[Factors Related to Musculoskeletal Disorders Among Hospital Nurses].

BACKGROUND: Nurses are a high-risk group for musculoskeletal disorders. Few studies conducted in Taiwan have been published regarding the relationships among work characteristics, psychological well-being, and musculoskeletal discomfort in nursing personnel. PURPOSE: This study was designed to investigate musculoskeletal discomfort among hospital nursing staff, as well as its associated factors. METHODS: A secondary data analysis design was used to examine hospital staff health survey data for 2018 from two regional hospitals in southern Taiwan. Data from 328 full-time nurses who had passed their probationary period and been employed for more than 6 months were included in the analysis, which was conducted using a logistic regression model. RESULTS: The prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders was found to be highest in the shoulders (73.8%), lower back (72.9%), and neck (64.0%), respectively. Number of sleep hours, work stress, confidence in dealing with work stress, workload, supervisor support, workplace justice, and depression level differed significantly between the groups with and without full-body musculoskeletal disorders (p < .05). The results of the logistic regression model analysis showed individuals with severe depression have 4.27 times higher odds of experiencing musculoskeletal discomfort compared to those without depression (odds ratio 4.27, 95% confidence interval [1.27, 14.41]). Severe depression was found to be a significant predictor of musculoskeletal disorders. CONCLUSIONS / IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Nurses are at high risk for musculoskeletal disorders. The results of this study indicate that level of risk is influenced significantly by psychological well-being, work environment, and workload. Efforts should be made to improve the relevant risk factors in the workplace to reduce the incidence of musculoskeletal disorders among nurses.

Risk factors for anisometropia in schoolchildren: A population-based, longitudinal cohort study.

PURPOSE: To investigate the incidence rate and risk factors for anisometropia among young schoolchildren. METHODS: A population-based cohort study, the Myopia Investigation Study in Taipei, was conducted in primary schools in Taipei City. Children were recruited for biannual comprehensive eye examinations over 2 years. Cycloplegic autorefraction and slit lamp examinations were performed biannually. Data on demographic information, parental history, lifestyle and near-work activities were collected using parent-administered questionnaires at the first and final visits. Anisometropia was defined as ≥1 D difference in the spherical equivalent (SE) refractive error. RESULTS: A total of 7035 8-year-old children completed the 2-year follow-up evaluations. The average annual incidence of anisometropia was 3.8%. Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that baseline SE (odds ratio [OR]: 0.87 95% CI: 0.80-0.95) and female sex (OR: 1.24, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.02-1.50) were significantly associated with incident anisometropia. Among lifestyle risk factors, spending <1 h per day in after-school outdoor activities on weekdays (OR: 1.38, 95% CI: 1.08-1.76) and performing near work at a distance <30 cm (OR: 1.33, 95% CI: 1.08-1.64) were significantly associated with an increased risk of incident anisometropia. In the multiple linear regression analysis, the inter-eye difference in SE increased significantly in children performing near work at distances <30 cm (adjusted ß = 0.03; p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: This study indicated the annual incidence of anisometropia in Taiwanese schoolchildren. Less time spent outdoors and shorter eye-to-object distances during near work increased the risk of incident anisometropia.

[Community Innovation and Regional Sustainability: The Practice of Time Banking at Fooyin University].

The need for health literacy in the context of older adult healthcare has increased significantly with population aging. Employing innovative models of social service delivery will be necessary to effectively integrate academic, medical, and community resources to address diverse healthcare needs. The project of university social responsibility supported by Fooyin University is a comprehensive program that employs a time bank model and cultivates community. The Fooyin Time Bank leverages reciprocity to cultivate sustainable manpower to satisfy community needs. The five strategies of the Fooyin Time Bank include: 1) strengthen the awareness of the time bank in community volunteers, 2) cultivate seed members to initiate the time bank, 3) adapt the mutual help model to meet local individual needs, 4) promote the online platform system of the time banking infrastructure and diversities of resource exchange, and 5) emphasize the key role of community and supplementary role of university to enhance sustainability. The Fooyin Time Bank coordinates with government agencies, private companies, and academic institutions to bolster the sustainability of its networks. In addition, faculties and students participate in the community to create a social climate of mutual help, inter-generational aged care, and social welfare.

Association of multimedia teaching with myopia: A national study of school children.

