Equine-assisted services for people living with dementia: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Dementia has a significant impact on the social, physical, and psychological wellbeing of people living with dementia, their families and society. Animal-assisted interventions can have positive effects on the health and wellbeing of people living with dementia. Equine-assisted services are animal-assisted non-pharmacological interventions which have improved the health and wellbeing of diverse populations. The impact of participating in equine-assisted services on the health and wellbeing of people with dementia is unclear. A systematic review was conducted to synthesise evidence investigating the effects of participating in equine-assisted services on the health and wellbeing of people living with dementia. DESIGN: Systematic review following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. METHODS: The databases CINAHL, EMBASE, MEDLINE, and Web of Science were searched for any research published prior to 14 June 2023. Peer-reviewed publications in the English language utilizing methods deriving quantitative and/or qualitative data were eligible. Methodological quality of included studies was assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Findings from studies were synthesised using a deductive approach. RESULTS: Of the 223 articles screened, six met the inclusion criteria: four quantitative and two qualitative studies. The six studies represent four separate equine interventions. Studies were of moderate to strong quality. Participants were people living with dementia (n = 44, mean age range 70-83 years), dementia care partners (n = 5, mean age 58), and equine-assisted services providers (n = 5). Interventions varied in duration, activities conducted, outcomes measured, and measurement tools used. Studies found a favourable impact of participating in equine-assisted services on the neuropsychiatric symptoms and quality of life of people living with dementia. Participating in equine-assisted services improved well-being, functional abilities, social participation, and communication, while also having a positive effect on social, emotional, and behavioural outcomes, and physical health. CONCLUSIONS: The limited but high-quality literature investigating the impact of equine-assisted services among people living with dementia suggests that equine-assisted services can have a positive impact on the health and wellbeing of people living with dementia. Additional robust studies contributing to the evidence base are warranted; such studies can support the development of programs and further elucidate the impact of participation.

Do work-family conflict or family-work conflict mediate relationships between work-related hazards and stress and pain?

INTRODUCTION: Previous research has identified associations between work-family conflict (WFC) and health outcomes (e.g., musculoskeletal pain). This study investigated whether WFC and family-work conflict explain relationships between exposure to work-related hazards and musculoskeletal pain and stress for workers undertaking some or all of their work at home. Possible differences by home workspace location were also explored. METHODS: Longitudinal survey data were collected from workers in Australia engaged in work from home for at least two days per week. Data was collected at four timepoints approximately 6 months apart (Baseline [October 2020] n = 897; Wave 1 [May/June 2021] n = 368; Wave 2 [October/November 2021] n = 336; Wave 3 [May 2022] n = 269). Subjective measures of work-related psychosocial hazards, occupational sitting and physical activity, musculoskeletal pain, and stress were collected via an online questionnaire. Mediation analyses were conducted using the R package "mediation." Analyses were also conducted with the data set stratified by home office location, using R version 4.1.3. RESULTS: Both WFC and family-work conflict acted as mediators between psychosocial work-related hazards and musculoskeletal pain and stress. WFC mediated more relationships than family-work conflict. Location of home workspace was important, particularly for those working in a space at home where they may be subject to interruptions. CONCLUSION: Addressing WFC is a legitimate means through which musculoskeletal pain and stress can be reduced. Organizational risk management strategies need to address all work-related risks, including those stemming from work-life interaction.

The effect of preference and actual days spent working from home on stress and musculoskeletal pain in older workers.

