| 1. |
- Brusaca, Luiz Augusto, et al.
(författare)
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24-hour compositions of physical (in)activity among office workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: a comparison between Brazil and Sweden
- 2022
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Ingår i: Proceedings of the ICAMPAM2022 conference.
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Sedentary behavior (SED) has generally increased during the COVID-19 pandemic in people working from home, and physical activity (PA) has therefore decreased. However, it is unclear whether the pandemic has affected office workers in different countries in the same way. We aimed to compare the 24-hour time-use compositions of physical behaviors between Brazilian and Swedish office workers at working and non-working days during the pandemic. Methods: Physical behaviors were monitored over 7 days using thigh-worn accelerometer in 73 Brazilian and 202 Swedish workers. Daily time-use compositions were exhaustively described in terms of SED in short (<30 min) and long (≥30 min) bouts, light PA (LPA), moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA), and time-in-bed (TIB). Following a compositional data analysis, isometric log-ratios (ilr) were calculated to express the ratio of TIB to time spent awake, SED (short and long bouts) relative to LPA and MVPA, SED in short relative to long bouts, and LPA relative to MVPA. We examined differences between countries using MANOVA, followed by univariate post-hoc tests of pairwise differences. Results: Both groups spent most of their time SED and in bed. On working days, Brazilian workers spent 294 min in SED in short bouts, 477 min in SED in long bouts, 157 min in LPA, 50 min in MVPA and 461 min TIB; Swedes spent 274, 365, 257, 86 and 458 min, respectively. During non-working days, results were 279, 359, 237, 61 and 504 min among Brazilians and 263, 251, 305, 93 and 529 min among Swedes. Brazilians and Swedes differed significantly in the set of ilrs as a whole during working (p < 0.001) and non-working days (p < 0.001) and in all pairwise comparisons, except for the ratio of TIB to time spent awake during non-working days. Conclusions: During the COVID-19 pandemic Brazilian and Swedish office workers behaved differently. Whether this relates to restrictions being different or to differences even before the pandemic is not clear.
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| 2. |
- Brusaca, Luiz Augusto, et al.
(författare)
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Sedentary behaviour, physical activity, and sleep among office workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: a comparison of Brazil and Sweden
- 2022
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Ingår i: BMC Public Health. - : BMC. - 1471-2458. ; 22
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the physical behaviours of office workers worldwide, but studies comparing physical behaviours between countries with similar restrictions policies are rare. This study aimed to document and compare the 24-hour time-use compositions of physical behaviours among Brazilian and Swedish office workers on working and non-working days during the pandemic.Methods: Physical behaviours were monitored over 7 days using thigh-worn accelerometers in 73 Brazilian and 202 Swedish workers. Daily time-use compositions were exhaustively described in terms of sedentary behaviour (SED) in short (<30 min) and long (≥30 min) bouts, light physical activity (LPA), moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), and time-in-bed. We examined differences between countries using MANOVA on data processed according to compositional data analysis. As Swedish workers had the possibility to do hybrid work, we conducted a set of sensitivity analyses including only data from days when Swedish workers worked from home.Results: During working days, Brazilian office workers spent more time SED in short (294 min) and long (478 min) bouts and less time in LPA (156 min) and MVPA (50 min) than Swedish workers (274, 367, 256 and 85 min, respectively). Time spent in bed was similar in both groups. Similar differences between Brazilians and Swedes were observed on non-working days, while workers were, in general, less sedentary, more active and spent more time-in-bed than during working days. The MANOVA showed that Brazilians and Swedes differed significantly in behaviours during working (p < 0.001, ηp2 = 0.36) and non-working days (p < 0.001, ηp2 = 0.20). Brazilian workers spent significantly more time in SED relative to being active, less time in short relative to long bouts in SED, and more time in LPA relative to MVPA, both during workdays and non-workdays. Sensitivity analyses only on data from days when participants worked from home showed similar results.Conclusions: During the COVID-19 pandemic Brazilian office workers were more sedentary and less active than Swedish workers, both during working and non-working days. Whether this relates to the perception or interpretation of restrictions being different or to differences present even before the pandemic is not clear, and we encourage further research to resolve this important issue.
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| 3. |
- Glimne, Susanne, et al.
