International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health最新文献

Purpose: Considering the dynamic influence of environmental, social, economic, and political factors in the emergence and growth of the BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) over the years and pre-existing differences, the adverse effects of air pollution on the health and well-being of the people have remained major areas of academic inquiry and policy interventions. The present study examines the global trend of deaths and Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) attributable to air pollution with particular reference to the BRICS countries for the period 1990 to 2019.

Methods: This study has used the global burden of disease estimates by using different rounds of the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study report published by the Institute of Health Metrics Evaluation. This study has calculated the cause of death and DALYs due to environmental risk factors (i.e. Air pollution). Data analysis has been done by using the standard formula for the calculation of death (mortality) rate and DALYs rate. Similarly, we calculated the age and gender-wise death and DALYs rate by using the appropriate numerator and denominator.

Results: The study discovered a significant shift in disease patterns over this period, as communicable diseases like respiratory infections and tuberculosis were replaced by non-communicable diseases such as ischemic heart disease (17.2 million), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (14.59 million), and stroke (17.02 million) as the primary causes of air pollution-related deaths in 2019 at the global level. Additionally, the study identified a worrying increase in deaths linked to neonatal disorders and respiratory infections caused by ambient particulate matter pollution in South Africa, India, and Brazil. The impact of air pollution on public health is evident across different age groups and genders, with people aged 50-69 years, those aged 70 and above, and children under 5 years being more vulnerable. Furthermore, the male population is disproportionately affected by communicable and noncommunicable diseases caused by air pollution.

Conclusion: The study highlights the need for policymakers to implement evidence-based interventions to tackle this global health problem. The interventions should aim to reduce the emerging crisis of non-communicable diseases related to air pollution, particularly among vulnerable age groups and the male population, ultimately improving public health outcomes.

Background: Crystalline silica (CS) exposure can cause serious lung disease in humans, but mechanisms of pulmonary toxicity have not been completely elucidated.

Aims: To assess pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory biomarkers and biomarkers related to the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and fibrosis in serum of rock drillers exposed to CS.

Methods: Rock drillers (N = 123) exposed to CS and non-specified particulate matter (PM) were compared to 48 referents without current or past exposure to PM in a cross-sectional study.

Results: The rock drillers had been exposed to CS for 10.7 years on average. Geometric mean (GM) current exposure was estimated to 36 µg/m³. Their GM concentration of matrix metalloproteinase 12 (MMP-12) was significantly higher (16 vs. 13 ng/L; p = 0.04), while interleukin (IL) 6 and IL-8 were significantly lower compared to the referents. Also pentraxin 3 was significantly lower (3558 vs. 4592 ng/L; p = 0.01) in the rock drillers. A dose-response relationship was observed between cumulative exposure to CS and MMP-12, the highest exposed subgroup having significantly higher MMP-12 concentrations than the referents.

Conclusion: Exposure to CS may increase circulating MMP-12 concentrations in a dose-response related fashion. The results may also suggest a down-regulation of pro-inflammatory pathways.

Objective: To determine if and which types of organisational interventions conducted in small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) in healthcare are effective on mental health and wellbeing.

Methods: Following PRISMA guidelines, we searched six scientific databases, assessed the methodological quality of eligible studies using QATQS and grouped them into six organisational intervention types for narrative synthesis. Only controlled studies with at least one follow-up were eligible.

Results: We identified 22 studies (23 articles) mainly conducted in hospitals with 16 studies rated of strong or moderate methodological quality. More than two thirds (68%) of the studies reported improvements in at least one primary outcome (mental wellbeing, burnout, stress, symptoms of depression or anxiety), most consistently in burnout with eleven out of thirteen studies. We found a strong level of evidence for the intervention type "Job and task modifications" and a moderate level of evidence for the types "Flexible work and scheduling" and "Changes in the physical work environment". For all other types, the level of evidence was insufficient. We found no studies conducted with an independent SME, however five studies with SMEs attached to a larger organisational structure. The effectiveness of workplace mental health interventions in these SMEs was mixed.

Conclusion: Organisational interventions in healthcare workers can be effective in improving mental health, especially in reducing burnout. Intervention types where the change in the work environment constitutes the intervention had the highest level of evidence. More research is needed for SMEs and for healthcare workers other than hospital-based physicians and nurses.

Purpose: This study aimed to reveal the relationship of the days of experiencing sickness presentism and depressive symptoms among Korean workers. Sickness presenteeism which defined as the act of going to work despite being feeling unhealthy triggers various adverse effects on mental health, including increased risks of depression. Furthermore, Sickness presenteeism is a major social issue causing substantial socioeconomic costs.

