Prolonged sitting in cars: Prevalence,socio-demographic variations,and trends

BackgroundProlonged sitting is detrimentally associated with health outcomes. However, the prevalence and characteristics of those who sit in cars for long periods are not well understood. This study examined the population prevalence, socio-demographic variations, and trends for prolonged sitting in cars among adults.MethodsUsing the Sydney Greater Metropolitan Area Household Travel Survey, the prevalence of prolonged sitting time in cars (≥ 2 h/day) was calculated for four 3-year periods (1997–99, 2000–02, 2003–05, and 2006–08) for each population subgroup. Trends were calculated as the mean change in prevalence between adjacent survey periods.ResultsCars were used for 66% of the total trips recorded (n = 336,505). The prevalence of prolonged sitting time in cars was 16–18% in men, and 10–12% in women. Relatively higher prevalence rates were found among middle-age groups (men: 20–22%, women: 12–15%), full-time workers (men: 21–24%, women: 14–15%), those with higher income (men: 21–25%, women: 14–16%), couples with children (men: 20–21%, women: 12–14%), and those living in outer suburbs (men: 20–23%, women: 12–13%). Trends were stable in men, but increasing in women. Several subgroups (older age; living in regional suburbs) also showed increasing trends.ConclusionsThese findings provide evidence to inform integrated approaches to measurement and policy development on prolonged car use among the public health, urban planning, and transport sectors.     

Sedentary behavior: Understanding and influencing adults' prolonged sitting time

Too much sitting is now understood to be a health risk that is additional to, and distinct from, too little exercise. There is a rapidly-accumulating evidence on relationships of prolonged sedentary time and patterns of sedentary time with cardio-metabolic risk biomarkers and health outcomes. There is, however, the need to gather dose–response evidence and develop a broader understanding of the set of mechanisms linking sedentary behavior to health outcomes. In addition to the further understanding of the associated health risks, there is a new health-behavior, and epidemiological and experimental research agenda to be pursued, which include measurement studies; understanding the relevant determinants—particularly environmental determinants of sedentary behavior; and, developing effective interventions. A broad-based body of evidence is needed to inform the research-translation agenda—identifying and developing the future public health initiatives, environmental and policy changes and clinical guidelines that may be required.     

Sedentary behavior: Understanding and influencing adults' prolonged sitting time

Too much sitting is now understood to be a health risk that is additional to, and distinct from, too little exercise. There is a rapidly-accumulating evidence on relationships of prolonged sedentary time and patterns of sedentary time with cardio-metabolic risk biomarkers and health outcomes. There is, however, the need to gather dose–response evidence and develop a broader understanding of the set of mechanisms linking sedentary behavior to health outcomes. In addition to the further understanding of the associated health risks, there is a new health-behavior, and epidemiological and experimental research agenda to be pursued, which include measurement studies; understanding the relevant determinants—particularly environmental determinants of sedentary behavior; and, developing effective interventions. A broad-based body of evidence is needed to inform the research-translation agenda—identifying and developing the future public health initiatives, environmental and policy changes and clinical guidelines that may be required.     

Understanding the nature and impact of occupational stress on Australian rural aged care workers

This study explored the nature and impact of occupational stress on direct-care workers employed by aged care providers in rural Australia. The Job demands–Resources (JD-R) model of occupational stress provided the theoretical framework to guide this qualitative investigation. A series of four FGs were conducted with direct-care workers (n = 23), who reported their job demands, job resources and personal resources. Direct-care workers identified six themes related to job demands: time pressure, physical demands, hindrance demands, an inadequate mix of staff, insufficient training to deal with complex conditions and work schedule demands. Four themes related to job resources were identified: collaboration with colleagues, equipment, opportunities for development and work schedule control. Disposition and self-care were identified as necessary personal resources for aged care workers. While the generic JD-R questionnaire captures many relevant workplace characteristics, further investigations with this work group should also consider the inclusion of items related to shift work, disposition and self-care.     

Occupational sitting time and overweight and obesity in Australian workers

BACKGROUND: One of the major immediate and long-term health issues in modern society is the problem of overweight and obesity. This paper examines the role of the workplace in the problem by studying the association between occupational sitting time and overweight and obesity (body mass index [BMI] > or =25) in a sample of adult Australians in full-time employment. METHODS: Data on age, gender, occupation, physical activity, occupational sitting time, and BMI were collected in September 2003 from a sample of 1579 adult men and women in full-time employment at the time of the survey. Logistic regression was used to examine the association between occupational sitting time and overweight and obesity. RESULTS: Mean occupational sitting time was >3 hours/day, and significantly higher in men (209 minutes) than in women (189 minutes, p=0.026). Univariate analyses showed significant associations between occupational sitting time and BMI of > or =25 in men but not in women. After adjusting for age, occupation, and physical activity, the odds ratio for BMI > or =25 was 1.92 (confidence interval: 1.17-3.17) in men who reported sitting for >6 hours/day, compared with those who sat for <45 minutes/day. CONCLUSIONS: Occupational sitting time was independently associated with overweight and obesity in men who were in full-time paid work. These results suggest that the workplace may play an important role in the growing problem of overweight and obesity. Further research is needed to clearly understand the association between sitting time at work and overweight and obesity in women.     

