Preventive behaviour at work - A concept analysis

Integrative Prevention at Work: A Concept Analysis and Meta-Narrative Review

Purpose The purpose of this study was to conceptualize integrative prevention at work and to identify its operational variables to support its application in occupational rehabilitation. Methods Based on Walker and Avant's specifications for concept analysis, we conducted a systematic five-step procedure (i.e., 1-identification of research question, 2-literature search through meta-narrative review, 3-manuscript selection, 4-extraction, 5-analysis). Results Analysis of information extracted from 20 manuscripts across diverse literature fields allowed to identify that the shared attributes of integrative prevention at work are: (a) coordination of the three levels of prevention, (b) integration of health promotion with prevention, (c) shared understanding of the goal, (d) engagement of stakeholders, and (e) variety of actions. The analysis also identified three antecedents and five consequences, situating the concept within the context of a change process. The results include recommendations for promoting the practical application of the concept. Conclusion The results of this study offer an informative, non-prescriptive, and operational definition of integrative prevention at work that all the stakeholders involved, including occupational rehabilitation professionals, can use.

Development of a Questionnaire Measuring Preventive Behaviors at Work

Purpose This study aimed to develop a questionnaire measuring preventive behaviors at work. Methods A three-step design, including qualitative and quantitative methods, was followed: (1) item generation, (2) experts' validation of content, and (3) pretesting. Results For step 1, 49 relevant existing scales were reviewed, and a pool of 172 items was generated. Redundant items were deleted (n = 48), and unclear items were reworded (n = 27). For step 2, 14 experts (five occupational therapists, four researchers, and five workers) assessed the representativeness, relevance, and clarity of each item through content validity indices (CVIs). An average overall CVI of 0.97 was obtained, and 87.5% of the experts stated that the questionnaire was comprehensive. During this step, 63 items were deleted, and 35 were modified. For step 3, the tool was pretested in the clinical settings of four dyads (occupational therapist-worker). The thematic analysis of interview content allowed several changes to be made to the questionnaire, including the addition of information and format changes. Conclusions Overall, this three-step study led to the construction of a 61-item French questionnaire entitled the Échelle de fréquence des comportements préventifs au travail [Frequency Scale of Preventive Behaviors at Work]. In rehabilitation settings, this tool could be useful to support professionals in enabling workers to adopt preventive behaviors, thereby fostering a healthy, sustainable return to work after a disability period. However, further metrological property assessment is required. A validating study using a large pool of workers is ongoing.

Moving toward an integrated prevention approach for mental health at work: Promoting workers' involvement through concrete actions

BACKGROUND

Work-related mental health problems are a primary cause of disability and lead to the absence of 500,000 workers each week in Canada. There is a growing body of literature suggesting integrated approaches of prevention are necessary to improve mental health at work. The involvement of numerous stakeholders inclusive of government agents, employers, and workers is recommended. However, only minimal information is available to suggest actions workers may adopt toward an integrated approach of prevention to improve mental health at work.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the study was to identify behaviors workers may adopt to foster mental health at work.

METHODS

Following a descriptive qualitative research design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with researchers, professionals, and workers. Data were analyzed using a template analysis strategy.

RESULTS

A total of 49 concrete behaviors were identified, grouped into ten sub-themes, and three broad themes. These main themes identify those behaviors that appear to be useful throughout the prevention continuum: 1) adopting a reflexive practice, 2) acting for one's own mental health, and 3) acting for mental health of others.

CONCLUSIONS

In harmony with the integrated prevention approach, this study offers a framework to organize workers' concrete actions contributing to mental health.

Integrated Prevention at Work: Protocol for a Concept Analysis

Background

Integrated prevention at work promises to eliminate the boundaries between primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention actions taken by stakeholders in the world of work. It is receiving increasing attention from the scientific community because of its concerted and harmonized approach, which promotes employment access, return, and healthy long-term continuation. Although promising, integrated prevention is not yet well-defined, which makes it difficult to operationalize.

Objective

This manuscript exposes the protocol of a study aiming to conceptualize integrated prevention at work on the basis of scientific and experiential knowledge.

