Migrant women farm workers in the occupational health literature

Little attention has been given to the vulnerable populations of migrant women agricultural workers. A systemic review in PubMed was carried out (1990-2008) using terms related to migrant agricultural workers, with specific focus on women. Case studies from Lebanon and California are presented to highlight key physical, psychosocial, and cultural risk factors among these working populations. The review revealed a host of potential problems that span from pesticide exposure and musculoskeletal disorders to socio-cultural barriers. Comprehensive exposure-outcome and intervention studies focusing specifically on migrant women in agriculture are lacking. In depth studies focusing on the work environment of migrant women workers in the agricultural sector are needed. Personal and environmental factors that influence health should be considered in any effective intervention aiming to influence policy making and have a positive impact on these vulnerable working populations.     

The impact of socio-economic status and caregiver cooperation on school professionals' reports to child protection services in Switzerland

Children spend a considerable amount of their time at school; many have trusted relationships with their teachers and some are supported by school social workers or school psychologists. However, factors driving school professionals' decision to report child victimisation to child protection services lack research. Based on a stratified random sample, 549 Swiss principals, school social workers and school psychologists participated in an online survey including two vignettes. While the family's socio-economic status was randomly presented as either high or low in the first vignette, caregiver cooperation was randomly varied in the second. Principals, school social workers and school psychologists were less likely to report to child protection authorities if the family had been described as cooperative or of high socio-economic status. The impact of both case characteristics was significant even while controlling for decision-maker and organisational factors. While the increased tendency to report a neglected child of a low socio-economic status family might actually be driven by need, the reluctance to report whether caregivers are cooperative should be examined more critically. Although caregiver cooperation might be considered an asset to working together for the best of the child, it does not guarantee improvement because cooperation might actually be superficial or driven by a hidden agenda.     

The influence of the tasks characteristics in physical performance and psychosocial aspects of workers

The work and life conditions have influence on the health and life quality of workers. Physically active persons can demonstrate a life style that are and affect the physical performance, psychosocial aspects and work capacity. The purpose of this study was to investigate the physical activity level and work capacity in different tasks characteristics, one with more physical exertion and other with more cognitive exertion. A total of 193 workers from an institution of higher education and 457 workers from a metallurgical industry participated in the current study. All participants completed the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ-short) and Work Ability Index (WAI). The results indicated that both groups were classified as having high level of physical activity while only few of them were considered sedentary (less than 27%). However, the group of metallurgical workers had greater indices (82%) than the workers from higher education institution (74%). Overall, the workers reported their work ability as moderate to excellent, suggesting that overall they are satisfied with their working and health conditions. It can be concluded that even though workers performed tasks with different demands (cognitive versus physical), they demonstrated similar level of physical activity as well as work ability.     

Sociodemographic Determinants of Occupational Risks of Exposure to COVID‐19 in Canada

The activities performed by Canadian workers in some occupations may increase the risk of exposure to infectious diseases such as COVID‐19. This research note explores how occupational exposure risks vary by labor force characteristics using publicly available Canadian data in combination with a data set providing information on the level of physical proximity and frequency of exposure to infections or diseases faced by workers in different occupations. The results show important sociodemographic differences. First, women work in occupations associated with significantly higher average risks of exposure to COVID‐19 than men. This is driven by their overrepresentation in high‐risk broad occupational categories such as health occupations. Second, older workers (65 years or more), a group vulnerable to COVID‐19, appear to work in occupations requiring performing activities characterized by a lower level of physical proximity than their younger colleagues, with minimal differences in the frequency of exposure to diseases or infections. Finally, workers in low‐income occupations are employed in occupations that put them at greater risk of exposure to COVID‐19 than other workers. This is especially the case for women, immigrants, and members of visible minority groups in low‐income occupations. More broadly, this research note provides insights into the health‐related dimension of the literature on occupational tasks and labor market stratification.     

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

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.     

Building cultural intelligence through supervisor support: Social exchange and subjective career success as mediators and organisational support as a moderator

This study offers a new perspective on how organisational factors influence migrant workers' cultural intelligence (CQ) by examining a moderated mediation model of the mechanism underlying the relationship between perceived supervisor support and CQ. We tested our model using a survey on a sample of 462 migrants. We found that employees' social exchange and subjective career success mediated the relationship between their perceptions of supervisor support and CQ. Furthermore, perceived organisational support moderated the social exchange–CQ relationship, and this relationship was stronger among workers with perceived high organisational support than for those with perceptions of low support. We also found that the indirect effect of employees' perceived supervisor support on CQ via social exchange was stronger for those with perceived high organisational support than for those with perceptions of low support. This study contributes to a better understanding of factors that foster migrant workers' abilities to navigate diverse workplaces.     

