暂无摘要。

Objectives. Self-assessment of health is one of the most important factors determining manifestations in care for health, expressed in health-promoting behaviours. The way a person takes care of their health affects not only their health but also their well-being, quality of life and work ability. This study aimed to present results regarding self-assessment of health and care for health and the relationship with work ability in a group of working men aged 20-65 years. Methods. The sample of 600 men were assessed using a survey. The work ability index was used to measure work ability. An original survey was developed, which included questions about self-assessment of health and taking care of health, motives for taking care of health, physical activity, healthy eating and smoking. Results. Most men rated their health well and declared that they took care of it. Low health scores were obtained among overweight men, men without physical activity, men with unhealthy nutrition and smokers. High self-rated health was associated with good work ability. Conclusions. There is a constant need to make men of all ages aware of the role of individual health care in maintaining good health and high work ability.

BACKGROUND: Analysis of demographic trends indicates that there is an increasing proportion of people who can be described as elderly. In Poland, the population aged >60 years is expected to increase to 10.8 million in 2030 and to 13.7 million in 2050, i.e., around 40% of total population. In line with the general trend, the issue of the aging of the professionally active population is becoming more relevant.
METHODS: The average age of the world\'s working population is steadily increasing. In the European Union, workers aged 55-64 years accounted for 50% of the total workforce in 2013, and already 59% in 2018. In Poland, in 2018, people aged 55-64 years accounted for 49% of the employed population. The low percentage of people working at this age is due, among other things, to employers\' attitudes towards employing older people, perceiving them as employees who are more difficult to manage and have health problems. Moreover, working conditions of seniors are not adapted to their age capabilities.
RESULTS: It is necessary to reduce the burden of physical work, especially in awkward positions, carrying loads, monotonous work and piecework. It is important to create work organization in which it is possible to refer to the experience of older people, who should have freedom of action, without time pressure and the need to perform many tasks at the same time. The ever-increasing social dependence on information technology tools creates new problems for seniors. Taking into account age-related difficulties in acquiring new knowledge, it is important to provide them with simplified tools that are easier to use.
CONCLUSIONS: The scope of necessary actions to enable the aging population to work is very wide, ranging from legislative, technological and organizational changes, ending with education addressed both to people responsible for employee safety (including occupational health services) and to current and potential employees. Med Pr Work Health Saf. 2024;75(3).
UNASSIGNED: Analiza trendów demograficznych wskazuje, że w krajach rozwiniętych zwiększa się odsetek osób, które można określić jako osoby starsze. W Polsce liczba ludności w wieku >60 lat w 2030 r. ma wzrosnąć do 10,8 mln, a w 2050 r. do 13,7 mln. Osoby starsze będą więc stanowiły ok. 40% ogółu ludności Polski. W związku z ogólnym trendem problem starzenia się populacji osób pracujących jest coraz bardziej aktualny.
UNASSIGNED: Średni wiek populacji pracującej na świecie stale rośnie. W Unii Europejskiej pracownicy w wieku 55–64 lat stanowili w 2013 r. 50% wszystkich zatrudnionych, a w 2018 r. już 59%. W Polsce w 2018 r. osoby w wieku 55–64 lat stanowiły 49% zatrudnionych. Niezbyt wysoki odsetek osób pracujących w tym wieku wynika m.in. z podejścia pracodawców do zatrudniania osób starszych, uważających ich za pracowników, którymi trudniej zarządzać, gdyż są niechętni zmianom i przyswajaniu nowości, mniej kreatywni oraz mają problemy zdrowotne. Poza tym stanowiska pracy seniorów nie są przystosowane do ich możliwości wiekowych. Konieczne jest ograniczenie obciążenia ich pracą fizyczną, a w szczególności pracą w niewygodnych pozycjach, przenoszeniem ciężarów, pracą powtarzalną, monotonną oraz na akord.
UNASSIGNED: Istotne jest organizowanie pracy tak, aby możliwe w niej było odwołanie się do doświadczenia osób starszych, które powinny mieć swobodę działania, bez presji czasu i konieczności jednoczesnego wykonywania wielu zadań. Stale rosnące uzależnienie społeczne od narzędzi informatycznych stwarza nowe problemy dla seniorów. Biorąc pod uwagę związane z wiekiem trudności w przyswajaniu nowej wiedzy, istotne jest oddanie do ich dyspozycji uproszczonych narzędzi, łatwiejszych w codziennym użyciu, a jednocześnie skutecznych.
UNASSIGNED: Zakres koniecznych działań służących umożliwieniu pracy starzejącej się populacji jest szeroki: od zmian legislacyjnych, poprzez zmiany technologiczne i organizacyjne, po edukację skierowaną zarówno do osób odpowiedzialnych za bezpieczeństwo pracowników (w tym służby medycyny pracy), jak i do obecnych oraz potencjalnych pracowników. Med Pr Work Health Saf. 2024;75(3).

