Abstracts – Browse Results
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Al-Bayati, A J; Chellappa, V (2025) Identifying desirable safety actions of upper management to foster higher levels of construction safety culture. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 151(7).
Al-Khiami, M I; Lindhard, S M; Wandahl, S (2025) Paradox in practice: Work-related musculoskeletal disorder prevalence and reporting among construction workers in Kuwait and Denmark. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 151(7).
- Type: Journal Article
- Keywords: cross cultural analysis; health reporting behavior; Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire; occupational health; risk factors; workforce demographics; working conditions; questionnaire
- ISBN/ISSN: 0733-9364
- URL: https://doi.org/10.1061/JCEMD4.COENG-15899
- Abstract:
Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are a significant health issue among construction workers, with prevalence influenced by factors such as personal demographics, exposure to work risk factors, and working conditions. This study addresses a research gap by comparing WMSD prevalence between Kuwait and Denmark; two countries with contrasting working conditions. Data were collected from 117 workers in Kuwait and 47 in Denmark using the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ). Results showed that 78.72% of Danish workers reported discomfort in at least one body part compared to 52.14% in Kuwait, despite Denmark's comparatively better working conditions. Additionally, absenteeism due to WMSDs was higher in Denmark (29.79%) than in Kuwait (9.40%). This paradoxical finding led to further analysis using logistic regression that indicated country was a significant predictor of WMSD reporting (OR=3.38, p<0.05), with Danish workers being substantially more likely to report WMSDs than their Kuwaiti counterparts. This suggested potential underreporting in Kuwait, prompting an investigation into organizational, economic, and cultural factors that may influence reporting behaviors. Specifically, Kuwait's high power distance and uncertainty avoidance may contribute to miscommunication and underreporting, while Denmark's individualistic culture encourages transparency. This study makes two primary contributions to the construction engineering and management body of knowledge by: (1) providing the first cross cultural analysis of WMSD prevalence between Gulf Cooperation Council and Nordic construction sectors, and (2) demonstrating that country factors - likely cultural in nature - are stronger predictors of WMSD reporting than individual worker personal demographics. For Kuwait, this implies a need for improved reporting systems, greater worker empowerment, and enhanced working conditions, while Denmark would benefit from a focus on strengthening preventive measures. Future research should further explore the role of cultural influences on WMSD reporting. This study underscores the importance of culturally informed approaches in developing effective workplace health and safety strategies.
Alshboul, O; Shehadeh, A; Tamimi, M (2025) Sustainability-focused pavement management under climate variability. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 151(7).
Bayona, A; Hallowell, M R; Bhandari, S; Moyen, N; Lien, A (2025) Impact of energy-based safety training on quality of prejob safety meetings and control of hazardous energy in construction: Multiple baseline experiment. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 151(7).
Cao, Q; Zou, X; Zhang, L (2025) A flexible scheduling framework for repetitive construction projects based on constraint programming. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 151(7).
Chan, I Y S; Ma, P; Ho, T Y K (2025) Impacts of relational and formal governance on information sharing and project management performance in collaborative contracts: A mixed-method approach. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 151(7).
Chen, H; Dong, Z; Chan, I Y S (2025) Biometric evaluation and immersive construction environments: A research overview of the current landscape, challenges, and future prospects. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 151(7).
Ghalenoei, N; Babaeian Jelodar, M; Paes, D; Sutrisna, M; Rahmani, D (2025) Offsite construction and BIM integration framework across project life cycle. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 151(7).
Hua, X; Zhang, S; Shi, X; Zhang, Y (2025) Differences in risk analysis between workers and managers: Study from the perspective of neuroscience. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 151(7).
Jezzini, Y; Assaad, R H; El-Adaway, I H (2025) Modeling framework to quantify and gauge project cost risks due to construction material price volatilities using predictive probabilistic deep-learning algorithms and stochastic risk modeling. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 151(7).
Li, C Z; Gao, T; Chen, Z; Wu, H; Deng, Y; Tam, V W Y; Le, K N (2025) Exploring the power of laser scanning technology toward smart construction: Status quo, challenges, and future directions. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 151(7).
Li, L; Cheng, M; Tu, K; Ding, R; Zhang, J; Xu, B (2025) Human-machine interface based on constraint velocity polytope for safe and efficient operation of large-size hydraulic manipulator. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 151(7).
Ma, Q; Cheung, S O (2025) Augmenting the incentivizing power of target cost contracting in integrated project delivery. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 151(7).
Moussa, A; Ezzeldin, M; El-Dakhakhni, W (2025) Data-driven assessment of complexity-induced risks in infrastructure projects. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 151(7).
Peng, L; Man, S S; Chung, H T; Chan, A H S; Zhang, Z (2025) Prospective workers' perceptions of crane operation risks: Using a pairwise comparison. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 151(7).
Poudel, O; Assaad, R H (2025) A real-time intelligent acoustic IoT-enabled embedded construction site monitoring and alert system: Integrating deep learning-based machine-listening algorithms, edge computing, and cloud computing. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 151(7).
Rasheed, U; Ordaz, C; Xu, X; Hu, Y; Li, S; Sutton, T; Cai, J (2025) Understanding the impact of teleoperation technology on the construction industry: Adoption dynamics, workforce perception, and the role of broader workforce participation. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 151(7).
Xue, H; Li Teh, K K; Ling, F Y Y (2025) Effects of crisis management leadership, perceived self-efficacy, and job performance on facility management professionals' job satisfaction in a crisis. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 151(7).
Yan, L; Wang, Y; Ning, Y (2025) Configuring governance mechanisms to improve the engineering consulting project performance. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 151(7).
Young, T; Hunter, J A; Bentley, S V; Millear, P; Alexander Haslam, S; Haslam, C (2025) A social identity intervention to improve mental health in construction workers. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 151(7).
Zhang, P; Sing, M C P; Guo, S; Chan, I Y S; Fung, I W H (2025) Causal factors of near misses and accidents in urban railway construction: A complex network approach. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 151(7).
Zu, F; Zhang, X (2025) Integrating a DfMA guideline matrix to facilitate value engineering workshops for construction projects. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 151(7).