(författare)
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Headaches in combination with visual ability, eye- and musculoskeletal strain in connection with visually demanding work tasks
- 2022
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Suboptimal visual ergonomics (i.e., the interaction between our vision, the light, the visual object, and the influence of other factors which impairs visibility) in work environment such as glare can cause headache in combination with eyestrain, visual ability, and musculoskeletal strain. Symptoms constituted to the syndrome of eyestrain has been well described among computer workers (see for example Han et al., 2013; Portello et al., 2012; Bhanderi et al., 2008; Mocci et al., 2001; Sanchez-Roman et al., 1996). However, research has not focused on investigating the presence of headaches associated with eye-related and musculoskeletal disorders among employees and visual related environmental factors.The purpose of presented research was to study the presence of headaches in combination with visual ability, eye- and musculoskeletal strain, and work ability in connection with visually demanding work. Trained assessors recruited study participants primarily from their regular clients in the OHS field. Evaluators were instructed to recruit participants with a variety of characteristics to ensure highly variable data, such as different work tasks, age, and gender. The participants mean age was 48.3 years (±10.3); 66% were women.A visual ergonomics risk assessment method (VERAM, Heiden et al. 2019; Zetterberg et al. 2017) was used to compile the participated workers subjective grading of headache, eye- and musculoskeletal strain using a questionnaire (n=430). At the same time, an evaluation of the visual environment was carried out, which established if there was a risk of glare associated with the implementation of work task (e.g., computer work and other related work such as industry, healthcare, and shipping industry). The frequency of headaches was divided into three categories; (1) no headache, (2) headache occasionally, and (3) headache a few times per week/almost every day. The measurements regarding evaluation of the visual environment used a photometer, an instrument which was available and that the assessors could use, usually a Hagner ScreenMaster or Hagner S1 / S2 / S3.About 65% of the workers reported headaches occasionally, a few times/week or almost every day. Among the workers with headaches reported about 29% of them that they experienced the headaches a few times/week or almost every day.Out of the workers with headaches reported 37% a severity of the headaches of more than 3 (on a scale of 1-10) and 5 % reported a severity of more than 6. About 40% of the workers also stated that the headaches affected their working ability. The headaches were mainly located around the eyes, forehead, or temples (70%) and came in the afternoon (69%). About 75% of the workers also reported that the headache disappeared or were reduced when they were off work for one night or over the weekend. The data collection showed that visual- related symptoms increased the higher the estimated headaches was.The musculoskeletal strain increased when the headache increased. When workers reported a high frequency of headaches 95% of them reported neck strain, 86% shoulder strain, 73% upper back strain, and 61% were reported arm strain.Moreover, only 8.2% of the workers rated their visual ability as bad or very bad, but at the same time, about 60% reported dim vision, 14% diplopia, and 59% problems changing focus at some time.Dividing the data into workers with experienced or unexperienced headaches this study has shown that there was a significant presence of headaches in combination with visual related symptoms regarding experienced photophobia (p=0.011), eye pain (p=0.015), diplopia (p=0.029), and arm strain (p=0.006). Further, the statistical analysis showed that there was a tendency of combination regarding headaches and visual ability (p=0.070).Dividing the data into workers with experienced or unexperienced headaches, our study showed that the frequency of headache increased due to high luminance levels within the visual field (p=0.044).This study concludes presence of headaches in combination with eye- and musculoskeletal strain performing work task such as computer work. Further, the presence of headaches is due to visual ability induced by high luminance levels within the visual field.
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| 4. |
- Hallman, David, 1979-, et al.
