Young adults' gambling and its association with mental health and substance use problems

Objective: To examine the socio‐demographic characteristics of young adults’ gambling and its association with mental health and substance use behaviour. Methods: The study is based on 3,512 young adults (1648 males) for whom data from the Mater‐University of Queensland Study of Pregnancy (MUSP) were available on self‐report gambling, gambling expenditure, Achenbach's Young Adult Self Report and substance use at the 21‐year follow‐up of the MUSP. The participants’ age ranged between 18.2 and 23.6 (mean = 20.6, standard deviation = 0.8) years. Results: Two‐fifths of the young adults reported gambling. Males reported more money spent on gambling and were significantly more likely to be at risk of problem gambling. Gambling and problem gambling were significantly more common in less‐educated individuals, those who had higher income or those who had a paid job. Individuals who reported gambling were more likely to smoke cigarettes, drink more than a glass of alcohol per day, use illicit drugs, or exhibit high levels of externalising behaviour than non‐gamblers. Conclusions: The findings confirm the high prevalence of gambling and gambling expenditure in young adults. Individuals who are involved in gambling are more likely to report cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, and use of illicit drugs. There is a need for further research to explore the mechanisms of association between gambling behaviour and individuals’ mental health and substance use. Implications: Substance abuse and mental health services are recommended to consider co‐morbid gambling problems in treatment‐seeking patients.     

Latex glove allergy among hospital employees: a study in the north-west of England

The frequency of use and duration of wearing latex gloves among hospital employees has increased due to concerns about AIDS and hepatitis. In many countries there is increased consciousness about latex sensitization. In the UK, the Medical Device Agency has been monitoring latex allergy for a number of years but has not found any conclusive evidence of any significant problem. We report following a detailed questionnaire study in two hospitals in the north-west of England. A total of 1,827 members of staff were questioned about latex allergy at work. One hundred and twenty-four (7%) of these hospital employees had experienced symptoms strongly suggestive of latex allergy. Of this group, 56 had a-RAST test (IgE specific to latex), which was positive in seven (12.5%). There was a history of atopy in 31%, and a family history of atopy in 17% of the individuals. As a result of the study it was found that 17% (21 of the affected individuals) had already changed their working practice by using latex-free gloves. We were able to increase awareness of latex allergy within the hospitals. Both individuals and health care organizations need to be aware of the problem and hospital organizations should encourage staff to seek guidance to address the problem and, if necessary, to take appropriate measures to improve working practices. Practical guidelines are given with regard to identifying the problem and glove use for hospital staff.     

Classification of Work Ability Index among young employees

BACKGROUND: The reference values of the Work Ability Index (WAI) are best known for people aged over 45 years. However, the WAI score is highly dependent on age and population-based reference values for young employees are needed. AIM: To present WAI scores calculated for a population-based sample of employees in their early 30s. METHODS: A self-administered questionnaire including the items of the WAI was used. The study included 3725 employees (2021 men and 1704 women) aged 31 from part of the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 Study (NFBC-66) and who were working in a wide range of occupations in northern Finland or in the Helsinki region during 1997-1998. RESULTS: The WAI scores among young employees varied from 15 to 49 with a mean of 40.7 points (SD 4.2). The 15th percentile, median and 85th percentile of the WAI scores were 37, 41 and 45 points, respectively. The WAI scores were relatively high for both men and women. CONCLUSIONS: When classification of WAI scores into four work ability categories is used, the scores of employees in their early 30s should be evaluated separately from those of older age groups. For young employees work ability categories poor (7-36 points), moderate (37-40 points), good (41-44 points) and excellent (45-49 points) are suggested.     

A follow-up study on the association of working conditions and lifestyles with the development of (perceived) mental symptoms in workers of a telecommunication enterprise

AIM: This study investigated the association of working conditions and lifestyle with mental health in Japanese workers. METHODS: A follow-up study was carried out in the Kanto district of Japan of workers in a telecommunications enterprise who received their first annual health check-up between 1992 and 1996 and were between 20 and 54 years old. Workers who reported mental symptoms, had a past history of disease, or current illness at their first check-up were excluded from the analysis. In total, the study included 23 837 workers. The association between working conditions and lifestyle and the development of mental symptoms was investigated by pooled logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: Working long hours and part-time work, as opposed to normal daytime hours of work, were factors associated with the development of mental symptoms in males, as were smoking, short sleeping hours, little physical exercise, rarely taking three meals a day, frequently eating within 1 h before sleep, much preference for salty meals and little preference for vegetables. Consumption of alcohol was negatively associated with the development of mental symptoms in males. Overall, the results suggested that the lower the Healthy Work and Lifestyle Score, the higher the risk of developing mental symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Working conditions and lifestyle, especially food preferences, have an apparent influence on the mental health of Japanese workers. Moreover, the Healthy Work and Lifestyle Score indicates that working conditions and lifestyle appear to have a cumulative influence upon the mental health of Japanese workers.     

