Study of the interrelationships between musculoskeletal disorders and psychosocial risk factors in occupational health and safety technicians.

Objectives. The aim of this work is to examine the presence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and the exposure to psychosocial risk in a sample of 399 occupational health and safety technicians (OHSTs), deepening the associations between both aspects. Methods. The standardized Nordic questionnaire and the Decore questionnaire were used. Different descriptive and correlational analyses and a multivariate analysis model were carried out. Results. In total, 77.17% of the participants affirmed having suffered some muscle ailments. The most critical psychosocial risk factors are those related to the rewards that the worker obtains for their work, with 54.7% of the technicians in a situation of alert or emergency. It is highlighted that the fact of not feeling professionally valued, working outside working hours, having musculoskeletal discomfort and perceiving a state of poor or fair health increase the global risk index (GRI) score. Conclusions. The study highlights the high exposure of OHSTs to both physical and psychosocial risk factors as well as the significant relationship between these variables. Furthermore, the predictive model shows the variables that best predict the probability of MSDs: gender, training in emerging risks, perceived health and exposure to psychosocial risk.

Do psychosocial factors mediate the appearance of musculoskeletal symptoms? Evidence of an empirical study about the role of mental workload in computer workers.

The emergence of musculoskeletal symptoms (MSSs) in computer workers is a relevant occupational health problem. This study tests a multilevel model of analysis of risk factors in the appearance of musculoskeletal pain and discomfort in computer workers that integrates indicators from different areas: temporal usage patterns, ergonomic factors, psychosocial factors, and individual variables, specifically testing the possible mediating role of the mental workload. A cross-sectional study was performed through online registration with a non-probabilistic sample of 1198 workers from Spanish organizations. The results show that mental workload has a higher association than the rest of the factors with the onset of pain and discomfort in various body areas: neck in men, neck, shoulders and upper back in women. They also support the mediation role of mental workload in the relationship between usage patterns and the appearance of musculoskeletal symptoms. The use of multilevel theoretical models that adequately consider the complexity of the relationships between the different risk factors is necessary for a better understanding and intervention on MSSs in computer workers.

Estudio de los factores de riesgo psicosocial en profesoras de universidades online: Una mirada desde adentro / Study of Psychosocial Risk Factors in Online University Female Teachers: A Look From the Inside

Resumen El objetivo de esta investigación fue conocer y analizar los principales factores de riesgo psicosocial a los que están expuestas las profesoras que trabajan en universidades online. Para ello, se realizaron 20 entrevistas en profundidad fenomenológicas, tomando como referencia el modelo de Seidman, a 10 mujeres que trabajan bajo esta modalidad, para obtener una comprensión global y holística del problema a partir de sus puntos de vista y del contexto en el que se hallan inmersas. Los resultados muestran la existencia de distintos factores psicosociales de riesgo, como sobrecarga mental cuantitativa, subcarga mental cualitativa, aislamiento, conflicto de rol y sobrecarga emocional, aspectos que deberían formar parte de los programas preventivos y de intervención psicosocial adecuados a las características particulares de la mujer, lo cual contribuirá a promover una organización saludable, cuyo propósito no es solo intervenir sobre los aspectos disfuncionales, sino lograr la salud y bienestar de sus trabajadores, potenciando al máximo el desarrollo de la organización y sus empleados.

