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Abstract Background Midwives have long workdays and work many weeks on call. There is a concern that these extended work schedules can negatively affect their intention to stay in the profession. Purpose This study provides evidence on Canadian midwives’ preferences for and experiences with policies and guidelines which limit the hours of work and weeks per year preferred to be on call, and examines the relationship between preferences and midwives’ intention to stay in the profession. Methods Data come from our 2018 pan-Canadian survey of midwives. Descriptive statistics of 720 midwives’ preferences and experiences are provided. In the correlations followed by the OLS regressions, 596 midwives’ data are used to test the associations between preferences and intention to stay in the profession. STATA (version 15) is used. A thematic analysis of 274 midwives’ responses to the open-ended survey question is conducted to give voice to midwives on what can be done for retention. Results Three quarters of the 720 respondents prefer policies and guidelines to limit hours of work in a 24-hour period, though less than half have policies and guidelines on hours of work. More than half prefer to have fewer on-call weeks or never to be on call, less than a third prefer same number of on-call weeks, and only 2% prefer more weeks to be on call. Midwives are currently working on average 33 weeks per year on call. OLS regression analysis shows that ‘met preference’ for hours of work and on-call weeks are positively associated with intention to stay. In responding to the open-ended survey question, midwives recommend limiting the consecutive hours of work and on-call weeks to manageable hours and weeks to retain them in the profession. Conclusion Midwives whose preferences are met are the ones intending to stay in the profession. There is, however, a large number of midwives with ‘unmet needs’ preferring to have policies and guidelines to limit the hours but do not have that currently, and would like to work fewer weeks on call than currently. These are the midwives who are not intending to stay in the profession.

Background: Violence and harassment affect healthcare workers’ well-being and career decisions in the home and community care sector. Purpose: The objective of this study is to assess the role of training in alleviating the relationship between violence and harassment at work and turnover intention among personal support workers (PSWs). Methodology/Approach: Cross-sectional survey data from 1401 PSWs in Ontario, Canada are analyzed with structural equation modeling. Utilizing a resource perspective, the associations between job demands (i.e., violence and harassment at work), personal resources (i.e., self-esteem), job resources (i.e., workplace violence training and challenging task training), stress, and intention to stay among personal support workers (PSWs) are examined. Results: Challenging task training is positively associated with self-esteem and negatively associated with stress, whereas workplace violence training does not have a significant association with either variable. Stress has a negative relationship with intention to stay. Self-esteem is the mediator of both associations between violence and harassment at work and stress and between challenging task training and stress. Discussion: The results point to varied degrees of training effectiveness that may be shaping turnover decisions of PSWs who experience violence and harassment in home and community care organizations. Practice implications: There seems to be a need to assess and redesign workplace violence training. Home and community care managers might be able to lower the impact of violence and harassment on PSWs’ turnover by providing training that is not directly related to workplace violence and harassment.

Abstract Background Current Canadian evidence illustrating the health benefits and cost-effectiveness of caregiver-friendly workplace policies is needed if Canadian employers are to adopt and integrate caregiver-friendly workplace policies into their employment practices. The goal of this three-year, three study research project is to provide such evidence for the auto manufacturing and educational services sectors. The research questions being addressed are: What are the impacts for employers (economic) and workers (health) of caregiver-friendly workplace policy intervention(s) for full-time caregiver-employees? What are the impacts for employers, workers and society of the caregiver-friendly workplace policy intervention(s) in each participating workplace? What contextual factors impact the successful implementation of caregiver-friendly workplace policy intervention(s)? Methods Using a pre-post-test comparative case study design, Study A will determine the effectiveness of newly implemented caregiver-friendly workplace policy intervention(s) across two workplaces to determine impacts on caregiver-employee health. A quasi-experimental pre-post design will allow the caregiver-friendly workplace policy intervention(s) to be tested with respect to potential impacts on health, and specifically on caregiver employee mental, psychosocial, and physical health. Framed within a comparative case study design, Study B will utilize cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness analysis approaches to evaluate the economic impacts of the caregiver-friendly workplace policy intervention(s) for each of the two participating workplaces. Framed within a comparative case study design, Study C will undertake an implementation analysis of the caregiver-friendly workplace policy intervention(s) in each participating workplace in order to determine: the degree of support for the intervention(s) (reflected in the workplace culture); how sex and gender are implicated; co-workers’ responses to the chosen intervention(s), and; other nuances at play. It is hypothesized that the benefits of the caregiver-friendly workplace policy intervention(s) will include improvements in caregiver-employees’ mental, psychosocial and physical health, as well as evidence of cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness for the employer. Discussion The expected project results will provide the research evidence for extensive knowledge translation work, to be carried out in collaboration with our knowledge transition partners, to the employer/human resources and occupational health/safety target populations. Trial registration ISRCTN16187974 Registered August 25, 2016.

