Perceived Factors Influencing Blue-Collar Workers' Participation in Worksite Health Promotion Programs in Freight Transport: A Qualitative Investigation Using the TDF and COM-B

Blue-collar workers in the freight transport industry report a high risk of developing chronic diseases, partly due to an unhealthy lifestyle. Worksite health promotion programs (WHPPs) may be able to promote a healthier lifestyle, but participation among blue-collar workers in these programs is generally lower than among other workers. The current study aimed to further examine factors that can explain participation of blue-collar workers in these programs. A pragmatic, qualitative study was conducted, and semi-structured interviews were held with 32 blue-collar workers in freight transport in the Netherlands (94% men, 81% driver, mean age 48 (SD = 11)). The interview guide was based on the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) and Capability-Opportunity-Motivation-Behavior (COM-B) model, and was used to assess perceived determinants that influence participation. A combination of framework analysis and thematic analysis was conducted, which yielded the following nine main themes: (i) not being aware of WHPPs on offer, (ii) no clear picture of what to expect, (iii) (not) giving priority to health, (iv) expecting feedback and practical support, (v) being open and ready to change, (vi) preferring to be self-dependent, (vii) being offered a practical, fun and joint WHPP, (viii) having an employer who cares, thinks along and facilitates participation, and (ix) working and living in an environment in which a healthy lifestyle is not the norm. With these insights we were able to formulate recommendations to enhance the participation of blue-collar workers in WHPPs.

Association of Work-Related Sedentary Behavior With Mental Health and Work Engagement Among Japanese White- and Blue-Collar Workers

OBJECTIVE

This study investigated the association of work-related sedentary behavior with mental health and work engagement among white- and blue-collar workers.

METHODS

An Internet survey was conducted among 1600 workers aged 20 to 59 years. A total of 1213 valid responses were analyzed to examine the association of work-related sedentary behavior with mental health and work engagement.

RESULTS

Higher level of occupational sedentary behavior significantly associated with poorer mental health and lower work engagement among white-collar workers. Considering the effect of occupation, association of sedentary behavior with mental health disappeared, whereas association with work engagement remained for white-collar workers.

CONCLUSIONS

Our result suggested the importance of decreasing work-related sedentary behavior for enhancing work engagement regardless of the occupation for white-collar workers. Further study is needed to confirm the association between these variables for blue-collar workers.

Exclusion or Inclusion: National Differential Regulations of Migrant Workers' Employment, Social Protection, and Migrations Policies on Im/Mobilities in East Asia-Examples of South Korea and Taiwan

Low fertility rates and an aging society, growing long-term care needs, and workforce shortages in professional, industrial, and care sectors are emerging issues in South Korea and Taiwan. Both governments have pursued economic/industrial growth as productive welfare capitalism and enacted preferred selective migration policies to recruit white-collar migrant workers (MWs) as mobile elites, but they have also adopted regulations and limitations on blue-collar MWs through unfree labor relations, precarious employment, and temporary legal status to provide supplemental labor. In order to demonstrate how multiple policy regulations from a national level affect MWs' precarity of labor in their receiving countries, which in turn affect MWs' im/mobilities, this article presents the growing trends of transnational MWs, regardless of them being high- or low-skilled MWs, and it evaluates four dimensions of labor migration policies-MWs' working and employment conditions, social protection, union rights and political participation, and access to permanent residency in both countries. We found that the rights and working conditions of low-skilled MWs in Korea and Taiwan are improving slowly, but still lag behind those of high-skilled MWs which also affects their public health and well-being. The significant difference identified here is that MWs in Taiwan can organize labor unions, which is strictly prohibited in Korea; pension protection also differs between the nations. Additionally, an application for permanent residency is easier for high-skilled migrant workers compared with low-skilled MWs and both the Korean and Taiwanese immigration policies differentiate the entry and resident status for low-skilled and professional MWs from dissimilar class backgrounds. Policy recommendations for both countries are also discussed.

