Associations Between the Breakroom Built Environment, Worker Health Habits, and Worker Health Outcomes: A Pilot Study Among Public Transit Rail Operators

Overview

Journal J Occup Environ Med

Specialty Environmental Health

Date 2020 May 15

PMID 32404827

Citations 1

Authors

Nathan M Jones

Meghan McDonnell

Emily Sparer-Fine

Bernard Rosner

Jack T Dennerlein

Stefanos Kales

Carmen Messerlian

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the association between the breakroom built environment and worker health outcomes.

Methods: We conducted this study in a mass transit organization (rail). We collected a user-reported breakroom quality score (worker survey), a worksite health promotion score (validated audit tool), and self-reported worker health outcomes (survey).

Results: Among the 12 breakrooms audited and 127 rail operators surveyed, the average worksite health promotion score was 9.1 (out of 15) and the average user-reported breakroom quality was 3.1 (out of 7). After multivariable regression, breakrooms with higher worksite health promotion scores and user-reported breakroom quality were associated with lower odds of depression and fewer medical disability days.

Conclusions: This cross-sectional study demonstrates an association between the quality of the breakroom built environment and worker health, specifically depression and medical disability days.

Citing Articles

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PMID: 37908746 PMC: 10614295. DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1250041.

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