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Mastrantonio R, Cofini V, Mastrangeli G, Pettinaro M, Mastrodomenico M, Fabiani L. Occupational risk perception of construction workers: a cross sectional study. Front Public Health 2024; 12:1338604. [PMID: 38344228 PMCID: PMC10853437 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1338604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Construction workers are often exposed to significant injury risk. The aim of our study is to assess their occupational hazards and injury risk perception. Methods We administered 256 questionnaires to construction workers. The survey was aimed at collecting information regarding occupational risk and hazard exposure perception, risk control and behavioral self-assessment. We analyzed the data obtained in order to highlight any associations between injury risk perception and anamnestic, occupational, behavioral or perceptual factors. Results Participants were prevalently males (92.37%) aged 21-60 years (94%). They showed a job seniority level of 21.3 (11.51) on average and, ranging from a 1 to 10 score, a danger awareness of 6.8 (2.9), a lack of prevention measures 6.0 (3.3), an improper behavior of 7.3 (2.7), an unpredictable fate of 6.0 (2.9). These factors resulted significantly associated with the injury risk perception. Multivariable analysis highlighted that the injury risk perception was associated with the lack of prevention measure and unpredictable fate. On the other hand, we found a negative association with the workers' improper behaviors. Conclusion Workers' perception showed fairly uniform average values even when occupational risk was demonstrated. Our analysis suggests a positive correlation between injury risk perception and the idea that injuries are due both to fate and to chance; it also shows a negative correlation between injury risk perception and the idea that injuries are due to improper behavior. A lack of fully comparable studies confirms the need for further studies on the injury risk perception of construction workers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riccardo Mastrantonio
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L’Aquila, L’Aquila, Italy
| | - Vincenza Cofini
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L’Aquila, L’Aquila, Italy
| | - Giada Mastrangeli
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L’Aquila, L’Aquila, Italy
| | | | | | - Leila Fabiani
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L’Aquila, L’Aquila, Italy
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Juanamasta IG, Aungsuroch Y, Fisher ML, Nuryani SNA, Ayuningsih NN. Translation and validation study of the Indonesian version of the practice environment scale of the nursing work index. Int J Nurs Sci 2023; 10:511-517. [PMID: 38020847 PMCID: PMC10667313 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijnss.2023.09.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2022] [Revised: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Objectives This study aimed to translate and validate the Practice Environment Scale - Nursing Work Index (PES-NWI) among nurses in Indonesia. Methods A scale translation and cross-sectional validation study was conducted. The English version was translated into Indonesian, which involved five steps: forward translation, compare the translation, backward translation, compare the translation, and pilot testing with a dichotomous scale (clear or unclear). Thirty inpatient department nurses were involved in checking readability and understandability. A cross-sectional study was conducted from August to October 2022 at 17 hospitals across Indonesia, involving 350 nursing professionals. The validity test included structural validity and convergent validity. The internal consistency reliability was tested by Cronbach's α coefficient, item-total correlation, and composite reliability. Results Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) showed an acceptable fit. The correlation of all dimensions was between 0.70 and 0.88, and all items had item loading higher than 0.6. Convergent validity of each dimension ranged from 0.61 to 0.74, internal consistencies with Cronbach's α coefficient was 0.97, corrected item-to-total correlation ranged from 0.62 to 0.85, and composite reliability of each dimension was higher than 0.89. Conclusions Good homogeneity and construct validity have been demonstrated for the Indonesian version of the PES-NWI, nursing management can use it to measure the work environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Gede Juanamasta
- Faculty of Nursing, Chulalongkorn University Bangkok, Thailand
- Nursing Program, STIKES Wira Medika Bali, Indonesia
| | | | - Mary L. Fisher
- Indiana University School of Nursing, Indianapolis, USA
- College of Nursing, University of Florida, Gainesville, USA
| | | | - Ni Nyoman Ayuningsih
- Quality Assurance Committee, Prof IGNG Ngoerah General Hospital, Bali, Indonesia
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Physiological State Evaluation in Working Environment Using Expert System and Random Forest Machine Learning Algorithm. Healthcare (Basel) 2023; 11:healthcare11020220. [PMID: 36673588 PMCID: PMC9859340 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare11020220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2022] [Revised: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Healthy lifestyle is one of the most important factors in the prevention of premature deaths, chronic diseases, productivity loss, obesity, and other economic and social aspects. The workplace plays an important role in promoting the physical activity and wellbeing of employees. Previous studies are mostly focused on individual interviews, various questionnaires that are a conceptual information about individual health state and might change according to question formulation, specialist competence, and other aspects. In this paper the work ability was mostly related to the employee's physiological state, which consists of three separate systems: cardiovascular, muscular, and neural. Each state consists of several exercises or tests that need to be performed one after another. The proposed data transformation uses fuzzy logic and different membership functions with three or five thresholds, according to the analyzed physiological feature. The transformed datasets are then classified into three stages that correspond to good, moderate, and poor health condition using machine learning techniques. A three-part Random Forest method was applied, where each part corresponds to a separate system. The obtained testing accuracies were 93%, 87%, and 73% for cardiovascular, muscular, and neural human body systems, respectively. The results indicate that the proposed work ability evaluation process may become a good tool for the prevention of possible accidents at work, chronic fatigue, or other health problems.
