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Ngabirano L, Fadel M, Leclerc A, Evanoff BA, Dale AM, Roquelaure Y, Descatha A. Comparison Between a Job-Exposure Matrix (JEM) Score and Self-Reported Exposures for Carrying Heavy Loads Over the Working Lifetime in the CONSTANCES Cohort. Ann Work Expo Health 2020; 64:455-460. [PMID: 32105298 DOI: 10.1093/annweh/wxaa015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2019] [Revised: 01/27/2020] [Accepted: 01/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Job-exposure matrices (JEMs) were developed to allow assessment of past work exposure for large population-based studies where better exposures data are unavailable. Few studies have directly compared biomechanical JEMs to self-administered questionnaires. We compared assessments of cumulative exposure to carrying heavy loads based on 'JEM Constances' to individually self-reported (SR) exposures. METHODS In the French CONSTANCES cohort at inception, past SR exposure to carrying heavy loads (ever/never and durations) and a detailed job history were available for 26 929 subjects. JEM Constances, an existing biomechanical JEM based on SR current exposures from 26 821 asymptomatic workers, was combined with job history to build a cumulative biomechanical exposure score. Using individual SR exposure as the reference, Area Under the Curve (AUC) of Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves, sensitivity, and specificity were calculated. For both methods, associations with low back pain and knee pain were computed using multinomial logistic models. Additional analyses compared older (>10 years) to more recent (≤10 years) exposures. RESULTS AUCs ranged from 0.795 (0.789-0.800) when all periods were considered, to 0.826 (0.820-0.833) for more recent biomechanical exposure (≤10 years). Associations between carrying heavy loads and low back pain or knee pain were less strong using JEM assessment than individually SR exposure: for low back pain ORSR = 3.02 (2.79-3.26) versus ORJEM = 1.70 (1.59-1.82) and for knee pain ORSR = 2.27 (2.10-2.46) versus ORJEM = 1.64 (1.53-1.77). CONCLUSIONS JEM Constances' assessment of cumulative exposure of carrying heavy loads seems to be a useful method compared to a self-administrated questionnaire for large population-based studies where other methods are not available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laure Ngabirano
- Univ Angers, CHU Angers, Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail)-UMR_S 1085, Angers cedex, France.,Versailles St-Quentin Univ, Paris Sud Univ, Paris Saclay Univ, Inserm, UMR 1168 UMS011, Villejuif cedex, France
| | - Marc Fadel
- Versailles St-Quentin Univ, Paris Sud Univ, Paris Saclay Univ, Inserm, UMR 1168 UMS011, Villejuif cedex, France.,AP-HP, UVSQ, Unité Hospitalo-Universitaire de Santé professionnelle Hôpitaux Universitaires de Paris Ile-de-France Ouest, site Raymond Poincaré, Garches, France
| | - Annette Leclerc
- Versailles St-Quentin Univ, Paris Sud Univ, Paris Saclay Univ, Inserm, UMR 1168 UMS011, Villejuif cedex, France
| | - Bradley A Evanoff
- Division of General Medical Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Ann Marie Dale
- Division of General Medical Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Yves Roquelaure
- Univ Angers, CHU Angers, Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail)-UMR_S 1085, Angers cedex, France
| | - Alexis Descatha
- Univ Angers, CHU Angers, Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail)-UMR_S 1085, Angers cedex, France.,Versailles St-Quentin Univ, Paris Sud Univ, Paris Saclay Univ, Inserm, UMR 1168 UMS011, Villejuif cedex, France.,AP-HP, UVSQ, Unité Hospitalo-Universitaire de Santé professionnelle Hôpitaux Universitaires de Paris Ile-de-France Ouest, site Raymond Poincaré, Garches, France
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Valdez LA, Morrill KE, Griffith DM, Lindberg NM, Hooker SP, Garcia DO. Mexican Origin Hispanic Men's Perspectives of Physical Activity-Related Health Behaviors. Am J Mens Health 2020; 13:1557988319834112. [PMID: 30819068 PMCID: PMC6775557 DOI: 10.1177/1557988319834112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Approximately 83% of Hispanic men of Mexican origin are overweight or obese, which are both associated with increased risk of chronic disease and all-cause mortality. Consequently, men of Mexican origin have some of the highest prevalence rates of obesity-related comorbidities. Physical activity (PA) may be an important strategy for Hispanic men of Mexican origin in reducing incidence and risk factors of lifestyle diseases. The current study engaged Spanish-speaking, Hispanic men of Mexican origin aged 24–64 years with overweight/obesity to examine perspectives of health behaviors related to PA. A total of 14 in-depth semistructured individual interviews were completed between September and November of 2015 and data analyzed using an iterative deductive–inductive thematic assessment strategy. The men suggested that their PA was hindered by (a) work-related energy and time constraints, (b) socioeconomic status (SES) and the need to prioritize work, (c) adaptations to majority population lifestyle norms, and (d) perceived lack of suitable access to PA-promoting spaces. The men provided valuable insight for strategies to improve PA interventions such as (a) accurately accounting for current PA levels of participants, including occupational and transportation PA, (b) considerations of family dynamics that influence PA-based behavior change, and (c) considerations of economic and geographical constraints that can be remediated. To improve effectiveness, future PA-related intervention research with Hispanic men of Mexican origin should consider methods that (a) account for transportation and occupational PA to better tailor PA to individual needs, (b) consider sociocultural and socioeconomic influences, (c) account for social support and accountability, and (d) consider economic and geographical constraints.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis A Valdez
