OBJECTIVES To analyze the association between changes in perceived physical and psychosocial working conditions and change of sickness absence days in younger and older (< 50 and ≥ 50 years) food industry employees. METHODS This was a follow up study of 679 employees, who completed working conditions survey questionnaires in 2005 and 2009 and for whom the requisite sickness absence data were ...

PURPOSE To investigate associations between a wide variety of psychosocial work conditions and sickness absence in a medium-sized company. METHODS Prospective cohort study of 395 employees working in an insurance office. Self-reported psychosocial work conditions were measured by questionnaire in January 2002 and linked to registered sickness absence in the period January 2002 to December 200...

It is difficult to design the Virtual Reality (VR) Environment which controls VR sickness and promotes presence. This is because the relationship between the user's susceptibility to VR sickness and a sense of presence, determined by velocity and visual angle of the visual information, involves a trade-off between the two. Then we propose the optimal value search system which computes efficient...

BACKGROUND Altitude illness results from hypobaric hypoxia at altitudes higher than 2500 meters above sea level. To determine whether vital signs can be used as predictors for severe acute mountain sickness, we carried out a prospective observational study. METHODS A cohort of 90 individuals (male/female ratio: 2; age: 13 - 65 years) in a mountain hotel's clinic at 3450 meters in Iran were st...

PURPOSE Breast cancer diagnosis and treatment are associated with increased inflammatory activity, which can induce sickness symptoms. We examined whether emotional acceptance moderates the association between proinflammatory cytokines and self-reported sickness symptoms in women recently diagnosed with breast cancer. METHODS Women (N=136) diagnosed with stage 0-III breast cancer within the p...

INTRODUCTION Zero-G parabolic flight reproduces the weightlessness of space for short periods. However, motion sickness may affect some fliers. The aim was to assess the extent of this problem and to find possible predictors and modifying factors. METHODS Airbus zero-G flights consist of 31 parabolas performed in blocks. Each parabola consisted of 20 s of 0 g sandwiched by 20 s of hypergravit...

The dorsolateral reticular formation of the caudal medulla, or the lateral tegmental field (LTF), has been classified as the brain's "vomiting center", as well as an important region in regulating sympathetic outflow. We examined the responses of LTF neurons in cats to rotations of the body that activate vestibular receptors, as well as to stimulation of baroreceptors (through mechanical stretc...

The aim of this study was to examine the feasibility of virtual reality (VR) technology for use by persons with dementia (PWD). Data were obtained directly from six PWD regarding their experiences with a virtual environment (VE) of a large outdoor park. A user-centered method was developed to assess: (a) presence; (b) user inputs; (c) display quality; (d) simulation fidelity; and (e) overall sy...

BACKGROUND Sickness absence is an important economic problem, because of high costs and lost productivity. Determining factors associated with increased risk of sickness absence may lead to the development of preventive measures. AIMS To determine whether self-report questionnaires can identify those employees at risk of sickness absence METHODS Prospective study of 238 healthy administrati...

BACKGROUND Obesity is an increasing public health problem. A small number of studies have examined the relationship between obesity and sickness absence, with mixed results, particularly regarding short-term sickness absence. AIMS To determine if obesity is associated with short- and long-term sickness absence and to investigate the mechanisms that may underlie any association. METHODS Cros...