Health and work conditions in older workers

Introducción: En los últimos años, la población española ha experimentado un crecimiento acelerado de personas mayores. Las previsiones demográficas a corto-medio plazo describen un importante predominio de trabajadores mayores en el mercado laboral. Objetivos: Identificar las diferencias según dos grupos de edad (<55 años y ≥55 años) en la percepción de las condiciones de trabajo y salud de la población trabajadora española. Metodología: Las diferencias entre los dos grupos de edad se analizaron a partir de indicadores de condiciones de trabajo y de salud pertenecientes a la VII Encuesta Nacional de Condiciones de Trabajo del Instituto de Seguridad e Higiene en el Trabajo (VII_ENCT). El análisis consistió en el cálculo de las prevalencias y la odds ratio cruda-ORc y ajustada por sexo con su correspondiente intervalo del confianza al 95% Resultados: El grupo de trabajadores más jóvenes presentan más riesgo de exposición a seis de los siete indicadores relacionados con las condiciones de trabajo (ruido, vibraciones, carga física, carga mental, autonomía y motivación). No obstante los trabajadores mayores tienen una peor percepción de su estado de salud (ORa= 2,06 [1,75-2,42]) y presentan en mayor medida problemas de salud que si bien les conducen a la visita médica más frecuentemente los relacionan menos con su actividad laboral. Conclusiones: A tenor de los resultados, los trabajadores de 55 años y más refieren tener menos quejas respecto a sus condiciones laborales e incluso se sienten más autónomos y motivados. Es el deterioro físico y mental la principal limitación que encuentran estos trabajadores a la hora de ejercer sus tareas. Sería recomendable establecer políticas de promoción de la salud dentro de las empresas para mejorar los indicadores de salud y promover el envejecimiento activo de la población trabajadora española.Introduction: In recent years, Spain’s population has aged rapidly. Short and middle-term demographic forecasts describe a predominance of older workers in the labor market. Objectives: To identify differences between two age groups (under 55 and aged 55 and over) in the perception of working conditions and health of the Spanish working population. Methodology: The differences between the two age groups were analyzed from work and health indicators belonging to the VII National Survey on Working Conditions, made by the Institute for Safety and Health at Work (VII_ENCT). The analysis consisted of calculating the prevalence and odds ratio raw and adjusted pro sex ratio- with its corresponding confidence interval of 95. Results: The group of younger workers have showed a higher risk in six out of the seven indicators analyzed concerning working conditions (noise, vibration, physical and mental stress, autonomy and motivation). However, older workers have poorer perception of their health status (a OR = 2.06 [1.75 to 2.42]) and they have more health problems than younger workers, although less related to the working conditions. Conclusions: According to the results, workers aged 55 and older report having fewer complaints about their working conditions and even feel more autonomous and motivated. The physical and mental deterioration is the main handicap for these workers when exercising their tasks. It would be advisable to establish policies to promote health within companies to improve health indicators and also to promote active aging in the Spanish working population

Occupation-related factors affecting the health of migrants working during the COVID-19 pandemic – a qualitative study in Norway

Background The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic were more pronounced among migrants than in the majority population and went beyond those directly caused by the virus. Evidence suggests that this overburden is due to complex interactions between individual and structural factors. Some groups of working migrants were in vulnerable positions, overrepresented in essential jobs, under precarious work conditions, and ineligible for social benefits or special COVID-19 economic assistance. This study aimed to explore the experience of migrants working in Norway during the COVID-19 pandemic to gather an in-depth understanding of the pandemic´s impact on their health and well-being, focusing on occupation-related factors. Methods In-depth personal interviews with 20 working migrants from different job sectors in Bergen and Oslo were conducted. Recruitment was performed using a purposive sampling method. Thematic analysis was used. Results At the workplace level, factors such as pressure to be vaccinated, increased in occupational hazards, and increased structural discrimination negatively impacted migrants’ health. Other factors at the host country context, such as changes in social networks in and out of the workplace and changes in the labour market, also had a negative effect. However, the good Norwegian welfare system positively impacted migrants’ well-being, as they felt financially protected by the system. Increased structural discrimination was the only factor clearly identified as migrant-specific by the participants, but according to them, other factors, such as changes in social networks in and out of the workplace and social benefits in Norway, seemed to have a differential impact on migrants. Conclusions Occupational-related factors affected the health and well-being of working migrants during the pandemic. The pressure to get vaccinated and increased structural discrimination in the workplace need to be addressed by Norwegian authorities as it could have legal implications. Further research using intersectional approaches will help identify which factors, besides discrimination, had a differential impact on migrants. This knowledge is crucial to designing policies towards zero discrimination at workplaces and opening dialogue arenas for acknowledging diversity at work.This study was funded by the Pandemic Centre at the Institute of Global Public Health and Primary Care at the University of Bergen. The study also received financial support from Alrek Helseklynge at the University of Bergen for fieldwork and data analysis. Open access funding provided by University of Bergen