- 1 School of Public Health and Health Sciences, Department of Health Promotion and Policy, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Kristin E Morrill
- 2 College of Agriculture & Life Sciences, Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Derek M Griffith
- 3 Center for Research on Men's Health, Center for Medicine, Health and Society, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | | | - Steven P Hooker
- 5 College of Health and Human Services, San Diego State University, CA, USA
| | - David O Garcia
- 6 Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, Department of Health Promotion Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
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Blackley BH, Cummings KJ, Stanton M, Stefaniak AB, Gibbs JL, Park JY, Harvey RR, Virji MA. Work Tasks as Determinants of Respirable and Inhalable Indium Exposure among Workers at an Indium-Tin Oxide Production and Reclamation Facility. Ann Work Expo Health 2020; 64:175-184. [PMID: 31803905 PMCID: PMC9969414 DOI: 10.1093/annweh/wxz091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2019] [Revised: 10/22/2019] [Accepted: 11/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Increased global demand for touch screens, photovoltaics, and optoelectronics has resulted in an increase in the production of indium-tin oxide (ITO). Occupational exposure to indium compounds is associated with the development of indium lung disease. Although many previous epidemiologic investigations highlight an excess of lung abnormalities in workplaces where ITO is produced, few assessments of occupational exposure to respirable and inhalable indium are reported to date. The objective of this study was to identify the determinants of respirable and inhalable indium at an ITO production facility to target exposure interventions. In 2012 and 2014, we conducted exposure assessments at an ITO production facility and collected full-shift personal respirable (n = 159) and inhalable (n = 57) indium samples. We also observed workers and recorded information on task duration and location, materials used, and use of personal protective equipment (PPE). Tasks (n = 121) recorded in task diaries were categorized into 40 similar task groups using the Advanced REACH Tool and process-related information. Mixed-effects models were fit separately for log-transformed respirable and inhalable indium, with random effect of subject and fixed effects of task groups. Overall, respirable and inhalable indium measurements ranged from 0.1 to 796.6 µg m-3 and 1.6 to 10 585.7 µg m-3, respectively, and were highly correlated with Spearman correlation coefficient of 0.90. The final model for respirable indium explained 36.3% of total variance and identified sanding, powder transfer tasks in reclaim, powder transfer tasks in refinery, handling indium materials, and liquid transfer tasks in ITO production as tasks associated with increased respirable indium exposure. The final model for inhalable indium explained 24.6% of total variance and included powder transfer tasks in ITO production, cleaning cylinder or tile, and handling indium material tasks. Tasks identified as strong predictors of full-shift exposure to respirable and inhalable indium can guide the use of engineering, administrative, and PPE controls designed to mitigate occupational exposure to indium. Moreover, since the tasks were aligned with REACH activities, results from this study can also be used to inform REACH activity scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brie Hawley Blackley
- Respiratory Health Division, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, CDC, 1095 Willowdale Rd, MS 2800, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA,Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. Tel: +1-304-285-5751; fax: +1-304-285-5820;
| | - Kristin J. Cummings
- Respiratory Health Division, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, CDC, 1095 Willowdale Rd, MS 2800, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA
| | - Marcia Stanton
- Respiratory Health Division, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, CDC, 1095 Willowdale Rd, MS 2800, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA
| | - Aleksandr B. Stefaniak
- Respiratory Health Division, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, CDC, 1095 Willowdale Rd, MS 2800, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA
| | - Jenna L. Gibbs
- Respiratory Health Division, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, CDC, 1095 Willowdale Rd, MS 2800, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA,Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, University of Iowa, 105 River Street, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Ji Young Park
- Respiratory Health Division, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, CDC, 1095 Willowdale Rd, MS 2800, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA,Institute of Health and Environment, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, Korea
| | - R. Reid Harvey
