Gestão da saúde no trabalho: uma experiência institucional

This article aims to disseminate the results of a university action which occurred through the Extension Course entitled Management and Health at Work, conducted from March to September 2011 and offered by “Coordenadoria de Saúde e Segurança do Trabalhador e Sustentabilidade Ambiental” (a kind of Workers' health and safety and environmental sustainability agency) - an agency managed by “Pró-Reitoria de Administração - PRAd/Unesp”. This action had the audience of the technical and administrative staff of the several Institutes (Units) of UNESP in positions of Leadership and Supervision. The course was proposed to equip managers to deal with issues related to health and safety at work in daily labor. Six hundred managers of all UNESP Institutes participated in the course. The meetings were logistically designed respecting the proximity of the participants’ Institutes. The methodology adopted was based on qualitative techniques such as group discussion, role-plays, analysis of film, reading and discussing texts, together with the preparation of a proposal for health promotion by the participants. As a result it was considered that the course offered a convenient and timely opportunity to reflect on and discuss the theme of health and safety at UNESP, as well as to make leaders and managers effective agents to implement programs of disease prevention and health promotion at work.

Mundo contemporâneo e adoecimento: considerações sobre as LER/DORT

With the advent of the industrial revolution, the sickening resulted from labor and work raised significantly, and Work Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WRMD) emerged as one of the main aggravation to the worker’s health. The present article has as its objectives, through a bibliographical revision about this theme, to sketch the contemporary world of work and labor, bringing to surface the principle aspects that constitute and hide the reality of its labor context in which the workers are inserted and then, to do an analysis about the importance of the psychosocial factors in the genesis of the WRMD symptoms.

Relações de trabalho dos jogadores profissionais do poker: um estudo à luz da psicossociologia

Pós-graduação em Psicologia - FCLAS

Significados do trabalho para servidores técnicos e administrativos de uma instituição pública de ensino superior no interior paulista

Pós-graduação em Saúde Coletiva - FMB

Ações regressivas acidentárias sob a perspectiva da previdênca social e da responsabilidade civil

Pós-graduação em Direito - FCHS

Invisibilidade social e saúde do trabalhador: dinâmica territorial do trabalho na coleta de lixo domiciliar urbano em Presidente Prudente/SP

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

A saúde mental do trabalhador: estudo sobre os afastamentos por transtornos mentais

Pós-graduação em Planejamento e Análise de Políticas Públicas - FCHS

Job satisfaction among control room operators of electrical systems

Shift workers from control centers of electrical systems are a group that has received little attention in Brazil. This study aimed to compare workers' job satisfaction at five control centers of a Brazilian company electrical system, and according to their job titles. Method: The Organization Satisfaction Index (OSI) questionnaire to assess job satisfaction was used. ANOVA was used to compare OSI means, according to job title and control center. The results showed that there is no difference in job satisfaction among job titles, but a significant difference was found according to the control center. A single organizational culture cannot be applied to several branches. It is required to implement actions that would result in job satisfaction improvements among workers of all studied control rooms centers. The high level of education of operators working in all centers might have contributed to the similar values of perceived satisfaction among distinct job titles.

Avaliação dos exercícios proprioceptivos no tratamento dos distúrbios do manguito rotador em profissionais de enfermagem: um estudo clínico controlado e randomizado

