The goal of my research is to better understand the relationship between workplace exposures, worker characteristics, and musculoskeletal disorders so that these debilitating and expensive conditions can be prevented. Risk factors of particular interest to me are age and occupational stress. I have studied psychosocial work stressors, and ergonomic factors on musculoskeletal symptoms in garment workers, a group that is a typical example of aging American workers in physically demanding and stressful manufacturing jobs.

A secondary but related area of research is the development of more specific measures of occupational stress. This work has included a study of Army reservists to develop an occupation-specific stress inventory to be used in studies of musculoskeletal disorders, injuries, and other health outcomes. It is hoped that this work will serve as the prototype for an approach to the development and validation of occupation-specific stress measures, thus allowing us to advance current occupational stress models now used to examine outcomes such as musculoskeletal disorders. A prospective study of this important worker group is now beginning.

Environmental Health Sciences, aging workers, occupational health, environmental health, occupational stress, musculoskeletal disorders, ergonomics, nerotoxins

Advising, Mentoring & Teaching Recognition Award, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, 1997

Fellow, American Academy of Nursing

Delta Omega (Public Health Honor Society)

Fellow, American Academy of Nursing

Phi Beta Kappa

Sigma Theta Tau (Nursing Honor Society)

Pollack KM, Agnew J, Slade MD, Cantley L, Taiwo O, Vegso S, Sircar K, Cullen MR. “Use of Employer Administrative Databases to Identify Systematic Causes of Injury in Aluminum Manufacturing.” Am J Ind Med. 2007 50(9):676-86.

de Castro AB, Curbow BA, Agnew J, Haythornthwaite JA, Fitzgerald ST. “Measuring emotional labor among young workers: refinement of the Emotions at Work Scale.” AAOHN Jl. 2006;54(5):201-209.

Agnew J. “Protect your family.” Am J Nurs. 2005; 105(8):88

Mitchell C, Doyle ML, Moran JB, Lippy B, Hughes J, Lum M, Agnew J. “Worker training for new threats.” Am J Ind Med. 2004;46: 423-431.

De Castro AB, Agnew J, Fitzgerald ST. “Emotional labor: Relevant theory for occupational health practice in post-industrial America.” AAOHN Journal. 2004;52:109-115.

Curbow B, McDonnell K, Spratt K, Griffin J, Agnew J. “Development of the Work-Family Interface Scale.” Early Childhood Research Quarterly. 2003;18:3310-330.

Byrns G, Agnew J, Curbow B. “Attributions, stress, and work-related low back pain.” Applied Occupational and Environmental Hygiene. 2002;17:752-764.

Byrns G, Bierma T, Agnew J, Curbow B. “A new direction in low back pain research.” Am Ind Hyg Assoc J. 2002;63:55-61.

Curbow B, LaFlamme D, & Agnew J. Methods to Assess Workplace Stress and Psychosocial Factors. In: Indoor Air Quality Handbook. Spengler, J., Samet, J.M., & McCarthy, J.F. (Eds). McGraw Hill, 2001.

Dienemann J, Campbell J, Agnew J. Incorporating Social and Environmental Risk Factors into Nursing Services. In: The Nursing Profession: Tomorrow and Beyond. N.L. Chaska (ed), Sage Publications, Inc., Thousand Oaks, CA, 2001, pp 713-721.

Lincoln AE, Vernick JS, Ogaitis S, Smith GS, Mitchel CS, Agnew J. Interventions for the primary prevention of work-related carpal tunnel syndrome. Am J Prev Med 2000;18:37-50.

Rogers B, Agnew J, Pompeii L. Occupational health nursing research priorities: A changing focus. AAOHN J. 2000;48:9-16.

Agnew J. Interventions in the workplace for aging workers. In: Proceedings of the 17th UOEH International Symposium: Occupational Health Nursing Expertise. J of UOEH 1998; 20 (S): 123-128.

Agnew J. Case study: Detecting the source of lead poisoning. In: Community Health Nursing. C. Helvie (ed), Sage Publications, Inc., 1998, pp 118-126.

Agnew J. Scientific foundations of OHN practice. In: AAOHN Core Curriculum for Occupational Health Nursing. American Association of Occupational Health Nurses, M. Salazar (ed), W.B. Saunders Co., Philadelphia, 1997, pp 121-148.

Zlotnick C, Agnew J. Neuropsychological function and psychosocial status of alcohol rehabilitation program residents. Addictive Behaviors 1997;22:183-194.

Zlotnick C, Fischer P, Agnew J. Perceptuomotor function of homeless males in alcohol rehabilitation. J Subst Abuse 1995;7:235-44.