Poverty, work intensity, and disability: evidence from European countries.

We use 2015-2018 European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions longitudinal data for four European countries (the UK, Germany, France, and Italy) and a dynamic trivariate panel data model to analyze the complex relationship between poverty, work intensity, and disability. We find evidence of genuine state dependence in the three processes and feedback effects from past poverty to work intensity in all countries and from past poverty to disability in the UK, Germany, and Italy. Disability is detrimental to poverty, despite the mitigating role played by disability cash benefits. The magnitude of this effect seems to be associated with the average expenditure on social protection benefits and its distribution across functions. We stress the importance of accounting for the extra costs of disability and the key role work intensity plays in the disability-poverty connection. Finally, adopting a joint estimation strategy appears crucial to consistently estimating the relationship between the three processes.

Exercise Intensity and Activity Energy Expenditure of Professional Golf Players in Official Competitive Setting.

BACKGROUND: Research regarding the physical needs of professional golf players is lacking. With advances in wearable technology, it has become easier to analyze physiological responses such as heart rate (HR) to determine activity energy expenditure (AEE). The purpose of the study was to evaluate exercise intensity (EI) and AEE during 4 consecutive tournament's golf rounds using a popular wrist-based HR monitoring. HYPOTHESIS: Wearable systems for HR monitoring can be used to provide an accurate estimate of energy expenditure. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 3. METHODS: A total of 20 male professional golfers participated in the study. Each player was monitored during an official tournament consisting of 4 rounds of 18 holes. EI and AEE were determined using HR wrist monitoring (Whoop Strap 2.0). We calculated the percentage of HRmax (%HRmax) and the percentage of HRres (%HRres) and the AEE in kcal/min using Keytel's formula. RESULTS: The calculated mean %HRmax and %HRres for the study population were 56.4% ± 1.8% and 40.5% ± 2.6%, respectively. Considering American College of Sports Medicine guidelines, these average percentages correspond to a moderate EI. The average caloric expenditure was 5.4 ± 0.4 kcal/min and 1555.8 ± 157.8 kcal per round considering an average golf round duration of 288.3 ± 19.5 minutes. CONCLUSION: A professional player's golf round is moderate physical activity. The AEE of this activity was equal to 5.4 cal/min, which is moderate energy consumption. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: These data could help golf coaches and conditioning coaches to have a better understanding of the load placed on golfers during tournaments.

Physical discomforts, feeling of the high work intensity and the related risk factors of the frontline medical staff during COVID-19 epidemic: an early-outbreak, national survey in China.

Background: Facing the unknown virus, COVID-19 medical staff kept wearing thick personal protective equipment during their work in the early stage of the outbreak. The survey was designed to investigate the physical discomforts, the feeling of the work intensity and the related risk factors of the frontline medical staff during COVID-19 epidemic in the early outbreak. Methods: An national survey was carried out in China from March 17th 2020 to March 20th 2020 by applying a standardized WeChat questionnaire survey. The doctors or nurses working in the wards for the confirmed COVID-19 patients on front-line were eligible to participate in the survey. Descriptive analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used. Results: A total number of 515 COVID-19 medical staff, including 190 physicians and 325 nurses participated in this survey. 375 medical staff (72.8%) experienced physical discomforts at work, mostly consist of dyspnea (45.8%), pain (41.0%), chest distress (24.1%), dizziness (18.8%), and weakness (17.5%), while wearing thick isolation clothes at work. The mean onset time and peak time of these symptoms were 2.4 h and 3.5 h after working, respectively. 337 medical staff (65.4%) suffered from sleep disorders. 51 medical staff (10%) were highly worried about being infected by COVID-19 even during their work breaks. 246 medical staffs (47.8%) felt high work intensity and the independent influential factors were the effective daily sleep time and anxiety levels at break time (p = 0.04). Conclusion: The frontline medical staff during COVID-19 epidemic felt different physical discomforts when they wear thick isolation clothes at work in the early outbreak and they felt high work intensity. These precious data will help optimize the work management strategy to ensure the physical and mental health of medical staff in the face of similar outbreaks in future.

