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Workplace Health Promotion after the Storm

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Occupational Safety and Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2023) | Viewed by 15160

Special Issue Editors

1. Center for Global Health Research and Studies, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Roma, Italy
2. Department of Woman and Child Health and Public Health, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario "A. Gemelli", 00168 Roma, Italy
Interests: occupational and urban health; Long COVID; global health
1. Occupational Medicine/Health Technology Assessment and Safety Research Unit, Clinical-Technological Innovations Research Area, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, Viale di San Paolo, 15, 00146 Rome, Italy
2. Health Directorate, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, Piazza Sant’Onofrio, 4, 00165 Rome, Italy
Interests: disability management; work well-being; health surveillance and health promotion; vaccines in healthcare workers; occupational risks for health workers; biological effects of ionizing and non-ionizing radiation; risk management in hospital; exposure assessment of chemical agents; health surveillance of workers

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The workplace has always been the ideal setting for health promotion activities. The availability of health and safety services, which arrange periodic checks on workers, allows reaching a large number of people in a short time and involving them in health improvement actions that can potentially extend to the family and social sphere. In recent years, the marked and rapid aging of the workforce has highlighted the importance of health improvement, because only workers in excellent physical and psychological shape can remain productive until old age.

The prevention of traditional occupational risks is frequently associated with a growing effort to promote and improve health. A Special Issue of this journal back in 2018 collected very valuable contributions from many research groups, in a global perspective of total worker health.

 In the past two years, the pandemic caused by the Sars-CoV-2 virus has severely tested occupational health and safety services, as well as healthcare in general. Today, even if the pandemic is certainly not over, new therapeutic possibilities and the use of vaccines make it possible to tackle this disease and push for a renewed commitment to health promotion, which also has the aim of putting workers in the best possible conditions for coping with disease. Papers addressing these topics are invited to this Special Issue, especially those combining a high academic standard with a practical focus on providing optimal health promotion activities in the workplace.

Dr. Nicola Magnavita
Dr. Giuseppe La Torre
Dr. Umberto Moscato
Dr. Salvatore Zaffina
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • health promotion
  • global health
  • disability management
  • total worker health

