Tessa Keegel

• BA(Hons), Grad Dip Epi Bio, Masters, PhD
• Lecturer at La Trobe University

We appreciate Prof. Mishiba’s detailed consideration of strategies to address psychosocial risk and mental health concerns in the workplace and share his interest in this important topic. Our articulation of an integrated approach to workplace mental health has been referred to in footnote 4 (Mishiba, p. 98) as representing Prof. Mishiba’s “mental...

The letter from Prof. Anthony D. LaMontagne and other epidemiologists in response to Mishiba's editorial, along with Mishiba's counterargument. LaMontagne argues that while a positive approach to enhancing engagement is necessary for addressing mental health issues, a data-driven PSRs (Psychosocial Risks) approach that mandates various measures for...

Background It is widely accepted that intellectual property legal requirements such as patents and data exclusivity can affect access to medicines, but to date there has not been a comprehensive review of the empirical evidence on this topic. The World Trade Organization’s Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) r...

IntroductionThe incidence and prevalence of diabetes within a population are important public health metrics. Pharmaceutical administrative data may offer a resource that can contribute to quantifying these measures using the recorded signals derived from the drugs used to treat people with diabetes. Objective To estimate the longitudinal incidence...

IntroductionEstimating the mortality risk of persons with diabetes can be challenging. Associated conditions such as cardiovascular disease can become the primary cause of mortality and the underlying contribution of diabetes not recorded. Alternative methods to assess mortality risk in people with diabetes would be useful. Objective To evaluate an...

Background: We conducted a cluster randomized trial of a workplace mental health intervention in an Australian police department. The intervention was co‐designed and co‐implemented with the police department. Intervention elements included tailored mental health literacy training for all members of participating police stations, and a leadership d...

Introduction: Chronic disease (CD) is a leading cause of population mortality, illness and disability. Identification of CD using administrative data is increasingly used and may have utility in monitoring population health. Pharmaceutical administrative data using World Health Organization Anatomic Therapeutic Chemical Codification (ATC) assigned...

Aim and objective: Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is associated with multiple comorbidities and diverse symptomology that often require management with prescribed medications. Parathyroidectomy is an established treatment for PHPT but may also reduce the need for medications required to treat the associated conditions. We examined the changes i...

Background: Long-term survival (LTS) following abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) surgery is an outcome that can compare open surgical repair (OSR) and endovascular AAA repair (EVAR) methods. We examined the LTS of persons following successful AAA repair using administrative health data covering the Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits and Medicare Ben...

Background Pharmaceutical data can be used to identify the presence of drug-treated chronic diseases (CD) in individuals using assigned World Health Organization Anatomic Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classifications of medicines prescribed. ATC codes define treatment domains and provides a method to case define CD that has previously been used to es...

Background Estimates of age-specific mortality rates and relative mortality risks are useful for a variety of health, actuarial and life insurance purposes. Mortality risk may also be associated with individual health service utilisation. Main AimWe aimed to identify mortality events using pharmaceutical administrative data and quantify mortality r...

Background Antidepressant management with Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI) during pregnancy is associated with risks of congenital malformations and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Main AimWe examined the incidence of SSRI use during pregnancy using Australian administrative pharmaceutical data linked to medical service data detailing ant...

Background Quantifying the mortality risk for people with diabetes is challenging because of associated comorbidities. The recording of cause specific mortality from accompanying cardiovascular disease in death certificate notifications has been considered to underestimate the overall mortality risk in persons with diabetes. Main Aim Develop a tec...

Background Administrative data may have utility in the impartial assessment of surgical outcomes and rare events. We have used a publicly available sample of the Australian pharmaceutical and health service provision (medical benefits scheme) databases to assess outcomes following parathyroidectomy for primary hyperparathyroidism (PHP). Methods A...

Background Occupational contact dermatitis is one of the most common occupational diseases, but there is a lack of reliable information on incidence. Despite acknowledged limitations, workers’ compensation statistics may provide insights into contact dermatitis patterns. Objective The objective of the study was to characterise historical patterns...

