ascertained through regression analyses, which revealed that some factors were more important than others were. Results: The results indicate a significant relationship among psychosocial work factors and musculoskeletal discomfort among computer users. Several of these factors such as job control, computer-related problem and social interaction of psychosocial work factors are found to be more important than others in musculoskeletal discomfort. Conclusion: With computer usage on the rise among users, the prevalence of musculoskeletal discomfort could lead to unnecessary disabilities, hence, the vital need for greater attention to be given on this aspect in the work place, to alleviate to some extent, potential problems in future. PMID:23113058

Prospective relationship between poor sleep and substance-related problems in a national sample of adolescents

PubMed Central

Wong, Maria M.; Roberson, Gail; Dyson, Rachel

2014-01-01

Background Previous studies showed that poor sleep prospectively predicted alcohol related problems and illicit drug use in adolescents and young adults (Wong et al., 2010, 2012). However, more works needs to be done to elucidate the nature of these problems. The purpose of this study was to examine whether sleep difficulties and hours of sleep prospectively predicted several serious substance related problems, e.g., binge drinking, driving under the influence of alcohol, risky sexual behavior. Methods Study participants were 6504 adolescents from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (ADD HEALTH). Data were collected from interviews and questionnaires. The current study analyzed data from the first three waves of data (T1: 1994–95; T2: 1996; T3: 2001–02). In all analyses, we used sleep difficulties at a previous wave to predict substance-related problems at a subsequent wave, while controlling for substance-related problems at a previous wave. Results Holding T1 alcohol-related problems constant, sleep difficulties at T1 significantly predicted alcohol-related interpersonal problems, binge drinking, gotten drunk or very high on alcohol, driving under the influence of alcohol, getting into a sexual situation one later regretted due to drinking, ever using any illicit drugs and drugs-related problems at T2. T1 hours of sleep negatively predicted T2 alcohol-related interpersonal problems and binge drinking. The relationship between T2 sleep variables and T3 substance-related problems were consistent with previous waves, though the effect was weaker. Conclusions Sleep difficulties and hours of sleep are a significant predictor of a number of substance-related problems. It may be useful to educate adolescents about the importance of sleep, sleep hygiene and the potential consequences of poor sleep on drinking and related behaviors. PMID:25598438

Stressors of Korean Disaster Relief Team Members during the Nepal Earthquake Dispatch: a Consensual Qualitative Research Analysis.

PubMed

Lee, Kangeui; Lee, So Hee; Park, Taejin; Lee, Ji Yeon

2017-03-01

We conducted in-depth interviews with 11 Korean Disaster Relief Team (KDRT) members about stress related to disaster relief work and analyzed the interview data using the Consensual Qualitative Research (CQR) method in order to evaluate difficulties in disaster relief work and to develop solutions to these problems in cooperation with related organizations. Results showed that members typically experienced stress related to untrained team members, ineffective cooperation, and the shock and aftermath of aftershock experiences. Stress tended to stem from several factors: difficulties related to cooperation with new team members, the frightening disaster experience, and the aftermath of the disaster. Other stressors included conflict with the control tower, diverse problems at the disaster relief work site, and environmental factors. The most common reason that members participated in KDRT work despite all the stressors and difficulties was pride about the kind of work it involved. Many subjects in this study suffered from various stresses after the relief work, but they had no other choice than to attempt to forget about their experiences over time. It is recommended that the mental health of disaster relief workers will improve through the further development of effective treatment and surveillance programs in the future.

Stressors of Korean Disaster Relief Team Members during the Nepal Earthquake Dispatch: a Consensual Qualitative Research Analysis

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

We conducted in-depth interviews with 11 Korean Disaster Relief Team (KDRT) members about stress related to disaster relief work and analyzed the interview data using the Consensual Qualitative Research (CQR) method in order to evaluate difficulties in disaster relief work and to develop solutions to these problems in cooperation with related organizations. Results showed that members typically experienced stress related to untrained team members, ineffective cooperation, and the shock and aftermath of aftershock experiences. Stress tended to stem from several factors: difficulties related to cooperation with new team members, the frightening disaster experience, and the aftermath of the disaster. Other stressors included conflict with the control tower, diverse problems at the disaster relief work site, and environmental factors. The most common reason that members participated in KDRT work despite all the stressors and difficulties was pride about the kind of work it involved. Many subjects in this study suffered from various stresses after the relief work, but they had no other choice than to attempt to forget about their experiences over time. It is recommended that the mental health of disaster relief workers will improve through the further development of effective treatment and surveillance programs in the future. PMID:28145656

Alcohol-Induced Blackouts as Predictors of Other Drinking Related Harms Among Emerging Young Adults.

PubMed

Hingson, Ralph; Zha, Wenxing; Simons-Morton, Bruce; White, Aaron

2016-04-01

Alcohol-related blackouts are periods of amnesia that reflect the failure of the brain to record memories of what transpires while drinking. This paper examined the incidence, predictors, and behavioral correlates of blackouts among emerging adults and examined whether questions about blackouts could serve as better markers of risk for other alcohol related harms than questions about levels of consumption. In 2012 to 2013, 1,463 (68%) of 2,140 respondents 1-year past high school reported having consumed alcohol. They were asked whether, in the past 6 months because of drinking, they forgot where they were or what they did. The survey also explored demographics, substance use behaviors, and other alcohol-related problems in the past 6 months. Chi-square and logistic regression analyses explored bivariate and multivariate predictors of blackouts and other alcohol-related problems. Twenty percent of respondents who ever drank alcohol reported a blackout in the past 6 months. Blackouts were more prevalent among females and those who, in the past 30 days, used multiple drugs, more frequently binged, were drunk, smoked, had lower body weight, and lived in college dorms. After controlling for drinking levels, having a blackout was the strongest independent predictor of most other alcohol problems examined, including in the past 6 months because of drinking, missing class or work, getting behind in work or school, doing something respondents later regretted, arguing with friends, experiencing an overdose, and total number of alcohol problems reported. It was also an independent predictor of hangovers, damaging property, getting hurt, and trouble with police. Because blackouts indicate drinking at levels that result in significant cognitive and behavioral impairment, questions about blackouts could serve as important, simple screeners for the risk of experiencing other alcohol related harms. Additional work on this subject is warranted. Published 2016. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

A simulation-based approach for solving assembly line balancing problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Xiaoyu

2017-09-01

Assembly line balancing problem is directly related to the production efficiency, since the last century, the problem of assembly line balancing was discussed and still a lot of people are studying on this topic. In this paper, the problem of assembly line is studied by establishing the mathematical model and simulation. Firstly, the model of determing the smallest production beat under certain work station number is anysized. Based on this model, the exponential smoothing approach is applied to improve the the algorithm efficiency. After the above basic work, the gas stirling engine assembly line balancing problem is discussed as a case study. Both two algorithms are implemented using the Lingo programming environment and the simulation results demonstrate the validity of the new methods.

Learning from Worked-Examples in Mathematics: Students Relate Procedures to Principles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Renkl, Alexander

2017-01-01

This article discusses the relevance of the worked-example effect for mathematics education. This effect refers to the finding that, in initial cognitive skill acquisition, students profit more from studying worked examples as compared to solving problems. One reason for the effectiveness of worked examples is that the students get the opportunity…

Proxy-Produced Ethnographic Work: What Are the Problems, Issues, and Dilemmas Arising from Proxy-Ethnography?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martinussen, Marie; Højbjerg, Karin; Tamborg, Andreas Lindenskov

2018-01-01

This article addresses the implications of researcher-student cooperation in the production of empirical material. For the student to replace the experienced researcher and work under the researcher's supervision, we call such work proxy-produced ethnographic work. Although there are clear advantages, the specific relations and positions arising…

Problem-solving skills, parent-adolescent communication, dyadic functioning, and distress among adolescents with cancer.

PubMed

Viola, Adrienne; Taggi-Pinto, Alison; Sahler, Olle Jane Z; Alderfer, Melissa A; Devine, Katie A

2018-05-01

Some adolescents with cancer report distress and unmet needs. Guided by the disability-stress-coping model, we evaluated associations among problem-solving skills, parent-adolescent cancer-related communication, parent-adolescent dyadic functioning, and distress in adolescents with cancer. Thirty-nine adolescent-parent dyads completed measures of these constructs. Adolescents were 14-20 years old on treatment or within 1 year of completing treatment. Better problem-solving skills were correlated with lower adolescent distress (r = -0.70, P < 0.001). Adolescent-reported cancer-related communication problems and dyadic functioning were not significantly related to adolescent distress (rs < 0.18). Future work should examine use of problem-solving interventions to decrease distress for adolescents with cancer. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Occupational epidemiology and work related inequalities in health: a gender perspective for two complementary approaches to work and health research

PubMed Central

Artazcoz, Lucía; Borrell, Carme; Cortès, Imma; Escribà‐Agüir, Vicenta; Cascant, Lorena

2007-01-01

Objectives To provide a framework for epidemiological research on work and health that combines classic occupational epidemiology and the consideration of work in a structural perspective focused on gender inequalities in health. Methods Gaps and limitations in classic occupational epidemiology, when considered from a gender perspective, are described. Limitations in research on work related gender inequalities in health are identified. Finally, some recommendations for future research are proposed. Results Classic occupational epidemiology has paid less attention to women's problems than men's. Research into work related gender inequalities in health has rarely considered either social class or the impact of family demands on men's health. In addition, it has rarely taken into account the potential interactions between gender, social class, employment status and family roles and the differences in social determinants of health according to the health indicator analysed. Conclusions Occupational epidemiology should consider the role of sex and gender in examining exposures and associated health problems. Variables should be used that capture the specific work environments and health conditions of both sexes. The analysis of work and health from a gender perspective should take into account the complex interactions between gender, family roles, employment status and social class. PMID:18000116

Factors related to successful job reintegration of people with a lower limb amputation.

PubMed

Schoppen, T; Boonstra, A; Groothoff, J W; van Sonderen, E; Göeken, L N; Eisma, W H

2001-10-01

To study demographically, amputation-, and employment-related factors that show a relationship to successful job reintegration of patients after lower limb amputation. Cross-sectional study. University hospital. Subjects had an acquired unilateral major amputation of the lower limb at least 2 years before, were aged 18 to 60 years (mean, 46yr), and were living in the Netherlands. All 322 patients were working at the time of amputation and were recruited from orthopedic workshops. Questionnaires sent to subjects to self-report (1) demographic and amputation information and (2) job characteristics and readjustment postamputation. Questionnaire sent to rehabilitation specialists to assess physical work load. Demographically related (age, gender); amputation-related (comorbidity; reason and level; problems with stump, pain, prosthesis use and problems, mobility, rehabilitation); and employment-related (education, physical workload) information about the success of job reintegration. Job reintegration was successful in 79% and unsuccessful in 21% of the amputees. Age at the time of amputation, wearing comfort of the prosthesis, and education level were significant indicators of successful job reintegration. Subjects with physically demanding jobs who changed type of job before and after the amputation more often successfully returned to work than subjects who tried to stay at the same type of job. Older patients with a low education level and problems with the wearing comfort of the prosthesis are a population at risk who require special attention during the rehabilitation process in order to return to work. Lowering the physical workload by changing to another type of work enhances the chance of successful reintegration. Copyright 2001 by the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine and the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Voice, stress, work and quality of life of soccer coaches and physical trainers.

PubMed

Penteado, Regina Zanella; Silva, Noelle Bernardi da; Montebello, Maria Imaculada de Lima

2015-01-01

To assess aspects related to work, stress and quality of life related to voice in soccer coaches (C) and physical trainers (T), comparing the categories. Qualitative and quantitative studies with 13 C and 13 T of teams competing in Phase One of the highest level (Série A ) of the 2012 Campeonato Paulista (São Paulo State Soccer Championship). The questions were open ended and related to complaints, difficulties, and/or problems regarding voice use during work and to the relations between voice, work, stress, and quality of life. Stress at work was analyzed by the Job Stress Scale (JSS) questionnaire. The perception of the impact of the voice on quality of life was evaluated by the Voice-Related Quality of Life (V-RQOL) protocol. The answers to the questions were transcribed and submitted to content analysis, and regarding the questionnaire, descriptive data and analytical statistics were used. Content analysis showed lack of preparation for voice care; voice complaints; and intense vocal use demand under stressful work, in addition to the absence of healthy habits and social/family support. The JSS dimensions showed that the Active Work situation and the high V-RQOL scores are compatible with vocal health without complaints. There were no statistical differences between the categories. Both categories reported complaints/problems linked to professional voice use and stressful workload. However, the perception of vocal impact on the quality of life was positive, and the analysis of stress at work resulted in "good" and favorable conditions. The relationship between voice, work, stress, and quality of life in both the categories require further investigations.

Thinking and working relationally: interviewing and constructing hypotheses to create compassionate understanding.

PubMed

Sheinberg, Marcia; Brewster, Mary Kim

2014-12-01

In the initial interviews of family therapy sessions, the therapist faces the challenge of obtaining and organizing the information that is most relevant toward understanding the essential concerns that families and couples bring to therapy. This article describes the process of clinical interviewing and case conceptualization used in training family therapists at the Ackerman Institute for the Family. This approach helps the therapist bring forward, and organize, specific information into relational hypotheses, or systemic-relational conceptualizations, that allow both family members and the therapist to understand presenting problems within their relational contexts. While always provisional, relational hypotheses help anchor the therapist in a systemic-relational frame and provide a conceptual through-line to guide the ongoing work of the therapy. The process of interviewing and the construction of clear and complex conceptualizations of presenting problems are illustrated through case examples. © 2014 Family Process Institute.

Need for recovery from work related fatigue and its role in the development and prediction of subjective health complaints

PubMed Central

Sluiter, J; de Croon, E M; Meijman, T; Frings-Dresen, M

2003-01-01

Aims: To present the available empirical evidence for the assumed position of the concept of work related fatigue as: (1) short term effect of the working day; and (2) an intermediate variable between work demands and the development of subjective health complaints and sickness absence. Methods: Results from six single occupation studies, conducted between 1996 and 2002, are presented. Work demands (working hours, decision latitude, break control/autonomy, and mental, emotional, and physical demands) were assessed through validated scales. Work related fatigue was represented and assessed by means of the need for recovery after working time scale in all studies. Subjective health complaints and duration of sickness absence were quantified with the same instruments in most studies as well. Both cross sectional studies (four) as well as prospective studies (two; up to two years follow up) were performed. Cross sectional data of 3820 workers, in total, were available. Prospective data were accessible for 1200 workers in industry and health care. Models were tested with stepwise multiple regression analyses. Results: Strong associations between work demands and need for necovery were found in different occupations. The variance explained in need for recovery by work demands, age, and (baseline) need for recovery ranged between 14% and 48% in both types of studies. The amount of explained variance by work demands, age, and (baseline) need for recovery in subjective health complaints ranged between 24% and 58% in the different occupations. The prospective data showed the prognostic value of need for recovery in relation to subjective health complaints (in terms of psychosomatic complaints, emotional exhaustion, or sleep problems) and duration of future sickness absence. Conclusions: The hypothesised role for work related fatigue as a link in the causal string of events, that is assumed to exist between repeated adverse work demands and the development of work related stress reactions, (psychological) overload and, eventually, health problems, was confirmed. PMID:12782749

Health and safety problems associated with long working hours: a review of the current position.

PubMed Central

Spurgeon, A; Harrington, J M; Cooper, C L

1997-01-01

The European Community Directive on Working Time, which should have been implemented in member states of the European Community by November 1996, contains several requirements related to working hours, including the right of employees to refuse to work more than 48 hours a week. The United Kingdom government attempted to oppose the Directive, arguing that there is no convincing evidence that hours of work should be limited on health and safety grounds. Much of the research in this area has focused on the problems of shiftworking and previous reviews have therefore tended to emphasise this aspect of working hours. However, there is much less information about the effects of overtime work, which is a central element of the terms of the Directive. This paper reviews the current evidence relating to the potential effects on health and performance of extensions to the normal working day. Several gaps in the literature are identified. Research to date has been restricted to a limited range of health outcomes--namely, mental health and cardiovascular disorders. Other potential effects which are normally associated with stress--for example, gastrointestinal disorders, musculoskeletal disorders, and problems associated with depression of the immune system, have received little attention. Also, there have been few systematic investigations of performance effects, and little consideration of the implications for occupational exposure limits of extensions to the working day. Existing data relate largely to situations where working hours exceed 50 a week and there is a lack of information on hours below this level, which is of direct relevance to the European Community proposal. Finally, it is clear from investigations relating to shiftwork that a range of modifying factors are likely to influence the level and nature of health and performance outcomes. These include the attitudes and motivation of the people concerned, the job requirements, and other aspects of the organisational and cultural climate. It is concluded that there is currently sufficient evidence to raise concerns about the risks to health and safety of long working hours. However, much more work is required to define the level and nature of those risks. PMID:9245942

Weaknesses in the USACE Defense Base Act Insurance Program Led to as Much as $58.5 Million in Refunds Not Returned to the U.S. Government and Other Problems

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-07-28

compensation insurance for their employees who work overseas. DBA insurance carriers provide disability and medical benefits to employees for work... insurance carriers provide disability and medical benefits to employees for work-related injuries and death benefits to eligible survivors for work-related...program to determine if contracting with a single DBA insurance provider would help control costs. Under a single provider model , contractors must use

Work-related psychosocial risk factors and mental health problems amongst nurses at a university hospital in Estonia: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Freimann, Tiina; Merisalu, Eda

2015-07-01

Rapid changes in the Estonian health care system have placed extra pressure on the nursing profession, but the potential impacts of psychosocial changes have not been investigated. We aimed to explore the work-related psychosocial risk factors and their relationships with mental health problems (MHPs) amongst nurses at the university hospital in Estonia. A cross-sectional survey was undertaken amongst registered nurses at Tartu University Hospital (TUH). Psychosocial work factors and MHPs (stress, somatic symptoms, depressive symptoms and burnout) were measured using version two of the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ II). Descriptive statistics and Pearson's r correlation with sequential Bonferroni correction were used to analyse the data. The analysis was based on 404 nurses (45% of the full-time working population of nurses). The highest mean scores recorded for the positive work-related psychosocial factors studied were meaning of work, role clarity, social relationships and mutual trust between employees. The highest scores for the negative factors studied were the demands for hiding emotions, work pace, cognitive and emotional demands. Stress and burnout showed the highest mean scores amongst the MHPs. Quantitative and emotional demands were positively related to all of the studied MHPs, while work pace and role conflicts had a positive correlation with stress and burnout. All of the studied negative psychosocial factors were significantly correlated with burnout. work-related psychosocial risk factors such as quantitative demands work load, emotional demands, work pace and role conflicts, had significant positive relationships with MHPS in nurses in Estonia, and may contribute to high levels of stress as well as burnout amongst nurses: . © 2015 the Nordic Societies of Public Health.

Illness consequences after myocardial infarction: problems with physical functioning and return to work.

PubMed

Brink, Eva; Brändström, Yvonne; Cliffordsson, Christina; Herlitz, Johan; Karlson, Björn W

2008-12-01

This paper is a report of a study to explore health problems, physical and mental functioning, and physical activity in working-age patients after myocardial infarction, in order to assess the possible effects of these factors on return to work. A diagnosis of myocardial infarction may discourage patients from continuing an active working life. Enabling myocardial infarction patients to return to work has benefits for both individuals and society. A convenience sample was recruited of 88 patients,

Problems Encountered by Novice Pair Programmers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hanks, Brian

2008-01-01

In a study of the types of problems encountered by students that led them to seek assistance, Robins et al. [2006] found that the most common problems were related to trivial mechanics. The students in this study worked by themselves on their programming exercises. This article discusses a replication of the Robins et al. study in which the…

Fostering Modeling Competencies: Benefits of Worked Examples, Problems to Be Solved, and Fading Procedures

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Große, Cornelia S.

2015-01-01

The application of mathematics to real-world problems is moving more and more in the focus of attention of mathematics education; however, many learners experience huge difficulties in relating "pure" mathematics to everyday contents. In order to solve "modeling problems", it is first necessary to find a transition from a…

Characteristics of a Cognitive Tool That Helps Students Learn Diagnostic Problem Solving

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Danielson, Jared A.; Mills, Eric M.; Vermeer, Pamela J.; Preast, Vanessa A.; Young, Karen M.; Christopher, Mary M.; George, Jeanne W.; Wood, R. Darren; Bender, Holly S.

2007-01-01

Three related studies replicated and extended previous work (J.A. Danielson et al. (2003), "Educational Technology Research and Development," 51(3), 63-81) involving the Diagnostic Pathfinder (dP) (previously Problem List Generator [PLG]), a cognitive tool for learning diagnostic problem solving. In studies 1 and 2, groups of 126 and 113…

Gesturing during mental problem solving reduces eye movements, especially for individuals with lower visual working memory capacity.

PubMed

Pouw, Wim T J L; Mavilidi, Myrto-Foteini; van Gog, Tamara; Paas, Fred

2016-08-01

Non-communicative hand gestures have been found to benefit problem-solving performance. These gestures seem to compensate for limited internal cognitive capacities, such as visual working memory capacity. Yet, it is not clear how gestures might perform this cognitive function. One hypothesis is that gesturing is a means to spatially index mental simulations, thereby reducing the need for visually projecting the mental simulation onto the visual presentation of the task. If that hypothesis is correct, less eye movements should be made when participants gesture during problem solving than when they do not gesture. We therefore used mobile eye tracking to investigate the effect of co-thought gesturing and visual working memory capacity on eye movements during mental solving of the Tower of Hanoi problem. Results revealed that gesturing indeed reduced the number of eye movements (lower saccade counts), especially for participants with a relatively lower visual working memory capacity. Subsequent problem-solving performance was not affected by having (not) gestured during the mental solving phase. The current findings suggest that our understanding of gestures in problem solving could be improved by taking into account eye movements during gesturing.

Work-related suicide in Victoria, Australia: a broad perspective.

PubMed

Routley, Virginia Hazel; Ozanne-Smith, Joan E

2012-01-01

While unintentional work-related injury is increasingly recognised as important and preventable, population studies of the full range of work related suicides have received less attention. The objective of this study is to investigate the epidemiology of work-related suicide in Victoria, July 2000-December 2007. The study draws on a database of all work-related deaths reported to the Victorian Coroner, inclusive of broadly defined work-relatedness. Inclusion criteria for work-related suicide were at least one of: suicide means was work related, work stressors were identified in police reports to the Coroners or the Coroner's finding, the suicide method involved another person's work (e.g. rail suicide, heavy vehicle) or the suicide location was a workplace. Cases still open for investigation were excluded. Of 642 work-related suicides, 55% had an association with work stressors; 32% jumped or lay in front of a train or heavy vehicle; 7% involved a work location and 6% involved work agents. Work stressor cases identified included business difficulties, recent or previous work injury, unemployment/redundancy or conflict with supervisors/colleagues (including workplace bullying). Work-related suicide is a substantial problem, for which few detailed population wide studies are available. Further research is required to understand the contribution of work stressors and effective interventions.

Stress at Work and Its Subsequent Problems among Teachers of the Public Schools Which Operate the School-Based Violence Reduction Program (VRP) in Tulkarm Governorate

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oteer, Rabee

2015-01-01

This study aimed to identify the work-related stress and its subsequent problems among teachers of the public schools which operated the school-based Violence Reduction Program (VRP) in the governorate of Tulkarm during the second semester of 2015-2016. Besides, it aimed to identify the effect of specific variables, such as gender, specialization,…

Analysis of cost regression and post-accident absence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wojciech, Drozd

2017-07-01

The article presents issues related with costs of work safety. It proves the thesis that economic aspects cannot be overlooked in effective management of occupational health and safety and that adequate expenditures on safety can bring tangible benefits to the company. Reliable analysis of this problem is essential for the description the problem of safety the work. In the article attempts to carry it out using the procedures of mathematical statistics [1, 2, 3].

Responding to Individual Needs in Head Start: A Head Start Series on Needs Assessment. Part 1: Working with the Individual Child.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Child Development Services Bureau (DHEW/OCD), Washington, DC. Project Head Start.

This manual, designed for Head Start staff, parents, and others working with handicapped and/or nonhandicapped children, gives general background information on physical, emotional, and cognitive disabilities and offers practical suggestions for handling classroom problems related to these disabilities. Staff planning is discussed in relation to…

Tackling Work Related Stress in a National Health Service Trust

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vick, Donna; Whyatt, Hilary

2004-01-01

The challenge of tackling the problem of coping with work related stress in a National Health Service (NHS) Trust was undertaken. Ideas were developed within the context of two different action learning sets and led to actions resulting in a large therapy Taster Session event and the establishment of a centre offering alternative therapies and…

Teachers' Perceptions of Working Conditions: Problems Relating to Central Office Support [and] Section 2: Administrative Support.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gersten, Russell; And Others

This report summarizes results of a survey of special educators regarding first, their working conditions related to central office support and, second, the impact of administrative support on their job satisfaction, commitment, and intent to leave. Major findings regarding teacher attitudes toward central office administrators include a perceived…

We Are All Related: Indigenous People Combine Traditional Knowledge, Geo-Science to Save Planet

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wildcat, Daniel

2008-01-01

Through a new working group, tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) are playing a critical leadership role in addressing some of the most difficult climate-related problems now facing the planet. Because of their unique cultural character, TCUs have an important voice. The American Indian and Alaska Native Climate Change Working Group was formed…

Occupational Health Screenings of the Virtual Warrior: Distributed Common Ground System Intelligence Operators Compared with Non-Combatant Support Personnel

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-02-01

long hours , shift work , relational conflict...reasons for an increase in medication. Such sleep problems were often explained in textual responses to be the result of long work hours , shift work ...to be operational in nature [1]. Specifically, long hours , shift work , organizational and leadership challenges, nature of work , additional

[The influence of workplace violence on work-related anxiety and depression experience among Korean employees].

PubMed

Choi, Eun Sook; Jung, Hye Sun; Kim, Su Hyun; Park, Hyunju

2010-10-01

Work-related anxiety and depression are frequent work-related mental health problems. In this study the relationship between workplace violence and work-related anxiety and/or depression among Korean employees was evaluated. Data were obtained from the Korean Working Condition Survey of 2006. Participants were 9,094 Korean workers aged 15-64 yr. Multiple logistic regression using SAS version 9.1 was used. The incidence of work-related anxiety, work-related depression and workplace violence were 4.5%, 3.5%, and 1.8% respectively. When personal and occupational risk factors were adjusted, workplace violence was significantly associated with work-related anxiety and depression (OR for anxiety: 4.07, CI: 2.62-6.34; OR for depression: 4.60, CI: 2.92-7.25). Work-related anxiety was significantly related to type of employment, working period at present workplace, work time, shift work, job demand, and social support from superiors. Factors influencing work-related depression were gender, education, alcohol consumption, company size, type of employment, working period at present workplace, work time, shift work, and job demand. To promote psychological health in workers there is a need to develop work-related anxiety and depression prevention programs and to decrease in workplace violence. In developing these programs, consideration should be given to personal factors, working conditions, and psychosocial working environments.

Pride, empowerment, and return to work: on the significance of promoting positive social emotions among sickness absentees.

PubMed

Svensson, Tommy; Müssener, Ulrika; Alexanderson, Kristina

2006-01-01

Sickness absence is a great public health problem and there is a lack of knowledge concerning the hows and whys of success or failure in promoting return to work of sick-listed persons. Discussions of and research into social and psychological aspects of this problem area are in need of theoretical contextualisation. In this paper it is suggested that theories of social emotions may be useful, and that the concept of empowerment can be applied provided that it is reasonably well defined. The notions of pride/shame and empowerment are elucidated and discussed, and it is shown that they can be related in the context of research into emotional dimensions of sickness absentees' experiences of the rehabilitation process in a way that may help to guide empirical studies. A simple model of hypothetical relations between pride/shame, empowerment/disempowerment, work ability, health, and return to work is sketched.

Cancer, comorbidity and workplace discrimination: The US experience.

PubMed

Gehrke, Amanda K; Feuerstein, Michael

2017-09-01

Cancer survivors with comorbidities have more work-related challenges than cancer survivors without these other health problems. This study evaluated how these cancer survivors with comorbidities are faring under a newly revised workplace discrimination policy, which better accounts for the episodic nature of chronic illnesses. The sample included 18-64 year olds with a history of cancer who filed allegations of workplace discrimination in 2009-2011 (N = 1.291) in the US. Multivariable logistic regressions were used. Cancer survivors with comorbidities were more likely to file discrimination claims related to the terms of their employment (OR = 1.37, 95% CI = 1.04-1.80) than cancer survivors without comorbidities. Terms of employment-related claims were more likely to be ruled in favour of cancer survivors (versus employers), regardless of comorbidity status (OR = 1.44, 95% CI = 1.06-1.96). Despite this policy reform, alleged discrimination related to terms of employment existed at higher rates in cancer survivors with concurrent health problems. If employment is a goal in this high-risk group, replication of findings in other countries, studies on potential mechanisms and development of innovative interventions in these higher risk cases are warranted. Efforts should be made to mitigate the impact of these comorbid health problems on work-related function. Published 2017. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Identification and testing of countermeasures for specific alcohol accident types and problems. Volume 4, Appendices

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1984-12-01

This report summarizes work conducted to investigate the feasibility of developing effective countermeasures directed at specific alcohol-related accidents or problems. In Phase I, literature and accident data were reviewed to determine the scope and...

Identification and testing of countermeasures for specific alcohol accident types and problems. Volume 1, Executive summary

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1984-12-01

This report summarizes work conducted to investigate the feasibility of developing effective countermeasures directed at specific alcohol-related accidents or problems. In Phase I, literature and accident data were reviewed to determine the scope and...

[Burnout, work disruptions, interpersonal and psychosomatic problems--degree-specific comparison of students at a German university].

PubMed

Gumz, A; Brähler, E; Heilmann, V K; Erices, R

2014-03-01

In the context of the public debate on psychological strain among students, the prevalence of burnout, procrastination, test anxiety, other work disruptions, interpersonal problems and psychic symptoms were analyzed depending on academic degree. The data of 358 college students (of Leipzig University) were examined. The academic degree had only a marginal effect on burnout- and work disruptions-related variables. In terms of interpersonal problems and psychic symptoms, differences between students were identified, depending on the academic degree. Diploma students reported many complaints, whereas undergraduates aspiring for a State Examination, were comparatively less affected. Knowledge of the population-specific psychological load is useful in order to develop preventive and therapeutic measures. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Maternal Emotion Regulation Strategies, Internalizing Problems and Infant Negative Affect

PubMed Central

Edwards, Erin S.; Holzman, Jacob B.; Burt, Nicole M.; Rutherford, Helena J. V.; Mayes, Linda C.; Bridgett, David J.

2016-01-01

Recent work has identified links between mothers’ self-regulation and emotion regulation (ER) and children’s social-emotional outcomes. However, associations between maternal ER strategies (e.g., reappraisal, suppression), known to influence internalizing problems in adults, and children’s negative affect (NA) have not been considered. In the current study, the direct and indirect relationships, through maternal internalizing problems, between maternal use of ER strategies and infant NA are examined. The potential effects of infant NA on maternal internalizing difficulties are also considered. Ninety-nine mothers and their infants participated across three time points during the first year postpartum. Higher maternal suppression was indirectly related to higher infant NA, through maternal internalizing problems; lower maternal reappraisal also was indirectly related to higher infant NA through maternal internalizing problems. Infant NA at four months postpartum was related to mothers’ internalizing problems 6 months postpartum. The implications of these findings for future research and intervention are discussed. PMID:28785122

The extent of problematic alcohol and other drug use within selected South African workplaces.

PubMed

Harker Burnhams, Nadine; Dada, Siphokazi; Linda, Betty; Myers, Bronwyn; Parry, Charles

2013-09-30

The use of alcohol and other drugs (AODs) in the workplace has a major impact on the health and productivity of the workforce globally. Yet information on this issue is limited in South Africa (SA). To describe the nature and extent of AOD problems in selected workplace settings in SA. Secondary data analysis was conducted on a large dataset compiled by an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) service provider in SA. As part of an EAP risk audit, assessments for AOD-related problems were completed for each employee accessing EAP services (n=10 428) between 2005 and 2011. Data on the socio-demographic profiles, AOD use and impact of AOD use on the work performance of employees were analysed. Findings indicate that employed men are more likely to experience alcohol-related problems than women, the latter demonstrating a higher percentage of drug-related problems. The majority of referrals to the EAPs emanate from the public, industrial and financial sectors. AOD-related problems were also found to significantly impact on employee work performance. The study begins to address the knowledge gap on the extent of AOD use in SA workplaces and points to the need for further investigations into the exact nature of AOD use. In addition, the study highlights the need for intervention programmes and policies suited to the workplace.

Psychological Adaptation to Extreme Environments: Effects of Team Composition on Individual Adaptation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wood, J.; Hysong, S. J.; Lugg, D. J.; Harm, D. L.

1999-01-01

This study is part of an ongoing program of research examining the psychological effects of isolation and confinement on individual adaptation, productivity and group relations in Antarctic winter personnel. This environment is used as an analogue for long-duration space mission scenarios, such as a space station sojourn, or a mission to Mars. Earlier results from this and other environments have demonstrated that: (1) most changes in psychological well-being are event-related and of relatively short duration; and (2) the greatest problem facing most individuals is interpersonal conflict. Content analysis of responses to open-ended questions has identified the numerous enjoyable aspects of Antarctic living, and confirmed that many of the problems reported were interpersonal in nature, and that problems varied significantly by station. Current work is exploring the effects of team assignment on the self-reported psychological changes and self-evaluations of members of isolated teams. This work includes identifying the dimensions by which subjects determine how well they are functioning. These dimensions (e.g., work, social life, internal emotional state) appear to play an important role in how subjects evaluate many aspects of life in isolation.

The role of expressive writing in math anxiety.

PubMed

Park, Daeun; Ramirez, Gerardo; Beilock, Sian L

2014-06-01

Math anxiety is a negative affective reaction to situations involving math. Previous work demonstrates that math anxiety can negatively impact math problem solving by creating performance-related worries that disrupt the working memory needed for the task at hand. By leveraging knowledge about the mechanism underlying the math anxiety-performance relationship, we tested the effectiveness of a short expressive writing intervention that has been shown to reduce intrusive thoughts and improve working memory availability. Students (N = 80) varying in math anxiety were asked to sit quietly (control group) prior to completing difficulty-matched math and word problems or to write about their thoughts and feelings regarding the exam they were about to take (expressive writing group). For the control group, high math-anxious individuals (HMAs) performed significantly worse on the math problems than low math-anxious students (LMAs). In the expressive writing group, however, this difference in math performance across HMAs and LMAs was significantly reduced. Among HMAs, the use of words related to anxiety, cause, and insight in their writing was positively related to math performance. Expressive writing boosts the performance of anxious students in math-testing situations. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

Emotional Exhaustion in Day-Care Workers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Løvgren, Mette

2016-01-01

Although childcare workers have the second-worst occupation for work-related health problems and the number of professional day-care centers is growing throughout Europe, few studies have examined these workers' emotional well-being. This study investigates the effect of position, competence, work role, role clarity, and work tasks on emotional…

Working Conditions: Job Design. Working Paper #4.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gersten, Russell; And Others

This summary report presents an integration of findings on teachers' perceptions of their working conditions, based on survey and interview data from special educators in six large urban school districts. Emphasis is on perceptions of problems related to job design, the highly interrelated set of structures, systems, and processes intended to…

Work hours and work-family conflict: the double-edged sword of involvement in work and family.

