International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health最新文献

Purpose: Psychological distress has been associated with sickness absence (SA), but less is known about whether there are distinct patterns in the development of SA among people with psychological distress. We examined trajectories of short- and long-term SA among employees with psychological distress and how social and health-related factors are associated with them.

Methods: We used the employer's register data on all-cause short- (≤ 10 working days) and long-term (> 10 working days) SA with a two-year follow-up. We prospectively linked the Helsinki Health Study survey data on 19-39-year-old employees of the City of Helsinki, Finland, in 2017, to the SA data. We included 1060 participants (81% women) who reported experiencing psychological distress, measured by the emotional wellbeing scale of RAND-36. Survey responses of age; gender; education; marital status; social support, procedural and interactional organisational justice, and bullying at work; physical activity; diet; tobacco and alcohol use; prior SA; and the level of psychological distress were included as exposures. Group-based trajectory modelling and multinomial logistic regression were used for the analyses.

Results: We identified four short-term SA trajectories: 'low' (n = 379, 36% of participants), 'descending' (n = 212, 20%), 'intermediate' (n = 312, 29%), and 'high' (n = 157, 15%); and two long-term SA trajectories: 'low' (n = 973, 92%) and 'high' (n = 87, 8%). A higher education, fewer prior SA, and lower levels of psychological distress were associated with the 'low' short- and long-term SA trajectories.

Conclusion: SA trajectories differ among employees with psychological distress. Early intervention and support are needed among employees with mental health symptoms to prevent future SA.

Objectives: Previous studies have indicated that maternal occupational psychosocial stressors may affect the risk of asthma in the offspring, but their results are inconsistent. Maternal occupational ergonomic strain is associated with predictors of fetal lung development, including preterm birth and low birthweight; however, it is not known, whether ergonomic strain during pregnancy is a risk factor for asthma in offspring. The aim was to investigate maternal psychosocial stressors and ergonomic strain during pregnancy relative to the risk of offspring asthma.

Methods: Live- and firstborn singletons (1996-2018) and their mothers were identified from Danish nationwide registers. Job code at time of conception was assigned to each mother and linked with exposure estimates from job exposure matrices (JEMs) of psychosocial stressors and ergonomic strain. Diagnoses of childhood asthma were retrieved from the Danish National Patient Register. Incidence rate ratios (IRR) of asthma were estimated using Poisson regression; adjusted for maternal asthma, age at conception, socioeconomic position, and body mass index, and calendar year.

Results: Maternal employment in occupations with low decision authority (IRR: 1.08, 95% CI 1.00-1.16) and high ergonomic strain (IRR: 1.09, 95% CI 1.02-1.16) was associated with increased risk of asthma among male offspring. Largely similar, but less consistent, associations were observed among female offspring due to low decision authority.

Conclusion: We found a minor increased risk of asthma among offspring whose mothers worked in an occupation with low decision authority or high ergonomic strain, most pronounced among male offspring.

Purpose: This study aimed to use workers' compensation (WC) data to explore the impact of the extreme bushfires on injury/disease claim rates amongst first responders (FR) compared with other occupations and off-seasons.

Methods: Data on WC claims for FR (ambulance officers, paramedics, firefighters, police) and other occupations were obtained from WorkSafe Victoria 2005-2022. Negative binomial regression models adjusting for age, gender and number of employed people were used to estimate incident rate ratios of all injury/disease, mental, musculoskeletal and respiratory claims among FR in summer and extreme bushfires compared to off-season/summer and other occupations.

Results: There were 120,022 claims in 2005-2022; 54% were musculoskeletal injuries. Claims rates were significantly higher for all injuries/diseases, mental, musculoskeletal and respiratory conditions in FR than other occupations across off-season, summers and extreme bushfires. FR were 1.5-3.9 times more likely to claim for mental health conditions during extreme bushfires than off-season compared with other occupations. Firefighters were at increased risk of all injury/disease and mental and musculoskeletal injury claims during summer and extreme bushfires than off-seasons. Ambulance officers and paramedics had the highest claim rates, particularly in off-seasons, with a higher risk of all injury/disease and mental claims in extreme bushfires than in summers. Respiratory and mental claims were increased amongst police and other occupations during extreme bushfires.

Conclusion: Extreme bushfire events were associated with increased mental claims rates in all FR, with the highest in firefighters. Strategies to better prevent and manage injury/disease risk in FR are urgently required, particularly for mental health conditions.

