Occupational medicine and quality of work life: Toward an integrative approach [Medicina del trabajo y calidad de vida en el trabajo: Hacia un enfoque integrador]

Occupational Medicine (OM) aims to promote and maintain the highest degree of physical, mental and social well-being of workers, protecting them against all kinds of risk, adapt the work and its environment to psycho-physiological capabilities. In general, OM has followed two trends derived from the hegemonic medical model: one that focuses its essence to care and compensation and another that were limited to the prevention of accidents and work diseases. This has earned the criticism of other disciplines that perceive OM as a little known area, more focused to the organic and functional to the psycho-social. This review describes the paradigms of health sciences; work as a social process linked to the health-disease process; it takes the concept of disease cultural history and highlights the value of the study of quality of work life

Occupational medicine and quality of work life: Toward an integrative approach [Medicina del trabajo y calidad de vida en el trabajo: Hacia un enfoque integrador]

Occupational Medicine (OM) aims to promote and maintain the highest degree of physical, mental and social well-being of workers, protecting them against all kinds of risk, adapt the work and its environment to psycho-physiological capabilities. In general, OM has followed two trends derived from the hegemonic medical model: one that focuses its essence to care and compensation and another that were limited to the prevention of accidents and work diseases. This has earned the criticism of other disciplines that perceive OM as a little known area, more focused to the organic and functional to the psycho-social. This review describes the paradigms of health sciences; work as a social process linked to the health-disease process; it takes the concept of disease cultural history and highlights the value of the study of quality of work life

Cultural dimensions of dengue that help or hinder its prevention in Mexico [Dimensiones culturales del dengue que favorecen o dificultan su prevención en México]

Objective: To describe the cultural dimensions that might help or hinder dengue prevention in two Mexican localities having different experiences related to this disease. Methods: A cognitive-cultural anthropological study was conducted involving the participation of 160 adults selected through purposeful sampling. The techniques of free lists and pile-sorting were used for investigating terms associated with the concept "dengue." A consensus analysis was carried out by the factoring of principal components, hierarchical cluster analysis, and multidimensional scaling. Results: Greater consensus was observed among participants from the population having more historical experience with dengue-Santiago Ixcuintla, Nayarit-as well as more structured cultural and complex dimensions than in Guadalajara. In the latter case, participants showed a more fragmented conception of dengue, with insufficient information on its symptoms, mechanisms of transmission, and vector reservoirs. Three cultural dimensions were identified as hindering dengue prevention: confusing and insufficient information, placing responsibility for prevention on other people or on public agencies, and excessive confidence in fumigation as a preventive measure. Conclusions: These obstacles will need to be taken into account in the design and implementation of future prevention campaigns, disseminating information that explains the risks of fumigation and the importance of citizens and authorities jointly participating in the search for a comprehensive and sustainable solution to the dengue problem

Cultural dimensions of dengue that help or hinder its prevention in Mexico [Dimensiones culturales del dengue que favorecen o dificultan su prevención en México]

Objective: To describe the cultural dimensions that might help or hinder dengue prevention in two Mexican localities having different experiences related to this disease. Methods: A cognitive-cultural anthropological study was conducted involving the participation of 160 adults selected through purposeful sampling. The techniques of free lists and pile-sorting were used for investigating terms associated with the concept "dengue." A consensus analysis was carried out by the factoring of principal components, hierarchical cluster analysis, and multidimensional scaling. Results: Greater consensus was observed among participants from the population having more historical experience with dengue-Santiago Ixcuintla, Nayarit-as well as more structured cultural and complex dimensions than in Guadalajara. In the latter case, participants showed a more fragmented conception of dengue, with insufficient information on its symptoms, mechanisms of transmission, and vector reservoirs. Three cultural dimensions were identified as hindering dengue prevention: confusing and insufficient information, placing responsibility for prevention on other people or on public agencies, and excessive confidence in fumigation as a preventive measure. Conclusions: These obstacles will need to be taken into account in the design and implementation of future prevention campaigns, disseminating information that explains the risks of fumigation and the importance of citizens and authorities jointly participating in the search for a comprehensive and sustainable solution to the dengue problem

The perception of the manufactoring industry worker regarding his well-being and sense of coherence [La percepción del trabajador de la industria manufacturera con relación a su bienestar y el sentido de coherencia]

Objective: Evaluate the existing relationship between the sense of well-being and coherence (SC), as psychosocial factors related to labor perception characteristics. Methods and materials: A cross-section and descriptive study of a random sample of 369 workers of the manufacturing industry of the Metropolitan Area of Guadalajara (Mexico). The study was carried out in 24 industries of three industrial parks associated only by their size. Results: The highest global score of SC are obtained by men with 124.44 points. The perception of "bad metal health" is presented by 17.61% of the men and 29.45% of women, being in men where there are significant statistically differences regarding to the highest average age of the worker and the time working there. The SC scores were higher in individuals with a better sense of well-being, in both genres, and it correlates inversely with the General Health Questionnaire scores in all the subjects studied. Conclusions: There is a negative individual perception regarding well-being, performance, and the not much motivating activity related to organizational factors, where they observe a lack of incentives, job insecurity, feeling of not being appreciated in their jobs, low salaries, and insufficient ongoing training on behalf of the company which lead them to a low Sense of Coherence