CONTEXTUALIZAÇÃO: A dor no ombro em profissionais de enfermagem pode acarretar limitação das atividades diárias e ocupacionais e interferir na qualidade de vida. OBJETIVO: Comparar o efeito da aplicação de dois programas fisioterapêuticos diferenciados pelos exercícios de propriocepção em trabalhadores de enfermagem com desordem do manguito rotador, segundo indicadores de qualidade de vida, satisfação no trabalho e intensidade da dor. MÉTODO: Trata-se de um estudo experimental, randomizado, prospectivo, comparativo, com análise quantitativa dos dados. A coleta de dados foi realizada no período de junho de 2010 a julho de 2011, por meio de um questionário sociodemográfico e profissional, questionário Western Ontario Rotador Cuff Index (WORC), Escala de Satisfação no Trabalho (Occupational Stress Indicator) e Escala Visual Numérica (EVN) para intensidade da dor. Após randomização, os sujeitos foram alocados em dois grupos. No Grupo 1 (controle), foram aplicados exercícios de alongamento, fortalecimento e crioterapia. No Grupo 2 (experimental), foram realizados os mesmos exercícios que no Grupo 1 acrescidos de exercícios proprioceptivos. Os dados foram analisados por meio do Statistical Package for the Social Science, versão 16.0 para Windows. RESULTADOS: Após os tratamentos fisioterapêuticos, houve melhora significativa da dor nos sujeitos dos dois grupos e da qualidade de vida nos trabalhadores do Grupo 2. Não houve alteração dos indicadores de satisfação no trabalho nos dois grupos. CONCLUSÕES: Os exercícios proprioceptivos foram importantes no tratamento dos distúrbios osteomusculares. No entanto, os resultados não permitiram inferir a melhor efetividade deles em relação ao outro tratamento, pois não houve diferença significativa entre os grupos. Ensaio clínico registrado no ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01465932.

Representations of workplace psychological harassment in print news media

OBJECTIVE: To analyze discourses on workplace psychological harassment in print media. METHODOLOGICAL PROCEDURES: Documental study on workplace psychological harassment that analyzed news stories published in three major newspapers of the State of Sao Paulo (southeastern Brazil) between 1990 and 2008. Discourse analysis was performed to identify discursive practices that reflect the phenomenon of psychological harassment in today's society, explanations for its occurrence and impact on workers' health. RESULT ANALYSIS: This theme emerged in the media through the dissemination of books, academic research production and laws. It was initially published in general news then in jobs and/or business sections. Discourses on compensation and precautionary business practices and coping strategies are widespread. Health-related aspects are foregone under the prevailing money-based rationale. Corporate cultures are permissive regarding psychological harassment and conflicts are escalated while working to achieve goals and results. Indifference, embarrassment, ridicule and demean were common in the news stories analyzed. CONCLUSIONS: The causal explanations of workplace harassment tend to have a psychological interpretation with emphasis on individual and behavioral characteristics, and minimizing a collective approach. The discourses analyzed trivialized harassment by creating caricatures of the actors involved. People apprehend its psychological content and stigmatization which contributes to making workplace harassment an accepted practice and trivializing work-related violence.

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.

Incapacidade para o trabalho: análise dos benefícios auxílio-doença concedidos no estado de Rondônia

Trata-se de um estudo epidemiológico descritivo com objetivo de estimar a prevalência e a duração dos benefícios auxílio-doença, concedidos pelo Instituto Nacional de Seguro Social, bem como dos fatores associados à incapacidade para o trabalho entre os trabalhadores empregados em Rondônia em 2008. As prevalências foram apresentadas por 10.000 trabalhadores e estratificadas por sexo, idade, diagnóstico, atividade econômica, espécie e duração dos benefícios. Os homens apresentaram maiores prevalência e duração dos benefícios. Os benefícios previdenciários mostraramse 2,5 mais prevalentes do que os acidentários e ambos aumentaram com a idade. Os acidentários foram mais prevalentes na faixa etária de 50-59 anos. Silvicultura, construção civil e locação de mão de obra apresentaram as maiores prevalências. Os principais grupos diagnósticos foram lesões; doenças do sistema osteomuscular e doenças do aparelho digestivo. A duração dos benefícios auxílio-doença foi maior entre homens, com > 40 anos e na espécie previdenciária. A atividade econômica é um importante fator de risco para a incapacidade para o trabalho, e precisa ser mais bem explorada como tal visando melhorar a prevenção de doenças e diminuir o impacto na saúde dos trabalhadores decorrentes das condições ambientais e dos processos de trabalho.