OBJECTIVES: The rapid shift to working from home (WFH) due to the COVID-19 pandemic provided a unique opportunity to examine the relationship between preferred and actual days spent working from home on employees musculoskeletal pain (MSP) and stress in older workers. METHODS: This study uses three waves of data from the Employees Working from Home (EWFH) study collected in May 2021 (n = 451), November 2021 (n = 358) and May 2022 (n = 320) during the COVID-19 pandemic. A generalised mixed-effect model was used to model the relationships between preference and actual days spent WFH, stress and MSP. Exploratory mediation analysis was conducted to further explore significant relationships between actual days WFH and outcomes. RESULTS: WFH was associated with increasing stress levels in older participants, when the actual number of days WFH increased (B: 0.051, 95% CI: 0.008, 0.094) and when the number of days WFH exceeded their preferences (B: 0.218, 95% CI: 0.087, 0.349). Actual number of days spent WFH and stress in older employees was mediated through their sense of community (Indirect effect: 0.014, 95% CI: 0.003, 0.03; p = 0.006). The relationship between WFH and MSP was variable. For older employees, WFH more than their preferred number of days was associated with a higher likelihood of reporting MSP (OR: 4.070, 95% CI: 1.204, 13.757). CONCLUSIONS: Findings from this study support the need for flexible policies to support WFH which take into account employees preferences. For older workers, a sense of community was found to be important and proactive attempts to restore this will be important for maintain their health and supporting sustainable employment.

Factors influencing access to and participation in rehabilitation for people with lower limb amputation in East, South, and Southeast Asian developing countries: the perspective of rehabilitation professionals - a qualitative study.

PURPOSE: To identify barriers and enablers for access to and participation in rehabilitation for people with LLA in East, South, and Southeast Asian developing countries from the perspective of rehabilitation professionals. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A mixed-method study involving an anonymous cross-sectional screening survey followed by in-depth interviews of rehabilitation professionals in these regions following the COREQ guidelines. Participants were surveyed online using convenience and snowball sampling techniques to inform a purposive heterogenic sample for semi-structured online interviews, between September 2021 to February 2022. Interview transcripts were analysed and thematically coded using the modified Health Care Delivery System Approach (HCDSA) framework. RESULTS: A total of 201 quantitative survey responses shaped the interview questions and participation of 28 participants from 13 countries for the qualitative investigation. Important factors at the patient level were sex, economics, health issues, language differences, and lack of awareness; at the care team level, peer and/or family support, referrals, and the gender of the professional; at the organizational level, service availability, resources, and quality; and at the environmental level, policies, supports, and physical and/or social accessibility. CONCLUSIONS: Identified interlinked factors at multiple levels of the HCDSA underpin the need for a systems approach to develop and address regional rehabilitation service provision but requires contextually adapted policy.

Amputation rehabilitation practices need improvements in the developing Asian region including evaluation and redesign of, and processes and policies by, policy makers with increased support for those with lower limb amputation.The consistent factors identified in these regions as negatively impacting rehabilitation services suggest opportunities to collaborate and design common mitigation approaches between rehabilitation providers across countries.Unique local factors impacting rehabilitation in different countries suggest the necessity for customization in consultation with rehabilitation practitioners rather than the adoption of generic charitable models by external agencies.Rehabilitation professionals and others responsible for rehabilitation policy and practice should systematically target factors impacting rehabilitation outcomes for improvements at all levels within the health care systems.

The Impact of the Social Determinants of Human Health on Companion Animal Welfare.

The social determinants of health (SDH) focus on the social, physical and economic factors that impact human health. Studies have revealed that animal guardians face a range of challenges in attaining positive welfare outcomes for their companion animals, which can be influenced by socioeconomic and environmental factors. Despite this, there is a lack of research specifically exploring the relationship between SDH and animal welfare outcomes. Given that the SDH impact on humans, which in turn directly impacts on their companion animal, it is important to adapt an SDH framework for companion animal welfare by characterising the impact of the SDH on companion animal guardians in their attempts to care for their animals and, by extension, the associated welfare outcomes. This paper explores how these human health determinants may impact animal welfare and the possible challenges that may arise for the guardian when attempting to meet their companion animal's welfare needs. By integrating the SDH with other key frameworks, including the five domains model of animal welfare, through multidisciplinary collaboration, this framework can be used to inform future programs aiming to improve animal welfare.

