Israel Macías-Toronjo

Hotel housekeepers are exposed to high physical workload, repetitive tasks, time pressure, and limited social recognition. These occupational conditions may increase the risk of work-related health problems, particularly musculoskeletal disorders, and negatively affect functional capacity and long-term work sustainability. The objective of this systematic review was to synthesise the available evidence on the most prevalent work-related health conditions among hotel housekeepers and to examine their association with work-related risk factors. A systematic review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. Electronic searches were performed in PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, Embase, and Web of Science in November 2025 and updated on 18 March 2026. Eligible observational studies reporting the prevalence of work-related health conditions among hotel housekeepers were included. Study selection, data extraction, and quality appraisal (Joanna Briggs Institute tools) were conducted independently by reviewers. Findings were synthesised narratively and, where appropriate, pooled using random-effects meta-analysis with inverse-variance weighting, Freeman-Tukey double arcsine transformation, and restricted maximum likelihood estimation of between-study variance (τ²). Statistical heterogeneity was assessed using the I² statistic. Eight studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the systematic review. All examined musculoskeletal disorders, consistently reporting high prevalence rates. Five of these studies contributed to the meta-analysis; pooled 12-month prevalence was highest for low back pain (73.0%; 95% CI: 42.9-90.7), followed by wrist/hand (54.7%; 95% CI: 27.7-79.2), shoulder (48.2%; 95% CI: 10.8-87.7), and neck (40.1%; 95% CI: 3.2-93.2). Several studies identified significant associations between musculoskeletal symptoms and labour exposures, including biomechanical load, repetitive movements, work organisation, adverse psychosocial conditions, and specific factors such as the number of beds made per shift, lack of training, and low job satisfaction. Substantial heterogeneity limited comparability across studies. Hotel housekeepers represent a particularly vulnerable occupational group with a high burden of work-related musculoskeletal disorders. The limited number of studies and their heterogeneity highlight the need for more robust, standardised epidemiological research. Preventive strategies addressing ergonomic design, workload management, and psychosocial risk factors are warranted to mitigate health risks and promote long-term occupational well-being in this workforce. The review protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD420261288316).

The COVID-19 disease has entailed a public health challenge and an increased sense of uncertainty for the prison population, who have experienced restrictions on access to social contacts, communal areas, and information for a longer and more recent period than the general population, as well as increased levels of anxiety and fear associated with the COVID-19 disease. The objective of this study was the validation of the Anxiety and Fear of COVID-19 (AMICO) Assessment Scale to measure both anxiety and fear constructs in Spanish prison inmates. A descriptive psychometric validation study was carried out. A field study was conducted to perform univariate analyses, in addition to the exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis of the scale. The study sample consisted of 711 subjects over 18 years of age, inmates in Spanish prisons, 14.1% of whom were women with a mean age of 40.35 years (SD = 2.62). The construct validity study reported 2 factors and 16 items, with a Cronbach alpha value of 0.95, confirmed by McDonald Omega coefficient, with a value of 0.951. The AMICO scale is a valid and reliable tool for assessing the level of anxiety and fear of COVID-19 in the Spanish adult prison population and shows high sensitivity.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on nursing students by intertwining academic demands with health concerns, a situation that had effects on their emotional well-being and academic engagement. Factors such as sociodemographic characteristics and health status determined their experiences. Understanding these dynamics is crucial, especially in the context of the Spanish health and education systems. The present study aimed to adapt and assess the psychometric properties of the AMICO scale in the context of nursing students in Spain. Methods: Cross-sectional descriptive study. The study was carried out in University Nursing Centers in Spain using a non-probabilistic snowball sampling method. The total sample consisted of 1197 nursing students. Sociodemographic variables were included, as well as questions related to general health and some more specific questions about COVID-19. For the reliability study, Cronbach’s alpha was calculated. An exploratory factor analysis using principal components and varimax rotation was applied, excluding items with loadings below 0.05. Results: In this study, 1197 nursing students residing in Spain participated, of whom 85% were female, with a mean age of 22.35 years. Despite 73.9% of the students being isolated due to exposure to COVID-19, they rated their general health positively (7.86). Females reported higher levels of anxiety. The AMICO scale revealed significant differences according to gender, health, and vaccination history, showing high reliability (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.913). Conclusions: The two-factor structure of the AMICO scale was validated, confirming its suitability for assessing anxiety and fear among nursing students in Spain. The study revealed significant emotional distress during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly among women, high-risk individuals, and those fully vaccinated. These findings accentuate the need for higher education institutions to implement targeted mental health interventions during public health emergencies. Future longitudinal research should examine the evolving psychological impact of such crises and the mitigating roles of quality of life, sleep, and physical activity.