Changes in Fruit and Vegetable Consumption and Leisure Time Physical Exercise after a Citizen Science-Based Worksite Health Promotion Program for Blue-Collar Workers

Blue-collar workers have, on average, poorer health than white-collar workers. Existing worksite health promotion programs (WHPPs) are often not successful among blue-collar workers. This study evaluates the effect of the Citizen Science-based WHPP on the targeted lifestyle behaviors among construction workers. The data of 114 participants were retrieved from questionnaires before (T0) and after (T1) the WHPP. Outcome measures were mean and categorical changes in daily fruit and vegetable intake and weekly leisure time physical exercise. Changes were tested using Wilcoxon signed rank tests and McNemar tests. No statistically significant changes were found between T0 and T1. In total, 73.7% of the participants felt involved in the WHPP. Changes in the outcome measures were not significantly different between subgroups based on age, nor in subgroups based on feelings of involvedness. The low intensity of the developed program could be an explanation for this lack of significant change. Future studies using the Citizen Science approach in an occupational setting should aim at developing a more intensified program and should test its effectiveness by comparing changes in a (randomized) controlled trial.

Which Personal and Organizational Factors Influence the Organizational Commitment and Job Satisfaction of Shipyard Blue-Collar Workers?

Background: The purpose of this research was to analyze which personal and organizational factors are related to organizational commitment and job satisfaction of shipyard workers who work in different auxiliary shipyard military companies in the north of Spain. Methods: In total, 567 shipyard workers participated in this cross-sectional survey study. The ages were between 19 and 64 (M = 39.36, SD = 10.01), males 82.52%, females 17.48%. We used a survey that included questions about personal and organizational factors such as physical environment, occupational risks, and psychosocial risks, in addition to the job commitment and job satisfaction scales. Results: The results of this study show that job commitment is significantly related to a higher age, lower education, and environmental risk (low vs. high). Furthermore, job satisfaction (high vs. low) and organizational commitment (high vs. low) is related with environmental risk (low vs. high). Job commitment is also higher in workers with a low educational level and older workers. Job satisfaction is lower in workers with a high educational level. Conclusions: This study shows that different personal and environmental factors influence the shipyard workers’ organizational commitment and job satisfaction.

The Psychosocial Work Environment and Perceived Stress among Seniors with Physically Demanding Jobs: The SeniorWorkingLife Study

Background: Poor psychosocial work conditions are known to foster negative health consequences. While the existing literature on this topic focus mainly on white-collar workers, the influence of different aspects of the psychosocial work environment in physically demanding jobs remain understudied. Likewise, senior workers represent a population of the workforce at increased risk of adverse health outcomes and premature exit from the labour market. This study investigates the association between psychosocial work factors and perceived stress among the senior work force. Methods: Utilizing cross-sectional findings, this study reports associations between psychosocial factors (organizational justice, cooperation and collegial support, decision latitude, clarity of tasks, and quality of leadership) and the outcome of perceived stress quantified by Cohen’s Perceived Stress Scale (CPSS). Currently employed senior workers with physically demanding jobs were included in the analyses (n = 3386). Associations were modeled using general linear models with weights to make the estimates representative. Results: For all individually adjusted psychosocial variables, the category of “good” was consistently associated with lower stress scores compared to the categories of both “moderate” and “poor” (all p < 0.0001). Likewise, in the mutually adjusted analysis, the category of “good” was statistically different from “poor” for all included variables, while the category of “moderate” remained different from “poor” for “clarity of tasks”, “cooperation and collegial support”, and “decision latitude”. Conclusions: Among senior workers with physically demanding jobs, poor ratings of organizational factors related to the psychosocial work environment are consistently associated with high stress scores. Blue-collar occupations focusing primarily on physical risk factors are recommended to increase awareness on psychosocial aspects that may be relevant to the local work environment.

Accelerometer-Measured Physical Activity at Work and Need for Recovery: A Compositional Analysis of Cross-sectional Data

Objectives

Previous research has shown strong associations between occupational physical activity (OPA) and need for recovery (NFR). However this research has only utilized self-reported measures of OPA which may be biased. Thus, there is a need for investigating if the previously documented association between self-reported OPA and NFR can be found when using technical measures of OPA. There is also the need to investigate whether older workers are particularly susceptible to increased NFR, since age-related declines in physical capacity mean that it is likely these workers will have a higher NFR for a given physical activity. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between technically measured OPA and NFR, and whether this relationship is modified by age.

