[Alcohol consumption risk among health care workers of the Santa Croce e Carle Hospital of Cuneo: index of prevalence, predictors and enforcement actions to dissuade alcohol consumption]. / Consumo di alcol a rischio fra gli operatori dell'Azienda Ospedaliera Santa Croce e Carle di Cuneo: indici di prevalenza, predittori e interventi di contrasto all'assunzione di alcol.

OBJECTIVES: 1691 workers of a hospital in Northern Italy underwent medical examinations in order to identij the prevalence index of alcohol consumption posing a risk, to assess the ability of some bio-anthropometric variables to predict the condition of a risk drinker, and to assess the results of a programme designed to reduce alcohol intake. METHODS: Certain blood parameters were examined and two basic alcohol consumption questionnaires were administered to identify drinkers at risk. Subjects showing a high CDT ratio were given an in-depth interview to assess alcohol intake. Drinkers at risk were enrolled in an alcohol dissuasion programme consisting of brief interventions andfollow-up assessments repeated every three months for a year. RESULTS: 63 subjects (3.7% of the total) were classified as drinkers at risk. By means of a logistic regression test the variables male gender and smoking showed a statistically significant association with the condition of drinkers at risk, while working in inpatient wards showed only a trend towards risk (p=0.06). After a year 42 (70%) of the 60 subjects who completed the alcohol consumption dissuasion programme had reduced alcohol consumption and 18 (30%) had not changed their habits. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of alcohol consumption posing a risk among hospital workers was low; blood parameters and alcohol consumption questionnaires routinely used to determine alcohol intake showed low ability to identif a risk condition, bio-anthropometric variables were statistically associated with a higher probability of alcohol consumption posing a risk, programmes to reduce alcohol intake among health workers proved to be effective.

[Prevalence of job fitness restrictions in the period 2007-2009 and analysis of predictors of restrictions among hospital health care workers]. / Prevalenza dei giudizi di limitazione dell'idoneità alla mansione nel triennio 2007-2009 e analisi dei predittori delle limitazioni fra gli operatori sanitari di un'azienda ospedaliera.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the prevalence rates of job fitness restrictions (JFR) and the impact of demographics on JFR among Italian health care workers (HCW). OBJECTIVE: To examine the prevalence rates of JFR among HCW of an Italian hospital in the years 2007-2009 and to estimate ability of demographic variables to predict JFR. METHODS: The number of HCW with JFR was divided by the number of HCW in service at the end of each year from 2007 to 2009 to calculate prevalence of JFR. The variables age, gender, employment, type of contract, and place of birth of the HCW in service at the end of 2009 were compared to JFR, by univariate and multivariate analysis. RESULTS: Prevalence rates of JFR were 15.2% in 2007, 15.6% in 2008, and 13.8% in 2009. The most frequent JFR were related to manual load handling (177 in 2007, 185 in 2008, and 155 in 2009). HCW of the female gender (OR: 1.69; CI: 1.17-2.43), aged > 42 years (OR: 1.66; CI: 1.30-2.13), health professionals (OR: 2.46; CI: 1.61-3.78), part-time (OR: 1.34; CI: 1.00-1.80), from other Italian regions (OR: 1.79; CI: 1.30-2.46), or other countries (OR: 2.37; CI: 1.46-5.12), showed statistically significant increases in JFR. Only a few demographic variables were associated with greater likelihood of JFR for exposure to manual handling, hazardous substances and organizational constraints. CONCLUSIONS: These data should be used to plan interventions to support the subgroups of HCW at increased risk of JFR