Factors related to screening for problem gambling among healthcare and social service providers in Ontario,Canada: A concept mapping study

Problem gambling is a major public health concern, especially among persons who are precariously housed, living in poverty or have complex health and social needs. Problem gambling has been connected to negative health and social outcomes; however, current healthcare services rarely screen for problem gambling. With support from community partners, the purpose of this study was to understand factors related to screening for problem gambling. Concept mapping, a mixed‐method approach driven by participatory involvement, was conducted with healthcare and social service providers from Ontario, Canada in 2019. Three phases were conducted with participants either in‐person or online: Brainstorming, Sorting/Rating and Mapping. Brainstorming sessions were conducted to generate statements, guided by the focal prompt: “If you were directed to routinely screen for problem gambling, what would help you do this in your daily practice?” Participants sorted statements into categories and rated them based on their importance and feasibility. A mapping session was conducted with participants to co‐create visual representations of the data. Thirty participants took part in the in‐person or online concept mapping sessions. During the brainstorming sessions, participants generated 213 statements, which the research team condensed into a final list of 45 statements. Participants decided that the five‐cluster map best represented these 45 statements and labelled the five clusters: (a) top level (macro), (b) screening tool, (c) staff skills and training, (d) screening, and (e) team resources and support. Staff skills and training was rated as the most important and the most realistic cluster to implement, while screening was rated relatively as the least important when compared to the other clusters. Team resources and support was rated relatively as the least realistic cluster. By identifying the needs of healthcare and social service providers, this study co‐developed actionable suggestions that will assist providers in routinely screening for problem gambling.     

A health promotion programme for oil refinery employees: changes of health promotion needs observed at three years

The main aim of this three-year follow-up study was to evaluatethe long-term effects of a workplace health promotion interventionprogramme offered by the Neste Oyj corporation's occupationalhealth service. Another aim was to study factors associatedwith changes in health promotion needs. These were assessedusing information obtained by means of questionnaires and laboratorymeasurements. The target areas assessed were physical activity,musculoskeletal problems, dietary habits, obesity, blood pressure,serum lipids, smoking, quality of sleep and mental well-being.Participants from one oil refinery were offered special healthpromotion counselling, while those from the other oil refinerystudied received only their personal results, written informationand instructions. Evaluation of the changes in needs was mainlybased on comparison of the results of two examinations performedwith an interval of three years. Effects of special health promotioncounselling were observed in the target area of physical activity.Elimination of certain health promotion needs was seen in bothgroups in all of the target areas. The most extensive changeswere seen in the target areas of musculoskeletal symptoms, dietaryhabits, blood pressure and mental well-being. Basic education,occupational status and age-group, as well as the value of tendinghealth were frequent variables explaining the reduction in theneed for health promotion activities. Worker participation inhealth promotion counselling activities provided by occupationalhealth services can be high, as in this study in which the participationrate was 90% and the drop-out rate during the three years only10%.     

Seafood processing in South Africa: a study of working practices, occupational health services and allergic health problems in the industry

The work practices, occupational health services and allergic health problems among workplaces which process seafood in Western Cape province of South Africa were examined. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 68 workplaces that were sent a self-administered postal survey questionnaire. Workplaces reporting a high prevalence of work-related symptoms associated with seafood exposure were also inspected. Forty-one (60%) workplaces responded to the questionnaire. The workforce consisted mainly of women (62%) and 31% were seasonal workers. Common seafoods processed were bony fish (76%) and rock lobster (34%). Major work processes involved freezing (71%), cutting (63%) and degutting (58%). Only 45% of workplaces provided an on-site occupational health service and 58% of workplaces conducted medical surveillance. Positive trends were observed between workplace size and activities such as occupational health service provision (P = 0.002), medical surveillance programmes (P = 0.055) and reporting work-related symptoms (P = 0.016). None of the workplaces had industrial hygiene surveillance programmes to evaluate the effects of exposure to seafood. Common work-related symptoms included skin rashes (78%), asthma (7%) and other non-specific allergies (15%). The annual prevalence of work-related skin symptoms reported per workplace was substantially higher for skin (0-100%) than for asthmatic (0-5%) symptoms. The relatively low prevalence of employer-reported asthmatic symptoms, when compared to epidemiological studies using direct investigator assessment of individual health status, suggests likely under-detection. This can be attributed to under-provision and under-development of occupational health surveillance programmes in workplaces with less than 200 workers. This is compounded further by the lack of specific statutory guidelines for the evaluation and control of bio-aerosols in South African workplaces.     

