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- Healthy and Safe Environments across Occupational and Environmental ContextsPublication . Carvalhais, Carlos Alberto Alves; Santos, Joana Carvalho dos; Pereira, Cristiana Maria Matos da Costa; Alberto Alves Carvalhais, Carlos; Santos, Joana; Carvalhais, Carlos Alberto Alves; Santos, Joana Carvalho dos; Pereira, Cristiana Maria Matos da CostaThis Reprint brings together contributions that address the complex interactions between occupational and environmental health, with the shared goal ofpromotingsafeandsustainable living and working conditions. Its scope spans diverse contexts, from industrial settings to community environments, highlighting bothtraditional hazards andemergingrisksthataffecthumanwell-being. The purpose of this Reprint is to provide readers with an integrated view of how scientific evidence can inform practice and policy in order to reduce exposures, prevent disease, and foster resilience. Motivated by the growing convergence of occupational and environmental challenges, the collection underscores the value of cross-disciplinary perspectives, innovative research, and applied solutions. The Reprint is intended for a broad audience, including researchers, practitioners, and policymakers who are engaged in public health, and environmental and occupational health and safety. It may also serve as a reference for educators and students seeking to understand the evolving landscape of risks and interventions in this field. By gathering these studies under a unified framework, we hope to contribute to a better understanding of how shared determinants of health can be addressed collectively, and to inspire newcollaborations that strengthen the link between evidence and action.
- Uncovering the dynamics of burnout, stress, anxiety, and depression in office workers: an experience sampling approachPublication . Ferreira, Simão; Silva, Inês; Rodrigues, Matilde; Rocha, NunoStress, anxiety, depression, and burnout are recognized as prominent mental health challenges within the workplace, and there is evidence to suggest that several psychosocial risk factors may be associated with the occurrence of these mental health problems. However, few studies have relied on the experience sampling method. To address this lack of knowledge, the present study aimed to characterize these mental health challenges in office workers and identify risk factors associated with their occurrence. The study involved a sample of 31 knowledge workers from a large company. To address the variables of interest, questionnaires were administered to the participants. The results revealed that perceived productivity, level of challenge, level of competence, and level of sleepiness were positively correlated with daily stress levels, whereas psychosocial factors such as workload and time available to perform tasks were found to exacerbate stress. These findings highlight the need to consider these risk factors in prevention and intervention programs aimed at promoting mental health in the workplace. In the future, integrating these factors as predictors of mental health problems in automated detection tools for stress, anxiety, burnout, and depression may prove beneficial.
- A digital communication system for occupational safety and health: requirements identification and prototypePublication . Ferreira, Joana; Barros, Mariana; Constantino, Gonçalo; Cavadas, Rodrigo; Rebelo, José; Oliveira, Bruno; Rodrigues, MatildeShifting the communication process in the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) field to digital can bring advantages to risk management. A digital communication system can help ensure that all workers find it easier to report hazards, accidents, and near misses. Additionally, it can make possible access to several prevention information. Since companies typically lack this type of solution, this work aimed to identify the requirements of an OSH communication system and propose a prototype. To this end, a company in the construction and maintenance sector was used as a case study. Information was collected through visits to a construction site, interviews with the workers and a focus group session. The results showed the company's interest in modernizing communication methods and dematerializing the accidents and near misses reporting. The system can be used to improve information management and maintenance activities. As a result, a prototype for a digital communication system was proposed, contributing to simplifying processes for all end users. However, it must be safeguarded, that the prototype describes preliminary results for the system to be developed. Further studies are ongoing to obtain the final solution.
- Lumbar postural responses during gaming activity: a study with semi-professional and amateur gamersPublication . Gonçalves, Heber; Sereno, Paulo; Santos, Rubim; Rodrigues, MatildeBe a gamer is nowadays an important activity among young people. However, due to the number of hours that gamers spend seated in front of a computer, there is an increased risk of low-back pain (LBP). However, studies that address this problem for gamers are still scarce. The present study aimed to characterize gaming behaviours of amateur and semi-professional gamers and, through an experimental study, analyse the effect of those behaviours on lumbar postural responses. Firstly, questionnaires were developed and applied to the gamer community in Portugal to get information about gaming behaviours, habits and discomfort felt. Additionally, through an experimental study, lumbar flexion was assessed during a three-hour gaming session. A triaxial accelerometer system was used to this end. Results showed that gamers can play for seven days per week, training at least two to three hours per day. During a typical training session, it was observed that lumbar flexion angle varied trough time. Data showed data ROM% was 50.5% in the correct seating position, but during the session it ranged on average between 40.9 and 22.9%. These results suggest that gamers are at risk of LBP. Additional studies are needed in this field with the purpose to better understand the risk of musculoskeletal disorders that gamers are exposed.
- Comparison between anthropometric equipment and scanners in hand measurementPublication . Filho, P. C. Anacleto; Silva, Lincoln da; Castellucci, H. I.; Rodrigues, Matilde; Pereira, Eduarda; Pombeiro, Ana; Colim, Ana; Carneiro, Paula; Arezes, PedroAnthropometric studies have influenced the design of apparel, accessories, medical prostheses, equipment, workstations, and tools. Particularly, hand anthropometry is related to safety and adequacy of hand tools and devices. Different equipment and methods can be used to obtain body measurements with different precision and reliability levels. However, precision and reliability are not the only aspects to be considered. The present study aims to evaluate the agreement of four different pieces of equipment for anthropometric measurement of the hand, namely, anthropometer, anthropometric tape, 2D scanner, and 3D scanner. These measurement methods were compared in terms of required time, precision, complexity, and cost, for the case of two-dimensional hand measurements. Data was collected on hand length and breadth from 25 workers in North Portugal. Among the main findings, we can highlight a relatively low accuracy and higher measurement times for 2D and 3D scanners due to scanning, processing, digitalization, and calibration steps. Traditional direct measurement methods were considered the most appropriate to obtain hand length and breadth measures, as they required less time and were more accurate, less costly and complex than 2D and 3D scanner methods. These results emphasize the caution required when selecting anthropometric methods.