ABSTRACT
In a descriptive study, 122 construction industry workers were treated in an especially workplace-oriented inpatient rehabilitation measure. Effects were assessed by written questionnaires using the SF-36 questionnaire, the questionnaire for employees self-assessment (FBS) and further standardized instruments for job strain and demand at time intervals of 0, 4 and 13 months from rehabilitation participation. Along with high rehabilitation satisfaction, improvement of quality of life and decreasing disability complaints are reported, which keep stable and significant for at least one year and thus are indicators of sustainable rehabilitation success.
Subject(s)
Industry/statistics & numerical data , Occupational Diseases/epidemiology , Occupational Diseases/rehabilitation , Patient Satisfaction/statistics & numerical data , Quality of Life , Rehabilitation, Vocational/statistics & numerical data , Workplace/statistics & numerical data , Adolescent , Adult , Employment/statistics & numerical data , Germany/epidemiology , Humans , Inpatients/statistics & numerical data , Male , Middle Aged , Occupational Diseases/diagnosis , Outcome Assessment, Health Care , Pilot Projects , Surveys and Questionnaires , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
A method for psychosocial evaluation of potentially stressful or unsatisfactory situations in manual work was developed. It focuses on subjective responses regarding specific situations and is based on interactive worker assessment when viewing video recordings of oneself. The worker is first video-recorded during work. The video is then displayed on the computer terminal, and the filmed worker clicks on virtual controls on the screen whenever an unsatisfactory psychosocial situation appears; a window of questions regarding psychological demands, mental strain and job control is then opened. A library with pictorial information and comments on the selected situations is formed in the computer. The evaluation system, called PSIDAR, was applied in two case studies, one of manual materials handling in an automotive workshop and one of a group of workers producing and testing instrument panels. The findings indicate that PSIDAR can provide data that are useful in a participatory ergonomic process of change.
Subject(s)
Computers , Ergonomics/methods , Stress, Psychological , Task Performance and Analysis , Videotape Recording , Work/psychology , Ergonomics/psychology , Humans , Occupational Health , Organizational Case Studies , Research Design , Self Efficacy , United StatesABSTRACT
The aim was to evaluate the prevailing ergonomic conditions in a parallelized flow, long cycle time, assembly system. The evaluation focused on physical exposure, psychosocial factors and work-related musculoskeletal symptoms. A random sample of 67 assembly operators was included in a cross-sectional study mainly based on questionnaires. Hand/wrist symptoms were common and related to work exposure with hand-held powered tools. In general, the self-reported physical exposure showed only a few significant associations with musculoskeletal symptoms. This may in part be explained by the ergonomic conditions generally being good, with a relatively low duration of 'combined' extreme work postures. Significant associations were found between the psychosocial work environment and musculoskeletal symptoms.
Subject(s)
Attitude to Health , Automobiles , Ergonomics , Musculoskeletal Diseases/etiology , Occupational Diseases/etiology , Adult , Cross-Sectional Studies , Evaluation Studies as Topic , Female , Hand/physiopathology , Humans , Low Back Pain/etiology , Male , Musculoskeletal Diseases/psychology , Neck Pain/etiology , Occupational Diseases/psychology , Occupational Exposure , Posture/physiology , Prevalence , Risk Factors , Sex Factors , Shoulder Pain/etiology , Surveys and Questionnaires , Time Factors , Workload , Workplace , Wrist/physiopathologyABSTRACT
The aim of the study was to use glucose, fructose and xylitol as alternative carbohydrates in hypocaloric parenteral nutrition (HPN) and to investigate their different nutritional effects. Twenty-four patients who had undergone elective gastrointestinal resection were examined in a prospective randomized study. Only metabolically normal patients between 30 and 65 years of age were admitted to the study. No patient with a body weight more than 20% above or below the normal weight of the patients was admitted. The study period extended from the operation day to the fifth postoperative day. The patients were given approximately 1.1 g amino acids and approximately 2.9 g carbohydrates per kg/B.W. and day using either glucose, fructose or xylitol as carbohydrates. The mean plasma glucose concentrations ranged between 6 and 8 mmol/l without insulin being supplied. There were no significant differences between the groups. However, the administration of glucose led to a somewhat larger dispersion range of the values. The labile plasma proteins (transferrin, prealbumin, retinol-binding protein) in the 3 groups revealed almost identical concentration courses. With N-losses between 51 and 57 g/4 days, only slightly negative cumulative N-balances were calculated (-4 to -13 g/4 days). No significant differences were observed between the 3 groups in the level of the urea-N production rates. Advantages which favor a general administration of fructose/sorbitol or xylitol in HPN could not be found in our investigation.
