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The Junction between Physical- and Psychosocial Risk Factors in the Work Environment

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Occupational Safety and Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 March 2023) | Viewed by 25805

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Lersø Parkallé 105, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
Interests: motivational psychology; exercise performance; sports science; muscle function; injury prevention; healthcare; work environment; senior workers, psychosocial stress; musculoskeletal pain; sleep

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Guest Editor
Exercise Intervention for Health Research Group (EXINH-RG), Department of Physiotherapy, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain
Interests: health habits; pain; exercise; musculoskeletal disorders; occupational health; neuroscience; physical fitness
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We welcome you to this Special Issue, entitled “The Junction between Physical- and Psychosocial Risk Factors in the Work Environment: Emphasizing the role of lifestyle and occupational settings”, which is currently considering submissions of high-quality manuscripts for publication in IJERPH

The Special Issue seeks to further elucidate potent risk factors associated with the work environment and specific organizational settings, with an emphasis on relevant lifestyle factors influencing organizational health and well-being. While the field of work-related physical risk factors has taken precedence in the recent literature, this issue seeks to further highlight the importance and interrelatedness of psychosocial risk factors attributed to specific organizational settings differing in physical work demands, skill requirements, and demographics, prioritizing analyses of combined risk factors relevant to the local work environment.

Dr. Jonas Vinstrup
Dr. Yasmín Ezzatvar
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • psychosocial work environment
  • physical workload
  • perceived stress
  • sleep
  • organizational settings
  • risk factors
  • injury prevention