PubMed

Matthews, Russell A; Swody, Cathleen A; Barnes-Farrell, Janet L

2012-08-01

In this study, we examine the role of work hours in a model that incorporates involvement in both work and family with experiences of work-family conflict and subjective well-being. Self-report data were collected from 383 full-time employees and analysed using structural equation modelling techniques. Results demonstrate that role salience was positively related to behavioural involvement with work and with family. In turn, behavioural family involvement was negatively related to work hours and family-to-work conflict, while behavioural work involvement was positively related to work hours. Behavioural family involvement was also positively related to life satisfaction. Finally, both family-to-work conflict and end-of-workday strain were negatively related to life satisfaction. Our results provide insight into unexpected problems that might arise when employees place overly high importance on work and work long hours. This study serves as a foundation for researchers to examine the interplay of time spent with work and family with other aspects of the work-family interface. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Computer use and vision-related problems among university students in ajman, United arab emirate.

PubMed

Shantakumari, N; Eldeeb, R; Sreedharan, J; Gopal, K

2014-03-01

The extensive use of computers as medium of teaching and learning in universities necessitates introspection into the extent of computer related health disorders among student population. This study was undertaken to assess the pattern of computer usage and related visual problems, among University students in Ajman, United Arab Emirates. A total of 500 Students studying in Gulf Medical University, Ajman and Ajman University of Science and Technology were recruited into this study. Demographic characteristics, pattern of usage of computers and associated visual symptoms were recorded in a validated self-administered questionnaire. Chi-square test was used to determine the significance of the observed differences between the variables. The level of statistical significance was at P < 0.05. The crude odds ratio (OR) was determined using simple binary logistic regression and adjusted OR was calculated using the multiple logistic regression. The mean age of participants was 20.4 (3.2) years. The analysis of racial data reveals that 50% (236/471) students were from Middle East, 32% (151/471) from other parts of Asia, 11% (52/471) from Africa, 4% (19/471) from America and 3% (14/471) from Europe. The most common visual problems reported among computer users were headache - 53.3% (251/471), burning sensation in the eyes - 54.8% (258/471) and tired eyes - 48% (226/471). Female students were found to be at a higher risk. Nearly 72% of students reported frequent interruption of computer work. Headache caused interruption of work in 43.85% (110/168) of the students while tired eyes caused interruption of work in 43.5% (98/168) of the students. When the screen was viewed at distance more than 50 cm, the prevalence of headaches decreased by 38% (50-100 cm - OR: 0.62, 95% of the confidence interval [CI]: 0.42-0.92). Prevalence of tired eyes increased by 89% when screen filters were not used (OR: 1.894, 95% CI: 1.065-3.368). High prevalence of vision related problems was noted among university students. Sustained periods of close screen work without screen filters were found to be associated with occurrence of the symptoms and increased interruptions of work of the students. There is a need to increase the ergonomic awareness among students and corrective measures need to be implemented to reduce the impact of computer related vision problems.

How do older employees with health problems remain productive at work?: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Leijten, Fenna; van den Heuvel, Swenneke; Geuskens, Goedele; Ybema, Jan Fekke; de Wind, Astrid; Burdorf, Alex; Robroek, Suzan

2013-03-01

The goal of this qualitative study was to gain insight into how older employees remain productive at work in spite of health problems. Twenty-six semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with older employees, 46-63 years of age, who reported a poor health in the Study on Transitions in Employment, Ability, and Motivation. Demographic, health, and work information was gathered, followed by information on adjustments made in response to health problems. Inductive and deductive analyses were done independently by two researchers. Four pathways through which poor health could influence productivity were identified: (1) poor health did not influence productivity; (2) poor health created a temporary imbalance in demands and external and internal resources after which adjustments were made and productivity was maintained; (3) adjustments were made in response to an imbalance, but productivity remained reduced; and (4) no adjustments were made and productivity was reduced. Whether and which adjustments occurred was influenced by factors in various domains, such as: visibility of the problem (health), autonomy (work-related), support (relational), and the ability to ask for help (personal). Sustainable productivity was influenced by internal factors that enhanced or hindered the creation of a balance, and by whether appropriate adjustments were made. The influence that health can have on productivity depends on the individuals' unique imbalance and personal disposition. Helpful a priori work place characteristics and personal well-being should be promoted so that a balance between demands and resources can be found in times of poor health.

Test of the role of nicotine dependence in the relation between posttraumatic stress disorder and panic spectrum problems.

PubMed

Feldner, Matthew T; Smith, Rose C; Babson, Kimberly A; Sachs-Ericsson, Natalie; Schmidt, Norman B; Zvolensky, Michael J

2009-02-01

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) frequently co-occurs with panic spectrum problems. Relatively little empirical work has tested possible mechanisms accounting for this association. Nicotine dependence often ensues subsequent to PTSD onset and research suggests smoking high numbers of cigarettes daily may lead to panic problems. The current study tested the hypotheses that nicotine dependence partially mediates the relations between PTSD and both panic attacks and panic disorder within a nationally representative sample of 5,692 (3,020 women; M(Age) = 45, SD = 18) adults from the National Comorbidity Survey-Replication. Results were consistent with hypotheses. These findings support the theory suggesting smoking among people with PTSD may be involved in the development of panic problems.

A taxonomy of inductive problems.

PubMed

Kemp, Charles; Jern, Alan

2014-02-01

Inductive inferences about objects, features, categories, and relations have been studied for many years, but there are few attempts to chart the range of inductive problems that humans are able to solve. We present a taxonomy of inductive problems that helps to clarify the relationships between familiar inductive problems such as generalization, categorization, and identification, and that introduces new inductive problems for psychological investigation. Our taxonomy is founded on the idea that semantic knowledge is organized into systems of objects, features, categories, and relations, and we attempt to characterize all of the inductive problems that can arise when these systems are partially observed. Recent studies have begun to address some of the new problems in our taxonomy, and future work should aim to develop unified theories of inductive reasoning that explain how people solve all of the problems in the taxonomy.

Work-related stress management by Finnish enterprises.

PubMed

Kinnunen-Amoroso, Maritta; Liira, Juha

2014-01-01

Work-related stress has become one of the major problems in working societies and it increases employees' risk of disease. Its importance has been emphasized also due to its' great socio-economic consequences. Different stress management and worksite interventions have been implemented, however, the actual practices in companies have been assessed little. The purpose of this study was to examine how enterprises in Finland manage work-related stress. An assessment of work-related stress methods was conducted in 40 enterprises acting in the metropolitan area of Finland in May 2010 by a questionnaire. The concept of work-related stress was well known by participants. Enterprises rarely had their own work-related stress management protocol even though all of the workplaces had experienced work-related stress at some point. The collaboration between the workplace and occupational health services varied. Companies easily placed the responsibility for work-related stress assessment and handling on occupational health services. Workplaces have to pay more attention to work-related stress and related issues. The easiest way to do this is to collaborate with occupational health services. Protocols for collaboration should be developed jointly using the available models which have been established as cost-effective.

Development of verbal short-term memory and working memory in children with epilepsy: Developmental delay and impact of time-related variables. A cross-sectional study.

PubMed

van Iterson, Loretta; de Jong, Peter F

2018-01-01

While short-term memory (STM) and working memory (WM) are understood as being crucial for learning, and children with epilepsy often experience learning difficulties, little is known about the age-related development of memory span tasks in children with epilepsy. Short-term memory and WM, operationalized as digit span forwards (DSF) or digit span backwards (DSB), respectively, were studied. Participants were 314 children with epilepsy and 327 typically developing children in ages between 5 and 15years and full scale intelligence quotient (FS-IQ)≥75. Cross-sectional analyses of the data were done with analyses of variance and analyses of covariance ((M)ANCOVAs) and generalized linear analyses. The analyses revealed that STM problems in epilepsy were mediated by age-related gains in WM as well as by differences in IQ. Working memory developed at a quick pace in the younger children, the pace slowed down to some extent in the later primary school years and resumed again later on. Working memory problems prevailed in epilepsy, independent of IQ and development of STM. Timing of the epilepsy in terms of age at onset and duration determined memory development. The youngest children with epilepsy showed age-appropriate development in STM but were the most vulnerable in terms of WM development. Later in the course of the epilepsy, the WM problems of the young children attenuated. In later onset epilepsy, WM problems were smaller but persisted over time. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The recognition of occupational diseases attributed to heavy workloads: experiences in Japan, Korea, and Taiwan.

PubMed

Cheng, Yawen; Park, Jungsun; Kim, Yangho; Kawakami, Norito

2012-10-01

Health problems caused by long working hours and work stress have gained growing concerns in Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. In all the three countries, cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and mental disorders attributed to heavy workloads or stressful work events are considered compensable occupational diseases by workers' compensation systems. This study compared the trends of such cases and correlated the trends with changes in working hours during the period from 1980 to 2010. Data on occupational diseases were obtained from official statistics of the workers' compensation systems. Information on working hours was obtained from official statistics and national surveys of employees. While occupational cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and mental disorders attributed to work stress were increasingly compensated in all the three countries, the averaged working hours and the percentage of employees with long working hours had been in decline discordantly. Findings of this study suggested that reducing working hours alone is unlikely to reduce the problems of work stress. There is an urgent need to monitor and regulate a wider range of psychosocial work hazards. Especially, precarious employment and its associated health risks should be targeted for effective prevention of stress-related health problems in the workplace.

Visibility and social recognition as psychosocial work environment factors among cleaners in a multi-ethnic workplace intervention.

PubMed

Hviid, Kirsten; Smith, Louise Hardman; Frydendall, Karen Bo; Flyvholm, Mari-Ann

2012-12-24

This article focuses on the psychosocial work environment of immigrant cleaners at a Danish workplace. Today, many cleaners working in Danish cleaning jobs are women from the established immigrant communities, but also labour migrants from the newer EU member states have found their way to the cleaning industry. Studies have drawn attention to immigrants' low position in the cleaning industry and their increased risk of work injuries. This article is based on a case study of an intervention called "Make a Difference" designed to improve the work environment among cleaners at a multi-ethnic workplace. We used semi-structured interviews, photo logs, observation and participation to investigate how the cleaners experienced their work environment. The cleaners reported an overload of heavy work, related to the concept of a classroom's "readiness for cleaning", and they expressed strained social relations and communication in addition to a lack of social recognition and invisibility at the workplace, a school. We analysed these psychosocial work environmental problems by investigating the different forms of social relationships and communication within the group of cleaners, and between the cleaners and the teachers and pupils at the school. Moreover, we discussed why the intervention, based on training of language and cleaning skills and social interaction, only partially improved the cleaners' psychosocial work environment problems. In this article, we argue that social divisions based on ethnicity between the new and the established group of cleaners, combined with their marginal position and poor work organisation at the school, reinforced the cleaners' experiences of psychosocial work environment problems. This article suggests that increased effort towards social inclusion at work and improved work organisation, especially for the new labour migrants from newer EU-countries, should be considered.

Visibility and Social Recognition as Psychosocial Work Environment Factors among Cleaners in A Multi-Ethnic Workplace Intervention

PubMed Central

Hviid, Kirsten; Smith, Louise Hardman; Frydendall, Karen Bo; Flyvholm, Mari-Ann

2012-01-01

This article focuses on the psychosocial work environment of immigrant cleaners at a Danish workplace. Today, many cleaners working in Danish cleaning jobs are women from the established immigrant communities, but also labour migrants from the newer EU member states have found their way to the cleaning industry. Studies have drawn attention to immigrants’ low position in the cleaning industry and their increased risk of work injuries. This article is based on a case study of an intervention called “Make a Difference” designed to improve the work environment among cleaners at a multi-ethnic workplace. We used semi-structured interviews, photo logs, observation and participation to investigate how the cleaners experienced their work environment. The cleaners reported an overload of heavy work, related to the concept of a classroom’s “readiness for cleaning”, and they expressed strained social relations and communication in addition to a lack of social recognition and invisibility at the workplace, a school. We analysed these psychosocial work environmental problems by investigating the different forms of social relationships and communication within the group of cleaners, and between the cleaners and the teachers and pupils at the school. Moreover, we discussed why the intervention, based on training of language and cleaning skills and social interaction, only partially improved the cleaners’ psychosocial work environment problems. In this article, we argue that social divisions based on ethnicity between the new and the established group of cleaners, combined with their marginal position and poor work organisation at the school, reinforced the cleaners’ experiences of psychosocial work environment problems. This article suggests that increased effort towards social inclusion at work and improved work organisation, especially for the new labour migrants from newer EU-countries, should be considered. PMID:23263660

Computer use problems and accommodation strategies at work and home for people with systemic sclerosis: a needs assessment.

PubMed

Baker, Nancy A; Aufman, Elyse L; Poole, Janet L

2012-01-01

We identified the extent of the need for interventions and assistive technology to prevent computer use problems in people with systemic sclerosis (SSc) and the accommodation strategies they use to alleviate such problems. Respondents were recruited through the Scleroderma Foundation. Twenty-seven people with SSc who used a computer and reported difficulty in working completed the Computer Problems Survey. All but 1 of the respondents reported one problem with at least one equipment type. The highest number of respondents reported problems with keyboards (88%) and chairs (85%). More than half reported discomfort in the past month associated with the chair, keyboard, and mouse. Respondents used a variety of accommodation strategies. Many respondents experienced problems and discomfort related to computer use. The characteristic symptoms of SSc may contribute to these problems. Occupational therapy interventions for computer use problems in clients with SSc need to be tested. Copyright © 2012 by the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.

Interpersonal relations and nurses' job satisfaction through knowledge and usage of relational skills.

PubMed

Lapeña-Moñux, Yolanda Raquel; Cibanal-Juan, Luis; Maciá-Soler, M Loreto; Orts-Cortés, M Isabel; Pedraz-Marcos, Azucena

2015-11-01

Many interpersonal labor disputes stem from the lack of communication skills and the relational problems in the interactions between health professionals. A qualitative study was conducted in a Spanish hospital in order to get to know how the communicative interaction between hospital nurses is like in relation to the nurses' interpersonal interaction and communication skills developed in their working relationships. Twenty-one hospital nurses between 29 and 55 years old, working in different wards, were interviewed. Open-ended interview discourses were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The following four key themes were analyzed: communication and sender; communication and awareness of who has the problem; non-verbal communication; communication and recipient. The results of this study highlight the need to broaden nurses' relational-communication skills in order to increase job satisfaction. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Phonological Coding Abilities: Identification of Impairments Related to Phonologically Based Reading Problems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swank, Linda K.

1994-01-01

Relationships between phonological coding abilities and reading outcomes have implications for differential diagnosis of language-based reading problems. The theoretical construct of specific phonological coding ability is explained, including phonological encoding, phonological awareness and metaphonology, lexical access, working memory, and…

Do nurses who work in a fair organization sleep and perform better and why? Testing potential psychosocial mediators of organizational justice.

PubMed

Hietapakka, Laura; Elovainio, Marko; Heponiemi, Tarja; Presseau, Justin; Eccles, Martin; Aalto, Anna-Mari; Pekkarinen, Laura; Kuokkanen, Liisa; Sinervo, Timo

2013-10-01

We examined whether organizational justice is associated with sleep quality and performance in a population-based sample of 1,729 Finnish registered nurses working full time. In addition, we tested psychological mechanisms mediating the potential association. The results of multivariate linear regression analyses showed higher organizational justice to be associated with fewer sleeping problems (β values range from -.20 to -.11) and higher self-reported performance (β values range from .05 to .35). Furthermore, psychological distress (related to the psychological stress model) and job involvement (related to the psychosocial resource model) mediated the association between organizational justice and sleep. Sleeping problems partly mediated the association between organizational justice and performance. Psychological distress explained 51% to 83% and job involvement explained 10% to 15% of the total effects of justice variables on sleeping problems. The findings provide support for the psychological stress model and offer practical implications for reducing nurses' sleeping problems.

Ethical problems in pediatrics: what does the setting of care and education show us?

PubMed

Guedert, Jucélia Maria; Grosseman, Suely

2012-03-16

Pediatrics ethics education should enhance medical students' skills to deal with ethical problems that may arise in the different settings of care. This study aimed to analyze the ethical problems experienced by physicians who have medical education and pediatric care responsibilities, and if those problems are associated to their workplace, medical specialty and area of clinical practice. A self-applied semi-structured questionnaire was answered by 88 physicians with teaching and pediatric care responsibilities. Content analysis was performed to analyze the qualitative data. Poisson regression was used to explore the association of the categories of ethical problems reported with workplace and professional specialty and activity. 210 ethical problems were reported, grouped into five areas: physician-patient relationship, end-of-life care, health professional conducts, socioeconomic issues and health policies, and pediatric teaching. Doctors who worked in hospitals as well as general and subspecialist pediatricians reported fewer ethical problems related to socioeconomic issues and health policies than those who worked in Basic Health Units and who were family doctors. Some ethical problems are specific to certain settings: those related to end-of-life care are more frequent in the hospital settings and those associated with socioeconomic issues and public health policies are more frequent in Basic Health Units. Other problems are present in all the setting of pediatric care and learning and include ethical problems related to physician-patient relationship, health professional conducts and the pediatric education process. These findings should be taken into consideration when planning the teaching of ethics in pediatrics. This research article didn't reports the results of a controlled health care intervention. The study project was approved by the Institutional Ethical Review Committee (Report CEP-HIJG 032/2008).

Managing work-related psychological complaints by general practitioners, in coordination with occupational physicians: a pilot study.

PubMed

Buijs, Peter C; van Dijk, Frank J H; Evers, Marÿe; vd Klink, Jacques J L; Anema, Han

2007-01-01

Increasingly, workers have psychological work-related complaints, endangering their work ability and causing considerable economic losses. Many employees consult their general practitioner (GP). He, however, often pays insufficient attention to work-relatedness or to coordination with occupational physicians (OPs). Appropriate guidelines are missing. Consequently, we developed a GP guideline to handle these problems in coordination with OPs, and tested it in a pilot, using an explorative, evaluative study design. 23 GPs were trained to include employed patients and to test the guideline. Patients received questionnaires after 0, 4, 10 and 30 wk, GPs after 4 and 30 wk. The result was a new guideline, regarding problem orientation, diagnosis and advice, meant to avoid contradictory GP-OP advice and to activate patient responsibility. It included a GP-OP-patient communication form concerning information exchange and harmonization of insight/advice. Implementing GPs concluded that the guideline promotes recovery and work resumption and OP-GP contact benefits patients, prevents conflicting advice and promotes agreement on task division. They judged guideline efficiency and OP commitment less positively. Patients were positive, especially about GP-OP contact. Accordingly, an improved guideline, when tested for its effectiveness in a Randomized Controlled Trial, can help GPs to cope with a growing, complex problem, in collaboration with their occupational colleagues.

Relationship between work-related attitudes, performance and capacities according to the ICF in patients with mental disorders.

PubMed

Linden, Michael; Baron, Stefanie; Muschalla, Beate

2010-01-01

The International Classification of Functioning Disability and Health (ICF) differentiates between functions, activities/capacities, contextual factors and participation. Dysfunctions can result in impaired capacities, which in turn can lead to problems with participation depending on the context. Motivational and volitional deficits are intervening factors. The question is to what degree work performance (i.e. participation), motivational factors, and the inability to perform activities (i.e. dysfunctions) interact. Incapacities were measured in 213 patients (70% women) admitted to the Department of Behavioral Medicine using the Mini-ICF-Rating for Mental Disorders (Mini-ICF-APP), work performance was measured with the Endicott Work Productivity Scale (EWPS), and volitional and motivational problems in regard to work were assessed with the Arbeitsbezogenes Verhaltens- und Erlebensmuster (AVEM). Sick leave prior to admission and work-related problems were assessed in a special clinical interview. The mean global score of the Mini-ICF-APP across all patients was 0.84 +/- 0.56 (SD), corresponding to 'mild disability'. The highest disabilities in this patient population were found for 'flexibility' (item 3, 1.64 +/- 0.94); the lowest disabilities were found for 'self maintenance' (item 11, 0.19 +/- 0.44) and 'mobility' (item 12, 0.43 +/- 0.85). Partial correlations between the Mini-ICF-APP, AVEM and EWPS showed highly significant correlations between the Mini-ICF-APP and EWPS and no or weak correlations between the AVEM and the Mini-ICF-APP or EWPS. Work performance is primarily related to the inability to perform activities and incapacities, and only due to attitudes or volitional/motivational factors to a much lesser degree. Therefore, capacity and motivation can and must be separated. Copyright (c) 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Collection of domestic waste. Review of occupational health problems and their possible causes.

PubMed

Poulsen, O M; Breum, N O; Ebbehøj, N; Hansen, A M; Ivens, U I; van Lelieveld, D; Malmros, P; Matthiasen, L; Nielsen, B H; Nielsen, E M

1995-08-18

During the last decade, a growing interest in recycling of domestic waste has emerged, and action plans to increase the recycling of domestic waste have been agreed by many governments. A common feature of these plans is the implementation of new systems and equipment for the collection of domestic waste which has been separated at source. However, only limited information exists on possible occupational health problems related to such new systems. Occupational accidents are very frequent among waste collectors. Based on current knowledge, it appears that the risk factors should be considered as an integrated entity, i.e. technical factors (poor accessibility to the waste, design of equipment) may act in concert with high working rate, visual fatigue due to poor illumination and perhaps muscle fatigue due to high work load. Musculoskeletal problems are also common among waste collectors. A good deal of knowledge has accumulated on mechanical load on the spine and energetic load on the cardio-pulmonary system in relation to the handling of waste bags, bins, domestic containers and large containers. However, epidemiologic studies with exposure classification based on field measurement are needed, both to further identify high risk work conditions and to provide a detailed basis for the establishment of occupational exposure limits for mechanical and energetic load particularly in relation to pulling, pushing and tilting of containers. In 1975, an excess risk for chronic bronchitis was reported for waste collectors in Geneva (Rufèner-Press et al., 1975) and data from the Danish Registry of Occupational Accidents and Diseases also indicate an excess risk for pulmonary problems among waste collectors compared with the total work force. Surprisingly few measurements of potentially hazardous airborne exposures have been performed, and the causality of work-related pulmonary problems among waste collectors is unknown. Recent studies have indicated that implementation of some new waste collection systems may result in an increased risk of occupational health problems. High incidence rates of gastrointestinal problems, irritation of the eye and skin, and perhaps symptoms of organic dust toxic syndrome (influenza-like symptoms, cough, muscle pains, fever, fatigue, headache) have been reported among workers collecting the biodegradable fraction of domestic waste. The few data available on exposure to bio-aerosols and volatile compounds have indicated that these waste collectors may be simultaneously exposed to multiple agents such as dust containing bacteria, endotoxin, mould spores, glucans, volatile organic compounds, and diesel exhaust. Several studies have reported similar health problems as well as high incidence rates of pulmonary disease among workers at plants recycling domestic waste.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Does personality influence job acquisition and tenure in people with severe mental illness enrolled in supported employment programs?

PubMed

Fortin, Guillaume; Lecomte, Tania; Corbière, Marc

2017-06-01

When employment difficulties in people with severe mental illness (SMI) occur, it could be partly linked to issues not specific to SMI, such as personality traits or problems. Despite the fact that personality has a marked influence on almost every aspect of work behavior, it has scarcely been investigated in the context of employment for people with SMI. We aimed to evaluate if personality was more predictive than clinical variables of different competitive work outcomes, namely acquisition of competitive employment, delay to acquisition and job tenure. A sample of 82 people with a SMI enrolled in supported employment programs (SEP) was recruited and asked to complete various questionnaires and interviews. Statistical analyses included logistic regressions and survival analyses (Cox regressions). Prior employment, personality problems and negative symptoms are significantly related to acquisition of a competitive employment and to delay to acquisition whereas the conscientiousness personality trait was predictive of job tenure. Our results point out the relevance of personality traits and problems as predictors of work outcomes in people with SMI registered in SEP. Future studies should recruit larger samples and also investigate these links with other factors related to work outcomes.

Design of a multicentre randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of a tailored clinical support intervention to enhance return to work for gastrointestinal cancer patients.

PubMed

Zaman, AnneClaire G N M; Tytgat, Kristien M A J; Klinkenbijl, Jean H G; Frings-Dresen, Monique H W; de Boer, Angela G E M

2016-05-10

Gastrointestinal (GI) cancer is frequently diagnosed in people of working age, and many GI cancer patients experience work-related problems. Although these patients often experience difficulties returning to work, supportive work-related interventions are lacking. We have therefore developed a tailored work-related support intervention for GI cancer patients, and we aim to evaluate its cost-effectiveness compared with the usual care provided. If this intervention proves effective, it can be implemented in practice to support GI cancer patients after diagnosis and to help them return to work. We designed a multicentre randomized controlled trial with a follow-up of twelve months. The study population (N = 310) will include individuals aged 18-63 years diagnosed with a primary GI cancer and employed at the time of diagnosis. The participants will be randomized to the intervention or to usual care. 'Usual care' is defined as psychosocial care in which work-related issues are not discussed. The intervention group will receive tailored work-related support consisting of three face-to-face meetings of approximately 30 min each. Based on the severity of their work-related problems, the intervention group will be divided into groups receiving three types of support (A, B or C). A different supportive healthcare professional will be available for each group: an oncological nurse (A), an oncological occupational physician (B) and a multidisciplinary team (C) that includes an oncological nurse, oncological occupational physician and treating oncologist/physician. The primary outcome measure is return to work (RTW), defined as the time to a partial or full RTW. The secondary outcomes are work ability, work limitations, quality of life, and direct and indirect costs. The hypothesis is that tailored work-related support for GI cancer patients is more effective than usual care in terms of the RTW. The intervention is innovative in that it combines oncological and occupational care in a clinical setting, early in the cancer treatment process. METC protocol number NL51444.018.14/Netherlands Trial Register number NTR5022 . Registered 6 March 2015.

[Methodological aspects of risk assessment of work related stress. Italian experience of R Karasek JCQ application, a multiphase approach].

PubMed

Ferrario, M M; Cesana, G

2009-01-01

Due to a new legislation, the assessment of work stress has become compulsory in Italy for all the enterprise. Work stress is become a leading health problem in work settings all over Europe. The two major approaches, the expert-based direct observations and the measurements of the perceived job strain, are briefly introduced emphasizing on strengthens and weaknesses. Among the methods to assess perceived job stress, the Karasek's Job Content Questionnaire has been extensively used in Italy, and the available results support its use because reliable and able to pick up major constrictiveness at work. In addition, because it is now possible to have reference levels, comparisons are possible for either public or private enterprises. Acknowledging the complexity of carrying out reliable assessment of work stress, a multiphase approach is emphasised: first an analysis or current data can be used to estimate the levels of turnover, down-sizing, outsourcing, extra hours, shift work, sickness absenteeism, changes of job titles, work accidents and work-related diseases. At a second step, on groups of workers selected because recognised at risk at the first phase and on control groups, the JCQ can be used to assess workers stress perception. Finally, when constrain conditions emerge,further investigations are required, including: intervention of experts in work organisation analysis, clinical psychological examinations of selected workers, to separate between work-related and personal psychological problems and health consequences.

Burnout among primary school teachers in Iraq: prevalence and risk factors.

PubMed

Al-Asadi, Jasim; Khalaf, Shukrya; Al-Waaly, Aqeel; Abed, Alaa; Shami, Sabah

2018-06-10

Studies from various parts of the world have shown that teachers are likely to suffer from burnout. So far, there has been no research on burnout among primary school teachers in Basrah, Iraq. We aimed to determine the prevalence and predisposing factors of self-reported burnout among primary school teachers in Basrah. This was a cross-sectional study in 32 governmental primary schools during November 2014-February 2015. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect sociodemographic and work-related data using the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory. Of 800 questionnaires distributed, 706 (88.3%) were completed; 58.4% were from women. The prevalence of burnout was 24.5% (95% CI: 21.5-27.8). A statistically significant association was found between burnout and age, sex and marital status. Work-related factors that showed significant association with burnout were: work overload, problems related to career advancement, high number of students per class and student misbehaviour. Burnout is an important health problem among primary school teachers in Basrah. A number of risk factors, particularly those related to work, are amenable to modification since they are related to the education policy. Copyright © World Health Organization (WHO) 2018. Some rights reserved. This work is available under the CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/igo).

Pain-related work interference is a key factor in a worker/workplace model of work absence duration due to musculoskeletal conditions in Canadian nurses.

PubMed

Murray, Eleanor; Franche, Renée-Louise; Ibrahim, Selahadin; Smith, Peter; Carnide, Nancy; Côté, Pierre; Gibson, Jane; Guzman, Jaime; Koehoorn, Mieke; Mustard, Cameron

2013-12-01

To examine the role of pain experiences in relation to work absence, within the context of other worker health factors and workplace factors among Canadian nurses with work-related musculoskeletal (MSK) injury. Structural equation modeling was used on a sample of 941 employed, female, direct care nurses with at least one day of work absence due to a work-related MSK injury, from the cross-sectional 2005 National Survey of the Work and Health of Nurses. The final model suggests that pain severity and pain-related work interference mediate the impact of the following worker health and workplace factors on work absence duration: depression, back problems, age, unionization, workplace physical demands and low job control. The model accounted for 14 % of the variance in work absence duration and 46.6 % of the variance in pain-related work interference. Our findings support a key role for pain severity and pain-related work interference in mediating the effects of workplace factors and worker health factors on work absence duration. Future interventions should explore reducing pain-related work interference through addressing workplace issues, such as providing modified work, reducing physical demands, and increasing job control.

Absenteeism due to voice disorders in female teachers: a public health problem.

PubMed

de Medeiros, Adriane Mesquita; Assunção, Ada Ávila; Barreto, Sandhi Maria

2012-11-01

This study estimates the prevalence of absenteeism due to voice disorders among teachers and investigates individual and contextual factors associated with it. The study involved 1,980 teachers from 76 municipal schools. The response rate was 85%. The survey was carried out between May 2004 and July 2005 using a self-administered structured questionnaire containing sociodemographic, lifestyle, health, and work-related questions. The dependent variable was obtained from answers to the following question: In the last 2 weeks, have you missed work because of voice problems? Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the associated factors. Voice-related absenteeism in the prior 2 weeks was reported by 66 teachers (3.35%). During their entire careers, approximately one-third of teachers missed work at least once due to voice problems. In the final model, factors associated with recent absenteeism were as follows: witnessing violence by students or parents one or more times (OR = 2.10; 95% CI = 1.14-3.90), presence of depression or anxiety (OR = 2.03; 95% CI = 1.09-3.78), upper respiratory problems in the prior 2 weeks (OR = 2.85; 95% CI = 1.53-5.29), and absenteeism because of voice problems during the preceding 6 months (OR = 15.79; 95% CI = 8.18-30.45). The results encourage new approaches to the problems of absenteeism in the educational sector and contribute to addressing the weaknesses of economic and administrative approaches to the phenomenon.

Students’ conceptions and problem-solving ability on topic chemical thermodynamics

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Diawati, Chansyanah, E-mail: chansyanahd@yahoo.com

The enthalpy concept and its change were introduced to describe the forms of internal energy transfer in chemical reactions. Likewise, the concepts of exothermic and endothermic reactions introduced as a consequence of heat transfer form. In the heat measurement process at constant pressure, work is often ignored. The exothermic or endothermic reactions, usually only based on the increase or decrease of the reaction temperature, without associated with the internal energy. Depictions of enthalpy and its change assumed closely related to students’ problem-solving ability. Therefore, the study to describe pre-service chemistry teacher student’s conceptions and problem-solving ability on topic chemical thermodynamicsmore » has been done. This research was a case study of chemical education course in Provinsi Lampung. The subjects of this study were 42 students who attend the chemical thermodynamics course. Questions about exothermic and endothermic reactions, enthalpy and its change, as well as internal energy and its change were given in the form of an essay exam questions. Answers related to conception qualitatively categorized, while problem solving answers were scored and assessed. The results showed that, in general, students were having problems in enthalpy and describe the changes in the form of heat and work. The highest value of problem solving ability obtained 26.67 from the maximum value of 100. The lowest value was 0, and the average value was 14.73. These results show that the problem-solving ability of pre-service chemistry teacher students was low. The results provide insight to researchers, and educators to develop learning or lab work on this concept.« less

The workplace and alcohol problem prevention.

PubMed

Roman, Paul M; Blum, Terry C

2002-01-01

Workplace programs to prevent and reduce alcohol-related problems among employees have considerable potential. For example, because employees spend a lot of time at work, coworkers and supervisors may have the opportunity to notice a developing alcohol problem. In addition, employers can use their influence to motivate employees to get help for an alcohol problem. Many employers offer employee assistance programs (EAPs) as well as educational programs to reduce employees' alcohol problems. However, several risk factors for alcohol problems exist in the workplace domain. Further research is needed to develop strategies to reduce these risk factors.

Gender and educational level modify the relationship between workplace mistreatment and health problems: a comparison between South Korea and EU countries.

PubMed

Yoo, Minsang; Lee, Saerom; Kang, Mo-Yeol

2015-01-01

This study investigated effects of workers' cultural and personal characteristics on the relationship between workplace mistreatment and health problems in both South Korea and EU Countries. Data were obtained from nationally representative interview surveys: the third Korean Working Conditions Survey (KWCS) in 2011 (50,032 participants) and fifth European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS) in 2010 (41,302 participants). The Pressure-State-Response model was adapted to explore differences in the relationship between mistreatment and health problems according to country, and logistic regression analysis was used after stratification of moderating factors. Workplace mistreatment, such as discrimination, violence, harassment, and self-reported health problems, were assessed by gender and educational level. Among KWCS participants, there were 4,321 victims (14.70%) of workplace mistreatment; among EWCS participants, there were 5,927 victims (17.89%). There was a significant positive association between workplace mistreatment and self-reported health problems. A stronger association was found among workers with higher educational levels in Korea (2- to 4-fold higher odds for mental and physical health problems), but there was no significant difference by education level in workers of EU Countries. Female Koreans who worked alone had a higher risk of health problems related to workplace mistreatment than other gender compositions in the workplace (the OR for psychological symptoms reached 6.631). In contrast, the gender composition of the work place did not significantly affect EU workers. Workplace mistreatment is significantly associated with physical and mental health problems, especially among workers with higher educational levels and females who work alone in Korea.

