Working for health? Evidence from systematic reviews on the effects on health and health inequalities of organisational changes to the psychosocial work environment

Associations between the built environment and physical activity in children, adults and older people: A narrative review of reviews

BACKGROUND

Physical activity is essential for promoting public health, and it is affected by the built environment at population level. Extensive evidence exists on the associations between the built environment and physical activity, but results are inconclusive for different age groups. Therefore, we conducted a narrative review summarizing existing reviews on the associations between the built environment and physical activity for children, adults and older people and synthesized their findings.

METHODS

We followed the PRISMA 2020 review procedure and searched for systematic reviews published between January 2010 and April 2022 in seven databases (Scopus, Web of Science, Medline, PsycINFO, EMBASE, SocIndex and Cochrane Library) using keywords related to the built environment, urban interventions, physical activity and health.

RESULTS

The selection process yielded 29 reviews with moderate to high quality. From these reviews, we identified 21 built environment characteristics, several of which were positively related to physical activity. For example, children and older people's physical activity was positively associated with pedestrian-friendly features and general safety. Furthermore, adults and older people's physical activity was positively related to the availability and accessibility of shops/commercial services and parks/open spaces. Lastly, the walkability index was positively associated with physical activity in every age group.

CONCLUSION

Our findings provide valuable information on creating health-promoting urban environments for practitioners. Further research is needed to understand which characteristics make urban environments age friendly for physical activity. Special attention should be paid to less explored promising characteristics such as street lighting and the quality of green spaces.

An Umbrella Review of the Literature on Perinatal Domestic Violence: Prevalence, Risk Factors, Possible Outcomes and Interventions

Perinatal domestic violence (P-DV) is a common form of violence experienced by women and is associated with adverse impacts on their own physical and mental health and that of their offspring. Illuminating the risk factors for, potential effects of, and promising interventions to reduce P-DV is essential for informing policies to tackle P-DV and mitigate its negative impacts. This umbrella review of recent high-quality systematic reviews and meta-analyses of worldwide research on P-DV provides a systematic synthesis of current knowledge relating to the prevalence, risk factors for, possible outcomes of and interventions to reduce and prevent P-DV. 13 reviews identified through systematic searches of computerised databases, manual search and expert consultation met our inclusion criteria (i.e. English systematic reviews and/or meta-analyses that were from recent 10 years, focused on women exposed to P-DV, assessed risk factors, possible outcomes and/or interventions, and were of fair to high methodological quality). Our results suggest that while there is a growing understanding of risk factors and possible outcomes of P-DV, this knowledge has thus far not been translated well into effective interventions. P-DV intervention programmes that have been subject to rigorous evaluation are mostly relatively narrow in scope and could benefit from targeting a wider range of maternal and child wellbeing outcomes, and perpetrator, relationship and community risk factors. The overall quality of the evidence syntheses in this field is reasonable; however, future studies should involve multiple reviewers at all key stages of systematic reviews and meta-analyses to help enhance reliability.

An ecological approach to understanding the impact of sexual violence: a systematic meta-review

Aim

A systematic meta-review was conducted to examine (1) the broad range of negative and positive individual and interpersonal changes following adult sexual violence, as well as (2) the risk/protective factors at multiple levels of the social ecology (e.g., individual, assault, and micro/meso/exo/macro/chronosystem factors)-influencing the impact of sexual violence.

Methods

Searches of Web of Science, Pubmed, and ProQuest resulted in inclusion of 46 systematic reviews or meta-analyses. Review findings were extracted for summary and a deductive thematic analysis was conducted.

Results

Experiencing sexual violence is associated with many negative individual and sexual difficulties as well as revictimization risk. Only a limited number of reviews reported on interpersonal and positive changes. Factors at multiple levels of the social ecology play a role in the intensity of these changes. Reviews including macrolevel factors were non-existent, however.

Conclusion

Reviews on sexual violence are fragmented in nature. Although the use of an ecological approach is often lacking, adopting such a perspective in research is necessary for a fuller understanding of the multiple influences on survivor outcomes. Future research should evaluate the occurrence of social and positive changes following sexual violence, as well as the role of macrolevel factors in influencing post-assault outcomes.

Psychological caring climate at work, mental health, well-being, and work-related outcomes: Evidence from a longitudinal study and health insurance data

Psychological climate for caring (PCC) is a psychosocial factor associated with individual work outcomes and employee well-being. Evidence on the impacts of various psychological climates at work is based mostly on self-reported health measures and cross-sectional data. We provide longitudinal evidence on the associations of PCC with subsequent diagnosed depression and anxiety, subjective well-being, and self-reported work outcomes. Employees of a US organization with a worker well-being program provided data for the analysis. Longitudinal survey data merged with data from personnel files and health insurance claims records comprising medical information on diagnosis of depression and anxiety were used to regress each outcome on PCC at baseline, adjusting for prior values of all outcomes and other covariates. PCC was found to be associated with lower odds of subsequent diagnosed depression, an increase in overall well-being, mental health, physical health, social connectedness, and financial security, as well as a decrease in distraction at work, an increase in productivity/engagement and possibly in job satisfaction. There was little evidence of associations between PCC and subsequent diagnosed anxiety, character strengths, and work-family conflict. Work policies focused on improving PCC may create a promising pathway to promoting employee health and well-being as well as improving work-related outcomes.

An Integrated Approach to Workplace Mental Health: A Scoping Review of Instruments That Can Assist Organizations with Implementation

This study aimed to identify instruments that may assist organizations with implementing an integrated approach to workplace mental health using three activities from the knowledge to action (KTA) framework. A scoping review of published and grey literature, supported by stakeholder (business end-user and researcher) consultation, identified work-specific instruments that were relevant to at least one of the three domains of an integrated approach to workplace mental health: 'prevent harm', 'promote the positive', and 'respond to problems'. A total of 207 instruments were located, and 109 instruments met eligibility criteria. 10 instruments were located that were relevant to multiple domains, however most instruments (n = 72) were relevant to the 'prevent harm' domain. Instruments relevant to the 'promote the positive' (n = 14) and 'respond to problems' (n = 13) domains were limited. Most instruments found were suitable for the 'monitor, review and improve' KTA activity. Further development of instruments that can assist with 'promote the positive' and 'respond to problems' strategies are required, specifically those instruments that can assist organizations with the 'identify gaps and opportunities' and 'identify priorities and design new/enhanced interventions' KTA activities.

How a steeper organisational hierarchy prevents change-adoption and implementation of a sustainable employability intervention for employees in low-skilled jobs: a qualitative study

BACKGROUND

Adoption and implementation are prerequisites for the effectiveness of organisational interventions, but successful implementation is not self-evident. This article provides insights into the implementation of the organisational intervention 'Healthy Human Resources' (HHR). HHR is developed with Intervention Mapping and aims at improving sustainable employability (SE) of employees in low-skilled jobs.

METHODS

Qualitative data on adoption and implementation were collected by interviews with three employees and seven middle managers in five Dutch organisations and by extensive notes of observations and conversations in a logbook. Data triangulation was applied and all data were transcribed and analysed thematically using the qualitative analysis guide of Leuven (QUAGOL).

RESULTS

All organisations adopted HHR, but three failed during the transition from adoption to implementation, and two implemented HHR only partially. The steepness of the organisational hierarchy emerged as an overarching barrier: steeper hierarchical organisations faced more difficulties with implementing HHR than flatter ones. This was reflected in middle managers' lack of decision-making authority and being overruled by senior management. Middle managers felt incapable of remedying the lack of employees' voice. Subsequently, 'us-versus-them' thinking patterns emerged. These power imbalances and 'us-versus-them' thinking reinforced each other, further strengthening the hierarchical steepness. Both processes could be the result of wider socio-political forces.

