ABSTRACT
This paper examines the associations between self-reported musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and work factors and injuries among home care workers. Based on 99 focus group participants and 892 survey respondents, results show a high level of MSDs among both visiting and office home care workers. While visiting home care workers tend to feel pain in the back, office workers tend to report pain in the neck and shoulder. Hazards in clients' homes, injuries moving clients and stress are associated with self-reported MSDs for visiting home care workers. Repetitive tasks and stress are associated with self-reported MSDs for office home care workers. Age and months in the profession have no affect on self-reported MSDs.
Subject(s)
Home Care Services , Musculoskeletal Diseases/epidemiology , Occupational Diseases/epidemiology , Women's Health , Canada/epidemiology , Female , Focus Groups , Humans , Musculoskeletal Diseases/etiology , Occupational Diseases/etiology , Office Management , Physical Exertion/physiology , Research Design , Risk Factors , Stress, Physiological/complications , Stress, Physiological/physiopathology , Surveys and Questionnaires , WorkforceABSTRACT
The prevalence of risk factors for atherosclerosis in 488 consecutive patients undergoing cardiac catheterization for the investigation of chest pain was compared with that in 868 subjects from a population sample. The presence and severity of angiographic coronary artery disease (CAD) (defined as mean diameter stenosis > 50%), total and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, triglycerides, history of systemic hypertension, smoking, diabetes mellitus, family history and drug therapy were assessed. Low HDL cholesterol (< 0.9 mmol/liter [35 mg/dl]) was more prevalent in patients with CAD than in the population sample in both men (44% [95% confidence interval 38 to 48] vs 21% [12 to 28]; p < 0.01) and women (12% [9 to 15] vs 1% [0 to 3]; p < 0.01). There were no differences in total cholesterol levels between these 2 groups. Total:HDL cholesterol ratios were significantly greater in patients with CAD. History of systemic hypertension was more prevalent in both men and women with CAD than in the population sample (47% [37 to 57] vs 20% [16 to 25] for men, and 31% [26 to 36] vs 21% [17 to 26] for women; p < 0.01). The prevalence of other risk factors was not significantly different between the 2 groups. In patients with CAD, the severity of disease was inversely correlated with levels of HDL cholesterol in both men and women (p < 0.01), and positively correlated with total cholesterol in men aged < 55 years (p < 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