Health and work conditions in older workers

Originales[ES] Introducción: En los últimos años, la población española ha experimentado un crecimiento acelerado de personas mayores. Las previsiones demográficas a corto-medio plazo describen un importante predominio de trabajadores mayores en el mercado laboral. Objetivos: Identificar las diferencias según dos grupos de edad (<55 años y ≥55 años) en la percepción de las condiciones de trabajo y salud de la población trabajadora española. Metodología: Las diferencias entre los dos grupos de edad se analizaron a partir de indicadores de condiciones de trabajo y de salud pertenecientes a la VII Encuesta Nacional de Condiciones de Trabajo del Instituto de Seguridad e Higiene en el Trabajo (VII_ENCT). El análisis consistió en el cálculo de las prevalencias y la odds ratio cruda-ORc y ajustada por sexo con su correspondiente intervalo del confianza al 95% Resultados: El grupo de trabajadores más jóvenes presentan más riesgo de exposición a seis de los siete indicadores relacionados con las condiciones de trabajo (ruido, vibraciones, carga física, carga mental, autonomía y motivación). No obstante los trabajadores mayores tienen una peor percepción de su estado de salud (ORa= 2,06 [1,75-2,42]) y presentan en mayor medida problemas de salud que si bien les conducen a la visita médica más frecuentemente los relacionan menos con su actividad laboral. Conclusiones: A tenor de los resultados, los trabajadores de 55 años y más refieren tener menos quejas respecto a sus condiciones laborales e incluso se sienten más autónomos y motivados. Es el deterioro físico y mental la principal limitación que encuentran estos trabajadores a la hora de ejercer sus tareas. Sería recomendable establecer políticas de promoción de la salud dentro de las empresas para mejorar los indicadores de salud y promover el envejecimiento activo de la población trabajadora española. [EN] Introduction: In recent years, Spain’s population has aged rapidly. Short and middle-term demographic forecasts describe a predominance of older workers in the labor market. Objectives: To identify differences between two age groups (under 55 and aged 55 and over) in the perception of working conditions and health of the Spanish working population. Methodology: The differences between the two age groups were analyzed from work and health indicators belonging to the VII National Survey on Working Conditions, made by the Institute for Safety and Health at Work (VII_ENCT). The analysis consisted of calculating the prevalence and odds ratio raw and adjusted pro sex ratio- with its corresponding confidence interval of 95. Results: The group of younger workers have showed a higher risk in six out of the seven indicators analyzed concerning working conditions (noise, vibration, physical and mental stress, autonomy and motivation). However, older workers have poorer perception of their health status (a OR = 2.06 [1.75 to 2.42]) and they have more health problems than younger workers, although less related to the working conditions. Conclusions: According to the results, workers aged 55 and older report having fewer complaints about their working conditions and even feel more autonomous and motivated. The physical and mental deterioration is the main handicap for these workers when exercising their tasks. It would be advisable to establish policies to promote health within companies to improve health indicators and also to promote active aging in the Spanish working population.N

Ocular and Visual Alterations in Computer Workers Contact Lens Wearers: Scoping Review