- Respiratory Health Division, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, CDC, 1095 Willowdale Rd, MS 2800, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA
| | - M. Abbas Virji
- Respiratory Health Division, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, CDC, 1095 Willowdale Rd, MS 2800, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA
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Pulido JA, Barrero LH, Mathiassen SE, Dennerlein JT. Correctness of Self-Reported Task Durations: A Systematic Review. Ann Work Expo Health 2018; 62:1-16. [PMID: 29228093 DOI: 10.1093/annweh/wxx094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2017] [Accepted: 10/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives Duration of tasks in a job is an essential interest in occupational epidemiology. Such duration is frequently measured using self-reports, which may, however, be associated with both bias and random errors. The present systematic literature review examines the correctness of self-reported durations of tasks, i.e. the extent to which they differ from more valid reference data due to either systematic or random errors, and factors influencing this correctness, with particular emphasis on the assessment of exposures of relevance to musculoskeletal disorders. Methods The search for relevant studies included the databases ISI Web of Science, MEDLINE, EBSCO HOST, Proquest, and Psycnet. Results Thirty-two articles were identified; of which, 23 examined occupational tasks and 9 examined non-occupational tasks. Agreement between self-reports and a more correct reference was reported for, in total, 182 tasks. Average proportional errors were, for most tasks, between -50% (i.e. underestimations) and +100%, with a dominance of overestimations; 22% of all results considered overestimations of 100% or more. For 15% of the 182 reported tasks, the mean difference between the self-reported and the reference duration value was <5%, and 20% of the 182 mean differences were between 5 and 20%. In general, respondents were able to correctly distinguish tasks of a longer duration from shorter tasks, even though the actual durations were not correct. A number of factors associated with the task per se appeared to influence agreement between self-reports and reference data, including type of task, true task duration, task pattern across time (continuous versus discontinuous), and whether the addressed task is composed of subtasks. The musculoskeletal health status of the respondent did not have a clear effect on the ability to correctly report task durations. Studies differed in key design characteristics and detail of information reported, which hampers a formal aggregation of results. Conclusions The correctness of self-reported task durations is, at the best, moderate at the individual level, and this may present a significant problem when using self-reports in task-based assessment of individual job exposures. However, average self-reports at the group level appear reasonably correct and may thus be a viable method in studies addressing, for instance, the relative occurrence of tasks in a production system. Due to the disparity of studies, definite conclusions on the quantitative effect on agreement of different modifiers are not justified, and we encourage future studies specifically devoted to understanding and controlling sources of bias in self-reported task durations. We also encourage studies developing decision support for when to apply or avoid self-reports to measure task durations, depending on study purpose and occupational setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean A Pulido
- Department of Industrial Engineering, School of Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Facultad de Ingeniería, Colombia
| | - Lope H Barrero
- Department of Industrial Engineering, School of Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Facultad de Ingeniería, Colombia
| | - Svend Erik Mathiassen
- Centre for Musculoskeletal Research, Department of Occupational and Public Health Sciences, University of Gävle, Sweden
| | - Jack T Dennerlein
- Department of Physical Therapy, Movement and Rehabilitation Science, Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, USA
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Thompson JF, Severson RL, Rosecrance JC. Occupational physical activity in brewery and office workers. J Occup Environ Hyg 2018; 15:686-699. [PMID: 30188781 DOI: 10.1080/15459624.2018.1492136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2017] [Revised: 05/18/2018] [Accepted: 06/06/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Active lifestyles are beneficial to health and well-being but our workplaces may not be inherently supportive of physical activity at work. With the increasing use of technology in the workplace, many jobs are becoming more sedentary. The purpose of this study was to characterize levels of occupational physical activity (OPA) among active and sedentary workers. Two types of activity trackers (Fitbit Charge HR and Hexoskin) were used to assess activity measures (steps, heart rate, and energy expenditure) among workers during one full work shift. The first objective of the study was to assess the agreement between two types of accelerometer-based activity trackers as measures of occupational physical activity. The second objective of this study was to assess differences in measures of OPA among workers in generally physically active (brewery) and sedentary (office) work environments. Occupational physical activity data were collected from 50 workers in beer-brewing tasks and 51 workers in office work tasks. The 101 subjects were from the brewing service sector, a call center, and an engineering office within a manufacturing facility. A two-factor repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to assess the two activity tracking devices while two-sample t-tests were used to compare the two worker groups. There were statistically significant differences in total steps and mean heart rate between the two devices. When comparing the two groups of workers there were statistically significant differences in measures of steps, mean heart rate, and energy expenditure. The results of the present study provide quantitative evidence that levels of OPA should be identified for different work groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janalee F Thompson