Shift work--problems and its impact on female nurses in Udaipur, Rajasthan India.

PubMed

Rathore, H; Shukla, K; Singh, S; Tiwari, G

2012-01-01

Abstract : There is good evidence that shift work has negative effects on workers health, safety and performance. It is quite appropriate that attention is paid to this very important feature of socio-technical systems, which may adversely affect mental and physical health, social life and safety of shift workers. Research into the impact of shift work on professionals has consistently identified a range of negative outcomes in physical, psychological, and social domains (Akerstedt, 1988; Costa, Lievore, Casaletti, Gaffuri, & Folkard, 1989; Kogi, 2005; Paley & Tepas, 1994). Hospitals, the biggest employer in the health care field, employ more night shift workers than any other industry. It can therefore be inferred that in medical domain high percentage of workforce may be affected by problems related to shift work. Thus the present study will provide knowledge base for the problems faced by the female nurses. The present study was undertaken with an objective of getting an insight into the problems faced by female nurses in shift work. . It was found that the female nurses in India worked on roaster pattern of change in shift every seven days. They did not have a say in the change of duties, it could only be done on mutual grounds. Partners of younger group did not much adjust to their shift pattern this created stress among the nurses.The results showed that the female nurses in both the age groups i.e. 30-45 years and 45-60 years faced many problems related to health and well being, fatigue, social and domestic situations. They could not give much time to their children in particular. Travelling in nights was risky for them. Common problem was the insufficient sleep during night shifts. The nurses had to cater to the needs of the family, children in particular along with the adjustments to be made due to shift work. They had to sometimes do the night duties and attend social functions as a part of their duty. Children and husband in some cases did not cooperate this lead to frustration. When asked as to whether they would could shift job if they get regular one more than 50 % said yes this means that there need to be come training and intervention for the shift workers and their family so that the problems faced and their impact on personal health of the female nurses could be reduced.

The role of sleep disturbances in the longitudinal relationship between psychosocial working conditions, measured by work demands and support, and depression.

PubMed

Magnusson Hanson, Linda L; Chungkham, Holendro Singh; Åkerstedt, Torbjörn; Westerlund, Hugo

2014-12-01

Because work demands and lack of social support seem to be prospectively linked to sleep problems, and sleep problems are linked to depression, sleep problems may play a role in the relationship between these work characteristics and depressive symptoms. In order to shed more light on this relationship, the current study investigated whether disturbed sleep is a mediator in the longitudinal relationships between work demands, social support, and depression. Longitudinal cohort study with repeated survey measures on four occasions. Swedish workforce. 2,017 working participants from the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health in 2006, 2008, 2010, and 2012. Work demands (four items) and social support (six items) were assessed with the Demand Control Questionnaire, disturbed sleep (four items) with the Karolinska Sleep Questionnaire, and depressive symptoms with a brief subscale (six items) from the Symptom Checklist. Autoregressive longitudinal mediation models using structural equation modeling were tested. The work characteristics, and disturbed sleep, were found to be separately associated with depressive symptoms in subsequent waves. However, only demands were found to be longitudinally related to subsequent disturbed sleep. The longitudinal autoregressive models supported a weak mediating role of disturbed sleep in the relationship between demands and depressive symptoms (standardized beta 0.008, P < 0.001), but not between support and depressive symptoms. These results indicate that higher demands at work might cause an increase in depressive symptoms, in part, by increasing disturbed sleep, although the mediated effect was relatively small compared to the total effect. © 2014 Associated Professional Sleep Societies, LLC.

Intervention against excessive alcohol consumption in primary health care: a survey of GPs' attitudes and practices in England 10 years on.

PubMed

Wilson, Graeme B; Lock, Catherine A; Heather, Nick; Cassidy, Paul; Christie, Marilyn M; Kaner, Eileen F S

2011-01-01

To ascertain the views of general practitioners (GPs) regarding the prevention and management of alcohol-related problems in practice, together with perceived barriers and incentives for this work; to compare our findings with a comparable survey conducted 10 years earlier. In total, 282 (73%) of 419 GPs surveyed in East Midlands, UK, completed a postal questionnaire, measuring practices and attitudes, including the Shortened Alcohol and Alcohol Problems Perception Questionnaire (SAAPPQ). GPs reported lower levels of post-graduate education or training on alcohol-related issues (<4 h for the majority) than in 1999 but not significantly so (P = 0.031). In the last year, GPs had most commonly requested more than 12 blood tests and managed 1-6 patients for alcohol. Reports of these preventive practices were significantly increased from 1999 (P < 0.001). Most felt that problem or dependent drinkers' alcohol issues could be legitimately (88%, 87%) and adequately (78%, 69%) addressed by GPs. However, they had low levels of motivation (42%, 35%), task-related self-esteem (53%, 49%) and job satisfaction (15%, 12%) for this. Busyness (63%) and lack of training (57%) or contractual incentives (48%) were key barriers. Endorsement for government policies on alcohol was very low. Among GPs, there still appears to be a gap between actual practice and potential for preventive work relating to alcohol problems; they report little specific training and a lack of support. Translational work on understanding the evidence-base supporting screening and brief intervention could incentivize intervention against excessive drinking and embedding it into everyday primary care practice.

APTI Course 427, Combustion Evaluation. Student Workbook.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beard, J. Taylor; And Others

Presented are exercises intended to supplement course work in air pollution control, specifically as they relate to combustion. Chapters offered in this workbook include: (1) Combustion Calculations, (2) Combustion System Design Problems, (3) Emission Calculations I, (4) Emission Calculations II, (5) Afterburner Design Problems, and (6) Cumbustion…

Physiological and Psychological Aspects of Night and Shift Work.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wojtczak-Jaroszowa, Jadwiga

Results of physiological and psychological studies related to night and shift work are reviewed from the standpoint of their possible use by industry in understanding the problems of shift work and finding solutions. (New research data that has appeared since original preparation of the manuscript is presented in a three-part addendum with…

Struggling at work--a qualitative study of working Danes with depressive symptoms.

PubMed

Hjarsbech, Pernille U; Nielsen, Maj Britt D; Andersen, Malene Friis; Rugulies, Reiner; Christensen, Ulla

2015-01-01

Little is known on how employees at work with mental health problems experience their work environment. This study explores how a selected sample of Danish employees with depressive symptoms experience the interaction with their work environment and how they respond to and deal with problems at work. From a survey study on work and mental health in Denmark, we invited participants for in-depth interviews. Using grounded theory, we conducted 13 semi structured interviews with employees, at work, experiencing depressive symptoms. Work was pivotal for the informants who were in an on-going process that we conceptualised as struggling at work. Informants struggled with the negative experiences of work that led to emotional, cognitive and somatic symptoms. Relationships with supervisors and colleagues, work load and work pressure and their self-image as a good worker conditioned the struggle. The informants found themselves unable to change their problematic working situation. This gradually led to different strategies to endure work and take care of one-self. These strategies were as follows: tending to symptoms and altering prospects for their future. The consequence of the on-going struggle was that the informants distanced themselves from their work. This study provided insight to the process of struggling at work, which the interviewed employees with depressive symptoms experienced. Behaviour of supervisors is a key element for employees with depressive symptoms struggling at work. Practitioners and other health and rehabilitation practitioners working with people with depressive symptoms and other mental health problems could inquire about supervisor's behaviour and relation between supervisors and employees. Interventions that targets both the individual employee as well as work environment focused interventions at the organisational level could be beneficial for employees with mental health problems as well as the workplaces.

Projected power iteration for network alignment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Onaran, Efe; Villar, Soledad

2017-08-01

The network alignment problem asks for the best correspondence between two given graphs, so that the largest possible number of edges are matched. This problem appears in many scientific problems (like the study of protein-protein interactions) and it is very closely related to the quadratic assignment problem which has graph isomorphism, traveling salesman and minimum bisection problems as particular cases. The graph matching problem is NP-hard in general. However, under some restrictive models for the graphs, algorithms can approximate the alignment efficiently. In that spirit the recent work by Feizi and collaborators introduce EigenAlign, a fast spectral method with convergence guarantees for Erd-s-Renyí graphs. In this work we propose the algorithm Projected Power Alignment, which is a projected power iteration version of EigenAlign. We numerically show it improves the recovery rates of EigenAlign and we describe the theory that may be used to provide performance guarantees for Projected Power Alignment.

The relationship between shift work and mental health among electronics workers in South Korea: A cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Kang, Mo-Yeol; Kwon, Ho-Jang; Choi, Kyung-Hwa; Kang, Chung-Won; Kim, Hyunjoo

2017-01-01

To determine the relationship between shift work and mental health, particularly insomnia, depression, and suicidal ideation, among electronics production workers. A survey was conducted with 14,226 workers from an electronics manufacturer in South Korea. After excluding 112 individuals with incomplete responses, 14,114 respondents were analyzed. As part of a larger project, we collected data on respondents' general characteristics, work-related characteristics, and health status; however, in this study, we focused on the data related to shift work and mental health. Insomnia, depression, and suicidal ideation were set as dependent variables and working schedule as set as the independent variable. We performed multiple logistic regression analysis with daytime workers as the reference group. The model was adjusted for age, gender, body mass index, workplace, educational level, and marital status with or without children under 6 years of age. Relative to daytime workers, shift workers had 2.35, 1.23, and 1.17 greater odds of insomnia, depression, and suicidal ideation, respectively. Within the shift worker group, we found that the odds of depression and suicidal ideation increased dramatically when respondents had insomnia. The ORs for depression and suicidal ideation were 4.899 and 7.934, respectively. Our findings suggest that shift work is related to an increased risk of mental health problems in production workers, and the sleep disturbance related with shift work is a central mechanism for this relationship. Since these results suggest that proactive management of sleep problems might attenuate their detrimental effects on shift worker's mental health.

[Work-related diseases and health-related compensation claims, Northeastern Brazil, 2000].

PubMed

Souza, Norma Suely Souto; Santana, Vilma Sousa; Albuquerque-Oliveira, Paulo Rogério; Barbosa-Branco, Anadergh

2008-08-01

To estimate the contribution of work-related diseases to sick leaves due to general and occupational health problems. Sociodemographic, occupational and health data from 29,658 records of temporary disability benefits, granted on account of health problems by the Instituto Nacional do Seguro Social (National Institute of Social Security) in the state of Bahia (Northeastern Brazil), were analyzed. All constant ICD-10 clinical diagnoses were taken into consideration, except for those referring to external causes and factors that influence contact with health services. The link between diagnosis and occupation was based on the ICD-10 code and whether the type of compensation was due to a "work-related accident/disease" or not. From all the benefits, 3.1% were granted due to work-related diseases: 70% were musculoskeletal system and connective tissue diseases, while 14.5% were related to the nervous system. In general, benefits granted at more than two times the expected frequency were as follows: tenosynovitis in the manufacturing sector (Proportion Ratio-PR=2.70), carpal tunnel syndrome in the financial intermediation sector (PR=2.43), and lumbar disc degeneration in the transportation, postal service and telecommunications sectors (PR=2.17). However, no causal connection could be established for these diseases, in these activity sectors, in a significant percentage of benefits. Results suggest the existence of possible occupational risk factors for diseases in these fields of activity, as well as the underreporting of the link between diseases and work, thus disguising the responsibility of companies and the perspective of prevention through work reorganization.

Several cases of work-related allergic contact dermatitis caused by isocyanates at a company manufacturing heat exchangers.

PubMed

Engfeldt, Malin; Isaksson, Marléne; Zimerson, Erik; Bruze, Magnus

2013-03-01

A 43-year-old woman was referred by her occupational health service with suspected occupational contact dermatitis. In connection with the investigation, a workplace visit was undertaken at her company, which used an adhesive based on pre-polymeric diphenylmethane diisocyanate in one of its units. During the visit, we became aware of six other employees with skin problems who were then referred to our department for investigation. To investigate the seven employees complaining about skin problems. Seven employees were patch tested with a baseline series, an isocyanate series, and a series with work material. Five of seven patients had occupational contact allergy. Four reacted to isocyanate-related test preparations, and one to a cleanser used at the workplace. Workplace visits constitute an important part of an occupational investigation, as they might give a broader picture of the problems at a company. In this case, it was found that 5 of 100 employees currently had or had previously had occupation-related skin problems. Owing to 'healthy worker selection', some of these patients might have been missed if we had not performed a full-scale workplace visit. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Co-occurrence of substance use related and mental health problems in the Finnish social and health care system.

PubMed

Kuussaari, Kristiina; Hirschovits-Gerz, Tanja

2016-03-01

Many studies have noted that substance abuse and mental health problems often occur simultaneously. The aim of the work reported here was to study the co-occurrence of mental health problems and problems related to substance use in a sample of clients visiting the Finnish social and health care services for issues related to substance use. We collected background information on the clients and considered the parts of the treatment system in which these clients were treated. Survey data on intoxicant-related cases in the Finnish health care and social services were gathered on a single day in 2011. During the 24 hours of data collection, all intoxicant-related cases were reported and data were obtained for 11,738 intoxicant-related cases. In this analysis we took into account the clients' background variables, mental health variables, information on the treatment type and the main reasons for the client being in treatment. The χ(2) test, Fisher's exact test and binary logistic regression analysis were used. Half of the visiting clients had both substance use related and mental health problems. The strongest factors associated with the co-occurrence of substance use related and mental health problems were female sex, younger age and single marital status. Clients with co-occurring problems were more often treated in the health care services, whereas clients with only substance use related problems were primarily treated in specialized services for the treatment of substance abuse. It is important to identify clients with co-occurring substance use related and mental health problems. In this study, half of the clients presenting to the Finnish social and health care treatment system had both these problems. © 2015 the Nordic Societies of Public Health.

Psychosocial aspects of working with video display terminals (VDTs) and employee physical and mental health.

PubMed

Smith, M J

1997-10-01

Psychosocial aspects of using video display terminals (VDTs) have been recognized as contributors to employees' mental and physical health problems for more than 15 years. Yet, little has been done by employers to change work organization conditions to improve the psychosocial work environment of VDT users. Thus, psychosocial aspects of work are emerging as one of the biggest problems for VDT users in the late 1990s. This paper explores how psychosocial aspects of VDT work are related to job stress, and their consequences for mental and physical health. Using the research literature, it defines various aspects of work organization and job design that have been shown to be related to VDT users' ill-health. Some of the important work design aspects uncovered include a lack of employee skill use, monotonous tasks, high job demands and work pressure, a lack of control over the job, poor supervisory relations, fear of job loss, and unreliable technology. These are the same job stressors that have been defined as problematic for a variety of blue collar jobs in previous research. Work organization improvements for healthier VDT jobs are proposed. These include organizational support, employee participation, improved task content, increased job control, reasonable production standards, career development, enhanced peer socialization, and improved workstation ergonomics. These organizational improvements are derived from a more detailed organizational strategy for job stress reduction. A model of job redesign through proper 'balancing' of work organization features is discussed.

Anxiety Psychopathology and Alcohol Use among Adolescents: A Critical Review of the Empirical Literature and Recommendations for Future Research.

PubMed

Blumenthal, Heidemarie; Leen-Feldner, Ellen W; Badour, Christal L; Babson, Kimberly A

2011-01-01

Adolescent alcohol use is a critical public health concern; accordingly, a considerable body of work exists identifying developmentally salient risk and protective factors. One area receiving increasing attention among adults is the linkage between specific constellations of anxiety psychopathology and alcohol use problems. Relatively less is known about such linkages among adolescents, despite the onset of both anxiety-type problems and alcohol use during this developmental period. The current review presents a detailed summary and analysis of the empirical literature focused on specific forms of anxiety psychopathology as they relate to alcohol use among adolescents, and provides a number of specific recommendations for future work with an emphasis on the utility of experimental psychopathology techniques for clarifying basic questions and forwarding this body of work.

Musculoskeletal disorders among construction workers: a one-year follow-up study

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are an important cause of functional impairments and disability among construction workers. An improved understanding of MSDs in different construction occupations is likely to be of value for selecting preventive measures. This study aimed to survey the prevalence of symptoms of MSDs, the work-relatedness of the symptoms and the problems experienced during work among two construction occupations: bricklayers and supervisors. Methods We randomly selected 750 bricklayers and 750 supervisors resident in the Netherlands in December 2009. This sample was surveyed by means of a baseline questionnaire and a follow-up questionnaire one year later. The participants were asked about complaints of the musculoskeletal system during the last six months, the perceived work-relatedness of the symptoms, the problems that occurred during work and the occupational tasks that were perceived as causes or aggravating factors of the MSD. Results Baseline response rate was 37%, follow-up response was 80%. The prevalence of MSDs among 267 bricklayers and 232 supervisors was 67% and 57%, respectively. Complaints of the back, knee and shoulder/upper arm were the most prevalent among both occupations. Irrespective of the body region, most of the bricklayers and supervisors reported that their complaints were work-related. Complaints of the back and elbow were the most often reported among the bricklayers during work, whereas lower arm/wrist and upper leg complaints were the most often reported among the supervisors. In both occupations, a majority of the participants perceived several occupational physical tasks and activities as causes or aggravating factors for their MSD. Recurrent complaints at follow-up were reported by both bricklayers (47% of the complaints) and supervisors (31% of the complaints). Participants in both occupations report that mainly back and knee complaints result in additional problems during work, at the time of follow-up. Conclusions A substantial number of the bricklayers and the supervisors report musculoskeletal disorders, mainly back, knee and shoulder/upper arm complaints. The majority of the bricklayers and half of the supervisors believe that their complaints are work-related. Irrespective of occupation, participants with MSDs report substantial problems during work. Workplace intervention measures aimed at occupational physical tasks and activities seem justified for both occupations. PMID:23061990

Three computational mise-en-scènes of red- and blue-shifted hydrogen bonding motifs: Concept of negative intramolecular coupling-What else?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kryachko, Eugene S.

This work is a kind of attempt to rethink some problems which are related to the blue-shifted "hydrogen bonds" and which have been left in the past decade as not yet fully resolved. The impetus for such rethink is originated from the three computational mise-en-scènes on red- and blue-shifted hydrogen bonding motifs, which are aimed to be thoroughly studied in this work, thus resolving the above problems.

Children, Teachers, and Families Working Together to Prevent Childhood Obesity: Intervention Strategies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stegelin, Dolores A.

2008-01-01

Obesity rates for children, adolescents, and adults continue to escalate in the United States and globally. Educators, health specialists, psychologists, and sociologists are studying the complex problems related to early obesity. Like other health problems, prevention and early detection are the most effective strategies. The causes and…

Self-Paced Physics, Segments 11-14.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New York Inst. of Tech., Old Westbury.

Four segments of the Self-Paced Physics Course materials are presented in this problems and solutions book for use as the third part of student course work. The subject-matter topics are related to impulses, inelastic and elastic collisions, two-dimensional collision problems, universal constant of gravitation, gravitational acceleration and…

Linguistic Problems in the Work of the Translator.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Szymczak, M.

Noting that no clear and adequate basis for a theory of translation exists at this time, this article examines problems common to three fundamental elements of translation. Illustrative examples, taken from Slavic languages, relate to discussion of grammatical, semantic-lexical, and stylistic aspects of translation. Various contributions of…

Designing WebQuests to Support Creative Problem Solving

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rubin, Jim

2013-01-01

WebQuests have been a popular alternative for collaborative group work that utilizes internet resources, but studies have questioned how effective they are in challenging students to use higher order thinking processes that involve creative problem solving. This article explains how different levels of inquiry relate to categories of learning…

Social Skills, Problem Behaviors and Classroom Management in Inclusive Preschool Settings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karakaya, Esra G.; Tufan, Mumin

2018-01-01

This study aimed to determine preschool teachers' classroom management skills and investigate the relationships between teachers' classroom management skills and inclusion students' social skills and problem behaviors. Relational screening model was used as the research method. Study group consisted of 42 pre-school teachers working in Kocaeli…

ADD, LD and Extended Information Processing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stolzenberg, J. B.; Cherkes-Julkowski, M.

This study examines executive function and its relationship to attention dysfunction and working memory. It attempts to document the manifestations of executive function problems in school-related extended processing tasks, such as verbal problem-solving in math and reading of extended passages. Subjects (in grades 1-12) included 49 children with…

Health and well-being at work: The key role of supervisor support.

PubMed

Hämmig, Oliver

2017-12-01

This study aims to explore whether and in what way social support from different sources and domains makes an additional or different and independent contribution to various health and work-related outcomes. Cross-sectional data were used from an employee survey among the workforces of four service companies from different industries in Switzerland. The study sample covered 5,877 employees of working age. The lack of social support from a spouse, relatives, friends, direct supervisors, closest colleagues at work and other co-workers in case of problems at work and at home were assessed and studied individually and jointly as risk factors with respect to a total number of eight outcomes. Health-related outcomes covered poor self-rated health, musculoskeletal disorders, stress feelings and burnout symptoms. Work-related outcomes included feeling overwhelmed at work, difficulty with switching off after work, job dissatisfaction and intention to turnover. Social support from multiple sources in contrast to only individual sources in both life domains was found to be more frequent in women than in men and proved to be most protective and beneficial with regard to health and well-being at work. However, after mutual adjustment of all single sources of social support from both domains, a lack of supervisor support turned out to be the only or the strongest of the few remaining support measures and statistically significant risk factors for the studied outcomes throughout and by far. Being unable to count on the support of a direct supervisor in case of problems at work and even at home was shown to involve a substantially increased risk of poor health and work-related outcomes (aOR = up to 3.8). Multiple sources of social support, and particularly supervisor support, seem to be important resources of health and well-being at work and need to be considered as key factors in workplace health promotion.

Graphical Models for Recovering Probabilistic and Causal Queries from Missing Data

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-11-01

NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) 5d. PROJECT NUMBER 5e. TASK NUMBER 5f. WORK UNIT NUMBER 7. PERFORMING...we can apply our results to problems of attrition in which missingness is a severe obstacle to sound inferences. Related works are discussed in...due to the collider path between Y and Ry ). 8 Related Work Deletion based methods such as listwise deletion that are easy to understand as well as

Criticism by community people and poor workplace communication as risk factors for the mental health of local welfare workers after the Great East Japan Earthquake: A cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Ueda, Ikki; Sakuma, Atsushi; Takahashi, Yoko; Shoji, Wataru; Nagao, Ayami; Abe, Mikika; Suzuki, Yuriko; Matsuoka, Hiroo; Matsumoto, Kazunori

2017-01-01

After a large-scale natural disaster, demand for social welfare services increases, and the mental health of local social welfare workers becomes a matter of great concern because of their dual role as support providers and disaster survivors. We examined whether work-related social stressors, including criticism by community people and poor workplace communication, were associated with increased risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, or psychological distress 20-22 months after the Great East Japan Earthquake (GEJE; March 11, 2011) in local social welfare workers. Demographic characteristics, disaster-related risk factors (near-death experience, dead/missing family members, loss of housing), and work-related social risk factors (criticism, lack of communication) were obtained 20-22 months after the GEJE from 822 local workers. Questionnaires measured PTSD, depression, and psychological stress. Bivariate and multivariate regression analyses were applied. More local social welfare workers suffered from mental health problems than would be expected. Criticism by community people was significantly associated with probable PTSD and high psychological distress (adjusted odds ratio = 2.31 and 2.55, respectively). Furthermore, lack of workplace communication was associated with probable PTSD, depression, and high psychological distress (adjusted odds ratio = 3.97, 4.27, and 4.65, respectively). Almost 2 years after the disaster, local relief workers still suffered from mental health problems. Because post-disaster work-related social stressors constitute risk factors for these mental health problems, measures to improve working conditions and prevent and treat mental disorders should be a priority.

Coping with jealousy: the association between maladaptive aspects of jealousy and drinking problems is mediated by drinking to cope.

PubMed

Dibello, Angelo M; Neighbors, Clayton; Rodriguez, Lindsey M; Lindgren, Kristen

2014-01-01

Previous research has shown that both alcohol use and jealousy are related to negative relationship outcomes. Little work, however, has examined direct associations between alcohol use and jealousy. The current study was aimed to build upon existing research examining alcohol use and jealousy. More specifically, findings from current jealousy literature indicate that jealousy is a multifaceted construct with both maladaptive and adaptive aspects. The current study examined the association between maladaptive and adaptive feelings of jealousy and alcohol-related problems in the context of drinking to cope. Given the relationship between coping motives and alcohol-related problems, our primary interest was in predicting alcohol-related problems, but alcohol consumption was also investigated. Undergraduate students at a large Northwestern university (N=657) in the US participated in the study. They completed measures of jealousy, drinking to cope, alcohol use, and alcohol-related problems. Analyses examined associations between jealousy subscales, alcohol use, drinking to cope, and drinking problems. Results indicated that drinking to cope mediated the association between some, but not all, aspects of jealousy and problems with alcohol use. In particular, the more negative or maladaptive aspects of jealousy were related to drinking to cope and drinking problems, while the more adaptive aspects were not, suggesting a more complex view of jealousy than previously understood. © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Coping with Jealousy: The Association between Maladaptive Aspects of Jealousy and Drinking Problems are Mediated by Drinking to Cope

PubMed Central

DiBello, Angelo M.; Neighbors, Clayton; Rodriguez, Lindsey M.; Lindgren, Kristen

2013-01-01

Previous research has shown that both alcohol use and jealousy are related to negative relationship outcomes. Little work, however, has examined direct associations between alcohol use and jealousy. The current study aimed to build upon existing research examining alcohol use and jealousy. More specifically, findings from current jealousy literature indicate that jealousy is a multifaceted construct with both maladaptive and adaptive aspects. The current study examined the association between maladaptive and adaptive feelings of jealousy and alcohol-related problems in the context of drinking to cope. Given the relationship between coping motives and alcohol-related problems, our primary interest was in predicting alcohol-related problems, but alcohol consumption was also investigated. Undergraduate students at a large Northwestern university (N = 657) in the US participated in the study. They completed measures of jealousy, drinking to cope, alcohol use, and alcohol-related problems. Analyses examined associations between jealousy subscales, alcohol use, drinking to cope, and drinking problems. Results indicated that drinking to cope mediated the association between some, but not all, aspects of jealousy and problems with alcohol use. In particular, the more negative or maladaptive aspects of jealousy were related to drinking to cope and drinking problems, while the more adaptive aspects were not, suggesting a more complex view of jealousy than previously understood. PMID:24138965

Sleep-related problems and minor psychiatric disorders among Brazilian shift workers.

PubMed

Olinto, Maria Teresa Anselmo; Garcez, Anderson; Henn, Ruth Liane; Macagnan, Jamile Block Araldi; Paniz, Vera Maria Vieira; Pattussi, Marcos Pascoal

2017-11-01

The aim of this study was to explore the association between sleep-related problems with the occurrence of minor psychiatric disorders in shift workers of southern Brazil. A cross-sectional study with 1202 workers (785 females) aged 18-50 years was carried out. Minor psychiatric disorders were assessed using the Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20), and four sleep problems were collected and analyzed: sleep deprivation (≤ 5h), difficulty falling asleep, waking up during sleep, and sleep medication use. Results show that the overall prevalence of minor psychiatric disorders was 26.8%, but it was more prevalent among females than males (30.2% vs. 20.4%). Nightshift work was significantly associated with the occurrence of sleep-related problems. After adjusting for confounding factors, the number of sleep-related problems showed a positive linear trend with psychiatric disorders in both sexes. Having two or more sleep-related problems was associated with increased probability of psychiatric disorders approximately three-fold among males and two-fold among females, when compared with those without sleep problems. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that sleep-related problems have a strong and independent association with psychiatric disorders among shift workers. Furthermore, the prevalence of both conditions was higher among females than males; however, the strength of these associations was higher in males. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[A systematic review of working hours and mental health burden].

PubMed

Fujino, Yoshihisa; Horie, Seichi; Hoshuyama, Tsutomu; Tsutsui, Takao; Tanaka, Yayoi

2006-07-01

There is growing concern over the possible increase in mental health problems among Japanese workers. This trend is generally regarded as a reflection of Japan's prolonged economic depression and changes in working environment. In fact, claims for compensation for industrial accidents related to mental health diseases have been rapidly increasing in recent years. Working hours, personal-relationships, support from supervisors/co-workers, job demand, job control, and payment are known to affect workers mental health. In 2004, the Government announced a guideline to combat overwork and mental health problems at work places. This guideline articulates that long overtime working is a major indicator, and workers who work over 100 h overtime in a month should be encouraged to see an occupational physician. This guideline takes into account the practicalities of occupational health at work places and the empiric knowledge that long working hours might associate with workers mental health status. It may be reasonable to assume that long working hours affect workers health status both psychologically and physiologically, interacting with a variety of occupational factors, particularly job stress. However, the association between working hours and workers mental health status has not been fully clarified. The present article aimed to provide a systematic review of the association between working hours and mental health problems. The authors conducted a systematic review of the published literature on the association between working hours and mental health problems using PubMed. Of 131 abstracts and citations reviewed, 17 studies met the predefined criteria. Ten of these are longitudinal studies, and the others are cross-sectional studies. Seven of the 17 studies report statistically significant associations between working hours and mental health problems, while the others report no association. In addition, comparison among these studies is difficult because a variety of measurements of working hours were used. The present review found inconsistent results in the association between working hours and mental health burden.

Organizational, Cultural, and Psychological Determinants of Smart Infusion Pump Work Arounds: A Study of 3 U.S. Health Systems.

PubMed

Dunford, Benjamin B; Perrigino, Matthew; Tucker, Sharon J; Gaston, Cynthia L; Young, Jim; Vermace, Beverly J; Walroth, Todd A; Buening, Natalie R; Skillman, Katherine L; Berndt, Dawn

2017-09-01

We investigated nurse perceptions of smart infusion medication pumps to provide evidence-based insights on how to help reduce work around and improve compliance with patient safety policies. Specifically, we investigated the following 3 research questions: (1) What are nurses' current attitudes about smart infusion pumps? (2) What do nurses think are the causes of smart infusion pump work arounds? and (3) To whom do nurses turn for smart infusion pump training and troubleshooting? We surveyed a large number of nurses (N = 818) in 3 U.S.-based health care systems to address the research questions above. We assessed nurses' opinions about smart infusion pumps, organizational perceptions, and the reasons for work arounds using a voluntary and anonymous Web-based survey. Using qualitative research methods, we coded open-ended responses to questions about the reasons for work arounds to organize responses into useful categories. The nurses reported widespread satisfaction with smart infusion pumps. However, they reported numerous organizational, cultural, and psychological causes of smart pump work arounds. Of 1029 open-ended responses to the question "why do smart pump work arounds occur?" approximately 44% of the causes were technology related, 47% were organization related, and 9% were related to individual factors. Finally, an overwhelming majority of nurses reported seeking solutions to smart pump problems from coworkers and being trained primarily on the job. Hospitals may significantly improve adherence to smart pump safety features by addressing the nontechnical causes of work arounds and by providing more leadership and formalized training for resolving smart pump-related problems.

Internal construct validity of the stress-energy questionnaire in a working population, a cohort study.

PubMed

Hadzibajramovic, Emina; Ahlborg, Gunnar; Grimby-Ekman, Anna; Lundgren-Nilsson, Åsa

2015-02-25

Psychosocial stress at work has been recognised as one of the most important factors behind the increase in sick leave due to stress-related mental disorders. It is therefore important to be able to measure perceived work stress in a way that is both valid and reliable. It has been suggested that the Stress-Energy Questionnaire (SEQ) could be a useful tool for measuring mood (stress and energy) at work and it has been used in many Scandinavian studies. The aim of the study is to examine the internal construct validity of the SEQ in a working population and to address measurement issues, such as the ordering of response categories and potential differences in how women and men use the scale - what is termed differential item functioning (DIF). The data used in the present study is baseline data from a longitudinal cohort study aimed at evaluating psychosocial working conditions, stress, health and well-being among employees in two human service organisations in Western Sweden. A modern psychometric approach for scale validations, the Rasch model, was used. Stress items showed a satisfactory fit to the model. Problems related to unidimensionality and local dependence were found when the six stress items were fitted to the model, but these could be resolved by using two testlets. As regards the energy scale, although the final analysis showed an acceptable fit to the model some scale problems were identified. The item dull had disordered thresholds and DIF for gender was detected for the item passive. The items were not well targeted to the persons, with skewness towards high energy. This might explain the scale problems that were detected but these problems need to be investigated in a group where the level of energy is spread across the trait, measured by the SEQ. The stress scale of the SEQ has good psychometric properties and provides a useful tool for assessing work-related stress, on both group and individual levels. However, the limitations of the energy scale make it suitable for group evaluations only. The energy scale needs to be evaluated further in different settings and populations.

British pharmacists' work-life balance - is it a problem?

PubMed

Seston, Elizabeth; Hassell, Karen

2014-04-01

Using a validated tool, the study aimed to explore pharmacists' experiences of maintaining work/life balance in a large, nationally representative sample of pharmacists in Great Britain (GB). A two-page postal questionnaire was sent in 2008 to all GB-domiciled pharmacists who were registered with the regulatory body for pharmacy in GB (just over 44 000 pharmacists). Demographic information, work patterns and other employment data were collected and analysed using regression techniques to explore the link between these characteristics and a validated measure of work/life balance. The response rate to the census was 69.6% (n = 30 517). Eighty-three per cent (n = 25 243) of respondents were working as a pharmacist and were therefore eligible to complete the work/life balance statements. The results reported here relate to 12 364 individuals who had full data for the work/life balance scale and the demographic and work variables. Findings indicate that age, ethnicity, having caring responsibilities, sector of practice, hours of work and type of job are significant predictors of work/life balance problems. Pharmacy employers and government should recognise the changing demographic characteristics of the profession and consider what support might be available to the workforce to help alleviate work/life balance problems being experienced by certain groups of pharmacists. © 2013 Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

Characteristics of an external employee assistance programme in Japan.

PubMed

Muto, Takashi; Fujimori, Yuiko; Suzuki, Keiko

2004-12-01

Mental health care is now a major occupational health issue in Japan. Although realizing effective use of external employee assistance programmes (EAPs) has been identified as crucial for mental health care, few scientific papers describe or analyse the characteristics of EAPs in Japan. This study sought to clarify the characteristics of an external EAP in Japan. The characteristics of an external EAP were clarified in terms of programme description and utilization. A total of 10,260 counselling sessions from 1996 to 2000 were used for utilization analysis. The EAP studied had contracts with 133 organizations, half of which were health insurance societies. The EAP provided employees and family members with free, confidential counselling. Annual mean utilization rate per 1000 individuals increased from 1.3 in 1996 to 2.7 in 2000. Less than one-third of counselling sessions were for work-related mental health issues, and male users (30%) consulted significantly more often than female users (14%) for such problems. Among men, career development issues were most common, while job dissatisfaction was highest among women. Absenteeism, depression and fatigue were the most frequently observed problems in both sexes. EAP use in Japan is rising. The majority of its use is for non-work-related health issues. Male users were more likely to consult for work-related mental health problems.