Rehabilitation professionals' perspectives of factors influencing return to occupation for people with lower limb amputation in East, South, and Southeast Asian developing countries: A qualitative study.

Objective: To identify barriers and enablers for return to occupation (RTO) for people with lower limb amputation (LLA) in East, South, and Southeast Asian developing countries from the perspective of rehabilitation professionals. Methods: A convenience sample of rehabilitation professionals working in Asian developing countries participated in online in-depth interviews between September 2021 and February 2022. Interview transcripts were analyzed and thematically coded to the modified Health Care Delivery System Approach (HCDSA) framework. COREQ guidelines were followed. Results: Twenty-eight interviewees from 13 countries shared their experiences of factors related to RTO for people with LLA. Identified factors described barriers and facilitators for RTO at all four HCDSA framework levels. The "environmental" level had the most identified factors (n = 56) and the "care team" level the least (n = 31). Common environmental RTO challenges included cultural attitudes to women; lack of rural/remote services; inadequate numbers and regulation of rehabilitation professionals; inappropriate prosthesis; limited government support for rehabilitation, and reliance on charitable models. Conclusions: Despite varied cultural, religious, and geographical characteristics, consistent factors impacting RTO were identified within these thirteen countries. Identified barriers to RTO underline the need for improvements throughout service systems from the acute-care focus on saving life without consideration of RTO, the rehabilitation focused primarily on mobility, to the lack of occupational rehabilitation services and supporting policy in these countries. These interlinked factors at different levels of healthcare service systems reinforce the importance of systems approaches to best utilize limited resources toward improving RTO in this region.

Employees Working from Home: Do Leadership Factors Influence Work-Related Stress and Musculoskeletal Pain?

In March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a rapid public health response, which included mandatory working from home (WFH) for many employees. However, given the rapid change from traditional ways of working, evidence is limited on the role of leaders, managers, and supervisors in supporting their employees' physical and mental health whilst WFH. The study aimed to examine the impact of leaders through their management of psychosocial working conditions on employees' stress and musculoskeletal pain (MSP) levels whilst WFH. METHODS: Data from 965 participants (230 males, 729 females, 6 other) involved in the Employees Working from Home (EWFH) study, collected in October 2020, and April and November 2021, were analysed. Generalised mixed-effect models were used to test relationships between psychosocial leadership factors and employees' stress and MSP levels. RESULTS: Higher quantitative demands are associated with increased stress (B: 0.289, 95%CI 0.245, 0.333), presence of MSP (OR: 2.397, 95%CI 1.809, 3.177), and increased MSP levels (RR: 1.09, 95%CI 1.04, 1.14). Higher levels of vertical trust decreased stress (B: -0.094, 95%CI -0.135, -0.052) and presence of MSP (OR: 0.729, 95%CI 0.557, 0.954). Role clarity decreased stress (B: -0.055, 95%CI -0.104, -0.007) and levels of MSP (RR: 0.93, 95%CI 0.89, 0.96). Working with interruptions was associated with increased stress (B: 0.199, 95%CI 0.119, 0.280) and MSP (OR: 1.834, 95%CI 1.094, 3.072). CONCLUSION: Leaders will need to take a broad view of job design, taking into account physical and psychosocial aspects of work, to effectively support employees WFH and manage stress and MSP.

Working from home during the COVID 19 pandemic: a longitudinal examination of employees' sense of community and social support and impacts on self-rated health.