Background: Artisanal fishing is widely practiced in the Amazon region. However, the exhaustive labor demand impacts on the health of fishermen. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and the relationship with the quality of life (QoL) of artisanal fishermen.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out, evaluating male fishermen from two rural communities bordering Janauacá lake, Amazonas. Data were collected through interviews, using REDCap installed on smartphones. The Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire was utilized to identify the body regions with the greatest pain complaints, and QoL was assessed using the mental and physical components of the SF-12. After the descriptive analysis, linear regression analysis was performed to evaluate the association between the occurrence of MSDs and the components of QoL. The analyses were performed using Stata SE software, version 17.

Results: In total, 115 fishermen were evaluated. MSDs were reported in all of the body regions assessed, with a higher prevalence in the lower (80.0%) and upper (43.5%) back, and knee (40.9%). Lower QoL scores were observed in emotional performance (20.7 ± 4.0), physical performance (25.1 ± 4.3), and mental health (29.0 ± 13.6). It was observed that individuals with any MSD presented worse QoL in the physical component (β_adj=-5.0; 95%CI=-9.7; -0.3).

Conclusion: The findings showed a high prevalence of MSDs in the study population, as well as its impact on the QoL of artisanal fishermen. This highlights the need to reorganize health services to prevent the occurrence of MSDs, as well as for their treatment and rehabilitation.

Purpose: This study uses the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) to explore presenteeism, where individuals work despite being ill. The research seeks to understand how attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control are associated with presenteeism behaviours.

Methods: A longitudinal design was employed, involving 2814 employees from 16 companies. Data were collected using a survey on two measurement points, which included validated scales and vignettes to assess attitudes toward presenteeism. The data were analysed using cluster analysis and a linear mixed effects regression to evaluate the TPB model.

Results: Three clusters of attitudes toward presenteeism were identified through cluster analysis. The model explained 27.8% of the variance in the fixed effects and 52.6% in the combined fixed and random effects. The regression model found associations between presenteeism and factors such as quantitative demands, work-privacy conflict, and leadership culture. Attitudes towards presenteeism were a strong predictor, with specific clusters showing differing propensities to work while ill.

Conclusion: The study confirms the suitability of the TPB in explaining presenteeism. It highlights the importance of individual attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control in shaping presenteeism. The findings suggest that promoting a health-supportive workplace culture, including open communication about illness, might reduce presenteeism.

Background: Long working hours can lead to a variety of diseases, while the relationship between long work hours and multi-site work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) remains unclear. This study aims to explore the association between working hours and multi-site WMSDs.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 2636 transportation industry workers. The Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire was used to assess musculoskeletal disorders. Workers were grouped by weekly working hours (≤ 40 h/wk, 40-55 h/wk, and ≥ 55 h/wk) to compare the prevalence of WMSDs. The correlation between different WMSDs sites and the influencing factors of multi-site WMSDs were analyzed by log-binomial model and logistic regression model.

Results: 897 (34.0%) participants faced long working hours. 995 (37.7%) participants suffered from WMSDs, while the highest prevalence of WMSDs symptoms occurred in neck (25.4%), followed by low back (18.4%) and shoulders (14.5%). Wrists WMSDs were associated with WMSDs in necks, shoulders, elbows, hips, and ankles (OR = 2.07-8.01). According to binary and multivariate logistic regression, the risk of WMSDs was higher in participants who worked 40-55 h/wk (OR: 1.30, 95% CI: 1.09-1.56) and more than 55 h/wk (OR: 2.15, 95% CI: 1.46-3.16) compared to participants who worked less than 40 h/wk. Additionally, participants who worked 40-55 h/wk (OR: 1.39, 95% CI: 1.09-1.78) and more than 55 h/wk (OR: 2.92, 95% CI: 1.82-4.70) were more likely to suffer from WMSDs in three or more sites.

Conclusion: Long working hours were positively associated with multi-site WMSDs. Early preventive and management measures of long working hours and WMSDs are of importance.

Purpose: The benefits of leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) in reducing mortality are well-known, while the relationship between work-related physical activity (WRPA) and mortality remains controversial. The study aimed to investigate the association between WRPA and mortality, and to determine whether LTPA should be recommended in a population with a high level of WRPA.

Method: Data were obtained from a sample of adults aged 20-80 years included in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) cohort from 2007 to 2018. Hazard ratios (HRs) for the association between WRPA and all-cause mortality were estimated using Cox proportional regression models. All analyses were performed in accordance with NHANES guidelines, in which data were complex-weighted first and then analyzed in the next step, Statistical significance was defined as a two-sided P-value < 0.05.

Results: A total of 27,567 participants were included in the study. Over a median follow-up period of 78 months, a total of 2,553 (weighted ratio, 6.5%) participants were assumed dead. The mean age (SD) of this cohort was 47.5 (16.7), and 48.5% were men. Compared to participants without WRPA (as the reference group), participants engaged in WRPA exhibited a significantly reduced risk of all-cause mortality over different time periods. Specifically, the HR for participants with less than 17.5 h of weekly participation were 0.70 (95% CI: 0.62-0.78). For those participating between 17.5 and 35 h per week, the HR was 0.80 (95% CI: 0.64-1.00), while participants engaging in more than 35 h of weekly participation had an HR of 0.71 (95% CI: 0.56-0.91).

