Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 57 in total

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  1. Xue X, Rafiq M, Meng F, Peerzadah SA
    Work, 2023;76(3):991-1005.
    PMID: 37355920 DOI: 10.3233/WOR-220240
    BACKGROUND: Since the previous decade, researchers and academics have paid close attention to studying job embeddedness (JE), but the bibliometric examination of JE has not yet been explored.

    OBJECTIVE: This study aims to provide general information on the trends of the studies on JE as well as an overall perspective on the development of this topic by utilising a bibliometric analytic approach.

    METHOD: A bibliometric evaluation was conducted in the JE field since the first publication was documented in the Scopus database. The information retrieved examines 1572 JE papers from a variety of perspectives, including citation and publishing metrics.

    RESULTS: The research results pinpoint the most productive countries, universities, journals, authors, and JE articles. The study also classified the most important themes and offered some recommendations for further research.

    CONCLUSION: The study provided a snapshot of JE patterns and trajectories from 1993 to 2020, which can help academics and practitioners figure out the pattern and direction of future research. To the best of our knowledge, no other study examines the bibliographic data on JE and thus this work is one of the first contributions to the literature.

  2. Das G, Ahmed S, Ahmed AR, Tirth V, Jamil S, Muhammad AA, et al.
    Work, 2021;70(2):387-393.
    PMID: 34657847 DOI: 10.3233/WOR-213602
    BACKGROUND: Medical professionals, especially dental professionals, have been adversely affected by the pandemic of COVID-19 due to an increased chance of exposure to patients because of close contact during treatments.

    OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate knowledge about the disease and assess ways of precautions to be taken during the pandemic.

    METHODS: A questionnaire was developed and registered at Google Forms. The study population included dental practitioners, working in hospitals and clinics. A total of 495 dental practitioners from 14 different countries across the world responded. Most dentists were aware of the required modifications in the management of patients. The points allotted for each correct/best answer by participants for a group of questions regarding each component (Knowledge, Perceptions, and Practices) were added/summed to generate an overall score for each of the three components.

    RESULTS: Both univariate and multivariate analysis employed for the evaluation of results. Moreover, the total practice score was significantly associated with gender and sector of practice. Multivariable analysis model using multiple linear regressions was formulated by including those variables which were significant at the univariate stage. Hence, the practice sector was the only variable found to be significantly associated with the total knowledge score (p-value 

  3. Zhang G, Jing W, Tao H, Rahman MA, Salih SQ, Al-Saffar A, et al.
    Work, 2021;68(3):935-943.
    PMID: 33612535 DOI: 10.3233/WOR-203427
    BACKGROUND: Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) has become a prominent solution to improve the robustness of real-time service provisioning through assisted functions for day-to-day activities. The application of the robotic system in security services helps to improve the precision of event detection and environmental monitoring with ease.

    OBJECTIVES: This paper discusses activity detection and analysis (ADA) using security robots in workplaces. The application scenario of this method relies on processing image and sensor data for event and activity detection. The events that are detected are classified for its abnormality based on the analysis performed using the sensor and image data operated using a convolution neural network. This method aims to improve the accuracy of detection by mitigating the deviations that are classified in different levels of the convolution process.

    RESULTS: The differences are identified based on independent data correlation and information processing. The performance of the proposed method is verified for the three human activities, such as standing, walking, and running, as detected using the images and sensor dataset.

    CONCLUSION: The results are compared with the existing method for metrics accuracy, classification time, and recall.

  4. Prasetyo YT, Garcia MM, Dewi RS, Chuenyindee T, Kurata YB, Widia M
    Work, 2022;73(4):1307-1324.
    PMID: 36057804 DOI: 10.3233/WOR-210662
    BACKGROUND: The manufacturing industry is one of the catalysts for the Philippines. However, this sector is one of the most dangerous industries in the Philippines considering the frequency of occupational injuries.

    OBJECTIVE: To determine the primary and root causes of recorded accidents, demographics of the person involved, and solutions to prevent the recurrence of certain accidents.