Abstract Background The home and community care sector is one of the fastest growing sectors globally and most prominently in mature industrialized countries. Personal support workers (PSWs) are the largest occupational group in the sector. This paper focuses on the emotional health of PSWs working in the home and community care sector in Ontario, Canada. The purpose of this paper is to present evidence on the associations between PSWs’ life and work stress and organizational practices of full-time and guaranteed hours, and PSWs’ perceptions of support at work and preference for hours. Methods Data come from our 2015 survey of 1543 PSWs. Dependent variables are life and work stress. Independent variables are: objective organizational practices of full-time and guaranteed hours, and subjective organizational practices of perceived support at work, and preferred hours of work. Descriptive statistics, correlations and ordinary least square regression analyses with collinearity tests are conducted. Results Organizational practices of employing PSWs in full-time or guaranteed hours are not associated with their life and work stress. However, those who perceive support from their organizations are also the ones reporting lower life and work stress. In addition, those PSWs perceiving support from their supervisor report lower work stress. PSWs would like to work in their preferred hours, and those who prefer to work more hours report lower life and work stress, and conversely, those who prefer to work less hours report life and work stress. Conclusion For PSWs in home and community care, perceived support from their organizations and supervisors, and employment in preferred hours are important factors related to their life and work stress.

The purpose of this study is to research the relationship between the motivation to succeed among badminton players and the coach's communication levels. In total, 66 athletes (33 female and 33 male) who were players of the different university teams during the 2015- 2016 Intercollegiate Sport Season had participated to this research. Within the scope of this study, The Coach Communication Scale (Abakay and Kuru,2009) and Sports Related Success Motivation Scale (Willis, 1982) have been applied to the participants. These Scales are applied to the participants in groups at the places they had been camping for the seasons or before group exercises. The data gathered from the participants was entered into the SPSS program (version 22.0) program package versions and Independent t-test, ANOVA, Pearson Correlation Analysis was applied to it (p0,05). In addition; in terms of the participants’ age; there was no significant difference both in motivation for success sub-scales and in coaches’ communication levels (p>0,05). Also similar to other results; in terms of participants’ income; there was no significant difference both motivation success sub-scales and coaches’ communication levels (p>0,05). Between participants’ motivation for success sport related and coaches’ communication levels also, we also found no significant differences. (p>0,05) Only we found that significant differences between power motive and motive to approach success; motive to avoid failure. (Respectively, r:,458; r:,758;p

Task shifting, which involves the transfer of care work from regulated health-care professionals to home care workers (HCWs), is a strategy to ensure the efficient delivery of home care services in Canada and internationally. Using a feminist political economy approach, this paper explores the effects of task shifting on HCWs' skills. Task shifting may be understood as a form of downward substitution--and an effort to increase control over workers while minimizing costs--as some of health-care professionals' responsibilities are divided into simpler tasks and transferred to HCWs. Our interviews with 46 home health-care providers in Ontario, which focused explicitly on HCWs' role in care provision, problematize the belief that 'low skilled' care workers have little control over their work. HCWs' skills become more complex when they do transferred tasks, and HCWs sometimes gain greater control over their work. This results in increased autonomy and mastery for many HCWs. In turn, this serves to reinforce the intrinsic rewards of care work, despite the fact that it is low paid and undervalued work. Le transfert des taches consiste a transferer certaines activites des professionnels de la sante aux travailleurs de soutien a domicile, et s'avere etre une strategic visant a assurer la prestation efficace des services de soutien a domicile au Canada et a l'etranger. En utilisant la theorie de l'economie politique feministe, cet article explore l'impact du transfert des taches sur les competences des travailleurs de soutien a domicile. Le transfert des taches peut etre interprets comme une forme de substitution a la baisse avec un controle accru des travailleurs et une minimisation des couts des services. Ceci se produit lorsque certaines des responsabilites des professionnels de la sante sont fragmentees en taches plus simples pour etre ensuite transferees aux travailleurs de soutien a domicile. Pourtant, le contenu de 46 entrevues avec des travailleurs de soutien a domicile et professionnels de la sante vient ebranler l'hypothese selon laquelle les travailleurs de soutien a domicile 'peu qualifies[R] auraient peu de controle sur leurs taches de travail. Les resultats de cette etude suggerent que les competences des travailleurs de soutien a domicile se complexifient lorsqu'il s'agit de taches transferees, et que ces travailleurs obtiennent parfois plus d'autonomie a l'emploi. Done, les travailleurs de soutien a domicile acquierent une plus grande autonomie et un controle plus significatif a l'emploi. Par consequent, le transfert des taches renforce les gratifications intrinseques du travail en relation d'aide et ce, en depit d'une pietre remuneration et de la sous-valorisation du metier., ACROSS CANADA AND INTERNATIONALLY, home care is an increasingly popular means of providing support to older people and those with long-term health conditions or disabilities--among policymakers and service providers because [...]

