The "Hawthorne effect" is often mentioned as a possible explanation for positive results in intervention studies. It is used to cover many phenomena, not only unwitting confounding of variables under study by the study itself, but also behavioral change due to an awareness of being observed, active compliance with the supposed wishes of researchers because of special attention received, or positive response to the stimulus being introduced. At times, the term seems to be used as a social equivalent to "placebo effect". In social research, there is much critical literature indicating that, in general, the term "Hawthorne effect" should be avoided. Instead of refersing to the ambiguous and disputable Hawthorne effect when evaluating intervention effectiveness, researchers should introduce specific psychological and social variables that may have affected the outcome under study but were not monitored during the project, along with the possible effect on the observed results.
RIIHIMAKI H, WICKSTROM G, HANNINEN K, LUOPAJARVI T . Predictors of sciatic pain among concrete reinforcement workers and house painter s -a five-year follow-up. Scand J Work En viron Health 1989;15:415-423. In a study of the assoc iation of occupation and several other determinants with the occurrence of sciatic pain, 167 concrete reinforcement workers and 161 house painters were follow ed for five years. Base-line data were obtained with a questionnaire, an interview on back symptoms, a clinical exam ination , and a radiograph of the lumbar spine . Follow-up data on back symptoms were obtained with a post al questionnaire. Concrete reinforcement work was associated with an increase in the risk of sciatic pain , in both a cro ss-section al and a pro specti ve study. Reported back accidents contributed to the risk of sciatic pa in. Previous history of back sympto ms was the most powerful predictor of sciatic pain prospectively. Degenerative changes were related to sciati c pain in retrospect, but prospectively this relationship was weaker. Body height and history of stres s episodes showed some asso ciation with sciatic pain; abdominal muscle strength, body mass index, and smoking did not; and back muscle strength was asso ciated only retrospectively.
Wickstrom, MD4RIALA R, KALLIOKOSKI P, PYY L, WICKSTR~M G. Solvent exposure in construction and maintenance painting. Scand J Work Environ Health 10 (1984) 263-266. Exposure to solvents in interior house painting was determined by industrial hygiene surveys and questionnaires on work history. Painting work was observed in 92 work situations at 18 sites, mainly during maintenance work. The effects of the size of the work area, the volume of air, the type of paint, the amount used, the method of application, and the use of ventilation on the solvent concentrations were also studied. In small, poorly ventilated rooms the concentration of solvent naphtha averaged 275 ppm when alkyd paints were used. Wall and ceiling painting with alkyd paints yielded an average solvent naphtha concentration of 210 ppm, and window and door painting 80 ppm. The presence of a strong draft reduced the solvent concentrations by twothirds. The painters' average lifetime dose of solvent naphtha was 12.2 kg, the average annual dose 0.54 kg. These levels decreased over the study period. The mean 8-h concentration of solvent naphtha in the breathing zone averaged 40 ppm over the painters' total worklife.
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