CONCLUSIONS

This study improved the understanding of the difficulties to adopt and implement such organisational intervention to contribute to the sustainable employability of employees in low-skilled jobs. Practical implications are given for future implementation of organisational interventions.

A randomized controlled trial in schools aimed at exploring mechanisms of change of a multifaceted implementation strategy for promoting mental health at the workplace

Background

This study will explore implementation mechanisms through which a single implementation strategy and a multifaceted implementation strategy operate to affect the implementation outcome, which is fidelity to the Guideline For The Prevention of Mental Ill Health within schools. The guideline gives recommendations on how workplaces can prevent mental ill health among their personnel by managing social and organizational risks factors in the work environment. Schools are chosen as the setting for the study due to the high prevalence of mental ill health among teachers and other personnel working in schools. The study builds on our previous research, in which we compared the effectiveness of the two strategies on fidelity to the guideline. Small improvements in guideline adherence were observed for the majority of the indicators in the multifaceted strategy group. This study will focus on exploring the underlying mechanisms of change through which the implementation strategies may operate to affect the implementation outcome.

Methods

We will conduct a cluster-randomized-controlled trial among public schools (n=55 schools) in Sweden. Schools are randomized (1:1 ratio) to receive a multifaceted strategy (implementation teams, educational meeting, ongoing training, Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles) or a single strategy (implementation teams, educational meeting). The implementation outcome is fidelity to the guideline. Hypothesized mediators originate from the COM-B model. A mixed-method design will be employed, entailing a qualitative study of implementation process embedded within the cluster-randomized controlled trail examining implementation mechanisms. The methods will be used in a complementary manner to get a full understanding of the implementation mechanisms.

Discussion

This implementation study will provide valuable knowledge on how implementation strategies work (or fail) to affect implementation outcomes. The knowledge gained will aid the selection of effective implementation strategies that fit specific determinants, which is a priority for the field. Despite recent initiatives to advance the understanding of implementation mechanisms, studies testing these mechanisms are still uncommon.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.org dr.nr 2020-01214.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13012-022-01230-7.

How effects on health equity are assessed in systematic reviews of interventions

BACKGROUND

Enhancing health equity is endorsed in the Sustainable Development Goals. The failure of systematic reviews to consider potential differences in effects across equity factors is cited by decision-makers as a limitation to their ability to inform policy and program decisions.  OBJECTIVES: To explore what methods systematic reviewers use to consider health equity in systematic reviews of effectiveness.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched the following databases up to 26 February 2021: MEDLINE, PsycINFO, the Cochrane Methodology Register, CINAHL, Education Resources Information Center, Education Abstracts, Criminal Justice Abstracts, Hein Index to Foreign Legal Periodicals, PAIS International, Social Services Abstracts, Sociological Abstracts, Digital Dissertations and the Health Technology Assessment Database. We searched SCOPUS to identify articles that cited any of the included studies on 10 June 10 2021. We contacted authors and searched the reference lists of included studies to identify additional potentially relevant studies.

SELECTION CRITERIA

We included empirical studies of cohorts of systematic reviews that assessed methods for measuring effects on health inequalities. We define health inequalities as unfair and avoidable differences across socially stratifying factors that limit opportunities for health. We operationalised this by assessing studies which evaluated differences in health across any component of the PROGRESS-Plus acronym, which stands for Place of residence, Race/ethnicity/culture/language, Occupation, Gender or sex, Religion, Education, Socioeconomic status, Social capital. "Plus" stands for other factors associated with discrimination, exclusion, marginalisation or vulnerability such as personal characteristics (e.g. age, disability), relationships that limit opportunities for health (e.g. children in a household with parents who smoke) or environmental situations which provide limited control of opportunities for health (e.g. school food environment).

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two review authors independently extracted data using a pre-tested form. Risk of bias was appraised for included studies according to the potential for bias in selection and detection of systematic reviews.  MAIN RESULTS: In total, 48,814 studies were identified and the titles and abstracts were screened in duplicate. In this updated review, we identified an additional 124 methodological studies published in the 10 years since the first version of this review, which included 34 studies. Thus, 158 methodological studies met our criteria for inclusion. The methods used by these studies focused on evidence relevant to populations experiencing health inequity (108 out of 158 studies), assess subgroup analysis across PROGRESS-Plus (26 out of 158 studies), assess analysis of a gradient in effect across PROGRESS-Plus (2 out of 158 studies) or use a combination of subgroup analysis and focused approaches (20 out of 158 studies). The most common PROGRESS-Plus factors assessed were age (43 studies), socioeconomic status in 35 studies, low- and middle-income countries in 24 studies, gender or sex in 22 studies, race or ethnicity in 17 studies, and four studies assessed multiple factors across which health inequity may exist. Only 16 studies provided a definition of health inequity. Five methodological approaches to consider health equity in systematic reviews of effectiveness were identified: 1) descriptive assessment of reporting and analysis in systematic reviews (140 of 158 studies used a type of descriptive method); 2) descriptive assessment of reporting and analysis in original trials (50 studies); 3) analytic approaches which assessed differential effects across one or more PROGRESS-Plus factors (16 studies); 4) applicability assessment (25 studies) and 5) stakeholder engagement (28 studies), which is a new finding in this update and examines the appraisal of whether relevant stakeholders with lived experience of health inequity were included in the design of systematic reviews or design and delivery of interventions. Reporting for both approaches (analytic and applicability) lacked transparency and was insufficiently detailed to enable the assessment of credibility.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

There is a need for improvement in conceptual clarity about the definition of health equity, describing sufficient detail about analytic approaches (including subgroup analyses) and transparent reporting of judgments required for applicability assessments in order to consider health equity in systematic reviews of effectiveness.

The Field of “Public Health” as a Component of Sustainable Development—Poland Compared to the European Union

The objective of the article is to analyse selected indicators of sustainable development in the field of “public health”, especially those related to health and health-related inequalities. The article focuses on the analysis of indicators in the field of “public health” presented by Eurostat. These indicators were presented in terms of averages and medians. Moreover, the paper indicates the amount of funds allocated for prevention in health care. In addition, the cluster method was used to identify EU countries similar to each other in terms of the leading indicator of sustainable development (SD). The study was conducted using annual data for 2010–2019 for Poland as compared to other EU countries. The study used data from the Eurostat and OECD databases. In almost all of the analysed countries, in relation to the demographic and health situation, there is a close link between the financial situation, health and inequalities in health-related fields. Patients’ sense of safety has decreased in Poland, which is the result of the growing consumption of health services and emerging problems with the availability of health care services as well as environmental pollution. Among others, the percentage of people with health problems and low income has increased. Although the percentage of unmet needs resulting from income inequalities has decreased over the past year in the analysed groups of countries, it is still high in Poland. The low level of expenditure on prevention makes these difficulties even more severe. In summary, capturing changes in indicators describing public health in the context of its impact on sustainable development plays a key role in balancing out inequalities in the EU countries and in managing a common policy.

Can the Human Resources Index (HRI) Be Used as a Process Feedback Measurement in a Structured Support Model for Systematic Work Environment Management?

The aim of the study was to estimate the level of the human resources index (HRI) measure among Swedish municipal employees, and to investigate the association between human resources index (HRI) and relational justice, short-term recovery, work environment-related production loss, and health-related production loss. A cross-sectional design was used with one sample of municipal employees (n = 6402). The results showed a positive association (r = 0.31) between human resources index (HRI) and relational justice; a positive (r = 0.27) association between HRI and short-term recovery; a negative association between HRI and work environment-related production loss (r = −0.37); and a negative association between HRI and health-related production loss (r = −0.23). The findings implicate that HRI captures important aspects of the work environment such as productivity, relational justice, and short-term recovery. The HRI measure is part of a support model used in workplaces to systematically address work environment-related issues. Monitoring changes in the HRI measure, it is possible to determine whether the measures taken effect production loss, perceived leadership, and short-term recovery in a work group. The support model using HRI may thus be used to complement traditional work environment surveys conducted in Swedish organizations as obliged by legal provisions.