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Colin R, Wild P, Paris C, Boini S. Facteurs psychosociaux et accidents du travail, que dit la littérature ? ARCH MAL PROF ENVIRO 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.admp.2022.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Magnavita N, Chiorri C, Karimi L, Karanika-Murray M. The Impact of Quality of Work Organization on Distress and Absenteeism among Healthcare Workers. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:13458. [PMID: 36294034 PMCID: PMC9603159 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192013458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Revised: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 10/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The quality of work organization may be responsible not only for reduced productivity but also for an increased risk of mental and physical disorders. This study was aimed at testing this hypothesis. Workers of a local health unit in Italy were asked to fill out the Work Organization Assessment Questionnaire (WOAQ) during their periodic medical examinations in the second half of 2018. On the same occasion, they also completed the Demand/Control/Support (DCS) measure of job strain, the Effort/Reward Imbalance (ERI) questionnaire, and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ12) to assess psychological health. A total of 345 workers (85.8%) completed the survey. Linear regression analysis showed that the quality of work organization was inversely proportional to psychological health problems (p < 0.001). Occupational stress, measured both by job strain and ERI, was a moderating factor in this relationship. The relationship between the WOAQ and psychological health, moderated by job strain or ERI, remained highly significant even after adjustment for sex, age, social support, and overcommitment. Regression models explained over 40% of the shared variance of the association between quality of work organization and psychological health. The quality of work organization significantly predicted the risk of sickness absence for musculoskeletal disorders (OR = 0.984, CI95% 0.972-0.996) and for other health problems (OR = 0.977, CI95% 0.967-0.988). A continuous improvement of work organization must consider not only the clients' or production needs but also the well-being of workers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Magnavita
- Postgraduate School of Occupational Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Department of Woman, Child & Public Health Sciences, Fondazione A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Carlo Chiorri
- Department of Educational Sciences, University of Genova, 16126 Genova, Italy
| | - Leila Karimi
- School of Applied Health, Psychology Department, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
- School of Medicine and Healthcare Management, Caucasus University, Tbilisi 0141, Georgia
| | - Maria Karanika-Murray
- Department of Psychology, Nottingham Trent University, 50 Shakespeare Street, Nottingham NG1 4FQ, UK
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Dong XS, Brooks RD, Brown S, Harris W. Psychological distress and suicidal ideation among male construction workers in the United States. Am J Ind Med 2022; 65:396-408. [PMID: 35220600 DOI: 10.1002/ajim.23340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2021] [Revised: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Male workers in the US construction industry have a higher suicide rate than other workers in the nation. However, related research on this population remains sparse. This study evaluated psychological distress and suicidal ideation in these workers, and possible underlying factors. METHODS Data from the National Survey of Drug Use and Health from 2008 to 2014 were analyzed. Stratified and multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine factors associated with psychological distress and suicidal ideation among male construction workers aged ≥18 years (n = 12,034). RESULTS Nearly one-third (29.6%) of male construction workers in the United States experienced psychological distress (23.8% graded as moderate, 5.8% as severe), and 2.5% reported suicidal ideation in the past year. Higher odds of serious psychological distress and suicidal ideation were found among workers who were younger, worked part-time, missed workdays due to injury or illness, or were in poor health. Illicit opioid use (odds ratio [OR] = 1.87, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.22-2.89) and alcohol dependence or abuse (OR = 2.64, 95% CI: 1.74-3.99) significantly escalated the odds of suicidal ideation. The