Background Many workplaces have implemented sit-stand workstations (SSW), which enable a worker to transition between sitting and standing as they perform their work activities. The factors which determine the initial adoption, sustainability or cessation of use for a SSW, remain largely unexamined. This study investigates the experiences of worker...

This systematic review updates the current state of evidence on the effectiveness of softer flooring and cushioned shoe insoles on reducing musculoskeletal discomfort amongst workers who are required to stand for prolonged periods to work and the impact of factors such as age and gender on the outcomes. A systematic search identified 10 unique stud...

Background Administrative data base research may have a role in surgical quality outcome evaluation. Such data provide independent and epidemiological perspectives of surgical performance that may differ from the results generated by the surgical units themselves. This may be of significance in decisions concerning health resource allocation, the a...

Background Pharmaceutical administrative data can provide an alternative method to assess chronic disease prevalence. The data within prescription exchanges includes the specific nature of the medication dispensed which can be utilised for case definition by proxy of certain chronic diseases. Objectives This study examines the potential of Australi...

Purpose Work absence can result in substantial losses to the economy and workers. As a result, identifying modifiable factors associated with return-to-work (RTW) following an injury or illness is the focus of many empirical investigations. Self-efficacy, the belief about one’s ability to undertake behaviours to achieve desired goals, has been iden...

Objective: To assess depression literacy, help-seeking and help-offering to others in members of the police force in the state of Victoria, Australia. Methods: All staff in police stations involved in a cluster randomised controlled trial of an integrated workplace mental health intervention were invited to participate. Survey questions covered...

Linked Article: Hamnerius et al. Br J Dermatol 2018; 178:452–461.

Introduction A large body of evidence demonstrates substantial effects of work-related psychosocial hazards on risks of both musculoskeletal and mental health disorders (MSDs and MHDs), which are two of the most costly occupational health problems in many countries. This study investigated current workplace risk management practices in two industry...

Prevalence and predictors associated with musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) vary considerably between countries. It is plausible that socio-cultural contexts may contribute to these differences. We conducted a cross-sectional survey with 1184 Malaysian and Australian office workers with the aim to examine predictors associated with MSD discomfort. T...

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the association between high ambient temperature and acute work-related injury, expanding on previous research in this area. Specifically we examined the relationship between both daytime and overnight temperatures and injury risk and disentangled physically demanding occupational exposures from...

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are considered to be a major occupational health problem contributing significantly to absenteeism, disability and loss of productivity. The majority of studies related to MSDs have been conducted in developed countries such as Australia, and it is proposed that contributing factors linked with MSD development might...

Introduction Work absence can result in substantial losses to the economy and workers. As a result, identifying modifiable factors associated with return-to-work (RTW) following an injury or illness is the focus of many empirical investigations. Self-efficacy, the belief about one’s ability to undertake behaviours to achieve desired goals, has been...

Background: In this paper, we present the protocol for a cluster-randomised trial to evaluate the implementation and effectiveness of a workplace mental health intervention in the state-wide police department of the south-eastern Australian state of Victoria. n. The primary aims of the intervention are to improve psychosocial working conditions an...

A systematic analysis of the literature was undertaken to determine which characteristics of workplace interventions are most effective in assisting people with persistent musculoskeletal pain (PMP) to remain productively employed. Databases of Medline, PsychINFO, CINAHL and Embase were searched using MeSH and other relevant terms. Studies that rep...

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are a major occupational health issue for workers in developed and developing countries, including Malaysia. Most research related to MSDs has been undertaken in developed countries; given the different regulatory and cultural practices it is plausible that contributions of hazard and risk factors may be different....

The use of antiseptic hand rubs (AHRs), rather than washing with soap and water, is considered to be the gold standard for reducing the frequency of nosocomial infections, as well as being less damaging to the hands than washing with soap and water, but little is known at a population level about usage patterns for AHRs. To describe AHR use pattern...

Purpose Workstyle can be defined as an individual pattern of cognitions, behaviours and physiological reactivity that can occur while performing job tasks. Workstyle has been associated with the development of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) amongst office workers in developed countries. However, little is known about the contribution of workstyle...

