Obesity as a Possible Risk Factor for Lost-time Injury in Registered Nurses: A Literature Review

A comparative study of the effectiveness of self-management and group management on the amount of weight loss of nurses under low-calorie diet treatment: A simultaneous mixed-methods study

BACKGROUND

Nursing is a profession that is associated with a lot of stress and a risk of being overweight or obese. The purpose of this research was to determine the comparative effectiveness of self-management (self-M) and group management (group-M) on nurses who were following a diet with the aim of proposing a proper planning and a healthy lifestyle for them.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This study was a simultaneous mixed-methods design (interventional and qualitative). The participants were all overweight or obese nurses working in teaching hospitals at Guilan University of Medical Sciences in 2019 (n = 96). In the qualitative part, data were extracted from semi-structured interviews. For quantitative data analysis, relevant statistical methods such as Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) were used. For qualitative data analysis, the conventional content analysis approach was used and Lincoln and Guba's criteria were applied to ensure the accuracy of the data.

RESULTS

In both quantitative and qualitative sections, the results showed that following a diet treatment with group-M is more effective than self-M.

CONCLUSION

The results showed that a healthy lifestyle can be achieved for nurses if they participate in training classes and group programs, which are proven to be effective based on this article and some other studies. Also, since weight gain and obesity, as one of the most important problems of health systems, continue to increase and can impose a heavy economic and social burden on human societies, various general policies should be used and these solutions can range from home to society to prevent and control them.

Body mass index and occupational accidents among health care workers in a large university hospital

INTRODUCTION

Obesity is associated with a number of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases and cancers. The association of obesity with occupational accidents has been suggested although the evidence is less convincing. The objective of the study is to analyse the relationship between BMI values and ergonomic accidents in a large University Hospital.

METHODS

The relationship between body mass index (BMI) and the incidence of ergonomic occupational accidents over a period of 8 years was investigated in a cohort of employees of a large University Hospital, covering almost 27,000 person-years of observation. This relationship was stratified according to the variables age, gender, functional status within the organization and work schedule (part-time or full time). Height and weight were objectively measured, demographic data were obtained from the human resource department and the registration of ergonomic accidents was carried out by the safety and prevention department of the hospital.

RESULTS

The number of ergonomic accidents, expressed as number/1000 person-years was higher for female employees compared to male employees, increased with age and markedly increased from functional class A (leading or expert function and higher educational level) to D (executive function in patient care and technical department). However, the incidence of ergonomic accidents accompanied by loss of working time was not significantly associated with BMI, independently of age and gender. In addition, the type of accident and the severity of the accidents expressed as the number of days absent from work were unrelated to BMI.

CONCLUSION

No independent relationship between BMI and the incidence of ergonomic accidents could be identified in our cohort. Tailoring working conditions to individual BMI levels is not recommended.

Meta-analysis of nursing-related organizational and psychosocial predictors of sickness absence

BACKGROUND

Nursing is a stressful occupation with high rates of sickness absence. To date, there are no meta-analyses that statistically determined the correlates of sickness absence in this population.

AIMS

This meta-analysis examined organizational and psychosocial predictors of sickness absence among nursing staff.

METHODS

As a registered systematic review (PROSPERO: CRD42017071040), which followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses, five databases (CINAHL, PROQuest Allied, PROQuest database theses, PsycINFO, PubMed) were reviewed to examine predictors of sickness absence in nurses and nursing assistants between 1990 and 2019. The Population/Intervention/Comparison/Outcome tool was used to support our searches. Effect sizes were analysed using random-effects model.

RESULTS

Following critical appraisals using (i) National Institutes of Health's Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-Sectional Studies and (ii) Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology, 21 studies were included. Nursing assistants had greater odds of sickness absence than nurses. Working night shifts, in paediatrics or psychiatric units, experiencing poor mental health, and fatigue, also increased the odds of sickness absence. There was no evidence that job satisfaction or job strain influenced sickness absence; however, job demand increased the likelihood. Finally, work support reduced the odds of lost-time.

CONCLUSIONS

We synthesized three decades of research where several factors influenced sickness absence. Due to limited recent research, the results should be interpreted with caution as some practices may have changed overtime or between countries. Nevertheless, these findings could help in applying preventative strategies to mitigate lost-time in a vulnerable working population.

Risk behaviors among Italian healthcare students: a cross-sectional study for health promotion of future healthcare workers

Background:

Risk behaviors are frequent among young adults and they are particularly relevant when considering healthcare students.

Objectives:

The study is aimed to examine the prevalence of smoking, binge drinking, physical inactivity, and excessive bodyweight in a population of healthcare students attending an Italian university.

Methods:

Healthcare students filled an anonymous multiple-choice questionnaire on the occasion of the occupational health visit that preceded their hospital internship. The questionnaire covered socio-demographic characteristics (including student’s working status and cohabitation) and risk behaviors. We evaluated the prevalence of risk behaviors and their association with socio-demographic characteristics.

Results:

The sample consisted of 494 students (65% women): 23.2% were smokers, 7.9% had excessive bodyweight, 35% did not practice any physical activity and 50% reported binge drinking at least once in the last 12 months. We found associations of male sex (30.5%) and being nursing students (29.9%) with smoking habit. The frequency of binge drinking was higher in men (38.4%), working students (53.9%), and among those who lived without family (50%). Physical inactivity was associated with female sex (44.2%) and living without family (57.1%). Finally, the co-presence of 2 risk behaviors or more was higher in men (36.8%), in nursing students (39.6%) and in working students (44.7%).

