BACKGROUND: At present there exists no overview of the range of evidence currently available regarding the effectiveness of occupational health interventions (OHI). METHODS: Articles published in 2000 and 2001 in 16 general and specialized biomedical journals were searched for evaluations of OHI studies. RESULTS: Out of 8,687 articles searched there were 148 OHI studies. In 21% of the studies the study design was a randomized controlled trial, in 28% it was a controlled trial, an interrupted time-series in 7% and a different design in 44%. The occupational health outcome was exposure in 27% of the studies, worker behavior in 12%, disease symptoms in 30%, disability or sickness absence in 24%, injuries in 4%, and quality of care in 3%. CONCLUSIONS: High quality evaluation studies are conducted in all areas of occupational health. However, it is clear that more are needed and the methodology used could be improved.
BACKGROUND: At present there exists no overview of the range of evidence currently available regarding the effectiveness of occupational health interventions (OHI). METHODS: Articles published in 2000 and 2001 in 16 general and specialized biomedical journals were searched for evaluations of OHI studies. RESULTS: Out of 8,687 articles searched there were 148 OHI studies. In 21% of the studies the study design was a randomized controlled trial, in 28% it was a controlled trial, an interrupted time-series in 7% and a different design in 44%. The occupational health outcome was exposure in 27% of the studies, worker behavior in 12%, disease symptoms in 30%, disability or sickness absence in 24%, injuries in 4%, and quality of care in 3%. CONCLUSIONS: High quality evaluation studies are conducted in all areas of occupational health. However, it is clear that more are needed and the methodology used could be improved.
Authors: Sylvia J Vermeulen; Johannes R Anema; Antonius J M Schellart; Willem van Mechelen; Allard J van der Beek Journal: BMC Musculoskelet Disord Date: 2010-03-28 Impact factor: 2.362
Authors: Glorian Sorensen; Deborah McLellan; Jack T Dennerlein; Nicolaas P Pronk; Jennifer D Allen; Leslie I Boden; Cassandra A Okechukwu; Dean Hashimoto; Anne Stoddard; Gregory R Wagner Journal: J Occup Environ Med Date: 2013-12 Impact factor: 2.162
Authors: Sylvia J Vermeulen; Sietske J Tamminga; Antonius Jm Schellart; Jan Fekke Ybema; Johannes R Anema Journal: BMC Public Health Date: 2009-07-14 Impact factor: 3.295
Authors: D Van Eerd; C Munhall; E Irvin; D Rempel; S Brewer; A J van der Beek; J T Dennerlein; J Tullar; K Skivington; C Pinion; B Amick Journal: Occup Environ Med Date: 2015-11-08 Impact factor: 4.402