Related Special Issues

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

10 pages, 1301 KiB  
Article
Hand Eczema in Apprentice Nurses during the COVID-19 Pandemic after a Skin Prevention Program
by Linda Piapan, Davide Di Taranto, Emilia Patriarca, Francesca Rui and Francesca Larese Filon
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(4), 2992; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20042992 - 08 Feb 2023
Viewed by 1127
Abstract
Background: Healthcare workers, particularly nurses and apprentice nurses, are at high risk of the development of hand eczema due to daily exposure to wet work. This study aimed to assess the occurrence of hand eczema in a group of first-, second-, and third-year [...] Read more.
Background: Healthcare workers, particularly nurses and apprentice nurses, are at high risk of the development of hand eczema due to daily exposure to wet work. This study aimed to assess the occurrence of hand eczema in a group of first-, second-, and third-year apprentice nurses at the University Hospitals of Trieste (northeastern Italy) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Two hundred forty-two Nursing School students were recruited. Data were collected using a standardized questionnaire based on the Nordic Occupational Skin Questionnaire, and all patients underwent a medical examination to evaluate their skin condition based on standard scores. Transepidermal water loss was also measured. The factors associated with hand eczema were investigated using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. Results: The prevalence of hand eczema was low in students both before and after the traineeship (17.9 and 21.5%, respectively), but clinical signs of mild skin damage, mainly skin dryness, were present in 52.3 and 47.2%, respectively. The factor associated with hand eczema was a personal history of atopic eczema (odd ratios 2.61, 95% confidence intervals 1.18–5.80), while exposure to irritants and glove use did not reach statistical significance. Conclusions: Our findings might be explained by the preventive measures adopted for skin protection among healthcare workers in Trieste since the apprenticeship. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Workplace Health Promotion after the Storm)
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16 pages, 436 KiB  
Article
Internal Structure of the Work–Family Conflict Questionnaire (WFCQ) in Teacher Teleworking
by Henry Santa-Cruz-Espinoza, Gina Chávez-Ventura, Julio Domínguez-Vergara and César Merino-Soto
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(2), 970; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20020970 - 05 Jan 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3027
Abstract
The interference between family and work roles has led to the development of scales for their measurement. However, instrumental studies of work–family conflict have not been conducted in the context of teacher teleworking during the COVID-19 pandemic. For this reason, the objectives of [...] Read more.
The interference between family and work roles has led to the development of scales for their measurement. However, instrumental studies of work–family conflict have not been conducted in the context of teacher teleworking during the COVID-19 pandemic. For this reason, the objectives of this study were set to obtain evidence of the internal structure and fairness of the Blanch and Aluja Work–Family Conflict Questionnaire, as well as its association with job satisfaction and other sociodemographic variables. A total of 235 Peruvian school teachers between the ages of 24 and 72 years (M = 43.79 and SD = 9.67) responded to the scale using the online form. The analysis employed the non-parametric item response theory modeling (Mokken scaling analysis). The structure of two correlated factors was confirmed: work conflict in the family (WCF) and family conflict in the work (FCW). Both dimensions were invariant with respect to sex group and educational level. The association of both dimensions with job satisfaction was theoretically convergent, and the gender of the teachers slightly moderated this relationship. The reliability was adequate for group research. Finally, the instrument can be useful in the organizational context of teachers who telework. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Workplace Health Promotion after the Storm)
14 pages, 402 KiB  
Article
Employees Perceptions of Job Insecurity and Performance: A Qualitative Approach
by Felipe Muñoz Medina, Sergio López Bohle, Sebastian M. Ugarte, Maria José Chambel and Erika Wall
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(24), 16665; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192416665 - 12 Dec 2022
Viewed by 2008
Abstract
The purpose of this article is to understand the experience of workers’ perceptions of job insecurity and its relation to performance. To this end, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 38 workers in the retail, services, education, financial, construction, and pharmaceutical industries in Chile. [...] Read more.
The purpose of this article is to understand the experience of workers’ perceptions of job insecurity and its relation to performance. To this end, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 38 workers in the retail, services, education, financial, construction, and pharmaceutical industries in Chile. Using content analysis based on workers’ accounts of their own experience, we identified two main categories: (a) the experience of job insecurity viewed in relation to the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and emotional aspects of job insecurity, and (b) the relation between job insecurity and performance. The possibility of job loss expresses itself in experiences and emotions that are related to the performance of workers in different ways. These findings are discussed in terms of stress theory and the motivation to preserve jobs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Workplace Health Promotion after the Storm)
17 pages, 830 KiB  
Article
The Influence of Health-Promoting Leadership on Employees’ Positive Workplace Outcomes: The Mediating Role of Employability and the Moderating Role of Workplace Civility
by Chunyu Zhang and Liping Liu
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(22), 15300; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192215300 - 19 Nov 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1947
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has severely accelerated the transformation and rapid organisational change in the workplace. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the hotel industry will not fade in a short time, and the long-term coexistence with the COVID-19 pandemic pressure is a [...] Read more.
