Ergonomic recommendations and their role in cardiac sonography

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) have been recognized as a serious hazard to the health and safety of sonographers. Recommendations have been made on ways to reduce and prevent the frequency and severity of these disorders. The purpose of this study was to ascertain the impact ergonomics has had on the prevalence of MSDs among cardiac sonographers. Three hundred randomly selected Registered Diagnostic Cardiac Sonographers were surveyed. Eighty-one respondents completed the survey. The majority of the sample population was female with an average age of 40 and job tenure between 6-15 years. Ninety percent of respondents reported musculoskeletal pain/discomfort while scanning. Seventy-three percent of respondents perceived a need for ergonomic interventions. The majority of respondents were aware of previously recommended ergonomic interventions and had implemented what was feasible. Still, the experience of pain and discomfort, and incidence of MSDs remains exceptionally high for this occupation. It appears that recommended ergonomic interventions have not had a significant impact on improving the health and safety of cardiac sonographers.     

Ergonomic recommendations when texting on mobile phones

The aim of this report was to give ergonomic recommendations in order to prevent musculoskeletal symptoms/disorders among young people due to intensive texting on mobile phones. In a study of 56 Swedish young adults (19-25 years, 41 with musculoskeletal symptoms in neck and/or upper extremities and 15 without symptoms) registration of thumb movements with electrogoniometry, muscle activity with electromyography and observation of texting technique were conducted during texting on mobile phones. The results showed differences in physical load between the group with musculoskeletal symptoms and the group without symptoms. There were also found differences in muscle activity and kinematics between different texting techniques. These differences could not be explained by the asymptomatic group having symptoms but may be a possible contribution to their symptoms. According to these results it can be recommended to support the forearms, to use both thumbs, to avoid sitting with the head bent forward and to avoid texting with high velocity in order to prevent musculoskeletal disorders when using mobile phones for texting.     

The impact of child support on child health

The broad goals of child support policy are to keep children in single-parent families out of poverty and to make sure that their material needs are met. One potentially important, but relatively understudied, set of measures of child well-being are health outcomes. A fixed-effects analysis of data from the Child and Young Adult file of the 1979 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth shows that, conditional upon receipt of some amount of child support, higher payment levels are associated with significantly greater odds of having private health insurance coverage and significantly lower odds of poor or declining health status. These effects persist even after controlling for other factors that are likely to be correlated with child support payments, including total family income and paternal visitation patterns.     

The impact of the 2007-2009 recession on workers' health coverage

IMPACT OF THE RECESSION: The 2007-2009 recession has taken its toll on the percentage of the population with employment-based health coverage. While, since 2000, there has been a slow erosion in the percentage of individuals under age 65 with employment-based health coverage, 2009 was the first year in which the percentage fell below 60 percent, and marked the largest one-year decline in coverage. FEWER WORKERS WITH COVERAGE: The percentage of workers with coverage through their own job fell from 53.2 percent in 2008 to 52 percent in 2009, a 2.4 percent decline in the likelihood that a worker has coverage through his or her own job. The percentage of workers with coverage as a dependent fell from 17 percent in 2008 to 16.3 percent in 2009, a 4.5 percent drop in the likelihood that a worker has coverage as a dependent. These declines occurred as the unemployment rate increased from an average of 5.8 percent in 2008 to 9.3 percent in 2009 (and reached a high of 10.1 percent during 2009). FIRM SIZE/INDUSTRY: The decline in the percentage of workers with coverage from their own job affected workers in private-sector firms of all sizes. Among public-sector workers, the decline from 73.4 percent to 73 percent was not statistically significant. Workers in all private-sector industries experienced a statistically significant decline in coverage between 2008 and 2009. HOURS WORKED: Full-time workers experienced a decline in coverage that was statistically significant while part-time workers did not. Among full-time workers, those employed full year experienced a statistically significant decline in coverage from their own job. Those employed full time but for only part of the year did not experience a statistically significant change in coverage. Among part-time workers, those employed full year experienced a statistically significant increase in the likelihood of having coverage in their own name, as did part-time workers employed for only part of the year. ANNUAL EARNINGS: The decline in the percentage of workers with coverage through their own job was limited to workers with lower annual earnings. Statistically significant declines were not found among any group of workers with annual earnings of at least $40,000. DEMOGRAPHICS: Workers with a high school education or less experienced a statistically significant decline in the likelihood of having coverage. Neither workers with a college degree nor those with a graduate degree experienced a statistically significant decline in coverage through their own job. Workers of all races experienced statistically significant declines in coverage between 2008 and 2009. Both men and women experienced a statistically significant decline in the percentage with health coverage through their own job. IMPACT OF STRUCTURAL CHANGES TO THE WORK FORCE: The movement of workers from the manufacturing industry to the service sector continued between 2008 and 2009. The percentage of workers employed on a full-time basis decreased while the percentage working part time increased. While there was an overall decline in the percentage of full-time workers, that decline was limited to workers employed full year. The percentage of workers employed on a full-time, part-year basis increased between 2008 and 2009. The distribution of workers by annual earnings shifted from middle-income workers to lower-income workers between 2008 and 2009.     