Karrieren nach der Rente: Karriere- und Arbeitsvorstellungen von arbeitenden Rentner*innen

The employment rate of German older workers has rapidly risen in the last 15 years. The steepest increase was found among those older than 65. The number of these working pensioners has more than doubled between 2000 and 2015. However only little gerontological and psychological research on working pensioners can be found. Companies and human resources managers seem rather unprepared, as almost no organisational career and development models exist for this group. Based on data from the survey “Transitions and Old Age Potential: Übergänge und Alternspotenziale (TOP)” the article at hand investigates older workers (age 50–65), attitudes towards potentially working in retirement. The results show that about half of the respondents consider working in addition to receiving a pension. However, they prefer part-time employment with on average 20?hours a week over full-time employment. In addition, this article discusses how the preference of this employment group fits with existing career models. We find that there is not one but several career models for working pensioners that human resource strategies should be mindful of.     

Interactive effects of work psychosocial factors on participation in workplace wellness programs

This study explored concurrent effects of six work psychosocial factors on current participation and the self-reported likelihood of future participation in workplace wellness programs using a cross-sectional survey, an ad hoc focus group, and structured interviews. Classification and regression tree analysis was used to analyze survey responses from 343 employees (194 nonparticipants, 95 participants, and 54 engaged participants). A thematic analysis of focus group (n?=?7) and interview (n?=?5) narratives was also undertaken. In combination with high work control, high superior support was associated with an engaged participant profile. Job demand was the third important variable with low and very high levels associated with participation. With regard to high likelihood of future participation, among respondents with age older than 50, high predictability of occupational activities and control were identified as a significant factor, and among others, high superior support and control. The analysis of narratives revealed peer relations and flexible working hours to be positively linked to participation and general job stress was identified as having a bidirectional relationship. Employees stated that stress led them to take advantage of these programs as a source of relief and that their availability/participation has contributed to lowering their stress. These findings inform practitioners about the importance of addressing poor psychosocial factors as a participation barrier and having a holistic approach to employee well-being.     

Ergonomic evaluation of a situation of coexposure to solvents and noise in a printing of flexible packaging

The purpose of this paper is to present an ergonomic evaluation of a situation of co-exposure to solvents and noise in a flexible packaging printer. We discuss how such an approach carried out in the field of printing industry work has made it possible to highlight serious shortcomings in the effectiveness of the prevention actions that are supposed to protect workers from chemicals risks and noise. The ergonomic analysis identified a strain working conditions. Indeed, some jobs expose to noise and toxic risk. Lamination operations, winding and cutting are purveyors of noise. Some physical and spatial factors contribute to amplify the toxic risk. The not wearing of personal protective equipment (PPE) by the operators maybe explained by the fact that it doesn't any possibility to do "otherwise". Indeed, operators adopt a compromise to achieve the objectives of production to the detriment of their health and safety. These constraints are causing gene and psychosocial factors. The interviews revealed a state of psychosis in the workshop, which was accentuated by the reclassification of an operator which has created a climate of panic and anxiety especially for older operators who have more than 20 years exposed to handling of toxic and more exposure to high noise level.     

Target groups for prevention of neck/shoulder and low back disorders: an exploratory cluster analysis of working and living conditions

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) have a multifactorial etiology. Therefore, a holistic approach to identifying target groups for primary/secondary prevention is essential. In this study, an exploratory person-oriented approach was applied, using cluster analysis of variables related to physical and psychosocial work conditions, and conditions in the private sphere, on a data set of 1,341 Swedish women and men who had not sought care for MSDs the 6 months preceding enrollment in the study. Three groups at risk and five "healthy" groups regarding MSDs were identified. Two of the risk groups had a strained situation regarding psychosocial work conditions or domestic/family conditions, respectively. The majority of individuals in these groups were women. The third risk group had a strained situation regarding both physical and psychosocial work conditions. This group consisted largely of men working in male-dominated jobs. The five healthy groups had low/moderate metabolic demands at work, and all of them having high proportions of subjects with moderate to high education, and fairly even distributions of men and women. In conclusion, the results indicate that gender-specific working and living conditions are associated with an increased risk for MSDs. The identification of these subgroups in the population may facilitate a selective prevention approach.     

Work stress and musculoskeletal disorder etiology: The relative roles of psychosocial and physical risk factors

The intense battles preceding the recent promulgation of OSHA's Ergonomics Program Standard serve as a case study demonstrating the growing understanding that MSD causation, development, and exacerbation are the result of the combined contribution of (and possibly interaction between) a wide range of biomechanical and psychosocial stressors. The best designed studies, those that adequately measure both biomechanical and psychosocial exposures, strongly support this hypothesis. Work stress is one of the results of this stressor combination and is part of the physiological pathway to MSDs and a wide range of other occupational diseases. Prevention efforts geared to a single or single class of exposure may be only partly effective, ineffective, or even counter productive. The most effective control strategies are rooted in on-going, participatory ergonomics programs, incorporating a joint labor/management ergonomic team; this blueprint for intervention necessarily addresses the roots of both physical and psychosocial work stress experienced by workers.     