Work-related physical and psychosocial risk factors cluster with obesity, smoking and physical inactivity

Objective

This study investigated associations between the co-existence of multiple types of work-related psychosocial and physical risk factors, and (1) obesity; (2) smoking; and (3) leisure-time physical inactivity. It also aimed to identify sociodemographic characteristics related to clustering of work-related risk factors and lifestyle factors.

Methods

Cross-sectional data on work-related risk factors (e.g., decision authority and repetitive movements) and lifestyle was measured using a standardized questionnaire among 52,563 Dutch workers in health care, services, manufacturing and public sector. Multiple-adjusted logistic regression models assessed associations between the co-existence of multiple types of psychosocial and physical risk factors and lifestyle factors. Additionally, logistic regression models related age, gender and educational level to clustering of risk factors and lifestyle factors.

Results

The co-existence of multiple types of work-related psychosocial risk factors was associated with higher odds of smoking and being physically inactive. For example, workers exposed to three psychosocial risk factors had a 1.55 times higher odds of being physically inactive (95%CI: 1.42–1.70) compared to unexposed workers. A higher number of physical risk factors was also significantly associated with higher odds of smoking and obesity. The co-existence of multiple types of physical risk factors was not associated with higher odds of physical inactivity. Clustering of work-related risk factors and at least one unhealthy lifestyle factor occurred in particular among workers with low educational level.

Conclusions

Results imply that interventions are needed that focus on workers with a low educational level and address work-related physical and psychosocial risk factors as well as lifestyle.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00420-020-01627-1.

Relationships Between Job Satisfaction and Job Demand, Job Control, Social Support, and Depression in Iranian Nurses

BACKGROUND

Nurses often experience a wide variety of stressful situations. Excessive work stress influences the physical and mental health of nurses and decreases their life quality and professional efficacy. In addition, high levels of psychological stress may cause job dissatisfaction and job strain.

PURPOSE

The objective of this study was to explore the relationship between several work-related risk factors and job satisfaction in Iranian nurses.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted on 730 nurses from four public hospitals in, respectively, northern, southern, eastern, and western Iran. Variables in the job demand-control-support (JDCS) model were measured using the Job Content Questionnaire, and job satisfaction was measured using the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire.

RESULTS

The mean score for job satisfaction was 62.94 ± 14.24, which is considered moderate. Nurses with a low level of job satisfaction had significantly higher psychological and physical job demands (p < .05). Significant relationships were found between job satisfaction and several dimensions of the JDCS model, including psychological job demands (β = -0.11, p < .001), physical job demands (β = -0.86, p = .004), skill discretion (β = 0.48, p = .033), decision authority (β = 0.43, p = .028), and supervisor support (β = 1.85, p = .004). The sociodemographic and JDCS model variables used in this study explained 42% of the variation in job satisfaction (R2 = .42).

CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

Enhancing the job satisfaction of nurses is possible by creating a balance between job demands, job control, and social support.

The Effect of Organizational Changes on the Psychosocial Work Environment: Changes in Psychological and Social Working Conditions Following Organizational Changes

Purpose: The present study aimed to clarify the prospective effects of various types and frequencies of organizational changes on aspects in the psychosocial work environment. Methods: The study had a prospective, full-panel, repeated measures design. Data were collected by self-administered, online questionnaires, with a 2-year interval between measurement occasions. Five types of organizational change were assessed - company restructuring, downsizing, layoffs, partial closure, and partial outsourcing. The effects of change on eleven, specific work factors were measured utilizing QPS Nordic. At baseline, 12652 employees participated, while 8965 responded at follow-up. Generalized estimating equations were utilized to estimate the effects of change taking place within the last 12 months or more than 24 months prior. Results: Cross-sectional analyses, i.e., changes occurring within the last 12 months, showed all 11 work factors to be statistically significantly associated with the organizational changes restructuring, downsizing, and partial closure (coefficients ranging -0.28 to 0.04). In the prospective analyses, i.e., the effects of change taking place more than 24 months prior, associations were no longer significant for a number of work factors, although all types of organizational change remained significantly associated with at least three work factors (coefficients ranging -0.14 to 0.05). Following repeated organizational changes, statistically significant associations were shown for all 11 work factors (coefficients ranging from 0.39 to -0.04). Conclusion: Following both separate and repeated organizational change, various psychological and social work factors were altered, with the most pronounced effects following repeated change. These results suggest the implementing organizational change, especially repeated change, may have an adverse effect on various parts of the psychosocial work environment. The negative effects of a company's psychosocial working conditions may contribute to the adverse health effects often observed following such changes and help explain why many change initiatives fail to reach its intended results.

Impact of Political Economy on Population Health: A Systematic Review of Reviews

Background. Although there is a large literature examining the relationship between a wide range of political economy exposures and health outcomes, the extent to which the different aspects of political economy influence health, and through which mechanisms and in what contexts, is only partially understood. The areas in which there are few high-quality studies are also unclear. Objectives. To systematically review the literature describing the impact of political economy on population health. Search Methods. We undertook a systematic review of reviews, searching MEDLINE, Embase, International Bibliography of the Social Sciences, ProQuest Public Health, Sociological Abstracts, Applied Social Sciences Index and Abstracts, EconLit, SocINDEX, Web of Science, and the gray literature via Google Scholar. Selection Criteria. We included studies that were a review of the literature. Relevant exposures were differences or changes in policy, law, or rules; economic conditions; institutions or social structures; or politics, power, or conflict. Relevant outcomes were any overall measure of population health such as self-assessed health, mortality, life expectancy, survival, morbidity, well-being, illness, ill health, and life span. Two authors independently reviewed all citations for relevance. Data Collection and Analysis. We undertook critical appraisal of all included reviews by using modified Assessing the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR) criteria and then synthesized narratively giving greater weight to the higher-quality reviews. Main Results. From 4912 citations, we included 58 reviews. Both the quality of the reviews and the underlying studies within the reviews were variable. Social democratic welfare states, higher public spending, fair trade policies, extensions to compulsory education provision, microfinance initiatives in low-income countries, health and safety policy, improved access to health care, and high-quality affordable housing have positive impacts on population health. Neoliberal restructuring seems to be associated with increased health inequalities and higher income inequality with lower self-rated health and higher mortality. Authors' Conclusions. Politics, economics, and public policy are important determinants of population health. Countries with social democratic regimes, higher public spending, and lower income inequalities have populations with better health. There are substantial gaps in the synthesized evidence on the relationship between political economy and health, and there is a need for higher-quality reviews and empirical studies in this area. However, there is sufficient evidence in this review, if applied through policy and practice, to have marked beneficial health impacts. Public Health Implications. Policymakers should be aware that social democratic welfare state types, countries that spend more on public services, and countries with lower income inequalities have better self-rated health and lower mortality. Research funders and researchers should be aware that there remain substantial gaps in the available evidence base. One such area concerns the interrelationship between governance, polities, power, macroeconomic policy, public policy, and population health, including how these aspects of political economy generate social class processes and forms of discrimination that have a differential impact across social groups. This includes the influence of patterns of ownership (of land and capital) and tax policies. For some areas, there are many lower-quality reviews, which leave uncertainties in the relationship between political economy and population health, and a high-quality review is needed. There are also areas in which the available reviews have identified primary research gaps such as the impact of changes to housing policy, availability, and tenure.

