About

David Douphrate, PhD, MPT, MBA, CPE, CSP, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Environmental & Occupational Health at the School of Public Health, Texas A&M University. His educational background includes a PhD in Environmental Health Sciences from Colorado State University, an MBA from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, a Master of Physical Therapy from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, and two Bachelor of Science degrees in Health Care Sciences and Kinesiology from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. His research interests focus on occupational ergonomics, occupational safety, agricultural health and safety, as well as leadership and management within these fields. He is involved in teaching occupational ergonomics, occupational safety, and safety leadership and management. Dr. Douphrate is affiliated with the Center for Worker Health and is actively engaged in advancing knowledge and practices related to worker health and safety.

Research topics

• Medicine
• Environmental health
• Gerontology
• Pathology
• Demography
• Psychology
• Psychiatry

Selected publications

• Short Sleep Duration Is Associated with More Intense Musculoskeletal Symptoms in Day-Shift Nurses: An Observational Study

  Occupational Health · 2026-03-02

  articleOpen access

  Musculoskeletal symptoms (MSS) and sleep problems are prevalent in nurses. Evidence exploring associations between sleep and MSS in nurses is limited by self-reported sleep measures and recalling MSS over a long period. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between MSS and sleep in nurses using objective sleep measures and real-time MSS assessment. This 7-day observational study included 31 nurses who work day shifts. Sleep duration and efficiency were measured using accelerometers, and MSS were reported using ecological momentary assessment. Sleep metrics and MSS were compared between workdays and days off, and a regression model analyzed the effect of sleep duration on MSS while controlling for age and body mass index (BMI). On average, nurses did not sleep the minimum recommended duration of 7 h (6.28, SD = 1.31), and they slept significantly less prior to a workday (5.98 h, SD = 1.12) than a day off work (6.69 h, SD = 1.43) (t(185) = −5.92, p < 0.0001). Short sleep duration was associated with 18% higher MSS when controlling for age and BMI (t(822) = 2.63, p = 0.009). Understanding the association between sleep and MSS is important to healthcare organizations and policy makers because sleep is essential for health and recovery, and occupational characteristics, such as shift length and consecutive shifts, influence sleep. Nurse fatigue is detrimental to patient safety and the health of the nursing workforce, and musculoskeletal problems contribute to nurse attrition. This study may inform future research on organizational policies related to nurse fatigue and musculoskeletal symptoms.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Fuimos olvidados y descuidados [Forgotten and Neglected]: Lessons Learned and Findings From On-Farm COVID-19 Education and Vaccine Clinics for Agricultural Workers and Their Multigenerational Families in Texas

  Workplace Health & Safety · 2026-04-16

  articleOpen access

  Background: Despite being deemed essential non-healthcare workers, agricultural workers were excluded from COVID-19 vaccine prioritization in Texas. This professional practice report describes the multifaceted worker health and safety approaches to protecting agricultural workers and their families during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Between March 2020 and January 2025, several outreach, education, and training grants from various funding agencies were leveraged to deliver training, personal protective equipment, vaccines, and economic relief to agricultural workers in partnership with community-based organizations, industry, local public health departments, and academic institutions. Findings: Timely funding efforts led to the distribution of 1,000 PPE kits, with more than 3,000 in-person and virtual trainings, 80 on-farm clinics hosted with over 2,200 vaccinations, 4,500 door-to-door education visits in 31 rural counties and 61 zip codes, exceeding 4,600 relief payments distributed, and 30,000 rural county resource lists disseminated across rural agricultural communities in Texas. These collaborative efforts gave rise to Sembrando el Sueño —a program that provided social services to agricultural workers in the Texas Panhandle. Conclusion/Application to Practice: Over $4.5 million in grant monies were leveraged to help advocate for agricultural worker health, safety, and well-being as well as their multigenerational households in rural Texas. This report underscores the challenges and the collaborative multifaceted approach needed among various partners to ensure that essential workers are adequately protected from exposure to infectious agents while on the job.

  PublisherDOI

• High Amount of Physical Activity on Work Days Is Associated with More Intense Musculoskeletal Symptoms in Nurses: Seven-Day Observational Study

  Nursing Reports · 2025-04-27 · 2 citations

  articleOpen access

  Background: Musculoskeletal problems contribute to nurse attrition, which compromises patient safety and costs healthcare organizations millions of dollars. Recent research describes a physical activity paradox in which high amounts of work-related physical activity may be detrimental to health; however, there is a lack of evidence on the physical activity paradox with respect to musculoskeletal health in nurses. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between musculoskeletal symptoms (MSSs) and high amounts of physical activity at work in nurses. Methods: This was a 7-day observational design using direct measurement of physical activity and self-reported MSSs in nurses. Physical activity was measured in step counts using a wearable accelerometer and MSSs were reported using ecological momentary assessment. Step counts and MSSs were compared between work days and days off, and a regression model analyzed the combined effect of physical activity and work days on MSSs while controlling for age, exercise, and body mass index. Results: Musculoskeletal symptoms and step counts were significantly higher on work days compared to days off. Higher step counts on work days resulted in significantly higher expected MSS ratings than the same number of steps taken on a day off. Conclusions: This study supports the existence of a physical activity paradox in nurses with respect to MSSs. Understanding this paradox in the nursing workforce can translate to interventions that reduce the detrimental health effects of high levels of physical activity at work, which can minimize nurse attrition, improve patient outcomes, and reduce costs in healthcare organizations.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Safety Leadership Training: Implementation and Effectiveness Evaluation in the Dairy Farm Industry