Psychosocial indicators among aircraft maintenance workers with and without neck and shoulder musculoskeletal symptoms

In the aircraft maintenance industry, most of workers performs manual handling tasks of different materials, varying from small objects up to large pieces of the aircraft. It can increase the occurrence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs), which are strongly associated with high physical demands required by the task. Moreover, psychosocial demands are considered as risk factors for musculoskeletal disorders in both the upper limbs and lumbar spine. Thus, the objective of this study was to assess psychosocial indicators among aircraft maintenance workers according to the presence of neck and shoulder musculoskeletal symptoms. Eighty workers of an aircraft maintenance company were evaluated (32.69 ± 8.25 years, 79.8 ± 13.4 kg, 175 ± 7 cm). According to physical examination, 50 workers were classified as asymptomatic (AS - 4.1 ± 3.17 positive signs) whilst 30 workers were classified as symptomatic (SS - 26.72 ± 11.44 positive signs). AS and SS have shown similar profile of demand (p = 0.62), control (p = 0.66) and social support (p = 0.74) according to the Job Content Questionnaire. However, the groups are different when considering work engagement variables. In general, SS have higher scores than AS (p < 0.05).     

The Occupational Cost of Being Illegal in the United States: Legal Status,Job Hazards,and Compensating Differentials

Considerable research and pervasive cultural narratives suggest that undocumented immigrant workers are concentrated in the most dangerous, hazardous, and otherwise unappealing jobs in U.S. labor markets. Yet, owing largely to data limitations, little empirical work has addressed this topic. Using data from the 2004 and 2008 panels of the Survey of Income and Program Participation, we impute legal status for Mexican and Central American immigrants and link their occupations to Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS) data on occupational fatalities and occupational hazard data from the U.S. Department of Labor to explore racial and legal status differentials on several specific measures of occupational risk. Results indicate that undocumented workers face heightened exposure to numerous dimensions of occupational hazard – including higher levels of physical strain, exposure to heights, and repetitive motions – but are less exposed than native workers to some of the potentially most dangerous environments. We also show that undocumented workers are rewarded less for employment in hazardous settings, receiving low or no compensating differential for working in jobs with high fatality, toxic materials, or exposure to heights. Overall, this study suggests that legal status plays an important role in determining exposure to job hazard and in structuring the wage returns to risky work.     

Experience of musculo-skeletal disorders,intensity of pain,and general conditions in work -- The case of employees in non-private dental clinics in a county in southern Sweden

OBJECTIVES: (1) To identify perceived musculo-skeletal disorders and intensity of pain among the employees in the non-private dental clinics; (2) To assess perceived psychosocial and physical work conditions on the localization and intensity of musculo-skeletal disorders and pain. STUDY DESIGN: A questionnaire, comprising four sections (demographic, self-reported psychosocial and physical work conditions, self-reported disorders from the musculo-skeletal system, self-reported intensity of pain on nine different localization on the body) was mailed to 391 employees. Of these, 338 reported musculo-skeletal disorders. In this latter group, 239 reported work as the cause. These employees completed the questionnaire. RESULTS: The greatest amount of pain was reported for the cervico-brachial region. Among all participants, a response pattern was found where the physical work demands were very high, the psychosocial work demands fairly high, the work climate supportive, and the control over work moderate. At an occupational group level, theoretical inconsistencies were identified in terms of a lack of anticipated relationships, especially for the dentist groups. CONCLUSIONS: For a scientific and social purpose, more research, which identifies relationships between work-related musculo-skeletal pain and dos-response [8], effort-reward [16], and demand-control [12] aspects of the working conditions, is clearly needed.     

Changing Directions in HIV Prevention: The Move Toward a Psychosocial Model

ABSTRACT

Although some HIV prevention programs have been successful in helping gay and bisexual men change their sexual behaviors, rates of HIV infection continue to increase. In an attempt to address this problem, social workers need to move beyond traditional HIV prevention approaches to a psychosocial model of HIV prevention. Based on the work of previous researchers, this approach assumes that a combination of individual, psychological, and social factors contribute to risky sex in gay and bisexual men. Because social workers are trained to view problems from a psychosocial framework, they are already in a position to develop programs incorporating the psychosocial model. This article examines the psychosocial model of HIV prevention and the various psychosocial factors that may contribute to high-risk sexual behavior and concludes with examples of prevention research that have already incorporated the model.     