BACKGROUND: The COVID 19 pandemic resulted in the introduction of public health measures including mandated and recommended work from home orders to reduce transmission. This provided a unique opportunity to examine sense of community and social support within the workplace and self-rated general health. This paper examines employees' workplace sense of community and social support across one year of the COVID 19 pandemic and associated self-rated general health. METHODS: Analysis of longitudinal data (October 2020, May 2021, and November 2021) from the Employees Working from Home study conducted in Victoria, Australia during the COVID 19 pandemic was undertaken. Trajectory analyses were used to describe workplace sense of community and social support over time. Multinomial logistic regression was used to determine the associations between demographics, gender, caring responsibilities, and group membership based on the Growth Mixture Modelling. Generalised Mixed Models were used to measure effects of sense of community and social support on self-rated health. RESULTS: Increasing sense of community and social support in the workplace resulted in increased self-rated health. Trajectory analysis found two stable and distinct groups for sense of community. Social support varied with time; however, trajectory membership was not dependent on gender or caring responsibilities and had no relationship with return to the office. CONCLUSION: Sense of community and social support in the workplace are important determinants of employees' health, and as such, workplace strategies to improve sense of community and social support are required not only for employees working from home, but also those who have returned to the office, particularly as hybrid work arrangements become more common.

Worker Experiences of the Work Health and Safety Impacts of Exposure to Dying and Death in Clinical Settings: A Qualitative Scoping Review.

Workers employed in clinical healthcare settings often encounter dying and death of patients as a part of their role. This scoping review aimed to explore the physical and psychosocial OHS impacts on health workers exposed to death within their occupational role and their inherent coping strategies. Six electronic databases PsycINFO (Ovid), Medline (Ovid), AMED (EBSCO), CINAHL (EBSCO), and Proquest Social Sciences were searched for peer reviewed research articles published between March 1971 and April 2022. PRISMA-ScR guidelines were followed. Three authors independently assessed articles for inclusion. Fifty-three studies with focus settings in hospitals, hospice, general practice and residential care were identified. Five main themes were developed and organized using and ergonomic systems approach: Cultural Environment, Workplace, Job Demands, Impacts and Coping. The findings demonstrate that caring for dying patients, the dead and their families in clinical settings impacts workers emotionally, physically, behaviorally and spiritually.

Disability, economic and work-role status of individuals with unilateral lower-limb amputation and their families in Bangladesh, post-amputation, and pre-rehabilitation: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Amputation has significant negative impacts on physical, psychological, social and economic wellbeing of individuals and families. This is potentially compounded by significant delays to rehabilitation in Bangladesh. OBJECTIVE: To quantify disability, occupation and socioeconomic status of people with unilateral lower-limb amputation (LLA) and their families in Bangladesh, post-amputation and pre-rehabilitation. METHODS: Between November 2017 and February 2018, people with unilateral LLA attending two locations of Center for the Rehabilitation of the Paralyzed, Bangladesh, for prosthetic rehabilitation were surveyed pre-rehabilitation, using the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS-2.0) with additional socio-economic questions. Data were analysed descriptively, using cross-tabulation with Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests. RESULTS: Seventy-six individuals participated. The majority had traumatic (64.5%), transtibial amputation (61.8%), were young adults (37.92±12.35 years), in paid work prior to LLA (80%), married (63.2%), male (81.6%), from rural areas (78.9%), with primary/no education (72.4%). After LLA mobility (WHODAS score 74.61±13.19) was their most negatively affected domain. Most (60.5%) did not return to any occupation. Acute healthcare costs negatively impacted most families (89.5%), over 80% becoming impoverished. Nearly 70% of previous income-earners became economically dependent changing traditional family roles. CONCLUSIONS: Following LLA, most participants experienced significant mobility impairment and became economically dependent. The impact of LLA extends beyond the individual, to families who often face challenges to traditional primary earner gendered roles. Improved access to timely and affordable rehabilitation is required to reduce the significant personal and societal costs of disability after LLA.

Working From Home During COVID-19: Does Work-Family Conflict Mediate the Relationship Between Workplace Characteristics, Job Satisfaction, and General Health?

