On the move: understanding home care workers’ experiences of using various modes of transportation at work in an occupational health perspective
Abstract Background The demand for home care workers (HCWs) is increasing, but home care services face challenges in recruiting and retaining skilled workers, partly due to hazards in the work environment. Transportation to client visits is an important part of HCWs' working conditions, with va...
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2024-12-01
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| Series: | BMC Health Services Research |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-024-12071-z |
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| author | Ingeborg Frostad Liaset Marius Steiro Fimland Svend Erik Mathiassen Skender Redzovic |
| author_facet | Ingeborg Frostad Liaset Marius Steiro Fimland Svend Erik Mathiassen Skender Redzovic |
| author_sort | Ingeborg Frostad Liaset |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background The demand for home care workers (HCWs) is increasing, but home care services face challenges in recruiting and retaining skilled workers, partly due to hazards in the work environment. Transportation to client visits is an important part of HCWs' working conditions, with various modes (e.g., walking, cycling, driving) being utilized. However, these modes are often implemented without considering HCWs' perceptions of their use. Therefore, our study aimed to understand HCWs’ perceptions and experiences of using different transportation modes at work, and how they may influence health. Methods Fourteen HCWs from a home care unit in Trondheim (Norway) participated in focus group interviews. The interviews were analyzed using a reflexive thematic analysis approach including reflexive journaling. The analytical process was guided by a biopsychosocial understanding of health. Results The analysis showed that when different transportation modes were assigned, predictability of the assignment was important for the HCWs. Both walking and driving were regarded to have both positive and negative health impacts. When walking, informants thought that getting fresh air outdoors and doing physical activity was health-promoting, while bad weather conditions and too much walking could be negative for their health. When driving a car, informants talked about privacy and getting physical rest as positive for their health, while traffic and parking conditions could be stressful. Individual factors such as age, physical health, and strong preferences were highlighted as important to consider when planning HCWs’ transportation modes in an occupational health perspective. Conclusions Walking now and then between client visits was generally believed by the HCWs to lead to positive health effects compared to only driving a car. Introducing planning of various transportation modes in advance, so that they are predictable, seems important to reduce stress among HCWs. In addition, some individual factors should be considered in the planning, and it should be realized that the planning likely represents a trade-off between promoting the psychosocial work environment when driving a car and potentially enhancing long-term physical health when using active transportation. Thus, biopsychosocial aspects of health should be considered when planning the mode of transport between client visits for HCWs. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-cc9b6536fce94ef48ce19de424cd53f8 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1472-6963 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Health Services Research |
| spelling | doaj-art-cc9b6536fce94ef48ce19de424cd53f82025-08-20T02:39:51ZengBMCBMC Health Services Research1472-69632024-12-0124111110.1186/s12913-024-12071-zOn the move: understanding home care workers’ experiences of using various modes of transportation at work in an occupational health perspectiveIngeborg Frostad Liaset0Marius Steiro Fimland1Svend Erik Mathiassen2Skender Redzovic3Department of Neuromedicine and Movement Science, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, NTNU Norwegian University of Science and TechnologyDepartment of Neuromedicine and Movement Science, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, NTNU Norwegian University of Science and TechnologyDepartment of Occupational Health, Psychology and Sports Sciences, Centre for Musculoskeletal Research, University of GävleDepartment of Neuromedicine and Movement Science, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, NTNU Norwegian University of Science and TechnologyAbstract Background The demand for home care workers (HCWs) is increasing, but home care services face challenges in recruiting and retaining skilled workers, partly due to hazards in the work environment. Transportation to client visits is an important part of HCWs' working conditions, with various modes (e.g., walking, cycling, driving) being utilized. However, these modes are often implemented without considering HCWs' perceptions of their use. Therefore, our study aimed to understand HCWs’ perceptions and experiences of using different transportation modes at work, and how they may influence health. Methods Fourteen HCWs from a home care unit in Trondheim (Norway) participated in focus group interviews. The interviews were analyzed using a reflexive thematic analysis approach including reflexive journaling. The analytical process was guided by a biopsychosocial understanding of health. Results The analysis showed that when different transportation modes were assigned, predictability of the assignment was important for the HCWs. Both walking and driving were regarded to have both positive and negative health impacts. When walking, informants thought that getting fresh air outdoors and doing physical activity was health-promoting, while bad weather conditions and too much walking could be negative for their health. When driving a car, informants talked about privacy and getting physical rest as positive for their health, while traffic and parking conditions could be stressful. Individual factors such as age, physical health, and strong preferences were highlighted as important to consider when planning HCWs’ transportation modes in an occupational health perspective. Conclusions Walking now and then between client visits was generally believed by the HCWs to lead to positive health effects compared to only driving a car. Introducing planning of various transportation modes in advance, so that they are predictable, seems important to reduce stress among HCWs. In addition, some individual factors should be considered in the planning, and it should be realized that the planning likely represents a trade-off between promoting the psychosocial work environment when driving a car and potentially enhancing long-term physical health when using active transportation. Thus, biopsychosocial aspects of health should be considered when planning the mode of transport between client visits for HCWs.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-024-12071-zHome health workerHealth care workerBicycleElectrical scooterTransport |
| spellingShingle | Ingeborg Frostad Liaset Marius Steiro Fimland Svend Erik Mathiassen Skender Redzovic On the move: understanding home care workers’ experiences of using various modes of transportation at work in an occupational health perspective BMC Health Services Research Home health worker Health care worker Bicycle Electrical scooter Transport |
| title | On the move: understanding home care workers’ experiences of using various modes of transportation at work in an occupational health perspective |
| title_full | On the move: understanding home care workers’ experiences of using various modes of transportation at work in an occupational health perspective |
| title_fullStr | On the move: understanding home care workers’ experiences of using various modes of transportation at work in an occupational health perspective |
| title_full_unstemmed | On the move: understanding home care workers’ experiences of using various modes of transportation at work in an occupational health perspective |
| title_short | On the move: understanding home care workers’ experiences of using various modes of transportation at work in an occupational health perspective |
| title_sort | on the move understanding home care workers experiences of using various modes of transportation at work in an occupational health perspective |
| topic | Home health worker Health care worker Bicycle Electrical scooter Transport |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-024-12071-z |
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