Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
    • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
    • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Occupational health research round-up: December 2018

by Sarah Silcox 7 Dec 2018
by Sarah Silcox 7 Dec 2018 Photo: REX/Photofusion
Photo: REX/Photofusion

Measles immunity in healthcare workers

Healthcare workers have an increased exposure risk to measles, potentially putting them, their patients and relatives at risk of infection. This study of workers at an Italian hospital found that only 87% have protective measles IgG antibody titres and that the proportion of protective titres was highest in those born before 1982. The authors conclude that “a substantial percentage” of healthcare workers show non-protective measles antibody titres and that “increased prevention strategies are required, including rigorous screening and prompt vaccination of non-immune workers.”
Coppeta L et al. “Measles immunity in an Italian teaching hospital”, Occupational Medicine, published online 6 October 2018.

Job insecurity associated with psychological distress

Persistent job insecurity, and changes in perceptions of job security, has an adverse effect on workers’ psychological distress, according to this study of Japanese employees. The impact is particularly acute amongst those with children and persists after adjusting for confounders. The authors conclude that “policy makers should consider dependent family and gender inequalities when developing policies to reduce job insecurity and its negative health effects.”
Kachi Y et al. “Gender differences in the effects of job insecurity on psychological distress in Japanese workers: a population-based panel study”. International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health, November 2018, Vol 91, issue 8, pp991-999. Published online on 17 July.

Job strain and cognitive change

Job strain at work is associated with a decline in cognitive capacity in later life, according to this Baltimore-based study. Participants with high job demands and/or low job control had the greatest decrease in mental state and memory scores at the 11 year follow-up point to the baseline than those with low job demands and high control.
Dong L et al. “Job strain and cognitive change: the Baltimore Epidemiologic Catchment Area follow-up study”, Occupational & Environmental Medicine, published online 15 October 2018.

“Overemployment” related to deterioration in mental health

Working more hours than you would prefer is related to negative changes in mental health, according to an analysis of German employees. This relationship holds true as much for those with high earnings and job prospects as those with low rewards at work, it suggests. Conversely, underemployment (working fewer hours than preferred) is not related to a reduction in mental health. The study looked at workers in paid employment who did not change jobs between 2006 and 2008, assessing under- and overemployment as the difference between individuals’ actual and preferred working hours. Mental health was assessed using the Mental Component Summary score, a subscale from the Short Form 12 Health Survey.
De Moortel D et al. “Underemployment, overemployment and deterioration of mental health: the role of job rewards”, International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health, November 2018, vol 91, issue 8, pp1031-1039. Published online 9 August 2018.

Multi-site pain persists into old age

Multi-site musculoskeletal pain (MSP) in mid-working life often persists into old age, according to this longitudinal study of local government workers at four time points after a baseline analysis in 1981. Three trajectories of pain emerged over the 28-year study period: 25% of the workers were classified in a low pain group; 52% in a “moderate” group and 23% in a “high-decreasing” group. The number of pain sites amongst this latter group at first decreased sharply, stabilising to a “moderate” pain level after most individuals retired. This group were also more likely to have experienced high job demands and high job control at baseline, and to have a body mass index over 25 and low leisure-time physical activity levels.
Neupane S et al. “Multisite musculoskeletal pain trajectories from midlife to old age: a 28-year follow-up of municipal employees”, Occupational & Environmental Medicine, published online 15 October 2018.

Time pressures at work associated with unhealthy lifestyles

Employees who experience a high degree of time pressure at work, or who work more than the number of hours set out in their employment contract, are at greater risk of developing unhealthy lifestyles, according to this German study. The association between overtime working, fixed-term contracts, commuting and unhealthy lifestyles gets stronger with employee age.
Rubin M. “Job-related determinants of unhealthy lifestyles”, Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, published online 10 October 2018.

Multi-morbidity in an ageing workforce

A combination of physical and mental health problems is more strongly related to poor work ability than pure physical ill health, according to this study of 7,175 workers aged 45-64. The study aims to explore the effect of multi-morbidity on work ability in an ageing workforce, and particularly the extent to which different coping styles mitigate the effects. It finds that a higher number of co-existing health problems is related to poorer work ability, but that this negative association stabilises in those with three or more health problems. “Active coping” can help reduce the impact of multi-morbidity on work ability, the study concludes.
Kadijk E A et al. “The influence of multi-morbidity on the work ability of ageing employees and the role of coping style”, Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation, published online 03 September 2018.

Avatar
Sarah Silcox

previous post
Ten ways employers can maximise their occupational health spend
next post
Is NHS occupational health at breaking point?

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

You may also like

Five steps for organisations across the globe to...

8 Jun 2022

The Search for Talent: Six Major Employer Pitfalls

24 May 2022

Grants scheme set up to support women’s health...

16 May 2022

How music can help to ease anxiety at...

9 May 2022

OH will be key to navigating ‘second pandemic’...

14 Apr 2022

OH urged to be aware of abortion consultations...

8 Apr 2022

How coached eCBT is returning the workplace to...

8 Apr 2022

Why now is the time to plug the...

7 Apr 2022

Two-thirds of shift workers feel health affected by...

18 Mar 2022

TUC warns of April Covid risk assessment ‘confusion’

14 Mar 2022
  • NSPCC revamps its learning strategy with child wellbeing at its heart PROMOTED | The NSPCC’s mission is to prevent abuse and neglect...Read more
  • Diversity versus inclusion: Why the difference matters PROMOTED | It’s possible for an environment to be diverse, but not inclusive...Read more
  • Five steps for organisations across the globe to become more skills-driven PROMOTED | The shift in the world of work has been felt across the globe...Read more
  • The future of workforce development PROMOTED | Northumbria University and partners share insight...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2022

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2022 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
    • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+