odds of suicidal ideation among workers with serious psychological distress were 33 times higher than those having no or minor psychological distress (OR = 32.91, 95% CI: 19.82-54.65) when other factors were constant. CONCLUSIONS Occupational and nonoccupational factors were associated with constructionworkers' psychological distress and suicidal ideation. Both illicit opioid use and alcohol dependence or abuse were risk factors, and psychological distress was a strong predictor for suicidal ideation. To improve workers' mental health, it is necessary to integrate workplace injury prevention with illicit opioid-use reduction programs and suicide prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiuwen Sue Dong
- CPWR—The Center for Construction Research and Training Silver Spring Maryland USA
| | - Raina D. Brooks
- CPWR—The Center for Construction Research and Training Silver Spring Maryland USA
| | - Samantha Brown
- CPWR—The Center for Construction Research and Training Silver Spring Maryland USA
| | - William Harris
- CPWR—The Center for Construction Research and Training Silver Spring Maryland USA
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Effort-Reward Imbalance at Work and Drug Misuse: Evidence from a National Survey in the U.S. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph182413334. [PMID: 34948938 PMCID: PMC8702104 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182413334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2021] [Revised: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
With the rise of drug misuse among workers in recent years, preliminary research on potential risk factors in the workplace of single-type of drug misuse has been reported. This is the first study to examine cross-sectional associations of work stress, in terms of effort-reward imbalance, with multiple drug misuse (including any drug misuse, opioid misuse, sedatives misuse, cannabis misuse, and other drug misuse) during the past 12 months in a national sample of U.S. workers. Data of 2211 workers were derived from the nationally representative and population-based Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study. Internal consistency reliability and factorial validity of a 17-item effort-reward imbalance measure were robust and satisfactory. After adjustment for relevant covariates, logistic regression analyses showed that workers experiencing effort-reward imbalance at work had significantly higher odds of any drug misuse (OR and 95% CI = 1.18 (1.03, 1.37)), especially opioid misuse (OR and 95% CI = 1.35 (1.07, 1.69)) and other drug misuse (OR and 95% CI = 1.36 (1.01, 1.83)). The findings suggest that a stressful work environment may act as a determinant of drug misuse, and further prospective evidence is needed.
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Work Organization Factors Associated with Health and Work Outcomes among Apprentice Construction Workers: Comparison between the Residential and Commercial Sectors. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18178899. [PMID: 34501489 PMCID: PMC8430912 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18178899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Revised: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
There are substantial differences in work organization between residential and commercial construction sectors. This paper examined differences in work factors between construction sectors and examined the association between sector and health behaviors, health outcomes, and work outcomes. We surveyed 929 male construction apprentices (44% residential and 56% commercial) and found that residential apprentices reported fewer workplace safety policies, higher frequency of heavy lifting, and greater likelihood of reporting musculoskeletal pain compared to apprentices in commercial work. Residential apprentices reported higher job strain, lower supervisor support, more lost workdays due to pain or injury, and lower productivity related to health than commercial apprentices. Multivariate Poisson regression models controlling for multiple work factors showed that residential construction work, high job strain, heavy lifting, low coworker support, and low supervisor support were each independently associated with one or more work or health outcomes. These findings suggest that interventions should seek to improve coworker and supervisory supportive behaviors, decrease job strain, and reduce organizational stressors, such as mandatory overtime work. Our study shows disparities in health and safety between construction sectors and highlights the need for interventions tailored to the residential sector.