BACKGROUND: In addition to several sequelae of post-COVID-19, individuals also experience significant limitations in work ability, resulting in negative consequences for the return-to-work (RTW) process. This systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to assess the impact of post-COVID-19 on work ability and RTW of individuals previously infected with SARS-CoV-2.
METHODS: Studies on the work ability and RTW of patients with post-COVID-19 (more than 12 weeks after an acute SARS-CoV-2 infection) were regarded eligible for inclusion. Systematic search of literature was performed up to March 2023 using five databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, CENTRAL and WHO COVID 19). Study selection followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) Statement. A meta-analysis estimated the overall success rate of RTW. The risk of bias of the included studies was evaluated with the Newcastle Ottawa Scale (NOS).
RESULTS: 19 relevant studies, published between 2021 and 2023, were included in the systematic review, involving 21.155 patients from 14 different countries. The findings indicate that a significant proportion of individuals with post-COVID-19 experience persistent symptoms and functional impairments, with fatigue being the most prominent symptom. These persistent symptoms can have a considerable (negative) impact on individuals\' physical and psychological capacity to participate in work-related activities, leading to lower work ability and increased absenteeism. The RTW for post-COVID-19 patients is complex, with approximately 60.9% of patients successfully returning to work after 12 or more weeks following SARS-CoV-2 infection. Among those who successfully returning to work, a considerable number need modifications in their work duties or hours to cope with residual impairments. Factors such as workplace accommodations, supportive policies, and occupational rehabilitation programs play a crucial role in facilitating successful RTW.
CONCLUSIONS: The systematic review underscores the substantial impact of post-COVID-19 on work-related outcomes. The implications of this research highlight the need for healthcare providers, employers, and policymakers to collaborate in creating inclusive work environments and implementing tailored rehabilitation programs to support individuals recovering from post-COVID-19. Further research should focus on long-term follow-up studies with mixed methods to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the long-term consequences of post-COVID-19 on work ability and RTW outcomes.
UNASSIGNED: CRD42023385436.

The aim of this study was to explore occupational safety in pregnant Croatian healthcare workers (HCWs) during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. To this end we composed an anonymous questionnaire that included pregnancy data, risk assessment and mitigation, and workplace intervention and distributed it to HCWs through social media of their groups and associations. The study includes a total of 173 respondents (71.1 % physicians, 19.7 % nurses, 9.2 % other HCWs) diagnosed with pregnancy in 2020 and 2021. Employers were notified about HCWs\' pregnancy at the eighth (IQR 7.0-11.0) week of pregnancy, which delayed workplace risk assessment and mitigation beyond the first trimester. Only 19.6 % of the participants had the risk assessed and mitigated, mostly on their own initiative (76.5 %). After notifying employers about pregnancy, 37.0 % of participants opted for temporary work incapacity (TWI) due to \"pregnancy complications\" despite healthy pregnancy, 16.8 % were granted a pregnant worker\'s paid leave at the expense of the employer, while 5.8 % continued to work at the same workplace. Nurses used the TWI benefit more frequently than physicians (58.8 % vs 30.1 %, P=0.004). Our findings suggest that occupational safety of pregnant HCWs in Croatia lacks clear-cut and transparent strategies to protect pregnant HCWs, forcing them to misuse the healthcare system.
Cilj ovog istraživanja bio je istražiti zaštitu na radu trudnih hrvatskih zdravstvenih radnica (ZR) tijekom pandemije koronovirusne bolesti 2019 (COVID-19). U tu smo svrhu sastavili anonimni upitnik koji je uključivao podatke o trudnoći, procjeni i smanjenju rizika te o intervencijama na radnom mjestu i distribuirali ga ZR putem društvenih medija njihovih grupa i udruženja. Istraživanje je obuhvatilo ukupno 173 sudionice (71,1 % liječnice, 19,7 % medicinske sestre, 9,2 % ostale ZR) kojima je dijagnosticirana trudnoća 2020. i 2021. Poslodavci su o trudnoći ZR obaviješteni u osmom (IQR 7,0–11,0) tjednu trudnoće, što je odgodilo procjenu i smanjenje rizika na radnom mjestu nakon prvog tromjesečja. Postupak procjene i smanjenja rizika proveden je u samo 19,6 % sudionica, uglavnom na njihovu inicijativu (76,5 %). Nakon što su poslodavca obavijestile o trudnoći, 37,0 % sudionica koristilo je privremenu nesposobnost za rad (PNR) zbog „komplikacija u trudnoći” unatoč zdravoj trudnoći, 16,8 % odobren je plaćeni dopust trudne radnice na teret poslodavca, dok je 5,8 % nastavilo raditi na istom radnom mjestu. Medicinske sestre koristile su PNR češće nego liječnice (58,8 % prema 30,1 %, P=0,004). Naši rezultati upućuju na nedostatak jasnih i transparentnih strategija zaštite trudnih ZR u Hrvatskoj, što ih prisiljava na zlouporabu zdravstvenog sustava.