Early identification in primary health care of people at risk for sick leave due to work-related stress - study protocol of a randomized controlled trial (RCT).

PubMed

Holmgren, Kristina; Sandheimer, Christine; Mårdby, Ann-Charlotte; Larsson, Maria E H; Bültmann, Ute; Hange, Dominique; Hensing, Gunnel

2016-11-25

Early identification of persons at risk of sickness absence due to work-related stress is a crucial problem for society in general, and primary health care in particular. Tho date, no established method to do this exists. This project's aim is to evaluate whether systematic early identification of work-related stress can prevent sickness absence. This paper presents the study design, procedure and outcome measurements, as well as allocation and baseline characteristics of the study population. The study is a two-armed randomized controlled trial with follow-up at 3, 6 and 12 months. Non-sick-listed employed women and men, aged 18 to 64 years, who had mental and physical health complaints and sought care at primary health care centers (PHCC) were eligible to participate. At baseline work-related stress was measured by the Work Stress Questionnaire (WSQ), combined with feedback at consultation, at PHCC. The preventive intervention included early identification of work-related stress by the WSQ, GP training in the use of WSQ, GP feedback at consultation and finding suitable preventive measures. A process evaluation was used to explore how to facilitate future implementation and structural use of the WSQ at the PHCC. The primary outcome to compare the preventive sick leave intervention by the general practitioner (GP) versus treatment as usual is sick leave data obtained from the Swedish Social Insurance Agency register. Early screening for sick leave due to work-related stress makes it possible not only to identify those at risk for sick leave, but also to put focus on the patient's specific work-related stress problems, which can be helpful in finding suitable preventive measures. This study investigates if use of the WSQ by GPs at PHCCs, combined with feedback at consultation, prevents future sickness absence. ClinicalTrials.gov. Identifier: NCT02480855 . Registered 20 May 2015.

Drinking Water and the Developing Brain.

PubMed

Silbergeld, Ellen K

2016-01-01

While the problem of unsafe tap water in Flint, Michigan fueled outrage and better awareness in regard to the hazards of lead in tap water, the problem has existed in city after city for years in the US and in other countries. Our author, a winner of the MacArthur Foundation "genius" grant for her work in identifying preventable causes of human disease related to environmental exposures, points out that problems extend well beyond lead. Many potentially harmful contaminants have yet to be evaluated, much less regulated. Her article examines a number of neurotoxins and related issues as they pertain to brain development .

Experiences of employees with arm, neck or shoulder complaints: a focus group study

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Many people suffer from complaints of the arm, neck or shoulder (CANS). CANS causes significant work problems, including absenteeism (sickness absence), presenteeism (decreased work productivity) and, ultimately, job loss. There is a need for intervention programs for people suffering from CANS. Management of symptoms and workload, and improving the workstyle, could be important factors in the strategy to deal with CANS. The objective of this study is to evaluate the experienced problems of employees with CANS, as a first step in an intervention mapping process aimed at adaptation of an existing self-management program to the characteristics of employees suffering from CANS. Methods A qualitative study comprising three focus group meetings with 15 employees suffering from CANS. Based on a question guide, participants were asked about experiences in relation to continuing work despite their complaints. Data were analysed using content analysis with an open-coding system. During selective coding, general themes and patterns were identified and relationships between the codes were examined. Results Participants suffering from CANS often have to deal with pain, disability, fatigue, misunderstanding and stress at work. Some needs of the participants were identified, i.e. disease-specific information, exercises, muscle relaxation, working with pain, influence of the work and/or social environment, and personal factors (including workstyle). Conclusions Employees suffering from CANS search for ways to deal with their complaints in daily life and at work. This study reveals several recurring problems and the results endorse the multi-factorial origin of CANS. Participants generally experience problems similar to those of employees with other types of complaints or chronic diseases, e.g. related to their illness, insufficient communication, working together with healthcare professionals, colleagues and management, and workplace adaptations. These topics will be addressed in the adaptation of an existing self-management program to the characteristics of employees suffering from CANS. PMID:24779360

Experiences of employees with arm, neck or shoulder complaints: a focus group study.

PubMed

Hutting, Nathan; Heerkens, Yvonne F; Engels, Josephine A; Staal, J Bart; Nijhuis-van der Sanden, Maria W G

2014-04-29

Many people suffer from complaints of the arm, neck or shoulder (CANS). CANS causes significant work problems, including absenteeism (sickness absence), presenteeism (decreased work productivity) and, ultimately, job loss. There is a need for intervention programs for people suffering from CANS. Management of symptoms and workload, and improving the workstyle, could be important factors in the strategy to deal with CANS. The objective of this study is to evaluate the experienced problems of employees with CANS, as a first step in an intervention mapping process aimed at adaptation of an existing self-management program to the characteristics of employees suffering from CANS. A qualitative study comprising three focus group meetings with 15 employees suffering from CANS. Based on a question guide, participants were asked about experiences in relation to continuing work despite their complaints. Data were analysed using content analysis with an open-coding system. During selective coding, general themes and patterns were identified and relationships between the codes were examined. Participants suffering from CANS often have to deal with pain, disability, fatigue, misunderstanding and stress at work. Some needs of the participants were identified, i.e. disease-specific information, exercises, muscle relaxation, working with pain, influence of the work and/or social environment, and personal factors (including workstyle). Employees suffering from CANS search for ways to deal with their complaints in daily life and at work. This study reveals several recurring problems and the results endorse the multi-factorial origin of CANS. Participants generally experience problems similar to those of employees with other types of complaints or chronic diseases, e.g. related to their illness, insufficient communication, working together with healthcare professionals, colleagues and management, and workplace adaptations. These topics will be addressed in the adaptation of an existing self-management program to the characteristics of employees suffering from CANS.

Participatory ergonomics among female cashiers from a department store.

PubMed

Cristancho, María Yanire León

2012-01-01

The objective of this paper was to control ergonomic risks among female cashiers working in a department store belonging to the retail market. This study was conducted between May and November 2010. Participatory ergonomics was applied through knowing and understanding how the company works, establishing the work team (Ergo group), training the team in ergonomics-related topics, and making decisions and interventions. The sample was composed of 71 participants--mostly female cashiers--, and all of them have a musculoskeletal compromise, declaring pain or discomfort mainly in the neck, lower back, right wrist and shoulders. Among others, following problems were found: postural overload, repetitive work, manual load handling, mental fatigue, environmental discomfort, variable work schedules, extended working days, and absence of breaks. In the intervention, the main implemented changes were the redesign of workstation, complete change of chairs and keyboards, and the implementation of a rotation system, as well breaks for compensatory exercises. After that, an evident improvement of found problems was observed, therefore it can be concluded that participatory ergonomics is an attractive methodology, appropriate and efficient for solving and controlling ergonomic risks and problems.

29 CFR 778.315 - Payment for all hours worked in overtime workweek is required.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... OVERTIME COMPENSATION Special Problems Effect of Failure to Count Or Pay for Certain Working Hours § 778... 29 Labor 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Payment for all hours worked in overtime workweek is required. 778.315 Section 778.315 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) WAGE AND HOUR DIVISION...

Work Participation among Young Adults with Spina Bifida in the Netherlands

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Mechelen, M. C.; Verhoef, M.; Van Asbeck, F. W. A.; Post, M. W. M.

2008-01-01

The aim of this study was to: (1) assess work participation among young adults with spina bifida, (2) identify problems perceived in finding employment, and (3) examine which determinants are related to work participation. This cross-sectional study was a follow-up study to the Adolescents with SPina bifida In the Netherlands (ASPINE) study. Data…

Childcare Subsidies and the Transition from Welfare to Work

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Danziger, Sandra K.; Ananat, Elizabeth Oltmans; Browning, Kimberly G.

2004-01-01

We address how childcare subsidies help in the welfare-to-work transition relative to other factors. We examine how the policy operates, whether childcare problems differ by subsidy receipt, and the effect of subsidy on work. Data are from a random sample panel study of welfare recipients after 1996. Findings show that subsidy receipt reduces…

Upwardly Mobile: Attitudes toward the Class Transition among First-Generation College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hinz, Serena E.

2016-01-01

First-generation, working-class college students are on the path to upward mobility and may have social and psychological problems related to cultural differences between the working class and the middle class. In her study, Hurst (2007, 2010) reports that students of working-class origin often choose loyalty to one class. However, I revise…

Inflammation and the pathophysiology of work-related musculoskeletal disorders.

PubMed

Barbe, Mary F; Barr, Ann E

2006-09-01

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) have accounted for a significant proportion of work injuries and workers' compensation claims in industrialized nations since the late 1980s. Despite epidemiological evidence for the role of repetition and force in the onset and progression of work-related MSDs, complete understanding of these important occupational health problems requires further elucidation of pathophysiological mechanisms of the tissue response, particularly in the early stage of these disorders. Results from several clinical and experimental studies indicate that tissue microtraumas occur as a consequence of performing repetitive and/or forceful tasks, and that this mechanical tissue injury leads to local and perhaps even systemic inflammation, followed by fibrotic and structural tissue changes. Here we review work linking inflammation and the development of work-related MSDs. We also propose a conceptual framework suggesting the potential roles that inflammation may play in these disorders, and how inflammation may contribute to pain, motor dysfunction, and to puzzling psychological symptoms that are often characteristic of patients with work-related MSDs.

The relative impact of workplace bullying as a social stressor at work.

PubMed

Hauge, Lars Johan; Skogstad, Anders; Einarsen, Ståle

2010-10-01

Exposure to workplace bullying has been argued to be a severe social stressor and a more crippling and devastating problem for affected individuals than the effects of all other work-related stressors put together. However, few studies have explicitly investigated this assumption. In a representative sample of the Norwegian working population, the present study investigated the relative contribution of workplace bullying as a predictor of individual and organizational related outcomes after controlling for the well-documented job stressors of job demands, decision authority, role ambiguity and role conflict. Bullying was found to be a significant predictor of all the outcomes included, showing a substantial relative contribution in relation to anxiety and depression, while for job satisfaction, turnover intention and absenteeism, more modest relative contributions were identified. Workplace bullying is indeed a potent social stressor with consequences similar to, or even more severe than, the effects of other stressors frequently encountered within organizations. Thus, the finding that bullying has a considerable effect on exposed individuals also when controlling for the effects of other job stressors demonstrates bullying as a serious problem at workplaces that needs to be actively prevented and managed in its own right. © 2010 The Authors. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology © 2010 The Scandinavian Psychological Associations.

Parent-Adolescent Relationship Qualities, Internal Working Models, and Styles as Predictors of Adolescents’ Observed Interactions with Friends

PubMed Central

Shomaker, Lauren B.; Furman, Wyndol

2010-01-01

This study examined how current parent-adolescent relationship qualities and adolescents’ representations of relationships with parents were related to friendship interactions in 200 adolescent-close friend dyads. Adolescents and friends were observed discussing problems during a series of structured tasks. Negative interactions with mothers were significantly related to adolescents’ greater conflict with friends, poorer focus on tasks, and poorer communication skills. Security of working models (as assessed by interview) was significantly associated with qualities of friendship interactions, whereas security of attachment styles (as assessed by questionnaire) was not. More dismissing (vs. secure) working models were associated with poorer focus on problem discussions and weaker communication skills with friends, even after accounting for gender differences and current parent-adolescent relationship qualities. We discuss possible mechanisms for the observed links between dimensions of parent-adolescent relationships and friendships. We also consider methodological and conceptual differences between working model and style measures of attachment representations. PMID:20174459

Enhancing memory and imagination improves problem solving among individuals with depression.

PubMed

McFarland, Craig P; Primosch, Mark; Maxson, Chelsey M; Stewart, Brandon T

2017-08-01

Recent work has revealed links between memory, imagination, and problem solving, and suggests that increasing access to detailed memories can lead to improved imagination and problem-solving performance. Depression is often associated with overgeneral memory and imagination, along with problem-solving deficits. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that an interview designed to elicit detailed recollections would enhance imagination and problem solving among both depressed and nondepressed participants. In a within-subjects design, participants completed a control interview or an episodic specificity induction prior to completing memory, imagination, and problem-solving tasks. Results revealed that compared to the control interview, the episodic specificity induction fostered increased detail generation in memory and imagination and more relevant steps on the problem-solving task among depressed and nondepressed participants. This study builds on previous work by demonstrating that a brief interview can enhance problem solving among individuals with depression and supports the notion that episodic memory plays a key role in problem solving. It should be noted, however, that the results of the interview are relatively short-lived.

Primary problems associated with the health and welfare of employees observed when implementing lean manufacturing projects.

PubMed

Rampasso, Izabela Simon; Anholon, Rosley; Gonçalves Quelhas, Osvaldo Luiz; Filho, Walter Leal

2017-01-01

Lean philosophy is used by companies to increase productivity and reduce costs. Although uncontested benefits are created, it is necessary to highlight the problems related to employees' health and welfare caused by implementing lean manufacturing projects. The primary objective of this paper is to review the literature and identify the most relevant problems created by lean philosophy for employees. Research about the theme was performed on many international databases over three months, and an initial sample of 77 papers was found. Twenty-seven sources were utilized. We identified 22 categories of problems related to health and welfare of employees. The most cited problem was work intensification, mentioned by thirteen papers. Increased stress and increased responsibilities, demands and, consequently, pressure on the workers are among the primary problems observed in the research.

Effectiveness of a web-based self-help intervention for symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress: randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

van Straten, Annemieke; Cuijpers, Pim; Smits, Niels

2008-03-25

Self-help therapies are often effective in reducing mental health problems. We developed a new Web-based self-help intervention based on problem-solving therapy, which may be used for people with different types of comorbid problems: depression, anxiety, and work-related stress. The aim was to study whether a Web-based self-help intervention is effective in reducing depression, anxiety, and work-related stress (burnout). A total of 213 participants were recruited through mass media and randomized to the intervention (n = 107) or a waiting list control group (n = 106). The Web-based course took 4 weeks. Every week an automated email was sent to the participants to explain the contents and exercises for the coming week. In addition, participants were supported by trained psychology students who offered feedback by email on the completed exercises. The core element of the intervention is a procedure in which the participants learn to approach solvable problems in a structured way. At pre-test and post-test, we measured the following primary outcomes: depression (CES-D and MDI), anxiety (SCL-A and HADS), and work-related stress (MBI). Quality of life (EQ-5D) was measured as a secondary outcome. Intention-to-treat analyses were performed. Of the 213 participants, 177 (83.1%) completed the baseline and follow-up questionnaires; missing data were statistically imputed. Of all 107 participants in the intervention group, 9% (n = 10) dropped out before the course started and 55% (n = 59) completed the whole course. Among all participants, the intervention was effective in reducing symptoms of depression (CES-D: Cohen's d = 0.50, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.22-0.79; MDI: d = 0.33, 95% CI 0.03-0.63) and anxiety (SCL-A: d = 0.42, 95% CI 0.14-0.70; HADS: d = 0.33, 95% CI 0.04-0.61) as well as in enhancing quality of life (d = 0.31, 95% CI 0.03-0.60). Moreover, a higher percentage of patients in the intervention group experienced a significant improvement in symptoms (CES-D: odds ratio [OR] = 3.5, 95% CI 1.9-6.7; MDI: OR = 3.7, 95% CI 1.4-10.0; SCL-A: OR = 2.1, 95% CI 1.0-4.6; HADS: OR = 3.1, 95% CI 1.6-6.0). Patients in the intervention group also recovered more often (MDI: OR = 2.2; SCL-A: OR = 2.0; HADS < 8), although these results were not statistically significant. The course was less effective for work-related stress, but participants in the intervention group recovered more often from burnout than those in the control group (OR = 4.0, 95% CI 1.2-13.5). We demonstrated statistically and clinically significant effects on symptoms of depression and anxiety. These effects were even more pronounced among participants with more severe baseline problems and for participants who fully completed the course. The effects on work-related stress and quality of life were less clear. To our knowledge, this is the first trial of a Web-based, problem-solving intervention for people with different types of (comorbid) emotional problems. The results are promising, especially for symptoms of depression and anxiety. Further research is needed to enhance the effectiveness for work-related stress. International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number (ISRCTN) 14881571.

29 CFR 1960.71 - Agency annual reports.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... individual agency progress and problems in correcting unsafe or unhealthful working conditions, and... Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR (CONTINUED) BASIC PROGRAM ELEMENTS FOR FEDERAL EMPLOYEE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH PROGRAMS AND RELATED...

29 CFR 1960.78 - Purpose and scope.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... agency progress and problems in correcting unsafe and unhealthful working conditions, and recommendations... Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR (CONTINUED) BASIC PROGRAM ELEMENTS FOR FEDERAL EMPLOYEE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH PROGRAMS AND RELATED...

Safety in the Automated Office.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Graves, Pat R.; Greathouse, Lillian R.

1990-01-01

Office automation has introduced new hazards to the workplace: electrical hazards related to computer wiring, musculoskeletal problems resulting from use of computer terminals and design of work stations, and environmental concerns related to ventilation, noise levels, and office machine chemicals. (SK)

Working memory deficits in high-functioning adolescents with autism spectrum disorders: neuropsychological and neuroimaging correlates.

PubMed

Barendse, Evelien M; Hendriks, Marc Ph; Jansen, Jacobus Fa; Backes, Walter H; Hofman, Paul Am; Thoonen, Geert; Kessels, Roy Pc; Aldenkamp, Albert P

2013-06-04

Working memory is a temporary storage system under attentional control. It is believed to play a central role in online processing of complex cognitive information and may also play a role in social cognition and interpersonal interactions. Adolescents with a disorder on the autism spectrum display problems in precisely these domains. Social impairments, communication difficulties, and repetitive interests and activities are core domains of autism spectrum disorders (ASD), and executive function problems are often seen throughout the spectrum. As the main cognitive theories of ASD, including the theory of mind deficit hypotheses, weak central coherence account, and the executive dysfunction theory, still fail to explain the broad spectrum of symptoms, a new perspective on the etiology of ASD is needed. Deficits in working memory are central to many theories of psychopathology, and are generally linked to frontal-lobe dysfunction. This article will review neuropsychological and (functional) brain imaging studies on working memory in adolescents with ASD. Although still disputed, it is concluded that within the working memory system specific problems of spatial working memory are often seen in adolescents with ASD. These problems increase when information is more complex and greater demands on working memory are made. Neuroimaging studies indicate a more global working memory processing or connectivity deficiency, rather than a focused deficit in the prefrontal cortex. More research is needed to relate these working memory difficulties and neuroimaging results in ASD to the behavioral difficulties as seen in individuals with a disorder on the autism spectrum.

Problems in particle theory. Technical report - 1993--1994

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Adler, S.L.; Wilczek, F.

This report is a progress report on the work of two principal investigators in the broad area of particle physics theory, covering their personal work, that of their coworkers, and their proposed work for the future. One author has worked in the past on various topics in field theory and particle physics, among them current algebras, the physics of neutrino induced reactions, quantum electrodynamics (including strong magnetic field processes), the theory of the axial-vector current anomaly, topics in quantum gravity, and nonlinear models for quark confinement. While much of his work has been analytical, all of the projects listed abovemore » (except for the work on gravity) had phases which required considerable computer work as well. Over the next several years, he proposes to continue or initiate research on the following problems: (1) Acceleration algorithms for the Monte Carlo analysis of lattice field and gauge theories, and more generally, new research in computational neuroscience and pattern recognition. (2) Construction of quaternionic generalizations of complex quantum mechanics and field theory, and their application to composite models of quarks and leptons, and to the problem of unifying quantum theories of matter with general relativity. One author has worked on problems in exotic quantum statistics and its applications to condensed matter systems. His work has also continued on the quantum theory of black holes. This has evolved toward understanding properties of quantum field theory and string theory in incomplete regions of flat space.« less

Computer Use and Vision-Related Problems Among University Students In Ajman, United Arab Emirate

PubMed Central

Shantakumari, N; Eldeeb, R; Sreedharan, J; Gopal, K

2014-01-01

Background: The extensive use of computers as medium of teaching and learning in universities necessitates introspection into the extent of computer related health disorders among student population. Aim: This study was undertaken to assess the pattern of computer usage and related visual problems, among University students in Ajman, United Arab Emirates. Materials and Methods: A total of 500 Students studying in Gulf Medical University, Ajman and Ajman University of Science and Technology were recruited into this study. Demographic characteristics, pattern of usage of computers and associated visual symptoms were recorded in a validated self-administered questionnaire. Chi-square test was used to determine the significance of the observed differences between the variables. The level of statistical significance was at P < 0.05. The crude odds ratio (OR) was determined using simple binary logistic regression and adjusted OR was calculated using the multiple logistic regression. Results: The mean age of participants was 20.4 (3.2) years. The analysis of racial data reveals that 50% (236/471) students were from Middle East, 32% (151/471) from other parts of Asia, 11% (52/471) from Africa, 4% (19/471) from America and 3% (14/471) from Europe. The most common visual problems reported among computer users were headache - 53.3% (251/471), burning sensation in the eyes - 54.8% (258/471) and tired eyes - 48% (226/471). Female students were found to be at a higher risk. Nearly 72% of students reported frequent interruption of computer work. Headache caused interruption of work in 43.85% (110/168) of the students while tired eyes caused interruption of work in 43.5% (98/168) of the students. When the screen was viewed at distance more than 50 cm, the prevalence of headaches decreased by 38% (50-100 cm – OR: 0.62, 95% of the confidence interval [CI]: 0.42-0.92). Prevalence of tired eyes increased by 89% when screen filters were not used (OR: 1.894, 95% CI: 1.065-3.368). Conclusion: High prevalence of vision related problems was noted among university students. Sustained periods of close screen work without screen filters were found to be associated with occurrence of the symptoms and increased interruptions of work of the students. There is a need to increase the ergonomic awareness among students and corrective measures need to be implemented to reduce the impact of computer related vision problems. PMID:24761249

Work demands are related to mental health problems for older engine room officers.

PubMed

Rydstedt, Leif W; Lundh, Monica

2012-01-01

The aim of the present study was to analyse the main and interaction effects of age and psychosocial work demands on mental wellbeing in a sample (N = 685; age M = 47 years) of engine room officers in the Swedish merchant fleet. As expected, work demands were highly related to general mental health as well as to perceived stress, while the main effect of age only related significantly to perceived stress. The interaction effects between high work demands and high age significantly explained the variance of general mental health as well as perceived stress. The results can be understood as a consequence of the rapid technological and organisational development in the shipping industry and suggest that it ought be of high priority to provide older employees with work-related resources to support their long-term work performance as well as their health and wellbeing.

Occupational exposures associated with work-related asthma and work-related wheezing among U.S. workers.

PubMed

Arif, Ahmed A; Delclos, George L; Whitehead, Lawrence W; Tortolero, Susan R; Lee, Eun S

2003-10-01

National estimates of occupational asthma (OA) in the United States are sparse. Using data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) 1988-1994, we analyzed associations between occupation and work-related asthma and work-related wheezing among U.S. workers. This study identified several occupations that were at risk of developing work-related asthma and/or wheezing, with cleaners and equipment cleaners showing the highest risks. Other major occupations identified were farm and agriculture; entertainment; protective services; construction; mechanics and repairers; textile; fabricators and assemblers; other transportation and material moving occupations; freight, stock, and material movers; and motor vehicle operators. The population attributable risks for work-related asthma and work-related wheezing were 26% and 27%, respectively. This study adds evidence to the literature that identifies work-related asthma as an important public health problem. Several occupations are targeted for additional evaluation and study. Of particular interest are cleaners, which are being increasingly reported as a risk group for asthma. Future intervention strategies need to be developed for effective control and prevention of asthma in the workplace. Copyright 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Karoshi Related to Labor Intensity and Risk of Cardiovascular Events: A Case Report.

PubMed

Liu, Ning-guo; Wang, Tao; Huang, Pingf; Qing, Zhi-qiang; Zhang, Jian-hua; Chen, Yi-jiu

2015-10-01

Karoshi remains one of the most troublesome issues in forensic identification. It is rather a social medicine than a clinical disease. Japanese scholars pioneered examining the relation between sud- den cardiac death (SCD) and chronic fatigue from long time and/or high-tension work. In the current case, a 55-year-old man, whose job was loading and carrying heavy cement bags, was found dead after 11 days of continuous hard work. His family members sued the cement factory for his death and claimed for compensation. The problem was the difficulty of identifying the causative relation without the precedent or the relevant regulations. However, the forensic problems were finally acknowledged after autopsy and calculation of labor intensity. The lawsuit was won as the first case pertaining to Karoshi in the Chinese court.

Psychiatric morbidities among mentally ill wives of Nepalese men working abroad.

PubMed

Shakya, Dhana Ratna

2014-01-01

Husband working abroad may have not only favorable outcomes for wives and other family members but also adverse consequences, including psychological problems. Present study intended to look into psychiatric morbidity profiles of the Nepalese female psychiatric patients and the stressors related with their husband working abroad. This is a hospital-based descriptive study with convenient sampling method. Hundred consecutive female psychiatric patients, with the particular stressor, coming into the contact of the investigating team were enrolled within the study period of 12 months. The psychiatric morbidities/diagnoses were sorted out according to the International classification of disease and infirmity, 10(th) edition (ICD-10) criteria. Average age of the enrolled cases was 29 years. Nearly half of the women were illiterate or barely literate. Some other stressors, besides the one of husband working abroad were found to precipitate the illness in about 60%, main being relational and health problems. Common presenting complaints were mood, anxiety, and physical symptoms. Almost 30% of the subjects had some mental illness in their past too and similar proportion had in their blood relatives. About one-third admitted to use substances, mainly alcohol and cigarettes. The common psychiatric diagnoses were mood, anxiety, neurotic, and stress-related disorders. Nearly 10% had presented for suicide attempt. The status of husband working abroad may have adverse consequences in mental health of women. Mood affect, anxiety, and stress-related disorders are common psychiatric illness among them.

Alcohol-induced blackouts as predictors of other drinking related harms among emerging young adults

PubMed Central

Hingson, Ralph; Zha, Wenxing; Simons-Morton, Bruce; White, Aaron

2016-01-01

Background Alcohol-related blackouts are periods of amnesia that reflect the failure of the brain to record memories of what transpires while drinking. This paper examined the incidence, predictors, and behavioral correlates of blackouts among emerging adults and examined whether questions about blackouts could serve as better markers of risk for other alcohol related harms than questions about levels of consumption. Methods In 2012-2013, 1,463 (68%) of 2,140 respondents one-year past high school reported having consumed alcohol. They were asked whether, in the past six months because of drinking, they forgot where they were or what they did. The survey also explored demographics, substance use behaviors, and other alcohol-related problems in the past six months. Chi square and logistic regression analyses explored bivariate and multivariate predictors of blackouts and other alcohol-related problems. Results Twenty percent of respondents who ever drank alcohol reported a blackout in the past six months. Blackouts were more prevalent among females and those who, in the past 30 days, used multiple drugs, more frequently binged, were drunk, smoked, had lower body weight, and lived in college dorms. After controlling for drinking levels, having a blackout was the strongest independent predictor of most other alcohol problems examined, including in the past six months because of drinking, missing class or work, getting behind in work or school, doing something respondents later regretted, arguing with friends, experiencing an overdose, and total number of alcohol problems reported. It was also an independent predictor of hangovers, damaging property, getting hurt, and trouble with police. Conclusion Because blackouts indicate drinking at levels that result in significant cognitive and behavioral impairment, questions about blackouts could serve as important, simple screeners for the risk of experiencing other alcohol related harms. Additional work on this subject is warranted. PMID:27012148

Update on the status of rehabilitative countermeasures to ameliorate the effects of long-duration exposure to microgravity on vestibular and sensorimotor function.

PubMed

Cohen, Helen S

2003-01-01

This paper is an overview of current research on development of rehabilitative countermeasures to ameliorate the effects of long-term exposure to microgravity on sensorimotor function during space flight. After many years of work we do not yet have operational countermeasures, probably for several reasons: 1) changes in the use of vestibular input are manifested in many ways, 2) due to multiple mechanisms for funding research, investigators doing related research may not coordinate their work, and 3) relatively few scientists work on this problem. The number of investigators and physicians who routinely deal with the functional problems of astronauts and the limitations of working in the space environment is tiny; the number of investigators who are therapists, and who therefore have experience and expertise in developing rehabilitation programs, is miniscule. That's the bad news. The good news is that as a group, we are little but mighty. Therefore, the entire group of investigators can plan to take a more coordinated, collaborative approach than investigators in larger fields. Also, serendipitously, individual research groups have begun approaching different rehabilitative aspects of this problem. If we make a greater effort toward a coordinated, multidimensional approach, guided by rehabilitation concepts, we will be able to provide operational sensorimotor countermeasures when they are needed.

Factors Influencing Health Service Utilization Among Asian Immigrant Nail Salon Workers in the Greater New York City Area.

PubMed

Seo, Jin Young; Chao, Ying-Yu; Yeung, Ka Man; Strauss, Shiela M

2018-06-23

Most nail salon workers in the greater New York City area are Asian immigrant women. They are exposed daily to potentially toxic chemicals and hazards in their workplace, making them more vulnerable for possible health problems. The study's primary purpose was to identify factors influencing past year healthcare utilization among Asian immigrant women working in nail salons. A cross-sectional study was conducted based on a modification of Andersen's behavioral model of healthcare utilization in which 148 Korean and Chinese immigrant women currently working in nail salons were surveyed. The questionnaire included: (1) individual health determinants, (2) health service utilization in the past year, and (3) work environment, work-related health concerns, and work-related health problems. Descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression models assessed factors related to past year healthcare utilization. Women who had health insurance (p < .01), a usual source of care (p < .01), low educational attainment (p < .05), and more work-related health symptoms (p < .05) were more likely to visit a primary care provider. Women who had health insurance (p < .01), a usual source of care (p < .05), and low educational attainment (p < .05), were also more likely to visit a woman's health provider. Korean (rather than Chinese) women (p < .05) and women who perceived themselves to be in fair/poor health (p < .05) were more likely to see a traditional provider of Eastern medicine. Asian immigrant women who work in nail salons have workplace health and safety concerns. They generally use Western rather than traditional medicine, with different factors related to these two types of medicine.

Schema building profiles among elementary school students in solving problems related to operations of addition to fractions on the basis of mathematic abilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gembong, S.; Suwarsono, S. T.; Prabowo

2018-03-01

Schema in the current study refers to a set of action, process, object and other schemas already possessed to build an individual’s ways of thinking to solve a given problem. The current study aims to investigate the schemas built among elementary school students in solving problems related to operations of addition to fractions. The analyses of the schema building were done qualitatively on the basis of the analytical framework of the APOS theory (Action, Process, Object, and Schema). Findings show that the schemas built on students of high and middle ability indicate the following. In the action stage, students were able to add two fractions by way of drawing a picture or procedural way. In the Stage of process, they could add two and three fractions. In the stage of object, they could explain the steps of adding two fractions and change a fraction into addition of fractions. In the last stage, schema, they could add fractions by relating them to another schema they have possessed i.e. the least common multiple. Those of high and middle mathematic abilities showed that their schema building in solving problems related to operations odd addition to fractions worked in line with the framework of the APOS theory. Those of low mathematic ability, however, showed that their schema on each stage did not work properly.

Global absenteeism and presenteeism in mental health patients referred through primary care.

PubMed

Bailey, S Kathleen; Haggarty, John; Kelly, Sara

2015-01-01

Disability from mental health (MH) symptoms impairs workers' functioning. Most of what is known about the MH of workers relates to their experiences after intervention or work absence. To profile the clinical symptoms, self-reported absenteeism and presenteeism and treatment response of workers with MH symptoms at the point of accessing MH care and compare the characteristics of patients referred with or without problems related to work. Analysis of 11 years of patient data collected in a Shared Mental Health Care (SMHC) clinic referred within a primary care setting in Ontario, Canada. Multiple regression with MH disorders was used to predict absenteeism and presenteeism. Absenteeism and presenteeism were assessed using the 12-item self-administered version of the WHO-DAS 2. Symptom profiles were assessed with the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ). Some psychiatric disorders (depression, somatization, anxiety) contributed more to predicting absenteeism and presenteeism than others. Patients referred with work-related problems differed from the general SMHC population in terms of sex and type and number of symptoms. Treatment response was good in both groups after a mean of three treatment visits. Patients with work-related mental health complaints formed a distinct clinical group that benefitted equally from the intervention(s) provided by SMHC.

Counselling in Areas of Armed Conflict: The Case Jaffna, Sri Lanka.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van der Veer, Guus; Somasundaram, Daya; Damian S.

2003-01-01

Counseling is discussed in relation to traditional resources of the Tamil community for dealing with psychosocial and mental health problems. Describes some problems of clients affected by the armed conflict, approaches of local counselors and mental health professionals, and training offered to future Sri Lankan counselors who want to work with…

Instance-Based Ontology Matching for Open and Distance Learning Materials

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cerón-Figueroa, Sergio; López-Yáñez, Itzamá; Villuendas-Rey, Yenny; Camacho-Nieto, Oscar; Aldape-Pérez, Mario; Yáñez-Márquez, Cornelio

2017-01-01

The present work describes an original associative model of pattern classification and its application to align different ontologies containing Learning Objects (LOs), which are in turn related to Open and Distance Learning (ODL) educative content. The problem of aligning ontologies is known as Ontology Matching Problem (OMP), whose solution is…

Geologic Problem Solving in the Field: Analysis of Field Navigation and Mapping by Advanced Undergraduates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Riggs, Eric M.; Lieder, Christopher C.; Ballliet, Russell

2009-01-01

Field instruction is a critical piece of undergraduate geoscience majors' education, and fieldwork remains a major part of the work of professional geologists. Despite the central importance of field education, there exists relatively little educational research exploring how students learn to solve problems in geological fieldwork. This study…

Working with Perfectionist Students. ERIC Digest.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brophy, Jere

Perfectionist students are not satisfied with merely doing well or even with doing better than their peers. They are satisfied only if they have done a job perfectly. Problems associated with forms of perfectionism that focus on seeking success are relatively minor, but problems associated with forms of perfectionism that focus on avoiding failure…

The Third Wave. . . America's New Conservation, Conservation Yearbook No. 3.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Department of the Interior, Washington, DC.

