ISSN:1076-2752    

出版商:OVID    

年代:2003

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

Although the value of human capital is not captured on company balance sheets, it may account for about half of the gap between a company’s market value and book value. Yet, many companies do not focus comparable scrutiny on human capital management as compared with other large assets, nor do they systematically measure its output (ie, productivity). Methods are emerging to enable employers to assess productivity losses, including absenteeism and presenteeism, and to understand the associated costs (ie, direct medical costs, total productivity loss). This will permit employers to assess the value of programs to enhance health and productivity. We contend that the effective workforce is probably decreased by 5% to 10% because of health problems. We believe that employers who increase their investments in healthy human capital now will emerge tomorrow as the companies leading the gains in US productivity.

ISSN:1076-2752    

出版商:OVID    

年代:2003

数据来源: OVID

ISSN:1076-2752    

出版商:OVID    

年代:2003

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

Learning ObjectivesRecall the overall magnitude of lsot productive time (LPT) and its dollar cost as found in the American Productivity Audit, and the respective contributions of absenteeism and decreased producitivity at work.Be aware of how LPT varies with a number of demographic and workrelated factors.Compare the factors predisposing to LPT for personal and family-related reasons.The American Productivity Audit (APA) is a telephone survey of a random sample of 28,902 U.S. workers designed to quantify the impact of health conditions on work. Lost productive time (LPT) was measured for personal and family health reasons and expressed in hours and dollars. Health-related LPT cost employers $225.8 billion/year ($1685/employee per year); 71% is explained by reduced performance at work. Personal health LPT was 30% higher in females and twice as high in smokers (≥1 pack/day) versus nonsmokers. Workers in high-demand, low-control jobs had the lowest average LPT/week versus the highest LPT for those in low-demand, high-control jobs. Family health-related work absence accounted for 6% of all health-related LPT. Health-related LPT costs are substantial but largely invisible to employers. Costs vary significantly by worker characteristics, suggesting that intervention needs vary by specific subgroups.

ISSN:1076-2752    

出版商:OVID    

年代:2003

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

Summarize the prevalence and nature of symptoms in this survey of Gulf War veterans and the ways in which those with a high level of symptoms differ from their less symptomatic peers.Correlate symptom levels with war-related stressors, reported exposures, and adverse life events.Discuss relationships among reported exposure to chemical/biologic weapons, evidence of actual exposure, and unexplained symptoms in Gulf War veterans.We investigated the association of 15 exposures, 10 stressors, and 18 life events with illness symptoms reported by 978 veterans who believe they suffer from Gulf War-related illnesses. A mail survey was completed by veterans (60% response rate) from the Gulf War Health Registry. Variables most associated with high symptom group membership were reported chemical/biologic warfare (CBW), concerns with infection and faulty equipment, feelings of mistrust in the military, and disability leading to work stoppage within 2 years after the war. These data suggest that belief in CBW exposure, and the experience of war stress and serious negative life events after the war, are important concomitants of Gulf War illness. Models seeking to explain Gulf War symptoms need to incorporate a range of exposure and psychosocial factors to fully account for important influences.

ISSN:1076-2752    

出版商:OVID    

年代:2003

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

Specify the effects of four common chronic physical disorders on role impairment (sickness absence days plus work cut-back days), and their association with comorbid mental disorders.Describe the individual and joint effects of mental disorder and physical disorder on role impairment.Evaluate competing explanations of the apparent connection between mental comorbidity and role impairment.Most health and work productivity studies have focused on individual conditions without considering comorbidity. We illustrate the implication of this neglect by examining the effects of comorbid mental disorders on role impairment (number of sickness absence and work cut-back days in the past month) among people with chronic physical disorders. A nationally representative household survey of 5877 respondents assessed current mental and physical disorders and role impairments. Four physical disorders were sufficiently common to be studied: hypertension, arthritis, asthma, and ulcers. All 4 physical disorders were associated with significant role impairments in bivariate analyses. However, further analysis showed that these impairments were almost entirely confined to cases with comorbid mental disorders. Effectiveness trials in workplace samples are needed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of treating comorbid mental disorders among workers with chronic physical disorders.

ISSN:1076-2752    

出版商:OVID    

年代:2003

数据来源: OVID

ISSN:1076-2752    

出版商:OVID    

年代:2003

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

This study used factor analysis to identify possible subgroups of symptoms of fatiguing syndrome (FS). Subjects were classified with FS according to the 1994 modified Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria with the exception that the chronicity of excessive fatigue could not be documented. The cases consisted of 640 Gulf War veterans who met the criteria, whereas the control groups were composed of 5417 Gulf War and 6493 non-Gulf War veterans who did not meet the criteria and had none of the medical conditions that were exclusionary in the FS group. Factor analyses were performed separately in each group. Factor analysis revealed 6 subgroups: fatigue, pain, infectious, gastrointestinal, respiratory, and neurologic/mood/fatigue. Although the factors were similar for both groups, they were more differentiated in the FS group than in the control group as evidenced by interfactor correlations.

ISSN:1076-2752    

出版商:OVID    

年代:2003

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

The 2003 Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Occupational Injury and Illness Recording and Reporting Final Rule changed the definition of recordable work-related hearing loss. We performed a study of the Alcoa Inc. audiometric database to evaluate the impact of this new rule. The 2003 rule increased the rate of potentially recordable hearing loss events from 0.2% to 1.6% per year. A total of 68.6% of potentially recordable cases had American Academy of Audiology/American Medical Association (AAO/AMA) hearing impairment at the time of recordability. On average, recordable loss occurred after onset of impairment, whereas the non-age-corrected 10-dB standard threshold shift (STS) usually preceded impairment. The OSHA Final Rule will significantly increase recordable cases of occupational hearing loss. The new case definition is usually accompanied by AAO/AMA hearing impairment. Other, more sensitive metrics should therefore be used for early detection and prevention of hearing loss.

ISSN:1076-2752    

出版商:OVID    

年代:2003

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

Farmers are known to be exposed to intermittent intense noise from a variety of sources, but long-term exposure and the resulting risk of hearing loss have not been well characterized. We studied a cross-sectional random sample of farms on which agricultural workers completed an audiometric test and questionnaire, and performed noise dosimetry on a subsample. Sixty-five percent of farms and a total of 586 workers participated. Noise on the subsample of 60 farms lay in a range between 84.8 to 86.8 dB(A) and hearing losses were consistent with this level of exposure. Age, driving tractors without cabs, and working with metal were important risk factors. Reported compliance with hearing protection was higher than that actually observed. The majority of farmers have a moderate risk of hearing loss, but a significant minority is at high risk. Elimination and isolation of noise sources are the control methods of choice, and if residual hearing protection is required, compliance must be improved.

ISSN:1076-2752    

出版商:OVID    

年代:2003

数据来源: OVID