Bulimia in adolescents: Prevalence and psychosocial correlates

A bulimic episode during adolescence appears to be a risk factor for chronic eating disorders, yet little is known about the prevalence or psychosocial correlates of bulimia in this age group. The prevalence of bulimia was determined in a geographically, racially, and economically diverse sample of 1,373 high school boys and girls. In addition to DSM-III criteria, a minimum binge-eating frequency of once per month was employed. For bulimia, with purging, a minimum purging frequency of once per month was employed. Bulimia was identified in 9.6% of girls (with purging, 2.2%; without purging, 7.4%) and in 1.2% of boys (with purging, 0.1%; without purging, 1.1%). The two subtypes of bulimia subjects were demographically and psychologically equivalent. Bulimia subjects (combined) did not differ from normals on race, age, or SES. Bulimics exhibited more negative body image, negative self-esteem, social anxiety, and depression than normals. In the total sample of students, general eating disorder symptomatology was predicted by measures of body image, depression, and social anxiety in girls and by body image and depression in boys.     

Perceived occupational stress,affective, and physical well-being among telecommunication employees in Greece

The present study examined four potential roles of work-related negative affectivity on the associations between self-reported occupational stress and physical well-being among telecommunication employees in Greece. Participants (764, predominantly male) completed a battery of self-report measures on perceived occupational stress, negative affectivity, and illness symptoms. In line with previous research, negative affectivity exerted a nuisance effect, by inflating the association between reported stressors and illness symptoms, and significantly predicted illness symptoms, over and above the effects of stressors. In addition, negative affectivity influenced reported illness symptom indirectly, through the effects of stressors, and moderated the relationship between interpersonal conflict at work and illness symptoms. The findings suggest that negative affectivity can largely explain and influence in different ways the associations between self-reported stress and physical strain. It is recommended that future studies of occupational stress should control for the effects of negative affectivity, and that health professionals should be cautious of its effects when interpreting relationships between self-reported occupational stress and physical well-being.     

甘肃省公共场所从业人员健康状况及影响因素分析

  目的  探讨浙江省公共场所从业人员获取卫生知识的态度和途径,并分析其影响因素。  方法  于2019年选取浙江省湖州、嘉兴、绍兴和温州4个地市的五大类公共场所,调查1 290名从业人员获取卫生知识的态度（包括需求、意愿、行动）和途径,采用logistic回归分析影响因素。  结果  1290份有效问卷中,有获取健康知识需求的从业人员986人（76.43 %）,有获取意愿的1 092人（84.65 %）,有主动学习行为的1 085人（84.11 %）。不同文化程度、性别、岗位和年龄的从业人员在获取卫生知识的态度上差异有统计学意义（P < 0.05）。获取卫生知识的途径前3位分别是上网（1 158人,占89.77 %）、听单位管理人员宣传（1 153人,占89.38 %）、看电视（1 126人,占87.29 %）。影响因素分析结果显示,与小学或以下文化程度相比,选择上网获取的大专及以上人员OR值为6.819;与家庭年收入 < 5万的人相比,> 20万的人员OR值为5.268;与清洁岗位（91.24 %）相比,工程技术岗（83.09 %）工作人员更少选择听管理人员宣传卫生知识,OR值为0.367;与男性（82.77 %）相比,女性（89.68 %）更倾向选择看电视获取,OR值为1.720;与小学或以下文化相比,选择看电视获取的大专及以上人员OR值为3.438。  结论  浙江省公共场所从业人员对获取卫生知识的态度有待提升,网络、单位管理人员宣传以及电视可作为今后卫生知识宣贯的重点途径,年龄、性别、文化、岗位和家庭年收入是开展健康教育的针对性因素。     

Non-fatal occupational injuries among non-governmental employees in Malaysia

We analyzed data on non-fatal occupational injuries reported to Malaysia's social security organization from 2002 to 2006. There was a decrease in both the absolute number and the incidence rates of these injuries over time. About 40% of cases occurred in the manufacturing sector followed by the service (17%) and trading (17%) sectors. The agriculture sector reported the highest incidence rate (24.1/1,000), followed by the manufacturing sector subcategories of wood-product manufacturing (22.1/1,000) and non-metallic industries (20.8/1,000). Men age 40 to 59 and persons of Indian ethnicity had a greater tendency to sustain injuries. Government and non-governmental organizations should strive to develop strategies to reduce the occupational injuries targeting vulnerable groups. Enforcement of safety measures will further play an important role to ensure that both employees and employers take special precautions to address workplace hazards.     

Oculotoxins: effects, implications, and importance in occupational health

A large number of chemicals are being used in industries. The potential of many of these chemicals to cause ocular damage has been well documented. It is therefore important that proper attention be given to the prevention of visual handicap among the population exposed to industrial chemicals. The aim of the present article is to create awareness and provoke discussion among concerned health personnel and administrators.     