Abstract The advancement and integration of new Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in the workplace has led to the emergence of new formulae such as teleworking, which have crossed the boundaries of space and time, modifying the working stage, the way of supervision of work and the reconciliation between family and personal life. Within this frame of reference, workers are more exposed to new risks emerging, like the technostress and burnout issues, as well as the trouble reconciling professional and family life, which result in negative effects on people, and can generate a higher level of exhaustion, dissatisfaction, and professional wear. In this context, the aim of this study is to know and analyze the main psychosocial risk factors female online university teachers are exposed. The interview on phenomenological depth, taking as reference the Seidman´s model, was used as a data collection technique. In particular, two scripts, one for each of the interviews to be done, were developed and we proceeded to validate them through consultation of 15 experts from the field of safety and health and university teaching, and through the Lawshe content validity study (1975), recommended by Cardona (2006), as a quantitative validity criterion, and the observations and suggestions made by the experts as a qualitative validity criterion. In practice, 20 phenomenological interviews were conducted with 10 women working under this labor formula, to obtain a comprehensive understanding and holistic approach to the problem from their point of view and the context in which they are immersed. The results show the existence of several psychosocial risk factors related to the position and the social environment. As regards the position-related psychosocial risk factors, the findings show the existence of quantitative mental overload, associated with intense periods of work or peaks of work, which are specific moments, linked to the dynamics of temporary teaching online and teaching in general, where work load increases substantially, doubling the amount of work to be carried out. Another psychosocial risk factor perceived negatively by participants, also refers to the qualitative mental under load, which occurs during certain academic monotonous and repetitive activities when teaching online. On the other hand, in relation to psychosocial factors associated with the social and organizational sphere, the isolation of participants working in their home is highlighted. This isolation is related both to the lack of contact with peers, to the absence of spontaneous talks and emotional support, that is, to the loss of informal interaction in the workplace, and to the need to share doubts, to work together on a common educational Project or to homogenize criteria in the same subjects taught by different teachers. On the other hand, the online female teachers reveal in their speeches different situations of personal-role conflict, in which demands are produced, focused mainly on situations of evaluation of both academic work and exams, which are incompatible with their beliefs and values. Finally, the results of the present study indicate the emotional over load due to conflicts with students, usually relating to their assessment. The above supports the need for further research in this field, aimed at developing and implementing preventive and psychosocial risk intervention programmes in the university context, which have an impact on the organizational and personal scope and which are adequate to the characteristics of women. This will help promote a healthy organization, an organization that develops healthy practices of structuring and managing work processes that would influence the development of healthy employees, whose purpose is not only to intervene on the dysfunctional aspects, but attain the welfare of its workers achieving the highest increase in the development of the organization and its employees.

Analysis of Stress Factors for Female Professors at Online Universities.

The aim of this paper is to analyze the primary stress factors female professors at online universities are exposed to. The technique used for the prospective and exploratory analysis was the Delphi method. Two rounds of consultations were done with fourteen judges with broad experience in health and safety at work and university teaching who reached a consensus of opinion regarding a list of nine psychosocial risk factors. Among the most important risk factors, mental overload, time pressure, the lack of a schedule, and emotional exhaustion were highlighted. These risk factors are related to the usage and expansion of information and communication technology (ICT) and to the university system itself, which requires initiating more research in the future in order to develop the intervention programs needed to fortify the health of the affected teachers and protect them from stress and other psychosocial risks.

New Patterns of Information and Communication Technologies Usage at Work and Their Relationships with Visual Discomfort and Musculoskeletal Diseases: Results of a Cross-Sectional Study of Spanish Organizations.

This cross-sectional study analyses the usage patterns of the new communication and information technologies (ICTs) and their relationship with visual discomfort and musculoskeletal diseases in an intentional sample of 1259 workers of Spanish organizations. The usage pattern with the greatest incidence of visual and muscular-skeletal disorders, especially in the wrist and neck, combines the use of laptops and desktops during long working hours. However, the group of workers primarily using mobile devices and working mostly at mobile posts does not appear to be particularly vulnerable to the musculoskeletal diseases and visual fatigue. The ratio of taking a short pause per hour and the implantation of certain technical and preventive measures is related to lower incidence of disorders in the workers as a whole. Current usage of ICTs is very complex and should be addressed using empirical analysis of the different forms of usage and their impacts on health.

Virtual Reality-based Assessment and Rating Scales in ADHD Diagnosis / La evaluación mediante realidad virtual y las escalas de valoración en el diagnóstico del TDAH

The diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is mainly based on structured scales, such as Conners' ADHD Rating Scale (EDAH in the Spanish version) and DSM interviews. The use of technologies in neuropsychological assessment, such as the AULA virtual reality based test leads to more accurate diagnosis. The current study presents findings from analyzing the external validity of AULA and its contribution to the diagnosis of ADHD. Four hundred and seven children (272 girls and 135 boys) from 6 to 16 years old (213 with ADHD diagnosis, 105 inattentive children, 108 combined-type, and 194 controls) were evaluated. First, a factor analysis of AULA variables was conducted in order to reduce data to factor and 5 factors or components that account for 82.37% of the total variance were obtained from 407 subjects, namely, sustained attention, impulsivity control, processing speed, response variability, and control of motor activity. Second, a discriminant analysis was then performed on data obtained by participants from whom the five factors were obtained, showing that AULA presents moderate levels of both specificity and sensitivity. Finally, in order to study whether AULA adds relevant information in the diagnosis of ADHD, a cluster analysis was carried out, showing 4 clusters in the analysis of conglomerates with the control group and 6 groups of clusters in the ADHD group. In summary, AULA test shows adequate external validity, allows correct classification of children with and without attentional problems, and confirms and provides additional ADHD diagnostic information that it is essential for the design of interventions

