[Violence at work and work engagement against nursing professionals in Spain: a cross-sectional study.] / Violencia en el trabajo y compromiso laboral en los profesionales de enfermería en España: un estudio transversal.

OBJECTIVE: Nurses are one of the groups most exposed to violence in the workplace. The objective of this study was to analyze the relationship between violence at work and engagement in a sample of nurses in Spain. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out in a national sample of Spanish nurses. A questionnaire was administered that collected the sociodemographic variables, the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-9) and an ad hoc scale on violence at work. The Mann-Whitney U test was performed as the statistical test with Bonferroni correction and the CHAID algorithm. RESULTS: The sample consisted of a total of 1,648 active nurses. It was observed that 42.17% of them had personally suffered some type of aggression or violence in the workplace, verbal aggression being the most frequent. The results indicated that there was a negative association between work engagement and exposure to situations of violence at work. CONCLUSIONS: There is a relationship between having suffered attacks and the degree of work engagement against nurses, hence the need to establish effective preventive and intervention policies to promote an adequate work environment, and therefore stop episodes of violence in their initial stages.

OBJETIVO: Los profesionales de la enfermería son uno de los colectivos más expuestos a la violencia en los lugares de trabajo. El objetivo de este estudio fue analizar la relación existente entre la violencia en el trabajo y el compromiso laboral (Engagement) en una muestra de profesionales de enfermería en España. METODOS: Se realizó un estudio descriptivo de corte transversal en una muestra de enfermeras españolas a nivel nacional. Se administró un cuestionario que recogía las variables sociodemográficas, el Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-9) y una escala sobre violencia en el trabajo elaborada ad hoc. Se realizaron como pruebas estadísticas la prueba de U de Mann-Whitney, con corrección de Bonferroni y el algoritmo CHAID. RESULTADOS: La muestra estuvo compuesta por un total de 1.648 profesionales de enfermería en activo. Se observó que el 42,17% había sufrido personalmente algún tipo de agresión o violencia en el lugar de trabajo, siendo la agresión verbal la más frecuente. Los resultados indican que existía una asociación negativa entre el compromiso laboral y la exposición a situaciones de violencia en el trabajo. CONCLUSIONES: Existe una relación entre haber sufrido agresiones y el grado de compromiso laboral de los profesionales de enfermería, de ahí la necesidad de establecer políticas preventivas y de intervención eficaces para fomentar un adecuado clima laboral, y para atajar episodios de violencia en sus etapas iniciales.

Violencia en el trabajo y compromiso laboral en los profesionales de enfermería en España: un estudio transversal / Violence at work and work engagement against nursing professionals in Spain: a cross-sectional study

FUNDAMENTOS: Los profesionales de la enfermería son uno de los colectivos más expuestos a la violencia en los lugares de trabajo. El objetivo de este estudio fue analizar la relación existente entre la violencia en el trabajo y el compromiso laboral (Engagement) en una muestra de profesionales de enfermería en España. MÉTODOS: Se realizó un estudio descriptivo de corte transversal en una muestra de enfermeras españolas a nivel nacional. Se administró un cuestionario que recogía las variables sociodemográficas, el Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-9) y una escala sobre violencia en el trabajo elaborada ad hoc. Se realizaron como pruebas estadísticas la prueba de U de Mann-Whitney, con corrección de Bonferroni y el algoritmo CHAID. RESULTADOS: La muestra estuvo compuesta por un total de 1.648 profesionales de enfermería en activo. Se observó que el 42,17% había sufrido personalmente algún tipo de agresión o violencia en el lugar de trabajo, siendo la agresión verbal la más frecuente. Los resultados indican que existía una asociación negativa entre el compromiso laboral y la exposición a situaciones de violencia en el trabajo. CONCLUSIONES: Existe una relación entre haber sufrido agresiones y el grado de compromiso laboral de los profesionales de enfermería, de ahí la necesidad de establecer políticas preventivas y de intervención eficaces para fomentar un adecuado clima laboral, y para atajar episodios de violencia en sus etapas iniciales.(AU)

