Health care utilization and workplace interventions for neck and upper limb problems among newspaper workers

Ergonomic Risk Factors for Low Back Pain among Three-Wheel Drivers in Ethiopia: A Community-Based Cross-Sectional Study

Background

Driving a three-wheel car is an emerging job opportunity in most parts of developing countries. Drivers are at risk for developing low back pain (LBP). However, very little is known about the association between ergonomics factors and LBP among three-wheel drivers.

Objective

This study was aimed to identify ergonomic risk factors of LBP among three-wheel drivers.

Methods

A community-based cross-sectional study on 396 participants was conducted in the Jimma city on all selected public three-wheel drivers in March, 2020. The data were collected using a standard questionnaire adapted from the Nordic Musculoskeletal questionnaire, anthropometric measurements, and observation checklist. The collected data were entered into Epi Data and exported to SPSS version 21.0. Logistic regression analysis was used for analysis based on the p value less than 0.05, 95% C.I. Results. Among 422 planned respondents, 396 (93.8%) have given the complete response. The mean age of the study population was 27.94 (±5.45). One hundred four (26.26%) out of 396 participants had experienced low back pain in the last 12 months. Driving in sitting upright position OR = 0.32 (95% CI = 0.12-0.86), steer wheel handling OR = 3.02 (95% CI = 1.58-5.77), not holding extra passengers OR = 0.35 (95% CI = 0.21, 0.60), rest breaks, and brand of the three-wheel vehicles were significantly associated with LBP.

Conclusion

Nearly more than one-fourth of three-wheel drivers in our study had LBP. The finding implies a significant number of three-wheel drivers are at risk of developing reduced well-being. An appropriate health visit, lifestyle modification, and adequate policy should be established in the study area.

Interventions to promote work ability by increasing physical activity among workers with physically strenuous jobs: A scoping review

Aims: The potential benefits of workplace physical activity (PA) interventions are in improving both health and important workplace outcomes. Despite the differences in PA level between physically strenuous and inactive work, the literature reporting the effectiveness of the interventions does not usually differentiate physically active and inactive jobs. The aim of the current study was therefore to collect and synthesise research evidence on workplace PA interventions to promote work ability specifically among workers in physically strenuous jobs by means of a scoping review. Methods: The databases Medline, Cochrane Central and Scopus were used to identify interventions to promote work ability by increasing PA among workers in physically strenuous jobs. An iterative method was used to obtain an overview of the study elements and to extract details on the study design, sample, intervention, outcomes and effectiveness. Results: A total of 47 studies evaluating eight categories of interventions were found. Out of these, 18 reported significant effects on work ability. Positive results came from a range of different interventions, including aerobic exercise, strength training, combined aerobic exercise and strength training, stretching, yoga, consultation and tailored physical exercise programmes. Conclusions: Few interventions were effective in promoting work ability by increasing PA among workers in physically strenuous jobs. In particular, trials based on the demands of work, multimodal interventions and applying wearable technology are needed.

Vocational Rehabilitation: Supporting Ill or Disabled Individuals in (to) Work: A UK Perspective

Work is important for one's self-esteem, social standing and ability to participate in the community as well as for the material advantages it brings to individuals and their families. The evidence suggests that the benefits of employment outweigh the risks of work and are greater than the risks of long-term unemployment or sickness absence. Individuals may be born with physical or intellectual disadvantages (e.g., cerebral palsy), or they may be acquired during childhood or adult life. Some progressive conditions may present in childhood or adolescence (e.g., some muscular dystrophies) and these need to be distinguished from those presenting later in life (e.g., trauma, stroke). Vocational rehabilitation (VR) thus takes three forms: preparing those with a disability, health or mental health condition for the world of work, job retention for those in work and assisting those out of work into new work. Important components of VR consist of the attributes of the individual, the skills/knowledge of their health professionals, the knowledge and attitudes of actual or potential employers and the assistance that is provided by the state or other insurance facility. Charities are playing an increasing role.

