Morbidity among nursing personnel and its association with working conditions and work organization

Introduction: Work organization patterns and working conditions experienced by nursing personnel in the hospital settings may be associated to increased morbidity among these health workers. Aim: To estimate the prevalence and factors associated with self-reported diseases among nursing personnel at the emergency hospital in Rio Branco/ State of Acre, Brazil. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 272 participants who answered a questionnaire including sociodemographic characteristics, working conditions, lifestyles, work ability, and a fatigue perception scale. The self-reported diseases in the 12 months prior to data collection were considered the dependent variable. Results: A total of 85.7% of the participants reported one or more diseases in the past 12 months. Most prevalent diseases were: musculoskeletal diseases (37.1%), digestive diseases (28.7%), mental disorders (28.3%), work injuries (27.9%), and respiratory diseases (26.8%). The following significant variables remained in the final model: high work demands (OR 2.69), reported fatigue (OR 3.59), night work (OR 6.55) and being a technician or nursing assistant (OR 4.23). Conclusions: Variables related to working conditions and work organization were associated with the occurrence of reported diseases among nursing professionals. Health promotion measures at work require a comprehensive approach including the working conditions and the work organization.

Cross-cultural adaptation of the Work Disability Diagnosis Interview (WoDDI) for the Brazilian context

The Work Disability Diagnosis Interview (WoDDI) is a structured interview guide developed by the University of Sherbrooke, Canada to help clinicians detect the most important work-related disability predictors and to identify one or more causes of prolonged absenteeism. This methodological study aims for the cross-cultural adaptation of the WoDDI for the Brazilian context. The method followed international guidelines for studies of this kind, including the following steps: initial translation, synthesis of translations, back translation, evaluation by an expert committee and testing of the penultimate version. These steps allowed obtaining conceptual, semantic, idiomatic, experiential and operational equivalences, in addition to content validity. The results showed that the translated WoDDI is adapted to the Brazilian context and can be used after training.

Family Health Strategy Professionals Facing Medical Social Needs: difficulties and coping strategies

Professionals of Family Health Strategy (FHS) work in communities where there are complex medical social problems. These contexts may lead them to psychological suffering, jeopardizing their care for the users, and creating yet another obstacle to the consolidation of FHS as the primary health care model in Brazil. The study investigated the difficulties and coping strategies reported by health professionals of the FHS teams when they face medical social needs of the communities where they work. Focus groups and semi-structured interviews were carried out with 68 professionals of three primary care units in the city of Sao Paulo (Southeastern Brazil). Drug dealing and abuse, alcoholism, depression and domestic violence are the most relevant problems mentioned by the study group. Professionals reported lack of adequate training, work overload, poor working conditions with feelings of professional impotence and frustration. To overcome these difficulties, professionals reported collective strategies, particularly experience sharing during team meetings and matrix support groups. The results indicate that the difficulties may put the professionals in a vulnerable state, similar to the patients they care for. The promotion of specialized and long term support should be reinforced, as well as the interaction with the local network of services and communities leaders. That may help professionals to deal with occupational stress related to medical and social needs present in their routine work; in the end, it may as well contribute to the strengthening of FHS.

Work organization and the health of bank employees

The Brazilian banking sector has undergone an intense restructuring process and taken a leading position in the incorporation of new technologies and organizational innovations. Computerization in the industry, in association with forms of work organization, has resulted in changes that reflect on the workers' health. Based on the theoretical and methodological frameworks of historical and dialectical materialism, this qualitative study investigates the work conditions of bank employees in order to identify the extent to which changes in work organization interfere with these workers' health. Data were collected through interviews held with 11 bank employees. In addition to physical sickening due to occupational diseases directly related to work intensification, the results also show an increased incidence of mental suffering and a feeling of loss of professional identity. Work-related frustration, instability and concerns related to psychological pressure resulting from the need to achieve goals predominated in the reports.

