Suchergebnisse

Objectives: The present paper presents findings from two studies addressing the effects of the employee's intention to have rest breaks on rest-break frequency and the change of well-being during a workday. Background: Rest breaks are effective in avoiding an accumulation of fatigue during work. However, little is known about individual differences in rest-break behavior. Method: In Study 1, the association between rest-break intention and the daily number of rest breaks recorded over 4 consecutive workdays was determined by generalized linear model in a sample of employees ( n = 111, 59% females). In Study 2, professional geriatric nurses ( n = 95 females) who worked over two consecutive 12-hour day shifts recorded well-being (fatigue, distress, effort motivation) at the beginning and the end of their shifts. The effect of rest-break intention on the change of well-being was determined by multilevel modeling. Results: Rest-break intention was positively associated with the frequency of rest breaks (Study 1) and reduced the increase of fatigue and distress over the workday (Study 2). Conclusion: The results indicate that individual differences account for the number of breaks an employee takes and, as a consequence, for variations in the work-related fatigue and distress. Application: Strengthening rest-break intentions may help to increase rest-break behavior to avoid the buildup of fatigue and distress over a workday.

AbstractUrban horticulture poses a sustainable form of food production, fosters community engagement and mitigates the impacts of climate change on cities. Yet, it can also be tied to health challenges related to soil contamination. This work builds on a previous study conducted on eleven urban gardens in the city of Vienna, Austria. Following the findings of elevated Pb levels in some soil and plant samples within that project, the present study investigates the elemental composition of soil and plants from two affected gardens 1 year after compost amendment. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) analysis of skin, pulp and seeds of tomato fruits revealed minor variations in elemental composition which are unlikely to have an impact on food safety. In turn, a tendency of contaminant accumulation in root tips and leaves of radishes was found. Washing of lettuce led to a significant reduction in the contents of potentially toxic elements such as Be, Al, V, Ni, Ga and Tl, underscoring the significance of washing garden products before consumption. Furthermore, compost amendments led to promising results, with reduced Zn, Cd and Pb levels in radish bulbs. Pb isotope ratios in soil and spinach leaf samples taken in the previous study were assessed by multi-collector (MC-) ICP-MS to trace Pb uptake from soils into food. A direct linkage between the Pb isotopic signatures in soil and those in spinach leaves was observed, underscoring their effectiveness as tracers of Pb sources in the environment.
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