Predictors of lower work ability among emergency medicine employees: the Croatian experience

ABSTRACT Background Worldwide research has indicated that emergency medicine employees and particularly ambulance personnel have symptoms related to traumatic events, and experience more chronic stressors in their work than workers in other health service settings. Unlike other countries which conducted similar studies, no specialty branch in emergency medicine exists in Croatia. Study objectives To identify possible predictors of low work ability, including occupational stress and quality of life, among emergency medicine employees. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted from May 2010 till July 2010 in the Institute of Emergency Medicine in the City of Zagreb. Questionnaires were distributed to all employees with gathered total sample of 125 subjects (39 physicians, 38 medical nurses /technicians and 48 drivers). Data were collected using the socio-demographic questions, occupational stress assessment, work ability index (WAI) and WHO quality of life (WHOQOL-BREF) questionnaires. Results Emergency physicians were significantly more exposed to public criticism (p¼0.008) but drivers had more exposure to hazards at workplace (p¼0.001) regarding other employee groups. Binary logistic regression model showed two significant predictors of lower work ability (WAI score <37): lower physical WHO-BREF domain (OR¼0.78; 95% CI 0.68 to 0.89; p<0.001) and the professional and intellectual demands (OR¼1.09; 95% CI

Work ability as a major determinant of clinical nurses’ quality of life.

Aims and objectives. To examine quality of life determinants among clinical nurses in Croatia with an emphasis on their work ability. Background. An important personnel management challenge is to explore factors that stimulate or hinder the development of individual work ability and quality of life throughout a career. Design. A cross-sectional study. Methods. The study was performed during [2007][2008] 3) for the environmental domain. Conclusions. Satisfactory work ability was a major quality of life determinant in all WHOQL-BREF domains with the highest odds ratio for the physical domain. Maintaining clinical nurses' work ability is an important issue, because it is foundational for the quality of life of the workforce. Relevance to clinical practice. Our study provides quantified estimates of the extent to which a satisfactory WAI score predicts a better score in physical, psychosocial, social relationships and environmental domain of nurses' quality of life. Therefore, maintaining or improving nurses' work ability remains the essential aim of hospital managers

Gender and respiratory findings in workers occupationally exposed to organic aerosols: A meta analysis of 12 cross-sectional studies

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Gender related differences in respiratory disease have been documented. The aim of this study was to investigate gender related differences in respiratory findings by occupation. We analyzed data from 12 of our previously published studies.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Three thousand and eleven (3011) workers employed in "organic dust" industries (1379 female and 1632 male) were studied. A control group of 806 workers not exposed to any kind of dust were also investigated (male = 419, female = 387). Acute and chronic respiratory symptoms and lung function were measured. The weighted average method and the Mantel-Haentszel method were used to calculate the odds ratios of symptoms. Hedge's unbiased estimations were used to measure lung function differences between men and women.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>There were high prevalences of acute and chronic respiratory symptoms in all the "dusty" studied groups compared to controls. Significantly less chronic cough, chronic phlegm as well as chronic bronchitis were found among women than among men after the adjustments for smoking, age and duration of employment. Upper respiratory tract symptoms by contrast were more frequent in women than in men in these groups. Significant gender related lung function differences occurred in the textile industry but not in the food processing industry or among farmers.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The results of this study suggest that in industries processing organic compounds there are gender differences in respiratory symptoms and lung function in exposed workers. Whether these findings represent true physiologic gender differences, gender specific workplace exposures or other undefined gender variables not defined in this study cannot be determined. These data do not suggest that special limitations for women are warranted for respiratory health reasons in these industries, but the issue of upper respiratory irritation and disease warrants further study.</p