Effects of Working Full-Time and Studying in the Evening Hours Among Young Apprentices and Trainees

Objective: This research aims to assess apprentices' and trainees' work conditions, psychosocial factors at work, as well as health symptoms after joining the labor force. Background: Despite the fact that there are over 3.5 million young working students in Brazil, this increasing rate brings with it difficult working conditions such as work pressure, heavy workloads, and lack of safety training. Method: This study was carried out in a nongovernmental organization (NGO) with 40 young members of a first job program in the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil. They filled out a comprehensive questionnaire focused on sociodemographic variables, working conditions, and health symptoms. Individual and collective semi-structured interviews were conducted. Empirical data analysis was performed using analysis of content. Results: The majority of participants mentioned difficulties in dealing with the pressure and their share of responsibilities at work. Body pains, headaches, sleep deprivation during the workweek, and frequent colds were mentioned. Lack of appropriate task and safety training contributed to the occurrence of work injuries. Conclusion: Having a full-time job during the day coupled with evening high school attendance may jeopardize these people's health and future. Application: This study can make a contribution to the revision and implementation of work training programs for adolescents. It can also help in the creation of more sensible policies regarding youth employment.

Risk factors for computer visual syndrome (CVS) among operators of two call centers in Sao Paulo, Brazil

The aims of this study were to investigate work conditions, to estimate the prevalence and to describe risk factors associated with Computer Vision Syndrome among two call centers' operators in Sao Paulo (n = 476). The methods include a quantitative cross-sectional observational study and an ergonomic work analysis, using work observation, interviews and questionnaires. The case definition was the presence of one or more specific ocular symptoms answered as always, often or sometimes. The multiple logistic regression model, were created using the stepwise forward likelihood method and remained the variables with levels below 5% (p < 0.05). The operators were mainly female and young (from 15 to 24 years old). The call center was opened 24 hours and the operators weekly hours were 36 hours with break time from 21 to 35 minutes per day. The symptoms reported were eye fatigue (73.9%), "weight" in the eyes (68.2%), "burning" eyes (54.6%), tearing (43.9%) and weakening of vision (43.5%). The prevalence of Computer Vision Syndrome was 54.6%. Associations verified were: being female (OR 2.6, 95% CI 1.6 to 4.1), lack of recognition at work (OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.1 to 1.8), organization of work in call center (OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.1 to 1.7) and high demand at work (OR 1.1, 95% CI 1.0 to 1.3). The organization and psychosocial factors at work should be included in prevention programs of visual syndrome among call centers' operators.

History and Epistemology of Science in the Classroom: The Synthesis of Quinine as a Proposal

The history of the quinine synthesis can be used as a case study to emphasize that science is influenced by social and historical processes. The first efforts toward the synthesis of this substance, which until recently was the only treatment for malaria, were by Perkin in 1856 when, trying to obtain quinine,,. he synthesized mauveine. Since then, the quest for the total synthesis of quinine involved several characters in a web of controversies. A major step in this process was made in 1918 by Rabe and Kindler, who proposed the synthesis of quinine from quinotoxine. Twenty-six years later, after obtaining the total synthesis of quinotoxine, Woodward and Doering announced the total synthesis of quinine. However, the lack of experimental details about Rabe and Kindler's process, associated with Woodward and Doering's failure to reproduce it, raised a series of doubts about the synthesis. Stork and colleagues questioned the veracity of the experimental data and even the scientific reputation of the involved researchers. Doubts remained alive until 2008, when Williams and Smith reported, not without reservations, the reproducibility of Rabe and Kindler's protocol. The scientific knowledge as a social and historical development, its legitimating process, and the absence of neutrality in science constitute aspects that can be discussed from this case study, providing significant contributions to science education, in particular, to the initial or continued training of chemistry teachers.

Educação física escolar: entre inquietudes e impertinências

O presente ensaio tem por objetivo analisar os conceitos de abordagem de ensino e tendências pedagógicas no campo da Educação Física Escolar. A partir da exploração da literatura especializada, foi possível indagar sobre o grau de consistência interna das teorias pedagógicas produzidas nos anos 80 e 90 do século passado, como propostas sistematizadas para o ensino da Educação Física e suas implicações para o processo de formação docente. Desta forma, é proposto que a partir de uma aproximação acadêmica e profissional, seja possível promover um avanço na direção da sistematização do conhecimento.