    METHODS: This study analyzed 185 occupational injury cases in a food and beverage manufacturing company in the Philippines from January to December 2018. A comprehensive classification system was established to examine and code each case in terms of age, gender, working shift, employee type, tenure, department, category, activity during the accident, root cause of injury, injury classification, direct cause of injury, type of injury, part of body injured, agent of injury, and location of the accident. Cramer's V analysis and Phi coefficient analyses were employed on the subject cases to determine the significant factors and the corresponding extent of significance.

    RESULTS: The results showed that the majority of the occupational injuries were caused by stepping on, striking against, or stuck by objects (77 cases, 41.6%), caught in between (34 cases, 18.4%), fall (34 cases, 18.4%), and exposure or contact with extreme temperatures (24 cases, 13%). Interestingly, female workers who had accidents were more likely due to inadequate hazard information or lack of procedures whereas male workers were more likely due to failure to secure. The prevention measures such as passive safeguards and personal protective equipment, pictograms, and regular safety audits were derived from the results of these analyses.

    CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first comprehensive analysis of occupational injuries in the food and beverage industry in the Philippines. The findings can be applied to positively influence the effectiveness of prevention and rehabilitation programs mitigating workplace injuries and illnesses.

  5. Ibrahim NI, Davies S
    Work, 2012;41 Suppl 1:5152-9.
    PMID: 22317518 DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2012-0804-5152
    It is known that many older people have difficulties in performing daily living activities such as cooking. These are due to the demands of the tasks and the changes in functional capabilities of the older people. This study examines cooking tasks performed by the aged that includes preparing and cooking meals, and storing kitchen tools in the kitchen. The objectives are to investigate the cooking difficulties encounter by older people and the safety concerning cooking tasks. This study focuses on individuals of age 65 years and above who can cook for themselves and/or family. Data were collected through observation, interviews, questionnaires and role play methods. The findings revealed that the common problems were due to the awkward body position where subjects had to bend down to take things from lower shelves, taking/storing things on higher shelves and cleaning the cooker. Moreover, the safety concerns were the layout of work centres (storage, cooker and sink), the use of cooker and opening packaging. It can be concluded that cooking difficulties are caused by inappropriate kitchen design and the decline of functional capabilities in older people.
  6. Ademola James, Rohani JM, Olusegun AG, Rani MR
    Work, 2014;47(2):173-81.
    PMID: 23324693 DOI: 10.3233/WOR-121530
    OBJECTIVE: The unavailability of anthropometric data especially in developing countries has remained a limiting factor towards the design of learning facilities with sufficient ergonomic consideration. Attempts to use anthropometric data from developed countries have led to provision of school facilities unfit for the users. The purpose of this paper is to use factor analysis to investigate the suitability of the collected anthropometric data as a database for school design in Nigerian tertiary institutions.
    PARTICIPANTS: Anthropometric data were collected from 288 male students in a Federal Polytechnic in North-West of Nigeria. Their age is between 18-25 years.
    METHODS: Nine vertical anthropometric dimensions related to heights were collected using the conventional traditional equipment. Exploratory factor analysis was used to categorize the variables into a model consisting of two factors. Thereafter, confirmatory factor analysis was used to investigate the fit of the data to the proposed model.
    RESULTS: A just identified model, made of two factors, each with three variables was developed. The variables within the model accounted for 81% of the total variation of the entire data. The model was found to demonstrate adequate validity and reliability. Various measuring indices were used to verify that the model fits the data properly. The final model reveals that stature height and eye height sitting were the most stable variables for designs that have to do with standing and sitting construct.
    CONCLUSION: The study has shown the application of factor analysis in anthropometric data analysis. The study highlighted the relevance of these statistical tools to investigate variability among anthropometric data involving diverse population, which has not been widely used for analyzing previous anthropometric data. The collected data is therefore suitable for use while designing for Nigerian students.
    KEYWORDS: Exploratory factor analysis; measurement model; school ergonomics
  7. Srinivasan V, Abathsagayam K, Suganthirababu P, Alagesan J, Vishnuram S, Vasanthi RK
    Work, 2023 Dec 22.
    PMID: 38143408 DOI: 10.3233/WOR-230144
    BACKGROUND: In the working population especially among older adults, anxiety problems have grown dramatically. This element has a significant impact on employee absenteeism and problems with physical and mental health. It was widely known that security personnel had several physical and mental difficulties during their various work hours. It is important to investigate the effects of anxiety on them.