- a Colorado School of Public Health Center for Health , Work & Environment , Aurora , Colorado
- b Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Science , Colorado State University , Fort Collins , Colorado
| | - Rachel L Severson
- b Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Science , Colorado State University , Fort Collins , Colorado
| | - John C Rosecrance
- b Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Science , Colorado State University , Fort Collins , Colorado
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6
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Arias OE, Caban-Martinez AJ, Umukoro PE, Okechukwu CA, Dennerlein JT. Physical activity levels at work and outside of work among commercial construction workers. J Occup Environ Med 2015; 57:73-8. [PMID: 25563543 DOI: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000000303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Characterize the number of minutes of moderate and vigorous physical activities at work and outside of work during seven consecutive days, in a sample of 55 commercial construction workers. METHODS Workers wore accelerometers during work and outside-of-work hours for seven consecutive days and completed brief survey at the seventh day of data collection. RESULTS From the directly measured physical activity, the average number per participant of moderate minutes of occupational physical activity and physical activity outside of work obtained in short bouts were 243 minutes (65%) and 130 minutes (35%), respectively. Directly measured minutes of vigorous occupational physical activity were significant and positively correlated with self-reported fatigue. CONCLUSIONS Among commercial construction workers, physical activity from work contributes significantly, approximately two thirds, toward a worker's total amount of weekly minutes of moderate physical activity.
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Berolo S, Steenstra I, Amick BC, Wells RP. A comparison of two methods to assess the usage of mobile hand-held communication devices. J Occup Environ Hyg 2015; 12:276-285. [PMID: 25436479 DOI: 10.1080/15459624.2014.973111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The purposes of this study were to: 1) examine agreement between self-reported measures of mobile device use and direct measures of use, and 2) understand how respondents thought about their device use when they provided self-reports. Self-reports of six categories of device use were obtained using a previously developed questionnaire, and direct measures of use were collected using a custom logging application (n = 47). Bland-Altman analyses were used to examine agreement between the two measurement approaches. Interviews targeted participants' experiences completing the device use section of the questionnaire. Self-reports of use on a typical day last week overestimated logged use. Overestimates tended to be low at low average usage times, and became more variable as usage time increased. Self-reports of use yesterday also exceeded logged use, however the degree of overestimation was less than for a typical day last week. Six themes were identified from interviews, including the thought process used by participants to arrive at usage and the ease of reporting usage. It is challenging for respondents of this questionnaire to provide accurate self-reports of use. The source of this challenge may be attributed to the intrinsic difficulty of estimating use, partly due to the multiple functions of the devices as well as the variability of use both within a day and a week. Research investigating the relationship between device use and health outcomes should include a logging application to examine exposure simultaneously with self-reports to better understand the sources of hazardous exposures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophia Berolo
- a Department of Kinesiology , University of Waterloo , Waterloo , Ontario , Canada
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Eijckelhof BHW, Huysmans MA, Blatter BM, Leider PC, Johnson PW, van Dieën JH, Dennerlein JT, van der Beek AJ. Office workers' computer use patterns are associated with workplace stressors. Appl Ergon 2014; 45:1660-1667. [PMID: 25005311 DOI: 10.1016/j.apergo.2014.05.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2013] [Revised: 04/09/2014] [Accepted: 05/26/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
