Discrepancies in assessing home care workers' working conditions in a Norwegian home care service: differing views of stakeholders at three organizational levels.

Background: The present study is a follow-up study of factors contributing to an undesirable quality of work environment and sick leave rate in the home care services in a Norwegian municipality. The underlying assumption is that organizational discrepancies in the perceptions and appraisals of significant factors and processes in an organization have detrimental effects on the management of the organization and on work environment conditions. Thus, the study aim is to explore potential organizational discrepancies in the appraisals of factors relating to home care workers' working conditions.

Work demands and health consequences of organizational and technological measures introduced to enhance the quality of home care services--A subgroup analysis.

This study of home care workers in a Norwegian municipality aimed to examine the effect of two measures involving organizational (job checklists) and technological (personal digital assistants) job aids on perceived work demands and musculoskeletal health. Questionnaire data was collected in 2009 (n = 138, response rate 76.2%) and 2011 (n = 80, response rate 54%).

Understanding significant processes during work environment interventions to alleviate time pressure and associated sick leave of home care workers--a case study.

Background: Ergonomic and work stress interventions rarely show long-term positive effect. The municipality participating in this study received orders from the Norwegian Labour Inspectorate due to an identified unhealthy level of time pressure, and responded by effectuating several work environment interventions. The study aim is to identify critical factors in the interaction between work environment interventions and independent rationalization measures in order to understand a potential negative interfering effect from concurrent rationalizations on a comprehensive work environment intervention.

Perceived occupational exposures of home care workers and the association to general tension, shoulder-neck and low back pain.

Background: Home care workers are at risk of various harmful occupational exposures, health complaints and sick leave.

Objective: Identifying occupational exposures related to shoulder-neck and low back pain, and assessing the comparative importance of such exposures, for home care workers.

Methods: One hundred and thirty-eight home care workers in a large municipality in Norway participated in the study (response rate 76.

Harassment among university hospital physicians in four European cities. Results from a cross-sectional study in Norway, Sweden, Iceland and Italy (the HOUPE study).

Objectives: The objective of this cross-national study was to identify work-related factors related to the prevalence of harassment, and identify potential similarities and differences in harassment levels and appointed perpetrators within the same professional group across four European cities.

Participants: 2078 physicians working in university hospitals in Trondheim, Stockholm, Reykjavik, and Padova participated in the study.

Methods: Questionnaire comprised items on direct and indirect experience of workplace harassment, appointed perpetrators, psychosocial work environment and basic socio-demographics.