Safety climate as a predictor of work ability problems in blue-collar workers: prospective cohort study

Study design of National Surveillance of the Work Environment of Employees in Denmark (NASWEED): Prospective cohort with register follow-up

AIM

The aim is to report the design and baseline data of the 'National Surveillance of the Work Environment of Employees in Denmark' study (NASWEED).

METHODS

NASWEED consist of (a) bi-annual cross-sectional samples, based on probability samples of wage earners of the general working population in Denmark from 2021 onwards (surveillance), (b) a prospective cohort of all previous respondents every two years (epidemiology, questionnaire follow-up) and (c) longitudinal follow-up in Danish registers about work and health (epidemiology, register follow-up). Between February and May 2021, a stratified (38 occupational industries) probability sample of 63,391 Danish residents aged 15-69 years who were employed for at least 34 hours per month received an invitation to participate, of whom 30,099 (47.5%) completed the questionnaire, 897 (1.4%) partially completed the questionnaire and 32,395 (51.1%) did not respond. Baseline was completed in June 2021. NASWEED covers various topics about the work environment (psychosocial, ergonomic, chemical, biological, safety, accidents, working from home, etc), health behaviours and somatic and mental health-related conditions. Statistical analyses will mainly build on survey procedures with model-assisted weights to ensure that the sample will yield representative estimates of the general working population.

DISCUSSION

NASWEED will monitor the development of the work environment and health in Denmark until 2030. The survey data will be included in epidemiological studies with repeated measurement of the work environment, health variables and covariates, and follow-ups in national registers to investigate the prospective association in the years and decades to come between the work environment and workers' health and labour market participation.

The Role of Physical Activity-Related Health Competence and Leisure-Time Physical Activity for Physical Health and Metabolic Syndrome: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach for German Office Workers

Office workers (OWs) are prone to insufficient physical activity (PA), which increases their risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and impaired physical health. The Physical Activity-related Health Competence (PAHCO) model holds the potential to facilitate a healthy physically active lifestyle. Therefore, in this study, we investigate the interplay between PAHCO, leisure-time PA, physical health, and MetS in OWs in Germany. In a cross-sectional study, OWs (N = 316, 25% female) completed self-report questionnaires along with an occupational health checkup to examine their Metabolic Syndrome Severity Score (MetSSS) values. Structural equation modeling indicated a strong positive association between PAHCO and leisure-time PA and a small positive association with physical health. PAHCO showed a considerable negative association with the MetSSS. Leisure-time PA was a positive mediator for the PAHCO-physical health association but was not a significant mediator for the association between PAHCO and the MetSSS. These findings underscore the importance of PAHCO in the context of leisure-time PA, physical health, and MetS in OWs. Furthermore, our findings highlight the health-enhancing value of the qualitative aspects of PA, such as motivational and volitional components in PA participation, with respect to physical health and MetS.

Comparison of the work ability index and the work ability score for predicting health-related quality of life

PURPOSE

To compare the relationship of the 7-item Work Ability Index (WAI) and the single-item Work Ability Score (WAS) with individual and work-related factors, and to investigate the predictive role of these two work ability assessments for health-related quality of life (HRQOL).

METHODS

This is a cross-sectional study. 407 of 445 employees working on a construction project in Shiraz, Iran consented to participate in an anonymous survey. 381 surveys were returned completed. Correlation analyses were used to evaluate relationships between WAI and WAS, and the total score and four domains of the WHOQOL-BREF, our measure of HRQOL, and individual and work-related variables. Hierarchical multivariate linear regression analyses were performed to compare WAI and WAS in predicting HRQOL and its four dimensions.

RESULTS

WAI and WAS were both significant predictors of HRQOL and its four dimensions and the explained variance was very similar. The WAI and WAS explained 46% and 44% of the variance related to the HRQOL, respectively. WAI and WAS explained 36-38% and 35-37% of the variance related to dimensions of the HRQOL, respectively. There were significant relationships of both WAS and WAI with job type, work schedule, smoking, and exercise habit.

CONCLUSIONS

The WAS and WAI showed a very similar relationship with participants' individual and work-related factors and HRQOL. The Work Ability Score is a valid and suitable measure for assessment of work ability among Iranian workers. Use of this simple measure could be advantageous to reduce demands on research participants and in workability assessments.

Assessment of Workplace Safety Climate among Healthcare Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Low and Middle Income Countries: A Case Study of Nigeria

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented several organizations with the opportunity to review their operational strategies, as well as the existing safety climate within their establishments. The healthcare sector is not an exception, especially those in Low and Middle Income Countries (LMICs), where most safety systems are not robust when compared with developed countries. The study aim is to assess the occupational safety climate among healthcare workers (HCWs) in LMICs using Nigeria as a case study. A cross-sectional study was adopted to measure safety climate perception among professionals working in healthcare establishment during the COVID-19 pandemic using a validated Nordic Safety Climate Questionnaire (NOSACQ-50). At the end of the survey period, 83% (433) of the responses were adjudged to have met the threshold criteria and were used to inform the study outcome. Worker safety commitment within the healthcare facilities (M = 3.01, SD = 0.42) was statistically significantly higher than management safety priority, commitment, and competence (M = 2.91, SD = 0.46), t(130.52), p < 0.001. A significant effect of the management role was found in regards to management safety priority, commitment, and competence (F(1, 406) = 3.99, p = 0.046, η² = 0.010). On the contrary, the managerial position does not have a significant effect on worker safety commitment (F(1, 417) = 0.59, p = 0.440, η² = 0.001). The outcome from the study showed that, where there is active promotion of a positive safety climate in healthcare sectors in LMICs, employees are more likely to engage in positive safety behaviour. To help address the identified gaps, there is the need for more effort to be made towards promoting an effective and positive safety climate across the establishment, including management and healthcare worker commitments.