Psychosocial risks and their consequences on health and job satisfaction among Spanish police officers

BACKGROUND

Police officers are exposed to risk and violence, which makes their work highly stressful. According to the Job Demand-Resource model, the working conditions of police officers may affect their health and job satisfaction. The aims of this research were to evaluate the psychosocial factors at work in a sample of municipal police officers from the Valencian Community (Spain) to identify the prevalence of psychosocial risks and their consequences and analyse the influence of psychosocial factors (resource and demands) at work on job satisfaction and health.

METHODS

The Unidad de Investigación Psicosocial de la Conducta Organizacional (UNIPSICO) battery was used to evaluate the prevalence and distribution of different levels of risk and their consequences in police officers (n=103). The influence of psychosocial factors (resource and demands) at work on psychosomatic disorders and job satisfaction was examined using stepwise regression analysis.

RESULTS

All considered variables showed moderate levels of psychosocial risk for the whole sample. As for the consequences of psychosocial risks, moderate levels of psychosomatic disorders and job satisfaction were also observed. Perceived stress levels and organizational stressors have a negative effect on health and job satisfaction.

CONCLUSIONS

To create positive conditions for the health and well-being of police officers, real commitment is required when evaluating psychosocial risks in local police organizations and the establishment of prevention and intervention measures where psychosocial risk factors are detected.

Association between offensive behaviors and burnout and depression risks in health workers

OBJECTIVE

to evaluate the occurrence of offensive behaviors at work, their characteristics and association with sex, stress, burnout and depression in health workers.

METHOD

a cross-sectional, descriptive and quantitative study carried out with 125 workers from the Brazilian Unified Health System. The data were collected from June 2021 to April 2022 through three self-applied questionnaires that assess personal and occupational characteristics; offensive behaviors, stress and burnout; and depressive symptoms. Descriptive statistics, the chi-square association test and logistic regression analysis were applied.

RESULTS

44% of the sample reported 83 behaviors, with threats of violence as the most frequent ones (26%). Nursing technicians/assistants, nurses and physicians were the most exposed professionals. The main aggressors were the patients, except for bullying, which was perpetrated by co-workers (48%). There was an association between offensive behaviors and burnout (OR: 4.73; 95% CI: 1.29-17.3; p=0.02) and between offensive behaviors and depression symptoms (OR: 1.05; 95% CI: 1.01-1.10; p=0.02).

CONCLUSION

the occurrence of offensive behaviors in health work is frequent and characteristic and burnout and depressive symptoms respectively increased 4.73 and 1.05 times the chances of workers suffering these offensive behaviors in the work environment.

Occupational risk perception and its associated factors among nurses and physicians in Peruvian health facilities

Introduction

A high perceived risk is related to lower rates of occupational accidents in the health personnel.

Objectives

To determine the levels of occupational risk perception and its associated factors in nurses and physicians from health facilities in Peru during 2016.

Methods

An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted with secondary data from the National Survey of Health Users Satisfaction (Encuesta Nacional de Satisfacción de Usuarios en Salud) 2016. The problem variable was the occupational risk perception, and sociodemographic variables and variables related to occupational risk exposure were included as possible associated factors. Crude and adjusted ordinal logistic regression models were developed to determine the associated factors. All estimates were weighted according to the National Survey of Health Users Satisfaction 2016 complex sampling.

Results

Levels of perceived occupational risk were similar between nurses and physicians. Weekly working hours, having a previous work accident, and receiving protective equipment were found to be associated with occupational risk perception in nurses. Age, institution of origin, having a specialty, suffering from a chronic disease, and receiving occupational risk training were found to be associated with occupational risk perception in physicians.

Conclusions

In Peru, the levels of occupational risk perception in nurses and physicians are similar. However, the associated factors differ according to the profession. These findings may contribute to the norms or laws related to the occupational safety of health personnel.

Factors associated with the SARS-CoV-2 infection among health professionals from university hospitals

to investigate factors associated with the SARS-CoV-2 infection among health professionals from university hospitals. a multicenter, mixed approach study with concomitant incorporated strategy, carried out with 559 professionals in the quantitative stage, and 599 in the qualitative stage. Four data collection instruments were used, applied by means of an electronic form. The quantitative analysis was performed with descriptive and inferential statistics and the qualitative data were processed by means of content analysis. the factors associated with the infection were as follows: performance of the RT-PCR test (p<0.001) and units offering care to COVID-19 patients (p=0.028). Having symptoms increased 5.63 times the prevalence of infection and adhering to social distancing most of the time in private life reduced it by 53.9%. The qualitative data evidenced difficulties faced by the professionals: scarcity and low quality of Personal Protective Equipment, work overload, physical distancing at work, inadequate processes and routines and lack of a mass screening and testing policy. the factors associated with the SARS-CoV-2 infection among health professionals were mostly related to occupational issues.