Changes in health, mortality, and disability and their impact on long-term care needs

The need for long-term care is driven both by the growth of the elderly population and changes in the age relations of morbidity, disability, and mortality. Data show these relations changed in the U.S. elderly population from 1982 to 1989. Chronic disability prevalence declined between the 1982 and 1989 U.S. National Long Term Care Surveys. Among those impaired, many persons using personal assistance to meet their needs shifted to the use of assisted housing and special equipment. The relation of these trends to other changes--such as the increasing educational level of the elderly population--is examined to estimate how future changes in disability and morbidity may affect the demand for long-term care. Disabilities at specific times as well as their transition rates were examined to determine how long individuals need long-term care. The analyses suggest that, while the amount of long-term care services needed will increase rapidly, the types and amounts of services used by the U.S. elderly population will undergo significant change.     

Foster child health care supervision policy

Foster children represent a high-risk group for physical, emotional, and social health problems, yet few federal or state policies explicitly address foster child health. This article reviews foster child health and the legal background for policy, then discusses components of a comprehensive health care supervision program.     

Youth care workers' perspectives on and adoption of evidence-based practice

Despite increased emphasis on evidence-based practice (EBP), the limited implementation of EBP is a well-known reality. This research examines youth care practitioners' knowledge of, attitudes toward and adoption of EBP (N = 74). Additionally, the difference between EBP and empirically supported treatments (ESTs) is made. Findings show that some practitioner background variables are related to their knowledge of and attitudes toward EBP, but not to ESTs. Findings also provide evidence for current dissemination and implementation models that strongly emphasize the importance of good knowledge of and favorable attitudes toward EBP and EST by practitioners. Expanding the knowledge base of practitioners and positively influencing their attitudes toward EBP are two of the tracks for closing the gap between research and practice.     

Addressing the impact of foster care on biological children and their families

This study explores from a dual perspective the impact of the fostering process on biological children in the home. Ten foster parents and their biological children were interviewed separately. The impact of foster care on the psychological, educational, and social well-being of biological children and their relationship with parents and siblings were examined. The exploration reveals a paradoxical and life-changing process as seen through the eyes of biological children and their parents.     

Memo to child care workers on their role in group homes.

The child care worker in a group home meets conditions both similar to and different from those of his counterpart in an institutional setting. Specific qualifications are needed to meet these specific problems.     

Mothers' empowerment and father involvement in child health care in Bangladesh

With the advent of a couple-approach to health, particularly in the arena of reproductive health and child health, father involvement in child health care has become an important focus of preventative health. This study assesses the association between mothers' empowerment variables and father involvement in childcare in Bangladesh using data from a subsample of 903 women from the Couples Dataset of the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey 2011. Father involvement in child health care was measured as a count variable enumerating the number of specific events during which the father was present: child's last doctor's visit, child's immunization, and birth. Poisson regression was conducted to assess the association between empowerment and demographic variables and father involvement. Results indicated that mothers' household decision-making power and age above 45 years, and fathers' age, fathers' education, and family wealth were significantly associated with father involvement. The study concludes that older and more educated fathers with family wealth and whose wives denied having household decision-making power were more likely to be involved in their children's lives than their counterparts.     