Physical activity, weight gain and occupational health among call centre employees

BACKGROUND: A need exists to address ergonomic, weight gain and obesity risks in sedentary occupations. AIM: To determine relationships between body mass index (BMI), weight gain, ergonomic and exercise variables in sedentary workers. METHODS: An anonymous questionnaire was administered regarding body weight, height, weight gained since employment, body part discomfort, shift fatigue, time to achieve job adaptation, physical activity, fitness centre membership, previous employment type and previous injury. RESULTS: Subjects were 393 volunteers (mean age 34 years, 71% female) employed in a call centre. Sixty-eight per cent of participants gained weight averaging 0.9 kg/month for 8 months. Significant findings (P < 0.05) were as follows: non-obese individuals gained less weight than obese individuals, fitness club members had higher BMIs and weight gains than non-members, previously injured individuals gained more weight than non-injured individuals, non-weight gainers reported higher metabolic equivalent-min/week expenditure in relation to vigorous exercise. CONCLUSIONS: Participants reported substantial weight gain over a period of 8 months. In contrast to walking and moderate exercise, only vigorous exercise was significantly associated with non-weight gain. Three risk factors were identified for weight gain: obese when hired, history of previous injury and lack of vigorous exercise.     

Associations between sitting time and weight in young adult Australian women

ObjectiveSedentary behaviour may be a contributor to weight gain in today's young adult women, who are gaining weight faster than women in their mothers' generation. The aim was to examine the relationships between sitting time and weight in young women.MethodData were from women born in 1973–1978 who completed surveys in 2000, 2003 and 2006 for the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health. Associations between concurrent changes in sitting-time and weight, and prospective associations between these variables, were examined using ANOVA and linear regressions, stratified by BMI-category in 2000 (n = 5562).ResultsAmong overweight and obese women, percentage weight change from 2000 to 2006 was higher in those whose sitting time increased (> 20%) than in those whose sitting time decreased (> 20%) over the same period (p < 0.05). Conversely, percentage change in sitting time was significantly higher in those who gained weight (> 5%) than in those who lost weight (> 5%) (p < 0.05). There were no prospective associations between (change in) sitting time and weight change, or between (change in) weight and change in sitting time.ConclusionThe results confirm associations between concurrent changes in weight and changes in sitting time in overweight and obese women, but no prospective relationships were found.     

Patterns and correlates of physical activity among middle-aged employees: A population-based,cross-sectional study

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to determine the level, pattern and correlates (socio-demographic, lifestyle and work-related) of physical activity among middle-aged employees in Croatia.

Material and Methods

In this cross-sectional study the data were collected using a household interview on a random sample of 766 middle-aged employees (52% female) living in Croatia. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ-long) was used to assess physical activity. An additional questionnaire was used to collect data on socio-demographic, lifestyle and work-related correlates.

Results

The median (95% CI) total physical activity for the whole sample was 78.7 (69.1–88.3) MET-hours/week. Most physical activity was accumulated in the domain of work (26.4 (20.3–32.5) MET-hours/week) or in domestic activities (19.2(17.8–20.7) MET-hours/week), whilst a significantly lower physical activity was found in the transport (3.3 (2.9–3.7) MET-hours/week) and leisure-time domains (6.5 (5.7–7.3) MET-hours/week). The multiple regression analysis showed an inverse relationship between educational level and the size of settlements with the domestic-related and total physical activity (β range: ?0.11 to ?0.22; p < 0.01). Among lifestyle correlates, only alcohol consumption was positively related to the total physical activity (β = 0.12; p < 0.01), while the perceived level of stress outside work was the only one, which was inversely associated with the work-related (β = ?0.09; p < 0.01) and leisure-time physical activity (β = ?0.10; p < 0.01).

Conclusions

Middle-aged employees in Croatia accumulate most of their daily physical activity in the work and domestic domains. Analysis of the relationship between physical activity and potential socio-demographic, lifestyle, and work-related correlates indicated that physical activity promotional activities should be primarily focused on males, employees living in smaller settlements and those with higher educational levels. The correlates of physical activity among middle-aged employees seem to be domain-specific. Therefore, future studies in this area should consider assessing physical activity in each domain separately.     

Individual,occupational, and workplace correlates of occupational health and safety vulnerability in a sample of Canadian workers

Objective

To describe OH&S vulnerability across a diverse sample of Canadian workers.

Methods

A survey was administered to 1,835 workers employed more than 15 hrs/week in workplaces with at least five employees. Adjusted logistic models were fitted for three specific and one overall measure of workplace vulnerability developed based on hazard exposure and access to protective OH&S policies and procedures, awareness of employment rights and responsibilities, and workplace empowerment.

Results

More than one third of the sample experienced some OH&S vulnerability. The type and magnitude of vulnerability varied by labor market sub‐group. Younger workers and those in smaller workplaces experienced significantly higher odds of multiple types of vulnerability. Temporary workers reported elevated odds of overall, awareness‐ and empowerment‐related vulnerability, while respondents born outside of Canada had significantly higher odds of awareness vulnerability.

Conclusion

Knowing how labor market sub‐groups experience different types of vulnerability can inform better‐tailored primary prevention interventions. Am. J. Ind. Med. 59:119–128, 2016. © 2015 The Authors. American Journal of Industrial Medicine Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.