AIM: The aim of this study was to determine whether students' exposure to digitally projected, multimedia teaching material under naturally varying classroom lighting conditions is associated with myopia risk and severity. DESIGN: A population-based, cross-sectional study in 2012 of children in grades 4-6 across 87 schools in Taiwan. METHODS: Students (N = 3,686) reported demographic information, outdoor time, physical activity and near work. Parents provided their myopia status. Student-reported multimedia teaching frequency and classroom lighting levels were confirmed with direct observation. School nurses conducted vision screening and ophthalmologist referral. Myopia status and severity were measured by spherical equivalent refraction; SE ≤-0.5 dioptres was coded as myopic. Binary logistic and tobit regression were used to estimate the contributions of classroom multimedia exposure and lighting to myopia risk and severity controlling for risk factors. RESULTS/FINDINGS: Age, parental myopia and hours of near work increased the odds of myopia and predicted greater severity. Physical activity and outdoor time predicted lower risk and severity. Multimedia exposure in relatively bright classrooms was associated with greater odds of myopia. Classroom lighting levels during multimedia teaching were inversely related to severity; exposure frequency was unrelated. CONCLUSIONS: Multimedia exposure under brighter classroom conditions may contribute to the myopia incidence in schoolchildren. IMPACT: Teaching with digital projection technology is increasingly prevalent. This may increase children's odds of developing myopia, which has far-reaching and lifelong deleterious effects. School nurses should raise awareness of and promote strategies that reduce this risk, including working with children, parents, school personnel and system leaders to adopt eye-healthy behaviours, practices and policies.

The perceived neighborhood environment is associated with health-enhancing physical activity among adults: a cross-sectional survey of 13 townships in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND: Many environmental factors have been associated with physical activity. The environment is considered a key factor in terms of the rate of engagement in physical activity. This study examined the perceived effect of environmental factors on different levels of health-enhancing physical activity among Taiwanese adults. METHODS: Data were collected from 549 adults aged at least 18 years from the northern, central, southern and eastern regions of Taiwan. Physical activity was measured using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) showcard version, and participants were divided into three categories: those who performed low-, moderate-, or high-levels of physical activity, as suggested by the IPAQ scoring protocol. The perceived neighborhood environment in relation to physical activity was adapted from the Physical Activity Neighborhood Environment Scale. A multinomial logistic regression was conducted to ascertain associations between individual perceptions of the neighborhood environment and different physical activity levels. RESULTS: Respondents who perceived their neighborhood environment as having easy access to services and stores, and higher traffic safety were more likely to be moderate level of physical activity (odds ratio [OR]: 1.90, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.07-3.37; OR: 1.77, 95% CI: 1.12-2.80). The perception of having easy access to services and stores and seeing many physically active people in the neighborhood were both positively associated with a high level of physical activity (OR: 2.25, 95% CI: 1.01-5.01; OR: 2.40, 95% CI: 1.11-5.23). CONCLUSIONS: Different perceived neighborhood environmental factors were associated with moderate and high levels of physical activity, respectively. These findings highlight the importance of an activity-friendly neighborhood environment to stimulate engagement in physical activity among adults in Taiwan. Therefore, policies and programs should focus on improving friendliness and diversity in neighborhoods to facilitate individuals' transitions from inactive to active lifestyles.

Daily-life physical activity and related factors among patients with cancer receiving chemotherapy in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND: Cancer is a chronic disease that patients need to live with, and a physically active lifestyle will benefit them. OBJECTIVE: The objectives of the study were to detect the time spent on physical activity of different intensities in daily life among cancer patients during chemotherapy and to examine the factors influencing physical activity. METHODS: A total of 91 cancer patients (mean age, 53.3 years) undergoing chemotherapy in Taiwan completed the questionnaires. The revised International Physical Activity Questionnaire and Multiple Classification Analysis were used to explore the various aspects of physical activity. RESULTS: With the exception of walking, the patients engaged in very few moderate or vigorous physical activities (both means, approximately 8 min/wk). Almost 40% of patients reached the recommended 150 min/week of moderate activity and/or 60 min/wk of vigorous-intensity physical activity, mainly by walking. Patients who held full-time jobs and who did not report symptoms of thirst engaged in more health-enhancing physical activities. Patients who were healthier perceived more benefits of and less barriers to exercise, and those who did not report symptoms of heart burn, chest pain, or pain in general spent more time engaging in light physical activity and less time sitting. CONCLUSION: Most patients led a sedentary life while on chemotherapy. Walking is the most frequent health-enhancing physical activity among cancer patients. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Strategies to enhance cancer patients' physical activity level should include counseling patients to remain employed, offering symptom management such as pain relief, advising energy reserve skills, and providing appropriate places for exercise or walking.