Conclusions: WRPA is a protective factor that reduces the risk of all-cause death, especially in people without LTPA.

Background: In an effort to combat burnout, a study investigates Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) training for nurses. The goal is to reduce stress and improve job satisfaction, ultimately enhancing patient care. These findings may inspire the development of mindfulness-based support systems for healthcare professionals to promote overall well-being in the workplace.

Materials and methods: A single-blinded, randomized controlled trial with 60 emergency medical center nurses was conducted to assess the effectiveness of an eight-session MBSR program in reducing stress and burnout. The randomization process, utilizing sealed envelopes, ensured unbiased allocation to intervention or control groups. The training program included group sessions focused on meditation, yoga, and discussions, with participants receiving educational materials and CDs for home practice. Collected data included demographics, Maslach Burnout Inventory, and Occupational Stress Questionnaire results. Statistical analysis, utilizing SPSS version 21, featured Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Mann-Whitney U, and Wilcoxon tests to evaluate outcomes.

Results: Following MBSR Training, the intervention group displayed statistically significant differences in all occupational stress subscales compared to the control group (P < 0.05). Post-intervention, the intervention group also exhibited significant differences in burnout subscale scores (P < 0.001) compared to the control group.

Conclusion: MBSR can boost resilience and job satisfaction, enhancing patient care. Healthcare organizations should integrate MBSR programs for nursing staff well-being and combat stress and burnout. Research should probe long-term impacts and effective delivery methods for sustained stress relief in nursing.

Trial registration: This study has registered in Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials by the number of IRCT20131112015390N5 on Jun 2022.

Objectives: Sleep quality of firefighters can be negatively affected by occupational stressors. A cross-sectional investigation was conducted to understand how work-related stress, post-traumatic stress, burnout and depression collectively contribute to sleep quality.

Methods: Professional firefighters in Northern Iran completed a survey comprised of demographic information, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, HSE's Stress Indicator Tool, the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist, Maslach's Burnout Inventory, and the Beck Depression Inventory during a work rest break. Data were analysed using structural equation modelling.

Results: Mean age of the 2339 firefighters who completed the survey was 32.30 (5.74) years. Most experienced poor sleep quality, scoring above the established cut-off of 5. Levels of work-related stress, post-traumatic stress, burnout and depression were high. Fit indices of the final theoretical model were all adequate: the obtained and adjusted goodness-of-fit indices were 0.925 and 0.917 respectively. Comparative, and incremental fit indices were 0.946 and 0.948 respectively. Root mean squared error of approximation was 0.061. Post-traumatic stress was directly and indirectly related to sleep quality through eight paths, modulated by burnout variables and depression. Work-related stress was negatively related to sleep quality through four paths modulated, by burnout variables and depression.

Conclusions: The findings illustrate the complex relationships of work-related stress and post-traumatic stress and sleep quality. High levels of poor sleep quality in this occupation emphasise the need to develop targeted and sustainable interventions to manage occupational stressors, burnout and depression to improve sleep quality in firefighters.

Objectives: The study aims to explore whether short-term exposure to meteorological factors has a potential association with the risk of diabetes mellitus (DM) mortality.

Methods: During the period 2015-2018, we collected daily data on meteorological factors and deaths of diabetic patients in Hefei. A total of 1101 diabetic deaths were recorded. We used structural equation modeling to initially explore the relationships among air pollutants, meteorological variables, and mortality, and generalized additive modeling (GAM) and distributional lag nonlinear modeling (DLNM) to explore the relationship between meteorological factors and the mortality risk of DM patients. We also stratified by age and gender. The mortality risk in diabetic patients was expressed by relative risks (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for both single and cumulative days.

Results: Single-day lagged results showed a high relative humidity (RH) (75th percentile, 83.71%), a fairly high average temperature (T mean) (95th percentile, 30.32 °C), and an extremely low diurnal temperature range (DTR) (5th percentile, 3.13 °C) were positively related to the mortality risk of DM. Stratified results showed that high and very high levels of T mean were significantly positively linked to the mortality risk of DM among females and the elderly, while very high levels of DTR were linked to the mortality risk in men and younger populations.

Conclusion: In conclusion, this study found that short-duration exposure to quite high T mean, high RH, and very low DTR were significantly positively related to the mortality risk of DM patients. For women and older individuals, exposure to high and very high T mean environments should be minimized. Men and young adults should be aware of daily temperature changes.