International journal of occupational safety and ergonomics : JOSE, Jan 7, 2017
The effect of different kinds of work on the psychosocial assessment of workers under the same ma... more The effect of different kinds of work on the psychosocial assessment of workers under the same management and organizational environment is investigated. A voluntary assessment in a utility company was carried out using the short version of the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (CoPsoQ) in two occasions, one and a half year apart. Initially, 25 office workers participated (11 men and 14 women), while 14 of those workers (8 women and 6 men) participated in the second assessment together with 32 field workers. The sewage, water treatment and maintenance workers, totaling 32 men, also participated in a field ergonomics assessment using the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries field work ergonomic checklist. The longitudinal outlook was fairly stable, with sustained severe scores in many CoPsoQ sub-scales and intensification of severity of workers control over work and esteem for men. A significantly higher esteem score resulted for field rather than office workers. W...
Although we are currently living in a highly industrialized and mechanized society, which would b... more Although we are currently living in a highly industrialized and mechanized society, which would by itself apparently only carry advantages to human beings, what is seen is that due to the specific features of each profession and due to the job market, which is demanding and highly competitive, there are increasingly more health problems, not only at physical, but also at psychological level. Therefore, and in view of this scenario, it is increasingly important to provide for the physical and psychological ergonomic needs of workers in their workplace. This study seeks to demonstrate the importance of this issue, both through theoretical presentation, and by presenting a practical case study (case study in an office environment). The methodology deployed involved four instruments which were used to analyze the ergonomics of work conditions, and the related physical and psychological consequences. The sample consisted of 32 workers from the central headquarters office of "Águas do Zêzere Côa", SA, which were subjects of the aforementioned research process. Subsequently SPSS and STATA were used to statistically analyze the results. This analysis resulted in statistically significant associations between the themes of the study, which led to the need to modify some of the physical ergonomic conditions, including exposure to noise. Following this, we proposed an improved acoustic reverberation treatment in the department most affected by this problem.
Office workers are increasingly exposed to physical and psychosocial risk factors. To assess the ... more Office workers are increasingly exposed to physical and psychosocial risk factors. To assess the association between environmental, physical and organizational working conditions and the physical and psychosocial well-being of a sample of private sector office workers. Musculoskeletal pain was collected from a body map and the Disabilities of the Arms, Shoulders and Hands questionnaire. The short version of the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire enabled collecting information on six job related satisfaction and dissatisfaction subscales. A checklist for ergonomics in computer work guided the analysis of ergonomic factors and measurements were taken to characterize environmental conditions. Association between exposures and outcomes was calculated using IBM SPSS Statistics 20 software. Significant moderate positive association was found between dissatisfaction with job psychological demands and musculoskeletal pain in the upper body (0.40; p= 0.05), as well as between postural ergonomic mismatches and dissatisfaction with job insecurity towards the future (0.42; p= 0.04). A significant moderate negative association (-0,47; p= 0.02) was found as well between satisfaction with job social support and with leadership quality and location of the work station in an open-plan office as opposed to smaller office rooms. The results show how raising awareness of the risk factors encountered in contemporary office work is still necessary to promote widespread improvement of working conditions, from both a physical and a psychosocial perspective.
Sewage treatment, water treatment and maintenance workers from a utility company, totaling 32 mal... more Sewage treatment, water treatment and maintenance workers from a utility company, totaling 32 male subjects, participated in a cross-sectional psychosocial and ergonomics assessment. The Washington State Department of Labor and Industries field work ergonomic checklist and the short version Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (CoPsoQ) were used. The analysis tested the hypothesis that sewage treatment workers, subjected to foul odors, show higher severity of psychosocial factors than water treatment workers. Odds ratios for the sewage treatment condition were computed for all psychosocial sub-scales, suggesting rejection of the hypothesis. Association was found between ergonomic risk factors and some of the psychosocial sub-scales.
ABSTRACT Based on a cross-sectional study of 32 office workers, this paper reports on association... more ABSTRACT Based on a cross-sectional study of 32 office workers, this paper reports on association between environmental conditions in the domains of lighting, noise and the thermal environment and psychosocial factors. The six COPSOQ subscales are modeled on environmental and local demographic data. Insecurity towards the future, conflicting demands and workers control over work were significantly associated to environmental and demographic factors, including illuminance level, air temperature, sound level, as well as ...
ABSTRACT This paper investigates the effect of the differences in the nature of work on the psych... more ABSTRACT This paper investigates the effect of the differences in the nature of work on the psychosocial assessment of people working under the same management, and in the same organizational environment. 32 field workers and 14 office workers of a utility company were voluntarily subjected to a psychosocial assessment. The short version of the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire was used. Statistical analysis yielded a significantly higher esteem score for the field workers. An odds ratios analysis carried out for the nature of work for CoPsoQ subscales did not reveal significant differences. Results are interpreted under the light of socio-technical systems theory.
A voluntary psychosocial assessment of office workers in a utility company was carried out using ... more A voluntary psychosocial assessment of office workers in a utility company was carried out using the short version of the Copenhagen Psychococial Questionnaire (CoPsoQ) in two occasions, one and a half year apart. Initially, 25 workers participated (11 men and 14 women), while 14 of those workers (8 women and 6 men) participated in the second psychosocial assessment. Statistical analysis showed a fairly stable outlook longitudinally, with sustained severe scores in many of the sub-scales. An odds ratios analysis considering gender as exposure factor showed an effect on intensification of severity of workers control over work and esteem for men.