(författare)
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P09-09 Hybrid work and temporal patterns of sedentary behavior in a 24-hour compositional perspective
- 2022
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Ingår i: European Journal of Public Health. - : Oxford Academic. - 1101-1262 .- 1464-360X. ; 32:Suppl2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BackgroundDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, many white-collar workers were requested to exclusively work from home (WFH), which may have affected their sedentary behavior. In Sweden, having less severe restrictions than many other countries, workers were allowed to alternate between WFH and work at the office (WAO), so called hybrid work. Understanding how hybrid work influences total sedentary behavior and its temporal distribution is an important issue for future health promotion. This study aimed to investigate to what extent office workers changed their temporal pattern of sedentary behavior during days WFH compared to WAO, considering age and gender as potential moderators.MethodsData were collected from May to December 2020 in office workers (n = 199). Their mean age was 42 (SD 10) years and 55% were women. Physical behaviors were measured using a thigh-worn accelerometer (AxivityAX3) for seven consecutive days. A diary identified working hours, time-in-bed and days WFH or WAO. Time-use was classified as short (0-5 min), moderate (5-30 min) and long bouts (>30 min) of sedentary behavior (SB), non-SB, and time-in-bed during workdays (WAO and WFH) and non-workdays. We used Compositional data analysis to express data as 24-hour compositions and linear mixed models to estimate difference in 24-hour compositions between day types (within worker), including age and gender as covariates and moderators.ResultsWe found that workdays (WFH and WAO) were associated with proportionally less time-in-bed relative to time awake, more time SB relative to non-SB, and more time in longer relative to shorter sedentary bouts, compared to non-workdays (all p > 0.001). WFH was associated with more time-in-bed relative to awake and more SB relative to non-SB than WAO (p > 0.05), but the differences for sedentary bouts were not significant. Younger workers and women had more SB, and women accumulated more time than men in longer relative to shorter bouts of SB. However, age and gender did not affect differences between day types.ConclusionsWorking from home influenced 24-hour time-use in office workers by increasing sedentary behavior in total, while its temporal pattern was unchanged. Results contribute to evidence that can support organizational policies on hybrid work.
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| 5. |
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| 6. |
- Hallman, David, 1979-, et al.
(författare)
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Working from home during the COVID-19 outbreak in Sweden: effects on 24-h time-use in office workers
- 2021
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Ingår i: BMC Public Health. - : Springer. - 1471-2458. ; 21
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered national recommendations encouraging people to work from home (WFH), but the possible impact of WFH on physical behaviors is unknown. This study aimed to determine the extent to which the 24-h allocation of time to different physical behaviors changes between days working at the office (WAO) and days WFH in office workers during the pandemic.Methods: Data were collected on 27 office workers with full-time employment at a Swedish municipal division during the COVID-19 outbreak in May–July 2020. A thigh-worn accelerometer (Axivity) was used to assess physical behavior (sedentary, stand, move) during seven consecutive days. A diary was used to identify periods of work, leisure and sleep. 24-h compositions of sedentary, standing and moving behaviors during work and non-work time were examined using Compositional data analysis (CoDA), and differences between days WAO and days WFH were determined using repeated measures ANOVA.Results: Days WFH were associated with more time spent sleeping relative to awake, and the effect size was large (F = 7.4; p = 0.01; ηp2 = 0.22). The increase (34 min) in sleep time during WFH occurred at the expense of a reduction in work and leisure time by 26 min and 7 min, respectively. Sedentary, standing and moving behaviors did not change markedly during days WFH compared to days WAO.Conclusion: Days working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden were associated with longer duration of sleep than days working at the office. This behavioral change may be beneficial to health.
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| 7. |
- Heiden, Marina, 1974-, et al.
(författare)
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Mismatch between actual and preferred extent of telework: cross-sectional and prospective associations with well-being and burnout
- 2023
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Ingår i: BMC Public Health. - : Springer. - 1471-2458. ; 23
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: This study aimed to determine whether telework mismatch, i.e., lack of fit between actual and preferred extent of telework, is cross-sectionally and prospectively associated with well-being and burnout.Methods: A questionnaire was sent to employees in a Swedish manufacturing company in November 2020 (baseline) and September 2021 (follow-up). It contained questions about well-being (WHO-5 Well-Being Index) and burnout (Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire III), as well as the preferred extent of telework and extent of telework performed. Telework mismatch was calculated as the difference between the actual and preferred extent of telework. Change in mismatch over time was categorized as 1) less mismatch at follow-up than at baseline, 2) more mismatch at follow-up, and 3) identical levels of mismatch at baseline and follow-up. Multivariate and univariate analyses of variance were used to determine the effects of mismatch and change in mismatch over time on baseline ratings and changes in ratings of well-being and burnout. All analyses were performed with and without adjustment for age, sex, marital status, children, type of employment, commuting time and extent of telework performed.Results: The response rate was 39% at baseline (n=928, 67% men, mean(SD) age: 45(11) years) and 60% at follow-up (n=556, 64% men, mean(SD) age: 46(11) years). A cross-sectional association was found between telework mismatch and well-being, showing that employees who teleworked more than they would like reported worse well-being than those who teleworked less than they would like. No statistically significant association was found between telework mismatch and burnout. The ability of telework mismatch at baseline to predict changes in well-being or burnout over 10 months was small and non-significant. No association was found between change in telework mismatch over the 10-month period and corresponding changes in well-being or burnout.Conclusion: Our results suggest that telework should be thoughtfully practiced in companies/organizations to avoid negative consequences for employees who already telework more than they prefer. Studies are needed to determine how long-term changes in match between preferred and actual extent of telework is associated with employee well-being, including how the association is modified by the nature of the job and the work environment.
