IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v17y2020i14p4917-d381703.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Adapting Citizen Science to Improve Health in an Occupational Setting: Preliminary Results of a Qualitative Study

Author

Listed:
  • Mandy van den Berge

    (Department of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands)

  • Gerben Hulsegge

    (Department of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands
    Sustainable Productivity and Employability, The Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research, TNO, 2316 ZL Leiden, The Netherlands)

  • Henk F. van der Molen

    (Department of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Coronel Institute of Occupational Health, Netherlands Center for Occupational Diseases, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, 1100 DD Amsterdam, The Netherlands)

  • Karin I. Proper

    (Department of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands
    Centre for Nutrition, Prevention and Health Services, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, 3721 MA Bilthoven, The Netherlands)

  • H. Roeline W. Pasman

    (Department of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands)

  • Lea den Broeder

    (Centre for Nutrition, Prevention and Health Services, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, 3721 MA Bilthoven, The Netherlands
    Faculty of Health, Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, 1105 BD Amsterdam, The Netherlands)

  • Sietske J. Tamminga

    (Department of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Coronel Institute of Occupational Health, Netherlands Center for Occupational Diseases, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, 1100 DD Amsterdam, The Netherlands)

  • Carel T. J. Hulshof

    (Department of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Coronel Institute of Occupational Health, Netherlands Center for Occupational Diseases, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, 1100 DD Amsterdam, The Netherlands)

  • Allard J. van der Beek

    (Department of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands)

Abstract

Health interventions often do not reach blue-collar workers. Citizen science engages target groups in the design and execution of health interventions, but has not yet been applied in an occupational setting. This preliminary study determines barriers and facilitators and feasible elements for citizen science to improve the health of blue-collar workers. The study was conducted in a terminal and construction company by performing semi-structured interviews and focus groups with employees, company management and experts. Interviews and focus groups were analyzed using thematic content analysis and the elements were pilot tested. Workers considered work pressure, work location and several personal factors as barriers for citizen science at the worksite, and (lack of) social support and (negative) social culture both as barriers and facilitators. Citizen science to improve health at the worksite may include three elements: (1) knowledge and skills, (2) social support and social culture, and (3) awareness about lifestyle behaviors. Strategies to implement these elements may be company specific. This study provides relevant indications on feasible elements and strategies for citizen science to improve health at the worksite. Further studies on the feasibility of citizen science in other settings, including a larger and more heterogeneous sample of blue-collar workers, are necessary.