Methods

This study utilized data from the Danish Physical Activity Cohort with Objective Measurements cohort—comprising Danish workers (n = 840) from the cleaning, manufacturing, and transportation sectors. OPA was measured by accelerometers attached to the thigh and upper back for at least one work day and classified into four physical behaviour categories (sedentary, standing, light, or moderate/vigorous). NFR was measured using a shortened version of the Danish NFR scale. Analysis was conducted using linear regression and isotemporal substitution analyses for compositional data.

Results

The overall association between OPA and NFR was statistically significant in the unadjusted model (P < 0.001), but not when adjusted for age, sex, occupation, and shift work (P = 0.166). Isotemporal substitution showed small but significant reductions in NFR when increasing sedentary time relative to other behaviours (adjusted: ΔNFR = −0.010 [−0.019; −0.001]). There were no significant interactions between age and OPA (P = 0.409).

Conclusions

This study found significant associations between OPA and NFR, but the effect sizes were small. Reallocating 30 min to sedentary behaviours from other behaviours was associated with a reduced NFR, but the effect size may not be practically relevant. Moreover, no clear modifying effects of age were identified.

Exposure to prolonged sedentary behavior on weekdays rather than weekends in white-collar workers in comparison with blue-collar workers

OBJECTIVES

Objectively measured sedentary behavior (SB) on weekdays and weekends has been mainly assessed in white-collar workers, while data in blue-collar workers are sparse. Therefore, this study presented the difference in accelerometer-measured SB levels between weekdays and weekends, stratified by white- and blue-collar occupations.

METHODS

This study was a sub-analysis of accelerometer data from 73 workers (31 blue-collar and 42 white-collar) at a Japanese manufacturing plant. SB was defined as ≤1.5 metabolic equivalents estimated using an accelerometer, and compared between weekdays and weekends by using mixed models adjusted for confounders. The proportion of workers who sat for ≤8 h/day on weekdays and weekends were compared using McNemar's test.

RESULTS

In white-collar workers, SB time on weekdays was significantly longer than that on weekends (598 vs 479 min/day, P < .001). In blue-collar workers, there was no significant difference in SB time between weekdays and weekends (462 vs 485 min/day, P = .43). The proportion of workers who achieved the recommended SB levels (≤8 h) was only 4.8% for white-collar workers on weekdays and 54.8% on weekends (P = .04), while that of blue-collar workers was 45.2% and 58.1% respectively (P > .99).

CONCLUSIONS

White-collar workers were exposed to significantly longer SB time on weekdays than on weekends, which was not the case in blue-collar workers. It may be rather challenging for white-collar workers to limit their SB time to the level recommended by the latest guidelines for better health, especially on weekdays.

Burnout and Time Perspective of Blue-Collar Workers at the Shipyard

Background: The aim of the research was to investigate the association between time perspective in relation to burnout and successful ageing of blue-collar workers with physically highly demanding work and low autonomy. Shipyard blue-collar workers usually do predominantly manual labor versus white-collar workers, whose jobs do not usually involve physical work. Methods: 497 participants workers in a shipyard in the north of Spain. Ages were between 20 and 69 (M = 46.62, SD = 10.79). We used the Zimbardo Time Perspective Instrument (ZTPI), Spanish version, and the Maslach Burnout Inventory–General Survey (MBI-GS). Results: Emotional exhaustion factor obtained a coefficient of 0.97; cynicism factor of 0.83; and professional efficacy factor of p = 0.86. The mean of the three reliability coefficients was 0.887. With respect to the five factors of the ZTPI questionnaire: the negative past factor obtained a coefficient of p = 0.91; that of positive past p = 0.81; the present hedonistic of 0.878; the future of p = 0.83; and the fatalistic present of p = 0.90. The mean of the five coefficients, was p = 0.86. Conclusions: Within shipyard workers, burnout is associated with a negative past and negative future time perspective. This makes shipyard workers at a higher risk of developing burnout and this can have serious consequences for the sustainable employability of these blue-collar workers.

