ABSTRACT
Context: As female workers face a higher risk of exposure to workplace hazards than women in general, it is imperative that measures be put in place in the workplace to ensure safe and healthy pregnancies. Objectives: This study aimed to analyze the effects of occupational hazards in the workplace environment on the potential for pregnancy disorders experienced by female workers. Methods: This was an analytical, observational study with a case-control design. The participants were female workers who worked in industrial environments in both formal and nonformal industries. The inclusion criteria used in this study were female workers who had been or were pregnant at the time of the study, had worked in the industrial sector for at least one year, and did not smoke or consume alcohol. The samples were collected from 144 female workers. Midwives assisted in collecting data and conducting examinations of female workers. This study was conducted in Surabaya and Sidoarjo between June and December 2020. Data were analyzed descriptively, and a multivariable logistic regression test was performed. The study was conducted in accordance with the health protocols and prevention of COVID-19. Results: The results showed that occupational hazards in the workplace environment that affect pregnancy disorders include workload (p = 0.004, OR = 28.676 (2.979-276.076); hot working environment (p = 0.014, OR = 3.077 (1.254-7.552); strong odors (p = 0.017, OR = 7.640 (1.436-40.656); shift work (p = 0.023, OR = 8.063 (1.337-48.623); irregular shift work (p = 0.018, OR = 7.371 (1.409-38.557); and night shift work (p = 0.015, OR = 11.780 (1.605-86.450). Conclusions: Companies are expected to pay special attention to female workers regarding various workplace controls to prevent potential pregnancy-related disorders.
ABSTRACT
The work environment of office workers has hazards. One of the hazards is nonergonomic conditions. Nonergonomic conditions increase musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) risk and interfere with work productivity. This research describes ergonomic risk levels and muscle complaints in office workers while working with computers. The population of this research was 32 office workers in one of Surabaya city government offices. Rapid Office Strain Assessment (ROSA) method to measure ergonomic risk and Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaires (CMDQ) method to measure muscle complaints. Most workers have a high risk of experiencing MSDs. Workers experience muscle complaints in the neck, right shoulder, left shoulder, upper back, and lower back. Intervention is needed in work facilities and office ergonomics socialization to workers.
ABSTRACT
Health status of workers are crucial to maintain their productivity and it will impact on output per capita. This systematic review aims to evaluate the effectiveness of nutrition and health intervention in workplace setting and implication for further research. Articles were searched from PubMed, PMC, Cochrane Library (Trial), Science-direct, and Google scholar published from 2005-2020. Inclusion criteria was the intervention subject aged 19-64 years old with experimental randomized control trial (RCT) or non-RCT study design. Several keywords used for literature searching including "nutrition education in workplace", "nutrition intervention in workplace", and "workplace intervention". Data were narratively described. Eleven studies were meet inclusion and exclusion criteria and further be reviewed. Five studies focused on intervene food environment in the workplace, four studies focused on nutrition education using different channels i.e., workplace visiting and emails, the other two interventions were objected to decrease health risk regarding occupational health. Positive outcomes were recorded for all workplace intervention, including increase in nutrition knowledge, self-efficacy, reduce risky behavior, and also improved body mass index and blood biomarkers. Workplace nutrition and health intervention proved to be an effective way to enhanced balanced nutrition behavior and improve health status. This study implies an urgency of nutrition and health intervention in a workplace.
ABSTRACT
Background: The number of female workers in Indonesia has increased and female workers have been discovered to be very vulnerable to several hazards and health problems in the workplace environment linked to their menstrual cycle and pregnancy. Therefore, this study was conducted to analyze risk factors associated with pregnancy disorders in female workers. Design and Methods: The research was conducted through the use of a cross-sectional design with 307 female workers using simple random sampling. Furthermore, a descriptive analysis was conducted to describe the conditions of the respondents during pregnancy to childbirth process. Results: The results showed 45% of respondents had pregnancy disorders, 16% had miscarriages, and despite the fact most of the prenatal care processes was assisted by doctors or midwives, 2.6% of the respondents consulted Traditional Birth Attendants, who were also recorded and was found to account for 2.9% of the deliveries. Moreover, the risk factors associated with pregnancy disorders include vibrations (P=0.004), irritants (P=0.002) and repetitive works (P=0.009). Conclusions: It is recommended that companies should provide maternal and child health protection and control for any risk associated with female workers.