    OBJECTIVE: The present study aims to provide insights into the prevalence of anxiety disorders and explore the correlations between anxiety symptoms, sleep, and memory during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    METHODS: To conduct a cross-sectional study, 42 older adult participants between the ages of sixty to seventy years were chosen and the procedure was explained.Data were gathered by giving instructions on how to complete the self-reported Generalized Anxiety Disorder Assessment -7 (GAD-7), the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, and the revised Everyday Memory Questionnaire.

    RESULTS: A total of 36 out of 42 participants (85.71%) experienced moderate to severe anxiety. Anxiety and sleep had a correlation of 0.8, while anxiety and memory had a correlation of 0.87 with a positive EMQ-R relationship. Moreover, there was a statistically significant association between sleep and memory, with a positive correlation of 0.73.

    CONCLUSION: The study concludes that, there is a substantial prevalence of anxiety accompanied by notable insomnia and memory problems in elderly security officers. Our findings indicate a clear relationship between sleep disturbances, memory issues, and most prevalent anxiety symptoms. These results emphasize the importance of incorporating mental health assessments and addressing an effective treatment for anxiety.

  8. Alshiddi IF, Habib SR, Sattar K, Alshahrani A, Almufleh RS, Basuhail S, et al.
    Work, 2021;70(4):1187-1194.
    PMID: 34842205 DOI: 10.3233/WOR-205134
    OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS) among dentists in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The study also explored the causes of occupational stress among the participating dentists.

    MATERIALS & METHODS: The participants included a conveniently selected sample of dentists (N = 126; Males = 65; Females = 61). The participants' anthropometric measurements/blood sample analysis were carried out and they completed a self-administered questionnaire. Data analysis included demographics, gender/age wise comparison using SPSS (p  0.05) were observed for cholesterol, triglycerides and HDL. However, significant difference (p = 0.00) was found for the fasting glucose level (Males = 5.69±1.49; Females = 4.94±0.42). Overall mean scoring (3.00±1.11) for the stress showed that the participants fall into the average/moderate level of stress category (Males = 3.16±1.02; Females = 2.83±1.08). Almost two third (68.26%) of the participant's responded that they were under some kind of stress.

    CONCLUSIONS: MS was found to be less frequent among the dentists working in the city of Riyadh. Overall, the dentists were under moderate level of occupational stress, with male dentists being more prone to work related stress.

  9. Nurul AH, Shamsul BM, Hassim IN
    Work, 2016 Oct 28.
    PMID: 27792033
    Steel manufacturing produces dust, fumes, and pollutant gases that may give adverse health effects to the respiratory function of workers. Improper occupational hygiene practice in the workplace will affect both workers wellbeing and productivity.
  10. Shariat A, Cleland JA, Danaee M, Alizadeh R, Sangelaji B, Kargarfard M, et al.
    Work, 2018;60(4):549-554.
    PMID: 30103362 DOI: 10.3233/WOR-182762
    BACKGROUND: There are many potential training exercises for office workers in an attempt to prevent musculoskeletal disorders. However, to date a suitable tool to monitor the perceived exertion of those exercises does not exist.

    OBJECTIVE: The primary objective of this study was to examine the validity and reliability of the Borg CR-10 scale to monitor the perceived exertion of office exercise training.

    METHODS: The study involved 105 staff members employed in a government office with an age range from 25 to 50 years. The Borg CR-10 scale was self-administered two times, with an interval of two weeks in order to evaluate the accuracy of the original findings with a retest. Face validity and content validity were also examined.