Work Intensity of Postoperative Care Following Implantation of Presbyopia-Correcting versus Monofocal Intraocular Lenses.

Purpose: To compare the work intensity of postoperative care following implantation of presbyopia-correcting intraocular lenses (IOLs) to that of standard monofocal IOLs. Patients and Methods: This open-label, multicenter, comparative study retrospectively reviewed the case records of cataract surgery patients who underwent bilateral implantation of either presbyopia-correcting IOLs (presby-IOL group; N=177) or standard monofocal IOLs (monofocal group; N=177). Outcome measures included the total time the patient spent in the office, number of visits, mean duration of visits, and the number of procedures and diagnostic tests during the first postoperative year. Outcome measures were compared between the first 90 days and days 91-365 after surgery. Results: Mean (±SD) time spent in the office during the first postoperative year was 5:50 ± 3:35 hours (H:MM) over 6.6 ± 2.9 visits in the presby-IOL group, compared to 3:38 ± 1:36 hours over 4.9 ± 1.6 visits in the monofocal IOL group (p <0.001). During the first 90 days, a presby-IOL patient spent 40 minutes longer in the office than a monofocal IOL patient (3:39 ± 1:38 hours vs 2.59 ± 1:13 hours) (p <0.001). During days 91-365, time in the office was 1:32 hours longer (p <0.001), and the mean visit duration was 8 minutes longer for the presby-IOL patients (p=0.002) than those with monofocal IOL. In addition, the presby-IOL patients underwent more procedures and diagnostic tests (p ≤0.001) as compared with standard monofocal cataract surgery patients. Conclusion: Patients implanted with presbyopia-correcting IOLs require significantly more clinic time, diagnostic testing, and procedures postoperatively as compared with standard monofocal cataract surgery patients.

The contribution of office design to the appraisal of job control: A longitudinal study.

The appraisal of control over work intensity and decisions at the workplace is a well-established determinant of health and well-being among employees. Building on job design theories, the overarching aim of this study was to determine office layout as a predictor of perceived job control. Specifically, we investigated between-group differences in control by contrasting employees in cellular offices with employees in shared/open offices, as well as effects on control among employees transitioning from one office design to another. This is a longitudinal study with three survey points across 48 months comprising 3,415 Norwegian office employees. Data were analyzed with latent growth curve analyses, adjusted for gender, age, leadership responsibility, and teleworking. Employees in cellular offices reported significantly higher control over work intensity and control over decisions when compared with employees in shared/open workspaces. Transitioning from a shared/open workspace to a cellular office led to a significant increase in perceived control regarding work intensity. As the experience of control may buffer the negative impact of job demands, organizations that rely on shared or open office solutions may benefit from identifying tools that can contribute to enhancing their employees' perceived control.

The moderating role of physical activity on the relationship between work intensity and depressive symptoms among the employees.

Our aim was to examine the associations between work intensity and depressive symptoms among the working population, as well as to identify the impact of physical activity (PA) on these relationships. Spearman correlation analysis was conducted to analyze the correlations among work intensity, PA, and depressive symptoms. Working hours and working days were positively correlated with depressive symptoms (r = 0.108, 0.063; all p values were <0.001). Regular PA, exercise time, exercise frequency, and exercise years were negatively correlated with depressive symptoms (r = -0.121, -0.124, -0.152, -0.149; all p values were <0.001) and working days (r = -0.066, -0.050, -0.069, -0.044; all p values were <0.001), working hours (r = -0.113. -0.106, -0.161, -0.123; all p values were <0.001). Working days was positively correlated with working hours (r = 0.512, p < 0.001). Different levels of PA alleviated the effect of working hours or working days on depressive symptoms. Working hours seemed to be more correlated with depressive symptoms than working days. The results suggest that PA at any level could buffer against the effects of work intensity and might prove a helpful strategy for improving mental health issues among employees.