Adapting Citizen Science to Improve Health in an Occupational Setting: Preliminary Results of a Qualitative Study

Health interventions often do not reach blue-collar workers. Citizen science engages target groups in the design and execution of health interventions, but has not yet been applied in an occupational setting. This preliminary study determines barriers and facilitators and feasible elements for citizen science to improve the health of blue-collar workers. The study was conducted in a terminal and construction company by performing semi-structured interviews and focus groups with employees, company management and experts. Interviews and focus groups were analyzed using thematic content analysis and the elements were pilot tested. Workers considered work pressure, work location and several personal factors as barriers for citizen science at the worksite, and (lack of) social support and (negative) social culture both as barriers and facilitators. Citizen science to improve health at the worksite may include three elements: (1) knowledge and skills, (2) social support and social culture, and (3) awareness about lifestyle behaviors. Strategies to implement these elements may be company specific. This study provides relevant indications on feasible elements and strategies for citizen science to improve health at the worksite. Further studies on the feasibility of citizen science in other settings, including a larger and more heterogeneous sample of blue-collar workers, are necessary.

What is the most important determinant of cardiometabolic risk in 60-65-year-old subjects: physical activity-related behaviours, overall energy expenditure or occupational status? A cross-sectional study in three populations with different employment status in Poland

OBJECTIVES

The aim of the study was to determine whether cardiovascular risk factors may differ according to occupational status and whether physical activity related to total energy expenditure (PA-EE) and related to health-related behaviours (PA-HRB) is associated with common cardiovascular risk factors or metabolic syndrome in pre-elderly subjects.

METHODS

Three hundred subjects aged 60-65 were recruited and divided into three equal groups of white-collar, blue-collar workers and unemployed subjects; 50% were women. The subjects were tested for major cardiovascular risk factors such as smoking, anthropometric indices, blood pressure, lipid levels, glucose, uric acid and homocysteine. PA-EE and PA-HRB were assessed with PA questionnaires.

RESULTS

Blue-collar workers displayed higher anthropometric indices, blood pressure and higher PA-EE in comparison with other two groups. PA-HRB had a positive impact on body mass indices, lipids, glucose, uric acid and the prevalence of metabolic syndrome, with no such relationship observed for PA-EE.

CONCLUSIONS

The greatest cardiovascular risk was observed in the blue-collar workers group. Only PA-HRB had a positive association with cardiometabolic risk profile. No relationship was observed for PA-EE. Thus, promoting everyday life and leisure time PA behaviours is crucial for preventing cardiometabolic risk in pre-elderly subjects, even in blue-collar workers with high work-related EE.

Sense of Coherence, Smoking Status, Biochemical Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Body Mass in Blue Collar Workers-Short Report

The crucial cause of cardiovascular disorders is atherosclerosis developed by abnormal cholesterols levels or disorders affecting blood glucose. One of the best-known cardiovascular risk factors is also tobacco smoking. Simultaneously, sense of coherence (SoC) as a personal resource motivating to managing one's own health behaviors, such as avoiding tobacco smoking, was reported to be protective against coronary heart disease. Such association was observed in white-collar workers but not in blue-collar workers. According to the above, the present article aims to establish relationships between SoC, smoking behaviors, biochemical markers (BM): lipids and glucose levels and body mass index (BMI) in blue-collar workers. Sense of Coherence Questionnaire (SOC-29), fasting blood test, and BMI were used to assess such relationships. The study group consisted of 304 Polish males working 8-hr shifts in a 4-brigade rotating system. The analysis revealed that SoC level did not differ depending on smoking behavior. The analysis also showed no differences in BMI and BM depending on SoC. Concerning smoking status, the study group was divided into three subgroups which differed regarding triglycerides and glucose levels. The present findings considering SoC indicate that any psychological construct should not be studied separately because probably only some sets of different features may influence one's behavior and BM as well.

