Prevalence and associated factors of depressive symptoms among Chinese male correctional officers

Objectives

Chinese correctional officers (COs) consist of frontline COs in direct contact with the prisoners and non-frontline COs (including administrative staff and professionals). Male COs compose the majority of Chinese COs, especially for frontline COs. Although they are quite susceptible to depressive symptoms due to highly risky and stressful working environment, few studies focus on this issue. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of depressive symptoms and to explore its associated factors among Chinese male frontline and non-frontline COs.

Methods

This cross-sectional study was performed during the period of March/April 2011. The study population comprised of 1,900 male COs in four male prisons in a province of northeast China. A questionnaire including the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, demographic factors, work conditions, effort–reward imbalance questionnaire was distributed to these COs. A total of 1,494 effective respondents became our subjects (981 frontline COs and 513 non-frontline COs). Frontline and non-frontline COs were analyzed separately.

Results

Approximately 61.4 % of Chinese male COs had depressive symptoms (63.5 % in frontline COs and 57.3 % in non-frontline COs). Multivariate logistic analyses showed that effort–reward ratio, overcommitment, chronic disease, and threat perception were associated with depressive symptoms in frontline and non-frontline COs, whereas weekly work time had an effect only in frontline COs.

Conclusions

Chinese male COs, especially frontline COs, might have high-level prevalence of depressive symptoms. Moreover, this study had identified important risk factors that might be important in planning strategies for prevention and intervention of depressive symptoms for Chinese male COs.     

How do employment types and job stressors relate to occupational injury? A cross-sectional investigation of employees in Japan

Objective

This study investigated whether 1) the risk of occupational injury differs among permanent employees and specific types of temporary workers, 2) the risk of occupational injury differs across different employment types depending on the degree of job stressors.

Study design

A cross-sectional study design based on self-report survey data.

Methods

A total of 36,688 full-time workers (28,868 men and 7820 women; average age = 35.4) were surveyed by means of a self-administered questionnaire. Employment types consisted of permanent employment and two forms of temporary employment: direct-hire and temporary work agent (TWA). Job characteristics including job demands, job control, and social support at work were measured. Occupational injury was measured by asking whether the participant had an injury on the job in the past 12 months that required a medical treatment. To investigate the relationships between employment types, job stressors, and occupational injury, hierarchical moderated logistic regression tests were conducted.

Results

High job demands (OR = 1.44) and low job control (OR = 1.21) were significantly associated with an increased risk of occupational injury, while controlling for demographic, life style, health, and occupational factors. In addition, direct-hires (OR = 1.85) and temporary agent workers (OR = 3.26) had a higher risk of occupational injury compared with permanent employees. However, the relationship between employment types and the risk of occupational injury depended on the levels of job demands and job control. Specifically, the magnitude of the relationship between job demands and the risk of occupational injury was substantially greater for temporary work agents than for permanent employees when they reported low levels of job control. Such an interaction effect between job demands and job control on the risk of occupational injury was not observed between permanent employees and direct-hire temporary workers.

Conclusion

The current study indicated that temporary workers might be more vulnerable to occupational injury than permanent employees. High levels of job demands and low levels of job control might also add to temporary workers' risk of occupational injury, particularly for TWAs.     

Physical health literacy of student–athletes

Student–athletes are a vulnerable population who face many unique stressors and often engage in risky physical behaviours. Understanding that high levels of health literacy (HL) can lead to improved health knowledge and decreased negative health outcomes, the purpose of this study was to assess the HL of both student–athletes and their non-athlete peers attending NCAA Division I, II and III institutions. Specifically, guided by Nutbeam's (2000) framework of HL, we assessed functional, communicative and critical HL in 205 student–athletes and 205 non-athlete students using the All Aspects of Health Literacy Scale. Compared to non-athletes, student–athletes had lower functional HL (b = 0.20; p < .001; d = 0.21), lower communicative HL (b = 0.12; p < .01; d = 0.13) and higher critical HL (b = 0.11; p < .05; d = 0.11). These findings suggest that additional interventions may be needed to increase the self-sufficiency of student–athletes to care for personal physical health. As social work in sport is an emerging subspecialty of the profession, social workers may consider increased involvement in advocating for this group by working with individuals, coaches and teams to decrease stigma in requesting health services, attending to the complexity of interacting systems and stressors in student–athletes' lives in therapeutic interventions, and connecting them to empowering health education resources.     

