In this large, longitudinal intervention study on self-rostering, employees changed shift length and timing, but did not compromise most recommendations for acceptable shift work schedules. Positive consequences for recovery and health were observed. The effect could not be statistically explained by changes in actual working hours. Original article Scand J Work Environ Health. 2012;38(4): 314-326. doi:10.5271/sjweh.3306 Implementation of self-rostering (the PRIO project): effects on working hours, recovery, and health by Anne Helene Garde, PhD, 1 Karen Albertsen, PhD,2,3 Kirsten PhD, 2 Isabella Gomes Carneiro, Phd, 1 Jørgen Skotte, MSc Eng, 1 Sofie Mandrup Hansen, MSc, 1 Henrik Lund, Phd, 4 Helge Hvid, Phd,4 Åse Marie Hansen, PhD 1,2 Garde AH, Albertsen K, Nabe-Nielsen K, Carneiro IG, Skotte J, Hansen SM, Lund H, Hvid H, Hansen ÅM. Implementation of self-rostering (the PRIO project): effects on working hours, recovery, and health. Scand J Work Environ Health. 2012;38(4):314-326. doi:10.5271/sjweh.3306 Objectives The aim of this study was to (i) investigate the consequences of self-rostering for working hours, recovery, and health, and (ii) elucidate the mechanisms through which recovery and health are affected. AffiliationMethods Twenty eight workplaces were allocated to either an intervention or reference group. Intervention A encompassed the possibility to specify preferences for starting time and length of shift down to 15 minutes intervals. Interventions B and C included the opportunity to choose between a number of predefined duties. Questionnaires (N=840) on recovery and health and objective workplace reports of working hours (N=718) were obtained at baseline and 12 months later. The interaction term between intervention and time was tested in mixed models and multinomial logistic regression models. ResultsThe odds ratio (OR) of having short [OR 4.8, 95 % confidence interval (95% CI) 1.9-12.3] and long (OR 4.8, 95% CI 2.9-8.0) shifts increased in intervention A. Somatic symptoms (β= -0.10, 95% CI -0.19--0.02) and mental distress (β= -0.13, 95% CI -0.23--0.03) decreased, and sleep (β= 1.7, 95% CI 0.04-0.30) improved in intervention B, and need for recovery was reduced in interventions A (β= -0.17, 95% CI -0.29--0.04) and B (β= -0.17, 95% CI -0.27--0.07). There were no effects on recovery and health in intervention C, and overall, there were no detrimental effects on recovery or health. The benefits of the intervention were not related to changes in working hours and did not differ by gender, age, family type, degree of employment, or working hour arrangements. ConclusionsAfter implementation of self-rostering, employees changed shift length and timing but did not compromise most recommendations for acceptable shift work schedules. Positive consequences of self-rostering for recovery and health were observed, particularly in intervention B where worktime control increased but less extensively than intervention A. The effect could not be statistically explained by changes in actual working hours.Ke...

A higher incidence of asthma is reported in women compared with men, but evidence in later adulthood is limited. We aimed to determine the 20-year cumulative incidence of adult asthma in Switzerland and its relation to sex, taking into account age and allergic sensitisation.We assessed incidence of self-report of doctor-diagnosed asthma between 1991/1992 and 2010/2011 in 5128 subjects without asthma, aged 18-60 years at baseline. The age-related probability of asthma onset was analysed by logistic regression adjusting for potential confounders and stratified by sex and allergic sensitisation at baseline.Over 20 years, 128 (5.1%) men and 198 (7.5%) women newly reported doctor-diagnosed asthma. The adjusted odds ratio for female sex was 1.99 (95% CI 1.54-2.57) overall, 3.21 (95% CI 2.12-4.85) among nonsensitised subjects, and 1.43 (95% CI 1.02-2.02) in sensitised subjects. The probability of asthma onset decreased with increasing baseline age in women but not in men. The higher probability of new asthma in sensitised compared with nonsensitised men was unrelated to age, whereas in women it decreased with age.Asthma incidence was higher in women than in men but decreased with increasing age. The female predominance was considerably stronger in nonsensitised adults compared with those with allergic sensitisation. @ERSpublications Female predominance in new-onset adult asthma decreased with age and was more pronounced in nonsensitised subjects

While improvements were observed from 1994-1999 to 2006-2011, patients with RA have significant increased risk of LTSA, in particular in the first year after diagnosis.