Prevalence of upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders, eyestrain and stress related illnesses among Video-Display Unit workers at the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus

Computer workers represent the fastest growing sector of the economy. All aspects of office work are now changing. The introduction of new technology and the automation of office work brings with it avenues for the improvement in the overall working conditions. They also present new challenges. The health issues related to work within these new "electronic offices" have long been a major focus of both workers and their organisations. Ergonomics as a science, has sought to bring a better fit of office work to the worker, and is expected to play a major role in the continued automation of the "electronic offices". This study represents a cross-sectional survey done among Video Display Unit (VDU) workers at the University of the West Indies, Mona campus. on the self-reported prevalence of Upper Extremities Musculoskeletal Disorders (UEMSD), Eyestrain (ES), and Stress Related Illnesses (SRI). The results show a prevalence Eyestrain (ES) at 53.3 per 100, Lower Back Pain (LBP) at 50.0 per 100, Recurrent Shoulder Pain (RSP) at 46.7 per 100, Cervical Myalgia (CM) at 40.0 per 100, Stress Related Illnesses (SRI) at 30.0 per 100, and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome at 3.3 per 100. The level of job satisfaction among workers surveyed was found to be low. The majority of workers taking part in the study had knowledge of ergonomics and its role as an instrument to improve office work and the health and well being of the worker. This level of knowledge of ergonomics was not translated into practice, and some non-ergonomic conditions were reported in some departments.(Au)

Coping with retirement: a comparitive and analytic study of retired nurses and dock workers in Jamaica

The populations of the world are aging especially those of developing countries like the Caribbean and specifically Jamaica where life expectancy at birth is 74 years. This study looked at retired public sector registered nurses and compared the findings with those of a similar study done concurrently on retired dock workers in Jamaica [Cumbertbatch, E. 1996]. The studies examined the coping strategies and assessed the two groups paying special attention to their health and social status. The data gleaned from the studies showed that the majority of retired nurses found were in the age group 60-64 years, only 5 percent of those over 75 years were found instead of the expected 39 percent. Sixty three percent lived in rural areas and thirty-seven percent lived in Kingston and St. Andrew, while most of the dock workers lived in Kingston and St. Andrew. The majority owned a house. The perceived health status of the groups was good and they are all mentally and physically self-supporting. The three main diseases affecting them, were hypertension, arthritis and diabetes. However, the incidence of these diseases among the groups was slightly lower than the national figures with the exception of arthritis which was more common among dock workers (30 percent) and was higher than in the nurses (25 percent) and the national population of elderly (40 percent). The majority of them said they had no difficulty acessing health care and more than 50 percent got most of their health care from private practitioners, while an average of twenty percent said that they were unable to finance their health care. More than 70 percent of both groups said that their pensions were inadequate to meet financial needs. They therefore depend on other sources of income such as : present employment, investment and support from family. Hence 70 percent of the nurses and 5 percent of the dock-workers were presently employed. The main coping strategies employed were close links with family and friends and active involvement in church and community groups. The nurses expressed a high level of satisfaction about themselves and life, more so than dock workers. These findings raise questions such as "how will the retired nurses and dock-workers of the future cope with retirement?" It is therefore necessary for their employers and professional associations to develop and implement retirement plans for them with urgency. (AU)

Knowledge attitudes and practices of breastfeeding among health care workers in selected hospitals in Jamaica

The decline in breastfeeding has contributed significantly to infant morbidity and mortality worldwide. This has captured the attention of the United Nation's Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) who have identified corrective strategies. Jamaica, like many other developing countries has experienced the effects of this decline and has adopted strategies to protect, promote and support breastfeeding. These include implementing the "Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding" and adopting the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative. As an initial step, the Ministry of Health has embarked on an agressive training programme in lactation management for health care workers. The aim of this project was to determine the knowledge, attitudes and practices of the health care workers in selected hospitals being prepared for the initaitive and those which are not being prepared, 112 health care workers involved in the care of patients in the maternity ward were interviewed. Mean scores of knowledge, attitudes and practices were relatively high. Health workers in the hospitals being prepared for the initiative had higher scores in all three areas than those not being prepared. Althought the association between knowledge and attitudes and knowledge and practices did not appear to be significant, there was a strong positive relationship between attitudes and practices. There is the indication for continued training to increase the knowledge base and practices to complement their positive attitudes. (AU)