Job burnout and correlated factors of three‐tiered public health workers: A cross‐sectional study in China

This study aimed to reveal burnout levels and its potential influencing factors among three‐tiered public health workers in China. A total of 1,328 public health workers from cities, counties and townships in Henan and Hubei provinces participated. Cumulative logistic regressions were used to determine job burnout predictors. Township workers (β = 0.276, p = .046) showed higher levels of emotional exhaustion (EE) than city workers. Municipal workers showed higher levels of depersonalisation (DP) (β = ?0.439, p = .004) and lack of personal accomplishment (LPA) (β = ?0.343, p = .005) than township workers. Compared with those who had better results, township workers with average levels of interpersonal relationships (β = 0.703, p = .014) exhibited higher EE degrees. Municipal (β = 1.050, p < .001) and county (β = 1.359, p < .001) workers with moderate training satisfaction had higher levels of burnout than those with a high degree of training satisfaction. Municipal (β = 3.933, p < .001) and county (β = 1.218, p = .018) workers earning 2,000 RMB and below every month were more likely to have higher burnout levels than those earning 4,001 RMB and above. Township respondents exhibited high EE levels, given the low‐level education of their services’ target audience. Similarly affected by interpersonal relationships, township workers require interpersonal and emotional intervention programmes. City respondents showed a high level of DP and LPA, which was attributed to considerable differences between public health workers and medical workers in cities. Hence, apart from narrowing the reward gap between clinicians and public health workers, improving public health workers' social cognition and status by various channels was found necessary. The burnout of municipal and county respondents were influenced by income and training. Improving the role of income as incentive and reforming trainings programmes would be necessary.     

A configurational approach to the relationship between high-performance work practices and frontline health care worker outcomes

Objective

To identify high-performance work practices (HPWP) associated with high frontline health care worker (FLW) job satisfaction and perceived quality of care.

Methods

Cross-sectional survey data from 661 FLWs in 13 large health care employers were collected between 2007 and 2008 and analyzed using both regression and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis.

Principal Findings

Supervisor support and team-based work practices were identified as necessary for high job satisfaction and high quality of care but not sufficient to achieve these outcomes unless implemented in tandem with other HPWP. Several configurations of HPWP were associated with either high job satisfaction or high quality of care. However, only one configuration of HPWP was sufficient for both: the combination of supervisor support, performance-based incentives, team-based work, and flexible work. These findings were consistent even after controlling for FLW demographics and employer type. Additional research is needed to clarify whether HPWP have differential effects on quality of care in direct care versus administrative workers.

Conclusions

High-performance work practices that integrate FLWs in health care teams and provide FLWs with opportunities for participative decision making can positively influence job satisfaction and perceived quality of care, but only when implemented as bundles of complementary policies and practices.     

Job satisfaction and motivation of health workers in public and private sectors: cross-sectional analysis from two Indian states

Background  

Ensuring health worker job satisfaction and motivation are important if health workers are to be retained and effectively deliver health services in many developing countries, whether they work in the public or private sector. The objectives of the paper are to identify important aspects of health worker satisfaction and motivation in two Indian states working in public and private sectors.     

An overview of health and safety in the Colorado cannabis industry

Background

Understanding worker health and safety in the rapidly growing legal U.S. cannabis industry is important. Although little published research exists, workers may be exposed to biological, chemical, and physical hazards. This study investigated the Colorado cannabis industry workforce and both physical and psychosocial hazards to worker health and safety.

Methods

Two hundred and fourteen Colorado cannabis workers completed an online survey after in‐person and online recruitment. Participants answered questions about their occupation, job tasks, general well‐being, occupational health and safety, cannabis use, and tobacco use.

Results

Colorado cannabis workers were generally job secure and valued safety. However, they regularly consumed cannabis, expressed low concerns about workplace hazards, reported some occupational injuries and exposures, and reported inconsistent training practices.

Conclusions

Working in the cannabis industry is associated with positive outcomes for workers and their organizations, but there is an imminent need to establish formal health and safety training to implement best practices.

     

Social correlates of total cancer in adults and the very old: UK Understanding Society Cohort, 2009–2010

Objective

Understanding of the social determinants of cancer in adults and the very old is still limited. The aim of this study was to provide recent evidence on the social correlates of adult total cancer in a national and population-based setting.

Study design

A cross-sectional study in the recent years between 2009 and 2010.

Method

Data was retrieved and analysed from the UK Longitudinal Household Survey. Information on demographics, living and work conditions, self-reported cancer and age of onset was obtained by household interview. Analyses included Chi-squared test, t-test, and multilevel logistic regression modelling.

