title: Evaluation Studies on Education in Occupational Safety and Health: Inspiration for Developing Economies.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Education and training of students, workers, and professionals are essential for occupational safety and health (OSH). We noticed a lack of debate on how to advance coverage and quality of OSH education given high shortages in developing economies.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  International discussion on future options might be stimulated by an overview of recent studies.
  
  
  METHODS
  We employed a search of the Cochrane Library and PubMed/MEDLINE databases for articles from the last decade on evaluation of OSH education.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We selected 121 relevant studies and 6 Cochrane reviews. Most studies came from the United States, Western Europe, and Asia. Studies from low-income countries were scarce. From a global perspective, the number of evaluation studies found was disappointingly low and the quality needs improvement. Most commonly workers' education was evaluated, less often education of students, supervisors, and OSH professionals. Interactive e-cases and e-learning modules, video conferences, and distance discussion boards are inspiring educational methods, but also participatory workshops and educational plays. Ways to find access to underserved populations were presented and evaluated, such as educational campaigns, farm safety days, and OSH expert-supported initiatives of industrial branch organizations, schools, and primary, community, or hospital-based health care. Newly educated groups were immigrant workers training colleagues, workers with a disease, managers, and family physicians.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Developing economies can take advantage of a variety of online facilities improving coverage and quality of education. Blended education including face-to-face contacts and a participatory approach might be preferred. For workers, minor isolated educational efforts are less effective than enhanced education or education as part of multifaceted preventive programs. Collaboration of OSH experts with other organizations offers opportunities to reach underserved worker populations. Increasing international collaboration is a promise for the future. National legislation and government support is necessary, placing OSH education high on the national agenda, with special attention for most needed professionals and for underserved workers in high-risk jobs such as in the informal sector. International support can be boosted by a high-level international task force on education and training, funded programming, and a global online platform.
authors.affiliation: Learning and Developing Occupational Health (LDOH) Foundation, Leusden, the Netherlands. Electronic address: v.dijk.workandhealth@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Frank J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: van Dijk
authors.affiliation: Croatian Institute for Health Protection and Safety at Work, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Marija
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bubas
authors.affiliation: Learning and Developing Occupational Health (LDOH) Foundation, Leusden, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Paul B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Smits
mesh_terms: D001208:Asia; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003906:Developing Countries; D057217:Economic Development; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants; D005060:Europe; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006801:Humans; D016272:Occupational Health / Q000193:education*; D014481:United States
keywords: developing countries; developing economies; education; evaluation; occupational health; safety; training