The COVID-19 pandemic has severely accelerated the transformation and rapid organisational change in the workplace. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the hotel industry will not fade in a short time, and the long-term coexistence with the COVID-19 pandemic pressure is a real dilemma for the hotel industry. The topic of How to create employee positive workplace outcomes (task performance and innovative work behaviour) during the COVID-19 pandemic has garnered increasing interest in both practical and academic fields. Leaders play a critical role in influencing employee workplace outcomes, yet few studies have explored the predicting role of health-promoting leadership. Drawing upon the conservation of resources (COR) theory, this study aims to examine the employability mediator effect and workplace civility as the moderator effect in the relationship between health-promoting leadership and employee-positive workplace outcomes (task performance and innovative work behaviour). We conducted a two-wave survey of 421 participants from the hotel industry in China and formulated a series of hypotheses that were tested with structural equation modelling. The results showed that health-promoting leadership has a significant positive effect on employees’ employability (β = 0.479, p < 0.001), task performance (β = 0.250, p < 0.001), and innovative work behaviour (β = 0.446, p < 0.001). Employability has a significant positive effect on task performance (β = 0.438, p < 0.001) and innovative work behaviour (β = 0.296, p < 0.001). This study makes certain contributions to the extant hotel industry employees’ positive workplace outcomes literature by attending to the healthy leadership styles that promote employability during the COVID-19 pandemic, and its novel point is to evaluate the workplace civility moderating effect between the above model. It also provides practical insight that mutual transformation in workplace relationships inspire those positive outcomes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Workplace Health Promotion after the Storm)
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12 pages, 367 KiB  
Article
The Impact of Workplace Violence on Headache and Sleep Problems in Nurses
by Nicola Magnavita, Luca Mele, Igor Meraglia, Marco Merella, Maria Eugenia Vacca, Anna Cerrina, Maddalena Gabriele, Marcella Labella, Maria Teresa Soro, Simona Ursino and Carmela Matera
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(20), 13423; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192013423 - 17 Oct 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2054
Abstract
Workplace violence (WV) is a significant occupational hazard for nurses. Previous studies have shown that WV has a reciprocal relationship with occupational stress. Headaches and sleep problems are early neuropsychological signs of distress. This cross-sectional study aims to ascertain the frequency of physical [...] Read more.
Workplace violence (WV) is a significant occupational hazard for nurses. Previous studies have shown that WV has a reciprocal relationship with occupational stress. Headaches and sleep problems are early neuropsychological signs of distress. This cross-sectional study aims to ascertain the frequency of physical or verbal assaults on nurses and to study the association of WV with headaches and sleep problems. During their regular medical examination in the workplace, 550 nurses and nursing assistants (105 males, 19.1%; mean age 48.02 ± 9.98 years) were asked to fill in a standardized questionnaire containing the Violent Incident Form (VIF) concerning the episodes of violence experienced, the Headache Impact Test (HIT-6) regarding headaches, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Inventory (PSQI) on sleep quality. Occupational stress was measured using the Effort/Reward Imbalance questionnaire (ERI). Physical and non-physical violence experienced in the previous year was reported by 7.5% and 17.5% of workers, respectively. In the univariate logistic regression models, the workers who experienced violence had an increased risk of headaches and sleep problems. After adjusting for sex, age, job type, and ERI, the relationship between physical violence and headaches remained significant (adjusted odds ratio aOR = 2.25; confidence interval CI95% = 1.11; 4.57). All forms of WV were significantly associated with poor sleep in a multivariate logistic regression model adjusted for sex, age, job type, and ERI (aOR = 2.35 CI95% = 1.44; 3.85). WV was also associated with the impact of headaches and with sleep quality. WV prevention may reduce the frequency of lasting psychoneurological symptoms, such as headaches and poor sleep quality, that interfere with the ability to work. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Workplace Health Promotion after the Storm)
11 pages, 366 KiB  
Article
Headache in the Workplace: Analysis of Factors Influencing Headaches in Terms of Productivity and Health
by Nicola Magnavita
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(6), 3712; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19063712 - 21 Mar 2022
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3695
Abstract
Headache is a very common condition that can have a significant impact on work. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of headaches and their impact on a sample of 1076 workers from 18 small companies operating in different sectors. The workers who [...] Read more.
Headache is a very common condition that can have a significant impact on work. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of headaches and their impact on a sample of 1076 workers from 18 small companies operating in different sectors. The workers who volunteered to participate were asked to fill in the Headache Impact Test-6 (HIT-6) and answer questions designed to assess stressful and traumatic factors potentially associated with headaches. The volunteers subsequently underwent a medical examination and tests for diagnosing metabolic syndrome. Out of the 1044 workers who completed the questionnaire (participation rate = 97%), 509 (48.8%) reported suffering from headaches. In a multivariate logistic regression model, female gender, recent bereavement, intrusive leadership, and sleep problems were significantly associated with headaches. In univariate logistic regression models, headache intensity was associated with an increased risk of anxiety (OR 1.10; CI95% 1.09; 1.12) and depression (OR 1.09; CI95% 1.08; 1.11). Headache impact was also associated with the risk of metabolic syndrome (OR 1.02; CI95% 1.00, 1.04), obesity (OR 1.02, CI95% 1.01; 1.03), and reduced HDL cholesterol (OR 1.03; CI95% 1.01; 1.04). The impact of headache calls for intervention in the workplace not only to promote a prompt diagnosis of the different forms of headaches but also to improve work organization, leadership style, and the quality of sleep. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Workplace Health Promotion after the Storm)
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