Abstract Background Malaria outbreaks have sporadically occurred in the United States, with Anopheles quadrimaculatus serving as the primary vector in the eastern region. Anopheles crucians, while considered a competent vector, has not been directly implicated in human transmission. Considering the locally acquired Plasmodium vivax cases in Sarasota County, Florida (7 confirmed cases), Cameron County, Texas (one confirmed case), and Maryland (one confirmed case) in the summer of 2023. The hypothesis of this study is that major cities in the United States harbour sufficient natural populations of Anopheles species vectors of malaria, that overlap with human populations that could support local transmission to humans. The objective of this study is to profile the most abundant Anopheles vector species in Miami-Dade County, Florida—An. crucians and An. quadrimaculatus. Methods This study was based on high-resolution mosquito surveillance data from 2020 to 2022 in Miami-Dade County, Florida. Variations on the relative abundance of An. crucians and An. quadrimaculatus was assessed by dividing the total number of mosquitoes collected by each individual trap in 2022 by the number of mosquitoes collected by the same trap in 2020. In order to identify influential traps, the linear distance in meters between all traps in the surveillance system from 2020 to 2022 was calculated and used to create a 4 km buffer radius around each trap in the surveillance system. Results A total of 36,589 An. crucians and 9943 An. quadrimaculatus were collected during this study by the surveillance system, consisting of 322 CO2-based traps. The findings reveal a highly heterogeneous spatiotemporal distribution of An. crucians and An. quadrimaculatus in Miami-Dade County, highlighting the presence of highly conducive environments in transition zones between natural/rural and urban areas. Anopheles quadrimaculatus, and to a lesser extent An. crucians, pose a considerable risk of malaria transmission during an outbreak, given their high abundance and proximity to humans. Conclusions Understanding the factors driving the proliferation, population dynamics, and spatial distribution of Anopheles vector species is vital for implementing effective mosquito control and reducing the risk of malaria outbreaks in the United States.

This study examines the role of work intensification in personal support workers' (PSWs) intention to stay, while exploring the mediating relationships of stress and extrinsic and intrinsic job satisfaction. A 2015 survey of 938 PSWs is analysed using structural equation modelling. It is found that work intensification is negatively associated with intention to stay, and this relationship is mediated through stress and intrinsic job satisfaction. Extrinsic job satisfaction does not play a mediating role. Findings explain the mechanism between work intensification and intention to stay, and demonstrate work intensification as a challenge in retaining PSWs in home and community care work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sporadic outbreaks of human cases of West Nile virus (WNV), primarily vectored by Culex quinquefasciatus Say in suburban and urban areas, have been reported since introduction of the virus into Florida in 2001. Miami-Dade County, Florida is part of one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United States, supports Cx. quinquefasciatus year-round, and recently experienced over 60 human cases of WNV during one outbreak. To facilitate more effective integrated vector management and public health protection, we used the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) bottle bioassay method to evaluate the susceptibility of adult Cx. quinquefasciatus collected from 29 locations throughout Miami-Dade County to pyrethroid and organophosphate adulticide active ingredients (AIs) used by Miami-Dade County Mosquito Control. We also determined the frequency of the 1014 knockdown resistance (kdr) mutation for Cx. quinquefasciatus from a subset of 17 locations. We detected resistance to two pyrethroid AIs in all tested locations (permethrin: 27 locations, deltamethrin: 28 locations). The 1014F allele was widely distributed throughout all 17 locations sampled; however, 29.4% of these locations lacked 1014F homozygotes even though phenotypic pyrethroid resistance was present. Organophosphate resistance was more variable; 20.7% of the locations tested were susceptible to malathion, and 33.3% of the populations were susceptible to naled. We subsequently conducted a field trial of ReMoa Tri, a recently approved multiple AI adulticide formulation labelled for resistant mosquitoes, against a mixed location field population of Miami-Dade Cx. quinquefasciatus. Average 24-hr mortality was 65.1 ± 7.2% and 48-hr mortality increased to 85.3 ± 9.1%, indicating good control of these resistant Cx. quinquefasciatus. This current study shows that insecticide resistance is common in local Cx. quinquefasciatus but effective options are available to maintain control during active disease transmission in Miami-Dade County.