Telework: A Social and Emotional Perspective of the Impact on Employees' Wellbeing in the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic gives us the largest telework experiment ever conducted globally, that will most likely leave visible and lasting marks on the organization of the labor market in the future. The purpose of this approach is to investigate the wellbeing from the social and emotional perspective of the individual, considering relevant relational communication, emotional dimension, work intensity, organization, autonomy and work-life balance, customized in the context of teleworking. The information was collected using a semi-structured questionnaire. The wellbeing assessment was performed based on the correlation analysis and the regression analysis. The results of the studies reveal that the existence of adequate communication and work-life balance ensure the wellbeing of telework employees, while the increase in work intensity degrades it. Furthermore, good communication moderates the relationship between organizational skills and wellbeing. The comparative analysis of wellbeing in relation to the explanatory variables considered by including the gender and age perspective reveals the existence of different configurations, with specific signs and statistical meanings.

Methods for analysing the relationship between poverty, parental work intensity, child emotional symptoms and conduct problems over time.

This article exposes the methods employed to analyse the complex associations between poverty and work intensity over time on the longitudinal trajectories of mental health wellbeing in a cohort of children. This study used data from nine waves of birth cohort 1 of the Growing Up in Scotland (GUS) study (2005/06-2017/18) to fit a bivariate multilevel non-linear growth curve model for the change in conduct problems and emotional symptoms of children over time with the trajectories of poverty and parental work intensity over time as the main covariates of interest. We explain in detail: (a) how we arrive at valid measures for our outcome of interest by testing for longitudinal measurement invariance and (b) the principled approach of growth mixture modelling undertaken to derive our main covariates of interest. Both procedures are the preamble for the main model of interest that addresses the substantive research question of how changes over time in poverty and parental employment are associated with changes over time in children's wellbeing.•We expose the rationale behind and the procedures for implementing Longitudinal Measurement Invariance testing for the repeated measures of emotional and conduct problems.•We expose the rationale behind and the procedures for implementing a growth mixture modelling approach to derive longitudinal measures of poverty and work intensity.•We provide details of the bivariate growth curve model fitted to analyse the effect of the derived longitudinal measures of poverty and work intensity on the valid longitudinal measures of emotional and conduct problems.

Poverty, parental work intensity and child emotional and conduct problems.

Poverty is known to be associated with poorer child mental wellbeing. Relatedly, the security and quality of employment are reported to affect adult wellbeing. Less is known about how both poverty and parental employment affect children's mental wellbeing. This paper uses nine waves (2005/06-2017/18) of the Growing Up in Scotland (GUS) study to examine how the longitudinal trajectories of poverty and work intensity are associated with the longitudinal trajectories of mental wellbeing in a nationally representative sample of 3994 children (ages 0 to 12). This analysis was conducted via a bivariate multilevel non-linear growth curve model for the widely used Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) subscales of conduct problems and emotional symptoms. Results show that unstable work intensity and poverty trajectories arising from the 2008 financial crisis are associated with substantial changes in the trajectories of conduct and emotional problems, but with key differences between the individual outcomes: increasing work intensity is associated with around a fifth of a standard deviation increase in conduct problems; decreasing work intensity over time is associated with around a fifth of a standard deviation increase in emotional problems; material deprivation is associated with an increase in both conduct and emotional problems, at around a tenth of a standard deviation; and longitudinal income poverty trajectories are associated with up to around a fifth of a standard deviation increase in conduct problems, but not emotional symptoms. These findings are discussed with the purpose of informing policies to tackle the effects of unstable and/or changing socioeconomic circumstances on children's mental health wellbeing in the context of an economic crisis, as well as its implications for the contemporary socioeconomic landscape and the devastating effects expected of the COVID-19 crisis.

Transformation to Industrial Artificial Intelligence and Workers' Mental Health: Evidence From China.