We developed and implemented an integrated workplace mental health intervention combining job stress intervention with a workplace mental health literacy program. The intervention was evaluated using an uncontrolled design, with organization-wide assessment of working conditions and mental health literacy preintervention, followed by action plannin...

There is growing recognition of the important role of mental health in the workforce and in the workplace. At the same time, there has been a rapid growth of studies linking job stress and other psychosocial working conditions to common mental disorders, and a corresponding increase in public concern media attention to job stress and its impact upo...

We developed and implemented an integrated workplace mental health promotion intervention combining job stress reduction with a workplace mental health literacy program. The intervention was evaluated using an uncontrolled design, with organizationorganisation-wide census employee surveys of working conditions and mental health literacy pre-interve...

Background Mental health problems are prevalent and costly in working populations. Workplace interventions to address common mental health problems have evolved relatively independently along three main threads or disciplinary traditions: medicine, public health, and psychology. In this Debate piece, we argue that these three threads need to be int...

To investigate the relationships between occupational, workplace, and demographic factors and the provision of multilevel exposure protection systems. Respondents reporting dermal chemical exposure at work were asked about protective measures provided to them in the workplace, which we classified as personal protection or awareness measures. An ord...

Occupational end users of pesticides may experience bodily absorption of the pesticide products they use, risking possible health effects. The purpose of this paper is to provide a guide for researchers, practitioners, and policy makers working in the field of agricultural health or other areas where occupational end use of pesticides and exposure...

Objective Chemical exposures in workplaces are an important occupational health and safety problem; however, there is little published information available about the provision of basic exposure controls to workers with dermal chemical exposures across industrial sectors. This analysis investigated relationships between occupational, workplace and...

To examine the relationship between shiftwork and work injury among men and women, taking into account the presence of dependent children. An analysis of respondents to the 2009-2010 Multipurpose Household Survey (n = 6927 women and 7340 men). Logistic regression models examined the work injury risk, adjusting for various covariates. The risk of wo...

Objective: To examine if the factors associated with days of absence following a work-related injury are similar for mental health versus musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions. Methods: A secondary analysis of wage replacement workers' compensation claims in the state of Victoria, Australia. We examined the relationship between individual, injury, oc...

To analyze the occupational and demographic characteristics for workers participating in the Australian National Hazard Exposure Worker Surveillance (NHEWS) Survey, who reported the provision of various types of workplace control measures for exposure of the hands to wet-working conditions, and to identify the barriers for the provision of controls...

Background: Hairdressers are one of the largest occupational groups attending our Occupational Dermatology Clinic. However, few seek workers' compensation for their occupational dermatitis. Objectives: To retrospectively analyse and compare workers' compensation claims data and diagnosed disease data for occupational contact dermatitis in hairdr...

Background: Although there is convincing epidemiological evidence that physical activity is associated with a reduced risk of colon cancer, it is unclear whether physical activity is differentially associated with the risks of proximal colon and distal colon cancers. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate this issue. Me...

The Australian National Hazard Exposure Worker Surveillance (NHEWS) Survey 2008 was a cross-sectional survey undertaken by Safe Work Australia to inform the development of exposure prevention initiatives for occupational disease. This is a descriptive study of workplace exposures. To assess the occupational and demographic characteristics of worker...

We present a comparative analysis of patterns of exposure to job stressors and stress-related workers' compensation (WC) claims to provide an evaluation of the adequacy of claims-driven policy and practice. We assessed job strain prevalence in a 2003 population-based survey of Victorian [Australia] workers and compared these results with stress-rel...

The occupational contact dermatitis disease severity index (ODDI) was designed to assess the severity and importantly the functional disability caused by occupational contact dermatitis (OCD) of the hands in patients attending our occupational dermatology clinic. To investigate the accuracy of the ODDI. Of 205 patients, 95 were assessed as having O...

Objectives: Persistent post-occupational dermatitis (PPOD) was mentioned by Wall and Gebauer in 1991 to describe ongoing skin disease precipitated by occupational contact dermatitis (OCD). There has been little formal recognition or clarification of this condition. Methods: Approximately 1600 records from our Occupational Dermatology Clinic were se...