Overweight and obesity among Kuwait Oil Company employees: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Overweight and obesity are considered major risk factors for many diseases, and their prevalence is known to be high in Kuwait from previous studies. AIM: To assess the prevalence of overweight and obesity and related risk factors among Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) employees. METHOD: A cross-sectional study of full-time KOC employees was carried out using a structured questionnaire that was completed during periodic medical examinations. The questionnaire included demographic details, frequency and duration of physical activity, history of chronic diseases and medication. All participants were counselled and examined. Blood pressure, body mass index and fasting glucose were recorded. RESULTS: Some 3282 out of 3900 employees completed the study; 85% of participants were male, 62%were field workers and 38%were office workers. The overall prevalence of overweight and obesity among KOC employees was 75%. Males showed a higher level of overweight and obesity (79%) than females (56%). Field workers had a higher level of overweight and obesity (78%) and higher inactivity (65%) than office workers (72% and 56%, respectively). CONCLUSION: Overweight and obesity, together with inactivity, are highly prevalent among KOC employees, and more so among field workers than office workers. Encouraging an active lifestyle, healthy eating habits and weight control programmes are all possible interventions to reduce the prevalence of overweight and obesity.     

Comparison of occupational health problems of employees and self-employed individuals who work in different fields

Abstract

We used a representative sample of the working population of Korea to compare the occupational health problems of employees and self-employed individuals who performed different types of work. The Korean Working Conditions Survey (KWCS) of 2014 was used to compare the working conditions and occupational safety and health (OSH) issues of employees and self-employed individuals performing different types of work. Relative to paid employees, self-employed individuals were older, more likely to perceive their health as bad, and had less education, longer working hours, more exposure to workplace ergonomic hazards, more musculoskeletal problems, and poorer mental well-being. Relative to those performing “mental work” or “emotional work”, individuals performing “physical work” were more vulnerable to OSH problems. In conclusion, self-employed individuals in the sample were more vulnerable to OSH problems.     

心理健康在外派员工生活事件与职场表现间的中介调节作用

目的 探究生活事件对外派员工职场表现的影响,并分析心理健康的中介效应。方法 收集某企业5个海外地区1973名员工的问卷调查数据,使用一般心理健康量表(general health questionnaire,GHQ)、生活事件量表(life events scale,LES)和修订后的职场表现量表(workplace outcome suite)开展调查,采用SPSS 20.0软件对数据进行描述性统计、相关性分析以及中介效应分析。结果 生活事件中睡眠质量提高、受到惊吓、与上级冲突、同事纠纷、夫妻严重争执、家庭成员纠纷均会影响外派员工心理健康水平和职场表现;心理健康与职场表现间存在中介效应,如睡眠质量提高(间接效应41.68%)、受到惊吓(完全中介效应)、与上级冲突(间接效应63.15%)、同事纠纷(间接效应64.69%)、夫妻严重争执(间接效应60.33%)、家庭成员纠纷 (间接效应75.88%);除个体身心状态外,工作关系和家庭关系都是影响职场表现的重要因素。结论 工作和家庭关系事件是影响外派员工职场表现的重要因素;心理健康各维度中以自我肯定的中介效应最强,抑郁在工作情景事件的中介效应强于焦虑,焦虑在非工作情景事件的中介效应强于抑郁。     

Comparison of health outcomes among older construction and blue-collar employees in the United States

Using the Health and Retirement Study, we compare the health outcomes of older male construction workers with their counterparts in other occupations. We find that construction workers are more susceptible to musculoskeletal problems, chronic lung disease, and emotional/psychiatric disorders. Older construction workers were 1.4 times more likely to have a back problem and 1.3 times more likely to have a foot or leg problem than were other blue-collar workers. Nonsmoking older construction workers were 3.2 times more likely to have chronic lung disease than their nonsmoking blue-collar counterparts. When accounting for alcohol consumption, older construction workers were 1.7 times more likely to have been diagnosed with an emotional problem than other older blue-collar workers. The high rate of chronic lung disease is most likely related to on-the-job dust exposure, while the increased risk of emotional disorders might be due to the dynamics of the construction labor market. Am. J. Ind. Med. 34:280–287, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

