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At least 775 records · Page 43Linked to original sources
PubMed2006

Workplace vaccination against influenza in Malaysia: does the employer benefit?

UNLABELLED: This study was designed to evaluate the health and economic benefits of a workplace vaccination programme against influenza funded by the employer. Employees of a Malaysian petrochemical plant volunteered to take part in this prospective, non-randomised, non-placebo-controlled study. Demographic and health information, including influenza-like symptoms, sick leave and post-vaccination adverse events were collected via questionnaires. Cost-benefit analyses were performed from the employer's perspective. RESULTS: A total of 1,022 employees took part in the study, with 504 choosing to be vaccinated against influenza, and 518 remaining unvaccinated. The rate of influenza-like illness (ILI) was lower among vaccinated (8.13%) than non-vaccinated subjects (30.31%). Fever and respiratory symptoms were associated with all ILI cases. ILI-related sick leave was taken by 58.54% of vaccinated employees with ILI and 71.34% of non-vaccinated employees with ILI. Vaccination was financially beneficial, with the employer saving up to US dollar 53.00 per vaccinated employee when labour costs only were considered. Savings rose to up to US dollar 899.70 when the operating income of each employee was also considered. Workplace vaccination of healthy adults against influenza had a clear impact on ILI rates, absenteeism and reduced productivity in this Malaysian company. The health benefits translated into financial benefits for the employer, with cost savings significantly outweighting the costs of the vaccination programme.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Legislation on smoking at workplace and in public places in Europe].

This study was conducted through contacts with key health authorities, complemented with other key providers of information and the consultation of the International Healthcare Legislation Repertory. A description is provided of the current characteristics of the legislation on smoking at the workplace in the fifteen European Union (EU) Member States., as well as in other European countries such as Hungary, Iceland, Norway, Poland, Rumania and Switzerland. A review is also provided of the court cases which have taken place based upon this legislation with regard to smoking at the workplace in these countries. Legislation is a crucial part of any strategy for controlling smoking. Without legislation, no action against exposure to tobacco smoke-polluted air will be effective. However, a law does not suffice in itself and will solely be effective if supported by public opinion.

Europe↗
PubMed2006

Workplace-based cardiovascular risk management by community pharmacists: impact on blood pressure, lipid levels, and weight.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness of a community pharmacist-delivered cardiovascular case-management program by comparing body mass index (weight), systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and full lipid profile at the beginning of the program with these outcome measures at the end of the program. DESIGN: Retrospective data analysis using billing data submitted between July 1, 2001, and October 31, 2004, with a pre-post design in which subjects served as their own controls. SETTING: Manufacturing workplace in rural Iowa. PARTICIPANTS: Fifty-six workers with risk factors for cardiovascular disease (mean age 40.67 yrs), 37 had diabetes mellitus and 19 did not. INTERVENTION: During visits to the workers, pharmacists provided education about cardiovascular disease, identification of drug therapy problems, and importance of routine blood pressure, pulse, and weight measurements; they communicated with participants' physicians as needed. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The number of pharmacist visits/participant ranged from 1-13 (mean +/- SD 6.97 +/- 3.05). Outcome measures were weight, systolic and diastolic blood pressures, full lipid profiles (in patients with diabetes), and percentage of patients achieving treatment goal by the end of the 3 years. Statistically significant differences between the first and last visits were achieved for both systolic (124.12 +/- 11.07 and 120.36 +/- 14.39 mm Hg, respectively, p=0.016) and diastolic (80.4 +/- 9.01 and 77.43 +/- 9.14 mm Hg, respectively, p=0.019) blood pressure. The 19 patients without diabetes showed a statistically significant improvement in diastolic blood pressure (p=0.039), but the 37 patients with diabetes did not show a significant difference. A nonsignificant increase was seen in the percentage of patients with diabetes achieving low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) level goal between the first and last visits (p=0.06). CONCLUSION: A cardiovascular case-management program delivered in the workplace to middle-aged working adults by community pharmacists improved blood pressure and reduced LDL levels. The program was not effective, however, in weight reduction.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Depression management in the workplace: a case study.