Coping with retirement: a comparitive study among retired dockworkers and retired nurses

Populations across the world are ageing in terms of life after age 60 and the section of the population referred to as the elderly is growing at a rapid rate. This study seeks to examine the strategies adopted for coping with the phenomena of retirement among a sample of retired dockworkers and retired nurses; and to compare the findings of the two groups. The population comprised of 62 dockworkers between the ages 65 years to over 75 years from urban and rural areas. Overall they were relatively healthy. The chronic diseases suffered in this population was arthritis, hypertension and diabetes as the leading three. The study substantiated the view that pensioners were the ones who felt the pressures of inflation because they were not productive employees and that the money needed to purchase necessary foods was never enough since they needed to purchase at the same prices as the rest of the population; hence the importance for persons to begin preparing for retirement long ahead of the scheduled time. It is therefore necessary for employers to take the initiative and introduce seminars which will inform their employees as to retirement plans that will enable them to invest wisely during their working life and so earn from those investments during retirement. This study is part of a comparative study done simultaneously with one done among retired nurses by fellow Masters in Public Health student Marjorie Ming. (AU)

Port health surveillance of imported meats at Port Bustamante Kingston Jamaica and a comparison with Port of Spain Trindad

During recent years surveillance has assumed greater importance in the prevention and control of imported diseases. The increasing numbers of infectionsand the emergence of new diseases gives rise to increases of selected specific factors known to be associated with these infections. International movement of foods is increasing in the Caribbean region hence the need for continuous scutiny of the factors that determine the occurence and distribution of diseases. International cooperation is needed in avoiding low quality products and in dealing with re-shipment of rejected foodstuffs. A survey was done amongst a total of 146 workers consisting of 35 sanitation workers, 66 cold storage strippers and 45 public health inspectors. Information was sought in order to assess the level of surveillance of imported meats and factors that impact on the prevention and control of foodbourne diseases. Sanitation was generally satisfactory at both ports. It was found that the mean practice scores of all categories of workers were greater than their mean knowledge scores at both ports. Mean knowledge scores for cold storage strippers were less than 60 percent at both ports. The regular cleaning and maintenance of the ports ensure a safe environment and assist in prevention of contamination. This does not mean that safety is assured as the port is an ideal place for the harbourage of rats and insects pests. The low knowledge scores of cold storage strippers may be the result of not having any formal training in the handling and storage of meats. Surveillance of meats through inspection should be accompanied by regular sampling. (AU)

Industrial accidents at a bauxite mining community Linden, Guyana - abstract

The objectives of this prospective, 4-month study were to determine the incidence and types of injuries at Guymine (a bauxite mining company) and evaluate the factors which predispose to injuries at the work site. From June 1 to September 30, 1991, 86.5 percent (77) of all full-time employees referred for involvement in an industrial accident were seen by one of the investigators and information on the injury was collected, using a designed questionaire. There were 69 males and 8 females and most of the injured were in the age ranges 20-24 and 35-44 years. The incidence rate (IR) in males was 29.5/1,000 and 8/1,000 in females. The IR was highest in labourers (220/1,000), increased with increasing work experience and was highest in the mines (58.4/1,000). Most accidents occurred during the day-light hours and injuries most frequently involved the hands and fingers. Hazardous practices by workers and defective agencies were the main predisposing factors. Forty-four point four per cent of work sites were in a poor condition. About one year of work time was lost due to injuries during the study (AU)

Declaration on worker's health

Presents the text of the Declaration made by the members of the Organizing Commission of the Initiative "1992: Year of Workers' Health" together with its distinguished observers. (AU)

A study of the relationship between stress and hypertension among factory workers in Jamaica