人格特性在外派员工负性事件与心理健康之间的调节效应

目的 探讨不同负性事件对外派员工心理健康的影响,并分析人格特性在其两者间的调节效应。方法 采用问卷调查法,收集202—2022年某企业5个海外地区5573名员工的数据。心理健康包括自我肯定、抑郁和焦虑3个维度,使用一般心理健康量表(GHQ)进行调查。负性事件包括工作关系冲突、家属重病、家庭冲突、亲友离世、睡眠质量下降、遗失重要物品、职场压力、重病外伤和子女学习困难9项,使用修订后的生活事件量表测量。人格特征包括神经质(沉稳性差)、严谨性、宜人性、外向性和开放性5个维度(也称“大五人格”),使用中国“大五人格”问卷简版(CBF-PI-B)测量,采用SPSS 20.0软件对数据进行描述性统计、相关性分析、多元线性回归分析和调节作用分析。结果 9 项负性事件均与心理健康存在负相关(P<0.01),神经质(沉稳性差)在睡眠质量下降、家庭冲突、工作关系冲突、子女学习困难、家属重病等负性事件对心理健康的影响中具有负向调节作用(P<0.01);外向性在睡眠质量下降、工作关系冲突和子女学习困难对心理健康的影响中具有正向调节作用(P<0.01);严谨性在睡眠质量下降、家庭冲突和家属重病对心理健康的影响中具有正向调节作用(P<0.01)。结论 睡眠质量下降、家庭冲突、工作关系冲突、子女学习困难和家属重病对心理健康有负向影响;神经质得分越高(沉稳性越差),外向性和严谨性得分越低,负性事件对心理健康的负向影响越明显;宜人性和开放性在其中的调节作用不显著。     

Self-reported skin problems among physical processors in the chemical industry in Great Britain

Contact dermatitis is common in the chemical industry. A cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of self-reported skin problems in employees involved in the drying, blending, milling, grinding and filling/bagging end of chemical manufacture in small- to medium-sized contract manufacturing/processing chemical companies in Great Britain. There were several secondary aims. Twenty-three per cent of the employees interviewed reported having had a skin problem in the previous 12 months. Of those reporting problems, 46% were always/nearly always involved in blending and 56% were always/nearly always involved in filling and bagging. These same processes were also more commonly associated with continuous or recurring skin problems. Seventy-five per cent reported a problem involving the upper limbs; most had more than one body area affected. Forty-three per cent had consulted a doctor (67% their general practitioner) and 9% took time off work as a result of their skin condition. Skin problems seemed to peak (34% employees) in those who had spent between 1 and 2 years in their current job. Solvents, known skin irritants, were the most frequent, single category of chemicals encountered in the study. Over 92% had been told how to avoid skin problems; 85% reported that they always/almost always wore protective clothing. Despite these measures, a significant number had reported having had a skin problem related to their work in the previous 12 months. Particular attention to control measures based on risk assessment is recommended for these physical processors in the chemical industry. Further research is also recommended into the whole area of personal protective clothing and the individual worker's perception of risks to health in the workplace.     

Organizational practices, work demands and the well-being of employees: a follow-up study in the metal industry and retail trade

BACKGROUND: Rapid technological change and increased international competition have changed working life and work organizations. These changes may not be considered when researching employee work ability and well-being. AIM: This study investigates the impact of organizational practices, work demands and individual factors on work ability, organizational commitment and mental well-being of employees in the metal industry and retail trade. METHOD: A follow-up study was conducted to examine these connections among 1389 employees (mean age 42 years at baseline) in 91 organizations. The first survey was conducted in 1998 and was repeated in 2000. RESULTS: Changes in organizational practices and the demands of work were strongly associated with changes in employee well-being. Work ability, organizational commitment and the mental well-being of employees were increased most if the opportunities for development and influence and the promotion of employee well-being were increased and if the supervisory support and organization of work were improved. Well-being also improved with less uncertainty at work and with decreasing mental and physical work demands. In addition physical exercise and affluence also had favourable effects. CONCLUSIONS: The results confirm that several features of organizational practices are strongly associated with employees' well-being. Organizational development is an important method of improving employees' work ability, commitment and well-being.     

Psychosocial risk assessment: problems and prospects

Health and safety legislation now requires organizations to undertake risk assessments for psychosocial hazards in the workplace. Despite this, there is relatively little guidance on what constitutes a psychosocial risk assessment and how one should be conducted. The approaches that do exist are not without problems. This paper examines some of the difficulties with current approaches and looks at possible areas for development to improve understanding and performance in this important area of health and safety management.     

Lung and bladder cancer among Danish urban bus drivers and tramway employees: a nested case-control study

BACKGROUND: The combustion of fossil fuels produces small amounts of mutagenic and carcinogenic compounds. We investigated the association between employment and lung and bladder cancer in Danish bus drivers and tramway employees. METHODS: We carried out a nested case-control study of 153 lung and 84 bladder cancer cases, and 606 controls sampled in a cohort of 18 174 bus drivers or tramway employees employed in Copenhagen during the period 1900-1994. The cases and controls or their next of kin were interviewed about smoking, along with occupational and residential history. An exposure index based on which bus routes the bus drivers had mainly been driving was established. Relative risks (RRs) were estimated by conditional logistic regression. RESULTS: The analysis showed decreasing risk for lung cancer with increasing years of employment as a bus driver (RR = 0.97 for each added year, 95% confidence interval = 0.96-0.99). The air pollution index based on main bus for the bus drivers showed no positive correlation with risk.