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Hawkins D, Punnett L, Davis L, Kriebel D. The Contribution of Occupation-Specific Factors to the Deaths of Despair, Massachusetts, 2005-2015. Ann Work Expo Health 2021; 65:819-832. [PMID: 33889956 DOI: 10.1093/annweh/wxab017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2020] [Revised: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES In the USA, deaths from poisonings (especially opioids), suicides, and alcoholic liver disease, collectively referred to as 'deaths of despair', have been increasing rapidly over the past two decades. The risk of deaths from these causes is known to be higher among certain occupations. It may be that specific exposures and experiences of workers in these occupations explain these differences in risk. This study sought to determine whether differences in the risk of deaths of despair were associated with rate of occupational injuries and illnesses, job insecurity, and temporal changes in employment in non-standard work arrangements. METHODS Usual occupation information was collected from death certificates of Massachusetts residents aged 16-64 with relevant causes of death between 2005 and 2015. These data were combined with occupation-level data about occupational injuries and illnesses, job insecurity, and non-standard work arrangements. We calculated occupation-specific mortality rates for deaths of despair, categorized by occupational injury and illnesses rates and job insecurity. We calculated trends in mortality according to changes in non-standard work arrangements. RESULTS Workers in occupations with higher injury and illnesses rates and more job insecurity had higher rates of deaths of despair, especially opioid-related deaths. Rates of deaths of despair increased most rapidly for occupations with increasing prevalence of workers employed in non-standard work arrangements. CONCLUSIONS The findings suggest occupational factors that may contribute to the risk of deaths of despair. Future studies should examine these factors with individual-level data. In the meantime, efforts should be made to address these factors, which also represent known or suspected hazards for other adverse health outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devan Hawkins
- Public Health Program, Schools of Arts and Sciences, MCPHS University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Laura Punnett
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Lowell, MA, USA
| | | | - David Kriebel
- Department of Public Health, University of Massachusetts, Lowell, MA, USA
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Sorensen G, Dennerlein JT, Peters SE, Sabbath EL, Kelly EL, Wagner GR. The future of research on work, safety, health and wellbeing: A guiding conceptual framework. Soc Sci Med 2021; 269:113593. [PMID: 33341740 PMCID: PMC10868656 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2020.113593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 11/19/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Work plays a central role in health. A conceptual model can help frame research priorities and questions to explore determinants of workers' safety, health, and wellbeing. A previous conceptual model focused on the workplace setting to emphasize the role of conditions of work in shaping workers' safety, health and wellbeing. These conditions of work include physical, organizational, and psychosocial factors. This manuscript presents and discusses an updated and expanded conceptual model, placing the workplace and the conditions of work within the broader context of socio-political-economic environments and consequent trends in employment and labor force patterns. Social, political and economic trends, such as growing reliance on technology, climate change, and globalization, have significant implications for workers' day-to-day experiences. These structural forces in turn shape employment and labor patterns, with implications for the availability and quality of jobs; the nature of relationships between employers and workers; and the benefits and protections available to workers. Understanding these patterns will be critical for anticipating the consequences of future changes in the conditions of work, and ultimately help inform decision-making around policies and practices intended to protect and promote worker safety, health, and wellbeing. This model provides a structure for anticipating research needs in response to the changing nature of work, including the formation of research priorities, the need for expanded research methods and measures, and attention to diverse populations of enterprises and workers. This approach anticipates changes in the way work is structured, managed, and experienced by workers and can effectively inform policies and practices needed to protect and promote worker safety, health and wellbeing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Glorian Sorensen
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Jack T Dennerlein
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Susan E Peters
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Erika L Sabbath
- Boston College School of Social Work, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA
| | - Erin L Kelly
- MIT Sloan School of Management, Cambridge, MA, USA
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Comparing the Psychosocial Safety Climate between Megaprojects and Non-Megaprojects: Evidence from China. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/app10248809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Compared to non-megaprojects, megaprojects are often more complex and riskier, and construction employees are thus susceptible to a higher level of psychosocial hazards, which adversely affect their psychosocial health and safety performance. The psychosocial safety climate evaluates the employees’ perceived level of psychosocial health and safety of the workplace and reveals the causes of psychosocial hazards that need to be addressed; it is, therefore, of great significance to determine whether the psychosocial safety climate (PSC) of megaprojects is different from that of non-megaprojects. A questionnaire survey is described involving 10 megaprojects and 143 non-megaprojects in China. The results show that, contrary to expectations, the psychosocial safety climate of megaprojects is significantly better than that of non-megaprojects. Compared with those of non-megaprojects, the employees of megaprojects have a higher common perception of the organization’s emphasis on psychosocial health and safety-related policies, procedures, and behavioral practices in work processes. This research, for the first time, demonstrates and tests the use of the psychosocial safety climate scale (PSC-12) for measuring the construction industry’s PSC, provides insights for understanding the psychosocial safety climate of megaprojects, and serves as a reference for organizational management to intervene in employees’ psychosocial health and correct unsafe behaviors. It also contributes to theoretical research and the measurement standards of psychological safety in megaprojects.
