BACKGROUND To recover from work stress, a worksite health program aimed at improving physical activity and relaxation may be valuable. However, not every program is effective for all participants, as would be expected within a "one size fits all" approach. The effectiveness of how the program is delivered may differ across individuals. The aim of this study was to identify subgroups for whom on...

This paper presents a case study in which communication between office workers is analysed and discussed using the DEMO approach for systems modelling. The high level communication analysis is extended with the transaction process model for a detailed view of the communication patterns. The results of the application of the method and its extensions are useful for the analysis of the organisati...

The present study, a part of the PROOF (PRedicting Occupational biomechanics in OFfice workers) study, aimed to determine whether trapezius muscle effort was different across computer activities in a field study of computer workers, and also investigated whether head and shoulder postures were different across computer activities. One hundred twenty participants were measured continuously for t...

Neck and low back pain are significant health problems in office workers. One-year prevalence estimates of neck pain in office workers range from 42−69%, while those for 1-year incidence range from 27−49%. Previous studies reported that between 34−51% of office workers experienced low back pain in the preceding 12 months 3) and that 20−23% of office workers reported new onset of low back pain d...

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to investigate whether type of work is associated with anxiety and depression using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Additionally, we investigated the impact of number of working hours on anxiety and depression. METHODS A total of 1774 workers participated and completed the HADS to determine their levels of anxiety and depression. All subj...

Introduction: Results from several studies indicate that workplace exposure to welding fumes is associated with increased frequency of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in exposed workers. Objective: To assess the prevalence and characteristics of COPD in never-smoking welders. Methods: A cross-sectional study including 53 never-smoking male welders (aged 35–60 years) was performed, ...

BACKGROUND Spatial configurations of office environments assessed by Space Syntax methodologies are related to employee movement patterns. These methods require analysis of floors plans which are not readily available in large population-based studies or otherwise unavailable. Therefore a self-report instrument to assess spatial configurations of office environments using four scales was develo...