Sanitary and environmental conditions related to food poisoning among informal street vendors in downtown Medellín, Colombia, 2016

Introduction

Although studies with informal workers have been conducted in Latin America and the Caribbean, there is still scarce evidence on the prevalence of food poisoning among workers with subsistence jobs on the streets and sidewalks of cities and on the factors that influence its presentation.

Objectives

To determine sociodemographic, labor, sanitary, and environmental conditions that influence the prevalence of food poisoning in informal workers in downtown Medellín, Colombia.

Methods

This is a cross-sectional study using a workers' survey as the primary source. A total of 686 workers aged ≥18 years who had been working for ≥ 5 years were surveyed. An assisted survey was initially applied as a pilot test for training purposes and to obtain informed consent.

Results

We identified several associations and explanatory factors of food poisoning using chi-square tests and prevalence ratios, with unadjusted and adjusted 95% confidence intervals (95%CI). A higher prevalence of food poisoning (p < 0.05) was observed in workers with lower frequency of waste collection (PR = 2.09; 95%CI = 1.04-4.19), who left cooked food (PR = 6.40; 95%CI = 2.34-17.8), beverages or chopped fruits uncovered at their workplace (PR = 3.92; 95%CI = 1.40-10.48), with inadequate waste management (PR = 4.84; 95%CI = 2.12-11.06), exposure to polluted water (PR = 3.00; 95%CI = 1.20-7.50) and acceptable water supply (PR = 5.40; 95%CI = 1.60-17.8). The factors that explained higher rates of food poisoning were not having a waste collection service (PR_adjusted = 5.58; 95%CI = 3.38-13.10), inadequate waste management (PR_adjusted = 6.61; 95%CI = 1.25-34.84), and having sanitary services next to worker's stall (PR_adjusted = 14.44; 95%CI = 1.26-165.11).

Conclusions

The conditions that are associated with and explain the higher prevalence of food poisoning in this working population can be addressed with health promotion and disease prevention interventions.

Resilience and the reduction of occupational stress in Nursing

OBJECTIVE

to analyze the association between resilience and occupational stress of Nursing professionals from a general hospital.

METHOD

an observational, cross-sectional study involving 321 Nursing professionals. The data collected were: socio-demographic and labour variables, stress and resilience, analyzed with descriptive and inferential statistics.

RESULTS

54.5% of the participants presented moderate resilience and 36.4%, high; 73.5% were at risk of exposure to occupational stress; the relationship between psychological demands and professional category (p=0.009), between control over work and age (p=0.04), professional category (p<0.001), having a management position (p=0.009), being a specialist (p=0.006) and between social support and professional category (p<0.001), having a management position (p=0.03), daily working hours (p=0.03), being a specialist (p<0.001) were verified. There was an association between resilience Factor I - resolutions of actions and values and control over work (p=0.04) and social support (p=0.002).

CONCLUSION

the Nursing professionals of a general hospital have moderate to high resilience which, associated with high control over their work and high social support, may contribute to the reduction of exposure to occupational stress.

Health hazard allowance for Nursing professionals: A reflective analysis under the principle of human dignity

OBJECTIVE

to discuss the classification of the health hazard allowance due to exposure to biological agents attributed to Nursing professionals, based on legal and occupational parameters supported on the principle of human dignity.

METHOD

an original reflection study with theoretical analysis on legislation, jurisprudence and Occupational Health focused on the biological risks, health hazard and rights of Brazilian workers. The discussions were based on the current legislation and on scientific evidence.

RESULTS

the classification of the health hazard allowance due to exposure to biological agents attributed to Nursing professionals is not in line with the factual situation experienced by them.

CONCLUSION

it becomes necessary to broaden the discussion on the subject matter and to review the effective and fair compensation of Nursing professionals due to exposure to potentially contaminated biological agents in their work environments, given that the health hazard allowance is a worker's right and is based on human dignity.