OBJECTIVE: To review a case of a depression management program at PPG Industries with the potential to improve outcomes on functioning and productivity in the workplace. SUMMARY: The need for major improvements in depression management has been well established. While most in the corporate world are aware of these deficiencies, the perception is that this fragmented system is difficult to change. PPG Industries, a medium-sized, Fortune 500 company manufacturing paints, stains, and sealants, has launched a successful and comprehensive program in the workplace that has improved outcomes for depressed employees. The PPG approach is practical, addressing each step in the process one at a time. This process began by establishing a close working relationship between all entities responsible for employee health, many of which are currently carved out. This enabled the company to have a comprehensive view of their depressed population and to examine their functional outcomes as well. In an effort to help identify depressed employees, the company educated their physicians and care managers and launched a confidential Web site to reduce mental health stigma and aid in employee screening and education. A multidisciplinary team was then assembled to facilitate the treatment of these patients. All of these steps were measurable, and the preliminary results of this process are summarized. CONCLUSION: A disease management program that incorporates a multifaceted, collaborative approach to treat depression is feasible and may improve care and decrease cost to employers.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

An evaluation of the workplace smoking bylaw in the city of Toronto.

Random-digit dialing surveys were conducted before (n = 1543) and 8 to 9 months after (n = 1430) implementation of the city of Toronto workplace smoking bylaw. Compared with workers in the rest of metropolitan Toronto and persons not working outside the home, city workers evidenced more positive changes in regard to knowledge of the bylaw, its requirements, and enforcement provisions. City workers reported more changes in workplace restrictions and satisfaction with such restrictions. Patterns of smoking at work changed.

Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice↗
PubMed2000

Lessons learned from the tobacco industry's efforts to prevent the passage of a workplace smoking regulation.

OBJECTIVES: This study assessed the implementation of tobacco industry strategies to prevent a workplace smoking regulation. METHODS: Tobacco industry internal documents were identified; hearing transcripts for the affiliations, arguments, and positions regarding the regulation of testifiers were coded; and media coverage was analyzed. RESULTS: Tobacco industry strategies sought to increase business participation and economic discussions at public hearings and to promote unfavorable media coverage of the regulation. The percentage of business representatives opposing the regulation grew from 18% (5 to 28) to 57% (13 of 23) between the hearings. Economic arguments opposing the regulation rose from 25% (7 of 28) to 70% (16 of 23). Press coverage was neutral and did not increase during the period of the regulatory hearings. CONCLUSIONS: The tobacco industry was successful in implementing 2 of its 3 strategies but was not able to prevent passage of the comprehensive workplace regulation.

Commerce↗
PubMed2003

Lower respiratory tract infections: impact on the workplace.

BACKGROUND: While there is some literature on the cost of specific respiratory infections, much of the existing research focuses only on direct medical treatment costs and does not take into consideration workplace burden due to disability and absenteeism. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) on the workplace, specifically regarding the economic burden from an employer's perspective. DESIGN: Specific LRTI considered here were acute bronchitis, acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis and pneumonia. Data from medical, prescription drug and disability claims of a large, national company in the US were used. These data provide information on both the healthcare and work loss impacts of LRTI on this major self-insured employer. The annual per capita expenditures for persons with LRTI were determined for beneficiaries (including employees and dependants) of this employer by analysing all claims in 1997. Results were compared with those of a 10% random sample of beneficiaries in the employer's overall beneficiary population. RESULTS: In 1997, total per person expenditures and total medical service utilisation were higher among beneficiaries with LRTI than among beneficiaries in the overall beneficiary population sample. Annual per capita employer expenditures for beneficiaries with LRTI totalled 6,116 US dollars, compared with 2,368 US dollars (1997 values) for the average beneficiary in the overall beneficiary population sample. Employer payments for lost work time through disability and absenteeism accounted for 17% of these expenditures amongst beneficiaries with LRTI and for 35% amongst employees with LRTI. CONCLUSIONS: Annual per capita expenditures for beneficiaries with LRTI were almost three times that of the average beneficiary. We conclude that it is important to consider work loss in analyses of the cost of LRTI.

Absenteeism↗
PubMed2005

Psychosocial factors and health: community and workplace study.

The effects of psychosocial factors on health have drawn growing attention. An important prerequisite for epidemiologic studies is that instruments to measure psychosocial factors be reliable and valid based on psychometric properties. The introduction of occupational stress models has made breakthroughs in conceptualizing real-life complex phenomena in the workplace. This article describes some trials that explore the associations between psychosocial factors and health in the community and workplace. Scales for measuring social support and psychosocial job characteristics were developed, and their validation was pursued. Findings suggest that adverse social relationships and job characteristics measured by these instruments are associated with ill health. To strengthen the validities of the measurements and to provide strong causal evidence between psychosocial factors and health, more prospective studies and interventional approaches are needed.

