Impacts of computerization and digitization: some health issues

Computerization and digitization are effects and the engines of development at the same time. Computers surround both work activities and beyond. There are several benefits available, including the faster, easier, and cheaper way of managing our tasks. However, there are undesirable health impacts to consider, but these are less pronounced. Exploring these impacts and preventing the occurrence is essential for improving the efficiency of computerization. The study focuses on the effects of computer work by analyzing its exhausting characteristics and the tiredness or pain in different body parts. The research method uses a survey of full-time and parttime higher education students. The sample consists of 200 randomly selected responses collected between 2018 and 2019. It allows analyzing the differences of perceptions between respondents with and without job experience. Beyond descriptive statistics, ANOVA and correlation analysis was conducted for exploring the relations. Data analysis was supported by IBM SPSS version 25. The results show that the perceived undesirable health impacts are timeless and ageless. Eye-related problems, as well as back and shoulder, are considered the most critical by the respondents. The main implication of the study is that more attention must be paid to the field, appearing in regulations and developing training programs for computer users. The results presented in this paper aim to highlight the importance of the prevention of harmful symptoms of computer work, which are not in the mainstream right now.

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The Prevalence of Musculoskeletal Disorders and Work-Station Evaluation in Bank Employees

Physikalische Medizin Rehabilitationsmedizin Kurortmedizin ◽

10.1055/a-0756-9782 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 29 (02) ◽

pp. 99-103 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Aneela Umar ◽

Muhammad Kashif ◽

Nawal Zahid ◽

Ramsha Sohail ◽

Aatik Arsh ◽

...

Keyword(s):

The Body ◽

Computer Users ◽

Computer Work ◽

Left Shoulder ◽

Body Parts ◽

Musculoskeletal Discomfort ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Work Station ◽

Lower Back ◽

Bank Employees

Abstract Objective The objective of the study was to evaluate the computer workstation settings and the prevalence of musculoskeletal (MSK) related problems in computer users of bank. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among100 computer users of State Bank of Pakistan, Faisalabad and National Bank of Pakistan, Faisalabad from March to December 2017. Inclusion criteria of the study were male and female bank workers, age between 25–60 years who use desktop computers for at least 3 h a day and had at least 6 months working experience. Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaire (CMDQ) was used to determine prevalence of MSK problems while Rapid Office Strain Assessment (ROSA) tool was used to evaluate Computer Work-Station (CWS) ergonomic parameters. The data was analyzed by descriptive statistics and variant correlation using SPSS version 20. Results The mean CMDQ was higher (43.0 ±33.6) in female than male (16.9±20.8) and there was significant association between gender and total discomfort (P=0.001). The discomfort was higher among females then males. The body parts reported to have the most significant levels of discomfort was the neck and head (mean 3.595±7.49), lower back (2.75±5.39) and right shoulder (mean 2.15±4.32).About 40% subjects suffered from neck pain while the remaining body parts having discomfort were right shoulder (39%), left shoulder (37%), and low back (36%).Almost 90% of the participants had ROSA score greater than 5 that shows that most individuals were at higher risk of ergonomics hazardous. Conclusion The results of the present study demonstrated that MSK discomfort is common among computer users of bank employees and neck, shoulder and lower back region were at greater risk. MSK discomfort was higher in females. Workers are exposed to ergonomic hazards and need immediate improvement.

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Investigating the Musculoskeletal Disorders among Computer Users of Lordegan Health Network by ROSA Method and CMDQ Questionnaire

Archives of Occupational Health ◽

10.18502/aoh.v4i2.2711 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Yasser Jalilpour ◽

Leila Ebrahimi Ghavamabadi ◽

Behzad Fouladi Dehaghi ◽

Hassan Rajabi-Vardanjani ◽

Mojtaba Jahanifar

Keyword(s):