BACKGROUND: Nurses are one of the groups most exposed to violence in the workplace. The objective of this study was to analyze the relationship between violence at work and engagement in a sample of nurses in Spain. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out in a national sample of Spanish nurses. A questionnaire was administered that collected the sociodemographic variables, the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-9) and an ad hoc scale on violence at work. The Mann-Whitney U test was performed as the statistical test with Bonferroni correction and the CHAID algorithm. RESULTS: The sample consisted of a total of 1,648 active nurses. It was observed that 42.17% of them had personally suffered some type of aggression or violence in the workplace, verbal aggression being the most frequent. The results indicated that there was a negative association between work engagement and exposure to situations of violence at work. CONCLUSIONS: There is a relationship between having suffered attacks and the degree of work engagement against nurses, hence the need to establish effective preventive and intervention policies to promote an adequate work environment, and therefore stop episodes of violence in their initial stages.(AU)

Sense of Coherence in Healthcare Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Ecuador: Association With Work Engagement, Work Environment and Psychological Distress Factors.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to test the association between the sense of coherence, work engagement, and psychological distress in healthcare workers in Ecuador during the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study in a sample of 803 healthcare professionals from all regions of Ecuador between 2 April and 17 May 2020. A self-administered questionnaire was used, which contained sociodemographic and work environment variables, the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-9), the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), and Sense of Coherence Scale (SOC-13). Results: The mean value of sense of coherence was M = 65.04; SD = 12.74; for work engagement, it was M = 39.36; SD = 10.53; and for psychological distress, M = 4.58; SD = 3.44. There is a positive correlation (p < 0.01) between the sense of coherence and work engagement, and a negative correlation with psychological distress. Conclusion: During the pandemic in Ecuador, healthcare professionals have suffered a major deterioration of their mental health. Sense of coherence has been associated with work engagement and psychological distress. They have perceived a worsening of the quality of care and working conditions compared to those existing before COVID-19.

Use of preventive measures, beliefs and information received about COVID-19 and their effects on mental health, in two stages of the pandemic in Colombia.

BACKGROUND: Several studies have highlighted the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on both physical and mental health. The aim of this study is to analyse the effects on mental health in two phases of the COVID-19 pandemic (April 2020 and February 2021) in the population of Colombia. METHODS: Observational, prospective, cross-sectional study along two periods, April 2020 and February 2021. The sample (N = 1309) was extracted from the Colombian population, only including individuals over the age of 18 and residing in Colombia during the pandemic. The IMPACTCOVID-19 questionnaire was used, previously validated in Spain and cross-culturally adapted to the Colombian population, which included sociodemographic data, use of preventive measures, information received and the Goldberg General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) for psychological distress (PD). Participants had to sign an informed consent before taking part in the investigation. RESULTS: A higher level of PD was observed among women (M = 3.99, SD = 3.39) (p < .001), in those who lived without a partner (M = 3.83, SD = 3.47) (p = .036), and in those with a worse perception of health (M = 6.27, SD = 3.51) (p < .001). PD decreased in the second period from M = 3.99 (SD = 3.36) to M = 2.98 (SD = 3.30) (p < .001), coinciding with a higher use of preventive measures, less distress caused by COVID-19 and greater confidence in healthcare professionals and clinical structures. In the second period, the time spent in getting informed decreased, but the sources of information were the same, principally social media and official sources. CONCLUSIONS: Better information on the effects and preventive measures to prevent the pandemic improves confidence in the health system and its professionals, reducing the level of PD. There is a need for quality information on social networks and an adaptation of telemedicine to address the pandemic effects on mental health.Key messagesPsychological distress (PD) decreased in February 2021, as compared to April 2020, due to a greater use of preventive measures against COVID-19, and the confidence on the recommendations made by health officials and professionals.Higher PD has been found in women and people who lived without a partner, in line with studies performed in other countries.The accessibility to quality information on the pandemic should be promoted by the Official Health Authorities, thus counteracting data that could be classified as "fake news".

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Work Engagement of UK Active Employees.

The objective of this investigation was to describe the work engagement perceived by UK workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted. The sample included 1085 participants, aged 18 years and older, living in the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic, who were active workers. Data were collected using an online questionnaire and the UWES-9. They were analysed using descriptive statistics, a t-test for equality of means or ANOVA, and the Chi-squared Automatic Interaction Detection method. The mean value in the UWES-9 was 3.46 (SD = 1.11). Participants with lower satisfaction (21.8%) gave significantly low or very low UWES-9 scores in 58.5% of the cases. Greater work engagement was obtained with more resources and less conflict, risk, and stress. In cases where there had been contact with COVID-19, this was associated with slightly lower levels of work engagement. These results could motivate and guide companies to adopt risk prevention measures and protocols to return to normal working conditions after the initial crisis phase of the pandemic.

