International archives of occupational and environmental health
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Int Arch Occup Environ Health · Apr 2014
Association between perceived inadequate staffing and musculoskeletal pain among hospital patient care workers.
To examine association between perceived inadequate staffing and musculoskeletal pain and to evaluate the role of work-related psychosocial and physical work factors in the association among hospital patient care workers. ⋯ Perceived inadequate staffing may be associated with higher prevalence of back pain, and work-related psychosocial factor may play an important role in the potential pathway linking staffing level to back pain among hospital workers.
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Int Arch Occup Environ Health · Apr 2014
Workplace bullying and sleep difficulties: a 2-year follow-up study.
The aims of the present study were to investigate whether being subjected to bullying and witnessing bullying at the workplace was associated with concurrent sleep difficulties, whether frequently bullied/witnesses have more sleep difficulties than occasionally bullied/witnesses, and whether there were associations between being subjected to bullying or witnessing bullying at the workplace and subsequent sleep difficulties. ⋯ Being subjected to occasional bullying at baseline was predictive of subsequent sleep difficulties. Witnessing bullying at baseline did not predict sleep difficulties at follow-up.
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Int Arch Occup Environ Health · Feb 2014
Comparative StudyLess work: more burnout? A comparison of working conditions and the risk of burnout by German physicians before and after the implementation of the EU Working Time Directive.
The present study is a 10-year comparison (1997 vs. 2007) of occupational and health aspects before and after the implementation of the European Working Time Directive on German hospital physicians. A major focus is whether the changes in working conditions are accompanied by a lower risk for burnout. ⋯ Changes in working conditions in accordance with the European Working Time Directive are not accompanied by reduced strain and risk of burnout for physicians. Rather, our data argue for greater intensification in work, especially for senior physicians. Further studies are suggested in order to explore interventions for a sustainable improvement in the working conditions of physicians.
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Int Arch Occup Environ Health · Feb 2014
Changes of mesothelin and osteopontin levels over time in formerly asbestos-exposed power industry workers.
In patients developing malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) or lung cancer, using effective tumour markers is the quickest way to ensure early diagnosis and improve survival time. The aim of our study was to assess the influence of age and asbestos exposure on the blood levels of the proposed tumour markers, mesothelin and osteopontin, and to determine the change of these markers over time. ⋯ Fixed cut-off values for deciding between intensive clinical work-up and continued surveillance appeared inadequate for the evaluated markers. While general conclusions cannot be drawn, we can say that the results of the two patients would be consistent with a mesothelin increase between 6 and 18 months before clinical symptoms developed.
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Int Arch Occup Environ Health · Jan 2014
Changes in physical activity and heart rate variability in chronic neck-shoulder pain: monitoring during work and leisure time.
Neck-shoulder pain (NSP) is a common work-related musculoskeletal disorder with unclear mechanisms. Changes in physical activity and autonomic nervous system regulation may be involved in the pathogenesis of chronic NSP. The aim of the current study was to investigate autonomic regulation in relation to physical activity and perceived symptoms during work and leisure time among workers with chronic NSP (n = 29) as compared to a healthy control group (CON, n = 27). ⋯ Changes in HRV reflected an autonomic imbalance in workers with chronic musculoskeletal pain. This can be explained by reduced physical activity in leisure time. Intervention studies aimed at increasing physical activity may shed further light on the association between autonomic regulation and physical activity in work-related NSP.