Work ability among nursing personnel in public hospitals and health centers in Campinas--Brazil

Nursing personnel is essential in hospital, health centers and enterprises and is the large work force in health system. A cross-sectional study was conducted in a large city in two public hospitals and five health centre with the objective of to evaluate the work ability and health aspects of nursing staff. The sample was composed by 570 workers. The Work Ability Index - WAI and a questionnaire with socio-demographic, health and life style data was applied. The majority of workers was women (83%), married (50.4%), and was working in night shift work (65.6%); 61.4% was auxiliary nursing, 22.3% was registered nurses (RN). The average age was 38.9 years (SD 7.8) and the Body Mass Index mean was 25.8 (SD 5.3). Only 17.2% referred to practice at least 150 minutes of physical exercise five times per week or more. 26.8% had a second job. The work ability mean was 39.3 (SD 5.3) points. Age had a negative correlation with WAI (p=0.0052). Public hospital and health centre workers had poor work ability score when compared with workers from another branches. Public policies related to workplace health promotion need to be implemented in public hospital and health centre to improve the work ability.     

Self-reported musculoskeletal pain and working conditions among employees in the Swedish public sector

Musculoskeletal disorders constitute a considerable public health problem, often resulting in sickness absence, particularly in public sector employees. Increased knowledge on how this is related to individual and work-related factors is required. The objective of this study was to investigate the associations between self-reported musculoskeletal pain and the following factors: physical and psychosocial work conditions, lifestyle, psychosomatic symptoms and sick leave. A comprehensive questionnaire was completed by a total of 2523 people, of which 87% were women and 13% men. The participants were employed in public hospitals, educational institutions, home care services for the elderly and domestic/catering services in a Swedish county. The response rate was 92%. Multiple logistic regression analyses showed that the high level of self-reported musculoskeletal pain was highly associated with strenuous physical and psychosocial work conditions. The physical factor with the highest odds ratio (OR) was working in a forward-bent position. High work demands was the most prominent psychosocial factor and distinctly associated with musculoskeletal pain among men. Physical work strain and other demanding working conditions, which were associated with musculoskeletal pain, were frequent among employees in home care services for the elderly and domestic/catering services. There was a strong association between long-term sick leave and high musculoskeletal pain. Furthermore, there was a strong association between a high level of musculoskeletal pain and the exhibition of psychosomatic symptoms in both women and men; this is an interaction that may intensify the total experience of illness and thus needs to be further investigated.     

Constituents of healthy workplaces

The aim of the study presented here was to identify and characterize the constituents of a healthy workplace from the viewpoints of employees at four different companies with low rate of absenteeism due to illness. A non-randomized, purposive selection was made of 27 respondents -- four department heads, 16 white-collar workers, and seven blue-collar employees. The respondents were told to describe in writing how they experience factors contributing to good health at their workplace. The data analysis was carried out with a phenomenographic approach. Four main categories of health-related factors emerged: Good Work Environment, Active Keep-Fit Measures, Functional Leadership and Individual Responsibility. The employers fulfil demands for a good physical working environment, but the need for improvements in the psychosocial environment remains. The most promising finding is that the respondents' accept personal responsibility for maintaining their own good health.     

Analysis of the workload imposed on the workers of the imprint and cutting/welding sectors of a flexible packaging manufacturer

This article presents a study on the evaluation of the workload imposed to workers of two sectors of a flexible packaging manufacturer that operates in three shifts. The workers are allocated in one of the shifts (morning, evening and night shifts) without evaluation of their chronotype and/or social needs. The Imprint sector has a more dynamic work, which is done only by man due to the effort demanded by handling loads. The work in the Cutting/Welding sector is static, done mainly by women. The results showed that the overall workload was the same in the Imprint and Cutting/Welding sectors, because physical effort for load handling is higher in the former but the latter involves high static load. The levels of urinary catecholamines and salivary cortisol were consistent with the workers biological clock showing that none of the workers changed his/her biological cycle to accommodate to the time of the shift schedule.     

Administrative rationality and coping strategies in shift work

Shift work (SW) can affect worker health and productivity. Working at night, workers often accumulate fatigue and are less productive. In Brazil, laws have been drafted aiming to reduce night work and rotating shift hours. In order to slash costs, companies have been looking for new arrangements to improve productivity under these conditions. The purpose of this study was to examine management changes and their outcomes in a large glass factory located in an industrial region of Brazil. The results show that the management, seeking equal productivity among shifts, focused its efforts mainly on distributing employee expertise. The arrangement resulted in 12 different groups that combine to serve three fixed shifts. A same shift can be served by more than one group, and the members of a same group share days off on different days. There was no statistically significant productivity difference among the three shifts. The on-site examination showed that part of the production was held by the workers and transferred to the next shift in order for them to be able to meet the management's performance rate requirements. The finding shows how a Brazilian cultural trait (resistance without conflict) is used to drive coping in SW.