Musculoskeletal Disorders ◽

Work Experience ◽

Work Conditions ◽

Daily Activities ◽

Computer Users ◽

Computer Work ◽

Body Parts ◽

Statistical Population ◽

Health Network ◽

Significant Difference

Background: Musculoskeletal disorders are common consequences of inappropriate computer work conditions. Employees are job groups who spend many office hours working on computers. The present study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders among computer users of the health network of Lordegan city and its impact on their daily activities. Methods: This research was applied in terms of purpose and was determined as one of the quantitative researches. This descriptive-analytical study was performed with the use of systematic random sampling, and the samples were picked from the statistical population of 500 employees of Lordegan Health Network. A sample size of 217 persons was selected, which had at least one year of work experience and at least 3 hours a day working in front of a computer. The Cornell questionnaire was applied in order to specify the rate of pain and discomfort and its effect on the employees' daily activities. Then, the ROSA method was utilized to assess the ergonomics of the office strain rate of users. The results were analyzed with the use of the chi-square test and SPSS v.25 software. Results: A significant difference was seen between the rate of pain and discomfort and the effect of pain on daily activities in different body parts of computer users based on age, work experience (P<0.05). Also, there was a significant difference between ROSA final score and age variables and work experience (P<0.05). The results of the ROSA evaluation declared that 53.9% of persons were exposed at medium to high-risk levels. Conclusion: The ROSA method was appropriate for detecting risk factors for office work and was able to identify deficiencies existed in workstations. Concerning the postures and jobs in the office department, the ROSA method was able to identify musculoskeletal disorders of the office employees in health care. The CMDQ questionnaire could determine the rate and effect of pain and discomfort on different body parts for these employees.

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Mental health issues and sleep quality of Indian employees and higher education students during COVID-19 lockdown

International Journal of Intelligent Engineering Informatics ◽

10.1504/ijiei.2021.117060 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 193

Author(s):

B.L. Radhakrishnan ◽

E. Kirubakaran ◽

R.V. Belfin ◽

Sudhakar Selvam ◽

K. Martin Sagayam ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Higher Education ◽

Sleep Quality ◽

Health Issues ◽

Education Students ◽

Mental Health Issues

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Effect of Stress due to COVID-19 Pandemic on Time Management Skills among University Professionals

JOURNAL FOR CLINICAL AND DIAGNOSTIC RESEARCH ◽

10.7860/jcdr/2021/48728.15240 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Manjunatha BK Goud ◽

Tarig H Merghani ◽

Joan Bryant Kumar ◽

Laxminarayana Kurady Bairy

Keyword(s):

Stress Level ◽

Negative Correlation ◽

Time Management ◽

Significant Negative Correlation ◽

Full Time ◽

Years Of Experience ◽

Management Skills ◽

Faculty Work ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Job Experience

Introduction: Time management skills are necessary for professionals to accomplish their goals and succeed in their career. The recent changes in the educational environment that were caused by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) could be stressful and might affect the structure of faculty work. Aim: To evaluate the stress level among university personnel during the COVID-19 outbreak and its relation to their time management skills. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional web-based survey was conducted on a sample of 56 university professionals. Each participant filled a google form questionnaire consisting of Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and Time Management Scale (TMS). The results were analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.0. Results: A total of 56 responses were received from full-time faculty and staff with 60% response rate. The overall PSS (mean±SD) was 15.29±7.13, indicating a low level of stress among the professionals. The mean TMS of 37.98±7.63 indicates an average time management skills. Significant negative correlation was found between PSS and TMS (r=-0.371, p=0.005). A positive correlation was found between TMS and years of experience (r=0.278, p=0.038). Both PSS and TMS had insignificant association with age, gender and years of experience. Conclusion: The stress level during the COVID-19 outbreak is relatively low among the University professionals. The TMS has a negative correlation with the PSS; however, it improves with the increase in years of job experience.

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Teaching and Learning in Higher Education: E-Learning as a Tool

International Journal of Innovative Technology and Exploring Engineering - Special Issue ◽

10.35940/ijitee.a4188.119119 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 458-463 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Keyword(s):

Higher Education ◽

Teaching And Learning ◽

The Internet ◽

Full Time ◽

Online Classes ◽

New Paradigm ◽

Education Students ◽

Communication Tools ◽

Modern Education ◽

E Learning

Recently, the market of E-Learning is soaring and is known as a new paradigm in modern education. E-Learning acts as a medium, consisting of several types of computers and electronic media that are communication tools as well as the Internet, which provides training and informative access on certain subjects. By using E-Learning students can attend online classes anywhere, regardless of time and place. Generally, E-Learning is more geared towards self-training and is ideal for individuals who work full-time but desire to further their studies. Thus, this study has been developed and integrated with factors leading towards the effectiveness of E-Learning as a tool in Teaching and Learning (T&L) approach. A quantitative approach was applied by using a self-administered distribution of questionnaire targeted at higher education students. Therefore, the outcomes of this research will help to provide insightful information to the current education system in Malaysia, particularly in crafting strategies to enhance the learning education for the country in general.

