OBJECTIVE To evaluate the impact of asthma on activities of daily living and on health status in patients with controlled, partially controlled, or uncontrolled asthma in Brazil. METHODS We used data related to 400 patients in four Brazilian cities (São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, and Curitiba), obtained in a survey conducted throughout Latin America in 2011. All study subjects were > 12...

Accidents in the process industries can be attributed, at least in part, to human causes. Hazard studies are commonly used in industry to identify and manage risks. This paper describes a methodology, called HumHID, which potentially improves hazard identification associated with human factors. The approach is based on cognitive work analysis (CWA) techniques, human factors/error taxonomies and...

The population statistics of most countries of the world are indicating that industrialization and computerization have been associated with an increase in sedentariness and more recently with a significant shift from healthy weight to overweight. In general, this change in the overweight/obesity prevalence is attributed by health professionals to suboptimal diet and physical activity practices...

BACKGROUND The population in developing countries is ageing, which is likely to increase the burden of non-communicable diseases and disability. OBJECTIVE To describe factors associated with self-reported health, disability and quality of life (QoL) of older people in the rural northeast of South Africa. DESIGN Cross-sectional survey of 6,206 individuals aged 50 and over. We used multivaria...

UNLABELLED A systematic literature search was carried out to investigate the relationship between quick returns (i.e., 11.0 hours or less between two consecutive shifts) and outcome measures of health, sleep, functional ability and work-life balance. A total of 22 studies published in 21 articles were included. Three types of quick returns were differentiated (from evening to morning/day, night...

Despite the widespread adoption of mobile information and communication technology, there are still relatively few studies of their use. Previous studies often fail to capture the situated practicalities of mobility. Further, many previous studies are work-oriented, viewing the office or the control room as a base, and see mobility as a means of transportation. This thesis contributes to our un...

BACKGROUND Many patients with chronic illness are limited in their physical activities. This systematic review evaluates the content and format of patient-reported outcome (PRO) questionnaires that measure physical activity in elderly and chronically ill populations. METHODS Questionnaires were identified by a systematic literature search of electronic databases (Medline, Embase, PsychINFO & ...