Work Engagement, Work Environment, and Psychological Distress during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study in Ecuador.

Work environments can interfere with the mental health of workers as generators or reducers of psychological distress. Work engagement is a concept related to quality of life and efficiency at work. The aim of this study was to find the relationship between work environment factors and work engagement among the Ecuadorian general population during the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic to assess their levels of psychological distress. For this purpose, a cross-sectional, descriptive study using a set of questionnaires was performed. Sociodemographic and work environment data, work engagement (UWES-9 scale) scores, and General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) scores were collected. The variables that predicted 70.2% of psychological distress during the first phase of the pandemic were being female, with a low level of vigour (work engagement dimension), being stressed at work, and low job satisfaction. The sample showed an intermediate level of engagement in both the global assessment and the three dimensions, being higher in those without psychological distress. With effective actions on work environment factors, mental health effects may be efficiently prevented, and work engagement may be benefited. Companies can reduce workers' psychological distress by providing safe and effective means to prevent the risk of contagion; reducing the levels of work conflict, work stress, or workload; and supporting their employees with psychological measures in order to maintain ideal working conditions.

Compliance with the clinical laboratory quality protocol in public primary healthcare centres.

The clinical and economic relevance of the clinical laboratories procedures in Andalusia (Spain) have led the Regional Department of Health to focus attention on their improvement. A unified laboratory protocol was implemented that consisted of the unification of criteria in the handling and processing of samples, and report of results. The objective of this study is to describe the degree of compliance with the clinical laboratory protocol in the preanalytical phase, which includes the analytical request and up to the delivery in the laboratory, as well as the influencing factors. Cross-sectional descriptive study with a sample of 214 healthcare professionals involved in the preanalytical phase of laboratory procedures in primary care. A self-reported questionnaire with 11 items was used for data collection. Each item was assessed separately with a scale from 0 to 10. A 5 points score was considered as the cutoff point. Descriptive analysis was conducted and Mann-Whitney U test was used to determine differences between subgroups. Internal consistency of the questionnaire was considered. The best rated item was verifying the correspondence between the request form and identity of the patient. Each item scored from 3 to 10, and the mean for each item ranged from 6.40 (standard deviation = 3.06) to 8.57 (standard deviation = 2.00). Values above or equal to 8 were obtained, for 63.6% of them. Statistically significant differences between accredited and nonaccredited centres were found. Differences were not noteworthy regarding centres with a teaching activity or those without it. All the items were measured separately. The compliance with the protocol was adequate among primary healthcare professionals, who have a strategic position in the sample collection and its transport during the preanalytical phase. Being so, standardisation should be a priority to reduce errors and improve clinical safety and results.

Corrigendum: Factors Associated to Psychological Distress During the COVID-19 Pandemic Among Healthcare Workers in Ecuador.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/ijph.2022.1604626.].

Factors Associated to Psychological Distress During the COVID-19 Pandemic Among Healthcare Workers in Ecuador.

Objective: The global COVID-19 pandemic has challenged health systems. Healthcare professionals had to face harsh conditions that have caused psycho-emotional consequences. Ecuador has been one of the countries hit hardest by the pandemic in Latin America. The objective of this study was to analyse the levels of psychological distress among healthcare workers in Ecuador during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted with a convenience sample of 1,056 healthcare professionals, assessing their psychological distress, physical symptoms of COVID-19, state of health, the preventive measures adopted, and the history of contact with people infected with the SARS-CoV2 virus. Results: showed that 66.0% of the participants manifested psychological distress, with significantly higher levels in women with symptoms of COVID-19 and previous contact with infected people or objects (p < 0.001). However, adherence to preventive measures and perception of health were associated with less psychological distress (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The importance of monitoring the mental health of healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed, having identified factors associated with the development of psychological distress among professionals in Ecuador.

COVID-19 information received by the Peruvian population, during the first phase of the pandemic, and its association with developing psychological distress: Information about COVID-19 and distress in Peru.