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Comparison of Immediate Changes in Cervical and Lumbar Repositioning Errors and Pain in Asymptomatic Computer Users after Computer Work

Journal of Physical Therapy Science ◽

10.1589/jpts.24.1325 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 24 (12) ◽

pp. 1325-1327 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Won-gyu Yoo

Keyword(s):

Computer Users ◽

Computer Work

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Robbins and After

A University Education ◽

10.1093/oso/9780198767268.003.0007 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

David Willetts

Keyword(s):

Higher Education ◽

Further Education ◽

Cultural Preservation ◽

Full Time ◽

Education Students ◽

Government Bonds ◽

The First World War ◽

The Many ◽

The University ◽

Further Education Colleges

The early 1960s saw the biggest transformation of English higher education of the past hundred years. It is only matched by the break-up of the Oxbridge monopoly and the early Victorian reforms. It will be forever associated with the name of Lionel Robbins, whose great report came out in November 1963: he is for universities what Beveridge is for social security. His report exuded such authority and was associated with such a surge in the number of universities and of students that Robbins has given his name to key decisions which had already been taken even before he put pen to paper. In the 1950s Britain’s twenty-five universities received their funding from fees, endowments (invested in Government bonds which had largely lost their value because of inflation since the First World War), and ‘deficit funding’ from the University Grants Committee, which was a polite name for subsidies covering their losses. The UGC had been established in 1919 and was the responsibility not of the Education Department but the Treasury, which was proud to fund these great national institutions directly. Like museums and art galleries, higher education was rarefied cultural preservation for a small elite. Public spending on higher education was less than the subsidy for the price of eggs. By 1962 there were 118,000 full-time university students together with 55,000 in teacher training and 43,000 in further education colleges. This total of 216,000 full-time higher education students broadly matches the number of academics now. Young men did not go off to university—they were conscripted into the army. The annual university intake of around 50,000 young people a year was substantially less than the 150,000 a year doing National Service. The last conscript left the army in the year Robbins was published. Reversing the balance between those two very different routes to adulthood was to change Britain. It is one of the many profound differences between the baby boomers and the generation that came before them. Just over half of students were ‘county scholars’ receiving scholarships for fees and living costs from their own local authority on terms decided by each council.

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Asda, Morrisons and Tesco offer employees an alternative route to a degree

Human Resource Management International Digest ◽

10.1108/hrmid-05-2014-0060 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 22 (3) ◽

pp. 21-23

Keyword(s):

Design Methodology ◽

Degree Programs ◽

Full Time ◽

Tuition Fees ◽

Retail Operations ◽

Quality Work ◽

Content Type ◽

Job Experience ◽

The University ◽

Practical Implications

Purpose – This study aims to reveal how UK supermarket giants Asda, Morrisons and Tesco have teamed up with universities to launch degree courses for their non-graduate employees. Design/methodology/approach – This study explains what gave rise to the degree programs, the form they take and the results they are expected to achieve. Findings – The origins and progress of Asda’s link with Middlesex University in honors degrees in either distribution or retail operations, the Morrisons degree in management and business with the University of Bradford and Tesco’s partnership with Manchester Metropolitan University on a retail-foundation degree are charted. Practical implications – The advantages to participants of getting a university qualification at the same time as on-the-job experience have been highlighted. Social implications – In this study, some of the growing number of alternatives to the traditional three-year full-time degree program, which is becoming more attractive as university tuition fees dissuade some young people from taking a degree straight after leaving school has been dealt with. Originality/value – Demonstrates the demand for and success of quality work-based learning leading to higher-education qualifications for retail employees.

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Academic, Social, and Behavioral Adjustment for Students Declassified from Special Education

Council review ◽

10.1177/001440299606300108 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 63 (1) ◽

pp. 89-100 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Elaine Carlson ◽

Lucian Parshall

Keyword(s):

Special Education ◽

General Education ◽

Preliminary Investigation ◽

Behavioral Adjustment ◽

Special Education Students ◽

Department Of Education ◽

Full Time ◽

Special Education Services ◽

Education Students ◽

The Past

Each year 7% of Michigan's special education students return to full-time general education programs through declassification. In a preliminary investigation of declassification from special education, the authors analyzed data collected by the Michigan Department of Education over the past 5 years. Respondents suggested that, as a group, students declassified from special education are academically, socially, and behaviorally well adjusted; but teachers or counselors of 11% of the declassified students felt that these students continued to require special education services. Within 3 years, 4% of declassified students had returned to special education. Particularly noteworthy were the relatively poor results for declassified students with emotional impairments.

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