[Readiness factors to improve the work environment using an employee participatory approach: Development and validation of readiness state checklist]

OBJECTIVES

The employee participatory approach is an effective method for improving work environments. However, there are some challenges in executing this method in each workplace because of such factors as a lack of employee interest or motivation to commit to the activity. Research was conducted to clarify readiness factors to improve the workplace environment using an employee participatory approach. Additionally, we developed a checklist to efficiently measure the readiness factors.

METHODS

A pool of readiness items for the employee participatory approach was created from expert consensus and interviews with practitioners. A total of 300 Japanese workers (150 men; 150 women) responded to a survey after being recruited by an internet research company. After exploratory factor analysis (EFA), path analysis with categorical variables was conducted by the robust maximum likelihood method with defined readiness as an endogenous variable and resource for readiness as an external variable, then threshold (θ) and path coefficients (γ) were estimated. We set the level of the item according to the threshold per item, and the highest pass coefficients for each level with 0.60 or more items were adopted in the checklist. Finally, the relationship between each level and the readiness and related items (psychosocial factors, work engagement, and psychological stress responses in the workplace) was confirmed in the ANOVA.

RESULTS

As a result of the EFA, a three-factor structure with 71 items was developed. The path analysis extracted the first factor (workplace acceptability) with three items and the second factor (supervisor's leadership) with two items. The third factor, preferences for the workplace, was judged insufficient because the relevant item was not adequately related to the readiness state. Finally, the checklist was created to determine four levels judged by the five items. Significant differences were observed in each level and readiness state by ANOVA.

CONCLUSIONS

To facilitate the participatory approach method, it was suggested that the status of workplace acceptance, supervisor's leadership, and preferences for the workplace might be important. In addition, using the checklist developed in this study, it is possible to assess the readiness state for improving the work environment using an employee participative approach, as well as to set promotion targets in each workplace.

Current and ceased users of sit stand workstations: a qualitative evaluation of ergonomics, safety and health factors within a workplace setting

Background

Many workplaces have implemented sit-stand workstations (SSW), which enable a worker to transition between sitting and standing as they perform their work activities. The factors which determine the initial adoption, sustainability or cessation of use for a SSW, remain largely unexamined. This study investigates the experiences of workers who had previously used or were currently using a SSW.

Methods

The study setting was within an Australian university. Participants who were current or past SSW users, as well as workplace key informants, were interviewed for the study. All interviews were recorded, transcribed and analysed. Transcripts were coded by two researchers for concepts and themes regarding uptake and sustainability of SSW. Discussion and validation of themes was undertaken by the team of three researchers.

Results

A total of 24 interviews were conducted. Twenty-two interviews were with ceased and current users (16 current and six ceased users) and two interviews were with workplace key informants. Analysis of the interviews with current and ceased users identified three main themes: Personal considerations for use/sustainability; Posture; and Usability. Analysis of the interviews with key informants identified two themes: Considerations and concerns and Policies and procedures. Little information was provided to workers when first using a SSW. Workers who were able to adopt their working style to the new workstations were able to sustain ongoing use of a SSW. Key informants were concerned that employees believed using a SSW would provide a health benefit in its own right without an understanding of the possible risks that might be associated with use.

Conclusions

Sustainable usage of this type of SSW is achievable, however, it requires some element of adaptation at the individual worker level. Participants spoke about how the use of the SSW in a standing position was typically associated with the time of day, specific task selection and musculoskeletal comfort or fatigue factors. The provision of education to new SSW users with relevant supporting information by a subject matter expert should enable the worker to obtain a more holistic understanding of the safety and health risks and benefits embedded in the use of a SSW.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12889-018-6296-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Built and natural environment planning principles for promoting health: an umbrella review

BACKGROUND

The built and natural environment and health are inextricably linked. However, there is considerable debate surrounding the strength and quality of the evidence base underpinning principles of good practice for built and natural environment design in promoting health. This umbrella review aimed to assess relationships between the built and natural environment and health, concentrating on five topic areas: neighbourhood design, housing, food environment, natural and sustainable environment, and transport.

METHODS

A structured search was conducted for quantitative systematic reviews and stakeholder reviews published between January 2005 and April 2016. Seven databases and the websites of 15 relevant and respected stakeholder organisations known to publish review-level documentation were searched. Searches were limited to English-language publications and duplicate references were removed. Evidence quality and strength was appraised using validated techniques. Findings were used to develop a diagram for each topic area, illustrating relationships between built and natural environment planning principles and health-related outcomes.

RESULTS

A total of 117 systematic reviews and review-level documents were eligible for inclusion. The quality of evidence was mixed; much of the evidence examined relied on findings from cross-sectional studies, making it difficult to draw clear causal links between built environment exposures and health-related impacts and outcomes. Fourteen actionable planning principles associated with positive health-related outcomes were identified across the five topic areas. For example, neighbourhoods that enhanced walkability, were complete and compact in design, and those which enhanced connectivity through safe and efficient infrastructure were associated with better health-related outcomes relating to physical activity, social engagement, mental health, perceptions of crime, and road traffic collisions. Evidence for the effectiveness of planning principles across different topic areas and on reducing health inequalities was sparse and inconclusive.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings provide an up-to-date overview of relationships between the built and natural environment and health and present logical, evidence-based messages to aid communication between public health and planning professionals.

Psychosocial Workplace Factors and Healthcare Utilization: A Study of Two Employers

Background: While a large literature links psychosocial workplace factors with health and health behaviors, there is very little work connecting psychosocial workplace factors to healthcare utilization.

Methods: Survey data were collected from two different employers using computer-assisted telephone interviewing as a part of the Work-Family Health Network (2008-2013): one in the information technology (IT) service industry and one that is responsible for a network of long-term care (LTC) facilities. Participants were surveyed four times at six month intervals. Responses in each wave were used to predict utilization in the following wave. Four utilization measures were outcomes: having at least one emergency room (ER)/Urgent care, having at least one other healthcare visit, number of ER/urgent care visits, and number of other healthcare visits. Population-averaged models using all four waves controlled for health and other factors associated with utilization.

Results: Having above median job demands was positively related to the odds of at least one healthcare visit, odds ratio [OR] 1.37 (P<.01), and the number of healthcare visits, incidence rate ratio (IRR) 1.36 (P<.05), in the LTC sample. Work-to-family conflict was positively associated with the odds of at least one ER/urgent care visit in the LTC sample, OR 1.15 (P<.05), at least one healthcare visit in the IT sample, OR 1.35 (P<.01), and with more visits in the IT sample, IRR 1.35 (P<.01). Greater schedule control was associated with reductions in the number of ER/urgent care visits, IRR 0.71 (P<.05), in the IT sample.

Conclusion: Controlling for other factors, some psychosocial workplace factors were associated with future healthcare utilization. Additional research is needed.

Estimating the Economic Benefits of Eliminating Job Strain as a Risk Factor for Depression

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to quantify the economic benefits of eliminating job strain as a risk factor for depression, using published population-attributable risk estimates of depression attributable to job strain (13.2% for men, 17.2% for women).

METHODS

Cohort simulation using state-transition Markov modeling estimated costs and health outcomes for employed persons who met criteria for lifetime DSM-IV major depression. A societal perspective over 1-year and lifetime time horizons was used.

RESULTS

Among employed Australians, $890 million (5.8%) of the annual societal cost of depression was attributable to job strain. Employers bore the brunt of these costs, as they arose from lost productive time and increased risk of job turnover among employees experiencing depression.

CONCLUSIONS

Proven, practicable means exist to reduce job strain. The findings demonstrate likely financial benefits to employers for expanding psychosocial risk management, providing a financial incentive to complement and reinforce legal and ethical directives.

Assessing the impact of natural policy experiments on socioeconomic inequalities in health: how to apply commonly used quantitative analytical methods?