    RESULTS: Reliability was found to be high for the Borg CR-10 scale (0.898). Additionally a high correlation between the Borg CR-10 scale and Visual Analog Scale (VAS) was identified (rs = 0.754, P 

  11. Shariat A, Tamrin SB, Arumugam M, Danaee M, Ramasamy R
    Work, 2016 Jun 8;54(3):753-8.
    PMID: 27286077 DOI: 10.3233/WOR-162313
    The accuracy of instruments such as questionnaires and the goniometer are critical for measuring the severity of musculoskeletal disorders among office workers.
  12. Selvaraj S, Eusufzai SZ, Asif JA, Bin Jamayet N, Ahmad WMAW, Alam MK
    Work, 2021;69(1):173-180.
    PMID: 33998580 DOI: 10.3233/WOR-213466
    BACKGROUND: Sleep apnoea is a diagnosed condition in which appurtenances interrupt breathing whilst sleeping. The consequence of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) includes road traffic accidents due to drowsiness, systemic hypertension, heart disease, diabetes mellitus and neurocognitive disorders. This condition extends the duration of recovery phase after traumatic brain injury.

    OBJECTIVE: This study was intended to assess the knowledge and attitude towards OSA and compare it among dental and medical undergraduate students of University Sains Malaysia (USM).

    METHODS: In this study, a total of 216 clinical undergraduate students (36 from each year; 108 from medical and 108 from dental school) of University Sains Malaysia (USM) Health campus were recruited for the study by non-probability stratified random sampling method. Total study period was October 2017 to October 2018. A self-administered questionnaire was used to assess the sociodemographic status and OSAKA questionnaire was used to assess knowledge and attitude regarding sleep apnoea of the respondents. Descriptive analysis was carried out to assess the knowledge and attitude of OSA amongst dental and medical undergraduate students of USM. The Mann-Whitney U test was carried out to compare the knowledge and attitude of OSA amongst dental and medical undergraduate students of USM.

    RESULTS: Our study findings revealed that 0.9 %and 6.5 %of the dental undergraduate students and medical undergraduate students could answer all the questions correctly regarding knowledge of OSA. Based on the assessment of the difference between medical and dental students in terms of knowledge towards OSA patients, significant difference was observed at the significance level of 95%, where p 

  13. Javaid MU, Bano S, Mirza MZ, Isha ASN, Nadeem S, Jawaid A, et al.
    Work, 2019;64(3):551-561.
    PMID: 31658088 DOI: 10.3233/WOR-193016
    BACKGROUND: Psychological conditions are experiences of the conscious and unconscious elements of the work context, which revolve around workers' perceptions of feeling either engaged or disengaged with the assigned tasks. In the psychosocial work environment of hazardous industries like petrochemicals where production lasts twenty-four hours a day and continues seven-days-a-week, a psychologically available worker is extremely important. Psychological availability refers to when workers who are physically, emotionally and psychologically engaged at the moment of performing tasks.

    OBJECTIVE: The broad objective of this study was to investigate the direct and indirect effects of behavioral factors on the psychological and physiological health of workers.

    METHODS: The latest, second generation technique, which is structural equation modeling, is used to identify the relationships between behavioral antecedents and health outcomes. A total of 277 technical workers participated, aged between 20 and 49 and were healthy in all aspects.

    RESULTS: The study results showed quantitative demands, emotional demands, work-family conflict, and job insecurity were significantly associated with both psychological (stress) and physiological (Body Mass Index) factors. The social support of colleagues produced mixed findings with direct and indirect paths. Stress also significantly mediates the psychosocial factors and burnout of the workers.

    CONCLUSION: The study concluded that workers were physically available, but they experienced distractions as members of social systems, affecting their physiological and psychological health.

  14. Miraj M, Chuntian L, Rehman RU, Osei-Bonsu R, Mohd Said R, Ali R, et al.
    Work, 2022;73(4):1365-1378.
    PMID: 36093656 DOI: 10.3233/WOR-205237
    BACKGROUND: Research is essential and necessary for those who love learning, whether they belong to a research institution or not. Numerous elements influence researchers' attitudes towards good research work, but in this study we focus on the most significant ones: advisor support, intrinsic motivation, timing, and planning.

    OBJECTIVES: The current study aims at motivating readers to help improve students' attitudes towards research work within the university context.

    METHOD: The target demographic of the current research comprises masters and doctoral students from three major public institutions in Xi'an, China. We aimed to examine the effects of the variables and the study employed correlation and stepwise regression.

