Employee wellness, health risk assessment, modifiable health risk, PEN-3 model, worksite culture, worksite envirmonent

This study used an online Health Risk Appraisal (HRA) to assess individual employee health and eight additional statements to assess the worksite health culture of Eastern Michigan University. It was hypothesized there will be a relationship between EMU employees’ levels of self-reported health risk and their perceptions of supportiveness of the worksite environment and health culture. The results indicated the relationship between health risks of participants and perception of supportiveness of the worksite culture was not significant (p \u3e.05). Of the employees that participated, the top three risk factors identified were body weight (20%), stress (14%), and blood pressure (10%). The tenets of the PEN-3 model were used to identify points of entry for possible future health promotion programming. It was found that 54% of participants were willing to participate in programs to enhance overall health. Further assessment using a larger sample size is needed to enhance understanding of the relationshi

Emerging technologies and the safety and health of working people: knowledge gaps and research directions

"Changes in technologies have far outpaced our knowledge about the implications of these changes for the quality of working life and for safety and health on the job. This gap in knowledge is one of the 21 priority areas for research under the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) - a framework crafted by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and its partners to guide research into the next decade. This report was developed under NORA as a foundation for a comprehensive research agenda for investigating and reducing occupational safety and health risks as well as intervention opportunities associated with emerging technologies. Research and development needs identified in the agenda include (1) improved surveillance mechanisms to better track the emergence of technology, (2) accelerated research on safety and health implications of emerging technology, (3) increased research focus on protecting and promoting safety and health in emerging technology fields, and (4) steps to formalize and nurture emerging technology as a distinct field within occupational safety and health." - NIOSHTIC-21. The future of technology -- 2. Identifying emerging technologies -- 3. Anticipating the impact of emerging technologies -- 4. Achieving inherently safer designs -- 5. Integrated approaches to researchNORA Emerging Technology Team."April 2006."Also available via the World Wide Web.Includes bibliographical references (29-33)

Developing an Intervention Toolbox for the Common Health Problems in the Workplace

Development of the Health ↔ Work Toolbox is described. The toolbox aims to reduce the workplace impact of common health problems (musculoskeletal, mental health, and stress complaints) by focusing on tackling work-relevant symptoms. Based on biopsychosocial principles this toolbox supplements current approaches by occupying the zone between primary prevention and healthcare. It provides a set of evidence-informed principles and processes (knowledge + tools) for tackling work-relevant common health problems. The toolbox comprises a proactive element aimed at empowering line managers to create good jobs, and a ‘just in time’ responsive element for supporting individuals struggling with a work-relevant health problem. The key intention is helping people with common health problems to maintain work participation. The extensive conceptual and practical development process, including a comprehensive evidence review, produced a functional prototype toolbox that is evidence based and flexible in its use. End-user feedback was mostly positive. Moving the prototype to a fully-fledged internet resource requires specialist design expertise. The Health ↔ Work Toolbox appears to have potential to contribute to the goal of augmenting existing primary prevention strategies and healthcare delivery by providing a more comprehensive workplace approach to constraining sickness absence

Linking Research and Policy: Assessing a Framework for Organic Agricultural Support in Ireland

This paper links social science research and agricultural policy through an analysis of support for organic agriculture and food. Globally, sales of organic food have experienced 20% annual increases for the past two decades, and represent the fastest growing segment of the grocery market. Although consumer interest has increased, farmers are not keeping up with demand. This is partly due to a lack of political support provided to farmers in their transition from conventional to organic production. Support policies vary by country and in some nations, such as the US, vary by state/province. There have been few attempts to document the types of support currently in place. This research draws on an existing Framework tool to investigate regionally specific and relevant policy support available to organic farmers in Ireland. This exploratory study develops a case study of Ireland within the framework of ten key categories of organic agricultural support: leadership, policy, research, technical support, financial support, marketing and promotion, education and information, consumer issues, inter-agency activities, and future developments. Data from the Irish Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the Irish Agriculture and Food Development Authority (Teagasc), and other governmental and semi-governmental agencies provide the basis for an assessment of support in each category. Assessments are based on the number of activities, availability of information to farmers, and attention from governmental personnel for each of the ten categories. This policy framework is a valuable tool for farmers, researchers, state agencies, and citizen groups seeking to document existing types of organic agricultural support and discover policy areas which deserve more attention

Evidence synthesis on the occurrence, causes, consequences, prevention and management of bullying and harassment behaviours to inform decision making in the NHS

Background Workplace bullying is a persistent problem in the NHS with negative implications for individuals, teams, and organisations. Bullying is a complex phenomenon and there is a lack of evidence on the best approaches to manage the problem. Aims Research questions What is known about the occurrence, causes, consequences and management of bullying and inappropriate behaviour in the workplace? Objectives Summarise the reported prevalence of workplace bullying and inappropriate behaviour. Summarise the empirical evidence on the causes and consequences of workplace bullying and inappropriate behaviour. Describe any theoretical explanations of the causes and consequences of workplace bullying and inappropriate behaviour. Synthesise evidence on the preventative and management interventions that address workplace bullying interventions and inappropriate behaviour. Methods To fulfil a realist synthesis approach the study was designed across four interrelated component parts: Part 1: A narrative review of the prevalence, causes and consequences of workplace bullying Part 2: A systematic literature search and realist review of workplace bullying interventions Part 3: Consultation with international bullying experts and practitioners Part 4: Identification of case studies and examples of good practic