Estimation of the risks of thermal stress due to the microclimate for manual fruit and vegetable harvesters in central Italy

Agricultural workers are exposed to various risks, including chemical agents, noise, and many other factors. One of the most characteristic and least known risk factors is constituted by the microclimatic conditions in the different phases of work (in field, in greenhouse, etc). A typical condition is thermal stress due to high temperatures during harvesting operations in open fields or in greenhouses. In Italy, harvesting is carried out for many hours during the day, mainly in the summer, with temperatures often higher than 30 degrees C. According to ISO 7243, these conditions can be considered dangerous for workers' health. The aim of this study is to assess the risks of exposure to microclimatic conditions (heat) for fruit and vegetable harvesters in central Italy by applying methods established by international standards. In order to estimate the risk for workers, the air temperature, radiative temperature, and air speed were measured using instruments in conformity with ISO 7726. Thermodynamic parameters and two more subjective parameters, clothing and the metabolic heat production rate related to the worker's physical activity, were used to calculate the predicted heat strain (PHS) for the exposed workers in conformity with ISO 7933. Environmental and subjective parameters were also measured for greenhouse workers, according to ISO 7243, in order to calculate the wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT). The results show a slight risk for workers during manual harvesting in the field. On the other hand, the data collected in the greenhouses show that the risk for workers must not be underestimated. The results of the study show that, for manual harvesting work in climates similar to central Italy, it is essential to provide plenty of drinking water and acclimatization for the workers in order to reduce health risks. Moreover, the study emphasizes that the possible health risks for greenhouse workers increase from the month of April through July.

Evaluation of web-based resources for pregnant and parenting teens

Current teen pregnancy and repeat pregnancy rates reveal that there is a pressing need for comprehensive care for pregnant and parenting teens to address their unique needs. The Internet has become a source of various types of information and as a result, several efforts have begun to assess the quality of health information provided on websites. The objective of this study was to assess the functionality and quality of websites containing health information and resources for pregnant and parenting teens. The three most widely used search engines currently: Google, MSN, and Yahoo were searched using three general search terms “teen pregnancy”, “pregnant teen”, and “teen parent”. The first 5 pages of each search were reviewed and categorized to yield 12 websites which met inclusion criteria for content evaluation. The 12 websites were rated using a pre-existing instrument encompassing two domains: functionality and content analysis. Within the functionality domain, this sample highlighted the need to improve accessibility and credibility for the target population. The content analysis revealed that among the topics which are recommended for pregnant and parenting teens, the topics most commonly covered were mental health and primary and preventive health care. The majority of websites neglected sexual health topics including STI’s and family planning. This study provides the first glimpse into health information and resources for pregnant and parenting teens on the Internet. Researchers, health care providers, social workers, health educators, and website sponsors can use these results to maintain and recommend websites which offer easily accessible, accurate, and practical information for pregnant and parenting teens.^

Psychosocial factors and musculoskeletal symptoms in a vulnerable working population in Nicaragua

This research is a secondary data analysis of the CUPID-INCA Nicaragua study, a cross-sectional study comparing psychosocial and physical factors on musculoskeletal symptoms among nurses, office workers and maquiladoras in Nicaragua. There were three objectives for this thesis. (1) To describe the study population according to their socio-demographic, psychosocial (i.e. work organization and health beliefs) and physical factors. (2) To estimate the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in the study population (nurses, office workers and maquilas). (3) To analyze and compare the trends of association between psychosocial factors and MSDs to that of physical factors and MSDs in the study population. Trends of association between MSDs and psychosocial factors were also compared between nurses, office workers and maquilas. ^ Majority of the total study population were females, middle aged, non smokers and had been on the job for more than five years. Prevalence rates of low back pain and upper extremity pain were 28% and 37% respectively in nurses, 17% and 34% in office workers and 18% and 31% in maquilas. Workers' health belief was significantly associated with MSDs in all three occupational groups. Psychosocial factors were not consistently associated more with MSDs than physical factors. Maquilas had more psychosocial factors statistically significantly associated with musculoskeletal symptoms than nurses and office workers. ^ The findings of this research suggest that both psychosocial and physical risk factors play a role on the prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms in the three working populations in Nicaragua. Future research in this area should explore further, the risk of developing MSDs from workers' exposure to psychosocial factors as well as physical factors.^