OBJECTIVETo analyze the correlation between population characteristics and work ability of employees with a multilevel model, to investigate the important influencing factors for work ability, and to provide a basis for improvement in work ability.

METHODSWork ability index (WAI)was applied to measure the work ability of 1686 subjects from different companies (n=6). MLwi N2.0 software was applied for two-level variance component model fitting.

RESULTSThe WAI of employees showed differences between various companies (χ2=3.378 6, P=0.0660); working years was negatively correlated with WAI (χ2=38.229 2, P=0.0001), and the WAI of the employees with 20 or more working years was 1.63 lower than that of the employees with less than 20 working years; the work ability of manual workers was lower than that of mental-manual workers (χ2=8.2726, P=0.0040), and the work ability showed no significant difference between mental workers and mental-manual workers (χ2=2.086 0, P=0.148 7).

CONCLUSIONFrom the perspective of probability, the multilevel model analysis reveals the differences in work ability of employees between different companies, and suggests that company, work type, and working years are the important influencing factors for work ability of employees. These factors should be improved and adjusted to protect or enhance the work ability of employees.

Humans ; Models, Theoretical ; Multilevel Analysis ; Occupations ; Probability ; Work ; Work Capacity Evaluation

BACKGROUND: Epilepsy affects an individual's ability to work as well as their daily activities. Patients with epilepsy have difficulties in finding and maintaining jobs, and they may not have opportunities to perform adequately. Therefore, evaluation of work-fitness is important for patients with epilepsy. In this report, the authors reviewed a case of epilepsy and discussed aspects of the case for evaluation of work-fitness. CASE REPORT: A 43-year-old man with epilepsy visited the hospital for evaluation of work-fitness. His job consisted of forklift driving and crane operation using a remote control. As a seizure attack could threaten worker's safety, we recommended a job change. The employer refused to approve a job change due to the company's circumstances, so we recommended several conditions, including continuous medication, use of protective equipment, restriction of night-shift work, restriction of strenuous exercise, and profound sleep. An epilepsy event occurred during the follow-up period, prompting his company to evaluate his work. There were frequent movements of forklift operations and workers in the workplace, so we recommended restriction of forklift driving and a job change if possible. As a result, the employer changed his job and we recommended "capable of performing work without any conditions". CONCLUSION: For evaluation of work-fitness in patients with epilepsy, adequate job analysis, assessment of patient's medical conditions, and interviews of coworker and employers should be conducted. It is also important to let the employer make the best decision in terms of the patient's health and coworker's safety.
Adult ; Epilepsy ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Linear Energy Transfer ; Seizures ; Work Capacity Evaluation

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the actual state of people with mental disorders in Korea, in order to present an alternative proposal for their work fitness and vocational rehabilitation. METHODS: The authors conducted this study through a review of statistics on the prevalence of mental disorder, labor laws, and the literatures related with work fitness and vocational rehabilitation of people with mental disorders. RESULTS: According to recent surveys, about 3 million people in Korea are likely to have mental disorders which could lead to discrimination in social life and dishonor in occupational career, either in the present or near future. Therefore, evaluation of work fitness and vocational rehabilitation for persons with mental disorders are important. At present, work fitness for psychiatric patients is evaluated without suitable guidelines regarding the kinds and severity of mental disorders that impede work capacity. Furthermore, mental disorder-specific fitness for work is not under consideration. CONCLUSION: It is true that most psychiatric patients have some limitation in performing their job. However, judging from the results of some research, proper displacement, apprehension of co-workers, and adjusted workplace could help them complete their tasks properly despite their troublesome psychiatric symptomatology. The government must help all citizens to do their best in their social life, and show a deep interest in the employment of all disabled people including those with psychiatric disorders. Above all we have to change our attitudes and preconceptions against people with mental disorders. Some labor laws, which presently impede employment of people with psychiatric disorders, need to be revised in their favor. Future work capacity evaluation should be done on the basis of ability to function in the workplace rather than symptomatology.
Discrimination (Psychology) ; Employment ; Humans ; Jurisprudence ; Korea* ; Mental Disorders* ; Prevalence ; Rehabilitation, Vocational ; Work Capacity Evaluation

