• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.359-364
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• 2021

Aim: We aimed to examine the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between sleep and work-related impaired cognitive and emotional functioning in police employees. Methods: This study included 410 participants (52% men) employed in a police district in Norway at baseline, of which 50% also participated in the study at 6 months later follow-up. The questionnaires included items measuring work schedule, sleep length, insomnia, as well as impaired cognitive and emotional functioning at work. Results: The results showed that insomnia was related to impaired work-related emotional functioning measured at baseline, and to impaired cognitive functioning measured at both baseline and follow-up. Sleep length and rotating shift work were not associated with future decline in cognitive or emotional functioning. Conclusion: Our study indicates that the relationship between insomnia and emotional functioning at work may be transient, whereas insomnia can be related to both immediate and future impaired cognitive functioning. Replication of the findings in larger samples is advised. The findings call for an emphasis on the prevention and treatment of sleep problems among police employees as a mean of maintaining and improving cognitive and emotional functioning at work, and thereby reducing the risk for impaired performance and negative health and safety outcomes.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.216-221
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• 2014

Background: Mental health complaints are quite common in health care employees and can have adverse effects on work functioning. The aim of this study was to evaluate an e-mental health (EMH) approach to workers' health surveillance (WHS) for nurses and allied health professionals. Using the waiting-list group of a previous randomized controlled trial with high dropout and low compliance to the intervention, we studied the pre- and posteffects of the EMH approach in a larger group of participants. Methods: We applied a pretest-posttest study design. The WHS consisted of online screening on impaired work functioning and mental health followed by online automatically generated personalized feedback, online tailored advice, and access to self-help EMH interventions. The effects on work functioning, stress, and work-related fatigue after 3 months were analyzed using paired t tests and effect sizes. Results: One hundred and twenty-eight nurses and allied health professionals participated at pretest as well as posttest. Significant improvements were found on work functioning (p = 0.01) and work-related fatigue (p < 0.01). Work functioning had relevantly improved in 30% of participants. A small meaningful effect on stress was found (Cohen d = .23) in the participants who had logged onto an EMH intervention (20%, n = 26). Conclusion: The EMH approach to WHS improves the work functioning and mental health of nurses and allied health professionals. However, because we found small effects and participation in the offered EMH interventions was low, there is ample room for improvement.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.445-450
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• 2023

Background: The impact of COVID-19 infection on workers' work function persists even after the acute phase of the infection. We studied this phenomenon in Japanese workers. Methods: We conducted a one-year prospective cohort study online, starting with a baseline survey in December 2020. We tracked workers without baseline work functioning impairment and incorporated data from 14,421 eligible individuals into the analysis. We estimated the incidence rate ratio for new onset of work functioning impairment due to COVID-19 infection during follow-up, using mixed-effects Poisson regression analysis with robust variance. Results: Participants reporting infection between January and December 2021 showed a significantly higher incidence of new work functioning impairment (adjusted incidence rate ratio: 2.18, 95% confidence interval: 1.75-2.71, p < 0.001). The formality of the recuperation environment correlated with a higher risk of work functioning deterioration in infected individuals (p for trend <0.001). Conclusion: COVID-19-infected workers may continue to experience work difficulties due to persistent, post-acute infection symptoms. Companies and society must urgently provide rehabilitation and social support for people with persistent symptoms, recognizing that COVID-19 is not just a transient acute infection.

• Therapeutic Science for Rehabilitation
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.41-53
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• 2022

Objective : The purpose of this study is to identify and analyze the vocational rehabilitation evaluation tool for the mentally disabled. Methods : For literature search, the Pubmed database was used, and for the analysis, the development year, evaluation method, number of items, scale, and evaluation items were analyzed. In the analysis method, each evaluation item was divided into four categories: function, internal factor, environment, and mental symptom, and the evaluation elements of each evaluation tool were identified. Results : When searching Pubmed through search terms, 161 documents were retrieved. According to the selection method, Griffiths Work Behavior Scale (GWBS), Occupational Functioning Scale (OFS), Social and Occupational Functioning Assessment Scale (SOFAS), Work Ability Index (WAI), Work Behavior Inventory (WBI), Work Environment Impact Scale (WEIS), and Work and Social Adjustment Scale (WSAS) were screened. The evaluation items of all evaluation tools included job-related functional evaluation. According to the purpose of each evaluation tool, internal factors, environment, and mental symptoms were measured. Conclusion : Occupational skills are skills in which various functions such as physical, cognitive, social skills, and coping skills act in a complex way. Therefore, it is necessary to include the four factors analyzed in this study: function, internal factors, environment, and psychiatric symptoms.