Background: The practice of the Pilates method (PM) improves sleep quality, as well as it could decrease low back pain. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of Pilates on the quality of life (QoL) of pregnant women during pregnancy. Methods: A systematic review examining perceived QoL, pain, and mental health in pregnant women practising the PM was conducted following the PRISMA 2020 criteria in the Pubmed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Trip Database electronic databases, including studies published between January 2013 and February 2024. Methodological quality was assessed using the critical appraisal tool for studies of the Joanna Briggs Institute. Results: Ten publications addressing the key words on the topic were included involving a total of 499 pregnant women, of which 268 had practiced Pilates and 231 had received routine care. The results showed that, in 2 of the studies, pregnant women who had practised the PM during pregnancy showed an improvement in perceived QoL (chi-squared value = 5.597, P = .018), sleep quality (P = .018) and physical mobility (P = .040). Lumbopelvic pain (LBPP) was reduced in the group of pregnant women in eight of these studies (with values of P < .001 and P < .05), and 1 study reported no significant differences among these variables. In terms of mental health, 2 studies reported a decrease in anxiety (P < .05 and P = .009) and 1 study indicated lower depression levels (scores of control group from a mean of 6.19 to 7.54, and the intervention group from a mean of 8.61 to 4.59). Conclusion: The PM shows benefits in improving the QoL of pregnant women who practise it during pregnancy. Other indicators such as LBPP and mental health also benefit from Pilates. The practice of physical activity, supervised by nurses and midwives, can lead to an improvement in pregnant women’s perception of their own health and QoL. Reporting Method: PRISMA Declaration. Protocol Registration: PROSPERO registration number CRD42024513781.

This study aimed to examine the employment status of patients who have experienced ischemic heart disease one year after undergoing cardiac rehabilitation. For this, a quasi-experimental pre-post study without a control group of active workers aged 18 to 65 years diagnosed with ischemic heart disease and included in a cardiac rehabilitation programme was conducted. Sociodemographic and occupational data, cardiovascular risk factors and clinical-therapeutic data on heart disease were collected. A total of 214 patients were included, of which 115 patients returned to work. Several clinical factors contributing to return to work were identified: preserved left-ventricular ejection fraction (≥55%), < 3 obstructed coronary vessels, and stent revascularisation. Socio-occupational factors that may positively influence return to work were identified: age < 50 years, absence of anxious-depressive symptoms, higher level of education, and occupations with low physical strain. Cardiac rehabilitation is effective in improving cardiac function and health-related quality of life in workers with ischemic heart disease. Return to work and duration of temporary incapacity were associated with clinical-therapeutic variables and psycho-socio-occupational factors, such as type of job, physical strain, anxiety and depression, and age of the worker.

The COVID-19 pandemic posed a major challenge for construction companies, which were confronted with the need to prevent the enormous negative socio-psychological impact of the pandemic on their employees. The aim of this study was to evaluate the level of psychological distress among construction workers in an advanced phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in Andalusia, southern Spain. For this, a cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted using online questionnaires with data on sociodemographic variables and employment situation, COVID-19 pandemic-related data, and Goldberg’s General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). A total of 860 questionnaires from all provinces of Andalusia, Spain, were collected between March and May 2022. Descriptive statistical analyses and non-parametric Mann–Whitney U and Chi-squared tests were performed, followed by logistic regression analysis. The incidence of psychological distress was higher among women, individuals under 43 years of age, those with a family income below EUR 1200, participants whose working conditions had been affected by the pandemic, those who had not received adequate means or specific training to protect themselves from infection, those who had experienced symptoms, those who had suffered side effects after vaccination, and those who had been hospitalised. The logistic regression analysis predicted the occurrence of psychological distress in this study by the effect of the pandemic on mental/emotional well-being, the working conditions affected during the pandemic, health-related variables, and the age of the worker. The correctly classified percentage was 75.1%. Assessing psychological distress in construction sectors may allow for the identification of vulnerable groups or even help to reduce the number of errors in daily practice and potential risks of occupational injury or illness.