Concerned first with the definition of conservation and its problems, and then with specific actions by the Department of the Interior in response to these problems, this 1966 yearbook provides highlights of work done by the 26 bureaus, offices, and/or administrations within the Department. Coverage is broad, relating to many aspects of…

Vocational Training of Young Migrants in the United Kingdom.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cross, Malcolm

This study looked at the overall situation of the immigrant population, and young immigrants in particular, and analyzed such problem areas as the transition from school to working life and the inadequacies of initial training with relation to the situation in the United Kingdom. The study identified the following problem areas: (1) problems…

The Importance of Language Games in School Public Relations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fusarelli, Lance; Sanders, Marla

2005-01-01

This article examines the language games played by superintendents as they work with school boards and community activists to craft school policy. We begin by examining the role of language in problem definition and the agenda-setting process. We then examine how political culture and the media affect problem definition. We argue that school…

An Underdeveloped Role for Occupational Social Work: Facilitating the Employment of People with Disabilities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mudrick, Nancy R.

1991-01-01

Notes that, although occupational social workers routinely assist employees with alcohol- or drug-related problems, workers with disabling problems such as back pain, paralysis, and cancer have not received much attention. Presents analysis of issues confronting workers with disabilities and their employers and provides information about…

Planning and managing future space facility projects. [management by objectives and group dynamics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sieber, J. E.; Wilhelm, J. A.; Tanner, T. A.; Helmreich, R. L.; Burgenbauch, S. F.

1979-01-01

To learn how ground-based personnel of a space project plan and organize their work and how such planning and organizing relate to work outcomes, longitudinal study of the management and execution of the Space Lab Mission Development Test 3 (SMD 3) was performed at NASA Ames Research Center. A view of the problems likely to arise in organizations and some methods of coping with these problems are presented as well as the conclusions and recommendations that pertain strictly to SMD 3 management. Emphasis is placed on the broader context of future space facility projects and additional problems that may be anticipated. A model of management that may be used to facilitate problem solving and communication - management by objectives (MBO) is presented. Some problems of communication and emotion management that MBO does not address directly are considered. Models for promoting mature, constructive and satisfying emotional relationships among group members are discussed.

[The function, activity and participation: the occupational reintegration].

PubMed

Zampolini, Mauro

2015-01-01

The return to work is a significant outcome after amputation. To reach this goal it is necessary to measure properly this process. Unfortunately, for amputee, we have different scales but often focused on specific groups of problems The International Classification of funtioning (ICF) can constitute the frame of reference where to converge scales available and according to which define problems related to disability. For the person amputated the theme of the return to work arises differently for the conditions traumatic and non-traumatic. For the first return to work is a priority given the younger age. For the latter, given the advanced age, the return to work is likely to be a measure of the success of rehabilitation is not particularly relevant.

Alternatives to Employee Layoffs: Work Sharing and Prelayoff Consultation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McNeff, Nancy J.; And Others

1978-01-01

By acknowledging the value of the work-sharing concept, recognizing the importance of the psychological contract, and conducting prelayoff consultations with the assistance of third-party neutrals, companies can more effectively cope with the problem of employee layoffs and improve employee relations in general. (Author)

What's New in Elder Abuse Programming? Four Bright Ideas.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wolf, Rosalie S.; Pillemar, Karl

1994-01-01

Presents four "best practice models" that address problems faced by community agencies working with elder abuse cases: multidisciplinary case consultation team; senior advocate volunteer program; victim support group; and master's of social work degree specialization in adult protective services. Sees their relatively low cost, flexibility, and…

Regulating Availability: How Access to Alcohol Affects Drinking and Problems in Youth and Adults

PubMed Central

Gruenewald, Paul J.

2011-01-01

Regulations on the availability of alcohol have been used to moderate alcohol problems in communities throughout the world for thousands of years. In the latter half of the 20th century, quantitative studies of the effects of these regulations on drinking and related problems began in earnest as public health practitioners began to recognize the full extent of the harmful consequences related to drinking. This article briefly outlines the history of this work over four areas, focusing on the minimum legal drinking age, the privatization of alcohol control systems, outlet densities, and hours and days of sale. Some historical background is provided to emphasize the theoretical and empirical roots of this work and to highlight the substantial progress that has been made in each area. In general, this assessment suggests that higher minimum legal drinking ages, greater monopoly controls over alcohol sales, lower outlet numbers and reduced outlet densities, and limited hours and days of sale can effectively reduce alcohol sales, use, and problems. There are, however, substantial gaps in the research literature and a near absence of the quantitative theoretical work needed to direct alcohol-control efforts. Local community responses to alcohol policies are complex and heterogeneous, sometimes reinforcing and sometimes mitigating the effects of availability regulations. Quantitative models of policy effects are essential to accelerate progress toward the formulation and testing of optimal control strategies for the reduction of alcohol problems. PMID:22330225

Chronicity of sexual harassment and generalized work-place abuse: effects on drinking outcomes.

PubMed

Rospenda, K M; Richman, J A; Wislar, J S; Flaherty, J A

2000-12-01

This study examined the impact of two forms of interpersonal conflict in the work-place, sexual harassment (SH) and generalized work-place abuse (GWA), on drinking outcomes. We hypothesized that SH and GWA would be associated more strongly with negative outcomes than task-related work stressors, especially when SH and GWA were chronic problems. This was a two-wave panel study. The study was conducted at an urban university in the United States. Participants were 2038 university employees in four occupational groups (faculty, student, clerical and service workers) who responded to both waves of the survey. Data on SH, GWA, task-related stressors and drinking outcomes were gathered from self-report mail questionnaires. Data from 1880 non-abstaining respondents were included in the analyses. SH and GWA experiences were widespread, typically chronic, and tended to co-occur. In regression analyses controlling for demographics, occupational group, prior drinking and task-related stress, GWA chronicity was linked to increased odds of reporting one or more indicators of problem drinking at time 2, in contrast to onset and remission. SH chronicity coupled with no GWA experiences was also significantly related to increased drinking variability. Task-related stressors generally did not explain significant variance in drinking outcomes. SH and GWA may be better predictors of drinking behavior compared to task-related stressors, particularly when harassment is chronic. Increased attention to conflictual relationships in the work-place, the relationship between SH and GWA and the dynamic nature of stressors in general is necessary in future research on drinking behavior.

Exploratory research session on the quantization of the gravitational field. At the Institute for Theoretical Physics, Copenhagen, Denmark, June-July 1957

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DeWitt, Bryce S.

2017-06-01

During the period June-July 1957 six physicists met at the Institute for Theoretical Physics of the University of Copenhagen in Denmark to work together on problems connected with the quantization of the gravitational field. A large part of the discussion was devoted to exposition of the individual work of the various participants, but a number of new results were also obtained. The topics investigated by these physicists are outlined in this report and may be grouped under the following main headings: The theory of measurement. Topographical problems in general relativity. Feynman quantization. Canonical quantization. Approximation methods. Special problems.

Problems in sickness certification of patients: a qualitative study on views of 26 physicians in Sweden.

PubMed

von Knorring, Mia; Sundberg, Linda; Löfgren, Anna; Alexanderson, Kristina

2008-01-01

To identify what problems physicians experience in sickness certification of patients. Qualitative analyses of data from six focus-group discussions. Four counties in different regions of Sweden. Twenty-six physicians strategically selected to achieve variation with regard to sex, geographical location, urban/rural area, and type of clinic. The problems involved four areas: society and the social insurance system, the organization of healthcare, the performance of other actors in the system, and the physicians' working situation. In all areas the problems also involved manager issues such as overall leadership, organization of healthcare, and existing incentives and support systems for physicians' handling of patients' sickness certification. Many physicians described feelings of fatigue and a lack of pride in their work with sickness certification tasks, as they believed they contributed to unnecessary sickness absence and to medicalization of patients' non-medical problems. The problems identified have negative consequences both for patients and for the well-being of physicians. Many of the problems seem related to inadequate leadership and management of sickness certification issues. Therefore, they cannot be handled merely by training of physicians, which has so far been the main intervention in this area. They also have to be addressed on manager levels within healthcare. Further research is needed on how physicians cope with the problems identified and on managers' strategies and responsibilities in relation to these problems. If the complexity of the problems is not recognized, there is a risk that inadequate actions will be taken to solve them.

Proposal of Constraints Analysis Method Based on Network Model for Task Planning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tomiyama, Tomoe; Sato, Tatsuhiro; Morita, Toyohisa; Sasaki, Toshiro

Deregulation has been accelerating several activities toward reengineering business processes, such as railway through service and modal shift in logistics. Making those activities successful, business entities have to regulate new business rules or know-how (we call them ‘constraints’). According to the new constraints, they need to manage business resources such as instruments, materials, workers and so on. In this paper, we propose a constraint analysis method to define constraints for task planning of the new business processes. To visualize each constraint's influence on planning, we propose a network model which represents allocation relations between tasks and resources. The network can also represent task ordering relations and resource grouping relations. The proposed method formalizes the way of defining constraints manually as repeatedly checking the network structure and finding conflicts between constraints. Being applied to crew scheduling problems shows that the method can adequately represent and define constraints of some task planning problems with the following fundamental features, (1) specifying work pattern to some resources, (2) restricting the number of resources for some works, (3) requiring multiple resources for some works, (4) prior allocation of some resources to some works and (5) considering the workload balance between resources.

A review on simple assembly line balancing type-e problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jusop, M.; Rashid, M. F. F. Ab

2015-12-01

Simple assembly line balancing (SALB) is an attempt to assign the tasks to the various workstations along the line so that the precedence relations are satisfied and some performance measure are optimised. Advanced approach of algorithm is necessary to solve large-scale problems as SALB is a class of NP-hard. Only a few studies are focusing on simple assembly line balancing of Type-E problem (SALB-E) since it is a general and complex problem. SALB-E problem is one of SALB problem which consider the number of workstation and the cycle time simultaneously for the purpose of maximising the line efficiency. This paper review previous works that has been done in order to optimise SALB -E problem. Besides that, this paper also reviewed the Genetic Algorithm approach that has been used to optimise SALB-E. From the reviewed that has been done, it was found that none of the existing works are concern on the resource constraint in the SALB-E problem especially on machine and tool constraints. The research on SALB-E will contribute to the improvement of productivity in real industrial application.

Sleep disturbances among offshore fleet workers: a questionnaire-based survey.

PubMed

Hansen, Jakob Hønborg; Holmen, Ingunn Marie

2011-01-01

BACKGROUND. Shift work is related to fatigue and desynchronization with the external environment. This study investigates how 6-h shifts and 12-h shifts affects sleep and safety in workers onboard offshore supply vessels, and if any differences exist between the two working schedules. MATERIAL AND METHODS. A questionnaire study was carried out in the North Sea, Australia, Africa, South America, and the Far East, with 577 participants. The offshore fleet workers gave information on parameters related to sleep disturbances, causes of sleep disturbances, and safety. Regional differences in these parameters were also investigated. RESULTS. Workers on 6-hour shifts reported significantly more sleep problems than 12-hour shift workers did (p 〈 0.01). The 6-hour workers were more affected by noise (p 〈 0.01) and shift-work itself (p 〈 0.01). CONCLUSIONS. Those working 6-hour shifts suffer more from sleep disturbances than those on 12-hour shifts, but this is not reflected in the perception of safety within the individual. Noise and shift-work itself is more of a problem in the 12-hour workers. Differences in safety culture and work morale are likely to cause the differences between regions.

Medical care of employees long-term sick listed due to mental health problems: a cohort study to describe and compare the care of the occupational physician and the general practitioner.

PubMed

Anema, J R; Jettinghoff, K; Houtman, I; Schoemaker, C G; Buijs, P C; van den Berg, R

2006-03-01

To describe medical management by the general practitioner (GP) and occupational physician (OP) of workers sick listed due to mental health problems, and to determine agreement in diagnosis, main cause of sickness absence and obstacles in return to work. A cohort of 555 employees being sick listed for 12 to 20 weeks due to mental health problems was recruited and followed for 1 year. These employees were interviewed about their mental health and contacts with GP, OP, other specialists and employer. In addition, the GP and/or the OP of 72 employees were interviewed about the medical diagnosis and management. Most employees sick listed for 12-20 weeks visited their GP and OP. According to the employees most interventions applied by the GP were medical interventions, such as referral of employees and prescription of medical drugs. Working conditions were seldom discussed by the GP and work-related interventions were never applied. Most interventions applied by the OP were work-related interventions and/or contact with the employer. The OP more often talked about working conditions and conflicts. According to the employees, the communication between GP and OP only took place in 8% of the cases. Agreement in the diagnosis, main cause of sickness absence, and obstacles in return to work reported by the GPs and OPs of the same employee was poor. In addition, similarity in reported diagnosis by GP and/or OP and the employees' scores on valid questionnaires on (mental) health was limited. The lack of communication and agreement by Dutch GPs and OPs in medical diagnosis and management of employees long-term sick listed due to mental health problems are indicators of sub-optimal medical treatment and return-to-work strategies.

Unmet Needs of Caregivers of Patients Referred to a Dementia Care Program

PubMed Central

Jennings, Lee A.; Reuben, David B.; Evertson, Leslie Chang; Serrano, Katherine S.; Ercoli, Linda; Grill, Joshua; Chodosh, Joshua; Tan, Zaldy; Wenger, Neil S.

2014-01-01

Background/Objectives Caregiver strain and low self-efficacy for managing dementia-related problems are common among those caring for patients with dementia, but the level of unmet need and relation to provider type has not been well characterized. Design Cross-sectional observational cohort Setting Urban academic medical center Participants Caregivers of community-dwelling adults with dementia referred to the program Measurements Caregivers were surveyed and completed the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) about themselves, the Modified Caregiver Strain Index, the Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire, which measures patient symptom severity and related caregiver distress, and a 9-item caregiver self-efficacy scale developed for the study. Results Of 307 patient and caregiver dyads surveyed over a one year period, 32% of caregivers reported confidence in managing dementia-related problems, 19% knew how to access community services to help provide care, and 28% agreed the patient’s provider helped them work through dementia care problems. Thirty-eight percent reported high levels of caregiver strain, and 15% reported moderate to severe depressive symptoms. Caregivers of patients referred by geriatricians more often reported having a healthcare professional to help work through dementia care problems than those referred by internists, family physicians, or other specialists, but self-efficacy did not differ. Low caregiver self-efficacy was associated with higher caregiver strain, more caregiver depressive symptoms, and caring for a patient with more severe behavioral symptoms. Conclusion Most caregivers perceived inadequate support from the patient’s provider in managing dementia-related problems, reported strain, and had low confidence in managing caregiving. New models of care are needed to address the complex care needs of patients with dementia and their caregivers. PMID:25688604

The Works of Archimedes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Archimedes; Heath, Thomas L.

2009-09-01

Part I. Introduction: 1. Archimedes; 2. Manuscripts and principle editions; 3. Relation of Archimedes to his predecessors; 4. Arithmetic in Archimedes; 5. On the problem known as neuseis; 6. Cubic equations; 7. Anticipations by Archimedes of the integral calculus; 8. The terminology of Archimedes; Part II. The Works of Archimedes: 1. On the sphere and cylinder; 2. Measurement of a circle; 3. On conoids and spheroids; 4. On spirals; 5. On the equilibrium of planes; 6. The sand-reckoner; 7. Quadrature of the parabola; 8. On floating bodies; 9. Book of lemmas; 10. The cattle-problem.

Self-reported workplace perception as indicators of work anxieties.

PubMed

Muschalla, B; Fay, D; Linden, M

2016-03-01

Work anxiety is a potentially disabling mental health problem, which can cause (long-term) sickness absence. In many cases patients do not openly report their anxieties and tend to give externalizing explanations of inner problems. Therefore people with work anxiety may perceive their workplace more negatively than those without such anxiety. To investigate the relation between subjective work description and work anxiety. Work anxiety was investigated with a standardized interview in a sample of employed psychosomatic rehabilitation inpatients suffering from common mental disorders. We assessed their subjective perception and evaluation of workplace conditions with the 'Short Questionnaire for Job Analysis' (KFZA) and compared their results with those from a sample of employees in the general population. There were 148 inpatient participants and 8015 general population controls. Patients with work anxiety described their workplace significantly more negatively than patients without work anxiety and employees in the general population, with no differences in workplace descriptions between psychosomatic patients without work anxiety and the general population sample. The type of complaint about work conditions was related to the specific type of work anxiety. Reports about workplace burdens can be indicative of work anxiety and should prompt further in-depth assessments. The content of complaints about work conditions may point to the type of underlying work anxiety. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Occupational Medicine. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Cost minimizing of cutting process for CNC thermal and water-jet machines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tavaeva, Anastasia; Kurennov, Dmitry

2015-11-01

This paper deals with optimization problem of cutting process for CNC thermal and water-jet machines. The accuracy of objective function parameters calculation for optimization problem is investigated. This paper shows that working tool path speed is not constant value. One depends on some parameters that are described in this paper. The relations of working tool path speed depending on the numbers of NC programs frames, length of straight cut, configuration part are presented. Based on received results the correction coefficients for working tool speed are defined. Additionally the optimization problem may be solved by using mathematical model. Model takes into account the additional restrictions of thermal cutting (choice of piercing and output tool point, precedence condition, thermal deformations). At the second part of paper the non-standard cutting techniques are considered. Ones may lead to minimizing of cutting cost and time compared with standard cutting techniques. This paper considers the effectiveness of non-standard cutting techniques application. At the end of the paper the future research works are indicated.

Heavy and problem drinking in an American blue-collar population: implications for prevention.

PubMed

Ames, G M; Janes, C R

1987-01-01

This paper presents the findings of a prevention-oriented research project designed to identify the familial and socio-environmental precursors of heavy drinking in a blue-collar population. Using an ethnographic and primarily qualitative approach to data collection, this study examines alcohol use and drinking behavior in relation to both the family as a unit, as well as the sociocultural context in which it is embedded. It reports primarily on features of cultural, workplace, and community environments that are related to heavy or moderate drinking in the subject population. The sample consists of 30 families, 15 where the father is a heavy drinker and 15 where he is a moderate drinker. The sample was drawn from the workforce of a large manufacturing plant that closed in 1982. The social organization of the workplace, including the important factors of job alienation, job stress, inconsistent social controls, and the evolution of a 'drinking culture,' is implicated by this research to be the primary vehicle for promoting high levels of alcohol use. Although the role of the workplace in encouraging certain alcohol behaviors was predominant, the data suggest that it alone may not be sufficient for causing alcohol problems. In particular, the central importance of drinking in work-related social contexts and the relative permissiveness of the work environment was found to promote heavy drinking among individuals who were of sociocultural backgrounds where heavy drinking was permitted or even encouraged; reported a lack of effective male role models when growing up; and restricted leisure activities to male-oriented peer groups most often met through work-related contexts. Conversely factors that appeared protective of developing high-risk drinking patterns were family religious involvement, and participation of fathers in non-work related social groups that usually involved their wives and children. We conclude the paper by offering suggestions as to how these findings might lead to constructive strategies for the primary prevention of alcohol problems in the context of the workplace and community.

'A thorny problem for feminism': an analysis of the subjective work experiences of enrolled nurses.

PubMed

Mackenzie, J

1997-09-01

Feminist methodology has been used in this study to investigate the subjective work experiences of 19 enrolled nurses. Reflexive conversational techniques enabled participants to relate autobiographical narratives examining their experiences of working in a nursing hierarchy. Two themes are reported: 'nursing identity' and 'exploitation'. Through an analysis of these themes insight has been gained into the manner in which nurses inter-relate. The study demonstrates how the correlation between rank, status and expertise within the nursing hierarchy may have negative consequences for patient care.

Self-Paced Physics, Segments 24-27.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New York Inst. of Tech., Old Westbury.

Four study segments of the Self-Paced Physics Course materials are presented in this fifth problems and solutions book used as a part of student course work. The subject matter is related to work in electric fields, potential differences, parallel plates, electric potential energies, potential gradients, capacitances, and capacitor circuits.…

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Piekarski, D.; Brad, D.

This report is about a work effort where the overall objectives were to establish a methodology and approach for selected transmission and distribution (T&D) grid modernization; monitor the results; and report on the findings, recommendations, and lessons learned. The work reported addressed T&D problems and solutions, related reliability issues, equipment and operation upgrades, and respective field testing.

Sexual Opinion Survey: An Exploratory Factor Analysis with Helping Professionals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bloom, Zachary D.; Gutierrez, Daniel; Lambie, Glenn W.

2015-01-01

Counselors and marriage and family therapists work with individuals, couples, and families on issues related to sexuality. However, clinicians may be underserving their clients by "not" having adequate training and preparation to work with clients with these presenting issues. One mitigating factor in the treatment of sexual problems is…

A Comparison of Numerical Problem Solving under Three Types of Calculation Conditions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roberts, Dennis M.; Glynn, Shawn M.

1978-01-01

The study reported is the first in a series of investigations designed to empirically test the hypothesis that calculators reduce quantitative working time and increase computational accuracy, and to examine the relative magnitude of benefit that accompanies utilizing calculators compared to manual work. (MN)

Blended Delivery and Online Assessment: Scaffolding Student Reflections in Work-Integrated Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Larkin, Ingrid; Beatson, Amanda

2014-01-01

This paper documents a teaching innovation addressing the challenges of embedding and assessing reflective practice in work-integrated learning, specifically marketing internships. We identify four issues relating to this problem: lack of knowledge or skill for reflection, limitations of physical journals, facilitation of different forms of…

The Worker and Work: Contemporary Problems and Perspectives: Three Lectures.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clarke, Oliver

The series of three lectures examine different aspects of work as manifested in changes in workers' attitudes, responses to these changes in the European context, and significant European developments in relation to worker participation. The first lecture discusses social, technological, educational, and economic changes that have affected…

Women Administrators Negotiate Work-Family Conflicts in Changing Times: An Intergenerational Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loder, Tondra L.

2005-01-01

Background: Concerns about work-family conflicts are becoming an increasing problem for women administrators. Yet these concerns have been overshadowed in the educational leadership scholarship, which has focused on barriers related to discrimination in hiring and promotion and lack of sponsoring and mentoring. Purpose: To illuminate differences…

Sediment problems in urban areas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Guy, Harold P.

1970-01-01

One obstacle to a scientific recognition and an engineering solution to sediment-related environmental problems is that such problems are bound in conflicting and generally undefinable political and institutional restraints. Also, some of the difficulty may involve the fact that the scientist or engineer, because of his relatively narrow field of investigation, cannot always completely envision the less desirable effects of his work and communicate alternative solutions to the public. For example, the highway and motor-vehicle engineers have learned how to provide the means by which one can transport himself from one point to another with such great efficiency that a person's employment in this country is now commonly more than 5 miles from his residence. However, providing such efficient personal transport has created numerous serious environmental problems. Obstacles to recognition of and action to control sediment problems in and around urban areas are akin to other environmental problems with respect to the many scientific, engineering, economic, and social aspects.

Income and Social Rank Influence UK Children's Behavioral Problems: A Longitudinal Analysis.

PubMed

Garratt, Elisabeth A; Chandola, Tarani; Purdam, Kingsley; Wood, Alex M

2017-07-01

Children living in low-income households face elevated risks of behavioral problems, but the impact of absolute and relative income to this risk remains unexplored. Using the U.K. Millennium Cohort Study data, longitudinal associations between Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire scores and absolute household income, distance from the regional median and mean income, and regional income rank were examined in 3- to 12-year-olds (n = 16,532). Higher absolute household incomes were associated with lower behavioral problems, while higher income rank was associated with lower behavioral problems only at the highest absolute incomes. Higher absolute household incomes were associated with lower behavioral problems among children in working households, indicating compounding effects of income and socioeconomic advantages. Both absolute and relative incomes therefore appear to influence behavioral problems. © 2016 The Authors. Child Development © 2016 Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.

Criticism by community people and poor workplace communication as risk factors for the mental health of local welfare workers after the Great East Japan Earthquake: A cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

Shoji, Wataru; Nagao, Ayami; Abe, Mikika; Suzuki, Yuriko; Matsuoka, Hiroo

2017-01-01

After a large-scale natural disaster, demand for social welfare services increases, and the mental health of local social welfare workers becomes a matter of great concern because of their dual role as support providers and disaster survivors. We examined whether work-related social stressors, including criticism by community people and poor workplace communication, were associated with increased risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, or psychological distress 20–22 months after the Great East Japan Earthquake (GEJE; March 11, 2011) in local social welfare workers. Demographic characteristics, disaster-related risk factors (near-death experience, dead/missing family members, loss of housing), and work-related social risk factors (criticism, lack of communication) were obtained 20–22 months after the GEJE from 822 local workers. Questionnaires measured PTSD, depression, and psychological stress. Bivariate and multivariate regression analyses were applied. More local social welfare workers suffered from mental health problems than would be expected. Criticism by community people was significantly associated with probable PTSD and high psychological distress (adjusted odds ratio = 2.31 and 2.55, respectively). Furthermore, lack of workplace communication was associated with probable PTSD, depression, and high psychological distress (adjusted odds ratio = 3.97, 4.27, and 4.65, respectively). Almost 2 years after the disaster, local relief workers still suffered from mental health problems. Because post-disaster work-related social stressors constitute risk factors for these mental health problems, measures to improve working conditions and prevent and treat mental disorders should be a priority. PMID:29166390

Prevalence and associated factors for thoracic spine pain in the adult working population: a literature review.

PubMed

Briggs, Andrew M; Bragge, Peter; Smith, Anne J; Govil, Dhruv; Straker, Leon M

2009-01-01

Spinal pain is a significant occupational health issue. Whilst neck pain and low back pain have received considerable attention, thoracic spinal pain (TSP) has not. The objective of this study was to systematically identify and report the evidence describing the prevalence and correlates of TSP within occupational groups. This literature review systematically searched for reports of TSP prevalence and associated factors for TSP in working adult cohorts using nine electronic databases. Studies were evaluated for level of evidence and epidemiologic data were narratively synthesised. 52 studies were identified describing 65 cohorts covering manual labourers, office workers, health professionals, manufacturing and industrial workers, drivers, military personnel and performing artists. Prevalence varied with occupational group and time period. One year prevalence of TSP ranged from 3.0-55.0%, with most occupational groups having medians around 30%. Significant odds ratios for individual (concurrent musculoskeletal disorders, exercising, pre-menstrual tension and female gender), general work-related (high work load, high work intensity, perceiving ergonomic problems in the workplace, working in some specialised areas, performing boring/tedious work tasks, certain year levels of study, employment duration, driving specialised vehicles, and a high number of flying hours), physical work-related (manual physiotherapy tasks, climbing stairs and high physical stress) and psychosocial work-related (perceived risk of injury and high mental pressure) factors were reported. The high median prevalence rates suggest TSP may be a significant occupational health problem. The multiple domains of associated factors point to the need for prospective research encompassing these domains to inform targeted occupational interventions.

Problem decomposition by mutual information and force-based clustering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Otero, Richard Edward

The scale of engineering problems has sharply increased over the last twenty years. Larger coupled systems, increasing complexity, and limited resources create a need for methods that automatically decompose problems into manageable sub-problems by discovering and leveraging problem structure. The ability to learn the coupling (inter-dependence) structure and reorganize the original problem could lead to large reductions in the time to analyze complex problems. Such decomposition methods could also provide engineering insight on the fundamental physics driving problem solution. This work forwards the current state of the art in engineering decomposition through the application of techniques originally developed within computer science and information theory. The work describes the current state of automatic problem decomposition in engineering and utilizes several promising ideas to advance the state of the practice. Mutual information is a novel metric for data dependence and works on both continuous and discrete data. Mutual information can measure both the linear and non-linear dependence between variables without the limitations of linear dependence measured through covariance. Mutual information is also able to handle data that does not have derivative information, unlike other metrics that require it. The value of mutual information to engineering design work is demonstrated on a planetary entry problem. This study utilizes a novel tool developed in this work for planetary entry system synthesis. A graphical method, force-based clustering, is used to discover related sub-graph structure as a function of problem structure and links ranked by their mutual information. This method does not require the stochastic use of neural networks and could be used with any link ranking method currently utilized in the field. Application of this method is demonstrated on a large, coupled low-thrust trajectory problem. Mutual information also serves as the basis for an alternative global optimizer, called MIMIC, which is unrelated to Genetic Algorithms. Advancement to the current practice demonstrates the use of MIMIC as a global method that explicitly models problem structure with mutual information, providing an alternate method for globally searching multi-modal domains. By leveraging discovered problem inter- dependencies, MIMIC may be appropriate for highly coupled problems or those with large function evaluation cost. This work introduces a useful addition to the MIMIC algorithm that enables its use on continuous input variables. By leveraging automatic decision tree generation methods from Machine Learning and a set of randomly generated test problems, decision trees for which method to apply are also created, quantifying decomposition performance over a large region of the design space.

Association of work-related stress with mental health problems in a special police force unit.

PubMed

Garbarino, Sergio; Cuomo, Giovanni; Chiorri, Carlo; Magnavita, Nicola

2013-01-01

Law and order enforcement tasks may expose special force police officers to significant psychosocial risk factors. The aim of this work is to investigate the relationship between job stress and the presence of mental health symptoms while controlling sociodemographical, occupational and personality variables in special force police officers. At different time points, 292 of 294 members of the 'VI Reparto Mobile', a special police force engaged exclusively in the enforcement of law and order, responded to our invitation to complete questionnaires for the assessment of personality traits, work-related stress (using the Demand-Control-Support (DCS) and the Effort-Reward-Imbalance (ERI) models) and mental health problems such as depression, anxiety and burnout. Regression analyses showed that lower levels of support and reward and higher levels of effort and overcommitment were associated with higher levels of mental health symptoms. Psychological screening revealed 21 (7.3%) likely cases of mild depression (Beck Depression Inventory, BDI≥10). Officers who had experienced a discrepancy between work effort and rewards showed a marked increase in the risk of depression (OR 7.89, 95% CI 2.32 to 26.82) when compared with their counterparts who did not perceive themselves to be in a condition of distress. The findings of this study suggest that work-related stress may play a role in the development of mental health problems in police officers. The prevalence of mental health symptoms in the cohort investigated here was low, but not negligible in the case of depression. Since special forces police officers have to perform sensitive tasks for which a healthy psychological functioning is needed, the results of this study suggest that steps should be taken to prevent distress and improve the mental well-being of these workers.

Work-related stress and psychosomatic medicine.

PubMed

Nakao, Mutsuhiro

2010-05-26

This article introduces key concepts of work-related stress relevant to the clinical and research fields of psychosomatic medicine. Stress is a term used to describe the body's physiological and/or psychological reaction to circumstances that require behavioral adjustment. According to the Japanese National Survey of Health, the most frequent stressors are work-related problems, followed by health-related and then financial problems. Conceptually, work-related stress includes a variety of conditions, such as overwork, unemployment or job insecurity, and lack of work-family balance. Job stress has been linked to a range of adverse physical and mental health outcomes, such as cardiovascular disease, insomnia, depression, and anxiety. Stressful working conditions can also impact employee well-being indirectly by directly contributing to negative health behaviors or by limiting an individual's ability to make positive changes to lifestyle behaviors, such as smoking and sedentary behavior. Over the past two decades, two major job stress models have dominated the occupational health literature: the job demand-control-support model and the effort-reward imbalance model. In both models, standardized questionnaires have been developed and frequently used to assess job stress. Unemployment has also been reported to be associated with increased mortality and morbidity, such as by cardiovascular disease, stroke, and suicide. During the past two decades, a trend toward more flexible labor markets has emerged in the private and public sectors of developed countries, and temporary employment arrangements have increased. Temporary workers often complain that they are more productive but receive less compensation than permanent workers. A significant body of research reveals that temporary workers have reported chronic work-related stress for years. The Japanese government has urged all employers to implement four approaches to comprehensive mind/body health care for stress management in the workplace: focusing on individuals, utilizing supervisory lines, enlisting company health care staff, and referring to medical resources outside the company. Good communications between occupational health practitioners and physicians in charge in hospitals/clinics help employees with psychosomatic distress to return to work, and it is critical for psychosomatic practitioners and researchers to understand the basic ideas of work-related stress from the viewpoint of occupational health.

Work-related stress and psychosomatic medicine

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

This article introduces key concepts of work-related stress relevant to the clinical and research fields of psychosomatic medicine. Stress is a term used to describe the body's physiological and/or psychological reaction to circumstances that require behavioral adjustment. According to the Japanese National Survey of Health, the most frequent stressors are work-related problems, followed by health-related and then financial problems. Conceptually, work-related stress includes a variety of conditions, such as overwork, unemployment or job insecurity, and lack of work-family balance. Job stress has been linked to a range of adverse physical and mental health outcomes, such as cardiovascular disease, insomnia, depression, and anxiety. Stressful working conditions can also impact employee well-being indirectly by directly contributing to negative health behaviors or by limiting an individual's ability to make positive changes to lifestyle behaviors, such as smoking and sedentary behavior. Over the past two decades, two major job stress models have dominated the occupational health literature: the job demand-control-support model and the effort-reward imbalance model. In both models, standardized questionnaires have been developed and frequently used to assess job stress. Unemployment has also been reported to be associated with increased mortality and morbidity, such as by cardiovascular disease, stroke, and suicide. During the past two decades, a trend toward more flexible labor markets has emerged in the private and public sectors of developed countries, and temporary employment arrangements have increased. Temporary workers often complain that they are more productive but receive less compensation than permanent workers. A significant body of research reveals that temporary workers have reported chronic work-related stress for years. The Japanese government has urged all employers to implement four approaches to comprehensive mind/body health care for stress management in the workplace: focusing on individuals, utilizing supervisory lines, enlisting company health care staff, and referring to medical resources outside the company. Good communications between occupational health practitioners and physicians in charge in hospitals/clinics help employees with psychosomatic distress to return to work, and it is critical for psychosomatic practitioners and researchers to understand the basic ideas of work-related stress from the viewpoint of occupational health. PMID:20504368

Making mobility-related disability better: a complex response to a complex problem.

PubMed

Rockwood, Kenneth

2012-10-15

Mobility disability in older adults can arise from single system problems, such as discrete musculoskeletal injury. In frail older adults, however, mobility disability is part of a complex web of problems. The approach to their rehabilitation must take that complexity into account, as is reported by Fairhall et al. First, their overall health state must be assessed, which is achieved by a comprehensive geriatric assessment. The assessment can show how a particular patient came to be disabled, so that an individualized care plan can be worked out. Whether this approach works in general can be evaluated by looking at group differences in mean mobility test scores. Knowing whether it has worked in the individual patient requires an individualized measure. This is because not every patient starts from the same point, and not every patient achieves success by aiming for the same goal. For one patient, walking unassisted for three metres would be a triumph; for another it would be a tragedy. Unless we understand the complexity of the needs of frail older adults, we will neither be able to treat them effectively nor evaluate our efforts sensibly.Please see related article http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7015/10/120.