OBJECTIVE: Breast cancer treatment may interfere with work ability. Previous return-to-work studies have often focused on participants who were invited to participate after treatment completion. Participation varied, resulting in potential selection bias. This is a health-record-based study evaluating data completeness, both at baseline and one year after diagnosis. Correlations between baseline variables and return to work were also analyzed.
METHODS: This is a retrospective review of 150 relapse-free survivors treated in Nordland county between 2019 and 2022 (all-comers managed with different types of systemic treatment and surgery). Work status was assessed in the regional electronic patient record (EPR). A 65-years age cut-off was employed to define two subgroups.
RESULTS: At diagnosis, occupational status was assessable in all 150 patients. Almost all patients older than 65 years of age were retired (79%) or on disability pension for previously diagnosed conditions (19%). Data completeness one year after diagnosis was imperfect, because the EPR did not contain required information in 19 survivors. The majority of those ≤65 years of age at diagnosis returned to work. Only 14 of 88 patients (16%) did not return to work. Postoperative nodal stage was the only significant predictive factor. Those with pN1-3 had a lower return rate (68%) than their counterparts with lower nodal stage.
CONCLUSIONS: This pilot study highlights the utility and limitations of EPR-based research in a rural Norwegian setting, emphasizing the need for comprehensive, individualized interventions to support breast cancer survivors in returning to work. The findings underscore the importance of considering diverse sociodemographic and clinical factors, as well as the potential benefits of long-term, population-based studies to address these complex challenges.

Employees with mental illness are often the first to be unable to cope with increasingly complex psychosocial work demands. But people without mental illness can also suffer from, for example, high workload. This study compares a short coaching to stabilize work ability for employees with and without mental illness regarding coaching topics, effects on work-related resources, goal attainment, and unwanted events. Individual coaching of three sessions (problem exploration by behavior analysis, practice of new behavior, reflection) was conducted with employees from different professional fields. A medical history was taken to determine whether participants are affected by a mental disorder. All coaching was conducted by the same behavior therapist in training (L.P.W.) under the supervision of an experienced behavior therapist (B.M.). Two hundred and three coachings with three sessions were completed. In total, 103 participants did not have a mental illness (51%), and 100 participants reported a mental disorder (49%). The coaching participants with mental illness had lower initial levels of work-related capacities (more severe impairments) and coping behavior as compared to the participants without mental illness. In the pre-post comparisons, both groups achieved significant improvements in work-related coping after the coaching. There were no differences in goal attainment between both groups. While participants without mental illness reported more unwanted events in parallel to the coaching (30% reported negative developments in life), participants with mental illness reported coaching-related unwanted events (20% felt to be dependent on the coach). Coaching with an individual focus on one topic can improve work-related resources in participants with and without mental disorders. Since participants with and without mental illness experience different unwanted events in coaching, psychotherapeutic expertise is needed in order to set the right focus.

OBJECTIVE: To examine joint associations of leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) and screen sitting time with subsequent sickness absence among the adult population.
METHODS: Registry linked follow-up study.
METHODS: A representative sample of Finnish adults (n = 10,300) were asked to fill out a questionnaire for the FinHealth 2017 survey. Self-reported LTPA was classified into three groups: inactive, moderately active, and active, and screen sitting time into two groups: 3 h or less and over three hours a day, yielding a six-category variable for the joint analyses. Questionnaire data were linked to the Finnish Social Insurance Institution\'s register data on sickness benefits (over 9 days), including diagnoses (follow-up 2.9 years). The analytical samples were restricted to working age (18-64 years), which included 5098 participants. Associations were examined using logistic regression analysis adjusting for covariates with SPSS 29.
RESULTS: The inactive and high sitting time had a higher risk for sickness absence due to mental disorders (OR 2.07, 95% CI 1.03-4.18) compared with the physically active, low-sitting time group. Additionally, the inactive and low sitting time (OR 1.69 95% CI 1.12-2.55) and the moderately active and high-sitting time groups (OR 2.06 95% CI 1.15-3.67) had a higher risk. No significant associations were found for all-cause and musculoskeletal diseases sickness absence.
CONCLUSIONS: Employers and policymakers could support reducing sitting in front of a screen and increase LTPA outside working hours to prevent mental health problems and related sickness absences.