Cardiovascular Diseases↗
PubMed2006

Social hazards on the job: workplace abuse, sexual harassment, and racial discrimination--a study of Black, Latino, and White low-income women and men workers in the United States.

This study documents the prevalence of workplace abuse, sexual harassment at work, and lifetime experiences of racial discrimination among the United for Health cohort of 1,202 predominantly black, Latino, and white women and men low-income union workers in the Greater Boston area. Overall, 85 percent of the cohort reported exposure to at least one of these three social hazards; exposure to all three reached 20 to 30 percent among black women and women and men in racial/ethnic groups other than white, black, or Latino. Workplace abuse in the past year, reported by slightly more than half the workers, was most frequently reported by the white men (69%). Sexual harassment at work in the past year was reported by 26 percent of the women and 22 percent of the men, with values of 20 percent or more in all racial/ ethnic-gender groups other than Latinas and white men. High exposure to racial discrimination was reported by 37 percent of the workers of color, compared with 10 percent of the white workers, with black workers reporting the greatest exposure (44%). Together, these findings imply that the lived--and combined-experiences of class, race, and gender inequities and their attendant assaults on human dignity are highly germane to analyses of workers' health.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Successful experiences with a handy equipment to measure dust concentrations in various workplaces.

Performance of a direct-reading handy equipment for dust counting in workroom air, PDR (MIE, USA), was field-tested in comparison with the results of low-volume air sampling-gravimetry. Application in 64 workplaces of various type dust work with dust concentrations of up to 1.6 mg/m3 showed that the agreement was generally good with a correlation coefficient (r) >0.64. The calculated regression line had a slope close to one, and the intercept on the axis was next to nil, suggesting that the measurement with PDR is essentially the same with that by low-volume air sampling. Further analysis by types of dust work disclosed that the correlation was best when examined in 12 foundries with r as large as 0.95. In contrast, r was small (0.52) in 11 welding workplaces, possibly due to smaller particle size of dust generated during welding.

Air Pollutants, Occupational↗
PubMed2006

Control of hazardous substances at small workplaces.

Lots of chemicals are produced in chemical industry and used everywhere as convenient and indispensable materials in daily life and industry. Moreover, many new chemicals are needed to produce competitive new goods such as new medicines, new dyestuffs, new agricultural chemicals and others. Main chemicals used in industry have reached to more than 50,000 kinds. And many workers are exposed to chemicals and injured all over the world. To protect the workers in small workplaces against hazardous chemicals is one of the most important tasks of occupational health. n-Hexane, lead and 1-bromopropane poisoning are shown as examples for health hazards and preventive measures in small workplaces. Preventive measure such as TLV or OEL, Material Safety Data sheets, health check-up, comprehensive cooperation among employers, workers, researchers, industrial physicians and administrative officers, and information on toxicity are discussed.

Aged↗
PubMed2003

The how and why of workplace adjustments: contextualizing the evidence.

PURPOSE: To identify the problems experienced in the workplace by service users returning to work and to explore how and why adjustments can help overcome them. METHOD: Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 17 people in five employment projects and with their workplace managers. Interviews were tape recorded, fully transcribed and analyzed to identify and compare emerging themes. RESULTS: Problems experienced by individuals included low energy and stamina levels, lack of confidence and psychological barriers to particular types of work. Adjustments to working hours, work schedules and job tasks proved crucial for some people in enabling them to overcome these problems.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1995

Methods for assessing drug use prevalence in the workplace: a comparison of self-report, urinalysis, and hair analysis.

A random sample of 1,200 employees of a steel manufacturing plant were randomly assigned to four different self-report methods of assessing illicit drug use: 1) Individual interview in the workplace, 2) group-administered questionnaire in the workplace, 3) telephone interview, and 4) individual interview off the worksite. Urine specimens were collected and analyzed on all 928 subjects participating in the study, and hair analysis was conducted on 307 of the subjects. Although self-reports produced the highest drug use prevalence rate, analyses combining the results of the three assessment methods showed that the actual prevalence rate was approximately 50% higher than the estimate produced by self-reports. The group-administered questionnaire condition produced prevalence rates that were roughly half those of the other self-report methods. The findings cast doubt on the validity of self-reports as a means of estimating drug use prevalence and suggest the need for multiple assessment methods.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Cancer and the workplace.

The study of occupationally related cancers has played an important role in the control of cancer in general. The very nature of the workplace allows for studies that can help establish a relationship between an environmental exposure and cancer. Once carcinogens are identified, strategies can be developed to prevent disease. The article reviews procedures for identifying, evaluating, and categorizing human carcinogens; provides an overview of the basic epidemiologic strategies that have been used to study cancer and the workplace; and outlines the clinical evaluation of occupational exposures.