Making mobility-related disability better: a complex response to a complex problem

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Mobility disability in older adults can arise from single system problems, such as discrete musculoskeletal injury. In frail older adults, however, mobility disability is part of a complex web of problems. The approach to their rehabilitation must take that complexity into account, as is reported by Fairhall et al. First, their overall health state must be assessed, which is achieved by a comprehensive geriatric assessment. The assessment can show how a particular patient came to be disabled, so that an individualized care plan can be worked out. Whether this approach works in general can be evaluated by looking at group differences in mean mobility test scores. Knowing whether it has worked in the individual patient requires an individualized measure. This is because not every patient starts from the same point, and not every patient achieves success by aiming for the same goal. For one patient, walking unassisted for three metres would be a triumph; for another it would be a tragedy. Unless we understand the complexity of the needs of frail older adults, we will neither be able to treat them effectively nor evaluate our efforts sensibly. Please see related article http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7015/10/120 PMID:23067377

The impact of depression and diabetes mellitus on older workers' functioning.

PubMed

Stynen, D; Jansen, N W H; Kant, I J

2015-12-01

Using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health as a framework, this study investigates the impact of depression and diabetes mellitus on older workers' functioning (problems with concentration, physical functioning, need for recovery and work and social participation restrictions). The study focuses on how these chronic conditions, in their interaction with the work context, affect older workers' functioning, which may be an important precursor of early retirement. Older workers (≥ 45years) with depression (n=127) or diabetes mellitus (n=107) enrolled in the prospective Maastricht Cohort Study (MCS) were followed between October 2008 and October 2012. Linear, logistic and Cox regression analyses were performed to investigate the effect of these health conditions on workers' functioning compared to a reference group of older workers without a chronic condition (n=1612). The interaction with participants' working conditions (psychological job demands, decision latitude and strenuous work) was also analysed. Compared to the reference group, depression and diabetes mellitus were (over time) positively related with need for recovery caseness and restrictions in social participation but not with restrictions in work participation. Depression was positively related with concentration problems and need for recovery, whereas diabetes mellitus was negatively related with physical functioning. Finally, the relationship between functioning and depression and diabetes mellitus depends on working conditions. Older workers with depression or diabetes mellitus are vulnerable to losses in specific domains of functioning. The impact on functioning varies across working conditions, providing insight for disease-tailored preventive measures. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The role of anxiety sensitivity in the relation between anxious arousal and cannabis and alcohol use problems among low-income inner city racial/ethnic minorities.

PubMed

Paulus, Daniel J; Manning, Kara; Hogan, Julianna B D; Zvolensky, Michael J

2017-05-01

The current study explored anxiety sensitivity as a factor accounting for the association between anxious arousal and problems related to use of cannabis and alcohol among a health disparity sample (low income minorities). Specifically, participants were 130 low-income racial/ethnic minorities who reported daily cannabis use (M age =37.7 SD=10.0; 28.5% female). There were significant indirect associations of anxious arousal via anxiety sensitivity in relation to: cannabis use problems, cannabis withdrawal symptoms, use of cannabis to cope, as well as hazardous drinking, alcohol use problems, and alcohol consumption. These data indicate anxiety sensitivity is a possible mechanism underlying the relation between anxious arousal and substance use problems among low-income racial/ethnic minorities. Future work could evaluate the efficacy of cannabis and alcohol use treatments incorporating anxiety sensitivity reduction techniques to facilitate amelioration of anxiety and substance use and offset mental health inequalities for this population. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessing the role of memory in preschoolers' performance on episodic foresight tasks.

PubMed

Atance, Cristina M; Sommerville, Jessica A

2014-01-01

A total of 48 preschoolers (ages 3, 4, and 5) received four tasks modelled after prior work designed to assess the development of "episodic foresight". For each task, children encountered a problem in one room and, after a brief delay, were given the opportunity in a second room to select an item to solve the problem. Importantly, after selecting an item, children were queried about their memory for the problem. Age-related changes were found both in children's ability to select the correct item and their ability to remember the problem. However, when we controlled for children's memory for the problem, there were no longer significant age-related changes on the item choice measure. These findings suggest that age-related changes in children's performance on these tasks are driven by improvements in children's memory versus improvements in children's future-oriented thinking or "foresight" per se. Our results have important implications for how best to structure tasks to measure children's episodic foresight, and also for the relative role of memory in this task and in episodic foresight more broadly.

Using Google Earth to Teach the Magnitude of Deep Time

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parker, Joel D.

2011-01-01

Most timeline analogies of geologic and evolutionary time are fundamentally flawed. They trade off the problem of grasping very long times for the problem of grasping very short distances. The result is an understanding of relative time with little comprehension of absolute time. Earlier work has shown that the distances most easily understood by…

Responsibility Attributions for Clients Working with a Counselor, Clinical Psychologist, or Psychiatrist on Various Problems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kleinke, Chris L.; Kane, Joseph C.

1998-01-01

Participants in Study 1 rated the appropriateness of four models of responsibility to a man or woman seeking psychotherapy for uncontrolled anger or depression. In Study 2, appropriateness of these models was related to three types of counselor and problems of personal adjustment, anxiety, schizophrenia. Results, clinical implications are…

AgentGeom: A Multiagent System for Pedagogical Support in Geometric Proof Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cobo, Pedro; Fortuny, Josep M.; Puertas, Eloi; Richard, Philippe R.

2007-01-01

This paper aims, first, to describe the fundamental characteristics and workings of the AgentGeom artificial tutorial system, which is designed to help students develop knowledge and skills related to problem solving, mathematical proof in geometry, and the use of mathematical language. Following this, we indicate the manner in which a secondary…

Resistance, Resilience and Social Identities: Reframing "Problem Youth" and the Problem of Schooling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bottrell, Dorothy

2007-01-01

This paper explores the experiences of young people on a public housing estate in inner-city Sydney. Their relations to schooling, truancy and participation in the illicit activities of the local youth network are framed as resistances, as necessary identity work, given the context of their marginalisation. In their explication of the dynamics of…

Revisiting Data Related to the Age of Onset and Developmental Course of Female Conduct Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brennan, Lauretta M.; Shaw, Daniel S.

2013-01-01

Children who exhibit persistently elevated levels of conduct problems (CP) from early childhood, so-called early-starters, are known to be at increased risk for continued CP throughout middle childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Theoretical and empirical work has focused on this subgroup of children characterized by similar risk factors, an…

[Completion Study Report on Completion Problems in the Ph.D. Program at Chicago (University of).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cunningham, Phyllis; And Others

Based on adult education students who completed Ph.D. work in the Department of Education, University of Chicago, during 1960-69, this study examined the problems they perceive in completing doctoral study. Eighty-five doctoral graduates submitted usable questionnaires. Data were obtained on completion time as related to such variables as number…

Ergonomics analyses of five joineries located in Florianópolis-SC, using the LEST Method.

PubMed

Vergara, Lizandra Lupi Garcia; Garcia, Carolina Schwinden; Miranda, Felipe Vergara

2012-01-01

Considering the goal of Ergonomic Work Analysis to establish, from the point of view of workers, safe, healthy, comfortable and efficient environments, this study propose to analyze the work situation of machine operators at five joineries from Florianópolis-SC. For this, it was applied the LEST Method to evaluate the task made by the operators, considering the physical, cognitive and organizational work environment. As results, it was identified the main ergonomics problems of these workstations, presenting an ergonomic diagnosis and their implications on health and safety of workers. As result, it was concluded that the main ergonomics problems at joineries are related with noise, with constant load of weight and with the postures taken. Besides these problems, others were diagnosed, for example, the pressure for workers to comply strictly the task stipulated and also the poor training and capacity of workers.

Psychosocial working conditions: an analysis of emotional symptoms and conduct problems amongst adolescent students.

PubMed

Plenty, Stephanie; Ostberg, Viveca; Almquist, Ylva B; Augustine, Lilly; Modin, Bitte

2014-06-01

This study explored how psychosocial features of the schoolwork environment are associated with students' mental health. Data was drawn from 3699 ninth grade (15 year-old) Swedish students participating in the Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children survey. Using Structural Equation Modelling, perceived school demands, decision control and social support from teachers, classmates and parents were examined in relation to students' emotional and conduct problems. Higher demands were associated with greater emotional symptoms and conduct problems. Although weaker social support predicted emotional symptoms and conduct problems, the relative influence of teachers, classmates and parents differed. Teacher support was more closely associated with conduct problems, particularly for girls, while classmate support was more strongly related to emotional symptoms. The findings indicate that while excessive school pressure is associated with poorer mental health, social support can assist in optimising adolescents' emotional health and adaptive behaviour, as well as shaping perceptions of demands. Copyright © 2014 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The impact of recurrent throat infection on children and their families.

PubMed

Howel, Denise; Webster, Simon; Hayes, Jane; Barton, Andrew; Donaldson, Liam

2002-06-01

Recurrent throat problems in children are common and have an impact on the family. The appropriateness of surgery will depend on both clinical and social factors. The aim of this study was to assess the impact on the whole family when a child is suffering from recurrent throat problems, and investigate related parental attitudes. A total of 1190 parents of children in northern England for whom tonsillectomy or adeno-tonsillectomy was a possible treatment option were sent a questionnaire covering social and clinical issues such as children's symptoms, the impact on family life and parental attitudes. The majority of children had experienced more than four episodes in the previous year, had their sleep affected and time off school. Most parents were worried and reported disruption to the family, including taking time off work and cross-infection. Parental disruption, worry and eagerness for surgery were significantly associated with the duration of episodes of throat problems and the number of episodes in the previous year, but not with duration of tonsillitis. Time off school, or parental time off work was significantly associated with parental worry and disruption, but not with eagerness for surgery. This work highlights the impact of recurrent throat problems and related parental attitudes, and will aid in striking a balance between clinical requirements and the needs and wishes of the family.

Secondary prevention of work-related disability in nonspecific low back pain: does problem-solving therapy help? A randomized clinical trial.

PubMed

van den Hout, Johanna H C; Vlaeyen, Johan W S; Heuts, Peter H T G; Zijlema, Johan H L; Wijnen, Joseph A G

2003-01-01

Given the individual and economic burden of chronic work disability in low back pain patients, there is a need for effective preventive interventions. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether problem-solving therapy had a supplemental value when added to behavioral graded activity, regarding days of sick leave and work status. Randomized controlled trial. Employees who were recently on sick leave as a result of nonspecific low back pain were referred to the rehabilitation center by general practitioner, occupational physician, or rehabilitation physician. Forty-five employees had been randomly assigned to the experimental treatment condition that included behavioral graded activity and problem-solving therapy (GAPS), and 39 employees had been randomly assigned to behavioral graded activity and group education (GAGE). Days of sick leave and work status. Data were retrieved from occupational health services. Data analyses showed that employees in the GAPS group had significantly fewer days of sick leave in the second half-year after the intervention. Moreover, work status was more favorable for employees in this condition, in that more employees had a 100% return-to-work and fewer patients ended up receiving disability pensions one year after the intervention. Sensitivity analyses confirmed these results. The addition of problem-solving therapy to behavioral graded activity had supplemental value in employees with nonspecific low back pain.

Technology--an actor in the ICU: a study in workplace research tradition.

PubMed

Wikström, Ann-Charlott; Larsson, Ullabeth Sätterlund

2004-07-01

The present study focuses on human-machine interaction in an intensive care unit in the West of Sweden. The aim of the present study was to explore how technology intervenes and challenges the ICU staff's knowing in practice. THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVE: The study's theoretical starting point draws on workplace research tradition. Workplace studies encompass the interaction between the actors' situated activities and the technological tools that make their activities possible. Fieldwork or in situ studies of everyday practice in an intensive care unit documented in written field notes constituted the data. The findings show first how technology intervenes in the division of labour when the taken-for-granted "old" everyday practice is disrupted when a new machine intervenes in the morning's work; secondly, it reveal how technology challenges practical knowing and thirdly, it shows how technology reformulates practice. Staff members' awareness of routine problems is often connected to the ability to see, which is always related to cultural/contextual competence. It is concluded that it is not talk alone that helps the caregivers to "(dis)solve" the problems. The ability to see the problems, the work environment and to find the relevant supporting tools for "(dis)solving" the routine problems is also crucial. But it is not possible to say that it is the skillful work of humans that solve problems, nor do we claim it is the tools that do so. Humans and tools are interwoven in the problem-solving process. Relevance to clinical practice. Routine problems in the intensive care unit are not "(dis)solved" through the cognitive work of individual staff members alone. Problems are also "(dis)solved" jointly with other staff members. Staff members "borrow" the knowing from each other and problems are re-represented through communication. The knowing has to be distributed among the intensive care unit staff to make the everyday work flexible.

Interactive psychoeducational group therapy in the treatment of authority problems in combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder.

PubMed

Lubin, H; Johnson, D R

2000-07-01

The use of Interactive Psychoeducational Group Therapy to ameliorate authority problems of veterans with combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder is described. Despite the common occurrence of authority problems in this population, and the degree of damage they have caused in family, work, and legal domains, they are rarely specifically targeted by treatment interventions. A conceptual framework linking psychological trauma with distortions in authority relations is presented, followed by the format, procedures, and case examples of this form of group therapy. By uncovering the distorted beliefs associated with traumatic schemas as they emerge in the group interaction, the group therapist can first help the clients question their assumptions about authority, and then explore more adaptive behaviors. The need to examine in greater detail the causes and impact of authority problems among clients with posttraumatic stress disorder is emphasized.

Pastoral care of mental illness and the accommodation of African Christian beliefs and practices by UK clergy.

PubMed

Leavey, Gerard; Loewenthal, Kate; King, Michael

2017-02-01

Faith-based organisations, especially those related to specific ethnic or migrant groups, are increasingly viewed by secular Western government agencies as potential collaborators in community health and welfare programmes. Although clergy are often called upon to provide mental health pastoral care, their response to such problems remains relatively unexamined. This paper examines how clergy working in multiethnic settings do not always have the answers that people want, or perhaps need, to problems of misfortune and suffering. In the UK these barriers can be attributed, generally, to a lack of training on mental health problems and minimal collaboration with health services. The current paper attempts to highlight the dilemmas of the established churches' involvement in mental health care in the context of diversity. We explore the inability of established churches to accommodate African and other spiritual beliefs and practices related to the etiology and treatment of mental health problems.

A Program for Job Related Reading Training.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fox, Lynn C.; Sticht, Thomas G.

A functional job-related reading program was developed to cope with literacy problems of Army personnel; the program involves students who work individually on instructional worksheets in six main modules, each designed to teach a specific job-related reading task. This paper presents an overview of background research for the program, which was…

Searching for Authentic Context in Designing PISA-like Mathematics Problem: From Indoor to Outdoor Field Experience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siswono, T. Y. E.; Kohar, A. W.; Rosyidi, A. H.; Hartono, S.; Masriyah

2018-01-01

Designing problem like in PISA is known as a challenging activity for teachers particularly as the use of authentic context within that type of problem. This paper aims to describe the experiences of secondary mathematics teachers in designing PISA-like problems within an innovative training program focusing on building teachers’ understanding on the concept of mathematical literacy. The teachers were engaged in a set of problem-solving and problem-posing activities using PISA-based problem within indoor and outdoor field experiences. Within indoor field experience, the teachers worked collaboratively in groups on designing PISA-like problems with a given context through problem generation and reformulation techniques. Within outdoor field experience, they worked on designing PISA-like problems with self-chosen context from the place where the outdoor field experience took place. Our analysis indicates that there were improvements on the PISA-like problems designed by teachers based on its level use of context from indoor to outdoor experience. Also, the teachers were relatively successful with creating appropriate and motivating contexts by harnessing a variety of context consisting of personal, occupational, societal, and scientific contexts. However, they still experienced difficulties in turning these contexts into an appropriate problem satisfying PISA framework such as regarding authenticity of context use, language structure, and PISA task profile.

The green eyed monster in the bottle: Relationship contingent self-esteem, romantic jealousy, and alcohol-related problems.

PubMed

DiBello, Angelo M; Rodriguez, Lindsey M; Hadden, Benjamin W; Neighbors, Clayton

2015-10-01

Previous research suggests that both jealousy and relationship contingent self-esteem (RCSE) are related to alcohol use and alcohol-related problems. No work, however, has examined these two constructs together as they relate to motives for alcohol use and alcohol-related problems. The current study aims to build upon emerging literature examining different types of jealousy (i.e., emotional, cognitive, and behavioral), relationship quality (i.e., satisfaction, commitment, closeness), RCSE, and alcohol use. More specifically, the current study aimed to examine the associations between RCSE and drinking to cope and RCSE and alcohol-related problems, in the context of the different types of jealousy. Moreover, the current study aimed to assess whether the associations between RCSE, jealousy, and drinking outcomes vary as a function of relationship quality. Two hundred and seventy seven individuals (87% female) at a large southern university participated in the study. They completed measures of RCSE, relationship satisfaction, commitment, closeness, and jealousy as well as alcohol-related outcomes. Using PROCESS, moderated mediational analyses were used to evaluate different types of jealousy as mediators of the association between RCSE and drinking to cope/alcohol-related problems. Further, we aimed to examine whether relationship quality moderated the association between RCSE and jealousy in predicting alcohol-related variables. Results indicated that cognitive jealousy mediated the association between both RCSE and drinking to cope and RCSE and alcohol-related problems. Further, relationship satisfaction, commitment, and closeness were all found to moderate the association between RSCE and cognitive jealousy such that at lower, but not higher levels of satisfaction, commitment, and closeness, cognitive jealousy mediated the association between RCSE and drinking to cope and RCSE and alcohol-related problems. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Informal eldercare and work-related strain.

PubMed

Trukeschitz, Birgit; Schneider, Ulrike; Mühlmann, Richard; Ponocny, Ivo

2013-03-01

In light of an aging workforce, reconciling informal eldercare and paid work becomes increasingly pertinent. This article investigates the association between informal eldercare and work-related strain and tests for both the "competing demands" and "expansion" hypotheses. The sample of 938 Austrian employees consisted of employees caring for older relatives and a control group of employees without eldercare obligations. We ran a Tobit regression model on work-related strain with different measures of informal eldercare as explanatory variables and controls for both personal and workplace characteristics. Accounting for different characteristics of eldercare within one estimation model revealed that informal eldercare was associated with work-related strain in 2 ways, that is, it increased with both care hours and subjective care burden. However, after controlling for these burdensome attributes of eldercare, the carer status as such was found to be negatively associated with work-related strain. In addition and independently of care commitments, work-related factors, such as advanced skills and job motivation, reduced work-related strain. This article lends support to both the "competing demands" and the "expansion" hypotheses. Commitment to eldercare can enhance work-related outcomes but entails work-related problems if care burden and time demands of eldercare are substantial. Thus, workers with eldercare responsibilities cannot be considered less productive from the outset. An individual assessment of their situation, considering the care and work setting, is required. Findings from this study support the design of workplace initiatives to uphold workers' productivity in general and bring specific attention to policies alleviating workers' eldercare burden.

Work-related barriers, facilitators, and strategies of breast cancer survivors working during curative treatment.

PubMed

Sun, Wenjun; Chen, Karen; Terhaar, Abigail; Wiegmann, Douglas A; Heidrich, Susan M; Tevaarwerk, Amye J; Sesto, Mary E

2016-01-01

Research has identified barriers and facilitators affecting cancer survivors' return to work (RTW) following the end of active treatment (surgery, chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy). However, few studies have focused on barriers and facilitators that cancer survivors experience while working during active treatment. Strategies used by cancer survivors to solve work-related problems during active treatment are underexplored. The aim of this study was to describe factors that impact, either positively or negatively, breast cancer survivors' work activities during active treatment. Semi-structured, recorded interviews were conducted with 35 breast cancer survivors who worked during active treatment. Transcripts of interviews were analyzed using inductive content analysis to identify themes regarding work-related barriers, facilitators and strategies. Barriers identified included symptoms, emotional distress, appearance change, time constraints, work characteristics, unsupportive supervisors and coworkers, family issues and other illness. Facilitators included positive aspects of work, support outside of work, and coworker and supervisor support. Strategies included activities to improve health-related issues and changes to working conditions and tasks. Breast cancer survivors encounter various barriers during active treatment. Several facilitators and strategies can help survivors maintain productive work activities.

Work-related barriers, facilitators, and strategies of breast cancer survivors working during curative treatment

PubMed Central

Sun, Wenjun; Chen, Karen; Terhaar, Abigail; Wiegmann, Douglas A.; Heidrich, Susan M.; Tevaarwerk, Amye J.; Sesto, Mary E.

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND Research has identified barriers and facilitators affecting cancer survivors’ return to work (RTW) following the end of active treatment (surgery, chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy). However, few studies have focused on barriers and facilitators that cancer survivors experience while working during active treatment. Strategies used by cancer survivors to solve work-related problems during active treatment are underexplored. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to describe factors that impact, either positively or negatively, breast cancer survivors’ work activities during active treatment. METHODS Semi-structured, recorded interviews were conducted with 35 breast cancer survivors who worked during active treatment. Transcripts of interviews were analyzed using inductive content analysis to identify themes regarding work-related barriers, facilitators and strategies. RESULTS Barriers identified included symptoms, emotional distress, appearance change, time constraints, work characteristics, unsupportive supervisors and coworkers, family issues and other illness. Facilitators included positive aspects of work, support outside of work, and coworker and supervisor support. Strategies included activities to improve health-related issues and changes to working conditions and tasks. CONCLUSIONS Breast cancer survivors encounter various barriers during active treatment. Several facilitators and strategies can help survivors maintain productive work activities. PMID:28059814

Meaningful work and mental health: job satisfaction as a moderator.

PubMed

Allan, Blake A; Dexter, Chelsea; Kinsey, Rebecca; Parker, Shelby

2018-02-01

Depression, anxiety and stress are common problems for modern workers. Although having meaningful work, or work that is significant, facilitates personal growth, and contributes to the greater good, has been linked to better mental health, people's work might also need to be satisfying or enjoyable to improve outcomes. The purpose of the present study was to examine meaningful work's relation to mental health (i.e. depression, anxiety and stress) and investigate job satisfaction as a moderator of this relation. The study hypotheses were tested with a large, diverse sample recruited from an online source. Partially supporting hypotheses, when controlling for job satisfaction, meaningful work negatively correlated with depression but did not have a significant relation with anxiety and stress. Similarly, job satisfaction negatively predicted depression and stress. Furthermore, the relations between meaningful work and both anxiety and stress were moderated by job satisfaction. Specifically, only people perceiving their work as meaningful and satisfying reported less anxiety and stress. Although continued research is needed, employers and employees may have to target both the meaningfulness and job satisfaction to address the issues of stress and anxiety among working adults.

Infant feeding practices of working mothers in an urban area.

PubMed

Thimmayamma, B V; Vidyavati, M; Belavady, B

1980-12-01

Information on infant feeding practices was collected from 410 educated, working mothers in a urban area. The mean duration for breast feeding was 4.1 months. Early introduction of supplements was the rule. About 61% of mothers used commercial baby foods, though with certain problems. More than 90% of mothers considered breast milk as the best food for infants. About 63% expressed a desire to have more knowledge on their responsibilities and infant care. Working mothers found it difficult to work outside their homes and at the same time care for their infants, because of several problems. They preferred joint families for better child care. The majority of women wanted well-maintained creches, an incease in number and duration of breaks for nursing their infants, and the option of part-time work to help them give proper care to the children. The problems with commercial baby food concerned the proportion of water to powder, which most mothers (62.1%) found too high for the infant to digest. Creche facilities near the place of work were available to 27.8% of mothers. Only 20% used them. 72% of mothers who had no creche facilities used relatives, neighbors, or servants.

[Implementation and validation in the Italian context of the HSE management standards: a contribution to provide a practical model for the assessment of work-related stress].

PubMed

Iavicoli, S; Natali, E; Rondinone, B M; Castaldi, T; Persechino, B

2010-01-01

Over the last years, stress has been recognized as a potential work-related risk factor. Unfortunately, work-related stress is a very delicate subject, especially because it is difficult to assess it objectively and in broadly acceptable terms. In fact, work-related stress is a subjective personal response to a specific work environment, ad is of a multifactorial origin. In order to provide a practical tool for the assessment of work-related stress, the authors carried out a thorough benchmarking analysis of the various models to manage work stress problems adopted by EU countries. As a result, the authors have chosen to apply and implement the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Management Standards approach in the Italian context. In compliance with the European Framework Agreement signed on October 8, 2004, HSE Management Standards ask for the coordinated and integrated involvement of workers and safety personnel and represent a valid assessment approach based on principles widely acknowledged in the scientific literature.

Syndemic theory and HIV-related risk among young transgender women: the role of multiple, co-occurring health problems and social marginalization.

PubMed

Brennan, Julia; Kuhns, Lisa M; Johnson, Amy K; Belzer, Marvin; Wilson, Erin C; Garofalo, Robert

2012-09-01

We assessed whether multiple psychosocial factors are additive in their relationship to sexual risk behavior and self-reported HIV status (i.e., can be characterized as a syndemic) among young transgender women and the relationship of indicators of social marginalization to psychosocial factors. Participants (n = 151) were aged 15 to 24 years and lived in Chicago or Los Angeles. We collected data on psychosocial factors (low self-esteem, polysubstance use, victimization related to transgender identity, and intimate partner violence) and social marginalization indicators (history of commercial sex work, homelessness, and incarceration) through an interviewer-administered survey. Syndemic factors were positively and additively related to sexual risk behavior and self-reported HIV infection. In addition, our syndemic index was significantly related to 2 indicators of social marginalization: a history of sex work and previous incarceration. These findings provide evidence for a syndemic of co-occurring psychosocial and health problems in young transgender women, taking place in a context of social marginalization.

An analysis of spectral envelope-reduction via quadratic assignment problems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

George, Alan; Pothen, Alex

1994-01-01

A new spectral algorithm for reordering a sparse symmetric matrix to reduce its envelope size was described. The ordering is computed by associating a Laplacian matrix with the given matrix and then sorting the components of a specified eigenvector of the Laplacian. In this paper, we provide an analysis of the spectral envelope reduction algorithm. We described related 1- and 2-sum problems; the former is related to the envelope size, while the latter is related to an upper bound on the work involved in an envelope Cholesky factorization scheme. We formulate the latter two problems as quadratic assignment problems, and then study the 2-sum problem in more detail. We obtain lower bounds on the 2-sum by considering a projected quadratic assignment problem, and then show that finding a permutation matrix closest to an orthogonal matrix attaining one of the lower bounds justifies the spectral envelope reduction algorithm. The lower bound on the 2-sum is seen to be tight for reasonably 'uniform' finite element meshes. We also obtain asymptotically tight lower bounds for the envelope size for certain classes of meshes.

Health Status and Working Condition of Migrant Workers: Major Public Health Problems

PubMed Central

Bener, Abdulbari

2017-01-01

Background: Very little research and survey have been performed on the occupational health, hazards, and working condition of urban and rural of workers in Qatar. The aim of the current study is to identify the health status, lifestyle condition, working-related problems, and accidents experienced by Indian subcontinental migrants (ISCM) in Qatar and their access to health-care facilities. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study based on a representative sample of 1186 workers and study covering sociodemographic characteristics, medical conditions, and health-seeking behaviors and personal experience. Results: There were statistically significant differences between semi-urban and urban migrant workers in terms of educational, occupation, income, working hours, and accommodation type (P < 0.001). Furthermore, there were statistically significant differences between migrant workers in terms of body mass index, delay in receiving salary, the right to medical insurance and sick day entitlement, cigarettes and shisha smoking, amenities, having on-site safety measure, and sleeping hours (P < 0.01). Moreover, there were statistically significant differences between semi-urban and urban migrant workers in terms of pain, cardiopulmonary, gastrointestinal, and pseudoneurologic and medical symptoms (P < 0.01). Multiple logistic regression was used for predictors’ health problems in migrant workers such as the absence of drinking water, tap water availability, safety facility tools, occupational status, shisha smoking, toilet facility, working hours, and accommodation type were considered the strong predictors. Conclusions: The current study revealed that there is a lack of insufficient information for the migrants about their lifestyle, medical conditions, health risks, injury, and rights privilege in relation to legal working condition and health services. PMID:28966757

Health Status and Working Condition of Migrant Workers: Major Public Health Problems.

PubMed

Bener, Abdulbari

2017-01-01

Very little research and survey have been performed on the occupational health, hazards, and working condition of urban and rural of workers in Qatar. The aim of the current study is to identify the health status, lifestyle condition, working-related problems, and accidents experienced by Indian subcontinental migrants (ISCM) in Qatar and their access to health-care facilities. This is a cross-sectional study based on a representative sample of 1186 workers and study covering sociodemographic characteristics, medical conditions, and health-seeking behaviors and personal experience. There were statistically significant differences between semi-urban and urban migrant workers in terms of educational, occupation, income, working hours, and accommodation type ( P < 0.001). Furthermore, there were statistically significant differences between migrant workers in terms of body mass index, delay in receiving salary, the right to medical insurance and sick day entitlement, cigarettes and shisha smoking, amenities, having on-site safety measure, and sleeping hours ( P < 0.01). Moreover, there were statistically significant differences between semi-urban and urban migrant workers in terms of pain, cardiopulmonary, gastrointestinal, and pseudoneurologic and medical symptoms ( P < 0.01). Multiple logistic regression was used for predictors' health problems in migrant workers such as the absence of drinking water, tap water availability, safety facility tools, occupational status, shisha smoking, toilet facility, working hours, and accommodation type were considered the strong predictors. The current study revealed that there is a lack of insufficient information for the migrants about their lifestyle, medical conditions, health risks, injury, and rights privilege in relation to legal working condition and health services.

Healthy offshore workforce? A qualitative study on offshore wind employees' occupational strain, health, and coping.

PubMed

Mette, Janika; Velasco Garrido, Marcial; Harth, Volker; Preisser, Alexandra M; Mache, Stefanie

2018-01-23

Offshore work has been described as demanding and stressful. Despite this, evidence regarding the occupational strain, health, and coping behaviors of workers in the growing offshore wind industry in Germany is still limited. The purpose of our study was to explore offshore wind employees' perceptions of occupational strain and health, and to investigate their strategies for dealing with the demands of offshore work. We conducted 21 semi-structured telephone interviews with employees in the German offshore wind industry. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed in a deductive-inductive approach following Mayring's qualitative content analysis. Workers generally reported good mental and physical health. However, they also stated perceptions of stress at work, fatigue, difficulties detaching from work, and sleeping problems, all to varying extents. In addition, physical health impairment in relation to offshore work, e.g. musculoskeletal and gastrointestinal complaints, was documented. Employees described different strategies for coping with their job demands. The strategies comprised of both problem and emotion-focused approaches, and were classified as either work-related, health-related, or related to seeking social support. Our study is the first to investigate the occupational strain, health, and coping of workers in the expanding German offshore wind industry. The results offer new insights that can be utilized for future research in this field. In terms of practical implications, the findings suggest that measures should be carried out aimed at reducing occupational strain and health impairment among offshore wind workers. In addition, interventions should be initiated that foster offshore wind workers' health and empower them to further expand on effective coping strategies at their workplace.

Proposed declassification of disease categories related to sexual orientation in the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-11).

PubMed

Cochran, Susan D; Drescher, Jack; Kismödi, Eszter; Giami, Alain; García-Moreno, Claudia; Atalla, Elham; Marais, Adele; Vieira, Elisabeth Meloni; Reed, Geoffrey M

2014-09-01

The World Health Organization is developing the 11th revision of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-11), planned for publication in 2017. The Working Group on the Classification of Sexual Disorders and Sexual Health was charged with reviewing and making recommendations on disease categories related to sexuality in the chapter on mental and behavioural disorders in the 10th revision (ICD-10), published in 1990. This chapter includes categories for diagnoses based primarily on sexual orientation even though ICD-10 states that sexual orientation alone is not a disorder. This article reviews the scientific evidence and clinical rationale for continuing to include these categories in the ICD. A review of the evidence published since 1990 found little scientific interest in these categories. In addition, the Working Group found no evidence that they are clinically useful: they neither contribute to health service delivery or treatment selection nor provide essential information for public health surveillance. Moreover, use of these categories may create unnecessary harm by delaying accurate diagnosis and treatment. The Working Group recommends that these categories be deleted entirely from ICD-11. Health concerns related to sexual orientation can be better addressed using other ICD categories.

Proposed declassification of disease categories related to sexual orientation in the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-11)

PubMed Central

Drescher, Jack; Kismödi, Eszter; Giami, Alain; García-Moreno, Claudia; Atalla, Elham; Marais, Adele; Vieira, Elisabeth Meloni; Reed, Geoffrey M

2014-01-01

Abstract The World Health Organization is developing the 11th revision of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-11), planned for publication in 2017. The Working Group on the Classification of Sexual Disorders and Sexual Health was charged with reviewing and making recommendations on disease categories related to sexuality in the chapter on mental and behavioural disorders in the 10th revision (ICD-10), published in 1990. This chapter includes categories for diagnoses based primarily on sexual orientation even though ICD-10 states that sexual orientation alone is not a disorder. This article reviews the scientific evidence and clinical rationale for continuing to include these categories in the ICD. A review of the evidence published since 1990 found little scientific interest in these categories. In addition, the Working Group found no evidence that they are clinically useful: they neither contribute to health service delivery or treatment selection nor provide essential information for public health surveillance. Moreover, use of these categories may create unnecessary harm by delaying accurate diagnosis and treatment. The Working Group recommends that these categories be deleted entirely from ICD-11. Health concerns related to sexual orientation can be better addressed using other ICD categories. PMID:25378758

Longitudinal relationship of work hours, mandatory overtime, and on-call to musculoskeletal problems in nurses.

PubMed

Trinkoff, Alison M; Le, Rong; Geiger-Brown, Jeanne; Lipscomb, Jane; Lang, Gary

2006-11-01

Nurses are at very high risk for work-related musculoskeletal injury/disorders (MSD) with low back pain/injury being the most frequently occurring MSD. Nurses are also likely to work extended schedules (long hours, on-call, mandatory overtime, working on days off). The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of extended work schedules in nurses to MSD. Using a longitudinal, three wave survey of 2,617 registered nurses, Wave 1 work schedule data were related to neck, shoulder, and back (MSD) cases occurring in Waves 2 or 3. Schedule characteristics increasing MSD risk included 13+ hour/days, off-shifts, weekend work, work during time off (while sick, on days off, without breaks), and overtime/on-call. These increases in risk were not explained by psychological demands, but were largely explained by physical demands. Adverse schedules are significantly related to nurse MSD. Healthier schedules, less overtime, and reducing work on days off would minimize risk and recovery time. Copyright (c) 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Workplace phobia, workplace problems, and work ability among primary care patients with chronic mental disorders.