Preventive strength training improves working ergonomics during welding

To investigate the effect of a preventive strength training program on cardiovascular, metabolic and muscular strains during welding. Welders are one of the occupation groups which typically have to work in extended forced postures which are known to be an important reason for musculoskeletal disorders. Subjects (exercise group) accomplished a 12-week strength training program, while another group served as controls (control group). Pre and post training examinations included the measurements of the one repetition maximum and an experimental welding test. Local muscle activities were analysed by surface electromyography. Furthermore, heart rate, blood pressure, lactate and rating of perceived exertion were examined. In the exercise group, strength training lead to a significant increase of one repetition maximum in all examined muscles (p<.05). During the experimental welding test muscle activities of trunk and shoulder muscles and arm muscles were significantly reduced in the exercise group after intervention (p<.05). While no changes of neither cardiovascular nor metabolic parameters were found, subjects of the exercise group rated a significantly decreased rate of perceived exertion welding (p<.05). Effects of strength training can be translated in an improved working ergonomics and tolerance against the exposure to high physical demands at work.

Association Between Physical Therapy and Risk of Coronary Artery Disease and Dyslipidemia Among Osteoarthritis Patients: A Nationwide Database Study

OBJECTIVE

To provide empirical evidence on the effect of early physical therapy (PT) within the first year of osteoarthritis (OA) diagnosis on reduction in OA-related comorbidities in patients with OA.

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study.

SETTING

The study was conducted using a nationally representative sample of 1 million National Health Insurance enrollees.

PARTICIPANTS

Newly diagnosed patients with OA (N=13,545). One-to-one propensity score matching was used to match patients who received PT within the first year of OA diagnosis (PT group; n=3403) with an equal number of patients with OA who did not receive PT (non-PT group).

INTERVENTIONS

Not applicable.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

The 4-year cumulative risk of comorbidities including coronary artery disease (CAD), diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, osteoporosis, gastrointestinal tract ulcer, and renal failure was estimated. A Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was performed to identify the dose-response relation between the PT dosage and the risk of OA-related comorbidities.

RESULTS

A total of 3403 patients (25.1%) received PT within the first year of OA diagnosis. The PT group had a significantly lower 4-year cumulative risk of dyslipidemia (P=.05) and a potentially lower 4-year cumulative risk of CAD (P=.09). After adjusting for other potential confounders, the Cox proportional hazards regression analysis showed that patients with OA who received a high PT dosage had a low risk of CAD and dyslipidemia.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with OA who received PT had a lower risk of OA-related comorbidities such as dyslipidemia or CAD.

Changes in Physiotherapy Utilization in One Workforce: Implications for Accessibility among Canadian Working-Age Adults

In debates over access to essential medical care, comparatively little attention has been paid to the provision of outpatient physiotherapy services. We examined physiotherapy utilization for musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) among approximately 2,000 employees of a large, unionized, Ontario workplace. We obtained MSD-related physiotherapy claims and service data from the public Workplace Safety and Insurance Board, two private medical insurance carriers, a workplace special fund starting in 1995 and a workplace-contracted, on-site physiotherapy clinic starting in 1999. We observed substantial increases in overall physiotherapy utilization for MSDs: a median of 234 services per quarter for 1992-1994 to 1,281 for 1999-2002. With inclusive workplace provision policies, most physiotherapy utilization occurred on-site by 1999-2002 (70%). With a user-pay orientation to outpatient physiotherapy services increasing among working-age adults in Ontario, there is substantial potential for unequal access among those not privately insured or in workplaces with direct service provision.

Use of outpatient physical therapy services by people with musculoskeletal conditions

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Because musculoskeletal conditions contribute to functional decline and activity limitation, physical therapy intervention may be an appropriate health care resource. The purpose of this research was to identify determinants of outpatient physical therapy use by people with musculoskeletal conditions.

SUBJECTS

The subjects were adult noninstitutionalized civilians who participated in the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey from 1996 to 2000 and who had at least one musculoskeletal condition (N=18,546).

METHODS

Logistic regression was used to identify predisposing, need, and enabling variables associated with receiving outpatient physical therapy services.

RESULTS

Factors that were positively associated with receiving physical therapy services were having more than one musculoskeletal condition, having some limitation in function, having 7 or more ICD-9 (International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision) codes, having a college or advanced degree, and residing in an urban area. Factors that were negatively associated with receiving physical therapy services were being older than 65 years of age, having no high school degree, Hispanic ethnicity, African-American race, having public insurance or no insurance, and living in any US census region besides the Northeast.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

The results of this study indicate that health- and non-health-related factors influence outpatient physical therapy use.