Influence of different resistance exercise loading schemes on mechanical power output in work to rest ratio - equated and - nonequated conditions

Paulo CA, Roschel H, Ugrinowitsch C, Kobal R and Tricoli V. Influence of different resistance exercise loading schemes on mechanical power output in work to rest ratio-equated and -nonequated conditions. J Strength Cond Res 26(5): 1308-1312, 2012-It is well known that most sports are characterized by the performance of intermittent high-intensity actions, requiring high muscle power production within different intervals. In fact, the manipulation of the exercise to rest ratio in muscle power training programs may constitute an interesting strategy when considering the specific performance demand of a given sport modality. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of different schemes of rest intervals and number of repetitions per set on muscle power production in the squat exercise between exercise to rest ratio-equated and -nonequated conditions. Nineteen young males (age: 25.7 +/- 4.4 years; weight: 81.3 +/- 13.7 kg; height: 178.1 +/- 5.5 cm) were randomly submitted to 3 different resistance exercise loading schemes, as follows: short-set short-interval condition (SSSI; 12 sets of 3 repetitions with a 27.3-second interval between sets); short-set long-interval condition (SSLI; 12 sets of 3 repetitions with a 60-second interval between sets); long-set long-interval (LSLI; 6 sets of 6 repetitions with a 60-second rest interval between sets). The main finding of the present study is that the lower exercise to rest ratio protocol (SSLI) resulted in greater average power production (601.88 +/- 142.48 W) when compared with both SSSI and LSLI (581.86 +/- 113.18 W; 578 +/- 138.78 W, respectively). Additionally, both the exercise to rest ratio-equated conditions presented similar performance and metabolic results. In summary, these findings suggest that shorter rest intervals may fully restore the individual's ability to produce muscle power if a smaller exercise volume per set is performed and that lower exercise to rest ratio protocols result in greater average power production when compared with higher ratio ones.

Alternatives exist: analysis of scientific literature in two Brazilian journals about the pedagogical work of Physical Education

Considering that the process of teacher training in universities takes into account the confrontation of knowledge produced by the scientific methods, the current study intended to identify what are the main contributions of the Brazilian scientific production of Physical Education teaching. Therefore, an exploratory study was done from the articles published on the subject in the two main periodicals of the area. The data analyzes allowed us to verify the relevancy of the knowledge produced and to suggest alternatives to its inclusion in the docent training programs.

Voice disorders related to job stress in teaching: a case-control study

This case-control study aimed to test the association between voice disorders and job stress among public schoolteachers in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The groups consisted of teachers with (n = 165) and without (n = 105) voice-related complaints. Both groups answered the questionnaires Conditions of Vocal Production and Job Stress Scale. Analysis of cases and controls showed comparable samples, differing only by vocal symptoms. There was a statistically significant difference between cases and controls in relation to job stress involving high strain (OR = 2.1;95%CI: 1.1-3.9), which places high demands combined with low job control. High strain in cases in this study represents the highest risk of physical and mental disorders for teachers. Loss of voice prevents teachers from continuing in their professional role, eliminates their professional identity, and jeopardizes their career.

Hurdles at work: perceptions of hospital food handlers

Abstract Background Food handlers have a very important role in preventing food contamination during its preparation and distribution. This responsibility is even greater in hospitals, since a large number of patients have low immunity and consequently food contamination by pathogenic bacteria could be particularly harmful. Therefore, a good working environment and periodic training should be provided to food handlers by upper management. Methods This study is qualitative research by means of focus group and thematic content analysis methodologies to examine, in detail, the statements by food handlers working in the milk and specific-diet kitchens in a hospital to understand the problems they face in the workplace. Results We found that food handlers are aware of the role they play in restoring patients' health; they consider it important to offer a good-quality diet. However, according to their perceptions, a number of difficulties prevent them from reaching this aim. These include: upper management not prioritizing human and material resources to the dietetic services when making resource allocation decisions; a perception that upper management considers their work to be of lesser importance; delayed overtime payments; lack of periodic training; managers lacking administrative skills; insufficient dietitian staff assistants, leading to overwork, at the same time as there is an excess of dietitians; unhealthy environmental working conditions – high temperature, high humidity, loud and constant noise level, poor ventilation; lack of food, and kitchen utensils and equipment; and relationship conflicts with chief dieticians and co-workers. Conclusion From these findings, improvement in staff motivation could be achieved by considering non-financial incentives, such as improvement in working conditions and showing appreciation and respect through supervision, training and performance appraisal. Management action, such as investments in intermediary management so that managers have the capacity to provide supportive supervision, as well as better use of performance appraisal and access to training, may help overcome the identified problems.