ELF-MF occupational exposure in die-casting and electroplating workers in Korea

A 24-h exposure assessment was performed in two groups of blue-collar workers from a die-casting plant and an electroplating plant to investigate levels of exposure to extremely low-frequency magnetic fields (ELF-MFs), using an EMDEX Lite (Enertech, USA) dosimeter. ELF-MF exposure of workers from the die-casting plant (arithmetic M ± SD 0.649 ± 1.343 µT) is higher than in electroplating workers (0.138 ± 0.045 µT). Higher ELF-MF exposure occurred among workers living in the same building as their workplace compared with that among other workers. This study suggests that ELF-MF exposure levels should be taken into consideration when providing dormitories for workers to minimize levels of residential ELF-MF exposure due to emissions from industrial plants. The study recommends that blue-collar workers should be made aware of measures to minimize their exposure to environmental agents such as ELF-MFs and electromagnetic fields during work, such as maintaining a safe distance between machines and avoiding undesirable behavior with equipment.

'It was better when it was worse': blue-collar narratives of the recent past in Belgrade

Based on oral history research conducted among networks of blue-collar workers in Belgrade, Serbia, this article develops three interrelated arguments regarding workers' appraisals of the recent past (1980-2014). Firstly, although the tumultuous years of late socialism and post-socialism in Serbia have been represented by scholars as a series of ruptures, I suggest that for blue-collar workers the boundaries between socialism and post-socialism and pre-conflict and wartime eras are blurry. Secondly, despite the conditions of war and economic collapse, blue-collar accounts of the 1990s in Serbia are not universally negative. Some individuals experienced upward social mobility, strongly influenced by class and gender positioning in late socialism. Female workers who had experienced hardship during the 1980s were often better equipped to navigate 1990s 'economies of makeshift'. Thirdly, social dislocation associated with neoliberal economic reforms since 2000 disproportionally affects blue-collar workers, reshaping narratives of late socialism and the 1990s (sometimes inducing workers to overlook or downplay coercive aspects of the Milošević regime). The accounts of this diverse group of (former) workers highlight that social class, gender and generational cohort condition the rather divergent ways in which the last three decades were experienced, are remembered and continue to be reevaluated in Serbia.

Psychosocial and ergonomic survey of office and field jobs in a utility company

INTRODUCTION

The effect of different kinds of work on the psychosocial assessment of workers under the same management and organizational environment is investigated.

METHODS

A voluntary assessment in a utility company was carried out using the short version of the Copenhagen psychosocial questionnaire (CoPsoQ) on two occasions, 1.5 years apart. Initially, 25 office workers (11 men and 14 women) participated, while 14 of those workers (8 women and 6 men) participated in the second assessment together with 32 field workers. The sewage, water treatment and maintenance workers, totaling 32 men, also participated in a field ergonomics assessment using the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries field work ergonomic checklist.

RESULTS

The longitudinal outlook was fairly stable, with sustained severe scores in many CoPsoQ subscales and intensification of severity of workers' control over work and esteem for men. A significantly higher esteem score resulted for field rather than office workers. Workers subjected to foul odors showed similar severity of psychosocial factors.

DISCUSSION

For most psychosocial dimensions, the organizational design and management system in place, as well as the overall cultural environment in which it operates, create a much stronger and more decisive impact than job-specific factors.

Prevalence and Correlates of Current and Former Smoking among Urban Transit Workers

Transit workers constitute a blue-collar occupational group that have elevated smoking rates relative to other sectors of employed adults in the United States. This study analyzed cross-sectional tobacco survey data from 935 workers (60% African American; 37% female) employed at an urban public transit agency in California. Prevalence of current and former smoking was 20.3% and 20.6%, respectively. Younger workers were less likely than older workers to be current or former smokers. Having a complete home smoking ban was associated with decreased likelihood of being a smoker [odds ratio (OR) = 0.04, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.01–0.17], as were neutral views about whether it is easy for a smoker to take a smoking break during their shift (OR = 0.50, 95% CI 0.28–0.88). Current smoking among the sample is > 50% higher than the adult statewide prevalence. Potential points of intervention identified in this study include perceived ease of worksite smoking breaks and establishing home smoking bans. Tailored cessation efforts focusing on older transit workers more likely to smoke are needed to reduce tobacco-related disparities in this workforce.