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 366 KiB  
Article
The Interplay between Multimorbidity, Physical Work Demands and Work Ability: Cross-Sectional Study among 12,879 Senior Workers
by Karina Glies Vincents Seeberg, Sebastian Venge Skovlund, Rúni Bláfoss, Kristina Thomassen, Lasse Malchow-Møller, Emil Sundstrup and Lars Louis Andersen
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(9), 5023; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19095023 - 20 Apr 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1858
Abstract
Background: Aging increases the risk of chronic diseases, which can challenge the ability to work and thereby push senior workers out of the labour market. This study investigates the association between non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and work ability among workers ≥50 years (senior workers) [...] Read more.
Background: Aging increases the risk of chronic diseases, which can challenge the ability to work and thereby push senior workers out of the labour market. This study investigates the association between non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and work ability among workers ≥50 years (senior workers) with physically demanding and sedentary work, respectively. Methods: In the SeniorWorkingLife study, 12,879 senior workers replied to a questionnaire survey on work and health in 2018. Associations between the type and number of NCD and work ability (scale 0–10) were modelled using a general linear model adjusting for potential confounders and combined with model-assisted weights from national registers. Results: A higher number of NCD (multimorbidity) was progressively associated with a lower work ability (trend test, p-value < 0.001). Physical work influenced the association between the number of NCDs and work ability. For specific diseases, mental disorders, including burn-out syndrome (least square mean difference (LSMD): −1.46, 95% CI: −1.61 to −1.32) and stress ( LSMD: −1.18, 95% CI: −1.29 to −1.07), demonstrated a stronger association with a lower work ability compared with somatic diseases, such as back diseases (LSMD: −0.72, 95% CI: −0.80 to −0.64). Conclusions: Multimorbidity was progressively associated with a lower work ability in senior workers, especially among those with physical work. Full article
14 pages, 1434 KiB  
Article
The Importance of Lifting Height and Load Mass for Muscular Workload during Supermarket Stocking: Cross-Sectional Field Study
by Sebastian Venge Skovlund, Rúni Bláfoss, Sebastian Skals, Markus Due Jakobsen and Lars Louis Andersen
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(5), 3030; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19053030 - 4 Mar 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2980
Abstract
High physical work demands increase the risk of musculoskeletal disorders and sickness absence. Supermarket work involves a high amount of manual material handling. Identifying specific ergonomic risk factors is an important part of occupational health and safety efforts in the supermarket sector. In [...] Read more.
High physical work demands increase the risk of musculoskeletal disorders and sickness absence. Supermarket work involves a high amount of manual material handling. Identifying specific ergonomic risk factors is an important part of occupational health and safety efforts in the supermarket sector. In this cross-sectional field study among 64 supermarket workers, we used electromyography during the workday to determine the influence of lifting height and load mass on muscular workload of the low-back and neck/shoulder muscles during un-restricted manual material handling (grocery stocking). We found a significant effect of load mass, i.e., higher loads associated with higher muscular workload in the low-back and neck/shoulder muscles. We demonstrated a significant interaction between start and end position, i.e., lifts performed from ‘Low’ start positions to ‘High’ end positions demonstrated the highest low-back muscular workload, whereas ‘High’ positions were associated with increased neck/shoulder workload. In conclusion, lifting higher loads and lifting goods from low to high positions (low-back) and at high positions (neck/shoulder) are associated with higher muscular workload. These results can be used to guide highly warranted preventive initiatives to reduce the physical workload during supermarket work. Full article
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10 pages, 904 KiB  
Article
Effects of a Workplace Sit–Stand Desk Intervention on Health and Productivity
by Jiameng Ma, Dongmei Ma, Zhi Li and Hyunshik Kim
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(21), 11604; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182111604 - 4 Nov 2021
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 17519
Abstract
In Japan, standing while working has not yet become commonplace, and there is little evidence to support the benefits of standing during the workday. Therefore, this study assessed the relationship between the introduction of a sit–stand desk and its ability to reduce the [...] Read more.
In Japan, standing while working has not yet become commonplace, and there is little evidence to support the benefits of standing during the workday. Therefore, this study assessed the relationship between the introduction of a sit–stand desk and its ability to reduce the negative effects of sitting too long and increase employees’ general health and productivity. Seventy-four Japanese desk workers participated in this three-month intervention study. Using a randomized controlled trial, the participants were divided into intervention (n = 36) and control (n = 38) groups. The participant characteristics were ascertained using a questionnaire. The intervention effectiveness was assessed by measuring health-, physical activity-, and work-related outcomes. The results indicate that the intervention group significantly decreased their sitting time at work (p = 0.002) and had reduced neck and shoulder pain (p = 0.001). There was a significant increase in subjective health (p = 0.002), vitality in work-related engagement (p < 0.001), and self-rated work performance over a four-week period (p = 0.017). These findings indicate a significant difference between the two groups, demonstrating the effectiveness of a sit–stand desk in reducing sedentary behavior and improving workers’ health and productivity. Future research can accumulate further evidence of best practice use of sit–stand desks. Full article
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9 pages, 336 KiB  
Article
The Importance of Lifestyle Factors for Work Ability among Physical Therapists: A Cross-Sectional Study
by Yasmin Ezzatvar, Joaquín Calatayud, Lars L. Andersen, Adrian Escriche-Escuder, Marta Aguilar and Jose Casaña
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(13), 6714; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18136714 - 22 Jun 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2302
Abstract
Lifestyle factors such as smoking, sedentarism, low physical activity levels, and overweight are associated with poor health, and they can potentially influence work ability. However, it remains unknown which lifestyle habits are associated with work ability among physical therapists (PTs). The aim of [...] Read more.
Lifestyle factors such as smoking, sedentarism, low physical activity levels, and overweight are associated with poor health, and they can potentially influence work ability. However, it remains unknown which lifestyle habits are associated with work ability among physical therapists (PTs). The aim of this study was to examine the associations between smoking, alcohol consumption, BMI, sitting time, and physical activity levels with work ability among PTs utilizing a nationwide questionnaire. Associations were modeled using logistic regression controlled for various confounders. Overweight, sitting >150 min/day, and <75 min/week of leisure-time vigorous physical activity were associated with lower work ability among PTs. Further, the existence of two unhealthy habits showed a weak-to-moderate positive association with lower work ability scores (Model 1: OR, 2.21, 95% CI = 1.16–4.22; Model 2: OR, 2.32, 95% CI, 1.18–4.54), with even stronger associations when three unhealthy habits (Model 1: OR = 3.30, 95% CI, 1.58–6.86; Model 2: OR, 3.34, 95% CI, 1.54–7.26) or four unhealthy habits (Model 1: OR = 8.91, 95% CI, 2.55–31.1; Model 2: OR = 8.20, 95% CI, 2.15–31.2) were present. In conclusion, overweight, low physical activity, and sedentarism were associated with lower levels of work ability, especially when ≥2 unhealthy lifestyle factors were present. Full article
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