    RESULTS: The results show that advisor support influences attitudes towards research positively and significantly (β= 0.20, p 

  15. Mohd Shukoor NS, Mohd Tamrin SB, Guan NY, Mohd Suadi Nata DH
    Work, 2018;60(1):129-134.
    PMID: 29843301 DOI: 10.3233/WOR-182741
    BACKGROUND: Hard hats are among the personal protective equipment (PPE) used in many industries to reduce the impact of any falling object on the skull and also to prevent head and brain injuries. However, the practice of wearing a safety helmet during working hours is still low. This is due to the physical discomfort perceived by safety helmet users.

    OBJECTIVE: Given the unpopularity of the current hard hat, the general perception of workers concerning its use and its measurements are the determining factors in the development of a new hard hat.

    METHOD: A cross-sectional study was conducted in which 132 male oil palm harvesters between 19 and 60 years of age were selected from among the employees of the same oil palm harvesting company. A set of questionnaires was developed to collect their socio-demographic information as well as their perceptions of comfort and the prevalence of head injury. In addition, a set of measuring instruments, including Martin's anthropometry set, was used for head measurement and data collection in respect of the current hard hat. In this research, six respondents were randomly selected to attend an interview session for qualitative assessment.RESULTSBased on the questionnaires, the unpopularity in the use of the hard hat was largely influenced by factors related to poor design, in general, and, specifically, poor ventilation (64%), load (67% ), and physical discomfort (42% ). The measurements of the anthropometric parameters and the dimensions of the hard hat also showed a significant mismatch.

    CONCLUSION: The unpopularity of the current hard hat among oil palm harvesters stemmed from the discomfort from wearing, which showed that the development of a new hard hat could lead to better usage and the greater likelihood of wearing a hard hat throughout the working day.

  16. Srinivasan V, Abathsagayam K, Suganthirababu P, Alagesan J, Vishnuram S, Vasanthi RK
    Work, 2023 Dec 22.
    PMID: 38143418 DOI: 10.3233/WOR-231362
    BACKGROUND: Healthcare workers (HCWs) have been significantly impacted by the pandemic. Elderly health care workers carry out a variety of duties at work and have years of clinical expertise. Anxiety and insomnia are among the more commonly encountered problems in senior physicians and other geriatric medical professional populations.

    OBJECTIVE: The study aims to determine the effect of vagal nerve stimulation on anxiety and sleep disturbances among geriatric medical professionals.

    METHOD: 42 Participants were enrolled in this study based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The participants were divided into two groups using the closed envelope approach, and they took part in therapy sessions lasting 30 minutes, three times per week for a period of four weeks. The Experimental group A received non-invasive transcutaneous auricular vagal nerve stimulation(taVNS) and Control group A received Jacobson's progressive muscle relaxation technique.

    RESULTS: With a p value of 0.001, transcutaneous auricular vagal nerve (taVNS) stimulation significantly improved sleep quality and reduced anxiety after 4 weeks.The post-intervention assessment revealed a highly significant improvement in Group A, with a T value of 251 (p 

  17. Srinivasan V, Ruthuvalan V, Raja S, Jayaraj V, Sridhar S, Kothandaraman M, et al.
    Work, 2024 Mar 15.
    PMID: 38489208 DOI: 10.3233/WOR-230356
    BACKGROUND: Excessive fear, worry and behavioral disturbances define anxiety, with particular significance attributed to vagal nerve, a crucial transmitter of information to the brain regions governing anxiety. Highlighting the importance of vagal nerve, transcutaneous auricular vagal nerve stimulation (TaVNS) emerges as a tolerable and safe technique. The success of non-invasive vagal nerve stimulation in alleviating anxiety underscores the pivotal role of the vagal nerve.

    OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of physiotherapy interventions in mitigating anxiety among retired teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizing the relevance of targeting the vagal nerve for improved mental well-being.

    METHODS: 60 retired teachers diagnosed with anxiety were chosen through random allocation. Participants were divided into two groups: Group A (Experimental group) received transcutaneous auricular vagal nerve stimulation (TaVNS), and Group B (Control group) underwent the Jacobson relaxation technique. Intervention period spanned 4 weeks, with four sessions per week, lasting 30 minutes. The outcome measures included Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) questionnaire and salivary cortisol levels.