BACKGROUND

The scientific evidence-base for policies to tackle health inequalities is limited. Natural policy experiments (NPE) have drawn increasing attention as a means to evaluating the effects of policies on health. Several analytical methods can be used to evaluate the outcomes of NPEs in terms of average population health, but it is unclear whether they can also be used to assess the outcomes of NPEs in terms of health inequalities. The aim of this study therefore was to assess whether, and to demonstrate how, a number of commonly used analytical methods for the evaluation of NPEs can be applied to quantify the effect of policies on health inequalities.

METHODS

We identified seven quantitative analytical methods for the evaluation of NPEs: regression adjustment, propensity score matching, difference-in-differences analysis, fixed effects analysis, instrumental variable analysis, regression discontinuity and interrupted time-series. We assessed whether these methods can be used to quantify the effect of policies on the magnitude of health inequalities either by conducting a stratified analysis or by including an interaction term, and illustrated both approaches in a fictitious numerical example.

RESULTS

All seven methods can be used to quantify the equity impact of policies on absolute and relative inequalities in health by conducting an analysis stratified by socioeconomic position, and all but one (propensity score matching) can be used to quantify equity impacts by inclusion of an interaction term between socioeconomic position and policy exposure.

CONCLUSION

Methods commonly used in economics and econometrics for the evaluation of NPEs can also be applied to assess the equity impact of policies, and our illustrations provide guidance on how to do this appropriately. The low external validity of results from instrumental variable analysis and regression discontinuity makes these methods less desirable for assessing policy effects on population-level health inequalities. Increased use of the methods in social epidemiology will help to build an evidence base to support policy making in the area of health inequalities.

The effects of public health policies on population health and health inequalities in European welfare states: protocol for an umbrella review

BACKGROUND

The welfare state is potentially an important macro-level determinant of health that also moderates the extent, and impact, of socio-economic inequalities in exposure to the social determinants of health. The welfare state has three main policy domains: health care, social policy (e.g. social transfers and education) and public health policy. This is the protocol for an umbrella review to examine the latter; its aim is to assess how European welfare states influence the social determinants of health inequalities institutionally through public health policies.

METHODS/DESIGN

A systematic review methodology will be used to identify systematic reviews from high-income countries (including additional EU-28 members) that describe the health and health equity effects of upstream public health interventions. Interventions will focus on primary and secondary prevention policies including fiscal measures, regulation, education, preventative treatment and screening across ten public health domains (tobacco; alcohol; food and nutrition; reproductive health services; the control of infectious diseases; screening; mental health; road traffic injuries; air, land and water pollution; and workplace regulations). Twenty databases will be searched using a pre-determined search strategy to evaluate population-level public health interventions.

DISCUSSION

Understanding the impact of specific public health policy interventions will help to establish causality in terms of the effects of welfare states on population health and health inequalities. The review will document contextual information on how population-level public health interventions are organised, implemented and delivered. This information can be used to identify effective interventions that could be implemented to reduce health inequalities between and within European countries.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION

PROSPERO CRD42016025283.

An integrated workplace mental health intervention in a policing context: Protocol for a cluster randomised control trial

BACKGROUND

In this paper, we present the protocol for a cluster-randomised trial to evaluate the implementation and effectiveness of a workplace mental health intervention in the state-wide police department of the south-eastern Australian state of Victoria. n. The primary aims of the intervention are to improve psychosocial working conditions and mental health literacy, and secondarily to improve mental health and organisational outcomes.

METHODS/DESIGN

The intervention was designed collaboratively with Victoria Police based on a mixed methods pilot study, and combines multi-session leadership coaching for the senior officers within stations (e.g., Sergeants, Senior Sergeants) with tailored mental health literacy training for lower and upper ranks. Intervention effectiveness will be evaluated using a two-arm cluster-randomised trial design, with 12 police stations randomly assigned to the intervention and 12 to the non-intervention/usual care control condition. Data will be collected from all police members in each station (estimated at >20 per station). Psychosocial working conditions (e.g., supervisory support, job control, job demands), mental health literacy (e.g., knowledge, confidence in assisting someone who may have a mental health problem), and mental health will be assessed using validated measures. Organisational outcomes will include organisational depression disclosure norms, organisational cynicism, and station-level sickness absence rates. The trial will be conducted following CONSORT guidelines. Identifying data will not be collected in order to protect participant privacy and to optimise participation, hence changes in primary and secondary outcomes will be assessed using a two-sample t-test comparing summary measures by arm, with weighting by cluster size.

DISCUSSION

This intervention is novel in its integration of stressor-reduction and mental health literacy-enhancing strategies. Effectiveness will be rigorously evaluated, and if positive results are observed, the intervention will be adapted across Victoria Police (total employees ~16,500) as well as possibly in other policing contexts, both nationally and internationally.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Current Controlled Trials: ISRCTN82041334. Registered 24th July, 2014.

Employers' perceptions and attitudes toward the Canadian national standard on psychological health and safety in the workplace: A qualitative study

The estimated societal and economic costs of mental illness and psychological injury in the workplace is staggering. Governments, employers and other stakeholders have been searching for policy solutions. This qualitative, exploratory study sought to uncover organizational receptivity to a voluntary comprehensive standard for dealing with psychological health and safety in the workplace. A series of five focus groups were conducted in a large Western Canadian city in November 2013. The seventeen participants were from the fields of healthcare, construction/utilities, manufacturing industries, business services, and finance. They worked in positions of management, consulting, human resources, health promotion, health and safety, mediation, and occupational health and represented organizations ranging in size from 20 to 100,000 employees. The findings confirm and illustrate the critical role that psychological health and safety plays across workplaces and occupations. This standard resonated across the represented organizations and fit with their values. This alignment posed challenges with articulating its added value. There appears to be a need for simplified engagement and implementation strategies of the standard that can be tailored to the nuanced differences between types and sizes of industries. It appears that organizations in the most need of improving psychological health and safety may be the least receptive.

Evidence for curricular and instructional design approaches in undergraduate medical education: An umbrella review

INTRODUCTION

An umbrella review compiles evidence from multiple reviews into a single accessible document. This umbrella review synthesizes evidence from systematic reviews on curricular and instructional design approaches in undergraduate medical education, focusing on learning outcomes.

METHODS

We conducted bibliographic database searches in Medline, EMBASE and ERIC from database inception to May 2013 inclusive, and digital keyword searches of leading medical education journals. We identified 18,470 abstracts; 467 underwent duplicate full-text scrutiny.

RESULTS

Thirty-six articles met all eligibility criteria. Articles were abstracted independently by three authors, using a modified Kirkpatrick model for evaluating learning outcomes. Evidence for the effectiveness of diverse educational approaches is reported.

DISCUSSION

This review maps out empirical knowledge on the efficacy of a broad range of educational approaches in medical education. Critical knowledge gaps, and lapses in methodological rigour, are discussed, providing valuable insight for future research. The findings call attention to the need for adopting evaluative strategies that explore how contextual variabilities and individual (teacher/learner) differences influence efficacy of educational interventions. Additionally, the results underscore that extant empirical evidence does not always provide unequivocal answers about what approaches are most effective. Educators should incorporate best available empirical knowledge with experiential and contextual knowledge.

Implementation conditions for diet and physical activity interventions and policies: an umbrella review

BACKGROUND

This umbrella review aimed at identifying evidence-based conditions important for successful implementation of interventions and policies promoting a healthy diet, physical activity (PA), and a reduction in sedentary behaviors (SB). In particular, we examined if the implementation conditions identified were intervention-specific or policy-specific. This study was undertaken as part of the DEterminants of DIet and Physical Activity (DEDIPAC) Knowledge Hub, a joint action as part of the European Joint Programming Initiative a Healthy Diet for a Healthy Life.