El diagnóstico del trastorno por déficit de atención y/o hiperactividad (TDAH) se basa principalmente en escalas estructuradas, como la escala de Conners (validada en España con el nombre de EDAH), y entrevistas basadas en los criterios recogidos en el DSM. El uso de las nuevas tecnologías en el proceso de evaluación neuropsicológica, como el Test de Atención de Realidad Virtual AULA, proporciona información rigurosa que conduce a diagnósticos más precisos. En este contexto, el objetivo del presente estudio es proporcionar evidencias acerca de la validez externa del test AULA, un test que mejora la precisión diagnóstica del TDAH. La muestra estuvo formada por 407 niños (272 niños y 135 niñas) de entre 6 y 16 años del norte de España (213 niños tenían un diagnóstico de TDAH, 105 desatentos, 108 de tipo combinado y 194 fueron niños controles). En primer lugar se realizó un análisis factorial exploratorio, que puso de manifiesto una estructura formada por cinco factores (atención sostenida, control de la impulsividad, velocidad de procesamiento, variabilidad de respuesta y control de la actividad motora), que son capaces de explicar el 82.37% de la varianza. En segundo lugar, se realizó un análisis discriminante, de acuerdo con el rendimiento obtenido por los participantes en los cinco factores obtenidos en el test AULA, que mostró niveles moderados de especificidad y sensibilidad. Finalmente, se llevó a cabo un análisis de conglomerados con el grupo control y seis grupos de clúster dentro del grupo de niños con TDAH. Los resultados muestran una adecuada validez externa del instrumento AULA, que permite realizar clasificaciones correctas de sujetos sanos y patológicos, confirmándose que proporciona información adicional para el diagnóstico de TDAH, esencial para el posterior diseño de intervenciones clínicas eficaces

Relations between mental workload and decision-making in an organizational setting.

ASBTRACT: BACKGROUND: The complexity of current organizations implies a potential overload for workers. For this reason, it is of interest to study the effects that mental workload has on the performance of complex tasks in professional settings. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to empirically analyze the relation between the quality of decision-making, on the one hand, and the expected and real mental workload, on the other. METHODS: The study uses an ex post facto prospective design with a sample of 176 professionals from a higher education organization. Expected mental workload (Pre-Task WL) and real mental workload (Post-Task WL) were measured with the unweighted NASA-Task Load Index (NASA-TLX) questionnaire; difference between real WL and expected WL (Differential WL) was also calculated; quality of decision-making was measured by means of the Decision-Making Questionnaire. RESULTS: General quality of decision-making and Pre-Task WL relation is compatible with an inverted U pattern, with slight variations depending on the specific dimension of decision-making that is considered. There were no verifiable relations between Post-Task WL and decision-making. The subjects whose expected WL matched the real WL showed worse quality in decision-making than subjects with high or low Differential WL. CONCLUSIONS: The relations between mental workload and decision-making reveal a complex pattern, with evidence of nonlinear relations.

Relations between mental workload and decision-making in an organizational setting

Asbtract Background The complexity of current organizations implies a potential overload for workers. For this reason, it is of interest to study the effects that mental workload has on the performance of complex tasks in professional settings. Objective The objective of this study is to empirically analyze the relation between the quality of decision-making, on the one hand, and the expected and real mental workload, on the other. Methods The study uses an ex post facto prospective design with a sample of 176 professionals from a higher education organization. Expected mental workload (Pre-Task WL) and real mental workload (Post-Task WL) were measured with the unweighted NASA-Task Load Index (NASA-TLX) questionnaire; difference between real WL and expected WL (Differential WL) was also calculated; quality of decision-making was measured by means of the Decision-Making Questionnaire. Results General quality of decision-making and Pre-Task WL relation is compatible with an inverted U pattern, with slight variations depending on the specific dimension of decision-making that is considered. There were no verifiable relations between Post-Task WL and decision-making. The subjects whose expected WL matched the real WL showed worse quality in decision-making than subjects with high or low Differential WL. Conclusions The relations between mental workload and decision-making reveal a complex pattern, with evidence of nonlinear relations.