ABSTRACT: It is suspected that the information the population has about coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) determines both its preventive measures and its effects on mental health. The internet and social media are the sources that have largely replaced the official and traditional channels of information. The objective of this study is to analyse the influence of the sources used by the population in Peru to obtain information on COVID-19 and its association with developing psychological distress (PD) and preventive measures against contagion.1699 questionnaires were analysed. A previously validated instrument adapted to Peru was used. Participants were questioned about the information received regarding COVID-19, its sources, time of exposition, assessment, or beliefs about it. Mental health was measured with the Goldberg General Health Questionnaire. Descriptive and bivariate analysis were performed, developing a classification and regression tree for PD based on beliefs and information about the pandemic.The most used source of information on COVID-19 in Peru was social media and this is associated with developing PD, both in the general population and among health professionals. The quality of the information about treatments for COVID-19 is associated with PD in the general population, whereas prognosis generates more distress among healthcare professionals. The biggest concern is transmitting the virus to family members, close persons, or patients, with more confidence in health professionals than in the health system.The health authorities should use the social media to transmit quality information about COVID-19 and, at the same time, to gather in real time the opinions on the implemented preventive measures. For all, this it is necessary to have higher credibility in the population to increase the confidence in the health system, looking at basic aspects for compliance with prevention measures and improvement of mental health.

Factors Related to Psychological Distress during the First Stage of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Chilean Population.

The health effects of COVID-19 continue to raise doubts today. In some areas, such as mental health, these doubts have scarcely been addressed. The present study analyses the effects on psychological distress during the first phase of the pandemic in Chile. A cross-sectional descriptive study was performed by using a questionnaire validated in Spain and adapted for Chile. Between 22 April and 16 December 2020, 3227 questionnaires were collected from the 16 regions of Chile, using non-probabilistic snowball sampling. Bivariate analysis and binary logistic regression were performed. The variables that could predict psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic in Chile were: having a poor self-perception of health OR = 4.038, 95% CI = (2.831, 5.758); being younger than 29 OR = 2.287, 95% CI = (1.893, 2.762); having diarrhea OR = 2.093, 95% CI = (1.414, 3.098); having headache OR = 2.019, 95% CI = (1.662, 2.453); being a woman OR = 1.638, 95% CI = (1.363, 1.967); having muscle pain OR = 1.439, 95% CI = (1.114, 1.859); and having had casual contact with an infected person OR = 1.410, 95% CI = (1.138, 1.747). In Chile, with a better social, economic, cultural, and health environment compared to neighboring countries, there has been a high percentage of psychological distress. It is time to prioritize measures to safeguard the mental health of Chileans, especially focused on the most vulnerable population according to our results, i.e., young women with poorer health status.

Psychological distress during the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ecuador: Cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The effects of the COVID 19 pandemic on the mental health of citizens from Asia, Europe, or North America begin to be known, but there are fewer publications on its effects in Latin American countries. In this study, its impact in Ecuador is described, with data collected during the first phase of the pandemic. The objective of this study was to analyse the level of psychological distress in the population of Ecuador during the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Cross-sectional observational study. The questionnaires were collected through an online self-developed questionnaire, between April 2 and May 17, 2020, using the non-probabilistic sampling methodology: snowball method. The variables considered were sociodemographic variables, physical symptoms, health status, COVID-19 contact history, preventive measures, and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). The percentage with high psychological distress (PD) (GHQ-12 ≥ 3) has been somewhat lower than that found in Europe, being women, young people, people with higher level of education, living without a partner, not living with children or children under 16 years of age, and with worse perception of health the groups with the highest PD. Differences have been observed with European studies regarding common symptoms, preventive measures to avoid contagion, percentage of infected relatives, or diagnostic tests performed. CONCLUSIONS: The use of the same research instrument, validated in Europe and adapted to Ecuador, has facilitated the comparison of the found results and differences, which can be explained by socio-economic or cultural variables, the health system, level of information, or by preventive measures put in place to prevent the pandemic.

Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Mental Health in Peru: Psychological Distress.

