AAOHN Journal : Official Journal of the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses

This study examines the exercise habits and perceived barriers to exercise of a convenience sample of 300 commercial truck drivers. Participants reported minimal amounts of exercise, with nearly 20% not exercising in the past week. A high prevalence of obesity was found in this sample: 93.3% of study participants had a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or higher. Drivers with BMIs of greater than 30 were significantly more likely to rate the exercise environment as terrible/bad. Drivers who had at least one health condition engaged in significantly less aerobic exercise, used fewer strengthening exercises, did not exercise for 30 minutes continuously, and had a higher BMI...

The purpose of this study was to assess behaviors and health beliefs concerning early diagnosis of breast cancer among women working in a textile factory in Turkey. The data were collected with tools designed by the researchers. The study population consisted of 167 women working in a textile factory in Izmir, Turkey. According to their responses, 23.4% of the women performed breast self-examinations and 12.6% received clinical breast examinations. Results indicated that 91.6% of the women had no education about breast cancer...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

In 2009, occupational health nursing faculty and professionals at the University of Washington developed an innovative continuing nursing education offering, the OHN Institute. The OHN Institute was designed to meet the following objectives: (1) extend basic occupational health nursing training to non-occupational health nurses in Federal Region X, (2) target new occupational health nurses or those who possessed little or no advanced education in occupational health nursing, and (3) offer a hybrid continuing nursing education program consisting of on-site and distance learning modalities...

This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in 2005 and 2008 to evaluate self-reported competency achievement by occupational health nursing program graduates. Twelve competencies were evaluated at three levels: competent, proficient, and expert. In 2005, most graduates believed they were at the proficient level in 10 of the 12 competencies, with three competencies approaching the expert level. In 2008, all graduates rated their competency achievement at the proficient level for all 12 competencies, with nine competencies approaching the expert level...

Hospital nurses who are working mothers are challenged to maintain their personal health and model healthy behaviors for their children. This study aimed to develop and test an innovative 10-week worksite physical activity intervention integrated into the work flow of hospital-based nurses who were mothers. Three volunteer adult medical-surgical nursing units participated as intervention units. Fifty-eight nurses (30 intervention and 28 control) provided baseline and post-intervention repeated measurements of physical activity (steps) and body composition...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

Evidence is increasing that vitamin D insufficiency is widespread in the general population and that vitamin D plays a key role in bone health and the prevention of chronic health conditions. Nutrition education and risk awareness can be effective in reducing musculoskeletal injuries.

This cross-sectional study explored the work-related and individual factors that contributed to the occurrence of low back pain and affected activities of 36 personal care workers at an old age home in Hong Kong. The study was divided into four parts: (1) a questionnaire documenting workload exposure factors; (2) a musculoskeletal symptoms survey documenting the prevalence of low back pain in this group of workers; (3) a worksite evaluation focusing on personal care workers' work postures and the work environment; and (4) an evaluation of physical fitness and lifting capacities of personal care workers...

A Lift Assist Team (LAT) was created on three units at a medical center where nursing staff were at high risk for patient-handling injuries. LAT members were drawn from the hospital's pool of patient transporters. Using qualitative and quantitative data, this case study summarizes the development, implementation, and experiences of the LAT. Nursing staff valued the LAT, reporting increased staff safety and improved patient care. LAT members reported greater job satisfaction and a newfound sense of assimilation into the nursing group compared to when their role was patient transport only...

Low back pain is common and poses a challenge for clinicians to find effective treatment to prevent it from becoming chronic. Chronic low back pain can have a significant impact on an employee's ability to remain an active and productive member of the work force due to increased absenteeism, duty restrictions, or physical limitations from pain. Low back pain is the most common cause of work-related disability among employees younger than 46 years. Advancing technology and less invasive surgical procedures have not improved outcomes for employees who suffer from low back pain...

Musculoskeletal injury is common among nurses as a result of lifting and handling patients. In response to musculoskeletal injuries, safe patient-handling programs are being instituted to decrease the risk of injuries and resulting impaired function. This study was designed to identify patient-handling practices in clinical practice. This qualitative study used 128 hours of observations of patient-handling practices and interviews of 32 nursing staff who discussed these practices. Findings demonstrated five factors impact nurses' judgment regarding the best way to move patients: complexity of everyday care, patient treatment goals, time, knowledge, and equipment issues...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

Hazardous energy control programs that include lockout and tagout procedures as well as worker training can prevent serious injury and death during machine maintenance.

This article investigates how the health disparities of Appalachian coal miners and coal mining communities could be decreased through a partnership with occupational health nurses. On-site health clinics managed by occupational health nurses working in the coal mining industry are proposed as a means to improve health care outcomes. Health effects, economic considerations, environmental impacts, and U.S. coal mining legislation and regulation are examined. An epidemiological approach is presented to the unique health effects experienced by Appalachian coal miners and coal mining communities within the context of existent socioeconomic disparities...

In Finland, workplace surveys are used to identify and assess health risks and problems caused by work and make suggestions for continuous improvement of the work environment. With the aid of the workplace survey, occupational health services can be tailored to a company. The aims of this study were to determine how occupational health professionals gather data via the workplace survey and the effect survey results have on companies. A total of 259 occupational health nurses and 108 occupational health physicians responded to the questionnaire: 84...

Operating Engineers (heavy equipment operators in construction) may be at particular risk for heart disease and cancer related to their exposure to environmental dust and smoking, the sedentary nature of their job, and long hours of exposure to the sun. The aim of this study was to characterize the health behaviors of Operating Engineers. This cross-sectional survey from a convenience sample of Operating Engineers (N = 498) used validated instruments to measure smoking, drinking, diet, exercise, sleep, and sun exposure...