Association of objectively measured occupational walking and standing still with low back pain: a cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVES

This cross-sectional study investigated the association of objectively measured walking and standing still time at work with low back pain (LBP) intensity among blue-collar workers.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional study.

METHODS

187 workers attached two accelerometers for diurnal standing still and walking measurements, which were categorised using tertiles. Workers' self-reported LBP intensity (scale 0-9) was categorised into low (0-5) and high pain (6-9).

RESULTS

Of the 187 workers, 17% reported a high level of LBP. Results of the multi-adjusted logistic regression analysis demonstrated a negative association between walking and high LBP intensity (OR 0.24 CL 95% 0.07 to 0.79). The results between standing still and high LBP intensity were mixed and non-significant.

CONCLUSION

Blue-collar workers who walk more at work tend to have low LBP. These results should be verified using objective measures in a prospective design. Practitioner Summary: Most studies on the association of occupational walking and standing still with LBP have used poor self-reported measures. This study investigated the association of objectively measured time spent walking and standing still at work with LBP among blue-collar workers. A significant negative association between walking and LBP was found. However, because of the cross-sectional design, these results should be further investigated in prospective studies.

Snap-fits and upper limb functional limitations in German automotive workers

BACKGROUND

The use of snap-fit fasteners in automotive assembly has increased in the last 10 years. Their impact on musculoskeletal function of the upper limbs in assembly workers is not well described.

AIMS

To investigate the association between snap-fit assembly and upper limb functional limitations (ULFLs) in workers after a large-scale expansion of snap-fit assembly by a German automotive company.

METHODS

Cross-sectional data on blue-collar production workers' exposure to snap-fit assembly and ULFLs were collected from medical check-ups and company registers. The association between duration of snap-fit assembly and ULFLs, and the dose-response relationship between the two were analysed using logistic regression, adjusted for body mass index, gender and employment duration before snap-fit exposure.

RESULTS

The study group included 10722 workers. Within the company, 8.4, 6.9 and 10.3% were exposed to snap-fit 1-12, 13-24 and ≥25 months, respectively. After adjusting for confounders, snap-fit exposure for 1-12 months [odds ratio (OR) = 1.59, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.88-2.88] and 13-24 months (OR = 1.48, 95% CI 0.76-2.88) was not statistically significantly associated with ULFLs compared with an unexposed group. However, exposure to ≥25 months of snap-fit assembly was statistically significant associated with ULFLs showing >2-fold risk (OR = 2.44, 95% CI 1.52-3.92). No clear dose-response relationship was found.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study suggests a negative long-term impact from snap-fit assembly on workers' upper limb function. Company physicians should be vigilant for signs of upper limb musculoskeletal disorders among workers exposed to snap-fit assembly.

Smoking patterns, quit behaviors, and smoking environment of workers in small manufacturing companies

BACKGROUND

This study describes smokers employed at 47 small manufacturing companies in Minnesota, USA.

METHODS

Smokers (n = 713) participating in a group-randomized trial completed a baseline survey on their smoking patterns, quit behaviors, smoking environment, workplace attitudes about smoking, and correlates of smoking. These characteristics were examined by job type and a latent class analysis (LCA) was performed to group workers with similar characteristics.

RESULTS

Production workers had the highest prevalence of daily smoking (88% vs. 68% among managers), and addiction (61% vs. 26% among managers), and the highest mean level of perceived stress (6.4 vs. 4.9 among managers). The LCA identified three subgroups of smokers that differed in levels of barriers to cessation. Production workers were most likely to be in the group with greater barriers (P = 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

These results underscore the importance of targeting interventions to production workers and those who exhibit the greatest barriers to cessation.