UNASSIGNED: Large differences exist in the risk of disability retirement between Finnish municipalities. This study examined whether individual-level and municipality-level characteristics explain these differences and which municipality-level characteristics are particularly important for the risk of disability retirement.
UNASSIGNED: Individual-level register data were supplemented with 10 municipality-level characteristics from various databases. A 20% sample of the Finnish population (N=626,391) was followed for transition to disability retirement from 2016 to 2019 using multilevel Weibull models.
UNASSIGNED: Of the total variation in the risk of disability retirement, 4.3% was attributed to the municipal-level and decreased to 1.8% when individual-level characteristics (gender, age, education level and entitlement to special reimbursement for medical expenses, reflecting morbidity) were controlled for. Further adjustment for municipality-level characteristics fully erased the differences between municipalities. The proportion of municipality-level variation was larger for disability retirement due to somatic illnesses than mental disorders. Of the municipality-level characteristics, socioeconomic structure, unemployment rate, poverty, net migration between municipalities, dependency ratio, the amount of tax revenue per capita and morbidity were associated with the risk of disability retirement.
UNASSIGNED: The municipality-level variation in the risk of disability retirement is largely explained by the individual characteristics of the inhabitants. However, various characteristics of the municipalities show associations with the risk of disability retirement. Recognizing such factors is essential for shaping policies that mitigate disability retirement risk.

BACKGROUND: Employees with mental burden and simultaneous workplace problems have an increased risk of chronification and disability pension. To support this group of people, the German Pension Insurance (Deutsche Rentenversicherung Bund) developed the Systemic Integration Management for People with Mental Impairments (SEMpsych) project as part of the rehapro federal program. The Blaufeuer counselling service was implemented in three model regions (Berlin, Cologne, and Nuremberg). The measure usually comprises up to 12 counselling sessions in 12 months. This article describes the characteristics of the participants and examines whether they belong to the intended target group.
METHODS: During September 2020 and June 2022, the participants completed a questionnaire between the first and second counselling sessions. Socio-demographic-, clinical- and work-related variables were assessed. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics and 95% confidence intervals.
RESULTS: Data from n = 482 participants (66.4% female; MAge = 45.2 years (±10.2 years); 64.1% working full-time; 49.8% currently on sick leave) were included. The participants have high psychological impairments (e.g. PHQ-9: M = 14.6 (±5.4)) and low subjective work ability (e.g. WAS: M = 3.2 (±2.6)). Most participants report overload at work and problems with superiors.
CONCLUSIONS: Participants exhibit mental burden values that correspond to those of patients at the beginning of outpatient psychotherapy or the first contact in an inpatient psychiatric clinic. Blaufeuer addresses a highly stressed group of people who have not yet received adequate treatment. Further studies on process and outcome evaluation will follow.
UNASSIGNED: HINTERGRUND: Erwerbstätige mit psychischer Belastung und gleichzeitiger Arbeitsplatzproblematik haben ein erhöhtes Risiko für Chronifizierungen und vorzeitige Frühberentung aufgrund von Erwerbsminderung. Zur Unterstützung dieser Personengruppe wurde im Rahmen des Bundesprogramms rehapro das Projekt „SEMpsych“ (Systemisches Eingliederungsmanagement bei Menschen mit psychischen Beeinträchtigungen) von der Deutschen Rentenversicherung Bund entwickelt. Das Beratungsangebot „Blaufeuer“ wurde in 3 Modellregionen (Berlin, Köln, Nürnberg) implementiert und umfasst in der Regel bis zu 12 Beratungen in 12 Monaten. In diesem Beitrag werden die Charakteristika der Teilnehmenden beschrieben und es wird geprüft, ob sie zur anvisierten Zielgruppe gehören.
METHODS: Im Zeitraum 09/2020–06/2022 füllten die Teilnehmenden zwischen der ersten und zweiten Sitzung einen Fragebogen aus. Erfasst wurden soziodemografische, klinische und arbeitsbezogene Variablen. Die Daten werden durch deskriptive Statistiken und 95 %-Konfidenzintervalle ausgewertet.
UNASSIGNED: Daten von n = 482 Teilnehmenden (66,4 % weiblich; MAlter = 45,2 (±10,2) Jahre; 64,1 % in Vollzeit tätig; 49,8 % derzeit krankgeschrieben) wurden einbezogen. Die Teilnehmenden weisen hohe psychische Beeinträchtigen (z. B. PHQ-9: M = 14,6 (±5,4)) und eine geringe subjektive Arbeitsfähigkeit (z. B. WAS: M = 3,2 (±2,6)) auf. Die meisten berichten von Überforderung auf der Arbeit und geben Probleme mit Vorgesetzten an.
CONCLUSIONS: Die Teilnehmenden weisen psychische Belastungswerte auf, die denen von Patient:innen am Beginn einer ambulanten Psychotherapie bzw. beim Erstkontakt in einer stationären Psychiatrie entsprechen. Mit Blaufeuer wird eine hoch belastete Personengruppe angesprochen, die bislang keine adäquate Behandlung erhält. Weitere Studien zur Prozess- und Ergebnisevaluation stehen an.