Social support, Burnout Syndrome and occupational exhaustion among Mexican traffic police agents

The consequences of work-related stress on health are worrisome, and by the same token, so is Burnout Syndrome. However, it has been shown that social support can prevent, reduce or even combat individuals' responses to stress. A descriptive, transverse study was carried out with the objective of determining the prevalence of both Burnout Syndrome and receiving social support for traffic police in Mexico. 875 traffic police participated in the study, men and women alike, from all work shifts, day and night. Three questionnaires were administered: one to record sociodemographic and professional data, as well as the Maslach Burnout Inventory and the modified Diaz Veiga Social Resources Inventory. Our data analysis obtained frequencies and percentages and also identified associations between the study's variables. The prevalence of Burnout Syndrome was found to be 54.9% among the study's participants. The social support networks designated as "low or poor" were shown to be associated with Burnout Syndrome, with p values less than.05, an odds ratio (OR) greater than 1 and a confidence interval that did not include the number one. In spite of the strong network of social support reported by participants, it seems that those social effects were not strong enough to combat Burnout Syndrome, and some resolution strategy ought to be implemented at the individual, group and organizational levels. Copyright 2009 by The Spanish Journal of Psychology

Health related quality of life and work in patients with tuberculosis in Guadalajara, (Mexico) [Calidad de vida relacionada con la salud y trabajo en pacientes con tuberculosis en Guadalajara, (M�xico)]

Objetive: Evaluate the perception of Health Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) in patients diagnosed with tuberculosis and its relation with their work. Materials and Methods: We used the SF-36 and the dimension of work of Sickness Impact Profile (SIP). Results: The dimensions of the SF-36 perceived as bad, were physical role, vitality, mental health and general health perception. 60 % of total reported not having a job at the time of the study. Conclusions: 80 % of patients were at working age so that in addition to their HRQoL household income from quit working is affected, increasing the social impact of the disease

Social support, Burnout Syndrome and occupational exhaustion among Mexican traffic police agents

The consequences of work-related stress on health are worrisome, and by the same token, so is Burnout Syndrome. However, it has been shown that social support can prevent, reduce or even combat individuals' responses to stress. A descriptive, transverse study was carried out with the objective of determining the prevalence of both Burnout Syndrome and receiving social support for traffic police in Mexico. 875 traffic police participated in the study, men and women alike, from all work shifts, day and night. Three questionnaires were administered: one to record sociodemographic and professional data, as well as the Maslach Burnout Inventory and the modified Diaz Veiga Social Resources Inventory. Our data analysis obtained frequencies and percentages and also identified associations between the study's variables. The prevalence of Burnout Syndrome was found to be 54.9% among the study's participants. The social support networks designated as "low or poor" were shown to be associated with Burnout Syndrome, with p values less than.05, an odds ratio (OR) greater than 1 and a confidence interval that did not include the number one. In spite of the strong network of social support reported by participants, it seems that those social effects were not strong enough to combat Burnout Syndrome, and some resolution strategy ought to be implemented at the individual, group and organizational levels. Copyright 2009 by The Spanish Journal of Psychology

Health related quality of life and work in patients with tuberculosis in Guadalajara, (Mexico) [Calidad de vida relacionada con la salud y trabajo en pacientes con tuberculosis en Guadalajara, (México)]

Objetive: Evaluate the perception of Health Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) in patients diagnosed with tuberculosis and its relation with their work. Materials and Methods: We used the SF-36 and the dimension of work of Sickness Impact Profile (SIP). Results: The dimensions of the SF-36 perceived as bad, were physical role, vitality, mental health and general health perception. 60 % of total reported not having a job at the time of the study. Conclusions: 80 % of patients were at working age so that in addition to their HRQoL household income from quit working is affected, increasing the social impact of the disease

Poison to pest: An approach from cognitive anthropology on occupational exposure, health effects and quality of life of pesticide applicators rural informal sector [Veneno para plagas: Una aproximación desde la antropología cognitiva sobre exposición laboral, efectos en salud y calidad de vida de los aplicadores de plaguicidas del sector informal rural]

Objective: To explore the cultural dimensions of the concept of exposure to pesticides, health, impact on health and quality of life in rural pesticide applicators in the informal sector. Materials and methods: An exploratory study was conducted in six Atlantic's municipalities. Forty four subjects were selected during 2010 and 2011. It worked qualitative technique: free list. It was investigated terms associated with the concepts of pesticide, health effect, health status and quality of life. Consensus analysis was applied visual techniques, factorization and principal component analysis with ANTHROPAC dimensional v4.0 program was performed. Results: Health is related to be healthy and stay alive. They don't identify side effects. The concept of quality of life was related to have health, family and job. There was no cultural consensus about health, and the relative does not think anything about the pesticide or « spray is normal». Cultural consensus exists against: pesticide exposure and toxicity of some of them. The pesticide protects crops from pests but also kills other animals that help the biological control. There are cultural consensus in the previous practice of consumption of milk and sugar cane before spraying. Conclusion: The study of the meanings, believes, values and practices from pesticide applicators informal workers in rural areas, have a very different approach to formal workers with the same trade. Believes and values were observed to be considered when making occupational health policies