Conclusions:

Our findings regarding the prevalence of risk behaviors and their potential association with socio-demographic factors may be a clue to the definition of targeted strategies aimed at reducing of risk behaviors among healthcare students.

Work Disability Prevention: A Primer for Occupational Therapists

An estimated 313 million workplace accidents resulting in injury occur worldwide every year. Therefore, the burden of workplace injury and disability is present at the individual and the societal level and involves several stakeholders. There has been a shift in paradigm from workplace disability and injury treatment to workplace disability prevention. Occupational therapy practitioners are well positioned to address this multifaceted societal issue. Opening communication lines among stakeholders allows for a more holistic, collaborative, and comprehensive approach to disability, injury, and pain management. The positive results researchers have found at the individual level when using a holistic approach translate to benefits for all of the stakeholders involved. Occupational therapy practitioners may espouse a work disability prevention approach to reduce work disability rates and provide timely return-to-work outcomes for clients. The transition to the preventative model requires collaboration among stakeholders but would be beneficial to all stakeholders involved in the workplace.

Understanding perceived determinants of nurses' eating and physical activity behaviour: a theory-informed qualitative interview study

BACKGROUND

Unhealthy eating and physical activity behaviours are common among nurses but little is known about determinants of eating and physical activity behaviour in this population. The present study used a theoretical framework which summarises the many possible determinants of different health behaviours (the Theoretical Domains Framework; TDF) to systematically explore the most salient determinants of unhealthy eating and physical activity behaviour in hospital-based nurses.

METHODS

Semi-structured qualitative interviews based on the TDF were conducted with nurses (n = 16) to explore factors that behavioural theories suggest may influence nurses' eating and physical activity behaviour. Important determinants of the target behaviours were identified using both inductive coding (of categories emerging from the data) and deductive coding (of categories derived from the TDF) of the qualitative data.

RESULTS

Thirteen of the fourteen domains in the TDF were found to influence nurses' eating and physical activity behaviour. Within these domains, important barriers to engaging in healthy eating and physical activity behaviour were shift work, fatigue, stress, beliefs about negative consequences, the behaviours of family and friends and lack of planning. Important factors reported to enable engagement with healthy eating and physical activity behaviours were beliefs about benefits, the use of self-monitoring strategies, support from work colleagues, confidence, shift work, awareness of useful guidelines and strategies, good mood, future holidays and receiving compliments.

CONCLUSIONS

This study used a theory-informed approach by applying the TDF to identify the key perceived determinants of nurses' eating and physical activity behaviour. The findings suggest that future efforts to change nurses' eating and physical activity behaviours should consider targeting a broad range of environmental, interpersonal and intrapersonal level factors, consistent with a socio-ecological perspective.

Beating Obesity: Factors Associated with Interest in Workplace Weight Management Assistance in the Mining Industry

Background

Rates of overweight and obese Australians are high and continue to rise, putting a large proportion of the population at risk of chronic illness. Examining characteristics associated with preference for a work-based weight-loss program will enable employers to better target programs to increase enrolment and benefit employees' health and fitness for work.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey was undertaken at two Australian mining sites. The survey collected information on employee demographics, health characteristics, work characteristics, stages of behavior change, and preference for workplace assistance with reaching a healthy weight.

Results

A total of 897 employees participated; 73.7% were male, and 68% had a body mass index in the overweight or obese range. Employees at risk of developing obesity-related chronic illnesses (based on high body mass index) were more likely to report preference for weight management assistance than lower risk employees. This indicates that, even in the absence of workplace promotion for weight management, some at risk employees want workplace assistance. Employees who were not aware of a need to change their current nutrition or physical activity behaviors were less likely to seek assistance. This indicates that practitioners need to communicate the negative effects of excess weight and promote the benefits of a healthy lifestyle to increase the likelihood of weight management.

Conclusion

Weight management programs should provide information, motivation. and trouble-shooting assistance to meet the needs of at-risk mining employees, including those who are attempting to change and maintain behaviors to achieve a healthy weight and be suitably fit for work.

Age, human performance, and physical employment standards

The proportion of older workers has increased substantially in recent years, with over 25% of the Canadian labour force aged ≥55 years. Along with chronological age comes age-related declines in functional capacity associated with impairments to the cardiorespiratory and muscular systems. As a result, older workers are reported to exhibit reductions in work output and in the ability to perform and/or sustain the required effort when performing work tasks. However, research has presented some conflicting views on the consequences of aging in the workforce, as physically demanding occupations can be associated with improved or maintained physical function. Furthermore, the current methods for evaluating physical function in older workers often lack specificity and relevance to the actual work tasks, leading to an underestimation of physical capacity in the older worker. Nevertheless, industry often lacks the appropriate information and/or tools to accommodate the aging workforce, particularly in the context of physical employment standards. Ultimately, if appropriate workplace strategies and work performance standards are adopted to optimize the strengths and protect against the vulnerability of the aging workers, they can perform as effectively as their younger counterparts. Our aim in this review is to evaluate the impact of different individual (including physiological decline, chronic disease, lifestyle, and physical activity) and occupational (including shift work, sleep deprivation, and cold/heat exposure) factors on the physical decline of older workers, and therefore the risk of work-related injuries or illness.