This pandemic has been classified as a "psychological pandemic" that produces anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and sleep disorders. As the mental health effects of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by SARS-CoV-2, continue to unfold, there are still large knowledge gaps about the variables that predispose individuals to, or protect individuals against the disease. However, there are few publications on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of citizens in Latin American countries. In this study, the effects that COVID-19 had on citizens of Peru have been described. For this, 1699 questionnaires, collected between 2 April and 2 September 2020, were analyzed. Descriptive, bivariate analysis was performed with odds ratio (OR) calculations and a data mining methodology. Sociodemographic variables (from the General Health Questionnaire), health conditions and perception, symptoms, and variables related to contact and preventive measures regarding COVID-19 were analyzed. As compared to other countries, less affectation of mental health and increased use of preventive measures were observed. It has been suggested that the country's precarious health system and poverty rates prior to the pandemic may justify higher mortality figures in Peru than in other Latin American countries, despite prompt action for its containment and compliance with the protective measures. Psychological distress had a greater incidence in women, young people, people without a partner, and people without university studies. The most significant conditioning variables were self-perceived health status, headache or muscle pain over the past 14 days, level of studies, and age. The extensive use of preventive measures against COVID-19 is in line with the strict legislative measures taken, and this is, in turn, in line with other countries when looking at the lower effect on mental health, but contrary when focusing on the high lethality identified. The need to include the economy or availability and quality of healthcare in future studies arises, as well as the suitability to analyze the cause for differences between countries.

Implications of Lifestyle and Occupational Factors on the Risk of Breast Cancer in Shiftwork Nurses.

Shift work that involves circadian disruption has been highlighted as a likely carcinogenic factor for breast cancer in humans. Also, unhealthy lifestyle habits observed in night work nurses could be causally related to an increase in the incidence of estrogen-positive breast tumours in this population. Assessing baseline risk of breast cancer in nurses is essential. The objective of this study was to analyze the risk of breast cancer that nurses had in relation to their lifestyle and labour factors related to shift work. A cross-sectional descriptive study through a questionnaire about sociodemographic variables, self-perception of health, and working life was designed. The sample consisted of 966 nurses. The relationship between variables was tested. A binary logistic regression and a classification and regression tree were performed. The most significant labour variables in relation to the risk of breast cancer were the number of years worked (more than 16 years; p < 0.01; OR = 8.733, 95% CI = 2.811, 27.134) and the total years performing more than 3 nights per month (10 or more years; p < 0.05; OR = 2.294, 95% CI = 1.008, 5.220). Also, the nights worked throughout life (over 500; OR = 4.190, 95% CI = 2.118, 8.287) were significant in the analysis. Nurses who had or ever had breast cancer valued their self-perceived health more negatively (p < 0.001) and referred a lower quality of sleep (p < 0.001) than the non-cases nurses. The occupational factors derived from night work could have several impacts on nurses' health and their family-work balance. Promoting healthy lifestyles, informing about shift work risks, and adjusting shift work schedules are critical methods to decrease the possible effects of circadian disruption in nurses.

History of contact with the SARS-COV-2 virus and the sense of coherence in the development of psychological distress in the occupational health professionals in Spain.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the psychological well-being of healthcare professionals, among them, on medical and nursing occupational specialists. This study describes the psychological distress that this group has suffered, analyzing the effect that the sense of coherence related with the history of contact with infected people has generated in their mental health. Cross-sectional descriptive study using online questionnaires. Data were collected on a sample of 499 subjects, representing 42.0% and 38.8% of the associations of specialists in Occupational Medicine and Nursing, respectively. A univariate data analysis, independence test, and the CHAID multivariate method were carried out. The percentage of workers with high psychological distress was higher among women than among men; this was also higher in public sector workers than in the private sector. No differences have been observed regarding psychological distress and educational level, coexistence, having children, working away from home, having a pet, or between being a physician or nurse. The most efficient measure to prevent psychological distress was acting regarding the comprehensibility dimension of the sense of coherence. Sex, contact with any infected person, age, living as a couple, working in public or private centers, the availability of diagnostic tests, and the correlation with the manageability dimension were modulating factors. Sense of coherence is an effective measure to prevent psychological distress due to contact with people affected by COVID-19 in Occupational Health professionals.

[Work, family and nurses perception about their own health: relationship with breast cancer and shift work.] / Trabajo, familia y percepción de la propia salud en las enfermeras: relación con el cáncer de mama y el trabajo a turnos.