Bias↗
PubMed2003

Workplace stress among psychiatric nurses. Prevalence, distribution, correlates, & predictors.

Vicarious trauma and burnout are serious manifestations of workplace stress. Both can have substantial consequences for health care professionals, health services, and consumers. This article reports results of a study examining the prevalence, distribution, correlates, and predictors of vicarious trauma and burnout among registered psychiatric nurses (RPNs). A survey was distributed to all practicing RPNs in Manitoba, Canada (N = 1,015). The survey contained the Maslach Burnout Inventory, the Traumatic Stress Institute Belief Scale (i.e., a measure of vicarious trauma), and a section on symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The RPNs were found to be experiencing high levels of emotional exhaustion (i.e., high burnout) and even higher levels of personal accomplishment (i.e., low burnout). No significant differences were found between respondents' total scores on the Traumatic Stress Institute Belief Scale and instrument norms for mental health care professionals. Predictors of burnout and vicarious trauma also are presented in this article. Stress experienced by RPNs, as well as strengths on which to build, clearly are evident in the study results. Strategies for reduction in workplace stress may benefit psychiatric nurses, clients, and health services.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Assessing the walkability of the workplace: a new audit tool.

PURPOSE: Walking can be incorporated into most people's daily routines if the process is made convenient by a well-designed built environment. Walkability rarely is assessed in the workplace, where adults spend much of their time. METHODS: From existing tools, we developed an instrument to audit walkability at a single government agency's facilities, which were located in multiple states. We used a five-point scale to evaluate nine elements of walkability: pedestrian facilities, pedestrian-vehicle conflicts, crosswalks, route maintenance, walkway width, roadway buffer, universal accessibility, aesthetics, and shade. Weighted scores ranged from 20 to 39 (poor), to 40 to 69 (fair), to 70 to 100 (good). RESULTS: Of 79 walking route segments surveyed on 10 agency campuses, 34% were rated poor, 32% fair, and 34% good. Repeat assessment of 20 walking route segments by three independent observers yielded similar scores. CONCLUSION: Facility planners may find this walkability instrument useful in identifying and eliminating barriers to convenient walking opportunities in workplaces such as office parks and university campuses.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

The multicultural workplace: comfort, safety and migrant nurses.

The changing composition of Australian society has resulted in the reality of a multicultural workplace. With this comes the need to examine issues related to cultural wellbeing within an occupational setting. Migrant women nurses from non-English speaking backgrounds participated in this phenomenological study, which examined their experiences working as nurses within the New South Wales health care system. Participants described traumatic experiences around entering the nursing work environment. Familiar and comfortable roles such as being a woman, a colleague and a nurse were altered and made uncomfortable by the imposition of disturbing and unfamiliar roles. This discomfort was compounded by what was experienced as an uncomfortable and perilous work environment. The task for these women became one of finding sanctuary and comfort and finally, of establishing a place for themselves. This paper will take the reader on the journey from being a stranger to finding a place and will raise issues for discussion surrounding culture and safety in the nursing workplace.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1996

Bronchial asthma and air pollution at workplaces.

OBJECTIVES: This case-referent study was performed to investigate the possibility of nonspecific air pollution at workplaces increasing the risk of bronchial asthma for formerly healthy adults. METHODS: Seventy-nine cases of asthma, diagnosed at a lung clinic, among persons aged 20-65 years were compared with 304 referents drawn randomly from the population of the catchment area. Questionnaire information was obtained regarding occupation, exposure to suspect allergens, place of residence, smoking habits, and atopy. The subjects' occupations were categorized into four air pollution classes based on how the referents reported air pollution in their respective occupations. RESULTS: Three years or more of work in air-polluted occupations resulted in an odds ratio of 3.0 (OR) (95% confidence interval 1.5-6.1) in a comparison with work in occupations with slight or no air pollution. Stratification of the material for smoking habits or atopy did not alter the results. Nor did the exclusion of specific exposures to asthmatogenic agents such as ioscyanates, stainless steel welding, or aluminum salts change the effects of the nonspecific air pollution at workplaces. Smoking per se was associated with an almost doubled risk for asthma (OR 1.9, 95% confidence interval 1.1-3.4). CONCLUSION: The results of this study support an association between occupational exposure to nonspecific air pollution and the development of bronchial asthma.

Adult↗