This study matches data from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) with data on the transformation to industrial artificial intelligence (AI) in cities to explore the effect of this transformation on workers' mental health and its underlying mechanisms in China. The findings show the following (1). The transformation to industrial AI effectively alleviates multiple mental health problems and improves workers' mental health (2). Work intensity and wage income play an intermediary role in the relationship between the industrial AI transformation and workers' mental health (3). Potential endogeneity problems in the relationship between industrial AI and workers' mental health are considered, and robustness tests are conducted (including changing the dependent variables, independent variables and regression models). The main results and impact mechanisms remain robust and reliable. This study extends the research on the relationship between industrial AI and workers' health, which has important theoretical implications. Additionally, based on the Chinese context, this research has important implications for the current AI transformation in developing countries. Transition economies with labor shortages can achieve a win-win situation by promoting industrial AI to fill the labor gap and improve workers' mental health.

Exploration of poverty and social exclusion of Slovak population via contrast analysis associated with logit models.

The aim of the paper is to assess the impact of socio-economic and socio-demographic factors on the risk of poverty or social exclusion. The paper focuses on the analysis of the probability of social exclusion of the Slovak population from 4 perspectives, from being at risk of poverty or social exclusion, at risk of poverty, severely materially deprived, and living in a (quasi-)jobless household. The least-square means analysis and contrast analysis linked to logit models were used to identify risk groups, and to estimate the social exclusion probabilities. Based on the EU-SILC 2020 database, unemployed persons with low education and persons from single-parent and multi-child households had the greatest risk of social exclusion in Slovakia. Under ceteris paribus conditions, the risk decreased with increasing age and improving health status. The riskiest marital status was divorced. Analyses revealed regional disparities from the point of view of all 4 perspectives, with people living in South-Center and Eastern Slovakia and people living in sparsely and moderately populated areas having the greatest risk. Since economic activity status, household type, and educational attainment level showed as the most relevant factors, the article pays special attention to the assessment of the mutual influence of these factors. Although the pattern of the risk of social exclusion of persons broken down by household type and education for the unemployed and employed is similar, the riskiness of the most vulnerable groups of people is more pronounced for employed persons.

[Discussion on the application of ventilatory threshold in classification of physical workload in plateau].

Objective: To explore the application of the first ventilatory threshold (VT1) and the second ventilatory threshold (VT2) in the classification of physical workload for plateau workers, to provide reference for formulating the classification in plateau. Methods: In August 2018, 88 male workers from substations at different altitudes (500 m, 2000 m, 3000 m and 4000 m) of a company were selected as study subjects by cluster sampling. They were divided into plain group and plateau groups.The intensities of workload were simulated by power bicycle, and physiologic parameters, including VO(2), heart rate (HR) and energy metabolic rate per body surface area (E/BSA) , were recorded in test system when reaching VT1, VT2 and peak oxygen uptake (VO(2)Peak) . The ratios of VT1, VT2 and VO(2)Peak to the quiet and work potential at different altitudes were compared. Results: In a quiet state, compared with the plain group, the HR and E/BSA of the workers in the 2000 m and 3000 m groups increased, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05) . At VT2, compared with the plain group, the HR of the workers in the 4000 m group decreased, the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05) . VO(2) and E/BSA of workers in each plateau group were lower than those in the plain group at VO(2)Peak, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05) . At VT2 and VO(2)Peak, the ratios of VO(2), HR, and E/BSA relative to the quiet state of the workers in each plateau group were lower than those of the plain group, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05) . In the quiet state and VT1, compared with the plain group, the remaining percentages of VO(2) and E/BSA of workers in each plateau group decreased, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05) . Taking VT1, VT2 and VO(2)Peak as cut-off points and VO(2), HR and E/BSA as indicators, the physical workload in plateau could be divided into four levels, namely medium, heavy, extremely heavy and extreme physical workload. Conclusion: It is practicable to use ventilatory threshold to classification of physical workload. VT1 and VT2 can be applied to the classification in plateau to supplement and optimize current national standard of physical workload.

Factors Associated with Fatality in Ontario Thoroughbred Racehorses: 2003-2015.