Informing Tobacco Cessation Benefit Use Interventions for Unionized Blue-Collar Workers: A Mixed-Methods Reasoned Action Approach

Blue-collar workers typically have high rates of tobacco use but low rates of using tobacco cessation resources available through their health benefits. Interventions to motivate blue-collar tobacco users to use effective cessation support are needed. Reasoned action theory is useful in this regard as it can identify the beliefs that shape tobacco cessation benefit use intentions. However, conventional reasoned action research cannot speak to how those beliefs can best be translated into intervention messages. In the present work, we expand the reasoned action approach by adding additional qualitative inquiry to better understand blue-collar smokers' beliefs about cessation benefit use. Across three samples of unionized blue-collar tobacco users, we identified (1) the 35 attitudinal, normative, and control beliefs that represented tobacco users' belief structure about cessation benefit use; (2) instrumental attitude as most important in explaining cessation intention; (3) attitudinal beliefs about treatment options' efficacy, health effects, and monetary implications of using benefits as candidates for message design; (4) multiple interpretations of cessation beliefs (e.g., short and long-term health effects); and (5) clear implications of these interpretations for creative message design. Taken together, the findings demonstrate how a mixed-method reasoned action approach can inform interventions that promote the use of tobacco cessation health benefits.

Hearing loss in shipyard employees

Background:

Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is one of the most prevalent occupational illnesses, with a higher incidence in the heavy industry.

Objectives of the Study:

The aim of this study is to investigate the prevalence of NIHL in Greece and explore its correlations with other job and individual-related factors.

Materials and Methods:

Questionnaires were administered, and audiograms were conducted to 757 employees of a shipyard company in Greece, both white- and blue-collar, during the period 2006–2009. A modification of the 1979' equation of the American Academy of Otolaryngology was used to calculate hearing loss. Statistical analysis was conducted by means of the SPSS v. 17.

Results:

A 27.1% of the employees were hearing handicap. Hearing loss was correlated with age, past medical history of ear disease (Meniere's disease, acoustic neuroma, otosclerosis) or injury, hyperlipidemia, job title and level of education. A few questions on subjective hearing ability and symptoms showed strong discriminatory power of hearing pathology.

Conclusions:

The results of this study emphasize the burden of disease in the shipyard industry, and the need for continuous monitoring, implementation of preventive measures and hearing conservation programs.

Prevalence and Health Correlates of Work-Life Conflict among Blue- and White-Collar Workers from Different Economic Sectors

The research on work-life conflict (WLC) is largely neglected in occupational medicine and public health and typically limited to white-collar workers and public servants. This study therefore aims to explore possible differences in the prevalence of WLC and its association with health outcomes between white- and blue-collar workers from different work environments in Switzerland. Cross-sectional survey data collected in 2007 in the service sector and in 2010 in the industrial sector were used for statistical analyses. A subsample of university graduates employed by large service companies (N = 1,170) from the first survey’s population was taken and compared with a subsample of low or unskilled industrial and construction workers with no or only compulsory education (N = 489) from the second survey’s population. The results show almost consistently, and particularly in women, a lower prevalence of time- and strain-based forms and both causal directions of WLC in blue-collar workers. However, associations between different WLC measures and general, physical and mental health outcomes were found to be equally strong or even stronger among blue-collar workers compared to white-collar workers. Low or unskilled industrial and construction workers are less frequently affected by higher degrees of WLC but are then at no lower risk of suffering poor self-rated health or severe backaches and sleep disorders than university graduates working in the service sector with comparable exposure to WLC. In conclusion, it can be stated that WLC turned out to be much less prevalent but equally or even more detrimental to health in blue-collar workers, who therefore need to be considered in future studies.

Occupational contact dermatitis in blue-collar workers: results from a multicentre study from the Danish Contact Dermatitis Group (2003-2012)

BACKGROUND

Blue-collar workers have a high risk of occupational contact dermatitis, but epidemiological studies are scarce.

OBJECTIVES

To investigate allergic contact dermatitis in blue-collar workers with dermatitis registered by the Danish Contact Dermatitis Group.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis of patch test data from 1471 blue-collar workers and 1471 matched controls tested between 2003 and 2012 was performed. A logistic regression was used to test for associations.