Considering child care and parenting needs in Veterans Affairs mental health services

Child care and parenting needs of adults with mental illness are of growing concern, especially among those seeking Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) mental health services. One area of interest concerns the possible benefits that on-site child care could have for improving veterans’ access to VA mental health care. Child care programs are currently being piloted at the VA for the first time, although the need for them has not been evaluated. We conducted a brief survey of a convenience sample of 147 veterans (132 men, 15 women) seeking mental health care at outpatient clinics and/or at a psychiatric rehabilitation center at one VA. Participants were asked about their attitudes and experiences regarding child care and parenting support at the VA. Of the 52 (35.4%) participants who responded and had children under 18, the majority of both men and women surveyed agreed that the VA should offer child care services and that they would use child care services at the VA if it were available. These results are based on a small sample of participants, but they may contribute to ongoing discussion and efforts to develop “family-friendly” mental health services.     

Ergonomic initiatives at Inmetro: measuring occupational health and safety

This work studies biomechanical hazards to which the workforce of Instituto Nacional de Metrologia, Qualidade e Tecnologia Industrial (Inmetro) is exposed. It suggests a model for ergonomic evaluation of work, based on the concepts of resilience engineering which take into consideration the institute's ability to manage risk and deal with its consequences. Methodology includes the stages of identification, inventory, analysis, and risk management. Diagnosis of the workplace uses as parameters the minimal criteria stated in Brazilian legislation. The approach has several prospectives and encompasses the points of view of public management, safety engineering, physical therapy and ergonomics-oriented design. The suggested solution integrates all aspects of the problem: biological, psychological, sociological and organizational. Results obtained from a pilot Project allow to build a significant sample of Inmetro's workforce, identifying problems and validating the methodology employed as a tool to be applied to the whole institution. Finally, this work intends to draw risk maps and support goals and methods based on resiliency engineering to assess environmental and ergonomic risk management.     

Residential group care workers' recognition of depression: Assessment of mental health literacy using clinical vignettes

BackgroundResidential group-care workers have a critical role to play in recognizing mental health problems amongst children in their care. However, little is known about the extent to which workers recognize and respond to mental health and behavioral concerns.MethodA sample of 124 residential group care workers completed an online survey in which vignettes of children experiencing either internalized or externalized symptoms of depression and ‘typical’ behavior were presented. In order to explore aspects of mental health literacy, workers were asked to rate each vignette for severity of a specific mental health concern (adolescent depression), portrayed as internalized or externalized behavior. Ratings of worker confidence and concern for the young person were also obtained.ResultsWorkers were able to recognize the existence of depression in these fictional vignettes. Depression in the presence of externalized behavior was rated as both more severe and more concerning than depression accompanied by internalized behaviors. Furthermore, workers had greater confidence in endorsing the presence of a mental health issue when accompanied by externalized behavior compared to an internalized presentation.ConclusionsResidential group-care workers are able to recognize the existence of depression amongst children in their care. Externalized presentation of mental health appears to be more easily recognized by workers and they are also more confident in identifying mental health concern when it is accompanied by externalized, compared with internalized behaviors. The implications for training and support of residential group care workers are discussed.     

South African social workers' knowledge of attachment theory and their perceptions of attachment relationships in foster care supervision

Despite the prominence of attachment theory in international foster care literature and the importance of attachment relationships in successful foster care, attachment theory and practices do not feature prominently in South African foster care research. Against this backdrop, we interviewed twenty South African social workers' about their knowledge of attachment theory and their perceptions of attachment relationships in their own foster care work. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the interviews. We found that the social workers had limited knowledge of attachment theory and interventions; experienced most biological parents as unmotivated to improve their circumstances and attachment relationships with children; indicated that family reunifications were rare occurrences; reported foster parents were mostly kin; and experienced constraining contextual factors that hindered optimal consideration of attachment relationships in foster care supervision.     

Folk-healing among Mexican-American families as a consideration in the delivery of child welfare and child health care services

If practitioners in cross-cultural services do not understand traditional health beliefs and practices and find ways to incorporate a compatible approach to them in their work, their clients and patients will go their own ways, sometimes with dire results. Practices among Mexican-American families are described.