Ontario's Alcohol and Gaming Commission records equine racing fatalities through its Equine Health Program. The present study examined all Thoroughbred fatalities from 2003 to 2015, inclusive, to identify associations. Official records and details of fatalities were combined in multivariable logistic regression modelling of 236,386 race work-events (433 fatalities), and 459,013 workout work-events (252 fatalities). Fatality rates were 2.94/1000 race starts (all fatalities) and 1.96/1000 (breakdowns only) with an overall rate of 2.61% or 26.1 fatalities/1000 horses. Comparison with published reports reveals rates to be high. Musculoskeletal injury was the predominant complaint and there was a high incidence of horses dying suddenly. Liability was high for young horses early in the season with a differential according to sex and whether a male horse was gelded. Horses undertaking repeated workouts had a higher liability and liability was higher in workouts for horses switching from dirt/synthetic to turf racing and for young horses in sprints. Race distance was not significant but high fatality rates in some large field, distance races combined with effects of age and workload identified groups at particular risk. As field size increased, fatality liability increased for early-finishing horses. Findings suggest jockey strategy could be an important factor influencing fatalities. Probability of fatality declined over the study period. Findings indicate that rapid accumulation of workload in animals early in their preparation is likely to be damaging. Fatality fell toward the end of a season and for horses with a long career history of successful performance; however, horses not exhibiting this robustness and staying power represent the population of greatest concern. Associations may be characterised as representing sources of stress, current or cumulative, and identifying at-risk animals on this basis may be as productive as targeting specific, discrete mechanisms suspected to contribute to individual fatalities.

Working hours - tracking the current and future trends.

It is important to track the trends of future working hours, since working hours have strong associations to everyday life and work-life interaction, but also to health. In this paper we aim to track the current and future trends in working hours. We discuss the trends through the key dimensions of working hours: the length, timing, tempo and autonomy. We also consider the role of current trends of spatial changes of work. Changes in working time patterns are fostered by several driving factors: globalization and business restructuring challenging the current work organizations, new information technologies, demographic and climate change and the current and future pandemics. The past and current tremendous changes in working hours indicate that changes in working hours will continue. The contemporary trends in future working hours pose risks for personal, family and social life, material well-being and health. At its best, however, the new post-industrial working time regime may provide more autonomy and time for recovery to employees as new technologies and changes in business structures release opportunities for greater individual autonomy over how, where, and for how long paid work is performed.

Mental health: who is more vulnerable to high work intensity? Evidence from Australian longitudinal data.

AIM: The adverse impacts of exposure to work intensity on mental health have been widely studied. However, there is a lack of research examining who is most vulnerable in terms of position on the mental health distribution. The current study aims to: (a) initially estimate the average impacts of work intensity on workers' mental health in Australia, and then (b) estimate the extent to which this effect varies across the mental health distribution. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The current study uses data from waves 2005--2017 of the Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey. It first employs Average Treatment Effect (ATE) to provide a baseline/average treatment effect for the whole population, and then applies Quantile Regression fixed effects models for various quantiles on the mental health distribution. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The baseline estimates show that there are significantly negative effects of work intensity on mental health for the whole population, but importantly the quantile fixed effect estimates show that these adverse effects are substantially stronger for those with the poorest mental health (i.e. at the bottom of the distribution). When ATE alone is estimated, the significant effect is averaged over the mental health distribution, missing important information regarding the heterogeneity of the effect. The findings have important implications for understanding and reducing mental health inequality, particularly inequality driven by workplace stress. First, they align with existing research demonstrating the importance of reducing psychosocial job stressors. Second, given workers with mental health problems were most susceptible to the adverse effects of work intensity, there is a need to offer additional support (and be sensitive of workloads) for this group in particular.

