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OBJECTIVE: Karasek's demand-control model and Siegrist's effort-reward imbalance model have accumulated solid evidence regarding the associations between exposure to psychosocial risk at work (PSRW) and mental health of workers. However, there is scarce such evidence with regard to its associations with alcohol consumption. This study proposed to estimate the associations between exposure to PSRW and hazardous alcohol consumption (HAC) in Chile's working adult population. METHOD: The study was cross-sectional and a nationally representative survey was applied to 3,010 workers (65% male and 35% female, ages 20 to 65). The analysis included prevalences and logistic regression controlling for covariables. RESULTS: The adjusted analyses show that male workers exposed to low social support (OR=1.47; 95% CI:1.14-1.89), low reward (OR=1.38; 95% CI:1.07-1.78) and effort-reward imbalance (OR=1.34; 95% CI:1.04-1.73) have a higher chance of presenting with HAC compared to those who are not exposed. Female workers exposed to effort-reward imbalance (OR=2.34; 95% CI:1.10-5.58) have twice the risk of HAC compared with their reference group. CONCLUSION: This study shows evidence of the associations between HAC and exposure to a set of psychosocial risk factors from the Karasek and Siegrist models. For future research, it is recommended that HAC and PSRW factors be examined in a longitudinal study in order to control for possible confounding effects on these associations. KEY WORDS: Alcohol consumption; effort-reward imbalance; demand-control-support model; work stress Can J Public Health 2013;104(7):e502-e508. OBJECTIF: Le modele <> de Karasek et le modele <> de Siegrist accumulent des preuves solides sur les associations entre l'exposition aux risques psychosociaux au travail (RPT) et la sante mentale des travailleurs. Cependant, il existe peu de preuves de la sorte en ce qui a trait aux associations entre les RPT et la consommation d'alcool. Nous avons voulu estimer les associations entre l'exposition aux RPT et la consommation dangereuse d'alcool (CDA) dans la population active d'age adulte du Chili. METHODE: Une enquete representative nationale transversale a ete menee aupres de 3 010 travailleurs (65 % d'hommes et 35 % de femmes, 20 a 65 ans). L'analyse a inclus le calcul des prevalences et de la regression logistique apres ajustement pour tenir compte des effets des covariables. RESULTATS: Les analyses ajustees montrent que les travailleurs masculins exposes a un faible soutien social (RC = 1,47; IC de 95 %: 1,14-1,89), a une faible reconnaissance (RC = 1,38; IC de 95 %: 1,07-1,78) et a un desequilibre efforts/reconnaissance (RC=1,34; IC de 95 %: 1,04-1,73) ont une probabilite superieure de presenter une CDA comparativement aux travailleurs non exposes. Les travailleuses exposees a un desequilibre efforts/reconnaissance (RC = 2,34; IC de 95 %: 1,10-5,58) ont un risque deux fois superieur de presenter une CDA comparativement a leur groupe temoin. CONCLUSION: Cette etude prouve qu'il existe des associations entre la CDA et l'exposition a un ensemble de facteurs de risque psychosociaux tires des modeles de Karasek et de Siegrist. Pour pousser la recherche, il est recommande d'examiner les facteurs de la CDA et des RPT dans une etude longitudinale afin de tenir compte des effets de facteurs de confusion possibles sur ces associations. MOTS CLES: consommation d'alcool; desequilibre efforts/reconnaissance; modele demande-latitude-soutien; stress professionnel La traduction du resume se trouve a la fin de l'article., Increasing awareness of mental health problems as a public health issue in Latin America and elsewhere has been a gradual process, driven primarily by four essential forces: the alarming worldwide [...]

The negative effects of intermittentwork on employees in terms of financial status, social recognition, self-esteem and mental attitude to work are discussed.

A study aims to determine if job strain increases the risk of recurrent coronary heart disease (CHD) events. Results indicate that chronic job strain after a first myocardial infarction is related with an increased risk of recurrent CHD.

