The Impact of Work Organization and Work Environment on Health Behaviors of Construction Apprentices

Details

• Personal Author:
  Rohlman D
• Description:
  In addition to high injury rates, construction workers have higher rates of mortality and morbidity from chronic diseases compared to workers in other occupations (Ringen et al., 2014; Dong et al., 2011). Construction workers also report higher rates of alcohol use (Barnes et al., 2013), smoking (Lee et al., 2007), and low consumption of fruits and vegetables (Harley et al., 2010; Devine et al., 2007). The organization of work and the work environment in the construction industry (e.g., multiple job sites, long hours, irregular employment, harassment and discrimination on the job site, and long commute times) can impact health behaviors. For example, construction workers often travel long distances to worksites and work long days, which impact sleep, exercise, and the ability to prepare and eat healthy foods. The goal of the current study was to examine the impact of organizational and environmental factors in the workplace on health behaviors (i.e., diet, physical activity, sleep, alcohol consumption, and smoking). ... The results show that high job demands, heavy workload, longer commute time, as well as poorer mental and physical health were associated with adverse health behaviors. In contrast, better mental health and workplace policies addressing safety and health were associated with better health behaviors. Young workers were more likely to have worse eating habits and to engage in heavy drinking more frequently. These behaviors can have a long-term impact on their health and safety. Interventions addressing health behaviors (e.g., diet and smoking) that target individuals may have limited benefit unless coincidentally supported by the work environment. Policies implemented through the work environment may have more widespread benefit to all workers, even those with better health behaviors. There is a need to prospectively examine the relationship between environment, organization, and behavior in order to develop effective interventions to improve health and safety of this high-risk population [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Alcoholic Beverages Behavior Chronic Disease Construction Industry Diet Environment Mental Health Nervous System Occupational Health Safety Sleep Smokers Tobacco Products Workplace

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• Keywords:
  Alcoholic Beverages Chronic Diseases Cigarette Smoking Construction Construction Industry Construction Workers Employee Health Environmental Factors Health Effects Injuries Intervention Long Work Hours Mental Health Occupational Safety And Health Policy Smoking Total Worker Health TWH Work Environment Work Operations Work Organization Workplace Studies Young Workers

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• Publisher:
  American Psychological Association
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Abstract or Summary
• Place as Subject:
  Iowa ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 7 ; Pennsylvania
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20059101
• Citation:
  Work, Stress and Health 2019, November 6-9, 2019, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, 2019 Nov; :195
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2020
• NORA Priority Area:
  Construction ; Services
• Performing Organization:
  University of Iowa
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20060901
• Source Full Name:
  Work, Stress and Health 2019, November 6-9, 2019, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• End Date:
  20260831
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:051ac34c851ec17c08a3cb6758a724b74f02fb367df5b808a253f20608d247d21fcaf423c7e40030686d21793667a5155c3556602b207315f81744f79bbd0fe3
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/223417/cdc_223417_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 111.15 KB ]