Methods

Using a concept analysis research design, data collection has been planned in 2 parts. A meta-narrative literature review will first be conducted to document how integrated prevention has been defined in the literature. Then, phone interviews will be conducted with key informers (ie, managers, workers, ergonomists, occupational therapists, psychologists, physiotherapists, union and insurance representatives) to document their viewpoints and understanding of integrated prevention at work. Qualitative data gathered during these 2 parts of research will be analyzed using template analysis, which allows data from literature and empirical collection to be analyzed simultaneously. The analysis will bring out the points of convergence, divergence, and complementarity between the information gleaned from literature and key informers’ experiences to arrive at a conceptualization of integrated prevention at work by identifying its uses, attributes, antecedents, and consequences. As a final step, validation and interpretation with a TRIAGE (Technique for Research of Information by Animation of a Group of Experts) group will be carried out in collaboration with the key informers to identify the tools for the implementation of integrated prevention at work and promote workers’ health and safety.

Results

This study is expected to offer a contemporary conceptualization of integrated prevention at work that clearly lays out the variables of this concept and elicits the viewpoints of the different stakeholders.

Conclusions

This study will contribute to the advancement of knowledge about the professional injury prevention continuum. The clear identification of the uses, attributes, antecedents, and consequences of integrated prevention at work will offer concrete tools to stakeholders to implement innovative and promising approaches to integrated prevention at work.

International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)

PRR1-10.2196/29869

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.

What is Professionalism in Occupational Therapy? A Concept Analysis: Qu'est-ce que le professionnalisme en ergothérapie? Analyse de ce concept

BACKGROUND.

Professionalism has been given different definitions over time. These are, commonly theoretical and difficult to operationalize.

PURPOSE.

This study aimed to provide an operational definition of the concept of professionalism in occupational therapy.

METHOD.

Based on a concept analysis design, a meta-narrative review was conducted to extract information from 30 occupational therapy manuscripts.

FINDINGS.

Professionalism is a complex competence defined by the manifestation of distinct attitudes and behaviours that support excellence in the occupational therapy practice. In addition, professionalism is forged and evolves according to personal and environmental characteristics. The manifestation of professionalism can lead to positive consequences for occupational therapists, clients, and the discipline, notably contributing to a positive and strong professional identity. Moreover, professionalism is also subject to cultural influences, which leads to variations in its development, manifestations, and consequences.

IMPLICATIONS.

This study offers a contemporary operational definition of professionalism and levers to promote its development and maintenance.

Scientific, professional and experiential validation of the model of preventive behaviours at work: protocol of a modified Delphi Study

INTRODUCTION

To offer an in-depth understanding of preventive behaviours, those complex behaviours considered as levers to foster work prevention, recent theoretical and empirical studies permitted to develop the model of preventive behaviours at work. The next step is to validate the model with researchers, professionals and workers. This article aims to describe the study protocol that will be used to validate the model of preventive behaviours at work.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

This Delphi Study proposes seven systematic steps to conduct a scientifically rigorous validation study based on scientific and professional experts' opinion. A focus group to collect workers' opinion about the model has also been included in the protocol. Thirty experts (researchers and professionals) will be selected regarding their experience (eg, at least 5 years of experience) and expertise (eg, having published at least one article as the first author in the last 3 years) towards workers' health or organisational behaviours. Workers will be recruited to have a diversity in terms of age, gender and working conditions. Quantitative data will be analysed to calculate the percentage of experts' agreement on four content validity indicators (ie, comprehensiveness, representativeness, relevance and clarity). Qualitative data will be examined through a thematic analysis strategy.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Approval of the research ethics board of the Centre intégré universitaire de santé et de services sociaux de la Capitale Nationale has been obtained. Findings will be shared with various stakeholders inclusive of researchers, professionals and workers. Findings will be disseminated in workshops, peer-reviewed journals and conferences.

Development of preventive behavior at work: Description of occupational therapists' practice

BACKGROUND

Integrating more prevention interventions into different workplace settings as a component of the role of occupational therapists has a significant relevance recognized by the occupational therapy professional community. Even if some studies suggested that occupational therapists already provide prevention interventions, and that other studies showed the efficacy of such interventions, the literature does not offer a comprehensive understanding of the specific practice of occupational therapists engaging in prevention in workplace settings.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the study was to describe the practice of occupational therapists toward the development of preventive behaviour at work among their clients.

METHOD

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 occupational therapists. Phenomenological analysis was used to examine the content of the interviews.

RESULTS

Results suggest that occupational therapists form representations of preventive behavior that are consistent with theory, but those are limited and do not take into account the complexity of the concept. Results of the interviews found eight different interventions provided by occupational therapists toward the development of their clients' preventive behavior at work.

CONCLUSION

Occupational therapists recognize their role in supporting their clients' development of preventive behavior at work. However, they appear to lack a conceptual understanding and resources to help them in their practice toward prevention.