International journal of occupational safety and ergonomics : JOSE, Jan 7, 2017
The effect of different kinds of work on the psychosocial assessment of workers under the same ma... more The effect of different kinds of work on the psychosocial assessment of workers under the same management and organizational environment is investigated. A voluntary assessment in a utility company was carried out using the short version of the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (CoPsoQ) in two occasions, one and a half year apart. Initially, 25 office workers participated (11 men and 14 women), while 14 of those workers (8 women and 6 men) participated in the second assessment together with 32 field workers. The sewage, water treatment and maintenance workers, totaling 32 men, also participated in a field ergonomics assessment using the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries field work ergonomic checklist. The longitudinal outlook was fairly stable, with sustained severe scores in many CoPsoQ sub-scales and intensification of severity of workers control over work and esteem for men. A significantly higher esteem score resulted for field rather than office workers. W...
Although we are currently living in a highly industrialized and mechanized society, which would b... more Although we are currently living in a highly industrialized and mechanized society, which would by itself apparently only carry advantages to human beings, what is seen is that due to the specific features of each profession and due to the job market, which is demanding and highly competitive, there are increasingly more health problems, not only at physical, but also at psychological level. Therefore, and in view of this scenario, it is increasingly important to provide for the physical and psychological ergonomic needs of workers in their workplace. This study seeks to demonstrate the importance of this issue, both through theoretical presentation, and by presenting a practical case study (case study in an office environment). The methodology deployed involved four instruments which were used to analyze the ergonomics of work conditions, and the related physical and psychological consequences. The sample consisted of 32 workers from the central headquarters office of "Águas do Zêzere Côa", SA, which were subjects of the aforementioned research process. Subsequently SPSS and STATA were used to statistically analyze the results. This analysis resulted in statistically significant associations between the themes of the study, which led to the need to modify some of the physical ergonomic conditions, including exposure to noise. Following this, we proposed an improved acoustic reverberation treatment in the department most affected by this problem.
Office workers are increasingly exposed to physical and psychosocial risk factors. To assess the ... more Office workers are increasingly exposed to physical and psychosocial risk factors. To assess the association between environmental, physical and organizational working conditions and the physical and psychosocial well-being of a sample of private sector office workers. Musculoskeletal pain was collected from a body map and the Disabilities of the Arms, Shoulders and Hands questionnaire. The short version of the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire enabled collecting information on six job related satisfaction and dissatisfaction subscales. A checklist for ergonomics in computer work guided the analysis of ergonomic factors and measurements were taken to characterize environmental conditions. Association between exposures and outcomes was calculated using IBM SPSS Statistics 20 software. Significant moderate positive association was found between dissatisfaction with job psychological demands and musculoskeletal pain in the upper body (0.40; p= 0.05), as well as between postural ergonomic mismatches and dissatisfaction with job insecurity towards the future (0.42; p= 0.04). A significant moderate negative association (-0,47; p= 0.02) was found as well between satisfaction with job social support and with leadership quality and location of the work station in an open-plan office as opposed to smaller office rooms. The results show how raising awareness of the risk factors encountered in contemporary office work is still necessary to promote widespread improvement of working conditions, from both a physical and a psychosocial perspective.
Sewage treatment, water treatment and maintenance workers from a utility company, totaling 32 mal... more Sewage treatment, water treatment and maintenance workers from a utility company, totaling 32 male subjects, participated in a cross-sectional psychosocial and ergonomics assessment. The Washington State Department of Labor and Industries field work ergonomic checklist and the short version Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (CoPsoQ) were used. The analysis tested the hypothesis that sewage treatment workers, subjected to foul odors, show higher severity of psychosocial factors than water treatment workers. Odds ratios for the sewage treatment condition were computed for all psychosocial sub-scales, suggesting rejection of the hypothesis. Association was found between ergonomic risk factors and some of the psychosocial sub-scales.
ABSTRACT Based on a cross-sectional study of 32 office workers, this paper reports on association... more ABSTRACT Based on a cross-sectional study of 32 office workers, this paper reports on association between environmental conditions in the domains of lighting, noise and the thermal environment and psychosocial factors. The six COPSOQ subscales are modeled on environmental and local demographic data. Insecurity towards the future, conflicting demands and workers control over work were significantly associated to environmental and demographic factors, including illuminance level, air temperature, sound level, as well as ...
ABSTRACT This paper investigates the effect of the differences in the nature of work on the psych... more ABSTRACT This paper investigates the effect of the differences in the nature of work on the psychosocial assessment of people working under the same management, and in the same organizational environment. 32 field workers and 14 office workers of a utility company were voluntarily subjected to a psychosocial assessment. The short version of the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire was used. Statistical analysis yielded a significantly higher esteem score for the field workers. An odds ratios analysis carried out for the nature of work for CoPsoQ subscales did not reveal significant differences. Results are interpreted under the light of socio-technical systems theory.
A voluntary psychosocial assessment of office workers in a utility company was carried out using ... more A voluntary psychosocial assessment of office workers in a utility company was carried out using the short version of the Copenhagen Psychococial Questionnaire (CoPsoQ) in two occasions, one and a half year apart. Initially, 25 workers participated (11 men and 14 women), while 14 of those workers (8 women and 6 men) participated in the second psychosocial assessment. Statistical analysis showed a fairly stable outlook longitudinally, with sustained severe scores in many of the sub-scales. An odds ratios analysis considering gender as exposure factor showed an effect on intensification of severity of workers control over work and esteem for men.
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Papers by Carla Tavares