OBJECTIVE: Breast cancer is a commonly diagnosed disease in nurses that, from recent years, has been linked to shift work and night work. Also, different components of work stress have such an impact on the nurses' health and work, family and social conciliation. The objective of this research was to analyze the family and working characteristics of Spanish nurses who perform shift work (including night shifts) in search of possible associations with manifestations of psychosomatic stress and the risk of breast cancer. METHODS: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted through a virtual questionnaire in a sample of 966 Registered Nurses in Spain between December 2019 and November 2020. A descriptive analysis of sociodemographic and occupational variables was performed, and statistically significant differences and associations were contrasted by estimating risks and confidence intervals. RESULTS: The number of night shifts throughout life and the number of years worked were statistically significant for the association with breast cancer. In addition, other psychosomatic manifestations such as insomnia, palpitations or extreme tiredness were highlighted. Among the most appreciated aspects to generate job satisfaction, co-worker's relationship was underlined. CONCLUSIONS: Rotating shift work can cause multiple clinical alterations that could lead to problems related to family conciliation, self-care or employment wellness. It is important to control the physical, psychological and emotional overload of nurses.

OBJETIVO: El cáncer de mama es una enfermedad comúnmente diagnosticada en las enfermeras que en los últimos años se ha relacionado con el trabajo a turnos y el trabajo nocturno. A su vez, diferentes componentes del estrés laboral también afectan a la salud y la conciliación laboral, familiar y social de las enfermeras. El objetivo de esta investigación fue analizar las características familiares y laborales de las enfermeras españolas que realizan trabajo por turnos (incluyendo el nocturno) en busca de posibles asociaciones con las manifestaciones del estrés psicosomático y el riesgo de padecer cáncer de mama. METODOS: Se diseñó un estudio descriptivo transversal a través de un cuestionario virtual en una muestra de 966 enfermeras colegiadas en España entre diciembre de 2019 y noviembre de 2020. Se realizó un análisis descriptivo de las variables sociodemográficas y laborales, y se contrastaron las diferencias y asociaciones estadísticamente significativas estimando riesgos e intervalos de confianza. RESULTADOS: El número de noches y el número de años trabajados fueron estadísticamente significativos para la asociación con el cáncer de mama. Además, otras manifestaciones psicosomáticas como el insomnio, las palpitaciones o el cansancio extremo fueron destacadas. Entre los aspectos más apreciados para generar satisfacción laboral se encontraba la relación con los compañeros de trabajo. CONCLUSIONES: El trabajo a turnos rotatorios puede provocar múltiples alteraciones clínicas y puede generar problemas relacionados con la conciliación familiar, el autocuidado personal o con el propio bienestar laboral. Es importante regular la sobrecarga física, psicológica y emocional de las enfermeras.

Health care workers' protection and psychological safety during the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain.

AIMS: To analyse the relationship between work engagement, sense of coherence and psychological distress levels in Spanish health professionals who were active during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. BACKGROUND: Work engagement and sense of coherence can help professionals to cope with work-related psychological distress due to the harsh conditions of the COVID-19 working environment. METHODS: Cross-sectional observational study of 1,459 health care professionals. The Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, the Sense of Coherence Scale and Goldberg's General Health Questionnaire were distributed and analysed with descriptive and multiple linear regression methods. RESULTS: High levels of work engagement, especially in the dedication dimension, of sense of coherence, in particular in the meaningfulness dimension, and psychological distress were obtained. Significant correlations (p < .001) were identified between all the variables. CONCLUSIONS: Work engagement and sense of coherence correlated positively with each other and both negatively with psychological distress. So, health care professionals, despite presenting psychological distress, perceive their work satisfactorily and positively despite the severity of the situation and the harsh conditions. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Sense of coherence and work engagement are protective factors against psychological distress. Preventive measures for professionals should go through the dimensionalization of the problem and the adaptation of practical measures for daily management.

Night Work and Breast Cancer Risk in Nurses: Multifactorial Risk Analysis.

Night work has been highlighted by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as a likely carcinogenic factor for humans, associated with breast cancer and professions that require continuity of work. Knowing the impact that short and long-term night work has on the nurses' collective seems a priority, therefore, this study aims to analyse the relationship between night work and the development of breast cancer risk factors in nurses. For this, a cross-sectional study through an online questionnaire on breast cancer risk variables and working life was designed. The study was conducted in Spain and the sample consisted of 966 nurses, of whom 502 were healthy participants and 56 were breast cancer patients. These two groups were compared in the analyses. A descriptive analysis was performed, and the relationship was tested using χ2 independence test and OR calculation. The CHAID (Chi Square Automatic Interaction Detection) data mining method allowed for the creation of a segmentation tree for the main risk variables. The most significant risk variables related to working life have been the number of years worked, nights worked throughout life, and years working more than 3 nights per month. Exceeding 16 years of work has been significant for women and men. When the time worked is less than 16 years, the number of cases increases if there is a family history of cancer and if there have been more than 500 nights of work. High-intensity night work seems more harmful at an early age. The accumulation of years and nights worked increase the risk of breast cancer when factors such as sleep disturbance, physical stress, or family responsibilities come together.