METHODS

A systematic review of reviews and stakeholder documents was conducted. Data from nine scientific literature databases were analyzed (95 documents met the inclusion criteria). Additionally, published documentation of eight major stakeholders (e.g., World Health Organization) were systematically searched (17 documents met the inclusion criteria). The RE-AIM framework was used to categorize elicited conditions. Across the implementation conditions 25 % were identified in at least four documents and were subsequently classified as having obtained sufficient support.

RESULTS

We identified 312 potential conditions relevant for successful implementation; 83 of these received sufficient support. Using the RE-AIM framework eight implementation conditions that obtained support referred to the reach in the target population; five addressed efficacy of implementation processes; 24 concerned adoption by the target staff, setting, or institutions; 43 referred to consistency, costs, and adaptations made in the implementation process; three addressed maintenance of effects over time. The vast majority of implementation conditions (87.9 %; 73 of 83) were supported by documents referring to both interventions and policies. There were seven policy-specific implementation conditions, which focused on increasing complexities of coexisting policies/legal instruments and their consequences for implementation, as well as politicians' collaboration in implementation.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of the proposed list of 83 conditions for successful implementation may enhance the implementation of interventions and policies which pursue identification of the most successful actions aimed at improving diet, PA and reducing SB.

Job Strain, Occupational Category, Systolic Blood Pressure, and Hypertension Prevalence: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis

OBJECTIVE

To assess associations of occupational categories and job characteristics with prevalent hypertension.

METHODS

We analyzed 2517 Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis participants, working 20+ hours per week, in 2002 to 2004.

RESULTS

Higher job decision latitude was associated with a lower prevalence of hypertension, prevalence ratio = 0.78 (95% confidence interval 0.66 to 0.91) for the top versus bottom quartile of job decision latitude. Associations, however, differed by occupation: decision latitude was associated with a higher prevalence of hypertension in health care support occupations (interaction P = 0.02). Occupation modified associations of sex with hypertension: a higher prevalence of hypertension in women (vs men) was observed in health care support and in blue-collar occupations (interaction P = 0.03).

CONCLUSIONS

Lower job decision latitude is associated with hypertension prevalence in many occupations. Further research is needed to determine reasons for differential impact of decision latitude and sex on hypertension across occupations.

Prevention and rehabilitation in Swedish public sector workplaces: Effects on co-workers' and leaders' health and psychosocial working conditions

BACKGROUND

Leaders and co-workers in Swedish public sector organizations are exposed to demanding psychosocial working conditions; more knowledge about workplace-based interventions in this sector of working life is needed.

OBJECTIVE

To compare co-workers' and leaders' self-ratings of health and psychosocial working conditions, and investigate how prevention and rehabilitation in Swedish public sector workplaces affects these ratings.

METHOD

The longitudinal panel data consisted of 311 individuals (20 leaders, 291 co-workers) at 19 workplaces. Based on questionnaire data, statistical analyses were performed using Mann-Whitney U-Test, pair-wise Spearman correlations, a mixed between-within subjects ANOVA and Friedman's test.

RESULTS

Results indicate differences in how the leaders and the co-workers judge their health and psychosocial working conditions. Leaders report work content that is more varied and interesting as well as more possibilities for personal development through work, yet they also report more tiredness, concern over managing their work situation and time pressure at work. Comparisons of mean values for used indicators show some improvements after one year, but also several non-significant or negative time trends two years after the interventions were initiated.

CONCLUSION

The study provides some support for experienced differences between co-workers' and leaders' health and psychosocial working conditions in public sector workplaces, indicating the importance of different workplace-oriented prevention and rehabilitation interventions for these two categories of employees.

A Longitudinal Analysis of Changes in Job Control and Mental Health

Deteriorating job control has been previously shown to predict poor mental health. The impact of improvement in job control on mental health is less well understood, yet it is of policy significance. We used fixed-effects longitudinal regression models to analyze 10 annual waves of data from a large Australian panel survey (2001-2010) to test within-person associations between change in self-reported job control and corresponding change in mental health as measured by the Mental Component Summary score of Short Form 36. We found evidence of a graded relationship; with each quintile increase in job control experienced by an individual, the person's mental health increased. The biggest improvement was a 1.55-point increase in mental health (95% confidence interval: 1.25, 1.84) for people moving from the lowest (worst) quintile of job control to the highest. Separate analyses of each of the component subscales of job control-decision authority and skill discretion-showed results consistent with those of the main analysis; both were significantly associated with mental health in the same direction, with a stronger association for decision authority. We conclude that as people's level of job control increased, so did their mental health, supporting the value of targeting improvements in job control through policy and practice interventions.

Work-related psychosocial risk factors and mental health problems amongst nurses at a university hospital in Estonia: a cross-sectional study

AIM

Rapid changes in the Estonian health care system have placed extra pressure on the nursing profession, but the potential impacts of psychosocial changes have not been investigated. We aimed to explore the work-related psychosocial risk factors and their relationships with mental health problems (MHPs) amongst nurses at the university hospital in Estonia.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey was undertaken amongst registered nurses at Tartu University Hospital (TUH). Psychosocial work factors and MHPs (stress, somatic symptoms, depressive symptoms and burnout) were measured using version two of the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ II). Descriptive statistics and Pearson's r correlation with sequential Bonferroni correction were used to analyse the data.

RESULTS

The analysis was based on 404 nurses (45% of the full-time working population of nurses). The highest mean scores recorded for the positive work-related psychosocial factors studied were meaning of work, role clarity, social relationships and mutual trust between employees. The highest scores for the negative factors studied were the demands for hiding emotions, work pace, cognitive and emotional demands. Stress and burnout showed the highest mean scores amongst the MHPs. Quantitative and emotional demands were positively related to all of the studied MHPs, while work pace and role conflicts had a positive correlation with stress and burnout. All of the studied negative psychosocial factors were significantly correlated with burnout.

CONCLUSIONS

work-related psychosocial risk factors such as quantitative demands work load, emotional demands, work pace and role conflicts, had significant positive relationships with MHPS in nurses in Estonia, and may contribute to high levels of stress as well as burnout amongst nurses: .

Good practice characteristics of diet and physical activity interventions and policies: an umbrella review

BACKGROUND

This umbrella review aimed at eliciting good practice characteristics of interventions and policies aiming at healthy diet, increasing physical activity, and lowering sedentary behaviors. Applying the World Health Organization's framework, we sought for 3 types of characteristics, reflecting: (1) main intervention/policy characteristics, referring to the design, targets, and participants, (2) monitoring and evaluation processes, and (3) implementation issues. This investigation was undertaken by the DEDPIAC Knowledge Hub (the Knowledge Hub on the DEterminants of DIet and Physical ACtivity), which is an action of the European Union's joint programming initiative.

METHODS

A systematic review of reviews and stakeholder documents was conducted. Data from 7 databases was analyzed (99 documents met inclusion criteria). Additionally, resources of 7 major stakeholders (e.g., World Health Organization) were systematically searched (10 documents met inclusion criteria). Overall, the review yielded 74 systematic reviews, 16 position review papers, and 19 stakeholders' documents. Across characteristics, 25% were supported by ≥ 4 systematic reviews. Further, 25% characteristics were supported by ≥ 3 stakeholders' documents. If identified characteristics were included in at least 4 systematic reviews or at least 3 stakeholders' documents, these good practice characteristics were classified as relevant.

RESULTS

We derived a list of 149 potential good practice characteristics, of which 53 were classified as relevant. The main characteristics of intervention/policy (n = 18) fell into 6 categories: the use of theory, participants, target behavior, content development/management, multidimensionality, practitioners/settings. Monitoring and evaluation characteristics (n = 18) were grouped into 6 categories: costs/funding, outcomes, evaluation of effects, time/effect size, reach, the evaluation of participation and generalizability, active components/underlying processes. Implementation characteristics (n = 17) were grouped into eight categories: participation processes, training for practitioners, the use/integration of existing resources, feasibility, maintenance/sustainability, implementation partnerships, implementation consistency/adaptation processes, transferability.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of the proposed list of 53 good practice characteristics may foster further development of health promotion sciences, as it would allow for identification of success vectors in the domains of main characteristics of interventions/policies, their implementation, evaluation and monitoring processes.