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study is to investigate whether work-family conflict and/or family-work conflict mediated the relationship between workplace characteristics and general health and job satisfaction in a sample of workers working from home in a recommended/mandatory context due to COVID-19 measures. METHODS: Data were collected via online questionnaire as part of the Employees Working from Home study. Analyses in this article used data collected at 2 time points 6 months apart, including 965 complete responses from the first questionnaire and 451 complete responses from the second questionnaire. RESULTS: Relationships between predictor and outcome variables were in the directions expected, and both work-family conflict and family-work conflict mediated these relationships. CONCLUSIONS: Work-life interaction partly explains the relationship between work characteristics and general health and job satisfaction health in a population undertaking involuntary working from home.

Strategies to manage working from home during the pandemic: the employee experience.

Many Australian workers were mandated to work from home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a qualitative approach, this study aimed to identify optimal work from home management strategies, by analysing the experience of Australian employees working from home (WFH) during this time. A purposive sample, drawn from the Australian Employees Working from Home Study, of managers and non-managers from a range of sectors, was invited to participate in focus groups. Data were analysed using thematic analysis and mapped to the work-systems framework approach to determine strategies implemented to support WFH. Most participants' experiences were more negative than positive, in part due to extreme lockdowns including curfews, with childcare and school closures compounding their WFH experiences. Effective workplace-initiated strategies to optimise WFH included: management support of flexible work hours; provision of necessary equipment with ICT support; regular online communication; performance management adjustments; and manager training.

Funeral Industry Workers' Work Health and Safety in Australia and Ireland.

Funeral workers (FWs) work within increasingly medicalized and commodified death-management systems. This study explored Worker Health and Safety (WHS) impacts in contemporary death management on Australian and Irish FWs. Mixed methods combined a survey and interviews. Survey data were descriptively summarized, interviews thematically analyzed, and a schematic systems model developed of the combined results. Survey participants (n = 45) reported psychosocial hazards from work pressures, competition, and fatigue. Psychosocial hazards were more frequently reported than physical hazards by Australian FWs. Physical hazards were of greater concern to Irish FWs. Themes from 11 interviews were: Personal Attributes, Work Demands, and Socio-Cultural Context. All FWs reported conflicts between individual capacities, work demands, and resources, resulting in hazardous personal states including difficulty sleeping and stress. Respectfully manually handling human remains and "event management" demands for increasingly elaborate funerals created negative WHS impacts. This research informs risk management for FWs and other workers in the increasingly complex death-care industry.

Working from home in Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic: cross-sectional results from the Employees Working From Home (EWFH) study.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the impacts, on mental and physical health, of a mandatory shift to working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic. DESIGN: Cross sectional, online survey. SETTING: Online survey was conducted from September 2020 to November 2020 in the general population. PARTICIPANTS: Australian residents working from home for at least 2 days a week at some time in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Demographics, caring responsibilities, working from home arrangements, work-related technology, work-family interface, psychosocial and physical working conditions, and reported stress and musculoskeletal pain. RESULTS: 924 Australians responded to the online questionnaire. Respondents were mostly women (75.5%) based in Victoria (83.7%) and employed in the education and training and healthcare sectors. Approximately 70% of respondents worked five or more days from home, with only 60% having a dedicated workstation in an uninterrupted space. Over 70% of all respondents reported experiencing musculoskeletal pain or discomfort. Gendered differences were observed; men reported higher levels of family to work conflict (3.16±1.52 to 2.94±1.59, p=0.031), and lower levels of recognition for their work (3.75±1.03 to 3.96±1.06, p=0.004), compared with women. For women, stress (2.94±0.92 to 2.66±0.88, p<0.001) and neck/shoulder pain (4.50±2.90 to 3.51±2.84, p<0.001) were higher than men and they also reported more concerns about their job security than men (3.01±1.33 to 2.78±1.40, p=0.043). CONCLUSIONS: Preliminary evidence from the current study suggests that working from home may impact employees' physical and mental health, and that this impact is likely to be gendered. Although further analysis is required, these data provide insights into further research opportunities needed to assist employers in optimising working from home conditions and reduce the potential negative physical and mental health impacts on their employees.

