A Comparison of Safety, Health, and Well-Being Risk Factors Across Five Occupational Samples.

Objective: The aim of this study was to present safety, health and well-being profiles of workers within five occupations: call center work (N = 139), corrections (N = 85), construction (N = 348), homecare (N = 149), and parks and recreation (N = 178). Methods: Baseline data from the Data Repository of Oregon's Healthy Workforce Center were used. Measures were compared with clinical healthcare guidelines and national norms. Results: The prevalence of health and safety risks for adults was as follows: overweight (83.2%), high blood pressure (16.4%), injury causing lost work (9.9%), and reported pain (47.0%). Young workers were least likely to report adequate sleep (46.6%). Construction workers reported the highest rate of smoking (20.7%). All of the adult workers reported significantly lower general health than the general population. Conclusion: The number of workers experiencing poor safety, health and well-being outcomes suggest the need for improved working conditions.

From Research-to-Practice: An Adaptation and Dissemination of the COMPASS Program for Home Care Workers.

The COMmunity of Practice And Safety Support (COMPASS) program was developed to prevent injuries and advance the health and well-being of home care workers. The program integrates elements of peer-led social support groups with scripted team-based programs to help workers learn together, solve problems, set goals, make changes, and enrich their supportive professional network. After a successful pilot study and randomized controlled trial, COMPASS was adapted for the Oregon Home Care Commission's training system for statewide dissemination. The adapted program included fewer total meetings (7 versus 13), an accelerated meeting schedule (every two weeks versus monthly), and a range of other adjustments. The revised approach was piloted with five groups of workers (total n = 42) and evaluated with pre- and post-program outcome measures. After further adjustments and planning, the statewide rollout is now in progress. In the adaptation pilot several psychosocial, safety, and health outcomes changed by a similar magnitude relative to the prior randomized controlled trial. Preliminary training evaluation data (n = 265) show high mean ratings indicating that workers like the program, find the content useful, and intend to make changes after meetings. Facilitating factors and lessons learned from the project may inform future similar efforts to translate research into practice.

Learning to health yourself: a randomized, tailored self-regulation intervention among custodial employees.

This intervention sought to bring about a dietary behavior change among individuals who are vulnerable to negative health outcomes and behaviors. Using a randomized controlled trial, we examined the efficacy of a six-week Education + Self-Regulation intervention against an Education Only condition in reducing saturated fat intake among custodial workers (N = 54). Assessments were made at baseline, 4 weeks, 6 weeks and 6 months. The intervention group reported lower saturated fat intake and greater self-regulation than the Education Only control group throughout the intervention period and higher self-efficacy at week 6. Despite a fading of intervention effect at 6 months, Education + Self-Regulation participants continued to report lower saturated fat intake relative to their baseline. Supplementing health education with self-regulatory skills is an effective strategy for positive health behavior change. The authors provide recommendations for engaging non-clinical health psychologists in community-level chronic disease prevention and health promotion efforts.

Integrating cervical cancer prevention initiatives with HIV care in resource-constrained settings: A formative study in Durban, South Africa.

Cervical cancer screening rates remain suboptimal among women in South Africa (SA), where cervical cancer prevalence is high. The rollout of HIV-related services across SA may provide a means to deliver cervical cancer screening to populations with limited access to health care systems. In this mixed methods study, psychosocial factors influencing cervical cancer prevention and perceptions of the provision of Pap smears in HIV care settings were examined. Structured interviews were conducted with women (n = 67) from a municipal housing estate in Durban, SA. Key informants (n = 12) also participated in semi-structured interviews. Findings revealed that participants had low cervical cancer knowledge, but desired more information. Relevant themes included the normalisation of HIV and beliefs that cervical cancer might be worse than HIV. A comprehensive community clinic was desired by most, even if HIV-positive patients were treated there. This study provides important insight into integrating cervical cancer screening with HIV clinics, which may increase cancer screening among South African women.

Cervical cancer prevention in Malawi: a qualitative study of women's perspectives.

Researchers posit that cervical cancer knowledge is central to participation in prevention behaviors. However, of the many barriers to cervical cancer prevention in low- and middle-income countries, cervical cancer knowledge remains severely limited among communities at great risk for the disease. Malawi is one such country where the burden of cervical cancer is considerably high. Formative research targeting cervical cancer prevention is needed, particularly research that explores ways to deliver cervical cancer information efficiently and effectively to Malawian women. In this study, the authors aimed to garner Malawian women's understanding of cervical cancer and to shed light on preferences for health information delivery, including community health advocacy. Qualitative, in-depth interviews were conducted with 30 Malawian women and analyzed for recurring themes. In general, women had limited cervical cancer knowledge, which supported misperceptions about the disease, including factors pertaining to risk and prevention. Nonetheless, women reported that receiving cervical cancer information from trusted sources would help promote preventive behaviors. Women noted that they received most of their health information from hospital personnel, but distance was a barrier. Women also expressed interest in community health advocacy. Perspectives from Malawian women may be vital toward informing efforts to increase cervical cancer knowledge and prevention.

Barriers and facilitators to HPV vaccination: perspectives from Malawian women.

The aim of this research was to elucidate potential barriers and facilitators to human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination in Malawi, a sub-Saharan country. In Malawi, approximately 31 out of every 100,000 women develop cervical cancer annually, and 80% of those affected die from this malignancy. HPV vaccination may provide a feasible strategy for cervical cancer prevention in Malawi. However, important questions and concerns regarding cervical cancer and HPV vaccination acceptance among individuals and their communities must be considered prior to vaccine delivery. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 30 Malawian mothers aged 18-49 years from Chiradzulu District. Women's knowledge and beliefs about HPV, cervical cancer, and vaccination, and their social-ecological contexts were explored in-depth. Thematic analyses revealed that despite women's limited knowledge, cervical cancer was perceived to be a serious disease. Participants believed that as women, they were responsible for their children's health. Women unanimously reported that they would vaccinate their children against HPV, especially if a health professional recommended it. Malawi's health care infrastructure could present challenges to HPV vaccine programs; however, participants did not typically report this to be a barrier to vaccination. These data shed light on factors that may influence HPV vaccination acceptance and uptake in Malawi.

Correlates of negative physical health in call center shift workers.

The call center industry, a burgeoning sector is characterized by unique job demands, which render it susceptible to high attrition rates and negative health concerns. This study examined the relationship between job stress from interpersonal factors, job stress from work factors, coping, inadequate sleep, and negative physical health reports among call center shift workers (n = 239), a relatively under-researched population. Inadequate sleep and job stress from interpersonal factors were associated with negative physical health outcome for the participants in this study. Further, spending longer in the call center industry was associated with negative health outcome for the shift worker participants.