Is health a right for all? An umbrella review of the barriers to health care access faced by migrants

OBJECTIVE

To synthesise the scientific evidence concerning barriers to health care access faced by migrants. We sought to critically analyse this evidence with a view to guiding policies.

DESIGN

A systematic review methodology was used to identify systematic and scoping reviews which quantitatively or qualitatively analysed data from primary studies. The main variables analysed were structural and contextual barriers (health system organisation) as well as individual (patients and providers). The quality of evidence from the systematic reviews was critically appraised. From 2674 reviews, 79 were retained for further scrutiny, and finally 9 met the inclusion criteria.

RESULTS

The structural barriers identified were the lack of health insurance and the high cost of drugs (non-universal health system) and organisational aspects of health system (social insurance system and national health system). The individual barriers were linguistic and cultural. None of the reviews provided a quality appraisal of the studies.

CONCLUSIONS

Barriers to health care for migrants range from entitlement in non-universal health systems to accessibility in universal ones, and determinants of access to the respective health services should be analysed within the corresponding national context. Generate social and institutional changes that eliminate barriers to access to health services is essential to ensure health for all.

Workplace health promotion and working conditions as determinants of employee health

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate general psychosocial work conditions and specific workplace health promotion (WHP) measures in relation to employee health and sickness absence in Swedish municipal social care organizations.

Design/methodology/approach

– In a random sample of 60 out of the 290 municipalities in Sweden, 15,871 municipal social care employees working with elderly and disabled clients were sent a questionnaire concerning psychosocial work environment, WHP, and self-rated health. The responses (response rate 58.4 per cent) were complemented by register data on sickness absence (>14 days). All data were aggregated to employer level.

Findings

– A structural equation modelling analysis using employer-level data demonstrated that employers with more favourable employee ratings of the psychosocial work conditions, as well as of specific health-promoting measures, had better self-rated health and lower sickness absence level among employees.

Practical implications

– The results from this representative nationwide sample of employers within one sector indicate that employers can promote employee health both by offering various health-specific programmes and activities, such as work environment education, fitness activities, and lifestyle guidance, as well as by forming a high-quality work environment in general including developmental and supportive leadership styles, prevention of role conflicts, and a supportive and comfortable social climate.

Originality/value

– This study with a representative nationwide sample demonstrates: results in line with earlier studies and explanations to the challenges in comparing effects from specific and general WHP interventions on health.

Workplace mental health: developing an integrated intervention approach

BACKGROUND

Mental health problems are prevalent and costly in working populations. Workplace interventions to address common mental health problems have evolved relatively independently along three main threads or disciplinary traditions: medicine, public health, and psychology. In this Debate piece, we argue that these three threads need to be integrated to optimise the prevention of mental health problems in working populations.

DISCUSSION

To realise the greatest population mental health benefits, workplace mental health intervention needs to comprehensively 1) protect mental health by reducing work-related risk factors for mental health problems; 2) promote mental health by developing the positive aspects of work as well as worker strengths and positive capacities; and 3) address mental health problems among working people regardless of cause. We outline the evidence supporting such an integrated intervention approach and consider the research agenda and policy developments needed to move towards this goal, and propose the notion of integrated workplace mental health literacy.

SUMMARY

An integrated approach to workplace mental health combines the strengths of medicine, public health, and psychology, and has the potential to optimise both the prevention and management of mental health problems in the workplace.

Work organization, job insecurity, and occupational health disparities

BACKGROUND

Changes in employment conditions in the global economy over the past 30 years have led to increased job insecurity and other work organization hazards. These hazards may play a role in creating and sustaining occupational health disparities by socioeconomic position, gender, race, ethnicity, and immigration status.

METHODS

A conceptual model was developed to guide the review of 103 relevant articles or chapters on the role of work organization and occupational health disparities identified through a comprehensive search conducted by NIOSH. A second review was conducted of employment and workplace policies and programs designed to reduce the health and safety risks due to job insecurity and other work organization hazards.

RESULTS

There is consistent evidence that workers in lower socioeconomic or social class positions are exposed to greater job insecurity and other work organization hazards than workers in higher socioeconomic positions. Likewise, racial and ethnic minorities and immigrants are exposed to greater job insecurity. Limited research examining the effects of interventions targeting work organization hazards on disparities has been conducted; nonetheless, intervention strategies are available and evidence suggests they are effective.

CONCLUSIONS

Job insecurity and work organization hazards play a role in creating and sustaining occupational health disparities. Employment and workplace policies and programs have the potential to reduce these hazards, and to reduce disparities.

Effects of organisational-level interventions at work on employees' health: a systematic review

Background

Organisational-level workplace interventions are thought to produce more sustainable effects on the health of employees than interventions targeting individual behaviours. However, scientific evidence from intervention studies does not fully support this notion. It is therefore important to explore conditions of positive health effects by systematically reviewing available studies. We set out to evaluate the effectiveness of 39 health-related intervention studies targeting a variety of working conditions.

Methods

Systematic review. Organisational-level workplace interventions aiming at improving employees’ health were identified in electronic databases and manual searches. The appraisal of studies was adapted from the Cochrane Back Review Group guidelines. To improve comparability of the widely varying studies we classified the interventions according to the main approaches towards modifying working conditions. Based on this classification we applied a logistic regression model to estimate significant intervention effects.

Results

39 intervention studies published between 1993 and 2012 were included. In terms of methodology the majority of interventions were of medium quality, and four studies only had a high level of evidence. About half of the studies (19) reported significant effects. There was a marginally significant probability of reporting effects among interventions targeting several organisational-level modifications simultaneously (Odds ratio (OR) 2.71; 95% CI 0.94-11.12), compared to those targeting one dimension only.

Conclusions

Despite the heterogeneity of the 39 organisational-level workplace interventions underlying this review, we were able to compare their effects by applying broad classification categories. Success rates were higher among more comprehensive interventions tackling material, organisational and work-time related conditions simultaneously. To increase the number of successful organisational-level interventions in the future, commonly reported obstacles against the implementation process should be addressed in developing these studies.

Population-level interventions to reduce alcohol-related harm: an overview of systematic reviews

OBJECTIVE

To analyse available review-level evidence on the effectiveness of population-level interventions in non-clinical settings to reduce alcohol consumption or related health or social harm.

METHOD

Health, social policy and specialist review databases between 2002 and 2012 were searched for systematic reviews of the effectiveness of population-level alcohol interventions on consumption or alcohol-related health or social outcomes. Data were extracted on review research aim, inclusion criteria, outcome indicators, results, conclusions and limitations. Reviews were quality-assessed using AMSTAR criteria. A narrative synthesis was conducted overall and by policy area.

RESULTS

Fifty-two reviews were included from ten policy areas. There is good evidence for policies and interventions to limit alcohol sale availability, to reduce drink-driving, to increase alcohol price or taxation. There is mixed evidence for family- and community-level interventions, school-based interventions, and interventions in the alcohol server setting and the mass media. There is weak evidence for workplace interventions and for interventions targeting illicit alcohol sales. There is evidence of the ineffectiveness of interventions in higher education settings.

CONCLUSION

There is a pattern of support from the evidence base for regulatory or statutory enforcement interventions over local non-regulatory approaches targeting specific population groups.

