The impact of psychosocial and organizational working conditions on the mental health of female cleaning personnel in Norway

BACKGROUND: This study examined the association between psychosocial and organizational work conditions and mental health among women employed in the cleaning profession in Norway. METHODS: Self-report questionnaires were mailed to 661 cleaning staff personnel from seven cleaning organizations in seven different cities across Norway. The response rate was 64%, of which 374 (88%) respondents were women. The questionnaires assessed socio-demographic information and employment history, work organization, and psychosocial working conditions. The Hopkins Symptoms Checklist (HSCL-25) was included to assess mental health. RESULTS: On average, respondents were 43 years old and reported 10.8 years of experience working in the cleaning industry. The proportion of women scoring a HSCL-25 equal to or above 1.75 was 17.5%, which was higher than the average prevalence of mental health problems among working Norwegian women (8.4%). A factor analysis of the questions specific to the psychosocial work environment identified the following four underlying dimensions: leadership, co-workers, time pressure/control, and information/knowledge. Two of these, poor satisfaction with leadership (OR = 3.6) and poor satisfaction with co-workers (OR = 2.3), were significantly related to mental health. In addition, having contact with colleagues less than once a day (OR = 2.4) and not being ethnically Norwegian (OR = 3.0) increased the risk for mental health problems. CONCLUSION: Mental health problems are frequent among female cleaning professionals in Norway. Our results indicate that quality of leadership, collaboration with co-workers, and ethnicity were significantly associated with mental health

Pain complaints after consecutive nights and quick returns in Norwegian nurses working three-shift rotation: an observational study

Objectives To determine whether nurses working consecutive night shifts, or short transitions between shifts (quick returns (QRs)), yielded higher risk for pain complaints when compared with regular morning shifts. Sleep duration was tested as a potential mediator. Design Observational diary study. Setting Random hospitals. Participants Nurses with three-shift rotation (morning, evening and night), n=679, 22–63 years old. Outcomes measures Daily ratings of working hours, sleep and subjective pain complaints in six anatomical regions (head, neck/shoulder/upper back, upper extremity, low back, lower extremity and abdomen) for 28 days. In addition, we assessed demographics, habitual sleep and pain complaints, work and lifestyle factors. It was tested (1) whether the risk for pain complaints was higher after workday 3 versus after workday 2, and whether the difference was larger for consecutive night shifts versus consecutive morning shifts, and (2) whether the risk for pain complaints was higher after QRs versus after two morning shifts. Risk for pain complaints refers to combined increased risk for any pain and risk for increased intensity. Results Adjusted analyses showed no shift type by workday interaction for pain complaints in the neck/shoulder/upper back, upper extremities, low back, lower extremities or abdomen. For headache, a strong trend indicated that the risk was higher on workday 3 compared with workday 2 for night shifts (OR 1.13, 95% CI 0.99 to 1.28). The risk was lowered if sleep duration was taken into account (OR 0.37, 95% CI 0.17 to 0.81). No conclusive support was found for the risk for pain complaints being higher after QRs, compared with after morning shifts. Conclusions For five of six pain complaints, the hypotheses were not supported by the current data. For headache, we found potential support for a sleep-relieving effect on headache after working several nights in a row. Pain complaints were not instigated or exacerbated by an evening-to-morning transition between shifts.publishedVersio

Computer work and musculoskeletal disorders of the neck and upper extremity: A systematic review

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>This review examines the evidence for an association between computer work and neck and upper extremity disorders (except carpal tunnel syndrome).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A systematic critical review of studies of computer work and musculoskeletal disorders verified by a physical examination was performed.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A total of 22 studies (26 articles) fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Results show limited evidence for a causal relationship between computer work per se, computer mouse and keyboard time related to a diagnosis of wrist tendonitis, and for an association between computer mouse time and forearm disorders. Limited evidence was also found for a causal relationship between computer work per se and computer mouse time related to tension neck syndrome, but the evidence for keyboard time was insufficient. Insufficient evidence was found for an association between other musculoskeletal diagnoses of the neck and upper extremities, including shoulder tendonitis and epicondylitis, and any aspect of computer work.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>There is limited epidemiological evidence for an association between aspects of computer work and some of the clinical diagnoses studied. None of the evidence was considered as moderate or strong and there is a need for more and better documentation.</p

Skulderbelastning hos frisører ved bruk av to typer fønere

publishedVersio

Defensive functioning moderates the effects of nondirective meditation

We have recently found that nondirective meditation facilitates stress reduction. This supplementary study investigated whether defensive functioning would moderate these beneficial effects. We explored the occurrence of defense mechanisms and the impact of defensive functioning on the outcome of companies’ stress management programs regarding worries nervousness, mental distress, sleep problems, and muscle pain. The sample was a population of active, working professionals recruited from Norwegian companies (n = 105). The intervention group obtained significant benefits on all outcome measures, but there were no effects in the control group. We analyzed defensive functioning with the self-report questionnaire, Life Style Index, at four time points. The healthy adults who participated had a low level of defense scores at the outset. There was a significant reduction in the level of defenses in both groups over the study period, 6 months. Defensive functioning significantly moderated the change of the outcome measures from baseline to follow-up in the intervention group, but not in the control group

Hairdressers’ shoulder load when blow-drying – Studying the effect of a new blow dryer design on arm inclination angle and muscle pain

During nine months, nineteen hairdressers every second/third month switched the use between a blow dryer with traditional design and one with a new design. The new blow dryer had the possibility to change between two opposite directed air flows. Every second/third month arm inclination angle and upper trapezius muscle activity were measured a whole workday, and during blow-drying in the laboratory. Pronounced upper arm elevation was reduced with the new blow dryer. The muscle activity of the upper trapezius was only reduced in the laboratory, and daily pain reports were not significantly influenced at all. The subjective rating of time use, functionality and heaviness was less favourable for the new blow dryer, with only three out of nineteen preferring the new dryer at the end of the study period. However, the design of the new dryer demanded a change of work technique that might have been conceived as problematic by the experienced hairdressers. Relevance to industry: We studied a new professional handheld blow dryer designed to allow less postures with elevated arms, addressing an import risk factor for work-related musculoskeletal problems. Hairdressers using this new dryer had less time with upper arm in pronounced elevation during blow-drying