Influence of work organization and work environment on missed work, productivity, and use of pain medications among construction apprentices

• Published in: American journal of industrial medicine Vol. 63; no. 3; pp. 269 - 276
• Main Authors: Evanoff, B. A., Rohlman, D. S., Strickland, J. R., Dale, A. M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01-03-2020
• Subjects: Absenteeism; Adult; Analgesics - therapeutic use; Construction industry; Construction Industry - statistics & numerical data; construction workers; Cross-Sectional Studies; Drug Prescriptions - statistics & numerical data; Economic conditions; Efficiency, Organizational - statistics & numerical data; Environmental factors; Female; Health hazards; Health risks; health‐related productivity; Humans; Injuries; Job Satisfaction; Male; Missouri; Multivariate Analysis; Occupational health; Occupational Health - statistics & numerical data; Occupational Injuries - complications; Occupational Injuries - drug therapy; Occupational safety; Organizational Culture; Pain; Pain - drug therapy; Pain - etiology; Poisson Distribution; Polls & surveys; Productivity; Regression analysis; Regression models; Safety; safety climate; Safety Management; Total Worker Health; Work environment; work organization; Workability; Workers; Working conditions; Workplace - organization & administration; Workplace - statistics & numerical data; Workplace accidents; workplace safety; Missouri; health-related productivity; work organization; construction workers; workplace safety; safety climate; work environment; Total Worker Health
• ISSN: 0271-3586; 1097-0274
• DOI: 10.1002/ajim.23078

Background
Construction is among the most dangerous industries. In addition to traditional hazards for workplace injury and illness, other threats to health and well‐being may occur from work organization and work environment factors, including irregular employment, long commutes, long work hours, and employer policies regarding health and safety. These nontraditional hazards may affect work and health outcomes directly, or through effects on health behaviors. The cumulative impacts of both traditional and nontraditional hazards on health‐related outcomes among construction workers are largely unknown.
Methods
We conducted a survey among apprentice construction workers to identify relationships between work organization and environmental factors with five outcomes of economic relevance to employers: missed work due to work‐related injury, missed work due to any pain or injury, self‐reported workability, health‐related productivity, and use of prescription medications for pain.
Results
A total of 963 surveys were completed (response rate 90%) in this young (mean age 28) working cohort. Multivariate Poisson regression models found associations between the outcomes of interest and multiple work factors, including job strain, safety behaviors of coworkers, and mandatory overtime. Univariate analysis showed additional associations, including precarious work, and supervisor support for safety.
Conclusions
Findings from this cross‐sectional study suggest that work organization and environment factors influence health and work outcomes among young construction trade workers. Future work with longitudinal data will examine the hypothesized paths between work factors, health behaviors, health outcomes, and work outcomes.