[Energy and macronutrient intakes of employees at different levels of work intensity in China from 2010 to 2012].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the intake of energy and macronutrients of employees at different levels of work intensity in China. METHODS: Based on the data of National Nutrition and Health Survey in 2010-2012, this paper analyzed the energy and macro nutrients intakes of employees at three levels of working strength. RESULTS: The energy intake of employees in China was 1952. 7 kcal/d, the intakes of protein, fat and carbohydrate were 62. 7 g/d, 76. 6 g/d and 254. 0 g/d, respectively, the energy supply ratios were 13. 1%, 34. 9% and 52. 4%, respectively. From food sources of energy, the percentage of total energy provided by cereals and animal foods was 47. 7% and 18. 2%, respectively. The percentage of protein from cereal, legumes and Animal food was 39. 8%, 6. 7% and 37. 5%, respectively. The percentage of fat from animal food was 34. 8%. From the age and work intensity groups, the energy intake was lower in the low age group and the light work intensity of employees. There was the lowest intake of protein and fats in high age groups with heavy work intensity. Energy levels form protein and fat were highest in the light intensity group. Energy supply from cereal food was the highest in the group with heavy work intensity and energy supply from animal food was the highest in the group with low age group and light work intensity. The intake of high quality protein and animal food fat decreased with the increase of age and work intensity. CONCLUSION: The energy intake of employees in China is lower than the recommended energy intake for Chinese residents, and fat provides a higher proportion of energy. Employees with high age and heavy work intensity have insufficient protein intake, and the unreasonable dietary structure was particularly prominent with them, and their nutritional status needs to be paid more attention.

Risk of child poverty and social exclusion in two Spanish regions: social and family determinants / Riesgo de pobreza infantil y exclusión social en dos regiones españolas: determinantes sociales y familiares

Objective: Describe the risk of poverty and social exclusion in children aged 8-11 years from Gipuzkoa and Valencia (Spain), through AROPE (At Risk of Poverty or Social Exclusion) indicators, and evaluate their associated factors in the INMA Project (Childhood and Environment). Method: Families in Gipuzkoa and Valencia (394 and 382, respectively) completed a questionnaire in 2015-2016. Low work intensity (LWI), at risk of poverty (RP) and material deprivation (MD) were estimated. AROPE consisted in meeting any of the previous sub-indicators. Socio-demographic, family and parental characteristics were considered. Frequencies, Venn's diagrams, and chi-square and Fisher tests were used in bivariate analysis and logistic regression in multivariate analysis. Results: For LWI, RP, MD and AROPE, prevalence of 2.5%, 5.6%, 2.3% and 7.2% were obtained in Gipuzkoa, and 8.1%, 31.5%, 7.8% and 34.7% in Valencia, respectively. In the multivariate analysis, the AROPE was associated in both areas with maternal social class and non-nuclear families. In Gipuzkoa, it was also related to maternal education. In Valencia, other factors were the mother's foreign origin, and paternal education and smoking. Conclusion: There is higher AROPE prevalence in Valencia. Social class and family type were shared factors, but a differential pattern is observed in other social determinants. It is essential to implement social policies to reduce this axis of inequalities in health, especially in childhood. (AU)

Objetivo: Describir el riesgo de pobreza y exclusión social en niños/as de 8-11 años de Gipuzkoa y Valencia (España), mediante los indicadores AROPE (At Risk Of Poverty or Social Exclusion), y evaluar sus factores asociados en el Proyecto INMA (Infancia y Medio Ambiente). Método: Familias de Gipuzkoa y Valencia (394 y 382, respectivamente) completaron un cuestionario en 2015-2016. Se estimaron la baja intensidad de trabajo (BIT), el riesgo de pobreza (RP) y la privación material (PM). AROPE consistió en cumplir cualquiera de estos subindicadores. Se consideraron características sociodemográficas, familiares y parentales. Se usaron diagramas de Venn, los test de Ji-cuadrado y Fisher en los análisis bivariados, y regresión logística en los análisis multivariados. Resultados: Se obtuvieron prevalencias para BIT, RP, PM y AROPE del 2,5%, 5,6%, 2,3% y 7,2% en Gipuzkoa, y del 8,1%, 31,5%, 7,8% y 34,7% en Valencia, respectivamente. En el análisis multivariado, el AROPE se asoció en ambas áreas con la clase social materna y la familia no nuclear. En Gipuzkoa, también se relacionó con la educación materna. En Valencia, otros factores fueron el origen extranjero materno y la educación y el tabaquismo paternos. Conclusión: Hay un AROPE más alto en Valencia. La clase social y el tipo de familia fueron factores compartidos, pero se observa un patrón diferencial en otros determinantes sociales. Es esencial implementar políticas sociales para reducir este eje de desigualdad en salud, especialmente en la infancia. (AU)