Workplace physical and psychosocial hazards: A systematic review of evidence informed hazard identification tools.

Prevention of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) requires the identification of physical and psychosocial hazards. This systematic review aimed to identify accessible and validated tools, for the assessment of workplace physical and psychosocial hazards, and consolidate the results into a matrix for use by work health and safety (WHS) professionals. Web of Science, Medline, ProQuest Central, and PsychInfo electronic databases, along with grey literature, were searched (Jan 1990 to July 2020). Studies that included tools with evidence of validity for the identification of physical hazards, psychosocial hazards, or both were included. A total of 83 tools were identified and then reviewed to ensure the tools were accessible. The final matrix included a total of 26 tools (16 physical, 4 psychosocial, and 6 comprehensive [physical and psychosocial]). Evidence on best practice for MSD mitigation supports the need for a comprehensive approach; however, the current review identified limitations in the availability of such tools to support WHS professionals.

Influential factors for access to and participation in rehabilitation for people with lower limb amputation in East, South, and Southeast Asian developing countries: a scoping review.

PURPOSE: To explore factors impacting access to and participation in rehabilitation for people with lower limb amputation (LLA) in East, South, and Southeast Asian developing countries. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A scoping review was undertaken following the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Five electronic databases (PsycINFO (Ovid), Medline (Ovid), CINAHL (EBSCO), AMED, and Proquest Social Sciences) were searched for articles from January 1980 till March 2020. Two authors independently assessed articles for inclusion. Included articles were classified according to the Health Care Delivery System Approach (HCDSA) framework levels. RESULTS: Twenty-four studies from 14 countries were identified. At patient level, age, gender, limited rehabilitation awareness, and economic status; at the rehabilitation level, gaps in referrals, family support, and professional skills; at the environmental level, services availability, and location; and, at government level, service costs, income loss, and lack of supporting policies were identified as important influencing factors. CONCLUSIONS: Rehabilitation access and participation factors were identified at multiple levels of the HCDSA. Contextually appropriate and accessible services considering individual characteristics and socio-economic status of individuals with LLA are needed, with timely referral to rehabilitation by trained professionals. Improving rehabilitation services for people with LLA in Asian developing countries requires supportive environments, accessible transport, social and financial security, and increased awareness, underpinned by appropriate policy.Implications for rehabilitationProvision of timely referral to rehabilitation by primary/acute health care settings with involvement of family/peer supports.Improved government support systems to facilitate individual access to and participation in rehabilitation with consideration of contextual socio-demographic and economic factors.Prioritisation of adequately resourced and well-designed rehabilitation centres by health care organisations in accessible locations.Implementation by local government of strategies to support development and implementation of well resourced, accessible, equitable, and contextually responsive rehabilitation services.

Work-related musculoskeletal pain in prosthetists and orthotists: a comparison between Australia and other countries.

BACKGROUND: Musculoskeletal pain (MSP) is a substantial societal and personal burden resulting in loss of employment and reduced productivity. Prosthetics and orthotics professionals working in Australia have previously reported a high prevalence of MSP; however, little is known about the prosthetic and orthotic communities in other countries. OBJECTIVES: To explore the prevalence and range of workplace exposures associated with MSP in a convenience sample of the international prosthetic and orthotic profession. STUDY DESIGN: A cross-sectional study using a convenience sample was conducted with prosthetists and orthotists worldwide. METHODS: Prosthetists and orthotists were invited to participate in a survey to explore work-related factors associated with MSP. Bivariate and regression modelling was used to examine associations between self-reported demographic and workplace characteristics including job satisfaction, work-life balance, and physical and psychosocial hazards. RESULTS: Seventy-six percent of respondents (n = 173) reported MSP in the previous 6 months. However, MSP was associated with different factors in Australia compared with other countries. Among Australia-based prosthetists and orthotists, MSP was associated with sex, physical hazards, and psychosocial hazards. For the international sample, MSP was only associated with length of employment. CONCLUSIONS: Three-quarters of all respondents reported having MSP. Differences in associations between MSP and other factors by respondents' geographical location suggest the need for context-specific identification of hazards to enable the development of targeted and contextually appropriate prevention strategies.