Objectives: In Australia the National Occupational Health and Safety Commission (NOHSC) requires that manufacturers provide Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for all hazardous materials. However the accuracy of MSDS has not previously been assessed, utilizing the specified NOHSC criteria for hazardous substances. Methods: 100 consecutive product M...

Objectives: The Surveillance by General Practitioners of Occupational Contact Dermatitis Project (Spot) has been designed to provide disease estimates for occupational contact dermatitis within a defined geographic area in Melbourne, Australia. Method: Spot collected reports of occupational contact dermatitis from four separate sources: general pra...

The broad aim of this study was to assess the contribution of job strain to mental health inequalities by (a) estimating the proportion of depression attributable to job strain (low control and high demand jobs), (b) assessing variation in attributable risk by occupational skill level, and (c) comparing numbers of job strain-attributable depression...

Job stress has been linked to a wide range of adverse effects on mental, physical, and organisational health. Despite the evidence that systems approaches are most effective in reducing the adverse impact of job stress, prevalent practice is dominated by worker- or individual-focused strategies in the absence of commensurate intervention on working...

This study assesses both the success of medical practitioners in accessing hazardous substances' information from product manufacturers and the accuracy and clinical usefulness of Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) presented by workers with suspected occupational contact dermatitis (OCD). 100 consecutively presented MSDS were collected from 42 work...

Ninety reports of systematic evaluations of job-stress interventions were rated in terms of the degree of systems approach used. A high rating was defined as both organizationally and individually focused, versus moderate (organizational only), and low (individual only). Studies using high-rated approaches represent a growing proportion of the job-...

The aims of this study were to compare treatment and referral practices between general practitioners (GPs) and dermatologists and to evaluate predictors for occupational contact dermatitis (OCD) disease severity measured in terms of worker impairment. Data were collected from 181 patients recruited for a larger study of OCD. Information about trea...

Much research on precarious employment compares permanent workers with one or two other broadly-defined employment categories. We developed a more refined method of examining precariousness by defining current employment arrangements in terms of job characteristics. These employment arrangement categories were then compared in terms of socio-demogr...

A survey of patients attending an occupational dermatology clinic with suspected occupational contact dermatitis affecting the hands was undertaken to determine if optimal skin care treatment had been instituted prior to referral for patch testing. Appropriate treatment for contact dermatitis of the hands was defined as concurrent use of a soap sub...

Occupational contact dermatitis (OCD) regularly causes high levels of worker morbidity; however, this is often not reflected in available statistics. This study aimed to collect and verify OCD reports/referrals and generate disease estimates for a defined geographical area in Melbourne, Australia. Two methods of data collection were used. In the fi...

Between January 1993 and February 2002, 40 of 1354 (3%) workers who attended a tertiary referral occupational dermatology clinic were diagnosed with allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) from epoxy resin systems (ER). 20 of these patients were followed up at least 2 years post-diagnosis to establish prognosis. Characteristics collected at diagnosis, in...

The prognosis of occupational contact dermatitis (OCD) takes into account the extent of healing, effect on quality of life and employment, and financial costs for both the individual and the wider community. We reviewed 15 studies published between 1958 and 2002, reporting the complete clearance of dermatitis (range of 18-72%). 9 of the 15 studies...

Wall and Gebauer (Contact Dermatitis 1991: 24: 241-243) first described persistent post-occupational dermatitis (PPOD) as ongoing dermatitis for which there is no obvious present cause, precipitated by prior occupational contact dermatitis (OCD). We propose that individuals exhibiting PPOD lose the capacity for resolution of their condition upon re...

The reported prevalence of allergic contact dermatitis from topical corticosteroids in clinical populations, in the period 1993-2002, varied from 0.55 to 5.98%. This study is a retrospective analysis of 1153 individuals undergoing routine patch testing in an Occupational Dermatology Clinic in Melbourne, Australia. We report a rate of 0.52% for posi...

Career counsellors are in a unique position to provide timely preventive advice to young people at risk of developing occupational contact dermatitis. Career counsellors need to be aware of risk factors for this condition, including atopic eczema, and of high-risk occupations, such as hairdressing. A cross-sectional survey of 82 career counsellors...