Fundamentos: El elevado número de personas que trabajando con ordenador utiliza lentes de contacto plantea la cuestión sobre si la suma de estos dos factores de riesgo para la salud visual puede originar un agravamiento del Síndrome Visual Informático. El objetivo de esta revisión es sintetizar el conocimiento científico sobre las alteraciones oculares y visuales relacionadas con la exposición a ordenador en usuarios de lentes de contacto. Métodos: Revisión de artículos científicos (2003-2013) en español e inglés, realizando una búsqueda bibliográfica, en Medline a través de PubMed y en Scopus. Resultados: La búsqueda inicial aportó 114 trabajos, después de aplicar criterios de inclusión/exclusión se incluyeron seis artículos. Todos ellos ponen de manifiesto que las alteraciones al utilizar el ordenador son más frecuentes en las personas usuarias de lentes de contacto, con prevalencias que oscilan de 95,0% al 16,9% que en las que no utilizan lentes de contacto, cuya prevalencia va del 57,5% al 9,9% y con una probabilidad cuatro veces mayor de padecer ojo seco [OR: 4,07 (IC 95%: 3,52-4,71)]. Conclusiones: Las personas usuarias de ordenador padecen más alteraciones oculares y visuales cuando además son usuarias de lentes de contacto, pero los estudios son escasos y poco contundentes. Se precisan nuevas investigaciones que analicen la influencia según los tipos de lentes y sus condiciones de uso, tanto en la sintomatología como en la calidad de la lágrima y la superficie ocular. Las lentes de hidrogel de silicona son las que se asocian a mayor confort.Background: The high number of computer workers wearing contact lenses raises the question whether the sum of these two risk factors for eye health may cause a worsening of Computer Vision Syndrome. The aim of this review is to synthesize the knowledge about ocular and visual alterations related with computer use in contact lens wearers. Methods: International review of scientific papers (2003-2013) in Spanish and English, using Scoping Review method, in Medline through PubMed and in Scopus. Results: The initial search provided 114 references, after applying inclusion/exclusion criteria six of them were included. All of them reveal that symptoms when using computer are more prevalent in contact lens wearers, with values of symptoms presentation prevalence ranging from 95.0% to 16.9% in wearers and from 57.5% to 9.9% in non-wearers, and four times more likely to develop dry eye [OR: 4.07 (95% CI: 3.52 to 4.71)]. Conclusion: Computer workers suffer more ocular and visual disturbances if they also are contact lens users, but studies are few and non conclusive. Likewise, further research regarding contact lens type and their conditions of use, both in symptoms and tear quality and ocular surface are needed. Silicone hydrogel lenses are associated with more comfort.Trabajo financiado con una Ayuda para la realización de Proyectos de Investigación Emergentes de la Universidad de Alicante (GRE11-22)

Fibromyalgia patients’ perceptions of the impact of the disease in the workplace

Objetivo: Explorar las percepciones de pacientes con fibromialgia (FM) sobre los problemas que experimentan en el ámbito laboral, para analizar cómo se enfrentan a ellos y se adaptan a las limitaciones derivadas de los síntomas de esta enfermedad. Diseño: Estudio cualitativo exploratorio realizado en 2009. Emplazamiento: Asociaciones de pacientes con FM de la Comunidad Valenciana (España). Participantes: Dieciséis personas (13 mujeres y 3 hombres) diagnosticadas de FM por un reumatólogo, de distintas edades y ocupaciones, seleccionadas a partir de informantes clave y por la técnica de bola de nieve. Método: Muestreo pragmático. Entrevistas semiestructuradas hasta alcanzar la saturación de la información cuando no emergían contenidos nuevos. Análisis de contenido cualitativo utilizando el software informático Atlas.ti-5 para generar y asignar códigos, formar categorías e identificar un tema latente. Resultados: Se identificaron 4 categorías: las dificultades para cumplir las exigencias laborales, la necesidad de apoyo social en el entorno laboral, las estrategias adoptadas para continuar trabajando y la resistencia a abandonar el mercado de trabajo. De forma transversal a estas categorías emergió un tema: la disposición de permanecer o reincorporarse al mercado laboral. Conclusiones: Se requiere atender las necesidades específicas de los pacientes con el fin de que logren permanecer en el mercado laboral, de acuerdo a sus capacidades. Para ello, emerge la necesidad de programas de sensibilización sobre las consecuencias de la FM en el entorno laboral para lograr la colaboración de los directivos, empresarios, profesionales de Atención Primaria y médicos del trabajo.Objective: To explore the perceptions of patients with fibromyalgia (FM) on the problems they experience in the workplace, to discuss how they face and adapt to the limitations imposed by the symptoms of this disease. Design: An exploratory qualitative study conducted in 2009. Location. Associations of patients of FM from Valencia (Spain). Participants: Sixteen patients (13 women and 3 men) diagnosed with FM by a rheumatologist, of different ages and occupations, selected from key informants and the snowball technique. Method: Pragmatic sample. Semi-structured interviews until saturation of information when no new information emerged. Qualitative content analysis using the software Atlas.ti-5, to generate and assign codes, forming categories and identifying a latent theme. Results: We identified four categories: difficulties in meeting the work demands, need for social support in the workplace, strategies adopted to continue working, and resistance to leave the employment. A theme which crosscut these categories emerged: FM patientś motivation to continue in the labour market. Conclusions: Addressing the specific needs of patients it is essential in order to helping them to stay in the labour market, according to their capabilities. Awareness programs about the consequences of FM in the workplace are needed to achieve the collaboration of managers, entrepreneurs, occupational health professionals and primary care physicians and nurses.Financiación parcial del Síndic de Greuges de la Comunidad Valenciana; el Instituto alicantino de cultura Juan Gil Albert; y el Centro de Estudios sobre la mujer (CEM) de la Universidad de Alicante

