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Blue-collar Workers (blue-collar + worker)
Selected AbstractsJob categories and acute ischemic heart disease: a hospital-based, case-control study in TaiwanAMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE, Issue 6 2007Jong-Dar Chen MD Abstract Background Most studies of the relationship between work and acute ischemic heart disease (IHD) were performed in western populations, and the extent to which their findings hold in Asian populations is largely unknown. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between job categories and non-fatal, first episodes of acute IHD in Taipei, Taiwan. Methods A hospital-based, case-control design was used. Cases were patients with a first episode of non-fatal acute IHD who were admitted to the department of cardiology. Two controls without known cardiovascular disease were matched to each case for age, gender, and date of admission. A total of 119 cases and 238 controls were enrolled between April and September 2004. Results Compared with white-collar workers, blue-collar workers had a 5.3-fold (95% CI: 1.5, 18.5) increased risk of a first episode of non-fatal acute IHD, while self-employed workers and managers/professionals had a slightly lower odds ratio of 0.6 (95% CI: 0.1, 2.4) and 0.5 (95% CI: 0.1, 2.2), respectively. Hypertension, diabetes, obesity, physical inactivity, and sleep disturbance were significant risk factors for acute IHD. A clustering of the cardiovascular risk factors was found in blue-collar workers. Conclusions Blue-collar workers had a 5.3-fold increased risk of a first event of non-fatal acute IHD compared with white-collar workers, and this increased risk was associated with a clustering of cardiovascular risk factors. Am. J. Ind. Med. 50:409,414, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Aversive Workplace Conditions and Employee Grievance Filing: The Moderating Effects of Gender and EthnicityINDUSTRIAL RELATIONS, Issue 2 2008PETER BAMBERGER Studies examining the direct effects of employee demographic differences on grievance filing have yielded mixed results. Moreover, little is known regarding the possible moderating effect that such differences might have on the link between workplace adversity and grievance filing. Using a sample of 866 blue-collar workers drawn from four unions, we examine the potential moderating effects of gender and race/ethnicity. Our findings suggest that while gender and ethnicity are not significantly associated with perceptions of workplace adversity, grievance filing in response to certain forms of adversity is amplified among women (as compared to men) and among African Americans and Hispanics (as compared to whites). The meaning and implications of these findings are discussed. [source] Unions and Unemployment Insurance Benefits Receipt: Evidence from the Current Population SurveyINDUSTRIAL RELATIONS, Issue 2 2004John W. Budd Using data from the January 1996 Current Population Survey's Displaced Worker Supplement, this article analyzes the effect of union representation on the likelihood that individuals eligible for unemployment insurance (UI) benefits receive UI benefits. For white-collar workers, unions do not have a significant effect on the probability of UI benefit receipt. Eligible blue-collar workers laid off from union jobs are approximately 23 percent more likely than comparable nonunion workers to receive UI benefits. [source] Attitudinal organizational commitment and job performance: a meta-analysisJOURNAL OF ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR, Issue 3 2002Michael Riketta A meta-analysis was conducted to estimate the true correlation between attitudinal organizational commitment and job performance and to identify moderators of this correlation. One-hundred and eleven samples from 93 published studies were included. The corrected mean correlation was 0.20. The correlation was at least marginally significantly stronger for: (a) extra-role performance as opposed to in-role performance; (b) white-collar workers as opposed to blue-collar workers; and (c) performance assessed by self ratings as opposed to supervisor ratings or objective indicators. Four other assumed moderators (commitment measure: Affective Commitment Scale versus Organizational Commitment Questionnaire, job level, age, and tenure) did not have at least marginally significant effects. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Employer Wage Differentials in Germany: A Comparative NoteLABOUR, Issue 3 2002Gesine Stephan The paper contributes to the growing empirical literature on employer wage differentials, presenting first estimates for West Germany and comparing them with recent findings from other studies for the USA, France and Denmark. The empirical results show that the variation of global employer wage differentials is comparatively low in West Germany and has remained stable during the first half of the 1990s. This low dispersion results from wage setting for blue-collar workers, while cross-country differences are negligible for white-collar workers. Employer wage differentials have, however, become more important for the remuneration of West German blue-collar workers during the period investigated. [source] Description of a return-to-work occupational therapy programme for stroke rehabilitation in SingaporeOCCUPATIONAL THERAPY INTERNATIONAL, Issue 2 2008Mei Leng Chan Abstract Stroke is the fourth leading cause of death and the major cause of disability in Singapore. The number of stroke survivors is expected to rise with the increase in the ageing population. This paper describes how occupational therapists are involved in stroke and work rehabilitation in Singapore. A retrospective study of stroke clients referred to a vocational assessment unit in 2004 showed that 55% of the clients were able to return to work. The majority of the clients changed their job positions from blue-collar workers to clerical workers. On the other hand, the main reasons for poor outcome were: unfit to work in general, needed further rehabilitation, further medical care was indicated, failed to meet appointments and withdrawal from the job trial. Three case vignettes are discussed to illustrate the multifactorial aspects influencing positive work outcomes. Further research is needed in exploring the factors that affect stroke rehabilitation and return-to-work outcomes. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Job categories and acute ischemic heart disease: a hospital-based, case-control study in TaiwanAMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE, Issue 6 2007Jong-Dar Chen MD Abstract Background Most studies of the relationship between work and acute ischemic heart disease (IHD) were performed in western populations, and the extent to which their findings hold in Asian populations is largely unknown. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between job categories and non-fatal, first episodes of acute IHD in Taipei, Taiwan. Methods A hospital-based, case-control design was used. Cases were patients with a first episode of non-fatal acute IHD who were admitted to the department of cardiology. Two controls without known cardiovascular disease were matched to each case for age, gender, and date of admission. A total of 119 cases and 238 controls were enrolled between April and September 2004. Results Compared with white-collar workers, blue-collar workers had a 5.3-fold (95% CI: 1.5, 18.5) increased risk of a first episode of non-fatal acute IHD, while self-employed workers and managers/professionals had a slightly lower odds ratio of 0.6 (95% CI: 0.1, 2.4) and 0.5 (95% CI: 0.1, 2.2), respectively. Hypertension, diabetes, obesity, physical inactivity, and sleep disturbance were significant risk factors for acute IHD. A clustering of the cardiovascular risk factors was found in blue-collar workers. Conclusions Blue-collar workers had a 5.3-fold increased risk of a first event of non-fatal acute IHD compared with white-collar workers, and this increased risk was associated with a clustering of cardiovascular risk factors. Am. J. Ind. Med. 50:409,414, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Intervention for prevention of low back pain in Japanese forklift workersAMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE, Issue 2 2001DrMedSc, Toshiaki Shinozaki MD Abstract Background The effectiveness of two different approaches for the prevention of low back pain (LBP) was compared in forklift workers. The first approach (personal) consisted of providing lumbar support, arctic jacket and physical exercise, and the second (facility approach) included the improvement of forklift seats and tires. Methods The self-reported prevalence of LBP was surveyed three times before and after the two forms of interventions, in 260 male blue-collar workers including 27 forklift workers, and 55 male white-collar workers of a copper smelter. Results The initial prevalence of LBP was 63% in the forklift workers, which was significantly higher than that found in the other blue-collar workers (32%) and in the white-collar workers (22%). One year after the first intervention (personal approach) to the forklift workers, the prevalence of LBP fell to 56%. The second intervention (facility approach), which was mainly comprised of a reduction in whole body vibration, was subsequently added, and 9 months later the prevalence of LBP in the forklift workers further decreased to 33%. The reduction of the prevalence from the initial survey was significant (P,=,0.008), and that from the second survey was nearly significant (P,=,0.070). Conclusions These findings suggest that the facility approach is more effective for a reduction of LBP than the personal approach. Am. J. Ind. Med. 40:141,144, 2001. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] ORIGINAL RESEARCH,EPIDEMIOLOGY: Male Erectile Dysfunction: Its Prevalence in Western Australia and Associated Sociodemographic FactorsTHE JOURNAL OF SEXUAL MEDICINE, Issue 1 2008FRCPEdin, FRCPGlasg, Kew-Kim Chew MBBS ABSTRACT Introduction., This is a report of a population-based cross-sectional observational study in Western Australia (WA) on male erectile dysfunction (ED). Aim., To assess the prevalence of ED in WA and to examine its associated sociodemographic factors. Method., Postal questionnaires were sent to randomly selected age-stratified male population samples obtained from the WA Electoral Roll. Main Outcome Measures., In addition to items covering sociodemographic and clinical information, the Australian Standard Classification of Occupations (ASCO), the Socioeconomic Index for Area (SEIFA), and the 5-item International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5) were used. Results., One thousand seven hundred seventy (41.9%) of 4,228 questionnaires were returned. One thousand five hundred eighty (89.3%) were completed questionnaires from men aged 20.1 to 99.6 years (mean 57.9, median 59.1, standard deviation 18.5). The prevalences of any ED and of severe ED among adult males in WA, adjusted for age distribution, were 25.1 and 8.5%, respectively. Standardized to World Health Organization (WHO) World Standard Population, the corresponding prevalences were 23.4 and 7.4%. Prevalence, as well as severity, of ED increased with age. Thirty-eight percent of the participants who were married or had partners experienced ED (severe ED 19.1%). The prevalence of ED was not significantly different between "white-collar" and "blue-collar" workers. Despite the great majority of the affected participants having experienced ED for >1 year, only 14.1% reported having ever received any treatment for ED. Conclusions., The study has provided population-based epidemiological data on ED in Western Australian men covering a wide range of ages. The finding that ED is age related, highly prevalent, and grossly underdiagnosed and undertreated is pertinent to global population aging and a rapidly aging Australian population. To facilitate comparisons across populations with different age distributions, all future population-based studies on ED should be standardized to WHO World Standard Population. Chew K-K, Stuckey B, Bremner A, Earle C, and Jamrozik K. Male Erectile Dysfunction: Its Prevalence in Western Australia and Associated Sociodemographic Factors. J Sex Med 2008;5:60,69. [source] | |||||||||||||