[Basic questionnaire and methodological criteria for Surveys on Working Conditions, Employment, and Health in Latin America and the Caribbean]. / Cuestionario básico y criterios metodológicos para las Encuestas sobre Condiciones de Trabajo, Empleo y Salud en América Latina y el Caribe.

This article aimed to present a basic questionnaire and minimum methodological criteria for consideration in future Surveys on Working Conditions, Employment, and Health in Latin America and the Caribbean. A virtual and face-to-face consensus process was conducted with participation by a group of international experts who used the surveys available up until 2013 as the point of departure for defining the proposal. The final questionnaire included 77 questions grouped in six dimensions: socio-demographic characteristics of workers and companies; employment conditions; working conditions; health status; resources and preventive activities; and family characteristics. The minimum methodological criteria feature the interviewee's home as the place for the interview and aspects related to the quality of the fieldwork. These results can help improve the comparability of future surveys in Latin America and the Caribbean, which would in turn help improve information on workers' heath in the region.

Cuestionario básico y criterios metodológicos para las Encuestas sobre Condiciones de Trabajo, Empleo y Salud en América Latina y el Caribe / Basic questionnaire and methodological criteria for Surveys on Working Conditions, Employment, and Health in Latin America and the Caribbean / Questionário básico e critérios metodológicos para as Pesquisas sobre Condições de Trabalho, Emprego e Saúde na América Latina e Caribe

Resumen: El objetivo de este trabajo es presentar un cuestionario básico y criterios metodológicos mínimos, para ser considerados en futuras Encuestas sobre Condiciones de Trabajo, Empleo y Salud (ECTES) en América Latina y el Caribe. Para ello, se llevó a cabo un proceso de consenso, tanto virtual como presencial, con la participación de un grupo internacional de expertos que, para definir la propuesta, partieron de las encuestas disponibles en la región hasta 2013. El cuestionario final incluyó 77 preguntas agrupadas en seis dimensiones: características sociodemográficas del trabajador y la empresa; condiciones de empleo; condiciones de trabajo; estado de salud; recursos y actividades preventivas; y características familiares. Entre los criterios metodológicos mínimos destacan el domicilio de la persona entrevistada como lugar de la entrevista y los relacionados con la calidad del trabajo de campo. Estos resultados pueden ayudar a mejorar la comparabilidad de las futuras ECTES en América Latina y el Caribe, lo que contribuiría a mejorar la información en salud laboral en la región.

Abstract: This article aimed to present a basic questionnaire and minimum methodological criteria for consideration in future Surveys on Working Conditions, Employment, and Health in Latin America and the Caribbean. A virtual and face-to-face consensus process was conducted with participation by a group of international experts who used the surveys available up until 2013 as the point of departure for defining the proposal. The final questionnaire included 77 questions grouped in six dimensions: socio-demographic characteristics of workers and companies; employment conditions; working conditions; health status; resources and preventive activities; and family characteristics. The minimum methodological criteria feature the interviewee's home as the place for the interview and aspects related to the quality of the fieldwork. These results can help improve the comparability of future surveys in Latin America and the Caribbean, which would in turn help improve information on workers' heath in the region.

Resumo: O objetivo deste trabalho é apresentar um questionário básico e critérios metodológicos mínimos, para serem considerados em futuras pesquisas sobre Condições de Trabalho, Emprego e Saúde (ECTES) na América Latina e Caribe. Para tal, foi realizado um processo de consenso, tanto virtual como presencial, com a participação de um grupo internacional de expertos que, para definir a proposta, partiram das pesquisas disponíveis na região até 2013. O questionário final incluiu 77 perguntas agrupadas em seis dimensões: características sociodemográficas do trabalhador e a empresa; condições de emprego; condições de trabalho; estado de saúde; recursos e atividades preventivas; assim como características familiares. Entre os critérios metodológicos mínimos destacam-se o domicílio da pessoa entrevistada como lugar da entrevista e os relacionados com a qualidade do trabalho de campo. Estes resultados podem ajudar a melhorar a comparabilidade das futuras ECTES na América Latina e Caribe, o que contribuiria para melhorar a informação sobre saúde do trabalhador na região.

Validation of new psychosocial factors questionnaires: a Colombian national study.