Appropriateness of radiological diagnostic tests in otolaryngology

Objective: To evaluate the appropriateness of imaging tests associated with radiation in the field of otolaryngology according to the available recommendations, and to estimate the effective radiation dose associated. Method: Cross-sectional epidemiological study of the totality of the imaging test requests carried out by two Spanish hospitals (n = 1931). We collected the following information: patient demographic data, type of imaging test, imaging tests referred in the previous 12 months, referrer department and diagnostic suspicion. In accordance with the available guidelines, we considered the requests: (a) Appropriate; (b) Inappropriate; (c) Not adequately justified; (d) Not included in the guidelines. We calculated the prevalence of each category and their variation according to the different variables. Collective and per capita effective dose were calculated for each category. Results: Of the 538 requests, 42% were considered appropriate, 34.4% inappropriate, 11.9% not adequately justified and 11.7% not included in the guidelines. Imaging tests requested by general partitioners (aOR: 0.18; 95% CI: 0.06–0.50) and clinical departments (aOR: 0.27; 95% CI: 0.11–0.60) were less likely to be considered appropriate than those requested by the Otolaryngology department. Patients with a diagnosis suspicion of tumour pathology were more likely to have a requested imaging test classified as appropriate (aOR: 7.12; 95% CI: 3.25–15.61). The cumulative effective dose was 877.8 mSv, of which 40% corresponded to tests classified as inappropriate. Conclusions: A high percentage of imaging tests are considered as inappropriate in the field of otolaryngology, with a relevant frequency of associated effective radiation dose. Type of department, the diagnostic suspicion and the type of imaging tests were variables associated to the inappropriateness of the test

Examining the Impact of Two Dimensions of Precarious Employment, Vulnerability and Insecurity on the Self-Reported Health of Men, Women and Migrants in Australia

Precarious employment is increasing and adversely affects health. We aimed to investigate how perception of precariousness in current employment impacts gender and migrant workers in Australia. Using cross-sectional interviews of 1292 workers born in Australia, New Zealand, India and the Philippines, data were collected on self-reported health, employment conditions and sociodemographics. Factor analysis of nine questions about perceptions of current employment revealed two dimensions, vulnerability and insecurity. Women had higher vulnerability scores (µ = 6.5 vs. µ = 5.5, t = 5.40, p-value (p) < 0.000) but lower insecurity scores (µ = 8.6 vs. µ = 9.3 t = −4.160 p < 0.0003) than men. Filipino-born workers had higher vulnerability compared with other migrant workers (µ = 6.5 vs. µ = 5.8 t = −3.47 p < 0.0003), and workers born in India had higher insecurity compared with other migrant workers (µ = 9.8 vs. µ = 8.9, t = −6.1 p < 0.0001). While the prevalence of insecurity varied by migrant status, the negative effect on health was higher for Australian-born workers than migrants. Increasing levels of vulnerability and insecurity impacted self-reported health negatively (Coefficient (Coef).0.34 p < 0.0001; Coef.0.25 p < 0.0001, respectively). The combination of high vulnerability and high insecurity had the greatest impact on health (Coef. 2.37 p = 0.002), followed by high vulnerability and moderate insecurity (Coef. 2.0 p = 0.007). Our study suggests that understanding both changes in employment conditions over time as well as knowledge of cultural patterns may offer the best chance of understanding the impact of precarious employment experiences.This research was funded by the Australian Research Council Discovery Project, grant number DP160100660

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Labour trafficking: Challenges and opportunities from an occupational health perspective

Labour trafficking is intrinsically related to occupational health, however very little attention has been paid to the issue from an occupational health perspective. The recognition of certain work-related health problems in workers in specific work sectors can help to identify victims of labour trafficking. This work identifies a series of opportunities for Occupational Health Services to detect and address labour trafficking and increase awareness of health personnel of the problem

Archivos: Success!

En tres meses Archivos de Prevención de Riesgos Laborales cumple un cuarto de siglo. En 1998, la entonces Societat Catalana de Seguretat i Medicina del Treball, hoy Associació Catalana de Salut Laboral, presidida por Jaume de Montserrat, anunciaba una nueva revista, que nacía con 35 años de historia y 120 números publicados en la extinguida Medicina de Empresa. Fernando G. Benavides asumía la tarea (1998-2005). Archivos nació con una clara voluntad de hacer realidad un instrumento “de difusión de información relevante, rigurosa y actual que necesita todo campo de conocimiento para su desarrollo y evolución” parafraseando a su segunda directora, Ana M García (2005-2015) y además de acuerdo con los criterios internacionales de calidad científica..