Emerging Issues in Occupational Health Psychology

This book compiles the cutting-edge research published in the Special Issue “Emerging Issues in Occupational Health Psychology” (International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health). The articles included in this book use strong and innovative theoretical approaches to provide evidence regarding the importance of working characteristics and resources to promote healthier and more sustainable environments in which employees can be happy and productive

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction to Decrease Burnout in Emergency Nurses: A Quality Improvement Project at an Academic Medical Center

Nursing burnout, categorized by increased emotional exhaustion (EE), depersonalization (DE), or decreased personal achievement (PA), is rising in the United States. Emergency Department (ED) nurses at an academic medical center in the western United States experience burnout related to workplace violence and trauma exposure exacerbated by a global pandemic. Burnout can lead to adverse health impacts for nurses, increased institutional costs, and adverse patient outcomes. Improving mindfulness or awareness of the present can reduce burnout in ED nurses. A mindfulness pilot project was conducted with staff nurses (n=20) and nurse leaders (n=4) in the ED. Participants attended Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) classes for eight weeks and practiced mindfulness outside of class. The impact of MBSR was measured before and after the pilot using the Five-Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire Short Form and Maslach Burnout Inventory for Medical Personnel. Overall, ED staff nurses experienced an 11% improvement in mindfulness, a 1% decrease in EE, a 6% decrease in DE, and a 10% increase in PA. ED nurse leaders experienced a 7% improvement in mindfulness, 14% reduction in EE, 36% decrease in DE, and 4% improvement in PA. This pilot project suggests that MBSR is an effective way to increase mindfulness and reduce burnout. Engagement with MBSR classes and participation in mindfulness activities outside of class improved mindfulness and reduced burnout among participants. Due to the promising outcome, this work is recommended to be repeated in the ED setting and expanded to other high-stress environments

Trauma Experiences and Perspectives: An Evidence-Based Practice Project

This Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) project examined the following questions: How do individuals who have experienced trauma or adverse childhood experiences describe their experiences and the impact trauma has had on their life? How do healthcare professionals describe their experiences of working with individuals who have experienced trauma or adverse childhood experiences and their perspectives on trauma-informed training and approaches

An approach to increasing awareness of IAQ

This project explores the approach to increasing the awareness of indoor air quality using a literature research to evaluate historical context, critiquing combined contaminants, reviewing fragrances, appraising awareness, resources and government policy, both UK and Worldwide. Two surveys were conducted with local authorities and Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Practitioners in order to explore risk perception and awareness within a real world situation. The literature research and project activities raised further discussion points regarding the application of risk management, cost effective modelling, impact of body burden, the increase trend of scent marketing, understanding and influencing society risk perception and evaluation of the leadership of IAQ at local and government levels. This project highlights some key recommendations including the requirement to label products, particularly products like perfume who claim brand protection, to enable the consumer to understand the ingredients and make choices about their purchases; Funding for the development of bio-monitoring and multi-pollutant frameworks to build on existing silo contaminant research and create a harmonised and structured approach in understanding psychological and physiological impact interactions from a mixture of pollutants; And the establishment of an IAQ body to lead and engage stakeholders to deliver effective IAQ models. As a legacy of the project, the first accredited IOSH UK IAQ certificate and website was developed, implemented and appraised. This project is submitted as partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Professional Studies with an overall programme plan of ‘setting the agenda and raising awareness of IAQ within the UK’

DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDITY INQUIRY OF A RUBRIC FOR INTERDISCIPLINARY COMPETENCIES IN OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH IN CAPSTONE PROJECTS OF CARERC PROGRAM GRADUATES

Emerging demands in the field of interdisciplinary studies reveal a need for competent professionals who can apply their skills and experience to solving complex tasks of the workplace. This has placed inevitable demands on training institutions to adequately equip graduates to deliver on their mandate. Competency appraisal is an effective way to ensure proficiency in graduates. Meanwhile, transparent and valid rubrics provide opportunities for both students and trainers to continuously assess and evaluate the transfer of necessary skills. This study focused on evaluating interdisciplinary competencies in Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) in the capstone projects of the CARERC program, a graduate and continuing education package that combines the academic resources of seven colleges of two major universities in Kentucky for research and training in the region. An Interdisciplinary Competency Evaluation Rubric in OSH (iCER-OSH) confirming the “presence” or “not” of the relevant competencies in the final projects was developed from literature and program core-syllabi and was tested and calibrated using Rasch model. The psychometric evaluation of the rubric also supports the use of this tool for research and formative assessment in this population and related programs