Working at Home: The Impacts of COVID 19 on Health, Family-Work-Life Conflict, Gender, and Parental Responsibilities.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the impact of working at home on general health, pain, stress, and work-family and family-work conflict, and differences based on gender and parental responsibilities. METHODS: A convenience sample of 658 adults completed an online questionnaire. Regression modeling examined the effects and interactions of gender and parental responsibility on general health, musculoskeletal discomfort/pain frequency and severity, stress, and work-family and family-work conflict. RESULTS: Women reported more pain and discomfort, regardless of the presence of children, than men with children. Women with children experienced increased stress compared with men with children. Women without children experienced less work-family conflict, and those without children experienced less family-work conflict than men with children. CONCLUSIONS: The impact on pain, stress, and work-family and family-work conflict, due to mandated working at home, is gendered and influenced by parental responsibilities.

Work-related musculoskeletal injuries in prosthetists and orthotists in Australia.

Objective. This study aims to determine the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders in prosthetists/orthotists working in Australia. Secondary to this, the relationship between work-related hazards and work-related musculoskeletal disorders will be examined. Methods. In 2012, a self-report survey was conducted with the prosthetist/orthotist workforce in Australia (N = 139, 56% response rate). Data on workplace physical and psychosocial hazards, job satisfaction, work-life balance and musculoskeletal discomfort were collected. Predictors of work-related musculoskeletal disorders were assessed using logistic regression analysis. Results. Prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders was 80%. Gender (ß = 1.31, p = 0.030), total weekly hours (ß = 0.9, p < 0.010) and physical (ß = 1.91, p < 0.010) and psychosocial (ß = 1.28, p < 0.010) hazards were all associated with reporting of work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Females reported higher levels of work-related musculoskeletal disorder discomfort than males in all body areas. Conclusions. Work-related musculoskeletal disorders prevalence is high in prosthetists/orthotists. This suggests that focus on workplace injury prevention is required. Targeted prevention requires systematic identification and then control of all relevant workplace hazards.

A rapid review of mental and physical health effects of working at home: how do we optimise health?

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in changes to the working arrangements of millions of employees who are now based at home and may continue to work at home, in some capacity, for the foreseeable future. Decisions on how to promote employees' health whilst working at home (WAH) need to be based on the best available evidence to optimise worker outcomes. The aim of this rapid review was to review the impact of WAH on individual workers' mental and physical health, and determine any gender difference, to develop recommendations for employers and employees to optimise workers' health. METHOD: A search was undertaken in three databases, PsychInfo, ProQuest, and Web of Science, from 2007 to May 2020. Selection criteria included studies which involved employees who regularly worked at home, and specifically reported on physical or mental health-related outcomes. Two review authors independently screened studies for inclusion, one author extracted data and conducted risk of bias assessments with review by a second author. RESULTS: Twenty-three papers meet the selection criteria for this review. Ten health outcomes were reported: pain, self-reported health, safety, well-being, stress, depression, fatigue, quality of life, strain and happiness. The impact on health outcomes was strongly influenced by the degree of organisational support available to employees, colleague support, social connectedness (outside of work), and levels of work to family conflict. Overall, women were less likely to experience improved health outcomes when WAH. CONCLUSIONS: This review identified several health outcomes affected by WAH. The health/work relationship is complex and requires consideration of broader system factors to optimise the effects of WAH on workers' health. It is likely mandated WAH will continue to some degree for the foreseeable future; organisations will need to implement formalised WAH policies that consider work-home boundary management support, role clarity, workload, performance indicators, technical support, facilitation of co-worker networking, and training for managers.