Suggested Citation

  • Mandy van den Berge & Gerben Hulsegge & Henk F. van der Molen & Karin I. Proper & H. Roeline W. Pasman & Lea den Broeder & Sietske J. Tamminga & Carel T. J. Hulshof & Allard J. van der Beek, 2020. "Adapting Citizen Science to Improve Health in an Occupational Setting: Preliminary Results of a Qualitative Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(14), pages 1-19, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:14:p:4917-:d:381703
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/14/4917/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/14/4917/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Josine M. Stuber & Cédric N. H. Middel & Joreintje D. Mackenbach & Joline W. J. Beulens & Jeroen Lakerveld, 2020. "Successfully Recruiting Adults with a Low Socioeconomic Position into Community-Based Lifestyle Programs: A Qualitative Study on Expert Opinions," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(8), pages 1-15, April.
    2. Heikkilä, K. & Fransson, E.I. & Nyberg, S.T. & Zins, M. & Westerlund, H. & Westerholm, P. & Virtanen, M. & Vahtera, J. & Suominen, S. & Steptoe, A. & Salo, P. & Pentti, J. & Oksanen, T. & Nordin, M. &, 2013. "Job strain and health-related lifestyle: Findings from an individual-participant meta-analysis of 118 000 working adults," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 103(11), pages 2090-2097.
    3. Helen Lingard & Michelle Turner, 2015. "Improving the health of male, blue collar construction workers: a social ecological perspective," Construction Management and Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 33(1), pages 18-34, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Sophie van der Feltz & Henk F. van der Molen & Lisa Lelie & Carel T. J. Hulshof & Allard J. van der Beek & Karin I. Proper, 2022. "Changes in Fruit and Vegetable Consumption and Leisure Time Physical Exercise after a Citizen Science-Based Worksite Health Promotion Program for Blue-Collar Workers," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(20), pages 1-11, October.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Sophie van der Feltz & Henk F. van der Molen & Lisa Lelie & Carel T. J. Hulshof & Allard J. van der Beek & Karin I. Proper, 2022. "Changes in Fruit and Vegetable Consumption and Leisure Time Physical Exercise after a Citizen Science-Based Worksite Health Promotion Program for Blue-Collar Workers," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(20), pages 1-11, October.
    2. Guangdong Wu & Kaifeng Duan & Jian Zuo & Jianlin Yang & Shiping Wen, 2016. "System Dynamics Model and Simulation of Employee Work-Family Conflict in the Construction Industry," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-17, October.
    3. Pia Hovbrandt & Per-Olof Östergren & Catarina Canivet & Maria Albin & Gunilla Carlsson & Kerstin Nilsson & Carita Håkansson, 2021. "Psychosocial Working Conditions and Social Participation. A 10-Year Follow-Up of Senior Workers," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(17), pages 1-14, August.
    4. Marjolein C. Harbers & Cédric N.H. Middel & Josine M. Stuber & Joline W.J. Beulens & Femke Rutters & Yvonne T. van der Schouw, 2021. "Determinants of Food Choice and Perceptions of Supermarket-Based Nudging Interventions among Adults with Low Socioeconomic Position: The SUPREME NUDGE Project," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(11), pages 1-14, June.
    5. Simo Raittila & Ossi Rahkonen & Eero Lahelma & Juha Alho & Anne Kouvonen, 2017. "Occupational Class Differences in Trajectories of Working Conditions in Women," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-17, July.
    6. Valerie Hervieux & Hans Ivers & Claude Fernet & Caroline Biron, 2022. "The Role of Job Control and Job Demands in Becoming Physically Active during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Three-Wave Longitudinal Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(4), pages 1-12, February.
    7. Maria De Jesus Mendes da Fonseca & Leidjaira Lopes Juvanhol & Lúcia Rotenberg & Aline Araújo Nobre & Rosane Härter Griep & Márcia Guimarães de Mello Alves & Letícia De Oliveira Cardoso & Luana Giatti , 2017. "Using Gamma and Quantile Regressions to Explore the Association between Job Strain and Adiposity in the ELSA-Brasil Study: Does Gender Matter?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-13, November.
    8. Cintia Díaz-Silveira & Carlos-María Alcover & Francisco Burgos & Alberto Marcos & Miguel A. Santed, 2020. "Mindfulness versus Physical Exercise: Effects of Two Recovery Strategies on Mental Health, Stress and Immunoglobulin A during Lunch Breaks. A Randomized Controlled Trial," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(8), pages 1-18, April.
    9. Sergio A. Useche & Natura Colomer & Francisco Alonso & Luis Montoro, 2018. "Patterns on Work-Related Stress and Tobacco Consumption in City Bus Drivers," SAGE Open, , vol. 8(2), pages 21582440187, June.
    10. Jin Ah Kim & Won Ju Hwang & Juhye Jin, 2020. "An Exploration of Contextual Aspects that Influence Cardiovascular Disease Risks Perceived by Workers in a Small–Medium-Sized Workplace," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(14), pages 1-14, July.
    11. Won Ju Hwang & Jin Ah Kim, 2019. "Developing a Health-Promotion Program Based on the Action Research Paradigm to Reduce Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors among Blue Collar Workers," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(24), pages 1-17, December.
    12. Teresa Cuerdo-Vilches & Miguel Ángel Navas-Martín, 2024. "Examining Energy Poverty among Vulnerable Women-Led Households in Urban Housing before and after COVID-19 Lockdown: A Case Study from a Neighbourhood in Madrid, Spain," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(15), pages 1-18, August.
    13. Mohammad Tanvi Newaz & Helen Giggins & Udara Ranasinghe, 2022. "A Critical Analysis of Risk Factors and Strategies to Improve Mental Health Issues of Construction Workers," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(20), pages 1-14, October.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:14:p:4917-:d:381703. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.