This field study examined associations between workplace stressors and office workers' computer use patterns. We collected keyboard and mouse activities of 93 office workers (68F, 25M) for approximately two work weeks. Linear regression analyses examined the associations between self-reported effort, reward, overcommitment, and perceived stress and software-recorded computer use duration, number of short and long computer breaks, and pace of input device usage. Daily duration of computer use was, on average, 30 min longer for workers with high compared to low levels of overcommitment and perceived stress. The number of short computer breaks (30 s-5 min long) was approximately 20% lower for those with high compared to low effort and for those with low compared to high reward. These outcomes support the hypothesis that office workers' computer use patterns vary across individuals with different levels of workplace stressors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Belinda H W Eijckelhof
- Department of Public and Occupational Health and the EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, PO Box 7057, 1007 MB Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Body@Work Research Center on Physical Activity, Work and Health, TNO-VU/VUmc, PO Box 7057, 1007 MB Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Maaike A Huysmans
- Department of Public and Occupational Health and the EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, PO Box 7057, 1007 MB Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Body@Work Research Center on Physical Activity, Work and Health, TNO-VU/VUmc, PO Box 7057, 1007 MB Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Birgitte M Blatter
- Body@Work Research Center on Physical Activity, Work and Health, TNO-VU/VUmc, PO Box 7057, 1007 MB Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research, TNO, Postbus 718, 2130 AS Hoofddorp, The Netherlands
| | - Priscilla C Leider
- Department of Public and Occupational Health and the EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, PO Box 7057, 1007 MB Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Peter W Johnson
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Box 357234, Seattle, USA
| | - Jaap H van Dieën
- Body@Work Research Center on Physical Activity, Work and Health, TNO-VU/VUmc, PO Box 7057, 1007 MB Amsterdam, The Netherlands; MOVE Research Institute Amsterdam, Faculty of Human Movement Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, Van der Boechorststraat 9, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jack T Dennerlein
- Department of Public and Occupational Health and the EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, PO Box 7057, 1007 MB Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Boston, USA; Department of Physical Therapy, Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, USA
| | - Allard J van der Beek
- Department of Public and Occupational Health and the EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, PO Box 7057, 1007 MB Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Body@Work Research Center on Physical Activity, Work and Health, TNO-VU/VUmc, PO Box 7057, 1007 MB Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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Olson R, Wipfli B, Wright RR, Garrigues L, Nguyen T, López de Castro B. Reliability and validity of the Home Care STAT (Safety Task Assessment Tool). Appl Ergon 2014; 45:1157-1166. [PMID: 24629346 DOI: 10.1016/j.apergo.2014.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2013] [Revised: 12/04/2013] [Accepted: 02/10/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Home care workers are a priority population for ergonomic assessment and intervention, but research on caregivers' exposures to hazards is limited. The current project evaluated the reliability and validity of an ergonomic self-assessment tool called Home Care STAT (Safety Task Assessment Tool). Participants (N = 23) completed a background survey followed by 10-14 days of self-monitoring with the STAT. Results showed that the most frequent task was house cleaning, and that participants regularly performed dangerous manual client moving and transferring tasks. Researcher in-home observations of 14 workers (duration ≤ 2 h) demonstrated that workers' self-assessments were moderately reliable. Correlational and multi-level analyses of daily self-assessment data revealed that several task exposures were significantly related to daily fatigue and/or pain. Other associations have implications for Total Worker Health™; for example, daily stress was positively associated with both pain and consumption of high calorie snacks. Findings support the STAT as a reliable and potentially valid tool for measuring home care workers' exposures to physically demanding tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Olson
- Oregon Health & Science University, Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd., L606, Portland, OR 97239-3098, USA; Oregon Health & Science University, Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, CB 669, Portland, OR 97239-3098, USA; Portland State University, Department of Psychology, P.O. Box 751, Portland, OR 97207-0751, USA.
| | - Brad Wipfli
- Oregon Health & Science University, Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd., L606, Portland, OR 97239-3098, USA.
| | - Robert R Wright
- Oregon Health & Science University, Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd., L606, Portland, OR 97239-3098, USA; Portland State University, Department of Psychology, P.O. Box 751, Portland, OR 97207-0751, USA.
| | - Layla Garrigues
- Oregon Health & Science University, School of Nursing, 3455 SW US Veterans Hospital Rd., Portland, OR 97239-2941, USA.
| | - Thuan Nguyen
- Oregon Health & Science University, Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, CB 669, Portland, OR 97239-3098, USA.
| | - Borja López de Castro
- University of Valencia, Department of Social Psychology, Avda. Blasco Ibáñez 21, 46010 Valencia, Spain.