Results

Of 50,994 people included in the cohort, 1623 (3.5%) had ever cancer. Of these, 1592 (98.0%) occurred in adulthood (16y+) and only 109 people had their first cancer (incident cancer) at the age when they were interviewed. In the middle-aged and young adults, being female (OR 1.57, 95%CI 1.20–2.06, P = 0.001 and OR 2.04, 95%CI 1.07–3.87, P = 0.03, respectively), not born in the UK (OR 0.54, 95%CI 0.34–0.88, P = 0.01 and OR 0.31, 95%CI 0.09–1.02, P = 0.05, respectively), and being obese/overweight (OR 1.49, 95%CI 1.07–2.07, P = 0.02 and OR 2.34, 95%CI 1.17–4.66, P = 0.02, respectively) were associated with total cancer. However, no associated social factors of cancer in the very old were found. Moreover, prevalence was higher in East Midlands (OR 1.73, 95%CI 1.00–3.00, P = 0.05) but not other regions, compared to London region.

Conclusion

Social environment seems to continue playing a role in the aetiology of cancer in adults, although novel and/or pooled investigation for the very old would be warranted.     

Impact of state Medicaid expansion on cross-sector health and social service networks: Evidence from a longitudinal cohort study

Objective

To examine the impact of state Medicaid expansion on the delivery of population health activities in cross-sector health and social services networks. Community networks are multisector, interorganizational networks that provide services ranging from the direct provision of individual social services to the implementation of population-level initiatives addressing community outcomes.

Data Sources

We used data measuring the composition of cross-sector population health networks 2006–2018 National Longitudinal Survey of Public Health Systems (NALSYS) linked with the Area Health Resource File.

Study Design

A difference-in-differences approach was used to examine the impact of expansion on organization engagement in population health activities and network structure.

Data Collection/Extraction Methods

Stratified random sampling of local public health jurisdictions in the United States. We restricted our data to jurisdictions serving populations of 100,000 or more and states that had NALSYS observations across all time periods, resulting in a final sample size of 667.

Principal Findings

Results from our adjusted difference-in-differences estimates indicated that Medicaid expansion was associated with a 2.3 percentage point increase in the density of population health networks (p < 0.10). Communities in states that expanded Medicaid experienced significant increases in the participation of local public health, local government, hospital, nonprofit, insurer, and K-12 schools. Of the organizations with significant increases in expansion communities, nonprofits (7.7 percentage points, p < 0.01), local public health agencies (6.5 percentage points, p < 0.01), hospitals (5.8 percentage points, p < 0.01), and local government agencies (6.0 percentage points, p < 0.05) had the largest gains.

Conclusions

Our study found increases in cross-sector participation in population health networks in states that expanded Medicaid compared with nonexpansion states, suggesting that additional coverage gains are associated with positive changes in population health network structure.     

A comparison of general and ambulance specific stressors: predictors of job satisfaction and health problems in a nationwide one-year follow-up study of Norwegian ambulance personnel

Objectives  

To address the relative importance of general job-related stressors, ambulance specific stressors and individual characteristics in relation to job satisfaction and health complaints (emotional exhaustion, psychological distress and musculoskeletal pain) among ambulance personnel.     

Mild–moderate congenital hearing loss: secular trends in outcomes across four systems of detection

Background

Universal newborn hearing screening (UNHS) targets moderate or greater hearing loss. However, UNHS also frequently detects children with mild loss that results in many receiving early treatment. The benefits of this approach are not yet established. We aimed to (i) compare language and psychosocial outcomes between four hearing loss detection systems for children aged 5–8 years with congenital mild–moderate hearing loss; (ii) determine whether age of detection predicts outcomes; and (iii) compare outcomes between children identified via well‐established UNHS and the general population.

Methods

Linear regression adjusted for potential confounding factors was used throughout. Via a quasi‐experimental design, language and psychosocial outcomes were compared across four population‐based Australian systems of hearing loss detection: opportunistic detection, born 1991–1993, n = 50; universal risk factor referral, born 2003–2005, n = 34; newly established UNHS, born 2003–2005, n = 41; and well‐established UNHS, born 2007–2010, n = 21. In pooled analyses, we examined whether age of detection predicted outcomes. Outcomes were similarly compared between the current well‐established UNHS system and typically developing children in the Early Language in Victoria Study, born 2003, n = 1217.

Results

Age at diagnosis and hearing aid fitting fell steadily across the four systems. For moderate losses, mean expressive language (P for trend .05) and receptive vocabulary (P for trend .06) improved across the four systems, but benefit was not obvious for mild losses. In pooled analyses, diagnosis before age six months predicted better language outcomes for moderate losses. Children with mild–moderate losses exposed to well‐established UNHS continue to experience expressive language scores well below children in the general population (adjusted mean difference ?8.9 points, 95% CI ?14.7 to ?3.1).

