Introduction
In their study, Schulte et al. (2012) reviewed the interaction of the personal and occupational risk factors in the health and safety of a workforce. According to the study, most injuries, diseases, and other health conditions often experienced in a workplace are multifactorial. However, the evidence that supports the role of work and individual risk factors in the health of employees are often ignored or underused while developing intervention strategies. In support of their study, Pearson et al. (2012) denote that achieving a healthy and longer life in a workplace requires the adoption of a comprehensive preventive approach.
Schulte et al. (2012) focused on evaluating how personal and occupational risk factors interact to affect the health and safety of a workforce. The study focused on a combination of different models on personal risk factors such as prescribed drug use, genetical factors, smoking, obesity, chronic diseases, and alcohol about different occupational models. However, this paper will evaluate the interaction of smoking and chronic diseases within a workplace. It will also evaluate interview as a data collection method, analyze the data collected and suggest recommendations that can help in reducing the related health risk factors within a workplace. Brixey et al. (2011) hence suggest that all the employees within the workplace need to ensure they adopt strategies and lifestyles that do not expose or worsen the health conditions of fellow employees.
Smoking has a significantly dominant adverse health outcome in a workplace. The secondary data and analysis have found that smoking is a confounder and independent variable that has been identified as an effect modifier in the epidemiological occupational relationships. The study also denotes that smoking as a risk factor exposes both the primary and secondary smokers to many chronic infections such as heart diseases, cancer, and asthma. In support of the effect of smoking in a workplace, Middleton and Kowalski (2010) denotes that shift work especially night duty, cold working environments (Kheifets et al. 2009), cleaning and construction, as well as stress at work are found to be the major promoters of smoking among employees in a workplace. At the same time, Pearson et al. (2012) point out that smoking within the workplace environment exposes other non-smokers (secondary smokers who inhale the smoke) to infections and greatly affects employees with chronic infections within the workplace such as asthma.
Advantages and disadvantages of secondary data collection method
The study focused on secondary data collection method of reviewing different models about occupational and personal health risk factors. All the work related databases and terminologies were collected using the PubMed database while identifying different journal articles that address specific diseases and their interaction with the occupational risk factors in a workplace. The study carried out a further evaluation of primary sources in relevant review articles and journals based on the PubMed database.
Another stage of literature research of the study focused on specific health effects and hazards derived from the reviewed articles on different health models identified in the first stage of the research. From the summary of the secondary data, Schulte et al. (2012) found out that over 49000 employees die from work-related illnesses and occupational injuries respectively. Out of the population, smoking and chronic exposure accounts for 29% annually in the global workplace environments.
The use of secondary data collection is increasingly adopted in the current medical research as it is considered the best method of understanding the possible gaps of research that still need further studies. However, Rushton and Betts (2000) denote that secondary methods of data collection have both its advantages and disadvantages to a researcher. For instance, literature review gives a researcher the feasibility of international and longitudinal comparative studies.
Depending on the topic of study, a regular or continuous survey such as official professional registers and government censuses often provide sufficient and updated data for analysis of a trend of evolution since they are regularly performed and information updated on a continuous basis. For instance, Smith and DeJoy (2012) denote that the use of World Values Survey provides empirical data that covers the majority of the global population and on factors that influence the population. In other words, carrying out research without reviewing such longitudinal studies often makes the research miss the vigor of updated information. A literature review as a source of secondary data is also easier as it is accessible and gives an overview of a new insight of study. However, Spreeuwers et al. (2009) also denote that the use of secondary data is disadvantageous as there is a lack of the quality of data presented even if it is inappropriate since primary data collection is often done with a concrete idea in mind.
Initiative and intervention strategies of reducing smoking effects to chronic conditions
According to Halperin and Howard (2011), the environment of the workplace encompassing the psychological, organizational, and physical environments directly shapes the health, safety, health behavior of every employee in a workplace. It is hence necessary to ensure that the working environment is safe and free from any exposure to health-related challenges. Baicker and Cutler (2011) denote that there are several strategies that cane adopted by both individuals and the organization to ensure the working environment is safe for all. For instance, training the community on the effects of smoking to other non-smokers within a workplace will enable smokers to take personal initiative to ensure they do not expose their colleagues to related health challenges. The management of the organization should as well put in place rules and regulations that reduce the challenges such as having smoking zones far away from residential areas and offices (Seixas & Checkoway, 1995). Violations of such rules should be treated with seriousness to ensure that every employee is not exposed to a health risk that can otherwise be controlled.
Conclusion
Different people join the workplace with various sets of characteristics that can affect how vulnerable they can be to occupational health risk factors. These characteristics often include a wide range of chronic infections many of which often vary depending on the age of the employee. The same study also denotes that the coexisting conditions of a workplace often interact with the occupational health risk factors such as dusty or cold environments while continued employment requires good health. In other words, the development of any health risk factor such as smoking can affect the performance and the well-being of the employees.
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