Medical examinations for fitness to work are undertaken by the specialist and the nonspecialist occupational physicians alike. An assessment done negligently in such a capacity will expose physicians to legal risks, even if they are not specialist occupational physicians. This is not unlike negligent care given in the traditional therapeutic care setting. Much of the case law governing legal disputes in medical fitness to work assessments depend on the kind of loss that is at stake, that is, whether it is one resulting in economic loss, as in loss of an employment opportunity, or one resulting in personal injury, such as when the doctor negligently fails to diagnose or to communicate a serious medical finding. In the latter, the courts are more likely to find for the injured claimants. One of the ways for doctors to reduce their risk in this area is to establish with prospective employers and employees the ground rules when conducting medical fitness to work examinations.
Female ; Humans ; Liability, Legal ; Male ; Occupational Health ; legislation & jurisprudence ; Occupational Medicine ; United Kingdom ; United States ; Work Capacity Evaluation

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the relevant factors of determining the degree of mental disability after brain injuries in the traffic accidents. METHODS: A total of 157 forensic psychiatry cases involving the assessment of mental disability caused by traffic accidents were collected and divided into three groups (mild, moderate and severe) according to the conclusion of the forensic identification. The demographic, clinical and forensic data were compared in the three groups and analyzed with ordinal logistic regression. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference in the demographic data among three groups (P > 0.05). While there was statistically significant difference in the coma duration, severity of intracranial hemorrhage, working capacity, family duties, social functions, self care capacity and intelligence quotient (P < 0.05) among the groups. Intracranial hemorrhage, family duties, social functions and self care capacity were chosen as the factors in the logistic regression equation. CONCLUSION The degree of the brain damage influenced the mental disability. Family duties, social functions and self care capacity are the major factors for determining the degree of mental disability after injured.
Accidents, Traffic ; Adult ; Brain Injuries/pathology* ; Disability Evaluation ; Female ; Forensic Psychiatry ; Humans ; Injury Severity Score ; Male ; Mental Disorders/etiology* ; Middle Aged ; Work Capacity Evaluation

The purpose of this study was to discuss the history of, and concerns regarding, the newly amended criteria of occupational cerebrovascular or cardiovascular diseases (CCVDs). Since the early 1990s, CCVDs have been the second most common occupational disease, despite fluctuations in their criteria. The first issue was the deletion of cerebral hemorrhage on duty as a recognized occupational disease in 2008. The second issue was the obscurity regarding definitions of an acute stressful event (within 24 hr before disease occurrence), short-term overwork (within 1 week), and chronic overwork (for 3 or more months). In this amendment, chronic overwork was defined as work exceeding 60 hr per week. If the average number of weekly working hours does not exceed 60 hr, night work, physical or psychological workload, or other risk factors should be considered for the recognition of occupational CCVDs. However, these newly amended criteria still have a few limitations, considering that there is research evidence for the occurrence of disease in those working fewer than 60 hr per week, and other risk factors, particularly night work, are underestimated in these criteria. Thus, we suggest that these concerns be actively considered during future amendment and approval processes.
Cardiovascular Diseases/*economics ; Cerebrovascular Disorders/*economics ; Humans ; Insurance, Health/economics ; Occupational Diseases/*economics ; Organization and Administration ; Republic of Korea ; Work Capacity Evaluation ; Workers' Compensation/*economics ; *Workload

OBJECTIVETo determine the anthropometric parameters and the isometric muscle strength in a working population sample in China, and to investigate the relationship between muscle strength and individual attributes, such as age, gender, height and weight.

METHODSThe study population consisted of 146 male and 47 female people including workers, administrators and college students. Four types of muscle strength, i.e., handgrip, arm lift, shoulder lift, and torso pull, were measured.

RESULTSLeft handgrip, right handgrip, arm lift, shoulder lift and torso pull of male workers were (42.07 +/- 7.20), (43.92 +/- 7.14), (26.79 +/- 4.64), (33.79 +/- 6.88), (88.56 +/- 17.98) kg, respectively while those of female workers were (21.29 +/- 5.09), (23.26 +/- 5.47), (13.29 +/- 3.37), (18.52 +/- 4.01), (41.06 +/- 12.04) kg, respectively. The female's strength was about 50% lower than the male's. The strength in the 40 approximately years old group was higher than that in other age groups. There were significant positive correlation between the gender and the isometric strength as well as between the body weight and the isometric strength. If the body weight served as the corrected parameter, there was no significant difference in the handgrip among the groups (P < 0.05), but the torso pull of male workers > college students > administrators. All relative muscle strengths except the torso pull were similar for all age groups.