RESULTS

The blue-collar workers often had occupational hand dermatitis (p < 0.001). Atopic dermatitis was less commonly observed among blue-collar workers (19.6%) than among controls (23.9%) (p = 0.005). Allergens with a statistically significant association with the occupational group of blue-collar workers were epoxy resins, methyldibromo glutaronitrile, 2-bromo-2-nitro-1,3-propanediol, potassium dichromate, and methylchloroisothiazolinone (MCI)/methylisothiazolinone (MI). The following occupations were additionally identified as risk factors for contact sensitization to MCI/MI and MI, epoxy resins, and potassium dichromate, respectively: painting, construction work, and tile setting/terrazzo work.

CONCLUSION

Contact allergy is a major problem among blue-collar workers. The data indicate a healthy worker effect among blue-collar workers diagnosed with dermatitis, as blue-collar workers were diagnosed significantly less often with atopic dermatitis than were controls.

The association between occupational exposures and cigarette smoking among operating engineers

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between occupational exposures and cigarette smoking among operating engineers. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with operating engineers (N = 412) from a midwestern state in the United States. The survey included validated questions on cigarette smoking, occupational exposures, demographics, comorbidities, and health behaviors. About 35% were current smokers. Those exposed to asphalt fumes, heat stress, concrete dust, and welding fumes were less likely to smoke (odds ratio [OR] = .79, 95% confidence interval [CI]: .64-.98). Other factors associated with smoking included younger age (OR = .97, 95% CI: .94-.99), problem drinking (OR = 1.07, 95% CI: 1.03-1.12), lower Body Mass Index (OR = .95, 95% CI: .90-.99), and being separated/widowed/divorced (OR = 2.24, 95% CI: 1.19-4.20). Further investigation is needed for better understanding about job-specific exposure patterns and their impact on cigarette smoking among operating engineers.

Predictors of health-promoting behavior associated with cardiovascular diseases among Korean blue-collar workers

The aim of this study was to investigate the contribution of actual cardiovascular disease (CVD) risks, psychosocial and work-related factors as predictors of health behavior. A sample of 234 Korean blue-collar workers, who worked in small companies, was included in this cross-sectional study. Data collection included a survey; anthropometric and blood pressure measures; and blood sampling. Multiple regression analyses showed that the model explained 30% of the variance in health behavior of blue-collar workers. The significant predictors for health behavior included education level, perceived general health, greater family function, higher social support, decision latitude, and non-shift work. Future research should focus on incorporating these significant predictors into effective behavioral interventions designed to promote cardiovascular health in this population.

Low back pain and widespread pain predict sickness absence among industrial workers

BACKGROUND

The prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) in the aluminium industry is high, and there is a considerable work-related fraction. More knowledge about the predictors of sickness absence from MSD in this industry will be valuable in determining strategies for prevention. The aim of this study was to analyse the relative impact of body parts, psychosocial and individual factors as predictors for short- and long-term sickness absence from MSD among industrial workers.

METHODS

A follow-up study was conducted among all the workers at eight aluminium plants in Norway. A questionnaire was completed by 5654 workers at baseline in 1998. A total of 3320 of these participated in the follow-up study in 2000. Cox regression analysis was applied to investigate the relative impact of MSD in various parts of the body and of psychosocial and individual factors reported in 1998 on short-term and long-term sickness absence from MSD reported in 2000.

RESULTS

MSD accounted for 45% of all working days lost the year prior to follow-up in 2000. Blue-collar workers had significantly higher risk than white-collar workers for both short- and long-term sickness absence from MSD (long-term sickness absence: RR = 3.04, 95% CI 2.08-4.45). Widespread and low back pain in 1998 significantly predicted both short- and long-term sickness absence in 2000. In addition, shoulder pain predicted long-term sickness absence. Low social support predicted short-term sickness absence (RR = 1.28, 95% CI 1.11-1.49).

CONCLUSIONS

Reducing sickness absence from MSD among industrial workers requires focusing on the working conditions of blue-collar workers and risk factors for low back pain and widespread pain. Increasing social support in the work environment may have effects in reducing short-term sickness absence from MSD.