The influence of pain catastrophizing, kinesiophobia and fear-avoidance attitudes towards non-specific low-back pain has been scarcely studied in an occupational insurance provider context. The objective of this work is to ascertain the relationship between these psychosocial variables with work absence, its duration and the disability of subjects with work-related low back pain. This is a descriptive observational methodological strategy. All patients with work-related non-specific low back pain who attended to an occupational health hospital during the study period were included consecutively. Clinical variables of kinesiophobia, pain catastrophizing, fear-avoidance attitudes, disability and pain were collected; sociodemographic variables of sex, age, type of work, educational level, occupational status and duration in days of work absence were recorded. Kinesiophobia (b = 1.43, P = 0.011, r = 0.333), fear-avoidance beliefs in its global dimension (b = 0.910, P = 0.014, r = 0.321), fear-avoidance beliefs in its work dimension (b = 1.255, P = 0.016, r = 0.321) and pain catastrophizing (b = 0.997, P = 0.013, r = 0.340) show individual association with the duration of sickness absence. Kinesiophobia (b = 0.821, P = 0.011, r = 0.30) and fear-avoidance beliefs (b = 1.760, P = 0.016, r = 0.28) are associated with disability (Kinesiophobia, b = 0.880, P = 0.045, r = 0.26; Fear-avoidance beliefs, b = 0.724, P = 0.010, r = 0.34). Kinesiophobia, fear-avoidance beliefs and pain catastrophizing are related to an increase in the duration of work absence and disability in patients with back pain in an occupational insurance provider context.

(1) Background and objectives: The purpose of this work is to determine the association of fear-avoidance attitudes with sickness absence status, its duration and disability in a work accident context. (2) Materials and Methods: This is a descriptive observational design, conducting the study in two occupational insurance provider clinics with patients with nonspecific low back and neck pain during the study period. Clinical variables were the Fear Avoidance Questionnaire, Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire, Neck Disability Index, Numerical Pain Scale; sociodemographic variables were sex, age, occupational, educational level, sickness absence status, and duration in days of absence from work. Multiple logistic and linear regressions were used to explore the association between variables. (3) Results: Fear-avoidance behavior is related to sickness absence status (OR = 1.048, p = 0.007), and the physical activity dimension (OR = 1.098, p = 0.013) is more relevant than the work dimension (OR = 1.056, p = 0.028). The duration of sickness absence is related to higher values on the fear-avoidance behavior scale in its global dimension (b = 0.84, p = 0.003, r = 0.327), and the results of the physical activity dimension (B = 1.37, p = 0.035, r = 0.236) were more relevant than the work dimension (B = 1.21, p = 0.003, r = 0.324). Fear-avoidance behavior is related to disability in both dimensions (B = 0.912, p ˂ 0.001, r = 0.505). (4) Conclusions: Fear-avoidance behaviors may influence the typification of sickness absence status, its duration both in its physical activity and work dimension, and its disability reported with higher values than in other healthcare contexts.

The purpose of this study was to describe the association between psychosocial factors in patients with work-related neck or low back pain (n = 129), in order to study sickness leave, its duration, the disability reported, and to analyze the relationship of these factors with different sociodemographic variables. This was a descriptive cross-sectional study. Data on kinesiophobia, catastrophizing, disability, and pain were gathered. Sociodemographic variables analyzed included sex, age, occupational, and educational level. Other data such as location of pain, sick leave status and duration of sickness absence were also collected. Educational level (p = 0.001), occupational level (p < 0.001), and kinesiophobia (p < 0.001) were found to be associated with sickness leave; kinesiophobia (b = 1.47, p = 0.002, r = 0.35) and catastrophizing (b = 0.72, p = 0.012, r = 0.28) were associated with the duration of sickness leave. Educational level (p =0.021), kinesiophobia (b = 1.69, p < 0.000, r = 0.505), catastrophizing (b = 0.76, p < 0.000, r = 0.372), and intensity of pain (b = 4.36, p < 0.000, r = 0.334) were associated with the degree of disability. In the context of occupational insurance providers, educational and occupational factors, as well as kinesiophobia and catastrophizing, may have an influence on sickness leave, its duration and the degree of disability reported.