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Umukoro PE, Arias OE, Stoffel SD, Hopcia K, Sorensen G, Dennerlein JT. Physical Activity at Work Contributes Little to Patient Care Workers' Weekly Totals. J Occup Environ Med 2013; 55:S63-8. [DOI: 10.1097/jom.0000000000000046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Barrero LH, Pulido JA, Berrio S, Monroy M, Quintana LA, Ceballos C, Hoehne-Hueckstaedt U, Ellegast R. Physical workloads of the upper-extremity among workers of the Colombian flower industry. Am J Ind Med 2012; 55:926-39. [PMID: 22847615 DOI: 10.1002/ajim.22102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/02/2012] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND We report the prevalence of symptoms of common upper-limb disorders and describe comprehensively mechanical workloads in a sample of workers of the Colombian flower industry. METHODS One hundred fifty eight workers from eight flower manufacturers were assessed. Assessments included Borg self-reported exertion and working practices, medical examinations, video-based observations and kinematic and surface muscular activity assessments of upper-limb. RESULTS Point prevalence of signs and symptoms of CTS, epicondylitis, and De Quervain's disease was 32.9%, 15.2%, and 13.3%, respectively. All tasks are executed on average in wrist extension, ulnar deviation, and high elbow flexion. Average median muscle activity across tasks ranged between 3.6% and 27.3%. Forearm muscles were mainly active. CONCLUSIONS The occurrence of signs and symptoms of upper-extremity musculoskeletal disorders was high among the sample. The classification and cutting task showed the highest mechanical demands. Interventions in this working population are required and should be directed to allow for muscular rest on regular basis.
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Affiliation(s)
- L H Barrero
- School of Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogota, Colombia.
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Coenen P, Kingma I, Boot CRL, Douwes M, Bongers PM, van Dieën JH. Work-site musculoskeletal pain risk estimates by trained observers--a prospective cohort study. Ergonomics 2012; 55:1373-1381. [PMID: 22897513 DOI: 10.1080/00140139.2012.709540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Work-related musculoskeletal pain (MSP) risk assessments by trained observers are often used in ergonomic practice; however, the validity may be questionable. We investigated the predictive value of work-site MSP risk estimates in a prospective cohort study of 1745 workers. Trained observers estimated the risk of MSP (neck, shoulder or low-back pain) using a three-point scale (high, moderate and low risk) after observing a video of randomly selected workers representing a task group. Associations of the estimated risk of pain and reported pain during a three-year follow-up were assessed using logistic regression. Estimated risk of neck and shoulder pain did (odds ratio, OR: 1.45 (95% confidence interval, CI: 1.01-2.08); 1.64 (95% CI: 1.05-2.55)), however, estimated risk of low-back pain did not significantly predict pain (OR: 1.27 (95% CI: 0.91-1.79)). The results show that observers were able to estimate the risk of shoulder and neck pain, whereas they found it difficult to estimate the risk of low-back pain. Practitioner Summary: Work-related musculoskeletal pain risk assessments by observers are often used in ergonomic practice. We showed that observers were able to estimate shoulder and neck pain risk, but had difficulties to estimate the risk of low-back pain. Therefore, observers' risk estimates might provide a useful method for musculoskeletal pain risk assessments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pieter Coenen
- Faculty of Human Movement Sciences, MOVE Research Institute Amsterdam, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Griffith LE, Shannon HS, Wells RP, Walter SD, Cole DC, Côté P, Frank J, Hogg-Johnson S, Langlois LE. Individual participant data meta-analysis of mechanical workplace risk factors and low back pain. Am J Public Health 2011; 102:309-18. [PMID: 22390445 DOI: 10.2105/ajph.2011.300343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES We used individual participant data from multiple studies to conduct a comprehensive meta-analysis of mechanical exposures in the workplace and low back pain. METHODS We conducted a systematic literature search and contacted an author of each study to request their individual participant data. Because outcome definitions and exposure measures were not uniform across studies, we conducted 2 substudies: (1) to identify sets of outcome definitions that could be combined in a meta-analysis and (2) to develop methods to translate mechanical exposure onto a common metric. We used generalized estimating equation regression to analyze the data. RESULTS The odds ratios (ORs) for posture exposures ranged from 1.1 to 2.0. Force exposure ORs ranged from 1.4 to 2.1. The magnitudes of the ORs differed according to the definition of low back pain, and heterogeneity was associated with both study-level and individual-level characteristics. CONCLUSIONS We found small to moderate ORs for the association of mechanical exposures and low back pain, although the relationships were complex. The presence of individual-level OR modifiers in such an area can be best understood by conducting a meta-analysis of individual participant data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren E Griffith
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