Job Quality and Work-Life Balance of Teleworkers.

As telework and mobile work arrangements become more widespread with new advancements in digitalization, these flexible models of work are rapidly expanding to new categories of employees and completely modifying working conditions and job quality. The aim of this study was to assess how particular types of telework affect different dimensions of job quality. We applied multivariable techniques to a sample of 35,765 workers from the Sixth European Working Conditions Survey. Our findings show that gender and types of telework by workplace and ICT-use intensity are crucial factors affecting working conditions and job quality. Occasional teleworkers are the group with the best job quality, while highly mobile teleworkers are those with the worst job quality and work-life balance. Home-based teleworkers, especially women, present better results than highly mobile workers in terms of working time quality and intensity, though in exchange for lower skills and discretion, income, and career prospects. This study contributes to deepening our knowledge on the impacts of flexible arrangements of work, providing an analysis of current data on different dimensions of job quality and work-life balance and including gender as a crucial axis of analysis.

Factors Associated with Mortality in Ontario Standardbred Racing: 2003-2015.

Factors associated with mortality in standardbred racehorses were assessed through a retrospective annualized cohort study of all-cause mortality from 2003-2015 (n = 978) (identified in the Ontario Racehorse Death Registry). Race and qualifying data for official work-events were also gathered (1,778,330 work-events, 125,200 horse years). Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed sex, age, and indices of workload and intensity and their interactions to be strongly associated with mortality. Track class, race versus qualifying performance, and work-event outcome (finish position, scratched, or failed to finish) also influenced mortality odds, which increased as performance slowed. Intense competition at higher performance levels and qualifying races at lower levels carried particularly high odds. Though occurring frequently, musculoskeletal injury was less frequent than all other presenting problems combined. Industry structure contributes to mortality through interaction between horse characteristics and the competition environment. This substrate may be amenable to management to minimize liability, but incident-specific triggers may represent chance factors and be relatively difficult to identify or control. Differentiating between substrate and trigger when studying specific clinical problems may provide greater clarity and yield in identifying underlying causes. Mortality may reflect a continuum of circumstances, cumulative impacts of which might be identified before a fatal event occurs.

Effects of workload on human cognitive performance of exposure to extremely cold environment.

Many jobs like outdoor work and emergency rescue have to be exposed to extremely cold environments. The combined effects of the cold exposure and work intensity on human cognitive performance remain unclear. In this paper, the experiments of six Chinese young men exposed to an extremely cold environment (-10 °C) were conducted in a climatic chamber. The work intensity level was graded according to the metabolic rate corresponding to three walking speeds. Nine cognitive functions and one perceived were recorded to evaluate the subjects' cognitive performance, including NCTB (seven items), Stroop, and RPE were measured. The increase of workload from moderate to high could lead to the acceleration of fatigue speed and the aggravation of fatigue degree 5 min earlier. Moderate work intensity is a noteworthy work level in extremely cold environment, which is an inflection point in the impact of fatigue and cognitive levels. The manual dexterity significantly increases by the workload intensity, and the high work intensity makes the hands more dexterous (29% increase). Extremely cold environment has a significant effect on short-term memory (decreased 33%). The selective attention was reduced by 16% in the extremely cold environment. With the moderate work intensity in extremely cold environment, the perceived judgment response speed would decrease. The combined effects of the extremely cold environment and the workload on the cognitive functions of psychomotor ability and attention or sensorimotor speed should be paid more attention to.