Interventions for supporting nurse retention in rural and remote areas: an umbrella review

CONTEXT

Retention of nursing staff is a growing concern in many countries, especially in rural, remote or isolated regions, where it has major consequences on the accessibility of health services.

PURPOSE

This umbrella review aims to synthesize the current evidence on the effectiveness of interventions to promote nurse retention in rural or remote areas, and to present a taxonomy of potential strategies to improve nurse retention in those regions.

METHODS

We conducted an overview of systematic reviews, including the following steps: exploring scientific literature through predetermined criteria and extracting relevant information by two independents reviewers. We used the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses) criteria in order to assess the quality of the reports.

FINDINGS

Of 517 screened publications, we included five reviews. Two reviews showed that financial-incentive programs have substantial evidence to improve the distribution of human resources for health. The other three reviews highlighted supportive relationships in nursing, information and communication technologies support and rural health career pathways as factors influencing nurse retention in rural and remote areas. Overall, the quality of the reviews was acceptable.

CONCLUSIONS

This overview provides a guide to orient future rural and remote nurse retention interventions. We distinguish four broad types of interventions: education and continuous professional development interventions, regulatory interventions, financial incentives, and personal and professional support. More knowledge is needed regarding the effectiveness of specific strategies to address the factors known to contribute to nurse retention in rural and remote areas. In order to ensure knowledge translation, retention strategies should be rigorously evaluated using appropriate designs.

Leadership effectiveness: a supervisor's approach to manage return to work

PURPOSE

To investigate adaptive leadership in relation to personnel sickness absence (SA). In situational leadership, supervisors are effective if they adapt their leadership style appropriately to a given situation.

METHODS

A managerial reorganization in a Dutch hospital with reassignment of supervisors provided the opportunity to compare SA in the same wards while under the leadership of different supervisors. Leadership effectiveness was measured with the Leader Effectiveness and Adaptability Description (LEAD). Personnel SA was retrieved from employer's records and cumulated at the individual level, distinguishing between short-term (1-7 day) and long-term (>7 days) SA. Cumulated SA days and mean SA lengths before and after managerial reorganization were compared at the individual level by using non-parametric paired statistical analyses. Employer's costs to compensate sick-listed employees' salaries before and after reorganization were cumulated and compared at ward level by using non-parametric statistics.

RESULTS

6 wards (N = 403) retained the same supervisor, 6 wards (N = 504) were assigned more effective supervisors, and 4 wards (N = 184) got less effective supervisors than the ones before reorganization. Cumulated short-term SA days and lengths did not change with leadership effectiveness. Employees who got more effective supervisors had fewer long-term SA days and shorter long-term SA lengths than before reorganization. More effective supervisors saved an average of 21,368 Euros per ward, particularly due to less long-term SA.

CONCLUSIONS

Long-term SA was shorter after employees got more effective supervisors. Adaptive supervisors can facilitate return to work and save SA costs by providing the right type of support to sick-listed employees.

A longitudinal study of the impact of social deprivation and disease severity on employment status in the UK cystic fibrosis population

BACKGROUND

People with Cystic Fibrosis (CF) in the UK and elsewhere are increasingly surviving into adulthood, yet there is little research on the employment consequences of having CF. We investigated, for the first time in a UK-wide cohort, longitudinal employment status, and its association with deprivation, disease severity, and time in hospital.

METHODS

We did a longitudinal registry study of adults with CF in the UK aged 20 to 40 (3458 people with 15,572 observations between 1996 and 2010), using mixed effects models.

RESULTS

Around 50% of adults with CF were in employment. Male sex, higher lung function and body mass index, and less time in hospital were associated with improved employment chances. All other things being equal, being in the most deprived quintile was associated with a reduction of employment prevalence of 17.6 percentage points compared to the prevalence in the least deprived quintile. Having poor lung function was associated with a reduced employment prevalence of 7.2 percentage points compared to the prevalence for people with relatively good lung function. Acting synergistically, deprivation modifies the effect of lung function on employment chances - poor lung function in the least deprived group was associated with a 3 percentage point reduction in employment chances, while poor lung function in the most deprived quintile was associated with a 7.7 point reduction in employment chances.

CONCLUSIONS

Greater deprivation, disease severity, and time in hospital are all associated with employment chances in adults with CF. Furthermore, our analysis suggests that deprivation amplifies the harmful association of disease severity on employment. Future studies should focus on understanding and mitigating the barriers to employment faced by people with CF.

Health equity: evidence synthesis and knowledge translation methods

BACKGROUND

At the Rio Summit in 2011 on Social Determinants of Health, the global community recognized a pressing need to take action on reducing health inequities. This requires an improved evidence base on the effects of national and international policies on health inequities. Although systematic reviews are recognized as an important source for evidence-informed policy, they have been criticized for failing to assess effects on health equity.

METHODS

This article summarizes guidance on both conducting systematic reviews with a focus on health equity and on methods to translate their findings to different audiences. This guidance was developed based on a series of methodology meetings, previous guidance, a recently developed reporting guideline for equity-focused systematic reviews (PRISMA-Equity 2012) and a systematic review of methods to assess health equity in systematic reviews.

RESULTS

We make ten recommendations for conducting equity-focused systematic reviews; and five considerations for knowledge translation. Illustrative examples of equity-focused reviews are provided where these methods have been used.

CONCLUSIONS

Implementation of the recommendations in this article is one step toward monitoring the impact of national and international policies and programs on health equity, as recommended by the 2011 World Conference on Social Determinants of Health.

Child sexual abuse in the etiology of anxiety disorders: a systematic review of reviews

There is considerable controversy about the role of child sexual abuse in the etiology of anxiety disorders. Although a growing number of research studies have been published, these have produced inconsistent results and conclusions regarding the nature of the associations between child sexual abuse and the various forms of anxiety problems as well as the potential effects of third variables, such as moderators, mediators, or confounders. This article provides a systematic review of the several reviews that have investigated the literature on the role of child sexual abuse in the etiology of anxiety disorders. Seven databases were searched, supplemented with hand search of reference lists from retrieved papers. Four meta-analyses, including 3,214,482 subjects from 171 studies, were analyzed. There is evidence that child sexual abuse is a significant, although general and nonspecific, risk factor for anxiety disorders, especially posttraumatic stress disorder, regardless of gender of the victim and severity of abuse. Additional biological or psychosocial risk factors (such as alterations in brain structure or function, information processing biases, parental anxiety disorders, family dysfunction, and other forms of child abuse) may interact with child sexual abuse or act independently to cause anxiety disorders in victims in abuse survivors. However, child sexual abuse may sometimes confer additional risk of developing anxiety disorders either as a distal and indirect cause or as a proximal and direct cause. Child sexual abuse should be considered one of the several risk factors for anxiety disorders and included in multifactorial etiological models for anxiety disorders.

Invited commentary: job strain and health behaviors--developing a bigger picture

Investigation of the association between job stressors and health behaviors has a long history that has been marked by mixed findings. Fransson et al. (Am J Epidemiol. 2012;176(12):1078-1089) find robust prospective and cross-sectional associations between job strain and leisure-time physical inactivity in combined data from 14 cohort studies. Further research to better understand the observed heterogeneity in the contributing cohorts and other studies will be crucial for application to intervention design and tailoring. The population health significance of these findings requires consideration of other job strain-health behavior (particularly the parallel analyses conducted for body mass index and smoking in the same data set) and job strain-health outcome associations, as well as these same associations for other job stressors. Job strain can be seen as a "fundamental cause" of work-related disease, in that intervention to reduce exposure to job strain could have beneficial impacts on many outcomes, making a compelling case for intervention. The significantly strengthened evidence linking job stressors to health behaviors provided by Fransson et al. may help to further direct workplace health promotion research, policy, and practice towards an approach that better integrates intervention on working conditions and health behaviors. The benefits to population health could be substantial.