  Workplace Health & Safety · 2025-03-17 · 3 citations

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  Background: Evidence-based interventions for the prevention of safety incidents at work are most effective when they include a focus on the hierarchy of controls. However, prior studies addressing the effects of safety leadership and safety climate are limited. The determination and adoption of evidence-based interventions specifically in the U.S. Agricultural, Forestry, and Fishing (AgFF) sector can be a challenge, and prior studies have shown a paucity of evidence-based occupational safety and health practices in the AgFF sector. Methods: We enrolled 73 dairy farm supervisors from 27 U.S. farms to participate in a 12-module dairy leadership training program. We employed the Kirkpatrick Model (KM) to evaluate different levels of training effectiveness. Findings: Participant reactions to the program were positive (KM level 1), and evaluation of knowledge gained among participants revealed 90% had learned new safety leadership information (KM level 2) that could be applied in their role as a dairy farm supervisor (KM level 3). Nearly 88% reported favorable experiences during their training participation. Post-training group interviews with supervisors ( n = 21) provided information regarding training experiences and constructive feedback regarding opportunities for training improvement. Behavior change evaluation revealed nearly 50% of observed safety hazards on farms were related to livestock handling (21.6%), trips/falls (17.1%), and moving machinery (10.4%). The largest percentage of observed workplace conflicts were verbal (27.8%). Conclusions/Application to Practice: The application of the Kirkpatrick Model of training evaluation suggests participating dairy farm supervisors had positive experiences with the training program, and acquired safety hazard and workplace conflict identification skills.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Musculoskeletal Symptoms, Job-Related Stress, and Burnout in Nurses: A Cross-Sectional, Observational Study

  Workplace Health & Safety · 2025-10-02 · 6 citations

  article

  Background: Musculoskeletal symptoms, stress, and burnout contribute to nurse attrition. This study builds on previous research about physical strain in nurses by exploring the relationship between musculoskeletal symptoms and two occupational psychological factors: job-related stress and burnout. Methods: This cross-sectional, observational study utilized an online survey to assess musculoskeletal symptoms (Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire), job-related stress (Job Content Questionnaire), and burnout (Oldenburg Burnout Inventory). The survey also included questions about sociodemographics, work information, COVID-19-related stress level, and likelihood of leaving current position. A logistic regression model assessed musculoskeletal symptoms for associations with Job Content Questionnaire and Oldenburg Burnout Inventory scores while controlling for personal and work-related factors. Findings: Fifty-three percent of nurses in the sample ( N = 173) indicated limited functional activity due to musculoskeletal symptoms. High overall burnout approached a significant association with limited function ( OR = 1.13, 95% CI [0.995, 1.28], p = .06). The odds of having limited function were 15.32 times higher ( OR = 15.32, 95% CI [3.10, 75.82], p = .01) in nurses who were very likely to leave their job in the next year. Conclusions/Applications to Practice: Limited function due to musculoskeletal symptoms was significantly associated with nurse attrition and approached a significant association with high burnout. Nurse attrition is costly to healthcare organizations and compromises patient safety. Future interventions aimed at musculoskeletal health and attrition in nurses should reduce job-related stress and burnout, in addition to reducing physical strain.

  PublisherDOI

• Stress Measurement in Office Workers—A Scoping Review

  Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting · 2025-09-01

  articleOpen access

  This scoping literature review addresses the research question of measuring stress: What methodologies and associated metrics are employed for the in-situ assessment of stress among knowledge workers? Lab and field studies of any qualitative, quantitative, or mixed design reported in English from 2000 to 15 October 2024 were retrieved from Compendex, PubMed, and Web of Science. The 17 included studies covered office workers in several countries; all included qualitative elements while a minority (6) included quantitative methods. Future research would benefit from the development of unobtrusive data collection methods and analysis of different types of stressors on office workers. The review also informs which methodologies and metrics might be applied to hybrid office workers, a subset of knowledge/office workers, in future studies on stress.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Safety Leadership Training Effectiveness Evaluation on Behavior Change Among Large-Herd U.S. Dairy Farm Supervisors

