Prevalence of job fitness restrictions in the period 2007-2009 and analysis of predictors of restrictions among hospital health care workers

摘要

Background: Little is known about the prevalence rates of job fitness restrictions (JFR) and the impact of demographics on JFR among Italian health care workers (HCW). Objective: To examine the prevalence rates of JFR among HCW of an Italian hospital in the years 2007-2009 and to estimate ability of demographic variables to predict JFR. Methods: The number of HCW with JFR was divided by the number of HCW in service at the end of each year fiom 2007 to 2009 to calculate prevalence of JFR. The variables age, gender, employment, type of contract, and place of birth of the HCW in service at the end of 2009 were compared to JFR, by univariate and multivariate analysis. Results: Prevalence rates of JFR were 15.2% in 2007, 15.6% in 2008, and 13.8% in 2009. The most frequent JFR were related to manual load handling (177 in 2007, 185 in 2008, and 155 in 2009). HCW of the female gender (OR:1.69; CI: 1.17-2.43), aged >42 years (OR: 1.66; CI: 1.30-2.13), health professionals (OR: 2.46; CI: 1.61-3.78), part-time (OR: 1.34; CI: 1.00-1.80), from other Ita-lian regions (OR:1.79; CI: 1.30-2.46), or other countries (OR:2.37; CI: 1.46-5.12), showed statistically significant increases in JFR. Only a few demographic variables were associated with greater likelihood of JFR for exposure to manual handling, hazardous substances and organizational constraints. Conclusions: These data should be used to plan interventions to support the subgroups of HCW at increased risk of JFR