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Chang CHJ, Menéndez CC, Robertson MM, Amick BC, Johnson PW, del Pino RJ, Dennerlein JT. Daily self-reports resulted in information bias when assessing exposure duration to computer use. Am J Ind Med 2010; 53:1142-9. [PMID: 20632313 DOI: 10.1002/ajim.20878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Self-reported exposure duration to computer use is widely used in exposure assessment, and this study examined the associated information bias in a repeated measures setting. METHODS For 3 weeks, 30 undergraduate students reported daily cumulative computer-use duration and musculoskeletal symptoms at four random times per day. Usage-monitor software installed onto participant's personal computers provided the reference measure. We compared daily self-reported and software-recorded duration, and modeled the effect of musculoskeletal symptoms on observed differences. RESULTS The relationships between daily self-reported and software-recorded computer-use duration varied greatly across subject with Spearman's correlations ranging from -0.22 to 0.8. Self-reports generally overestimated computer use when software-recorded durations were less than 3.6 hr, and underestimated when above 3.6 hr. Experiencing symptoms was related to a 0.15-hr increase in self-reported duration after controlling for software-recorded duration. CONCLUSIONS Daily self-reported computer-use duration had a weak-to-moderate correlation with software-recorded duration, and their relationship changed slightly with musculoskeletal symptoms. Self-reports resulted in both non-differential and differential information bias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Che-Hsu Joe Chang
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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Van Eerd D, Hogg-Johnson S, Mazumder A, Cole D, Wells R, Moore A. Task exposures in an office environment: a comparison of methods. Ergonomics 2009; 52:1248-1258. [PMID: 19787504 DOI: 10.1080/00140130903023683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Task-related factors such as frequency and duration are associated with musculoskeletal disorders in office settings. The primary objective was to compare various task recording methods as measures of exposure in an office workplace. A total of 41 workers from different jobs were recruited from a large urban newspaper (71% female, mean age 41 years SD 9.6). Questionnaire, task diaries, direct observation and video methods were used to record tasks. A common set of task codes was used across methods. Different estimates of task duration, number of tasks and task transitions arose from the different methods. Self-report methods did not consistently result in longer task duration estimates. Methodological issues could explain some of the differences in estimates seen between methods observed. It was concluded that different task recording methods result in different estimates of exposure likely due to different exposure constructs. This work addresses issues of exposure measurement in office environments. It is of relevance to ergonomists/researchers interested in how to best assess the risk of injury among office workers. The paper discusses the trade-offs between precision, accuracy and burden in the collection of computer task-based exposure measures and different underlying constructs captures in each method.
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Barrero LH, Katz JN, Dennerlein JT. Validity of self-reported mechanical demands for occupational epidemiologic research of musculoskeletal disorders. Scand J Work Environ Health 2009; 35:245-60. [PMID: 19562235 PMCID: PMC3257060 DOI: 10.5271/sjweh.1335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To describe the relation of the measured validity of self-reported mechanical demands (self-reports) with the quality of validity assessments and the variability of the assessed exposure in the study population. METHODS We searched for original articles, published between 1990 and 2008, reporting the validity of self-reports in three major databases: EBSCOhost, Web of Science and PubMed. Identified assessments were classified by methodological characteristics (eg, type of self-report and reference method) and exposure dimension was measured. We also classified assessments by the degree of comparability between the self-report and the employed reference method, and the variability of the assessed exposure in the study population. Finally, we examined the association of the published validity (r) with this degree of comparability, as well as with the variability of the exposure variable in the study population. RESULTS Of the 490 assessments identified, 75% used observation-based reference measures and 55% tested self-reports of posture duration and movement frequency. Frequently, validity studies did not report demographic information (eg, education, age, and gender distribution). Among assessments reporting correlations as measure of validity, studies with a better match between the self-report and the reference method, and studies conducted in more heterogeneous populations tended to report higher correlations [odds ratio (OR) 2.03, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.89-4.65 and OR 1.60, 95% CI 0.96-2.61, respectively]. CONCLUSIONS The reported data support the hypothesis that validity depends on study-specific factors often not examined. Experimentally manipulating the testing setting could lead to a better understanding of the capabilities and limitations of self-reported information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lope H Barrero
- Department of Industrial Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia.
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