Conclusions

Treatment arising from UNHS appears to be clearly benefitting children with moderate hearing losses. However, rigorous trials are needed to quantify benefits, versus costs and potential harms, of early aiding of children with mild losses.     

Prevalence and occupational predictors of psychological distress in the offshore petroleum industry: a prospective study

Objectives

This study investigates the prevalence of psychological distress and stressors in the work environment as prospective predictors of distress, among employees in the offshore petroleum industry.

Methods

Correlation and logistic regression analyses were employed to examine longitudinal relationships between stressors and distress in a randomly drawn sample of 741 employees from the Norwegian petroleum offshore industry. Time lag between baseline and follow-up was 6 months. Work environment stressors included safety factors, leadership, and job characteristics.

Results

The prevalence of psychological distress was 9 % at baseline and 8 % at follow-up. All investigated work environment factors correlated with subsequent distress. In bivariate logistic regression analyses, caseness of distress was predicted by baseline distress, near miss accidents, risk perception, poor safety climate, tyrannical leadership, laissez-faire leadership, job demands, and workplace bullying. After adjustment for baseline distress, control variables, and other predictors, laissez-faire leadership (OR = 1.69; 95 % CI: 1.12–2.54) and exposure to bullying (OR = 1.49; 95 % CI: 1.07–2.10) emerged as the most robust predictors of subsequent distress.

Conclusions

The findings show that the prevalence of psychological distress is lower among offshore employees than in the general population. Although offshore workers operate in a physically challenging context, their mental health is mainly influenced by stressors in the psychosocial work environment. This highlights the importance of developing and implementing psychosocial safety interventions within the offshore industry.     

The social vulnerability metric (SVM) as a new tool for public health

Objective

To derive and validate a new ecological measure of the social determinants of health (SDoH), calculable at the zip code or county level.

Data Sources and Study Setting

The most recent releases of secondary, publicly available data were collected from national U.S. health agencies as well as state and city public health departments.

Study Design

The Social Vulnerability Metric (SVM) was constructed from U.S. zip-code level measures (2018) from survey data using multidimensional Item Response Theory and validated using outcomes including all-cause mortality (2016), COVID-19 vaccination (2021), and emergency department visits for asthma (2018). The SVM was also compared with the existing Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) to determine convergent validity and differential predictive validity.

Data Collection/Extraction Methods

The data were collected directly from published files available to the public online from national U.S. health agencies as well as state and city public health departments.

Principal Findings

The correlation between SVM scores and national age-adjusted county all-cause mortality was r = 0.68. This correlation demonstrated the SVM's robust validity and outperformed the SVI with an almost four-fold increase in explained variance (46% vs. 12%). The SVM was also highly correlated (r ≥ 0.60) to zip-code level health outcomes for the state of California and city of Chicago.

Conclusions

The SVM offers a measurement tool improving upon the performance of existing SDoH composite measures and has broad applicability to public health that may help in directing future policies and interventions. The SVM provides a single measure of SDoH that better quantifies associations with health outcomes.     

Return to Work Expectations of Workers on Long-Term Non-Work-Related Sick Leave

Introduction Despite suggestions that worker perception might be the best predictor of return to work (RTW), there still is limited research on time to RTW in workers with lengthy non-work-related sick leave. Methods Prospective cohort study of 663 workers with a current long-term non-work-related sick leave episode recruited during the first medical visit in a mutua (Spanish health insurance company) and followed until their sick leave episode ended. Workers completed a baseline questionnaire regarding their perceptions of sick leave episode and expectations of RTW (i.e., health status, work ability, expectations and time required to RTW, self-efficacy and self-perceived connection between health and job). Time to RTW was established based on the mutua’s register. Cox regression models were used to examine the associations of worker perception and expectation of RTW with time to RTW within the study population as a whole as well as in three diagnostic subgroups (i.e., musculoskeletal disorders, mental disorders and other physical conditions). Results As a whole, time to RTW was longer for workers reporting poor health [hazard ratio (HR) = 0.71, 95%CI 0.59–0.85], extremely reduced work ability (HR = 0.69, 95%CI 0.53–0.88), a longer period of time required to RTW (HR = 0.36, 95%CI 0.25–0.52) and lack of expectation of returning to the same job (HR = 0.13, 95%CI 0.06–0.31). Workers with musculoskeletal and other physical conditions showed a similar pattern to whole study population, while workers with mental disorders did not. Conclusion Self-required time and RTW expectations are important prognostic factors in sick listed workers by all types of health conditions certified as non-work-related. Questioning the workers on their perceptions and expectations of RTW during medical visits could help health care professionals to identify individuals at risk of long-term sickness absence and facilitate triage and management of the patient.     