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| 8. |
- Heiden, Marina, 1974-, et al.
(författare)
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Productivity, Well-Being and Work-Family Conflict in Mandatory Telework during the COVID-19 Pandemic
- 2021
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Ingår i: Proceedings of the International Ergonomics Association Conference 2021.
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- SUMMATIVE STATEMENT Results from an ongoing questionnaire study on telework during the COVID-19 pandemic show that mandatory telework (as opposed to voluntary), but not the extent of telework, is associated with poor well-being and more family-to-work conflict.KEYWORDS: Corona, survey, telecommutingPROBLEM STATEMENT Most of what is known today about attitudes and preferences regarding telework is based on studies where telework is an available option in certain occupational groups (Allen, et al., 2015). During the COVID-19 pandemic, however, many organizations have implemented telework to an unprecedented extent, with employees being required or strongly recommended to work from home, in order to reduce the spread of the virus and protect people at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19. This means that more employees are now teleworking, and for long periods of time, not by choice, but by necessity. Some of these employees have previous experience of telework, and some have not.When telework is not voluntary, recommendations for how to arrange telework based on previous findings may not apply. Studies of consequences of telework, and whether they differ between voluntary and mandatory telework, may contribute to a better understanding of how recommendations should look, and how they should be implemented.RESEARCH OBJECTIVE/QUESTION The aim of this study is to determine the association between telework practice (i.e., extent of telework, previous experience of telework, and whether telework is mandatory or voluntary) and self-reported productivity, well-being and work-family conflict.METHODOLOGY In an ongoing survey among employees in private and public organizations, an electronic questionnaire was distributed between June and December 2020 to 2859 employees, of which 1157 responded. The questionnaire addressed the extent of telework performed now, whether it was mandatory or voluntary, previous experience of telework, productivity (Haapakangas, et al., 2018), well-being (Winther Topp, et al., 2015), and work-family conflict (Carlson, et al., 2000). It also included questions about satisfaction with IT tools/support and number of work hours per week (actual hours as well as hours according to the employment contract).The questionnaire data have been analyzed using linear regression to determine the association between the extent of telework (in hours/week) and the outcomes productivity, well-being and work-family conflict (i.e., work-to-family conflict and family-to-work conflict). In the regression models, previous experience of telework (≥ 1 year) and whether telework was mandatory were also included as predictors. The analyses were performed with and without adjustment for satisfaction with IT tools/support and actual working hours relative to working hours according to the employment contract.RESULTSThe results showed that the extent of telework had a marginal effect on all outcomes. Employees who had teleworked for less than 1 year reported less work-to-family and family-to-work conflict than employees who had more than 1 year of telework experience. Whether telework was mandatory appeared to have no association with productivity ratings, but mandatory telework was associated with poorer well-being and more family-to-work conflict.When the regression models were adjusted for satisfaction with IT tools/support and actual working hours relative to working hours according to the employment contract, associations between telework practice and outcomes remained largely the same. Satisfaction with IT tools/support had a large effect on productivity, well-being and work-to-family conflict. Working longer hours (i.e., working more hours than according to the employment contract) was associated with increased productivity but also more work-to-family conflict. DISCUSSIONThe association between mandatory telework, poor well-being and more family-to-work conflict could possibly be explained by reduced autonomy at work. When it is not possible to decide when to telework and which work tasks to perform during telework, telework may not offer the opportunities to achieve better work-life balance that voluntary telework does. Reasonably, this effect would be stronger among more experienced teleworkers.CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that the extent of telework performed during the COVID-19 pandemic does not affect self-rated productivity, well-being and work-family conflict. Mandatory telework, however, was associated with poor well-being and more family-to-work conflict, compared to voluntary telework. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSThe study was conducted within the research program Flexible Work: Opportunity and Challenge funded by the Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare (reg. no. 2019-01257) and AFA Insurance (reg. no. 200244). REFERENCESAllen, T.D., Golden, T.D., & Shockley, K.M. (2015). How effective is telecommuting? Assessing the status of our scientific findings. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 16(2), 40–68.Carlson, D.S., Kacmar, K.M., & Williams, L.J. (2000). Construction and initial validation of a multidimensional measure of work–family conflict. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 56, 249-276.Haapakangas, A., Hallman, D.M., Mathiassen, S.E., & Jahncke, H. (2018). Self-rated productivity and employee well-being in activity-based offices: The role of environmental perceptions and workspace use. Building and Environment, 145, 115-124.Winther Topp, C., Dinesen Østergaard, S., Søndergaard, S., & Bech, P. (2015). The WHO-5 Well-Being Index: a systematic review of the literature. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 84(3), 167-176.
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| 9. |
- Heiden, Marina, 1974-, et al.
(författare)
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Telework in academia : associations with health and well-being among staff
- 2021
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Ingår i: Higher Education. - : Springer. - 0018-1560 .- 1573-174X. ; 81, s. 707-722
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- As the development of technical aids for telework has progressed, work has become more flexible in time and space. Among academics, the opportunity to telework has been embraced by most, but it is unclear how it relates to their health and well-being. The aim of this study was to determine how frequency and amount of telework is associated with perceived health, stress, recuperation, work-life balance, and intrinsic work motivation among teaching and research academics. An electronic questionnaire was sent to junior lecturers, senior lecturers, and professors at Swedish public universities. It included the General Health Questionnaire, Work Stress Questionnaire, items for assessing recuperation, the Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction at Work scale, and parts of Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire, as well as questions about the frequency and amount of telework performed. In total, 392 academics responded to the survey. Multivariate analysis of variance showed significant differences between groups of academics with different telework frequency (p < 0.05). Univariate analyses of variance showed that ratings of stress related to indistinct organization and conflicts were higher among academics that telework several times per week or more than among academics that telework less than once per month. In regression analyses of associations between amount of telework (in hours per week) and the dependent variables, no significant effects were found. Although it cannot be concluded whether stress is a cause or an effect of frequent telework, the findings warrant further attention to academics who telework frequently.
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| 10. |
- Hemphälä, Hillevi, et al.
(författare)
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Objective risk assessment of glare and subjective rating of the frequency of glare ‐ a visual ergonomics risk assessment, VERAM
- 2022
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Insufficient lighting conditions and glare from luminaires in the visual environment can affect our visual ability and cause eyestrain, headache, and musculoskeletal strain. Knave et al. found that the frequency of reported glare was associated with more eyestrain. In this study a subjectively rated frequency of glare was compared to an objectively rated risk for glare made by trained assessors.A visual ergonomics risk assessment method (VERAM) was used to gather data at workplaces, mainly computer workstations (n=420). Trained assessors (ergonomists) measured the luminance ratio and assessed the risk for glare (objective risk for glare) divided into three categories high risk (red), low risk (yellow) and no risk (green).Workers rated the frequency of experienced glare at their workplaces (subjective assessment of glare) via questionnaires. The frequency of subjective strain was divided into three categories; no, never; occasionally; a few times a week/almost always.Workers rated the frequency of glare present more seldom than the trained assessors rated the presence for risk for glare, at the same workplaces. One factor behind this might be individuals’ ability to evaluate the visual environment such as risk for glare. A trained assessor can easier evaluate any risks in the visual environment.When the objective risk for glare was assessed to be high (red) or low (yellow) the percentage of individuals reporting strain, such as eyestrain and musculoskeletal strain, increased for most symptoms compared to when there was no risk (green). An objective risk assessment for glare needs to be performed together with a subjective rating of the frequency of glare to find the individuals with problems.
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