BACKGROUND: The study of workers' health problems possibly associated with stressful conditions requires valid and reliable tools for monitoring risk factors. The present study validates two questionnaires to assess psychosocial risk factors for stress-related illnesses within a sample of Colombian workers. METHODS: The validation process was based on a representative sample survey of 2,360 Colombian employees, aged 18-70 years. Worker response rate was 90%; 46% of the responders were women. Internal consistency was calculated, construct validity was tested with factor analysis and concurrent validity was tested with Spearman correlations. RESULTS: The questionnaires demonstrated adequate reliability (0.88-0.95). Factor analysis confirmed the dimensions proposed in the measurement model. Concurrent validity resulted in significant correlations with stress and health symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: "Work and Non-work Psychosocial Factors Questionnaires" were found to be valid and reliable for the assessment of workers' psychosocial factors, and they provide information for research and intervention.

Design of psychosocial factors questionnaires: a systematic measurement approach.

BACKGROUND: Evaluation of psychosocial factors requires instruments that measure dynamic complexities. This study explains the design of a set of questionnaires to evaluate work and non-work psychosocial risk factors for stress-related illnesses. METHODS: The measurement model was based on a review of literature. Content validity was performed by experts and cognitive interviews. Pilot testing was carried out with a convenience sample of 132 workers. Cronbach's alpha evaluated internal consistency and concurrent validity was estimated by Spearman correlation coefficients. RESULTS: Three questionnaires were constructed to evaluate exposure to work and non-work risk factors. Content validity improved the questionnaires coherence with the measurement model. Internal consistency was adequate (α = 0.85-0.95). Concurrent validity resulted in moderate correlations of psychosocial factors with stress symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Questionnaires' content reflected a wide spectrum of psychosocial factors sources. Cognitive interviews improved understanding of questions and dimensions. The structure of the measurement model was confirmed.

Prevención de trastornos musculoesqueléticos de las extremidades superiores relacionados con el trabajo: revisión sistemática / Prevention of upp er-extremity musculoskeletal work-related disor ders: a systematic review

Objetivos: Revisar la evidencia disponible sobre la efectividad de las intervenciones que buscan reducir la ocurrenciade trastornos musculoesqueléticos de extremidad superior o sus factores de riesgo en el ámbito laboral.Métodos: Se realizó una búsqueda en OVID, Cochrane y EBSCO Host de artículos publicados en revistas científicasentre 1990 y 2008. Se excluyeron aquellos estudios donde las intervenciones no se llevaron a cabo en ambientes laborales.Dos pares académicos seleccionaron y revisaron los artículos. Los resultados se generaron a partir de la cantidad y calidadde artículos con conclusiones similares en relación a diversos tipos de intervención.Resultados: Cincuenta y un estudios fueron seleccionados en esta revisión. Todos ellos describen distintas intervencionespreventivas en los lugares de trabajo y sobre los trabajadores, principalmente entre usuarios de pantallas de visualizaciónde datos (PVDs). Solo doce estudios fueron considerados de alta calidad. Se encontró evidencia moderada del beneficio decambios integrales en el puesto de trabajo, de actividades formativas sobre los trabajadores y del uso de algunos teclados yratones alternativos que permiten adoptar posturas más apropiadas de la extremidad superior.Conclusiones: La heterogeneidad y frecuente debilidad metodológica de los estudios encontrados impide que se puedaconcluir sobre la efectividad de la mayoría de las intervenciones descritas en la literatura. Se hacen especialmente necesariasevaluaciones de intervenciones sobre puestos de trabajo con riesgos diferentes de los derivados del uso de PVDs (AU)

Objectives: To study the effectiveness of workplace interventions aimed at reducing the occurrence of upper-extremitymusculoskeletal disorders or their related risk factors.Methods: Articles published between 1990 and 2008 were searched in OVID, Cochrane, y EBSCO Host databases.Interventions not conducted at the workplace were excluded. Two peers selected and reviewed the articles. The results are based on the quantity and quality of articles providing similar conclusions regarding different types of interventions. Results: Fifty-one studies were included in this review, all describing a variety of preventive interventions in workplacesand on workers, mainly among visual display unit (VDUs) users. Only twelve studies in the review were considered of highquality. We found moderate evidence for the benefits of comprehensive changes in workplaces, educational interventionsin workers and use of alternative computer input devices intended to achieve more adequate upper-extremity postures.Conclusions: The heterogeneity and frequent methodological flaws of reviewed studies do not allow us to reach conclusiveresults on the effectiveness of the most reviewed interventions. Evaluation studies of interventions for risks other thancomputer-related ones are greatly needed (AU)