PubMed

Muschalla, Beate; Linden, Michael

2014-01-01

Work-related anxieties are frequent and have a negative effect on the occupational performance of patients and absence due to sickness. Most important is workplace phobia, that is, panic when approaching or even thinking of the workplace. This study is the first to estimate the prevalence of workplace phobia among primary care patients suffering from chronic mental disorders and to describe which illness-related or workplace-specific context factors are associated with workplace phobia. A convenience sample of 288 primary care patients with chronic mental disorders (70% women) seen by 40 primary care clinicians in Germany were assessed using a standardized diagnostic interview about mental disorders and workplace problems. Workplace phobia was assessed by the Workplace Phobia Scale and a structured Diagnostic and Statical Manual of Mental Disorders-based diagnostic interview. In addition, capacity and participation restrictions, illness severity, and sick leave were assessed. Workplace phobia was found in 10% of patients with chronic mental disorders, that is, approximately about 3% of all general practice patients. Patients with workplace phobia had longer durations of sick leave than patients without workplace phobia and were impaired to a higher degree in work-relevant capacities. They also had a higher degree of restrictions in participation in other areas of life. Workplace phobia seems to be a frequent problem in primary care. It may behoove primary care clinicians to consider workplace-related anxiety, including phobia, particularly when patients ask for a work excuse for nonspecific somatic complaints. © Copyright 2014 by the American Board of Family Medicine.

A serial mediation model of workplace social support on work productivity: the role of self-stigma and job tenure self-efficacy in people with severe mental disorders.

PubMed

Villotti, Patrizia; Corbière, Marc; Dewa, Carolyn S; Fraccaroli, Franco; Sultan-Taïeb, Hélène; Zaniboni, Sara; Lecomte, Tania

2017-09-12

Compared to groups with other disabilities, people with a severe mental illness face the greatest stigma and barriers to employment opportunities. This study contributes to the understanding of the relationship between workplace social support and work productivity in people with severe mental illness working in Social Enterprises by taking into account the mediating role of self-stigma and job tenure self-efficacy. A total of 170 individuals with a severe mental disorder employed in a Social Enterprise filled out questionnaires assessing personal and work-related variables at Phase-1 (baseline) and Phase-2 (6-month follow-up). Process modeling was used to test for serial mediation. In the Social Enterprise workplace, social support yields better perceptions of work productivity through lower levels of internalized stigma and higher confidence in facing job-related problems. When testing serial multiple mediations, the specific indirect effect of high workplace social support on work productivity through both low internalized stigma and high job tenure self-efficacy was significant with a point estimate of 1.01 (95% CI = 0.42, 2.28). Continued work in this area can provide guidance for organizations in the open labor market addressing the challenges posed by the work integration of people with severe mental illness. Implications for Rehabilitation: Work integration of people with severe mental disorders is difficult because of limited access to supportive and nondiscriminatory workplaces. Social enterprise represents an effective model for supporting people with severe mental disorders to integrate the labor market. In the social enterprise workplace, social support yields better perceptions of work productivity through lower levels of internalized stigma and higher confidence in facing job-related problems.

Does distraction facilitate problem-focused coping with job stress? A 1 year longitudinal study.

PubMed

Shimazu, Akihito; Schaufeli, Wilmar B

2007-10-01

This study examined the sole and combined effects of problem-focused coping and distraction on employee well-being (i.e., stress responses and job performance) using two-wave panel survey data with a 1-year time lag. Participants were 488 male employees, who worked for a construction machinery company in western Japan. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine whether distraction moderates the relationship of problem-focused coping with well-being. More use of problem-focused coping was negatively related to subsequent stress responses among those high in distraction. The combination of high problem-focused coping and high distraction was positively related to subsequent job performance, although it was limited only to the high job stress situation. Results suggest that the combination of high problem-focused coping and high distraction may lead to lower stress responses and better performance (but only in high job stress situations for performance) than the combination of high problem-focused coping and low distraction, at least for male blue-collar workers.

Surveillance for work-related audiological disease in the UK: 1998-2006.

PubMed

Money, A; Carder, M; Turner, S; Hussey, L; Agius, R

2011-06-01

Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) from prolonged occupational exposure to noise continues to rank among the top worldwide work-related ill-health problems. To provide an overview of incident cases based on work-related audiological ill-health data collected over a 9-year period from occupational physicians (OPs), audiological physicians (APs), general practitioners and otorhinolaryngologists. Analysis of numerator data reported by physicians to surveillance schemes within The Health and Occupation Reporting network (THOR). The actual cases were multiplied by the sampling ratio to provide estimated numerator numbers, followed by calculation of incidence rates using denominator data derived from the Labour Force Survey and from surveys of participating OPs. Two thousand five hundred and eighty-two estimated cases (2584 estimated diagnoses) were received from OPs (Occupational Physicians Reporting Activity [OPRA]), and 2192 estimated cases (3208 estimated diagnoses) of work-related audiological ill-health were received from consultant APs [Occupational Surveillance Scheme for Audiological physicians (OSSA)] from 1998 to 2006. Cases where the causal agent was noise exposure (NIHL and tinnitus) made up of 95 and 97% of all cases reported to OPRA and OSSA, respectively. The annual average incidence rate for noise-induced audiological disorders was 7.9 [95% confidence interval (CI) 4.6-11.1] per 100 000 persons employed (OPRA) and 0.8 (95% CI 0.7-1.0) per 100 000 persons employed (OSSA). Workers with the highest incidence were older males employed in public administration and defence and the manufacture of metals. THOR data show that diagnoses related to work-related noise exposure (NIHL/tinnitus), as reported to THOR, remain important health problems, despite preventive measures being in place.

Radiological clinical trials: Proposal of a problem-finding questionnaire to improve study success.

PubMed

Valdora, Francesca; Bignotti, Bianca; Calabrese, Massimo; Houssami, Nehmat; Tagliafico, Alberto

2016-12-26

To develop a survey to help define the main problems in radiological clinical trials. Since 2006, we have managed seven different radiological clinical trials recruiting patients in academic and non-academic centres. We developed a preliminary questionnaire using a four-round Delphi approach to identify problems occurring in radiological clinical trials run at our centre. We investigated the recruitment experience, involvement of all multi-disciplinary team members and main obstacles to completing the projects. A final round of Delphi processes elucidated solutions to the identified problems. Among 19/20 (95%) respondents, 10 (53%) were young physicians (under 35 years old), and the respondents included non-faculty members, fellows, residents, and undergraduate students. Ninety-four percent (18/19) of respondents showed interest in conducting clinical trials. On a scale of 1 to 10, the problems with higher/worse scores (8-9) were related to technical or communication problems. The most frequent problems across all studies were technical problems related to clinical trial equipment, insufficient willingness to participate, obstacles to understanding the design of electronic-case report form and extra work. The developed questionnaire identified the main recurring problems in radiological clinical trials as perceived by end-users and helped define possible solutions that are mostly related to having dedicated clinical trial research staff.

Work-family conflict and employee psychiatric disorders: the National Comorbidity Survey.

PubMed

Frone, M R

2000-12-01

This study examined the relation between work-family conflict and several types of psychiatric disorders: mood, anxiety, substance dependence, and substance abuse. Survey data were obtained from a representative national sample of 2,700 employed adults who were either married or the parent of a child 18 years old or younger. Hierarchical logistic regression analyses revealed that both work-to-family and family-to-work conflict were positively related to having a mood, anxiety, and substance dependence disorder. Depending on the type of work-family conflict and type of disorder, employees who reported experiencing work-family conflict often were 1.99-29.66 times more likely than were employees who reported no work-family conflict to experience a clinically significant mental health problem. No support was found for gender differences.

Working Papers in Dialogue Modeling, Volume 2.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mann, William C.; And Others

The technical working papers that comprise the two volumes of this document are related to the problem of creating a valid process model of human communication in dialogue. In Volume 2, the first paper concerns study methodology, and raises such issues as the choice between system-building and process-building, and the advantages of studying cases…

How Safe Are You at Work? Occupational Health and Safety Issues for School Counsellors.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Low, John A.

Schools are becoming increasingly violent places. This workshop presentation examines ways to improve counselor facilities and to enhance work safety. Client populations for school counselors have changed significantly in recent times as school administrators refer more welfare related problems for help. Although violent attacks on counselors may…

Ethics and Engineering. Working Papers Series Volume 2.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cutcliffe, Stephen H., Ed.

This collection of essays is the second volume in a series of working papers from Lehigh University Technology Studies Resource Center. The papers focus on the ethical implications of engineering as a profession and the current problems associated with the public responsibility of engineers. Issues that relate to the ethical dimensions of…

Health Risks Faced by Public School Band Directors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woolery, Danielle N.; Woolery, Jesse A.

2013-01-01

Public school band directors face many work-related hazards in their grueling, yet rewarding job. As a school year progresses, directors are expected to work long hours, while trying to balance professional and personal responsibilities. A band director whose career spans multiple decades can potentially face a number of serious medical problems.…

Interdisciplinary Research Index on Play: A Guide to the Literature.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sleet, David A.

This bibliography has as its chief aim: 1) expanding the availability of work related to the theory and research on play through topical listings of books and disciplines; 2) facilitating retrieval of cogent works on play through topical listings of books and articles in specialized disciplines; 3) exposing common research problems and innovative…

Reducing Bureaucratic Burdens on Lecturers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martinez, Paul; Pepler, Giles

2000-01-01

Administrative demands in further education in Britain are heavy and unrelenting throughout the year; most work related directly to students and could not be cut. A survey of 84 colleges, and in-depth work with 10 colleges, yield an analysis of background and problems. Almost two-thirds of administrative tasks are paper based; almost one-third…

Nonindustrial forest landowner research: A synthesis and new directions

Treesearch

Gregory S. Amacher; M. Christine Conway; J. Sullivan

2004-01-01

In this chapter, we review recent empirical work related to the economics of nonindustrial forest landowner behavior, discuss emerging problems involving these landowners, and suggest topics for future research. Before the late 1980s, most work in this area was aimed at identifying variables affecting reforestation or harvesting decisions. Recently, researchers have...

Galilean Relativity and the Work-Kinetic Energy Theorem

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tefft, Brandon J.; Tefft, James A.

2007-01-01

As the topic of relativity is developed in a first-year physics class, there seems to be a tendency to move as quickly as possible to the fascinating ideas set forth in Einstein's special theory of relativity. In this paper we linger a little with the Galilean side of relativity and discuss an intriguing problem and its solution to illustrate a…

Project-based teaching in health informatics: a course on health care quality improvement.

PubMed

Moehr, J R; Berenji, G R; Green, C J; Kagolovsky, Y

2001-01-01

Teaching the skills and knowledge required in health informatics [1] is a challenge because the skill of applying knowledge in real life requires practice. We relate the experience with introducing a practice component to a course in "Health Care Quality Improvement". Working health care professionals were invited to bring an actual quality problem from their place of work and to work alongside students in running the problem through a quality improvement project lifecycle. Multiple technological and process oriented teaching innovations were employed including project sessions in observation rooms, video recording of these sessions, generation of demonstration examples and distance education components. Both students and their collaborators from the work place developed proficiency in applying quality improvement methods as well as in experiencing the realities of group processes, information gaps and organizational constraints. The principles used to achieve high involvement of the whole class, the employed resources and technical support are described. The resulting academic and practical achievements are discussed in relation to the alternative instructional modalities, and with respect to didactic implications for similar endeavors and beyond to other fields such as systems engineering.

The use of equipment and training practices and the prevalence of owner-reported ridden behaviour problems in UK leisure horses.

PubMed

Hockenhull, J; Creighton, E

2013-01-01

UK leisure horses are owned primarily for riding. Ridden behaviour problems may compromise the use of the horse in this role and lead to harsh redress or relinquishment of the horse. Despite the consequences of these problems little is known about their prevalence or the working lives of UK leisure horses. To generate data on the work undertaken by leisure horses, the equipment and training practices used with them and prevalence of ridden behaviour problems. An internet survey was used to generate horse-level data from a convenience sample of leisure horse carers. Respondents were asked to report on their practices in the week prior to the survey's completion to minimise recall bias. The survey was online for one year to allow for seasonal variation in practices. Data were collected on the tack and equipment used on the horse, the regularity that professional services (e.g. farriers) were used, type of training employed and frequency the owner reported that horse displayed 15 ridden behaviour problems. The survey generated data on 1326 individual horses. Data describing practices relating to the horse's working life are presented. Ridden behaviour problems were reported in 91% of horses in the week preceding data collection. Descriptive data on the working lives of UK leisure horses provides valuable baseline statistics for this largest section of the UK horse population. High prevalence of owner-reported ridden behaviour problems represents a concern in such leisure horses and may indicate significant rider safety and horse welfare concerns. © 2012 EVJ Ltd.

Education and disability pension: a stronger association than previously found.

PubMed

Bruusgaard, Dag; Smeby, Lisbeth; Claussen, Bjørgulf

2010-11-01

Although the Norwegian Welfare Law includes rigorous medical criteria for granting disability pensions, several non-medical factors have been shown to be associated with and possible causal factors of pensioning. We analysed the relationship between disability pension and detailed information on educational attainment in different diagnostic groups. All ethnic Norwegians aged 18-66 years and alive on 31 December 2003 (n = 2,522,430) were included. Age, sex, the receipt of a disability pension on 31 December 2003, and the diagnosis on the medical certificate were taken from a national social security file. The file also included six levels of education: primary school, low-level secondary school, secondary school, low-level university, university, and research level. We found a dramatic increase in the prevalence of persons granted disability pension with decreasing years of education across all levels of education. The disparities were much stronger than those seen for other health-related parameters and were especially strong for those with musculoskeletal diagnoses. The disability pension is more a consequence of health problems than a proxy for health status. The demonstrated relationship between education and disability pension may be partly explained by exclusion from the work force because of health-related work problems. To facilitate a more inclusive working life, attention should be focused on the work place's capacity to include people with different levels of competence and functioning rather than on the health problems of the employees.

Association between workaholism and sleep problems among hospital nurses.

PubMed

Kubota, Kazumi; Shimazu, Akihito; Kawakami, Norito; Takahashi, Masaya; Nakata, Akinori; Schaufeli, Wilmar B

2010-01-01

The present study examined the association between workaholism, the tendency to work excessively hard in a compulsive fashion, and sleep problems among Japanese nurses. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 600 nurses from 2 university hospitals in Japan using a self-reported questionnaire on workaholism, sleep, job-related variables (i.e., job demands, job control, and worksite support), and demographic variables. A total of 394 nurses returned the questionnaire (response rate=65.7%) and complete data from 312 female nurses were used for analyses (final coverage rate=52.0%). Workaholics, as measured using the Japanese version of the Dutch Workaholism Scale, were defined as those having high scores on both the "work excessively" and "work compulsively" subscales. Logistic regression analyses revealed that workaholics had higher risks for sleep problems in terms of subjective sleep insufficiency, excessive daytime sleepiness at work, difficulty awakening in the morning, and feeling tired when waking up in the morning (odds ratios [OR] of 4.40, 3.18, 3.48, and 4.61, respectively, p<0.05). These remained significant even after adjusting for demographic and job-related variables (OR 3.41, 5.36, 2.56, and 2.77, respectively). However, no significant associations were found between workaholism and insomnia symptoms. These results suggest that workaholic nurses had higher risks for impaired awakening, insufficient sleep, and workplace sleepiness.

Integrating qualitative methods into occupational health research: a study of women flight attendants

PubMed Central

Ballard, T; Corradi, L; Lauria, L; Mazzanti, C; Scaravelli, G; Sgorbissa, F; Romito, P; Verdecchia, A

2004-01-01

Aims: To identify possible work related sources of psychosocial stress in order to develop pertinent questionnaire items for a cross-sectional health survey of 3000 Italian women flight attendants, and to solicit suggestions on improving survey participation. Methods: Qualitative study in which 26 current and former women flight attendants participated: three focus groups of 6–7 participants each and six in-depth individual interviews. The session themes included positive and negative aspects of the job; relationships with colleagues, superiors, and passengers; perception of occupational risk for serious diseases; compatibility of work and family; and experiences of work related sources of stress and their effect on health. A transcript based analysis of the focus groups and interviews was used to identify emerging themes related to risk factors for mental health problems. Results: The participants indicated that mental health was a major concern. Several work related risk factors possibly related to adverse outcomes, such as depression and anxiety, were highlighted. These included isolation and solitude, fears of being inadequate partners and mothers due to job demands, passenger relationships, and lack of protection by employers with respect to workplace exposures and violent passengers. The information gained was used to develop a mental health module for inclusion in the health survey questionnaire which included questions on history of severe depression or anxiety, suicidal ideation or attempt, substance abuse, workplace sexual harassment, social support, leisure time activities, relationship with a partner, and role as mother. Conclusions: Employing qualitative methods to identify work related sources of psychosocial stress enabled development of pertinent questionnaire items for a cross-sectional epidemiological study of women flight attendants. Follow up qualitative research may be necessary in order to put the cross-sectional study findings into context and to explore actions or strategies for preventing work related health problems evidenced from the survey. PMID:14739383

Health problems lead to considerable productivity loss at work among workers with high physical load jobs.

PubMed

Meerding, W J; IJzelenberg, W; Koopmanschap, M A; Severens, J L; Burdorf, A

2005-05-01

To assess the feasibility and validity of two instruments for the measurement of health-related productivity loss at work. A cross-sectional study was conducted in two occupational populations with a high prevalence of health problems: industrial workers (n=388) and construction workers (n=182). We collected information on self-reported productivity during the previous 2 weeks and during the last work day with the Health and Labor Questionnaire (HLQ) and the Quantity and Quality instrument (QQ), with added data on job characteristics, general health, presence of musculoskeletal complaints, sick leave, and health-care consumption. For construction workers, we validated self-reported productivity with objective information on daily work output from 19 work site observations. About half the workers with health problems on the last working day reported reduced work productivity (QQ), or 10.7% of all industrial workers and 11.8% of all construction workers, resulting in a mean loss of 2.0 hr/day per worker with reduced work productivity. The proportion of workers with reduced productivity was significantly lower on the HLQ: 5.3% of industrial workers and 6.5% of construction workers. Reduced work productivity on the HLQ and the QQ was significantly associated with musculoskeletal complaints, worse physical, mental and general health, and recent absenteeism. The QQ and HLQ questionnaires demonstrated poor agreement on the reporting of reduced productivity. Self-reported productivity on the QQ correlated significantly with objective work output (r=.48). Health problems may lead to considerable sickness presenteeism. The QQ measurement instrument is better understandable, and more feasible for jobs with low opportunities for catching up on backlogs.

Problems related to the integration of fault tolerant aircraft electronic systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bannister, J. A.; Adlakha, V.; Triyedi, K.; Alspaugh, T. A., Jr.

1982-01-01

Problems related to the design of the hardware for an integrated aircraft electronic system are considered. Taxonomies of concurrent systems are reviewed and a new taxonomy is proposed. An informal methodology intended to identify feasible regions of the taxonomic design space is described. Specific tools are recommended for use in the methodology. Based on the methodology, a preliminary strawman integrated fault tolerant aircraft electronic system is proposed. Next, problems related to the programming and control of inegrated aircraft electronic systems are discussed. Issues of system resource management, including the scheduling and allocation of real time periodic tasks in a multiprocessor environment, are treated in detail. The role of software design in integrated fault tolerant aircraft electronic systems is discussed. Conclusions and recommendations for further work are included.

The Role of Personal and Job Resources in the Relationship between Psychosocial Job Demands, Mental Strain, and Health Problems

PubMed Central

Mayerl, Hannes; Stolz, Erwin; Waxenegger, Anja; Rásky, Éva; Freidl, Wolfgang

2016-01-01

Recent research highlights the importance of both job resources and personal resources in the job demands-resources model. However, the results of previous studies on how these resources are related to each other and how they operate in relation to the health-impairment process of the job demands-resources model are ambiguous. Thus, the authors tested an alternative model, considering job and personal resources to be domains of the same underlying factor and linking this factor to the health-impairment process. Survey data of two Austrian occupational samples (N1 = 8657 and N2 = 9536) were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modeling (SEM). The results revealed that job and personal resources can be considered as indicators of a single resources factor which was negatively related to psychosocial job demands, mental strain, and health problems. Confirming previous studies, we further found that mental strain mediated the relationship between psychosocial job demands and health problems. Our findings suggest that interventions aimed at maintaining health in the context of work may take action on three levels: (1) the prevention of extensive job demands, (2) the reduction of work-related mental strain, and (3) the strengthening of resources. PMID:27582717

Energy Related Careers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Texas A and M Univ., College Station. Coll. of Education.

This publication serves as an introduction for high school students to energy related careers. Descriptions of type of work, education and skills needed for engineering, communication, business, and science careers that have the most direct involvement with the nation's energy problems are given. The purpose of this document is to guide interested…

Ground-water problems in highway construction and maintenance

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rasmussen, W.C.; Haigler, L.B.

1953-01-01

This report discusses the occurrence of ground water in relation to certain problems in highway construction and maintenance. These problems are: the subdrainage of roads; quicksand; the arrest of soil creep in road cuts; the construction of lower and larger culverts necessitated by the farm-drainage program; the prevention of failure of bridge abutments and retaining walls; and the water-cement ratio of sub-water-table concrete. Although the highway problems and suggested solutions are of general interest, they are considered with special reference to the State of Delaware, in relation to the geology of that State. The new technique of soil stabilization by electroosmosis is reviewed in the hope that it might find application here in road work and pile setting, field application by the Germans and Russians is reviewed.

Connected Component Model for Multi-Object Tracking.

PubMed

He, Zhenyu; Li, Xin; You, Xinge; Tao, Dacheng; Tang, Yuan Yan

2016-08-01

In multi-object tracking, it is critical to explore the data associations by exploiting the temporal information from a sequence of frames rather than the information from the adjacent two frames. Since straightforwardly obtaining data associations from multi-frames is an NP-hard multi-dimensional assignment (MDA) problem, most existing methods solve this MDA problem by either developing complicated approximate algorithms, or simplifying MDA as a 2D assignment problem based upon the information extracted only from adjacent frames. In this paper, we show that the relation between associations of two observations is the equivalence relation in the data association problem, based on the spatial-temporal constraint that the trajectories of different objects must be disjoint. Therefore, the MDA problem can be equivalently divided into independent subproblems by equivalence partitioning. In contrast to existing works for solving the MDA problem, we develop a connected component model (CCM) by exploiting the constraints of the data association and the equivalence relation on the constraints. Based upon CCM, we can efficiently obtain the global solution of the MDA problem for multi-object tracking by optimizing a sequence of independent data association subproblems. Experiments on challenging public data sets demonstrate that our algorithm outperforms the state-of-the-art approaches.

The Effects of Stress on Pilot Judgment in a MIDIS Simulator

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-02-01

stress were relatively independent of problem demands for working memory and knowledge. Keywords: Decision making; Stress psychology; Pilot judgment; Divided attention; Cognitive task analysis ; Flight simulators.

Industrial relations: workings of the maintenance strike.

PubMed

Davidson, N

1978-11-10

The frustrations leading to the maintenance dispute go back four years. Author highlights the NHS's inability to handle internal disagreements, and the problems of a bureaucratic and politically-directed profession.

Employment status and work-related difficulties in lung cancer survivors compared with the general population.

PubMed

Kim, Young Ae; Yun, Young Ho; Chang, Yoon Jung; Lee, Jongmog; Kim, Moon Soo; Lee, Hyun-Sung; Zo, Jae Ill; Kim, Jhingook; Choi, Yong Soo; Shim, Young Mog; Yoon, Seok-Jun

2014-03-01

To investigate the employment status of lung cancer survivors and the work-related problems they face. Although the number of lung cancer survivors is increasing, little is known about their employment and work-related issues. We enrolled 830 lung cancer survivors 12 months after lung cancer curative surgery (median time after diagnosis, 4.11 years) and 1000 volunteers from the general population. All participants completed the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire, Core 30-item and a questionnaire that included items relating to their jobs. We used logistic regression analysis to identify independent predictors of unemployment. The employment rate of lung cancer survivors decreased from 68.6% at the time of diagnosis to 38.8% after treatment, which was significantly lower than the employment rate of the general population (63.5%; adjusted odds ratio = 2.31, 95% confidence interval: 1.66-3.22). The posttreatment unemployment rate was higher for women than for men. Among survivors, employment was inversely associated with older age, household income, number of comorbidities, and poor social functioning. Fatigue (78.6%) was the most common work-related problem reported by survivors. Lung cancer survivors experienced more difficulties in employment than did the general population. Age, monthly household income, number of comorbidities, and social functioning appear to be important factors influencing employment status. These findings suggest that lung cancer survivors need support to cope with the financial impact of cancer.

EMAS recommendations for conditions in the workplace for menopausal women.

PubMed

Griffiths, Amanda; Ceausu, Iuliana; Depypere, Herman; Lambrinoudaki, Irene; Mueck, Alfred; Pérez-López, Faustino R; van der Schouw, Yvonne T; Senturk, Levent M; Simoncini, Tommaso; Stevenson, John C; Stute, Petra; Rees, Margaret

2016-03-01

Women form a large part of many workforces throughout Europe. Many will be working throughout their menopausal years. Whilst the menopause may cause no significant problems for some, for others it is known to present considerable difficulties in both their personal and working lives. During the menopausal transition women report that fatigue and difficulties with memory and concentration can have a negative impact on their working lives. Furthermore, hot flushes can be a source of embarrassment and distress. Some consider that these symptoms can impact on their performance. Greater awareness among employers, together with sensitive and flexible management can be helpful for women at this time. Particular strategies might include: fostering a culture whereby employees feel comfortable disclosing health problems, allowing flexible working, reducing sources of work-related stress, providing easy access to cold drinking water and toilets, and reviewing workplace temperature and ventilation. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Meeting the Challenge: The Educational Preparation of Social Workers for Practice with At-Risk Children (0-3) and Their Families.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nover, Aimee R.; Timberlake, Elizabeth M.

1989-01-01

The social work practice arena and professional preparation are described as they relate to infants and young children vulnerable to developmental problems and problems of psychosocial dysfunction. Curriculum structure of accredited Master's degree programs and the model curriculum project of the National Catholic School of Social Service are…

Evaluation of scheduling techniques for payload activity planning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bullington, Stanley F.

1991-01-01

Two tasks related to payload activity planning and scheduling were performed. The first task involved making a comparison of space mission activity scheduling problems with production scheduling problems. The second task consisted of a statistical analysis of the output of runs of the Experiment Scheduling Program (ESP). Details of the work which was performed on these two tasks are presented.

RuHe DuiDai WanMei ZhuYi De XueSheng (Working with Perfectionist Students). ERIC Digest.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brophy, Jere

Perfectionist students are not satisfied with merely doing well or even with doing better than their peers. They are satisfied only if they have done a job perfectly. Problems associated with forms of perfectionism that focus on seeking success are relatively minor, but problems associated with forms of perfectionism that focus on avoiding failure…

Air Quality and Stationary Source Emission Control; Committee on Public Works, Senate, Ninety-Fourth Congress, First Session. [Committee Print.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Academy of Sciences - National Research Council, Washington, DC.

This report reviews the problems of sulfur oxide emissions and nitrogen oxide emissions from stationary sources. The first part of the report discusses the adverse consequences to health from combustion of sulfur-containing fossil fuels. The health problem is discussed by relating sulfur oxide levels and respirable particulate matter with…

Divorce Motives in a Period of Rising Divorce: Evidence from a Dutch Life-History Survey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Graaf, Paul M.; Kalmijn, Matthijs

2006-01-01

Using survey data on 1,718 ever-divorced men and women in the Netherlands, the authors describe the motives people give for their divorce. The authors distinguish motives regarding three types of issues: relational issues, behavioral problems, and problems about work and the division of labor. They observe three important trends: the normalization…

Maternal Work Absence: A Longitudinal Study of Language Impairment and Behavior Problems in Preschool Children

PubMed Central

Nes, Ragnhild B.; Hauge, Lars J.; Kornstad, Tom; Landolt, Markus A.; Irgens, Lorentz; Eskedal, Leif; Kristensen, Petter; Vollrath, Margarete E.

2015-01-01

Combining work and family responsibilities is challenging when children have special needs, and mothers commonly make employment-related adjustments. In this study, the authors examined associations between maternal work absence and child language impairment and behavior problems in preschool children. Questionnaire data at child age 3 years from 33,778 mothers participating in the prospective population-based Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study were linked to national register data on employment and long-term physician-certified sick leave at child age 3–5 years. Mothers who reported having a child with language impairment had a consistently higher risk of not being employed and were at increased risk of taking long-term sick leave at child age 5 years. Co-occurring problems were associated with excess risk. Language impairments in preschool children, in particular when they are co-occurring with behavior problems, are likely to have a range of negative short- and long-term consequences for the financial and overall health and well-being of mothers and their families. PMID:27087703

Motor activity as a way of preventing musculoskeletal problems in string musicians.

PubMed

Wilke, Christiane; Priebus, Julian; Biallas, Bianca; Froböse, Ingo

2011-03-01

The health status of performing artists, especially musicians, was not an issue for medical research until the 1980s. Musicians tend to suffer from health-related problems, as playing an instrument demands long and intensive practice. This paper provides a literature review of health problems of string players in particular. It analyzes whether their problems are playing-related or if various parameters potentially influence their health state, and it subsequently presents a concept of efficient training. Health disorders and diseases are individual. In order to ensure efficient prevention, a profile of qualification, including physical and psychological aspects as well as key skills, allows developing an individual training schedule and thus should be included in the process of prevention. Physical performance plays a decisive role and is more important than commonly thought. Strength, endurance, and flexibility in particular have an immense influence on the musician's performance. Playing an instrument requires both physical and mental skills, and all too often this leads to excessive demands. It is necessary to highlight the possible causes and provide the musician with a therapeutic intervention and educational work. As the demand for preventative work in this field grows steadily, this paper draws a detailed concept of a therapeutic intervention.

Training of Engineering Personnel for the Innovative Coal Industry: Problems and Ways of Solution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zaruba, Natalya; Fraltsova, Tamara; Snegireva, Tatyana

2017-11-01

The article is written based on some results of the long-term scientific research of the problem related to the urgent need to find the ways of training personnel for the innovative coal industry in the higher education system. This is due to the fundamental changes in the Russian social and economic conditions: the change in the social system and the owner of the coal industry, the emergence of new technologies in the field of coal mining and processing, and in the management of these processes. At the same time, the system of training specialists for the coal industry in the higher education institutions has largely remained unchanged: technologies and principles of training, scientific approaches and concepts take little account of the changed situation, traditional views of specialists work-ing in the university continue to dominate innovative ideas. Many innovations, especially related to technology and the principles of education, struggle to make their way into the higher education system. The article substantiates the urgency of the problem of training personnel for the innovative coal industry in the higher education system, as well as the importance of scientific analysis of the problem in order to find the ways to solve it.

Factors influencing pharmacist performance: a review of the peer-reviewed literature.

PubMed

Schafheutle, Ellen Ingrid; Seston, Elizabeth Mary; Hassell, Karen

2011-10-01

To undertake a review of peer-reviewed literature to explore factors affecting pharmacists' performance. The following databases were searched: Medline, Embase, Scopus, ISI Web of Knowledge and PsychInfo. Inclusion criteria were: English language only, published between 1990 and 2010 and published in the United Kingdom (UK), United States of America (USA), Canada, Australia, New Zealand or Europe. The search strategy identified 37 items. The review found that there was some evidence to suggest that pharmacists with certain characteristics (e.g. being male, being of ethnic minority origin, working in community pharmacy and having trained overseas) were more likely to experience performance problems. Factors relating to workload and work environment were associated with performance problems, particularly in relation to errors. There was some limited evidence to suggest that experiencing problems with alcohol or drugs could negatively impact on pharmacists' performance. The findings suggest that pharmacist performance may be affected by multiple factors, including personal characteristics such as age, gender, ethnicity, place of primary qualification, factors associated with the workplace and mental and physical health problems. The evidence is not unequivocal and gaps in the literature exist, suggesting that pharmacist performance is an under-researched area. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Problem-based learning on quantitative analytical chemistry course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fitri, Noor

2017-12-01

This research applies problem-based learning method on chemical quantitative analytical chemistry, so called as "Analytical Chemistry II" course, especially related to essential oil analysis. The learning outcomes of this course include aspects of understanding of lectures, the skills of applying course materials, and the ability to identify, formulate and solve chemical analysis problems. The role of study groups is quite important in improving students' learning ability and in completing independent tasks and group tasks. Thus, students are not only aware of the basic concepts of Analytical Chemistry II, but also able to understand and apply analytical concepts that have been studied to solve given analytical chemistry problems, and have the attitude and ability to work together to solve the problems. Based on the learning outcome, it can be concluded that the problem-based learning method in Analytical Chemistry II course has been proven to improve students' knowledge, skill, ability and attitude. Students are not only skilled at solving problems in analytical chemistry especially in essential oil analysis in accordance with local genius of Chemistry Department, Universitas Islam Indonesia, but also have skilled work with computer program and able to understand material and problem in English.

[Life satisfaction and related socio-demographic factors during female midlife].

PubMed

Cuadros, José Luis; Pérez-Roncero, Gonzalo R; López-Baena, María Teresa; Cuadros-Celorrio, Angela M; Fernández-Alonso, Ana María

2014-01-01

To assess life satisfaction and related factors in middle-aged Spanish women. This was a cross-sectional study including 235 women aged 40 to 65, living in Granada (Spain), healthy companions of patients visiting the obstetrics and gynecology clinics. They completed the Diener Satisfaction with Life Scale, the Menopause Rating Scale, the Perceived Stress Scale, the Insomnia Severity Index and a sociodemographic questionnaire containing personal and partner data. Internal consistency of each tool was also calculated. Almost two-thirds (61.3%) of the women were postmenopausal, and 43.8% had abdominal obesity, 36.6% had insomnia, 18.7% had poor menopause-related quality of life, 31.9% performed regular exercise, and 5.1% had severe financial problems. Life satisfaction showed significant positive correlations (Spearman's test) with female and male age, and inverse correlations with menopause-related quality of life, perceived stress and insomnia. In the multiple linear regression analysis, high life satisfaction is positively correlated with having a partner who performed exercise, and inversely with having work problems, perceived stress and the suspicion of partner infidelity. These factors explained 40% of the variance of the multiple regression analysis for life satisfaction in middle-aged women. Life satisfaction is a construct related to perceived stress, work problems, and having a partner, while aspects of menopause and general health had no significant influence. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Self-Adaptive Stepsize Search Applied to Optimal Structural Design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nolle, L.; Bland, J. A.

Structural engineering often involves the design of space frames that are required to resist predefined external forces without exhibiting plastic deformation. The weight of the structure and hence the weight of its constituent members has to be as low as possible for economical reasons without violating any of the load constraints. Design spaces are usually vast and the computational costs for analyzing a single design are usually high. Therefore, not every possible design can be evaluated for real-world problems. In this work, a standard structural design problem, the 25-bar problem, has been solved using self-adaptive stepsize search (SASS), a relatively new search heuristic. This algorithm has only one control parameter and therefore overcomes the drawback of modern search heuristics, i.e. the need to first find a set of optimum control parameter settings for the problem at hand. In this work, SASS outperforms simulated-annealing, genetic algorithms, tabu search and ant colony optimization.