Relationship of neighborhood social determinants of health on racial/ethnic mortality disparities in US veterans—Mediation and moderating effects

Objective

To examine mediation and moderation of racial/ethnic all-cause mortality disparities among Veteran Health Administration (VHA)-users by neighborhood deprivation and residential segregation.

Data sources

Electronic medical records for 10/2008-9/2009 VHA-users linked to National Death Index, 2000 Area Deprivation Index, and 2006-2009 US Census.

Study design

Racial/ethnic groups included American Indian/Alaskan Native (AI/AN), Asian, non-Hispanic black, Hispanic, Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, and non-Hispanic white (reference). We measured neighborhood deprivation by Area Deprivation Index, calculated segregation for non-Hispanic black, Hispanic, and AI/AN using the Isolation Index, evaluated mediation using inverse odds-weighted Cox regression models and moderation using Cox regression models testing for neighborhood*race/ethnicity interactions.

Principal findings

Mortality disparities existed for AI/ANs (HR = 1.07, 95%CI:1.01-1.10) but no other groups after covariate adjustment. Neighborhood deprivation and Hispanic segregation neither mediated nor moderated AI/AN disparities. Non-Hispanic black segregation both mediated and moderated AI/AN disparities. The AI/AN vs. non-Hispanic white disparity was attenuated for AI/ANs living in neighborhoods with greater non-Hispanic black segregation (P = .047). Black segregation's mediating effect was limited to VHA-users living in counties with low black segregation. AI/AN segregation also mediated AI/AN mortality disparities in counties that included or were near AI/AN reservations.

Conclusions

Neighborhood characteristics, particularly black and AI/AN residential segregation, may contribute to AI/AN mortality disparities among VHA-users, particularly in communities that were rural, had greater black segregation, or were located on or near AI/AN reservations. This suggests the importance of neighborhood social determinants of health on racial/ethnic mortality disparities. Living near reservations may allow AI/AN VHA-users to maintain cultural and tribal ties, while also providing them with access to economic and other resources. Future research should explore the experiences of AI/ANs living in black communities and underlying mechanisms to identify targets for intervention.

     

Perceived job insecurity and perceived employability in relation to temporary and permanent workers’ psychological symptoms: a two samples study

Purpose  

To clarify the role of perceived job insecurity and perceived employability in relation to psychological symptoms among permanent and temporary employees in two samples. Sample 1 was representative of the Finnish working population in 2008 (n = 4,330; Study 1). Sample 2 was collected among Finnish university personnel and in two waves (n = 1,212; Study 2).     

Organizational justice, psychological distress, and work engagement in Japanese workers

Purpose  

To investigate the cross-sectional association between organizational justice (i.e., procedural justice and interactional justice) and psychological distress or work engagement, as well as the mediating roles of other job stressors (i.e., job demands and job control, or their combination, effort–reward imbalance [ERI], and worksite support).     

How “age-friendly” are deprescribing interventions? A scoping review of deprescribing trials

Objective

To assess how age-friendly deprescribing trials are regarding intervention design and outcome assessment. Reduced use of potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) can be addressed by deprescribing—a systematic process of discontinuing and/or reducing the use of PIMs. The 4Ms—“Medication”, “Mentation”, “Mobility”, and “What Matters Most” to the person—can be used to guide assessment of age-friendliness of deprescribing trials.

Data Source

Published literature.

Study Design

Scoping review.

Data Extraction Methods

The literature was identified using keywords related to deprescribing and polypharmacy in PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, ProQuest, CINAHL, and Cochrane and snowballing. Study characteristics were extracted and evaluated for consideration of 4Ms.

Principal Findings

Thirty-seven of the 564 trials identified met the review eligibility criteria. Intervention design: “Medication” was considered in the intervention design of all trials; “Mentation” was considered in eight trials; “Mobility” (n = 2) and “What Matters Most” (n = 6) were less often considered in the design of intervention. Most trials targeted providers without specifying how matters important to older adults and their families were aligned with deprescribing decisions. Outcome assessment: “Medication” was the most commonly assessed outcome (n = 33), followed by “Mobility” (n = 13) and “Mentation” (n = 10) outcomes, with no study examining “What Matters Most” outcomes.

Conclusions

“Mentation” and “Mobility”, and “What Matters Most” have been considered to varying degrees in deprescribing trials, limiting the potential of deprescribing evidence to contribute to improved clinical practice in building an age-friendly health care system.