This study was designed to examine the relationship between stress and esssential hypertension among factory workers. Hypertensives were identified through screening, clinical investigations and questionnaire stating details of health related problems. Seven males and females under the age of 50, whose blood pressure remained above 140/90 and twenty-three matched normotensives were selected. The mean age for males and females was 34.4 and 44.2 respectively. Data were obtained by way of taking blood pressure readings at three intervals, a.m., noon and p.m., on Fridays (day 1) and repeated again on Monday(day 2), along with anxiety state and anxiety trait psychological inventory administered on both days. No significant differences between groups and sex were found on systolic, diastolic, age and measures of anxiety state and anxiety trait. Comparisions of correlation showed no significant relationships between anxiety state and anxiety trait compared with systolic and diastolic blood pressures. However, results showed significant positive relationships between anxiety state and anxiety trait, and between systolic and diastolic blood pressures. There was also, a negative correlation between anxiety state and age. The results of this finding indicate that as age increases, stress(anxiety state) decreases. Between systolic and diastolic blood pressures, there was no obvious linear relationship with age. However, when these variables were examined by means of graph, by age group, it was found that the 30-39 yers age group had a lower mean systolic pressure than either age groups, 20-29 and 40-49 years. Results showed that females in the 40-50 age group, tended to have higher blood pressure but lower anxiety than their male counterparts. There were significant differences between hypertensives and normotensives on measures of systolic and diatolic pressure. The hypertensives showed a trend of higher anxiety state, suggesting a greater level of stress than the normotensives. It is evident that psychological and social-environmental factors must be taken into account in the aetiology of essential hypertension. These results suggest that further research on essential hypertension and psychological factors on a longitudinal basis may be valuable in determining the aetiology of essential hypertension (AU)

Socio cultural factors of barracks life on Gray's Inn Sugar Estate in St. Mary and its attendant health problems

The study reveals that housing conditions are highly unsatisfactory and that overcrowding is a major problem. Sanitation is poor. Some residents have to travel far for water. The health care provided is inadequate and malnutrition is a major problem among the children (AU)

The meat trade in Portland with special emphasis on the public health aspect

Some of the features stated which make a private slaughter place unsatisfactory are :- 1) Broken up concrete slab 2) Overgrown vegetation 3) Stagnant water in drains 4) Dirty concrete surface 5) Inadequate water supply 6) Dirty and unsightly surroundings 7) Insanitary toilet facilities . In respect of the survey carried out to determine the extent to which the public is exposed to disease through the meat trade, from the purchasing of the animals through to the consumption of the meat, the researcher has decided to make the following recommendations for further improvements. (AU)

Towards an occupational health program for Jamaica: a review and two surveys

The study reviews Occupational Health - what it is, its modern practice and how it has developed over time. The situation in Jamaica is examined critically and two occupational health surveys are carried out. (AU)

Contraceptive use and desire for further children among working class Jamaican men in 1969

The research goal was to explore the conditions under which contraception is used in working class unions of different types, namely unions in which partners (a) lived together (b) lived apart. A number of variables which plausibly might directly or indirectly influence contraceptive use were identified, and an effort was made to test the influence exerted upon contraceptive use by these variables, through measuring the variables over a sample of 118 working class men and subsequently conducting a statistical analysis. In the statistical analysis reported here, the influence of the following variables was considered: (1) Number of children of 8 different types. (2) Union type - a special 7 category typology was used. (3) Male partner's desire for a further child. Three separate measures were used. (4) Male partner's affection for his sexual partner. (5) Sex of living children. (6) Number of current sexual partners. (7) Selected socioeconomic variables: specifically, occupation, income, residence

Muscle cramps in cane cutters in British Guiana

In the summer of 1960 a study of the effect of heat on the efficiency of field workers in the sugar industry in British Guiana was undertaken. Sweat loss averaged 598 gm. per hour during the cutting of cane and 897 gm. during the loading procedure. The muscular cramps which occurred in these workers were similar to those of heat cramps in etiology and occurred in about 1 percentof cane cutters in the course of the year (AU)