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Occupational Activities (occupational + activity)
Selected AbstractsPhysical activity for prevention of osteoporosis in patients with severe haemophilia on long-term prophylaxisHAEMOPHILIA, Issue 3 2010M. KHAWAJI Summary., Physical activity has been considered as an important factor for bone density and as a factor facilitating prevention of osteoporosis. Bone density has been reported to be reduced in haemophilia. To examine the relation between different aspects of physical activity and bone mineral density (BMD) in patients with severe haemophilia on long-term prophylaxis. The study group consisted of 38 patients with severe haemophilia (mean age 30.5 years). All patients received long-term prophylaxis to prevent bleeding. The bone density (BMD g cm,2) of the total body, lumbar spine, total hip, femoral neck and trochanter was measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. Physical activity was assessed using the self-report Modifiable Activity Questionnaire, an instrument which collects information about leisure and occupational activities for the prior 12 months. There was only significant correlation between duration and intensity of vigorous physical activity and bone density at lumber spine L1-L4; for duration (r = 0.429 and P = 0.020) and for intensity (r = 0.430 and P = 0.019); whereas no significant correlation between all aspects of physical activity and bone density at any other measured sites. With adequate long-term prophylaxis, adult patients with haemophilia are maintaining bone mass, whereas the level of physical activity in terms of intensity and duration play a minor role. These results may support the proposition that the responsiveness to mechanical strain is probably more important for bone mass development in children and during adolescence than in adults and underscores the importance of early onset prophylaxis. [source] The construct validity of the client questionnaire of the Wisconsin Quality of Life Index , a cross-validation studyINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF METHODS IN PSYCHIATRIC RESEARCH, Issue 3 2003Jean Caron Abstract The Wisconsin Quality of Life Index (W-QLI, Becker, Diamond and Sainfort, 1993) consists of eight scales: satisfaction with life domains, occupational activities, symptoms, physical health, social relations/support, finances, psychological wellbeing, and activities of daily living. The W-QLI has been modified to fit the characteristics of the Canadian population, the universal Canadian health system, and community and social services in Canada and the modified form was named CaW-QLI (Diaz, Mercier, Hachey, Caron, and Boyer, 1999). This study will verify the empirical basis of these theoretical dimensions by applying a cross-validation procedure on two samples, most of whose subjects have a serious mental illness. Confirmatory factor analyses and exploratory factor analyses using the principal component extraction technique with varimax rotation were applied. With the exception of the occupational activities domain, the remaining scales were correctly identified by the factor analyses on each sample. The occupational activities scale should be developed by additional items for representing this scale, which is too brief, and two other items should be revised in order to improve the quality of the instrument. Copyright © 2003 Whurr Publishers Ltd. [source] Evaluation and economic impact analysis of different treatment options for ankle distortions in occupational accidentsJOURNAL OF EVALUATION IN CLINICAL PRACTICE, Issue 5 2010Amaryllis Audenaert Grad Eng PhD Abstract Rationale, aims and objectives, Appropriate use of diagnostic and treatment modalities are essential for rational use of resources. The aim of this study is to evaluate the use of diagnostic modalities and different treatment options and their economic impacts following an acute ankle distortion resulting from an occupational accident. We evaluated the type-of-treatment impact on the victims' course of recovery as well as its impact on the associated accident costs. Research was carried out in Belgium. Methods, An ankle distortion victims' database consisting of 200 cases of (Belgian) occupational accidents during the period 2005,2007 was analysed. Results, Patients who were prescribed immobilization or the use of adjuvant support or physical therapy (118 cases) were not employed during a period of 37 days on average, with a mean total cost of 3140.14 Euros caused by the ankle sprain. Patients without any adjuvant therapy (82 cases) were characterized by an unemployment rate of 15 days on average, and a total cost of 1077.86 Euros. Cast immobilization, although its application is not supported by evidence-based literature, was still applied in 36% of the population studied and resulted in the longest average absence of work of 42 days with an obvious significant increase in medical and total costs. Conclusions, Our results show a high rate of inappropriate use of cast immobilizations for ankle distortions. From an economic point of view and for the same clinical endpoint (being full resumption of the occupational activities), simple conventional treatment, consisting of rest, ice, compression and elevation at diagnosis with allowance of early weight bearing in the further clinical course, leads to the quickest full resumption of activities in combination with the lowest medical costs, if compared with any other kind of treatment. [source] Case,control study of male germ cell tumors nested in a cohort of car-manufacturing workers: Findings from the occupational historyAMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE, Issue 10 2010Ingo Langner PhD Abstract Background To examine whether the previously observed excess risk of male germ cell cancer in a cohort of car-manufacturing workers can be attributed to occupational activities inside and/or outside the car industry. Methods A nested case,control study among workers in six plants included 205 cases of germ cell cancer and 1,105 controls, individually matched by year of birth (±2 years). Job periods of the individual occupational histories were coded based on the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) and the industrial classification of economic activities (NACE). Odds ratios (ORs) and corresponding 95%-confidence intervals (CI) for ever-never and cumulative employment were calculated by conditional multivariate logistic regression adjusted for cryptorchidism. Results Significantly increased risks were observed for machinery fitters and assemblers (A) (OR,=,1.8, 95% CI 1.25,2.53) and "workers not elsewhere classified" (OR,=,2.10, 95% CI 1.27,3.54), but no trend was observed for employment duration in either occupational group. Stratification of job group A by metal-cutting and non-cutting jobs yielded ORs of 1.87 (95% CI 1.31,2.67) and of 1.24 (95% CI 0.68,2.28), respectively. Among "plumbers, welders, sheet & structural metal workers" (adjusted OR 1.4, 95% CI 0.99,1.95) only "structural metal preparers and erectors" showed a substantially increased risk (OR,=,2.30; 95% CI 1.27,4.27). Conclusions Our results do not fully explain the increased incidence of germ cell