What is the problem in problem-based learning in higher education mathematics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dahl, Bettina

2018-01-01

Problem and Project-Based Learning (PBL) emphasise collaborate work on problems relevant to society and emphases the relation between theory and practice. PBL fits engineering students as preparation for their future professions but what about mathematics? Mathematics is not just applied mathematics, but it is also a body of abstract knowledge where the application in society is not always obvious. Does mathematics, including pure mathematics, fit into a PBL curriculum? This paper argues that it does for two reasons: (1) PBL resembles the working methods of research mathematicians. (2) The concept of society includes the society of researchers to whom theoretical mathematics is relevant. The paper describes two cases of university PBL projects in mathematics; one in pure mathematics and the other in applied mathematics. The paper also discusses that future engineers need to understand the world of mathematics as well as how engineers fit into a process of fundamental-research-turned-into-applied-science.

The relationship between psychosocial work factors, work stress and computer-related musculoskeletal discomforts among computer users in Malaysia.

PubMed

Zakerian, Seyed Abolfazl; Subramaniam, Indra Devi

2009-01-01

Increasing numbers of workers use computer for work. So, especially among office workers, there is a high risk of musculoskeletal discomforts. This study examined the associations among 3 factors, psychosocial work factors, work stress and musculoskeletal discomforts. These associations were examined via a questionnaire survey on 30 office workers (at a university in Malaysia), whose jobs required an extensive use of computers. The questionnaire was distributed and collected daily for 20 days. While the results indicated a significant relationship among psychosocial work factors, work stress and musculoskeletal discomfort, 3 psychosocial work factors were found to be more important than others in both work stress and musculoskeletal discomfort: job demands, negative social interaction and computer-related problems. To further develop study design, it is necessary to investigate industrial and other workers who have experienced musculoskeletal discomforts and work stress.

What Kind of Stress Is Associated with Depression, Anxiety and Suicidal Ideation in Korean Employees?

PubMed

Shin, Young Chul; Lee, Daeun; Seol, Jinmi; Lim, Se Won

2017-05-01

Various types of stress affect mental health in the form of mood disorders, anxiety disorders, and suicidal ideation. Recently, the increasing suicide rate in the working-age population has become a major mental health concern in Korea. Thus, we investigated what kind of stress influence depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation in Korean employees. The study participants were 189,965 employees who attended health screenings and responded to the Center for Epidemiologic Study-Depression Scale, the Beck Anxiety Inventory, and a questionnaire on the major causes of stress and suicidal ideation. We investigated the major causes of stress by gender and age categories and used binary logistic regression to determine the impact of the causes of stress on depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation. Of several stress causes, work-related stress was the most prevalent, regardless of age category and gender, followed by interpersonal relationships. However, interpersonal relationships and financial problems were the predominant causes of stress related to depression or suicidal ideation. This research suggests that despite the fact that work is the most common cause of stress for Korean employees, stress related to life problems other than work has a greater influence on the mental health of Korean employees. © 2017 The Korean Academy of Medical Sciences.

Work-related amputations in Michigan, 1997.

PubMed

Stanbury, Martha; Reilly, Mary Jo; Rosenman, Kenneth D

2003-10-01

Work-related amputations are of concern in Michigan and nationally. This study reports on 1 year of data on work-related amputations, which were treated in Michigan hospital emergency departments (ED) or as in-patients in Michigan. Michigan hospitals provided face sheets and discharge summaries of in-patient and ED visits for work-related amputations that occurred in 1997. Information was also obtained about worksite inspections associated with reported amputations from the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Act (MIOSHA) program. Data from this study and from Michigan workers compensation were used to generate an estimate of the true numbers of work-related amputations in Michigan in 1997. Three hundred thirty-nine work-related amputations were identified by hospitals. Powered saws and power presses were the leading sources of injury. MIOSHA completed 30 enforcement inspections related to these amputations. Our best estimate of the total numbers of work-related amputations in 1997 for Michigan was 693, of which 562 resulted in hospitalization or ED treatment. In-patient and ED records provided information for identifying high risk groups and problem worksites in Michigan. Estimates generated from these data underscore that data on work-related amputations released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), which reported 440 amputations in 1997, are a significant undercount--only 64%--of the true number of cases. Better integration of public health data into OSHA enforcement activity is needed. Copyright 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Organizational factors associated with work-related sleep problems in a nationally representative sample of Korean workers.

PubMed

Park, Jae Bum; Nakata, Akinori; Swanson, Naomi G; Chun, Heekyoung

2013-02-01

The purpose of this study was to assess the association of organizational factors with work-related sleep problems (WRSP) among Korean workers. The data were derived from the First Korean Working Conditions Survey conducted in 2006 with a representative sample of the Korean working population (n = 10,039). The overall prevalence of WRSP was 5.1% (95% confidence interval (CI) 4.7-5.5). Those who experienced sexual harassment at work (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 3.47: 95% CI 1.77-6.81), discrimination due to sex (aOR 2.44: 95% CI 1.36-4.36) or age (aOR 2.22: 95% CI 1.52-3.23), violence at work (aOR 1.98: 95% CI 1.06-3.68), threat of violence (aOR 1.96: 95% CI 1.05-3.66), poor work-life balance (aOR 1.78: 95% CI 1.44-2.20), low job satisfaction (aOR 1.69: 95% CI 1.37-2.09), high cognitive (OR 1.64: 95% CI 1.32-2.03) and emotional (aOR 1.53: 95% CI 1.22-1.91) demands, job insecurity (aOR 1.32: 95% CI 1.07-1.63), and high work intensity (aOR 1.55: 95% CI: 95% CI 1.25-1.92) had an increased risk of WRSP compared to their respective counterparts (p < 0.01). Low social support was not significantly associated with WRSP (aOR 0.88: 95% CI 0.67-1.15). The results revealed that poor psychosocial working conditions may be related to a high prevalence of WRSP among representative Korean workers.

PubMed Central

Daneshmandi, H.; Ghaem, H.; Alhamd, M.; Fakherpour, A.

2017-01-01

Summary Introduction. Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WMSDs) can impact on fatigue and productivity of office workers. This study aimed to investigate the effect of musculoskeletal problems on fatigue and productivity among office personnel. Methods. This study was performed on 101 Iranian office workers. Data were gathered through a demographic questionnaire, Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire, Numeric Rating Scale, Persian version of Multidimensional Assessment of Fatigue Scale, and Persian version of Health and Work Questionnaire. Results. The results revealed that the highest prevalence rates of musculoskeletal symptoms in the past week were related to neck (41.6%), lower back (41.6%), and shoulders (40.6%). The mean score of discomfort/pain was 1.67, 1.55, and 1.31 in the neck, lower back, and shoulders, respectively. Additionally, the severity of discomfort/pain in neck, shoulders, lower back, and thighs was correlated to total fatigue. The severity of discomfort/pain in neck, lower back, buttock, and thighs was also correlated to the concentration/focus subscale of productivity. Conclusions. Improvement of working conditions is suggested to reduce musculoskeletal problems and fatigue and enhance productivity. PMID:29123372

Work-related respiratory disease in employees leaving an electronics factory.

PubMed

Perks, W H; Burge, P S; Rehahn, M; Green, M

1979-02-01

Examination of the records of employees leaving an electronics factory over three-and-a-half years showed that a significantly greater proportion left the shop floor (where soldering took place) because of ill health than left the stores and office areas. This difference was largely due to work-related respiratory disease in those whose job was soldering. Shop floor workers leaving for health reasons also had increased sickness certification due to respiratory illness compared to stores and office workers. These findings suggest that work-related respiratory illness is a significant cause of morbidity and loss of employment in solderers working at the factory and that this has been a longstanding problem with its onset before the first recorded cases of occupational asthma caused by solder flux containing colophony.

Math and numeracy in young adults with spina bifida and hydrocephalus.

PubMed

Dennis, Maureen; Barnes, Marcia

2002-01-01

The developmental stability of poor math skill was studied in 31 young adults with spina bifida and hydrocephalus (SBH), a neurodevelopmental disorder involving malformations of the brain and spinal cord. Longitudinally, individuals with poor math problem solving as children grew into adults with poor problem solving and limited functional numeracy. As a group, young adults with SBH had poor computation accuracy, computation speed, problem solving, a ndfunctional numeracy. Computation accuracy was related to a supporting cognitive system (working memory for numbers), and functional numeracy was related to one medical history variable (number of lifetime shunt revisions). Adult functional numeracy, but not functional literacy, was predictive of higher levels of social, personal, and community independence.

Problem gambling in the workplace, characteristics of employees seeking help.

PubMed

Hawley, Carolyn E; Glenn, Margaret K; Diaz, Sebastian

2007-01-01

Few rigorous research studies exist to define the impact problem gambling may have on the workforce and the workplace. This study is an initial attempt to address this void by exploring the vocational patterns and demographics of callers with self report gambling problems to a state helpline. It utilizes Chi-squared Automatic Interaction (CHAID) Technique analysis to assess 1072 working age callers with gambling related problems. The goal of this exploratory investigation is to determine if the issue of problem gambling in the workplace warrants further research and, potentially, design of interventions. Discussion centers on the use of the information for development of employer based prevention and intervention efforts.

Work-related burnout, job satisfaction, intent to leave, and nurse-assessed quality of care among travel nurses.

PubMed

Faller, Marcia S; Gates, Michael G; Georges, Jane M; Connelly, Cynthia D

2011-02-01

This research study examines work-related burnout, job satisfaction, nurse-assessed quality of care, and intent to leave in travel nurses, a population that has not been studied previously. Travel nurses are frequently used to supplement nursing staff in acute care hospitals, especially in times of shortage--understanding their satisfaction with the job may further illuminate the problem of nurse job dissatisfaction in general. Ordinary least-squares regression analyses were used to examine the influence of nurse and workplace characteristics on work-related burnout, job satisfaction, intent to leave, and perceived quality of care. Quality of care and job satisfaction were significantly influenced by whether a hospital held Magnet designation. As the number of patients cared for increases, there was a significant increase in work-related burnout. Work-related burnout was also significantly lower for nurses working in California. The results of this study suggest that different workplace characteristics influence the perceptions of quality of care provided at a hospital facility and the degree to which a nurse is either burned out or satisfied with his/her job.

The meaning and experience of stress among supported employment clients with mental health problems.

PubMed

Besse, Christine; Poremski, Daniel; Laliberté, Vincent; Latimer, Eric

2018-05-01

Many clinicians are concerned that competitive work may cause excessive stress for people with severe mental health problems. Individual Placement and Support (IPS) is acknowledged as the most effective model of supported employment for this population. The manner in which IPS clients define and experience employment-related stress is poorly understood. This qualitative study aims to explore how people with mental health problems receiving IPS services define and experience employment-related stress. We purposively sampled and interviewed 16 clients of an IPS programme, who had been competitively employed for more than 1 month. Data were collected between September 2014 and July 2015 in Montreal, Canada. Transcripts of semi-structured interviews were analysed using grounded theory methodology. IPS clients often defined stress similar to its common understanding: the result of experiencing prolonged or/and cumulative strains, or of an incongruence between efforts and rewards, hopes and reality. Stress experienced in this way could exacerbate psychiatric symptoms, especially depression or psychotic symptoms. However, when maintained at a more manageable level, stress stimulated learning and improved planning of tasks. Participants described different coping mechanisms, such as sharing their experiences and difficulties with others, focusing on problem resolution and avoidance. The first two of these helped IPS clients remain at work and bolstered their confidence. Work-related stress has potentially positive as well as negative consequences for IPS clients. In order to maximise the potential beneficial effects of stress, employment specialists can help clients anticipate potential stressors and plan how they might cope with them. Further research on the most effective ways of helping clients cope with stress is needed. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Caregivers' burden in patients with COPD.

PubMed

Miravitlles, Marc; Peña-Longobardo, Luz María; Oliva-Moreno, Juan; Hidalgo-Vega, Álvaro

2015-01-01

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a very prevalent and invalidating disease. The aim of this study was to analyze the burden borne by informal caregivers of patients with COPD. We used the Survey on Disabilities, Personal Autonomy, and Dependency Situations (Encuesta sobre Discapacidad, Autonomía personal y Situaciones de Dependencia [EDAD]-2008) to obtain information on the characteristics of disabled individuals with COPD and their caregivers in Spain. Additionally, statistical multivariate analyses were performed to analyze the impact that an increase in dependence would have on the problems for which caregivers provide support, in terms of health, professional, and leisure/social dimensions. A total of 461,884 individuals with one or more disabilities and with COPD were identified, and 220,892 informal caregivers were estimated. Results showed that 35% of informal caregivers had health-related problems due to the caregiving provided; 83% had leisure/social-related problems; and among caregivers of working age, 38% recognized having profession-related problems. The probability of a problem arising was significantly associated with the degree of dependence of the patient receiving care. Caregivers of patients with great dependence showed a 39% higher probability of presenting health-related problems, 27% more professional problems, and 23% more leisure problems compared with those with nondependent patients. The results show the large impact on society in terms of the welfare of informal caregivers of patients with COPD. A higher level of dependence was associated with more severe problems in caregivers, in all dimensions.

Caregivers’ burden in patients with COPD

PubMed Central

Miravitlles, Marc; Peña-Longobardo, Luz María; Oliva-Moreno, Juan; Hidalgo-Vega, Álvaro

2015-01-01

Objective Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a very prevalent and invalidating disease. The aim of this study was to analyze the burden borne by informal caregivers of patients with COPD. Methods We used the Survey on Disabilities, Personal Autonomy, and Dependency Situations (Encuesta sobre Discapacidad, Autonomía personal y Situaciones de Dependencia [EDAD]-2008) to obtain information on the characteristics of disabled individuals with COPD and their caregivers in Spain. Additionally, statistical multivariate analyses were performed to analyze the impact that an increase in dependence would have on the problems for which caregivers provide support, in terms of health, professional, and leisure/social dimensions. Results A total of 461,884 individuals with one or more disabilities and with COPD were identified, and 220,892 informal caregivers were estimated. Results showed that 35% of informal caregivers had health-related problems due to the caregiving provided; 83% had leisure/social-related problems; and among caregivers of working age, 38% recognized having profession-related problems. The probability of a problem arising was significantly associated with the degree of dependence of the patient receiving care. Caregivers of patients with great dependence showed a 39% higher probability of presenting health-related problems, 27% more professional problems, and 23% more leisure problems compared with those with nondependent patients. Conclusion The results show the large impact on society in terms of the welfare of informal caregivers of patients with COPD. A higher level of dependence was associated with more severe problems in caregivers, in all dimensions. PMID:25709429

Dynamics of Pure Shape, Relativity, and the Problem of Time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barbour, Julian

A new approach to the dynamics of the universe based on work by Ó Murchadha, Foster, Anderson and the author is presented. The only kinematics presupposed is the spatial geometry needed to define configuration spaces in purely relational terms. A new formulation of the relativity principle based on Poincarés analysis of the problem of absolute and relative motion (Machs principle) is given. The entire dynamics is based on shape and nothing else. It leads to much stronger predictions than standard Newtonian theory. For the dynamics of Riemannian 3-geometries on which matter fields also evolve, implementation of the new relativity principle establishes unexpected links between special relativity, general relativity and the gauge principle. They all emerge together as a self-consistent complex from a unified and completely relational approach to dynamics. A connection between time and scale invariance is established. In particular, the representation of general relativity as evolution of the shape of space leads to a unique dynamical definition of simultaneity. This opens up the prospect of a solution of the problem of time in quantum gravity on the basis of a fundamental dynamical principle.

Workflow Agents vs. Expert Systems: Problem Solving Methods in Work Systems Design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clancey, William J.; Sierhuis, Maarten; Seah, Chin

2009-01-01

During the 1980s, a community of artificial intelligence researchers became interested in formalizing problem solving methods as part of an effort called "second generation expert systems" (2nd GES). How do the motivations and results of this research relate to building tools for the workplace today? We provide an historical review of how the theory of expertise has developed, a progress report on a tool for designing and implementing model-based automation (Brahms), and a concrete example how we apply 2nd GES concepts today in an agent-based system for space flight operations (OCAMS). Brahms incorporates an ontology for modeling work practices, what people are doing in the course of a day, characterized as "activities." OCAMS was developed using a simulation-to-implementation methodology, in which a prototype tool was embedded in a simulation of future work practices. OCAMS uses model-based methods to interactively plan its actions and keep track of the work to be done. The problem solving methods of practice are interactive, employing reasoning for and through action in the real world. Analogously, it is as if a medical expert system were charged not just with interpreting culture results, but actually interacting with a patient. Our perspective shifts from building a "problem solving" (expert) system to building an actor in the world. The reusable components in work system designs include entire "problem solvers" (e.g., a planning subsystem), interoperability frameworks, and workflow agents that use and revise models dynamically in a network of people and tools. Consequently, the research focus shifts so "problem solving methods" include ways of knowing that models do not fit the world, and ways of interacting with other agents and people to gain or verify information and (ultimately) adapt rules and procedures to resolve problematic situations.

Coordinating Principles and Examples through Analogy and Self-Explanation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nokes-Malach, Timothy J.; VanLehn, Kurt; Belenky, Daniel M.; Lichtenstein, Max; Cox, Gregory

2013-01-01

Research on expertise suggests that a critical aspect of expert understanding is knowledge of the relations between domain principles and problem features. We investigated two instructional pathways hypothesized to facilitate students' learning of these relations when studying worked examples. The first path is through self-explaining how…

The work of the American emergency physician.

PubMed Central

Wyatt, J P; Weber, J E; Chudnofsky, C

1998-01-01

The organisation of the American emergency health care system has changed rapidly during recent years, but it remains very different to the system in the United Kingdom. American emergency departments are organised around an attending physician based service, rather than a consultant led service. As a result, the work of the American emergency physician differs considerably from that of the United Kingdom A&E consultant. The problems associated with working in an attending physician based service include antisocial hours of work, sleep deprivation, decreased job satisfaction, and "burn out," all in the context of a relatively hostile medicolegal climate. Although there appear to be no easy answers to some of these problems, the A&E specialist should be aware of the potential future difficulties for A&E medicine as it develops within the United Kingdom. PMID:9639179

Global estimates of the burden of injury and illness at work in 2012.

PubMed

Takala, Jukka; Hämäläinen, Päivi; Saarela, Kaija Leena; Yun, Loke Yoke; Manickam, Kathiresan; Jin, Tan Wee; Heng, Peggy; Tjong, Caleb; Kheng, Lim Guan; Lim, Samuel; Lin, Gan Siok

2014-01-01

This article reviews the present indicators, trends, and recent solutions and strategies to tackle major global and country problems in safety and health at work. The article is based on the Yant Award Lecture of the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) at its 2013 Congress. We reviewed employment figures, mortality rates, occupational burden of disease and injuries, reported accidents, surveys on self-reported occupational illnesses and injuries, attributable fractions, national economic cost estimates of work-related injuries and ill health, and the most recent information on the problems from published papers, documents, and electronic data sources of international and regional organizations, in particular the International Labor Organization (ILO), World Health Organization (WHO), and European Union (EU), institutions, agencies, and public websites. We identified and analyzed successful solutions, programs, and strategies to reduce the work-related negative outcomes at various levels. Work-related illnesses that have a long latency period and are linked to ageing are clearly on the increase, while the number of occupational injuries has gone down in industrialized countries thanks to both better prevention and structural changes. We have estimated that globally there are 2.3 million deaths annually for reasons attributed to work. The biggest component is linked to work-related diseases, 2.0 million, and 0.3 million linked to occupational injuries. However, the division of these two factors varies depending on the level of development. In industrialized countries the share of deaths caused by occupational injuries and work-related communicable diseases is very low while non-communicable diseases are the overwhelming causes in those countries. Economic costs of work-related injury and illness vary between 1.8 and 6.0% of GDP in country estimates, the average being 4% according to the ILO. Singapore's economic costs were estimated to be equivalent to 3.2% of GDP based on a preliminary study. If economic losses would take into account involuntary early retirement then costs may be considerably higher, for example, in Finland up to 15% of GDP, while this estimate covers various disorders where work and working conditions may be just one factor of many or where work may aggravate the disease, injury, or disorders, such as traffic injuries, mental disorders, alcoholism, and genetically induced problems. Workplace health promotion, services, and safety and health management, however, may have a major preventive impact on those as well. Leadership and management at all levels, and engagement of workers are key issues in changing the workplace culture. Vision Zero is a useful concept and philosophy in gradually eliminating any harm at work. Legal and enforcement measures that themselves support companies and organizations need to be supplemented with economic justification and convincing arguments to reduce corner-cutting in risk management, and to avoid short- and long-term disabilities, premature retirement, and corporate closures due to mismanagement and poor and unsustainable work life. We consider that a new paradigm is needed where good work is not just considered a daily activity. We need to foster stable conditions and circumstances and sustainable work life where the objective is to maintain your health and work ability beyond the legal retirement age. We need safe and healthy work, for life.

Global Estimates of the Burden of Injury and Illness at Work in 2012

PubMed Central

Takala, Jukka; Hämäläinen, Päivi; Saarela, Kaija Leena; Yun, Loke Yoke; Manickam, Kathiresan; Jin, Tan Wee; Heng, Peggy; Tjong, Caleb; Kheng, Lim Guan; Lim, Samuel; Lin, Gan Siok

2014-01-01

This article reviews the present indicators, trends, and recent solutions and strategies to tackle major global and country problems in safety and health at work. The article is based on the Yant Award Lecture of the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) at its 2013 Congress. We reviewed employment figures, mortality rates, occupational burden of disease and injuries, reported accidents, surveys on self-reported occupational illnesses and injuries, attributable fractions, national economic cost estimates of work-related injuries and ill health, and the most recent information on the problems from published papers, documents, and electronic data sources of international and regional organizations, in particular the International Labor Organization (ILO), World Health Organization (WHO), and European Union (EU), institutions, agencies, and public websites. We identified and analyzed successful solutions, programs, and strategies to reduce the work-related negative outcomes at various levels. Work-related illnesses that have a long latency period and are linked to ageing are clearly on the increase, while the number of occupational injuries has gone down in industrialized countries thanks to both better prevention and structural changes. We have estimated that globally there are 2.3 million deaths annually for reasons attributed to work. The biggest component is linked to work-related diseases, 2.0 million, and 0.3 million linked to occupational injuries. However, the division of these two factors varies depending on the level of development. In industrialized countries the share of deaths caused by occupational injuries and work-related communicable diseases is very low while non-communicable diseases are the overwhelming causes in those countries. Economic costs of work-related injury and illness vary between 1.8 and 6.0% of GDP in country estimates, the average being 4% according to the ILO. Singapore's economic costs were estimated to be equivalent to 3.2% of GDP based on a preliminary study. If economic losses would take into account involuntary early retirement then costs may be considerably higher, for example, in Finland up to 15% of GDP, while this estimate covers various disorders where work and working conditions may be just one factor of many or where work may aggravate the disease, injury, or disorders, such as traffic injuries, mental disorders, alcoholism, and genetically induced problems. Workplace health promotion, services, and safety and health management, however, may have a major preventive impact on those as well. Leadership and management at all levels, and engagement of workers are key issues in changing the workplace culture. Vision Zero is a useful concept and philosophy in gradually eliminating any harm at work. Legal and enforcement measures that themselves support companies and organizations need to be supplemented with economic justification and convincing arguments to reduce corner-cutting in risk management, and to avoid short- and long-term disabilities, premature retirement, and corporate closures due to mismanagement and poor and unsustainable work life. We consider that a new paradigm is needed where good work is not just considered a daily activity. We need to foster stable conditions and circumstances and sustainable work life where the objective is to maintain your health and work ability beyond the legal retirement age. We need safe and healthy work, for life. PMID:24219404

What Are the Chances My Child Will Inherit a Condition?

MedlinePlus

... Predictive testing Pregnancy related screening Reimbursement for Genetic ... behavior. There are steps you can take to prevent disease, lower your risk, and find problems early when most treatments work ...

Working memory components that predict word problem solving: Is it merely a function of reading, calculation, and fluid intelligence?

PubMed

Fung, Wenson; Swanson, H Lee

2017-07-01

The purpose of this study was to assess whether the differential effects of working memory (WM) components (the central executive, phonological loop, and visual-spatial sketchpad) on math word problem-solving accuracy in children (N = 413, ages 6-10) are completely mediated by reading, calculation, and fluid intelligence. The results indicated that all three WM components predicted word problem solving in the nonmediated model, but only the storage component of WM yielded a significant direct path to word problem-solving accuracy in the fully mediated model. Fluid intelligence was found to moderate the relationship between WM and word problem solving, whereas reading, calculation, and related skills (naming speed, domain-specific knowledge) completely mediated the influence of the executive system on problem-solving accuracy. Our results are consistent with findings suggesting that storage eliminates the predictive contribution of executive WM to various measures Colom, Rebollo, Abad, & Shih (Memory & Cognition, 34: 158-171, 2006). The findings suggest that the storage component of WM, rather than the executive component, has a direct path to higher-order processing in children.

Mental health problems among young doctors: an updated review of prospective studies.

PubMed

Tyssen, Reidar; Vaglum, Per

2002-01-01

Previous studies have shown the medical community to exhibit a relatively high level of certain mental health problems, particularly depression, which may lead to drug abuse and suicide. We reviewed prospective studies published over the past 20 years to investigate the prevalence and predictors of mental health problems in doctors during their first postgraduate years. We selected clinically relevant mental health problems as the outcome measure. We found nine cohort studies that met our selection criteria. Each of them had limitations, notably low response rate at follow-up, small sample size, and/or short observation period. Most studies showed that symptoms of mental health problems, particularly of depression, were highest during the first postgraduate year. They found that individual factors, such as family background, personality traits (neuroticism and self-criticism), and coping by wishful thinking, as well as contextual factors including perceived medical-school stress, perceived overwork, emotional pressure, working in an intensive-care setting, and stress outside of work, were often predictive of mental health problems. The studies revealed somewhat discrepant findings with respect to gender. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Children working on the streets in Brazil: predictors of mental health problems.

PubMed

Maciel, Mariana R; Mello, Andrea F; Fossaluza, Victor; Nobrega, Luciana P; Cividanes, Giuliana C; Mari, Jair J; Mello, Marcelo F

2013-03-01

The objective of this study was to determine which factors predict higher risk for mental health problems in children working on the streets. We studied a sample of families that had at least one child working on the streets, from October 2008 to March 2009. The instruments applied were the parent version strengths and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ), the childhood trauma questionnaire (CTQ) for children and caregivers, the WorldSAFE core questionnaire, the global assessment of relational functioning scale (GARF), the schedule for affective disorders and schizophrenia for school-age children (K-SADS), and a socio-demographic questionnaire. 191 children between 7 and 14 years of age were analyzed; 126 (66%) were working on the streets, and 65 were siblings who did not work on the streets. Multivariate analysis showed that mental health problems in the caregivers, violent behaviors of the caregivers toward the children, absence of a partner living in the house, and lower levels of family functioning increased the risk of mental health problems in the children. Caregivers reported severe forms of physical punishment against their children in 62% of cases. Caregivers who had suffered sexual abuse and emotional negligence in childhood were more violent with their children. Factors that increased risk for mental health symptoms in these children were caregivers' psychopathology, physical punishment at home, single-parent structure, and poor family functioning. Work on the streets did not influence the children's mental health, when multiple risk factors were considered; family characteristics were the most significant in this sample.

Examining the Effectiveness of Mindfulness Meditation for Chronic Pain Management in Combat Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-01-01

third had commented on issues related to his work schedule before losing contact with the researchers. Finally, one patient was excluded due to a...M., Keller, S., & Ware, J. E. (2001). Sleep problems, health- related quality of life, work functioning and health care utilization among the...et al., 2006). Military deployment to a war zone may significantly alter health status and quality of life, elevating the risk of long -term physical

[Doctors' use of their Network of Colleagues].

PubMed

Abell, Annette

2014-01-20

For more than twenty years a dynamic group of doctors has on a voluntary basis been on call for their colleagues experiencing crisis reactions related to work and personal life. Consultancies are anonymous; only a few data are registered in order to gather insight into the reasons for seeking assistance. The majority of contacts now seem to be work-related stress, conflicts with colleagues, family problems, illness and abuse. Patient claims and a bad press are not as frequent as they used to be.

Keeping Women Out: A Structural Analysis of Women's Employment in Developing Countries.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

International Center for Research on Women, Washington, DC.

Work in the lives of most Third World nation women is not a matter of equity and/or self-actualization. Rather, the changing economic roles and responsibilities of women make working a matter of economic survival. Despite the limitations of existing definitional and measurement problems related to data collection, regional data do exist which…

Community Schools in Developing Countries. International Studies in Education 23.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Houghton, Harold, Ed.; Tregear, Peter, Ed.

This book is a synthesis of the work and discussions of a Unesco conference that examined the problems concerning the structure and functioning of community schools in developing countries. Participants worked in four groups studying respectively the position of the teacher in relation to the community, the means he should employ to obtain the…

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN TRAINING MOTIVATION AND LEADERSHIP, WORK PROGRAM FOR FISCAL YEAR 1968.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

George Washington Univ., Alexandria, VA. Human Resources Research Office.

THE FISCAL YEAR 1968 WORK PROGRAM FOR THE HUMAN RESOURCES RESEARCH OFFICE (HUMRRO) OF GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY WILL PROVIDE FOR BASIC AND APPLIED RESEARCH, CONTINUATION OF A TECHNICAL ADVISORY SERVICE FOR HELPING TO SOLVE PROBLEMS RELATED TO THE HUMRRO MISSIONS, AND THE CAREFUL EXPLORATION OF AREAS LIKELY TO CONTAIN SIGNIFICANT PROBLEMS…

Secrets to Writing Great Papers. The Study Smart Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kesselman-Turkel, Judi; Peterson, Franklynn

This book explains how to work with ideas to hone them into words, providing techniques and exercises for brainstorming, choosing the right approach, working with an unknown or boring assigned topic, and selecting the best point of view. It presents 10 steps, noting related problems: (1) "Decide on Size" (no specific length is assigned);…

Providing Practical Applications of Computer Technology for Fifth Grade Students in Career Awareness Laboratories.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pereno, Joan S.

This practicum addressed the problem of providing practical computer application experiences to fifth grade students as they relate to real life work situations. The primary goal was to have students become cognizant of computer functions within the work setting as contrasted with viewing computer activities as instruments used for games or…

"Quality Circles": A Strategy for Personal and Curriculum Development. Coombe Lodge Working Paper. Information Bank Number 1803.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Field, M. J.; Harrison, A. B.

Quality circles attempt to satisfy both task and personal needs through staff involvement in solving work-related problems. This paper summarizes quality circle theory, applies it to school settings, and suggests a framework for introducing the process to educational institutions. After briefly defining quality circles, the article presents two…

Anxiety Profiles in Children with and without Developmental Coordination Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pratt, Michelle L.; Hill, Elisabeth L.

2011-01-01

Previous work has highlighted that children diagnosed with DCD may be at risk of greater problems related to emotional wellbeing. However, to date much work has relied on population based samples, and anxiety has not been examined within a group of children given a clinical diagnosis of DCD. Additionally, the profile of individual differences has…

Returning Home in Systems of Care: Rates, Predictors, and Stability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Farmer, Elizabeth M. Z.; Southerland, Dannia; Mustillo, Sarah A.; Burns, Barbara J.

2009-01-01

Recent work suggests that out-of-home placements continue to be relatively common for youth with mental health problems, even within systems of care. The current work examines rates and predictors of movement back home and stability of reunifications. During the focal period, 1,778 youths experienced out-of-home placements; 61% moved back home,…

Course Work and Career Planning for Students with Epilepsy: A Guide for School Counselors.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Epilepsy Foundation of America, Landover, MD.

Intended for secondary school counselors, the pamphlet examines effects of epilepsy on course work and career planning. Briefly covered are the nature of epilepsy, treatment, social impact, and public misunderstanding. Effects on academic achievement are discussed in terms of functional problems related to where the seizure activity is located in…

Making the Grade: The Quest for Validity in Admissions Decisions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pelech, William; Stalker, Carol A.; Regehr, Cheryl; Jacobs, Marilyn

1999-01-01

A study found that students having problems in a graduate social-work program are more likely to be older, be male, have lower undergraduate grades, have more experience in social service-related work, and be rated lower in emotional maturity based on personal statements. Implications for provision of support for such students are discussed.…

Impaired Verbal Short-Term Memory in down Syndrome Reflects a Capacity Limitation Rather than Atypically Rapid Forgetting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

M. Purser, H.R.; Jarrold, C.

2005-01-01

Individuals with Down syndrome suffer from relatively poor verbal short-term memory. Recent work has indicated that this deficit is not caused by problems of audition, speech, or articulatory rehearsal within the phonological loop component of Baddeley and Hitch's working memory model. Given this, two experiments were conducted to investigate…

Ideational conflict: the key to promoting creative activity in the workplace.

PubMed

Dagostino, Lorraine

1999-01-01

This article defines the concept of ideational conflict as it applies to the process of identifying a problem and developing a plan of action for resolving the problem. Then the article examines and illustrates how the ideational conflict that is generated by brainstorming can lead to creative thinking that resolves disparate points of view. The illustration extends the generally accepted view of brainstorming and applies it to identifying a problem related to the university/college work environment. The problem situation is that of the loss of high ability faculty and sutdents to other institutions.

Social Anxiety and Cannabis-Related Impairment: The Synergistic Influences of Peer and Parent Descriptive and Injunctive Normative Perceptions.

PubMed

Foster, Dawn W; Garey, Lorra; Buckner, Julia D; Zvolensky, Michael J

2016-06-06

Cannabis users, especially socially anxious cannabis users, are influenced by perceptions of other's use. The present study tested whether social anxiety interacted with perceptions about peer and parent beliefs to predict cannabis-related problems. Participants were 148 (36.5% female, 60.1% non-Hispanic Caucasian) current cannabis users aged 18-36 (M = 21.01, SD = 3.09) who completed measures of perceived descriptive and injunctive norms, social anxiety, and cannabis use behaviors. Hierarchical multiple regressions were employed to investigate the predictive value of the social anxiety X parent injunctive norms X peer norms interaction terms on cannabis use behaviors. Higher social anxiety was associated with more cannabis problems. A three-way interaction emerged between social anxiety, parent injunctive norms, and peer descriptive norms, with respect to cannabis problems. Social anxiety was positively related to more cannabis problems when parent injunctive norms were high (i.e., perceived approval) and peer descriptive norms were low. Results further showed that social anxiety was positively related to more cannabis problems regardless of parent injunctive norms. The present work suggests that it may be important to account for parent influences when addressing normative perceptions among young adult cannabis users. Additional research is needed to determine whether interventions incorporating feedback regarding parent norms impacts cannabis use frequency and problems.