Handbook Series in Occupational Health Sciences – serie

This work presents a summary of research evidence on links between work, health and disability. Across two sections it summarizes updated knowledge on adverse effects of distinct occupational hazards, and it covers concerns with employment opportunities or restrictions. The handbook delivers an overview of material and psychosocial factors as occupational hazards on working people’s physical or mental health that may result in functional impairment and disability. This knowledge can be instrumental in strengthening efforts of professionals and other stakeholders to promote health-conducive working conditions and prevent work-related disability risks. It also covers concerns with employment opportunities or restrictions of persons with physical or mental health problems and disability. This field of interdisciplinary research has grown with a broad range of solid new findings that can have favorable impact on work disability prevention and the practice of medical and vocational rehabilitation. Prominent experts discuss this evidence for major manifestations of physical and mental health problems and disabilities. As a further innovative feature, this handbook integrates biomedical, psychological, and sociological knowledge on major aspects of the links between work, health and disability. It is therefore of interest to students and professionals in related disciplines, as well as for stakeholders involved in the prevention of work disability and rehabilitation into paid work. In times of an increasingly aging work force with elevated risks of reduced health and work functioning, this knowledge can contribute to turning the threats associated with disability into opportunities. This handbook supports the overall aim of enabling persons with (chronic) health problems and disability to participate in work and social life.

This handbook focuses on the contribution of management and employment practices to the health and wellbeing of workers. It provides readers with a comprehensive oversight of the latest research and thinking on these issues, with content provided by leading researchers in each of the fields covered. This reference work is divided into six sections that cover leadership, change management, human resource management practices, managing disabilities, work-life interfaces, and emerging challenges. The topics covered represent an interdisciplinary perspective, integrating psychology, social sciences, biomedical sciences, economics, employment relations and management. Through a spectrum of chapters this volume provides the best available scientific evidence to professionals and stakeholders on the interplay between management practices, health and wellbeing.

This anthology provides readers of scientific literature on socioeconomic factors and working conditions with the newest knowledge in this field. Since our world is subjected to constant change in accelerating speed, scientific reviews and updates are needed. Fortunately, research methodology in epidemiology, physiology, psychology and sociology is also developing rapidly and therefore the scientific community can provide politicians and policy makers with increasingly sophisticated and exact descriptions of societal factors in relation to work. The anthology starts in the macro level sphere – with international perspectives and reviews related to working conditions in relation to political change (the fall of the Soviet Union) gender, age, precarious employment, national economy and retirement. Two chapters relate to national policies and activities in international organizations.The second part of the book relates to the meso level sphere – with reviews onsocial patterns in distributions of psychosocial and physical risks at work in general as well as reviews on noise, shift work, under/overemployment, occupational physical activity, job intensity (which may be a particularly important problem in low income countries), digitization in modern work, climate change, childhood determinants of occupational health in adult years and theoretical models currently used in occupational epidemiology - demand/control, effort/reward, organizational justice, psychosocial safety climate, conflicts, bullying/harassment. This part of the book ends with two chapters on interventions (one chapter on the use of cultural interventions and one on interventions and their evaluation in general) and two chapters on financial aspects of poor/good work environments and evaluations of interventions.In the third part of the book the micro level is addressed. Here mechanisms translating working conditions into physiology are discussed. This starts in general theory relating basic theories regarding energy storage and release to psychosocial theory (extension of demand control theory). It also includes regeneration physiology, autonomic nervous system function, immunology and adverse behaviour.Sections in the Handbook:Macro-level determinants of occupational health: Akizumi Tsutsumi,Meso-level determinants of occupational health: Morten Wahrendorf and Jian Li,Micro-level determinants of occupational health: Bradley J. Wright

This handbook provides a comprehensive overview of recent developments in research on the relationship between occupational trajectories over the life course and health. It uncovers the impact of far-reaching changes of work and employment, as evidenced by increased flexibility, discontinuity, and technological innovation, and offers insights into recent theoretical and methodological developments addressing this challenge. In its main parts, it presents the best evidence to readers about the following topics: early life influences on (un)healthy work, chronic exposure to occupational risks; nonstandard employment and poor health; work continuation with chronic disease; occupational determinants of healthy aging. In its final part, it discusses policy implications of current knowledge and points to the need of developing new solutions in research and practice, not least in times of climate crisis and the new pandemic.The important handbook has been prepared by a distinguished editorial team, with chapters written by prominent international experts. Despite its continuous reference to scientific knowledge it addresses its content to a broader, non-specialized readership.