  Workplace Health & Safety · 2024-12-13 · 6 citations

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  BackgroundPrior research suggests leader-based interventions are considered to have a much stronger influence on worker safety behavior and climate than worker-based interventions. However, no prior research has evaluated training effectiveness of safety-specific leadership skill development for front-line supervisors on dairy farms. A tailored safety leadership training program targeting dairy farm supervisors was developed, delivered, and evaluated for its training effect on the supervisor's safety leadership behavior.MethodsA 12-module safety leadership training program was developed and delivered in an asynchronous format using e-learning methods to 73 dairy farm supervisors, representing 30 farms across five western U.S. states. We employed the Kirkpatrick Model to evaluate different levels of training effectiveness.FindingsEvaluation of knowledge gained among participants revealed significant differences between pre- and post-test scores with medium to very large learning effect sizes across all training modules, particularly with training modules addressing safety culture, workplace conflict, and safety meetings. Safety leadership behavior change evaluation revealed significant pre-post training effects across most training modules, particularly regarding safety dialogue, hazard assessment, safety modeling, and conducting safety meetings.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that safety leadership training can result in essential leadership behavior change among front-line dairy farm supervisors.Application to PracticeThis study provides many insights into the successful implementation of a safety leadership training program in a challenging industrial sector (rural/remote workplaces, immigrant workforce), as well as training effectiveness evaluation using novel data collection methodology. Additional research is needed on the effectiveness and sustainability of safety leadership training in high-risk industrial sectors such as agriculture.

  PublisherDOI

• Promoting Workplace Health, Safety, and Well-Being Among Essential Agricultural Workers Through Vaccine-Preventable Infectious Diseases Training in the Rio Grande Valley

  Journal of Agromedicine · 2024-11-13 · 5 citations

  article

  INTRODUCTION: Health, safety, and well-being training programs provide essential education on anticipating, identifying, and mitigating exposures like infectious diseases. Gaps in infectious diseases awareness and education became especially apparent during the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequently were exacerbated by mis- and disinformation. METHODS: Vaccine-preventable infectious diseases training (influenza, hepatitis A and B, and tetanus infections, including COVID-19) was developed, delivered, and evaluated among 1,043 farmworkers, bodega workers, and production management in the Rio Grande Valley using mobile-learning technologies. The Kirkpatrick Four-Level Training Evaluation Model was utilized to evaluate training satisfaction (Level 1), effectiveness (Level 2), and effect on behavior (Level 3). RESULTS: < .05). We observed a difference between mean pre- and post-test scores relative to the pooled standard deviation, resulting in an effect size estimate of 0.53 indicative of a medium learning effect. CONCLUSION: There is no "silver bullet" for training migrating bodega and farmworkers. Our findings suggest that the utilization of m-learning techniques continues to be a successful mechanism for delivering health, safety, and well-being awareness training content to agricultural workers in remote and challenging work environments. There is a long overdue need for offline capable software with features that allow equitable access to training, even in remote farming regions.

  PublisherDOI

• National Trends in the Utilization and Expenditure of Chiropractic Care in U.S. Adults: Analysis of the 2007-2016 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey

  Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics · 2024-09-27 · 3 citations

  articleOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Effect of Dairy Farm Supervisor Leadership Training on Workplace Safety Climate

  Workplace Health & Safety · 2024-12-30 · 4 citations

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  Background: Assessment of workplace safety climate is a recognized approach to assess safe culture in an organization. We developed, implemented, and evaluated a 12-module safety leadership and management e-learning training program tailored for front-line dairy farm supervisors and hypothesized that such a training program would have a positive effect on occupational safety climate. Methods : We enrolled 103 dairy farm supervisors from 35 U.S. farms to participate in a 12-module dairy leadership training program. We assessed safety climate change among supervisors and their workers using a pre-post training intervention methodology. A 24-item, 8-factor safety climate survey was developed and completed pre- and post-training by 65 supervisors and 313 (pre) and 238 (post) workers under their supervision. Findings : Significant improvements were seen on the 14-item supervisor safety climate scale, the 10-item group safety climate scale, and subscales regarding safety priority, empowerment, and dealing with conflicts. No significant improvements were seen for the factor regarding leaders encouraging workers to report safety incidents, as these were already rated highly. Conclusions : Findings suggest safety leadership e-learning training among dairy farm supervisors can result in positive safety climate change among supervisors and subordinate workers. Application to Practice : This study provides a framework for researchers, safety professionals, and training developers for the successful implementation of a safety leadership training program, and its effect on safety climate. Additional research is needed on the effectiveness and sustainability of safety leadership training in high-risk industrial sectors such as agriculture.

  PublisherDOI

Recent grants

• NIH Grant U01OH010815

  NIH · $825k · 2018

Frequent coauthors

• David Gimeno

  The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

  43 shared

• Anabel Rodriguez

  Texas A&M University

  27 shared

• Matthew W. Nonnenmann

  Lindsay Unified School District

  23 shared

• G. Robert Hagevoort

  New Mexico State University

  21 shared

• John Rosecrance

  Colorado State University

  18 shared

• Walter I. Berman

  17 shared

• Stephen J. Reynolds

  University of Georgia

  17 shared

• Kyle D. Heffner

  Baylor University Medical Center

  17 shared