• International Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.75-84
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• 2006

Internalizing and externalizing behavior problems may be more common in children with disability families but rarely known is the magnitude of the problem and the risk factors compared to those in children with non-disability families. This study was undertaken to examine if socio-economic factors, parental health, and family functioning affect children's internalizing and externalizing behaviors differently between two comparison groups. The research literature on childhood behaviors was briefly reviewed. The data was derived from the Mental Health of Children and Young People in Great Britain, 2004. Regression analyses provide evidence that the family type, economic status, and income level are uniquely associated with an increased risks of internalizing or externalizing behavior problems in children with disability families, whereas sex, age, family size, parental health, and family functioning factors have similar impacts on the child's internalizing or externalizing variances between two groups. Intervention is desirable to address the concerns influencing internalizing and externalizing performances among children with disability or non-disability families.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.199-211
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• 2000

Today, more chronically ill and handicapped children are being cared for at home by a family member caregiver. The task of caring for a family member may feel burden that the caregiver has less time and money and more work. Family functioning and their burden have influence on coping and adaptation of families with chronically-ill children. This study attempted to identify the levels of burden and family functioning in families of children with cerebral palsy and to examine their relationships. The instruments were burden scale developed by Suh and Oh(1993), and a modified Feetham Family Functioning Survey based on Roberts and Feetham.(1982). The subjects were 98 parents of children, under 15 years, who have cerebral palsy and being treated and living in Pusan. Data were collected through a self-administered question- aire from April 26 to May 29. The collected data were tested using frequencies, percentiles, means, t-test, ANOVA, and Pearson correlation coefficient with SPSSWIN program. The results of this study were as follows ; 1. The mean rating scores of burden and family functioning were 2.79±.51 and 4.12±.69, respectively. 2. The relationships between general character- istics and burden were statistically significant difference : degree of children's handicap(F=6.333, P<.01). The relationships between general characteristics and family functioning were statistically significant differences : familial relation with the children(F=3.628, P<.05), caregiver's health status(F=4.359, P<.05), age of children (F=4.185, P<.05), and duration of treatment (F=6.802, P<.01). 3. In families of children with cerebral palsy, there was significantly negative correlation between the burden of parents and the performance of family functioning(r=-.230, P<.05). There were significantly negative correlations between the burden of parents and the satisfaction of family functioning (r=-.211, P<.05), and between the perceived importance and the satisfaction of family functioning(r=-.481, P<.01); however, there was a positive correlation between the performance and the perceived importance of family functioning(r=.425, P<.01). In conclusion, this study suggests that families of children with cerebral palsy need family-focused nursing interventions as supportive care for relieving their burden and for improving family functioning.

• Journal of Korean Medical classics
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.217-233
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• 2010

"Singijonmangron(神氣存亡論; theory of mind-spirit activities)" is a medical discourse of Janggyeongak(張景岳) in the Ming[明] dynasty, and "Wongijonmangron(元氣存亡論; theory of original gi functioning)" is a work by Seoryeongtae(徐靈胎) in the Qing[淸] dynasty. One emphasized the importance of mind-spirit activities and the other said seriously about original gi functioning. We did a study on these two medical theories, and began with identifying the meaning of 'Gi' among the ancient chinese philosophy and medicine such as "Hwangjenaegyeong(黃帝內經)". After that, we showed the general 'Gi' and its variations in the meaning of 'Gi' according to name and function in "Hwangjenaegyeong(黃帝內經)"and other classics of prominent historic scholars of medicine, finally trying to find out the essentials of mind-spirit[神氣] by Janggyeongak(張景岳) and original gi[元氣] by Seoryeongtae(徐靈胎).

• Korean Journal of Family Social Work
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• no.61
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• pp.137-168
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• 2018

The purpose of this study was to understand deeply the experience and the meaning of mother's parenting experience on borderline intellectual functioning adolescents. The collected data through an in-depth interviews with six mothers were analyzed according to the Colaizzi's 7 procedures of analysis. This study found out 7 categories, 23 clusters of themes and 92 topics of borderline intellectual functioning adolescents parenting experience of mothers. 'On the borderline, live a life wandering off uncertain course', 'Watching precarious growth of child', 'Adolescence, reachead the limit', 'Being afraid of facing the future', 'A helpless condition', 'Pushing through struggles', 'Hoping the society where my child can live together' was found as the categories of experience of the research objects. With these findings, this study makes some recommendations and suggestions for the practice.

• 월간산업보건
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• s.278
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• pp.40-45
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• 2011

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.18-31
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• 2016

Background: A job-specific Worker's Health Surveillance (WHS) for hospital physicians is a preventive occupational health strategy aiming at early detection of their diminished work-related health in order to improve or maintain physician's health and quality of care. This study addresses what steps should be taken to determine the content of a job-specific WHS for hospital physicians and outlines that content. Methods: Based on four questions, decision trees were developed for physical and psychological job demands and for biological, chemical, and physical exposures to decide whether or not to include work-related health effects related to occupational exposures or aspects of health reflecting insufficient job requirements. Information was gathered locally through self-reporting and systematic observations at the workplace and from evidence in international publications. Results: Information from the decision trees on the prevalence and impact of the health- or work-functioning effect led to inclusion of occupational exposures (e.g., biological agents, emotionally demanding situations), job requirements (e.g., sufficient vision, judging ability), or health effects (e.g., depressive symptoms, neck complaints). Additionally, following the Dutch guideline for occupational physicians and based on specific job demands, screening for cardiovascular diseases, work ability, drug use, and alcohol consumption was included. Targeted interventions were selected when a health or work functioning problem existed and were chosen based on evidence for effectiveness. Conclusion: The process of developing a job-specific WHS for hospital physicians was described and the content presented, which might serve as an example for other jobs. Before implementation, it must first be tested for feasibility and acceptability.