    RESULTS: Following the 4-week intervention, both groups exhibited a significant reduction in Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) scores and salivary cortisol levels (P <  0.001). Notably, Group A demonstrated a significantly higher effectiveness rate compared to Group B.

    CONCLUSION: The study concludes that transcutaneous auricular vagal nerve stimulation (TaVNS) is effective in reducing anxiety among retired teachers. Transcutaneous auricular vagal nerve stimulation (TaVNS) proves to be a powerful and effective intervention in alleviating anxiety among retired teachers, emphasizing its potential significance in enhancing mental well-being.

  18. Moorthy K, Juan LM, Kamarudin AA, Govindarajo NS, T'ing LC
    Work, 2023;76(3):1145-1156.
    PMID: 37248940 DOI: 10.3233/WOR-220418
    BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the emotional intelligence of employees through the negative effects on their mental health, and led to poor workplace performance.

    OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this research is to examine the level of EI of Malaysian employees in various sectors affecting their job performance through the mediating influence of psychological capital by using the Schutte Self-Report Emotional Test (SSEIT), 24-item Psychological Capital Questionnaire (PCQ-24) and Role-Based Performance Scale (RBPS) theories.

    METHOD: A quantitative study was conducted. 350 sets of questionnaires were given out to Malaysian employees, of which 311 were returned. Data were analysed through regression analysis.

    RESULTS: The results showed that all emotional intelligence subscales, except for utilising emotions, have a significant relationship with job performance through the effect of psychological capital.

    CONCLUSION: This study offers valuable and insightful implications by combining the SSEIT, PCQ-24, and RBPS models to investigate the effect of emotional intelligence on job performance in Malaysia, which is an unusual combination model to analyse employees' job performance. It helps Malaysian companies, managers, employers, and other related parties to recognise the processes and elements that influence employees' work performance. This research also successfully developed an extended SSEIT model together with PCQ-24 and RBPS and verified their applicability on workplace performance.

  19. Hashim AM, Dawal SZ, Yusoff N
    Work, 2012;41 Suppl 1:827-31.
    PMID: 22316824 DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2012-0249-827
    The objective of this study is to compare the evaluation of postural analysis between a self-report questionnaire and physical assessments methods for students aged 13 to 15 years old in school workshop. 336 students were volunteered as participants to fill in the questionnaire and being observed in the workshop. Total of 104 positions were selected and analyzed while students performing their tasks. Questionnaire data was examined to specify the prevalence of postural stress symptoms. The relationship of postural stress by physical assessment methods (RULA and REBA methods) was defined to identify the risk level of students' working posture. From the results, comparison of four factors categorized from total of 22 questions among ages, the mean values were lower for 13 years old students meaning that they were faced higher posture problems while using the workstation. The obtained results from both physical assessment methods and questionnaire analysis have identified 13 years old students faced higher risk exposure. Analysis results emphasized the fact that self-reports questionnaire method has almost accurate as postural evaluation methods to identify physical risks in workplace. The result also shows that an intervention is needed to overcome the posture problems.
  20. Mohamad Sabri MQ, Judd J, Roslan NFA, Che Daud AZ
    Work, 2022;73(4):1245-1253.
    PMID: 36093653 DOI: 10.3233/WOR-205164
    BACKGROUND: Hand injuries affect a person's functioning, thus impeding their abilities to return to work. There is a limited understanding in return to work of the overall predictors when including hand characteristics and functional abilities. Therefore, it is essential to identify the most relevant predictors in return to work among individuals with a hand injury.

    OBJECTIVES: (1) To compare hand function characteristics and functional abilities of injured workers who have or have not returned to work. (2) To estimate hand function characteristics and functional abilities as predictors to return to work.

    METHODS: One hundred and fifteen adult workers with hand injuries aged 18- 59 years old from five general hospitals in Malaysia participated in a cross-sectional study. Predictors were estimated using logistic regression.

    RESULTS: There was a significant association between occupational sector (p = 0.012), injury duration (p = 0.024), occupational performance (p = 0.009) and satisfaction with performance (p 

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