ABSTRACT
Background: Children in primary schools use school bags to carry study material, although the heavy bags are often associated with musculoskeletal problems, especially back pain. This practice requires strength, which significantly changes the body posture and walking pattern, subsequently leading to the incidence of back pain as a side effect. The aim of this study, therefore, is to analyze the differences in bag loads between elementary school children in urban and suburban area, and also analyze the relationship with the occurrence of back pain. Design and methods: This was a cross sectional study, which used stratified random sampling to choose 2 elementary schools each representing the urban and suburban areas. Furthermore, a total sample of 164 students were selected, whose school bag weight were measured for 5 consecutive days, particularly in the morning on respondents arrival at school. Moreover, the occurrence of back pain was evaluated using a modified Nordic map, and data analysis required the use of independent sample analysis t test and χ2 test. Results: The results showed the presence of highly significant differences in the school bags weight of respondents in the urban and suburban areas, as well as between schools using the 2013 curriculum and otherwise. Conclusions: In conclusion, there is a correlation between the weight measured and the occurrence of back pain, hence the 2013 curriculum is recommended to be adopted by all elementary schools. Also, the use of lockers to store items used at school repeatedly by children is also highly encouraged.
ABSTRACT
AIMS: Nurses are one of the health workers who face a high risk of contracting a disease at their workplace. The officers who are inconsistent in maintaining standard precautions when treating patients render nurses to be exposed to infectious disease. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: This was an analytic observational study with a longitudinal design. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was carried out in two Provincial B Type Government Hospitals, namely, Labuang Baji Provincial Regional Hospital and Makassar Haji Regional General Hospital, in Makassar City, with a sample size of 104 respondents. The data were subjected to ANOVA test to determine the effect of organizational factors on reducing the risk of AIDS risk reduction model-based disease transmission. RESULTS: The results of this study indicate that the organizational factors do not affect the labeling of nurses related to the reduction of the risk of disease transmission (b = 0.086, ρ = 0.379). The organizational factors influence nurses commitment related to the reduction of the risk of disease transmission (b = 0.328, ρ = <0.001) and also their enactment related to the reduction of the risk of disease transmission (b = 0.199, ρ = 0.030). CONCLUSIONS: The organizational factors related to the reduction of the risk of disease transmission affect the action of nurses to reduce the risk (enactment) through the commitment. These organizational factors also affect the labeling of nurses as individuals who are at a risk of contracting a disease so as to facilitate the adoption of a behavior to reduce the risk of disease transmission in hospital.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Chemicals that enter the body, especially benzene, will undergo a detoxification process. Unfortunately, at the detoxification process, sometimes benzene can produce free radicals. Free radical oxidation of lipids produces MDA compounds (malondialdehyde). To overcome these free radicals, the body will adapt to produce Glutathione (GSH) enzymes. AIM: The purpose of this study was to analyse the relationship between benzene concentration, MDA levels and glutathione enzymes in Shoe-Maker Home Industry workers exposed to benzene for more than 10 years. METHODS: Measurement of benzene concentration using a gas chromatography-flame ionisation detector (GC-FID). MDA levels used a modified spectrophotometric and GSH method of thiobarbituric acid (TBA) test. RESULT: The results showed that the majority of respondents had benzene concentrations still below the TLV value, mean of MDA levels were 6.94 mg/ml, while GSH was 4.54 mg/ml. Benzene concentration did not have a significant correlation with MDA and glutathione levels, whereas MDA levels had a strong correlation with glutathione levels (p = 0.000; r = -0.947). CONCLUSION: Workers should always use PPE and always eat foods that contain lots of glutathione enzymes such as spinach or broccoli to reduce the impact of free radicals from benzene inhalation.