[Predictive factors for burnout and work engagement levels among doctors and nurses: a systematic review.] / Factores predictores de los niveles de burnout y work engagement en médicos y enfermeras: una revisión sistemática.

BACKGROUND: Healthcare professionals are often subjected to demanding working conditions, and both burnout and work engagement are psychological reactions that develop when personality traits interact with the characteristics of the work. The objective of this study was to analyse the factors that influence burnout and work engagement levels among healthcare professionals. METHODS: A systematic review of articles published between January 2015 and October 2020 was conducted in the Pubmed, Scopus, Web of Science, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), PsycINFO, and ScienceDirect electronic databases, following the PRISMA format. Methodological quality was assessed through the critical evaluation tools for non-randomised studies by the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI). RESULTS: A total of 27 studies were included in this review. Moderate levels of work engagement and low levels of burnout were observed among healthcare professionals. Job demands (work overload, shift type, negative events, type of service, etc.) and personal, situational, and organisational resources (psychological capital, social support, ability to express emotions, personal values, feeling self-fulfilled, among others) may be factors that influence work engagement and burnout levels. CONCLUSIONS: The results provide implications for the design, assessment and effectiveness of workplace interventions towards reducing the risk of burnout and improving work engagement levels among healthcare professionals.

OBJETIVO: Los profesionales sanitarios suelen estar sometidos a condiciones laborales exigentes y tanto el burnout como el work engagement son reacciones psicológicas que se desarrollan cuando las características personales interactúan con las características del trabajo. El objetivo de este estudio fue analizar los factores que influyen en los niveles de burnout y work engagement en los profesionales sanitarios. METODOS: Se realizó una revisión sistemática siguiendo el formato PRISMA en las bases de datos electrónicas Pubmed, Scopus, Web of Science, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), PsycINFO y ScienceDirect de los artículos publicados entre los meses de enero de 2015 y octubre de 2020. Se evaluó la calidad metodológica a partir de las herramientas de evaluación crítica para estudios no randomizados del Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI). RESULTADOS: Un total de 27 estudios fueron incluidos en esta revisión. Entre los profesionales sanitarios se observaron niveles moderados de work engagement y valores bajos de burnout. Las demandas laborales (sobrecarga laboral, tipo de turno, concurrencia de eventos negativos, tipo de servicio, etc.) y los recursos personales, situacionales y organizacionales (capital psicológico, apoyo social, capacidad de expresar emociones, valores personales, sentirse autorrealizado, entre otros), pueden ser factores que influyan en los niveles de work engagement y burnout. CONCLUSIONES: Los resultados permiten ofrecer implicaciones para el diseño, la evaluación y eficacia de las intervenciones en el lugar de trabajo para reducir el riesgo de burnout y mejorar los niveles de work engagement en los trabajadores de la salud.

Psychological Distress Among Occupational Health Professionals During Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic in Spain: Description and Effect of Work Engagement and Work Environment.

The impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on the mental health of hospital health professionals has been widely described, but few studies have focused on occupational health professionals. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess psychological distress (PD) of occupational health workers and its relationship with their work engagement (WE) and work environment characteristics. A cross-sectional survey was conducted. A sample of 499 nurses and physicians participated in the study. Variables included demographic data, work environment characteristics, work engagement Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-9) and psychological distress General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). The Chi-square Automatic Interaction Detection method was performed for data analysis. Data collection took place via the internet between April 23 and June 24, 2020. A total of 65.53% of the participants had PD, and the total mean score of the UWES-9 scale was 34.80 (SD = 10.69). Workload, conflicts, stressful situations, and less job satisfaction were significantly related to a higher percentage of PD (p < 0.05). Participants with low engagement showed higher levels of PD (76.7%; p < 0.001). The dedication was revealed as the most significant dimension. Interventions aimed at promoting resilience and coping strategies are suggested. WE should be fostered as a preventive measure against PD among occupational health workers. By protecting workers, occupational health departments have a shared responsibility with public health in containing the pandemic. Therefore, it is essential to prevent the psychological impact that this responsibility may have on occupational health workers by implementing prevention measures.