Intervention Research in Occupational Health

Details

• Personal Author:
  Goldenhar, Linda M. ; Schulte, Paul A.
• Description:
  In the last 40 years, knowledge of the causes of work-related disease and disability has grown dramatically. However, studies on the application of this knowledge and on ways to conduct occupational safety and health intervention research are sparse. This paper reviews occupational health and safety intervention research published between 1988- 1993 and makes recommendations for future research. Thirty-three engineering, behavioral, and administrative intervention studies were reviewed. The studies evaluated a wide range of interventions including ergonomic, chemical, and physical hazards in such occupational settings as construction, hospitals, agriculture, and manufacturing. The findings revealed that the studies often lacked a theoretical basis, used small samples, and tested interventions lacking the intensity to cause the desired change. Most designs were either nonexperimental or Quasi-experimental with uncontrolled sources of bias. Recommendations for future research include methods of minimizing these problems and biases and include more attention to study design, careful sample selection, use of reliable and valid measures, as well as testing appropriate interventions. Also, nonmethodological issues such as intervention cost and the cultural dimensions of the workplace play a role. Although many concerns associated with conducting field-based research are not easily addressed, researchers should make stronger attempts to deal with these issues if occupational health and safety intervention research is to be productive and result in safer workplaces. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Epidemiology Occupational Health Safety Workplace
• Keywords:
  Disease Prevention Intervention Effectiveness Occupational Health Safety Research Worker Health Workplace Studies
• Publisher:
  American Public Health Association
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Abstract or Summary
• Place as Subject:
  Ohio ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DSHEFS - Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20053443
• Citation:
  Public Health and Diversity: Opportunities for Equity, APHA 122nd Annual Meeting and Exposition, October 30 - November 3, 1994, Washington, DC. Washington, DC: American Public Health Association, 1994 Oct; :184
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1995
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Source Full Name:
  Public Health and Diversity: Opportunities for Equity, APHA 122nd Annual Meeting and Exposition, October 30 - November 3, 1994, Washington, DC
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:3125ef8ee2ba39b532f9002f9b7289bbb1a4d82c3d54e2c90686a02a590bb474bd8070f1f875f8dc52c06d737ba5590b84391d2f3092f3e951e61604b0a83995
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/216195/cdc_216195_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 386.25 KB ]