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12
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Dennerlein JT, Weinstein D, Huynh W, Tessler J, Bigger L, Murphy L, Manjourides J. Associations between a safety prequalification survey and worker safety experiences on commercial construction sites. Am J Ind Med 2020; 63:766-773. [PMID: 32515080 DOI: 10.1002/ajim.23143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Revised: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 05/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND While assessment of subcontractors' safety performance during project bidding processes are common in commercial construction, the validation of organizational surveys used in these processes is largely absent. METHODS As part of a larger research project called Assessment of Contractor Safety (ACES), we designed and tested through a cross-sectional study, a 63-item organizational survey assessing subcontractors' leading indicators of safety performance. We administered the ACES Survey to 43 subcontractors on 24 construction sites. Concurrently, we captured the safety climate of 1426 workers on these sites through worker surveys, as well as injury rates, for the duration of the project. RESULTS At the worksite level, higher average ACES scores were associated with higher worker safety climate scores (P < .01) and lower rates of injury involving days away (P < .001). Within subcontracting companies, no associations were observed between ACES and worker safety climate scores and injuries. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest the overall and collective importance of the construction project and its worksite in mediating worker experiences, perhaps somewhat independent of the individual subcontractor level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack T. Dennerlein
- Department of Physical Therapy, Movement, and Rehabilitation Sciences, Bouvé College of Health SciencesNortheastern UniversityBoston Massachusetts
| | - Daniel Weinstein
- Department of Physical Therapy, Movement, and Rehabilitation Sciences, Bouvé College of Health SciencesNortheastern UniversityBoston Massachusetts
| | - Whitney Huynh
- Department of Physical Therapy, Movement, and Rehabilitation Sciences, Bouvé College of Health SciencesNortheastern UniversityBoston Massachusetts
| | - Jamie Tessler
- Department of Physical Therapy, Movement, and Rehabilitation Sciences, Bouvé College of Health SciencesNortheastern UniversityBoston Massachusetts
| | - Lauren Bigger
- Department of Physical Therapy, Movement, and Rehabilitation Sciences, Bouvé College of Health SciencesNortheastern UniversityBoston Massachusetts
| | - Lauren Murphy
- Department of Physical Therapy, Movement, and Rehabilitation Sciences, Bouvé College of Health SciencesNortheastern UniversityBoston Massachusetts
| | - Justin Manjourides
- Department of Health Sciences, Bouvé College of Health SciencesNortheastern UniversityBoston Massachusetts
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Al-Bouwarthan M, Quinn MM, Kriebel D, Wegman DH. Risk of Kidney Injury among Construction Workers Exposed to Heat Stress: A Longitudinal Study from Saudi Arabia. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17113775. [PMID: 32466510 PMCID: PMC7312975 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17113775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2020] [Revised: 05/15/2020] [Accepted: 05/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Saudi Arabia (SA) is one of the hottest countries in the world. This study was conducted to assess the impact of summer heat stress in Southeastern SA on short-term kidney injury (KI) among building construction workers and to identify relevant risk factors. Measurements of urinary albumin-creatinine ratio (ACR), height, weight, hydration, symptoms, daily work and behavioral factors were collected in June and September of 2016 from a cohort of construction workers (n = 65) in Al-Ahsa Province, SA. KI was defined as ACR ≥ 30 mg/g. Multivariate linear regression analysis was used to assess factors related to cross-summer changes in ACR. A significant increase in ACR occurred among most workers over the study period; incidence of KI was 18%. Risk factors associated with an increased ACR included dehydration, short sleep, and obesity. The findings suggest that exposure to summer heat may lead to the development of KI among construction workers in this region. Adequate hydration and promotion of healthy habits among workers may help reduce the risk of KI. A reduction in work hours may be the most effective intervention because this action can reduce heat exposure and improve sleep quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammed Al-Bouwarthan
- Department of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, 61 Wilder Street, Lowell, MA 01854, USA; (M.M.Q.); (D.K.); (D.H.W.)
- Department of Environmental Health, College of Public Health, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, P.O. Box 1982, Dammam 31441, Saudi Arabia
- Correspondence:
| | - Margaret M. Quinn
- Department of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, 61 Wilder Street, Lowell, MA 01854, USA; (M.M.Q.); (D.K.); (D.H.W.)
| | - David Kriebel
- Department of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, 61 Wilder Street, Lowell, MA 01854, USA; (M.M.Q.); (D.K.); (D.H.W.)
| | - David H. Wegman
- Department of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, 61 Wilder Street, Lowell, MA 01854, USA; (M.M.Q.); (D.K.); (D.H.W.)
- La Isla Network, P.O. Box 816, Ada, MI 49301, USA
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