CONCLUSIONThe body weight as the independent variable can be used for establishing the predictive equation of the muscle strength. Calculation of the relative muscle strength can relieve the interference of the body weight for the muscle strength.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Anthropometry ; Female ; Hand Strength ; physiology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Muscle Contraction ; physiology ; Muscle Strength ; physiology ; Muscle Strength Dynamometer ; Pilot Projects ; Transactional Analysis ; Work Capacity Evaluation

OBJECTIVETo investigate the health care status of female workers exposed to occupational hazards in Haidian district of Beijing and improve the labor protection of female workers.

METHODSA questionnaire provided by National Center for Women and Children's Health of Chinese CDC was used in the survey conducted to collect information about health care status of female workers in 141 factories with occupational hazards including chemical poisons and physical factors (noise, libration, microwave, high frequency and low temperature).

RESULTS141 factories were investigated, including 53 state-owned enterprises, 21 collective enterprises, 46 joint-stock enterprises, and 21 non-public enterprises. 12 251 female workers were surveyed, 10.19% (1249/12 251) of whom were exposed to occupational hazards. Of 141 factories studied, 16.31% (23/141) had no labor protection management organization.27.66% (39/141) did not provide pre-employment physical examination service to female workers.48.94% (69/141) didn't establish labor protection system for female workers in menstrual period. While, 21.28% (30/141) of the studied institutes deducted some salaries in the pregnancy, and 32.62% (46/141) deducted their wages during the puerperal period. 2.13% (3/141) arranged female workers in the posts which are forbidden by law (continuous heavy work load operation).9.93% (14/141) arranged pregnant female workers on the post forbidden by law.31.91% (45/141) and 33.33% (47/141) would deduct the time of prenatal medical examination and lactation from their working hours, respectively.39.01% (55/141) didn't afford the cost of fertility. 68.09% (96/141) had annual gynecological examination.45 factories were collected occupational examination reports, accounted for 31.91% (45/141). No female workers were found suffering from occupational disease. Of the 1865 occupational hazard factor monitoring points in 34 factories, there were 155 monitoring points, which were all noise monitoring points, did not meet the standard.

CONCLUSIONThe current health-care status of female workers is not optimistic. It is necessary to consistently improve health care legislations, establish coordinated management mechanism and strengthen the publicity of policy to protect female workers.

China ; epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Occupational Diseases ; epidemiology ; Occupational Exposure ; statistics & numerical data ; Occupational Health ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Women's Health Services ; Work Capacity Evaluation ; Workplace

INTRODUCTIONThe purpose of the study was to examine the determinants of self-reported disability - MODQ (Modified Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Questionnaire) in patients with low back pain (LBP); and to examine the level of FABQ (Fear-Avoidance Belief Questionnaires) scores in an ambulatory clinical population referred to physiotherapy management. We believe that identifying potentially modifiable determinants of disability in patients with LBP provides an opportunity to broaden the strategies to reduce its socioeconomic burden.

MATERIALS AND METHODSA retrospective study was designed to be conducted in the physiotherapy department of a local hospital. The data were taken from standard examination of patients [n = 162, female 15.4%, male 84.6%, age mean = 30.6 years [standard deviation (SD), 11.4; range, 17 to 68)] presenting to the department with acute or chronic LBP. The data included physical examination of back, self-reported disability by MODQ, fear-avoidance beliefs by FABQ, pain intensity and demographic information.

RESULTSThe final model generated by hierarchical regression analysis revealed that MODQ scores included self-reported symptom aggravation with all movements, pain medication usage, average straight leg raise (SLR), pain intensity, and Fear-Avoidance Belief Questionnaire-Work (FABQ-W). Overall, these variables account for approximately 40% of variance. The mediational analysis indicated that the relationship between the FABQ-W and MODQ scores may be partially mediated by pain intensity, average SLR values and pain medication usage.

CONCLUSIONIn this correlational study of physical impairments, psychosocial factors and self-reported disability, disability was driven primarily by measures of pain and fear-avoidance beliefs. Because the FABQ is a simple and useful clinical tool, we suggest that physicians and physiotherapists alike should make it a routine attempt to characterise the fear-avoidance beliefs of patients with LBP.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Disability Evaluation ; Fear ; psychology ; Female ; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ; Health Status Indicators ; Health Surveys ; Humans ; Low Back Pain ; physiopathology ; psychology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pain Measurement ; Retrospective Studies ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Work Capacity Evaluation