cancer in the cohort, but support previous findings showing increased risks among metal workers. These risks were most strongly pronounced in metal-cutting activities. Am. J. Ind. Med. 53:1006,1018, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Water-related occupations and diet in two Roman coastal communities (Italy, first to third century AD): Correlation between stable carbon and nitrogen isotope values and auricular exostosis prevalence,AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY, Issue 3 2010Fiona Crowe Abstract The reconstruction of dietary patterns in the two Roman imperial age coastal communities of Portus and Velia (I,III AD) by means of stable isotope analysis of bone remains has exposed a certain degree of heterogeneity between and within the two samples. Results do not correlate with any discernible mortuary practices at either site, which might have pointed to differential social status. The present study tests the hypothesis of a possible connection between dietary habits and occupational activities in the two communities. Among skeletal markers of occupation, external auricular exostosis (EAE) has proved to be very informative. Clinical and retrospective epidemiological surveys have revealed a strong positive correlation between EAE development and habitual exposure to cold water. In this study, we show that there is a high rate of occurrence of EAE among adult males in both skeletal samples (21.1% in Portus and 35.3% in Velia). Further, there is a statistically significant higher prevalence of EAE among those individuals at Velia with very high nitrogen isotopic values. This points to fishing (coastal, low-water fishing) as the sea-related occupation most responsible for the onset of the ear pathology. For Portus, where the consumption of foods from sea and river seems to be more widespread through the population, and where the scenario of seaport and fluvial activities was much more complex than in Velia, a close correlation between EAE and fish consumption by fishermen is less easy to establish. Am J Phys Anthropol 2010. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] VICAID: Development and evaluation of a palmtop-based job aid for workers with severe developmental disabilitiesBRITISH JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY, Issue 3 2001Frederick Furniss The development of technologies to assist people with severe and profound developmental disabilities to engage in constructive activity without constant support from carers may assist such persons to participate fully in vocational and other occupational activities. We describe the development, evaluation and use of VICAID, a system based on a radically simplified palmtop computer. The VICAID system enables a person with a developmental disability to access pictorial instructions designed to help him or her in the accurate completion of tasks. It also provides reminders to access the instructions, and/or alerts a job coach or supervisor should the worker's interaction with the system suggest that they are having difficulty with a task. Evaluative studies show that (1) the system is more effective than alternative supports (pictorial instructions presented in booklets) in maintaining accurate task performance, (2) that the system is preferred to such booklets by most users with severe disabilities, and (3) that it can be used in real work settings. Future development of the system will require attention to be paid to issues of training job-coaches and support workers in its setting-up and maintenance. [source] Can physical activity modulate pancreatic cancer risk? a systematic review and meta-analysisINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CANCER, Issue 12 2010Michael A. O'Rorke Abstract Numerous epidemiological studies have examined the association between physical activity and pancreatic cancer; however, findings from individual cohorts have largely not corroborated a protective effect. Among other plausible mechanisms, physical activity may reduce abdominal fat depots inducing metabolic improvements in glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity, thereby potentially attenuating pancreatic cancer risk. We performed a systematic review to examine associations between physical activity and pancreatic cancer. Six electronic databases were searched from their inception through July 2009, including MEDLINE and EMBASE, seeking observational studies examining any physical activity measure with pancreatic cancer incidence/mortality as an outcome. A random effects model was used to pool individual effect estimates evaluating highest vs. lowest categories of activity. Twenty-eight studies were included. Pooled estimates indicated a reduction in pancreatic cancer risk with higher levels of total (five prospective studies, RR: 0.72, 95% CI: 0.52,0.99) and occupational activity (four prospective studies, RR: 0.75, 95% CI: 0.59,0.96). Nonsignificant inverse associations were seen between risks and recreational and transport physical activity. When examining exercise intensity, moderate activity appeared more protective (RR: 0.79, 95% CI: 0.52,1.20) than vigorous activity (RR: 0.97, 95% CI: 0.85,1.11), but results were not statistically significant and the former activity variable incorporated marked heterogeneity. Despite indications of an inverse relationship with higher levels of work and total activity, there was little evidence of such associations with recreational and other activity exposures. [source] Physical activity and risk of prostate cancer in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohortINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CANCER, Issue 4 2009Nina Føns Johnsen Abstract The evidence concerning the possible association between physical activity and the risk of prostate cancer is inconsistent and additional data are needed. We examined the association between risk of prostate cancer and physical activity at work and in leisure time in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort. In our study, including 127,923 men aged 20,97 years from 8 European countries, 2,458 cases of prostate cancer were identified during 8.5 years of followup. Using the Cox proportional hazards model, we investigated the associations between prostate cancer incidence rate and occupational activity and leisure time activity in terms of participation in sports, cycling, walking and gardening; a metabolic equivalent (MET) score based on weekly time spent on the 4 activities; and a physical activity index. MET hours per week of leisure time activity, higher score in the physical activity index, participation in any of the 4 leisure time activities, and the number of leisure time activities in which the participants were active were not associated with prostate cancer incidence. However, higher level of occupational physical activity was associated with lower risk of advanced stage prostate cancer (ptrend = 0.024). In conclusion, our data support the hypothesis of an inverse association between advanced prostate cancer risk and occupational physical activity, but we found no support for an association between prostate cancer risk and leisure time physical activity. © 2009 UICC [source] | ||||||||||