Objectives. We evaluated whether cumulative exposure to job strain increases blood pressure. Methods. A prospective study of 8395 white-collar workers was initiated during 1991 to 1993. At follow-up, 7.5 years later, 84% of the participants were reassessed to estimate cumulative exposure to job strain. Results. Compared with men who had never been exposed, men with cumulative exposure and those who became exposed during follow-up showed significant systolic blood pressure increments of 1.8 mm Hg (95% confidence interval [CI]=0.1, 3.5) and 1.5 mm Hg (95% CI=0.2, 2.8), respectively, and relative risks of blood pressure increases in the highest quintile group of 1.33 (95% CI= 1.01, 1.76) and 1.40 (95% CI= 1.14, 1.73). Effect magnitudes were smaller among women. Effects tended to be more pronounced among men and women with low levels of social support at work. Conclusions. Among these white-collar workers, exposure to cumulative job strain had a modest but significant effect on systolic blood pressure among men. The risk was of comparable magnitude to that observed for age and sedentary behavior. Men and women with low levels of social support at work appeared to be at higher risk for increases in blood pressure.

Numerous studies have shown that work may have an impact on social identity and social functioning in the community. Since work organisation in our society has gone through some profound changes in the last few decades, it is important to study the effect of these new constraints on the social life of people and, thereby, on their health. Using data from a French longitudinal cohort study on work, health and ageing (ESTEV), this paper analyses the impact of job strain on social isolation, in a sample of 16,950 individuals who were working in 1990 and 1995. The results show that low-decision latitude was associated with a significantly higher level of social isolation in both men and women. When compared with low job strain, active work (high-psychological demand and high-decision latitude) and high job strain were associated among men with a significantly higher level of social isolation. This study shows that a change in psychosocial work conditions (demand and control) had an impact on social isolation and that this impact may be more significant in male workers than in female workers. Keywords: Work organisation; Psychosocial factors; Decision latitude; Psychological demand; Social isolation; Job strain, Gender differences; France

Health problems of women whose jobs involved intense time pressure were evaluated in a study of 800 sewing-machine operators employed in Quebec between 1976 and 1985. Information on workers' occupational characteristics were obtained from public records. Symptoms of anxiety and depression, use of medication and disability status were determined by interview. Garment workers had an increased prevalence of slight, moderate and severe disability and higher levels of symptoms of anxiety and depression when compared to workers in other occupations. Garment workers paid piecework rates took medication for stomach problems in greater proportion than workers paid an hourly wage. Furthermore, workers who spend 5-9, 10-14, 15-19 and 20 or more years in piecework had an increased prevalence of severe disability compared to the baseline category 0-4 years, with adjusted risk ratios of 2.2 (95% CI = 1.14-4.6), 3.3 (95% CI = 1.5-6.9), 3.6 (95% CI = 1.5-8.4 and 2.3 (95% CI = 0.8-6.6) respectively, independent of age, smoking habits, education, type of task and total length of employment. These findings suggest that short-term, non-disabling conditions associated with time pressure by previous authors may have more important long-term sequelae than had been previously documented.

Having access to the Web is essential for SMEs as owning a fax machine and a telephone. And though SMEs usually have limited material and human resources at their disposal, these authors state that successful e-business solutions are still within the reach of these companies. By thinking strategically about e-business, managers can select technological solutions that support the company's business strategies and create value for the company and its customers., The strategic management process in e-business Small- or medium-sized enterprises that adopt an e-business model must often make significant changes in their business processes and in the way they interact [...]

This study was designed to examine the potential effects of severe time constraints on workers' health. Medicine use is considered to be an indicator of non-specific morbidity that is worthy of interest in industrial health research when it is possible to compare workers who share the same culture and socio-economic characteristics, but are submitted to different work conditions. In the clothing industry, our hypotheses were that (1) piecework paid operators would have a higher percentage of medicine users than the hourly paid and (2) operators who did repetitive work would have a higher percentage of medicine users than those who did non-repetitive work. Women selected into the study were between the ages of 45 and 70, natives of Canada, spoke French and lived in the metropolitan region of Montreal. The occupational data came from the files of The Ladies' Clothing Joint Commission. They encompass the 30-year period 1956-85. Data on socio-economic characteristics, smoking status and medicine use of the 800 respondents were obtained by questionnaires administered by specially trained nurses. Among currently employed women, the probability of using stomach medication was higher for pieceworkers than among women who received an hourly wage: OR = 2.57 (1.19-3.96). The probability was also higher for women who did repetitive work than for women who did non-repetitive work: OR = 2.43 (1.26-3.60).