Methods: The data of 25120 participants from sixth Korean Working Condition Survey was utilized in this cross-sectional study. Sickness presenteeism was defined using a self-reported questionnaire and depressive symptoms were assessed by WHO well-being index. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to calculate the odd ratios for depressive symptoms regarding the number of days experiencing sickness presenteeism. We calculated odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) for depressive symptoms after categorizing participants into three groups based on the duration of experiencing sickness presenteeism, using cut-off values of 3 and 5 days.

Results: Workers who have experienced sickness presenteeism for more than 5 days were at highest risk for depressive symptoms than referent group (OR 2.87; 95% CI 2.17-3.76 in male, OR 3.86; 95% CI 3.02-4.91 in female). Furthermore, there was a trend of increasing risk for depressive symptom as the duration of experiencing sickness presenteeism extended.

Conclusion: This study presents the association between experiencing sickness presenteeism in the previous 12 months and depressive symptoms. Based on the results, we provide individual and organizational strategies of reducing sickness presenteeism. Also, screening for workers who have experienced sickness presenteeism are needed to ensure good mental health.

Introduction: Benzotriazoles and benzothiazoles (BTs) are high-production volume chemicals as well as widely distributed emerging pollutants with potential health risk. However, information about human exposure to BTs and associated health outcomes is limited.

Objective: We aimed to characterise exposure to BTs among Czech men, including possible occupational exposure among firefighters, its predictors, and its associations with liver function, serum lipids and oxidative stress.

Methods: 165 participants (including 110 firefighters) provided urine and blood samples that were used to quantify the urinary levels of 8 BTs (high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry), and 4 liver enzymes, cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, and 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine. Linear regression was used to assess associations with population characteristics and biomarkers of liver function, serum lipids and oxidative stress. Regression models were adjusted for potential confounding variables and false discovery rate procedure was applied to account for multiplicity.

Results: The BTs ranged from undetected up to 46.8 ng/mL. 2-hydroxy-benzothiazole was the most predominant compound (detection frequency 83%; median 1.95 ng/mL). 1-methyl-benzotriazole (1M-BTR) was measured in human samples for the first time, with a detection frequency 77% and median 1.75 ng/mL. Professional firefighters had lower urinary 1M-BTR compared to non-firefighters. Urinary 1M-BTR was associated with levels of γ-glutamyl transferase (β = - 17.54%; 95% CI: - 26.127, - 7.962).

Conclusion: This is the first study to investigate BT exposure in Central Europe, including potentially exposed firefighters. The findings showed a high prevalence of BTs in the study population, the relevance of 1M-BTR as a new biomarker of exposure, and an urgent need for further research into associated adverse health outcomes.

Background: High-frequency hearing loss (HFHL) stands as a prevalent occupational morbidity globally, with numerous associated risk factors, some of which are modifiable. In the context of a comprehensive hearing conservation program, the initial steps involve early screening and identification of workers with these modifiable risk factors, aiming to reduce the prevalence of hearing loss. Our objective was to estimate the prevalence of HFHL and determine its predictors among mine workers.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study among 226 mine workers in ten open-cast mines in Gujarat state, the western part of India, in November 2020. We collected data on socio-demography, addiction, occupation history and comorbidities, along with anthropometric, blood pressure, and blood sugar measurements. Audiometric evaluations using a portable diagnostic audiometer were employed to assess HFHL, defined as a hearing threshold exceeding 25 decibels (dB) at high frequencies (3000, 4000, 6000, and 8000 Hz). A generalized linear model (GLM) with a binomial family was performed to determine the predictors significantly predicting HFHL after adjusting for confounding variables.

Results: The prevalence of HFHL was 35% (95% CI: 29-42%) in our study setting. Office workers demonstrated a prevalence of 19%, whereas other job categories displayed a higher prevalence of 42%, resulting in a significant prevalence difference of 23% and a prevalence ratio of 2.2. The GLM analysis revealed that variables, such as noise exposure during work [adjusted prevalence ratio (aPR) 2.3 (95% CI: 1.2-4.7, p = 0.018)] and noise exposure duration [aPR 1.1 (95% CI: 1.0-1.1, p = 0.042)], were significant predictors of HFHL.

Conclusions: In our study setting, mine workers exhibited a high prevalence of HFHL, with exposure to workplace noise and duration being modifiable predictors. Because HFHL advances slowly and is generally undetected by the individual, we recommend periodic testing using audiometry to identify it among mine workers and, if possible, shifting them from mining activities to office. Furthermore, we advocate for the implementation of a comprehensive hearing conservation program to the extent possible.

Purpose: The literature exploring individual differences in self-rated health has grown fast in recent years. Self-rated health (SRH) is a good indicator of general health status. This empirical study explores the association between outdoor air pollution and SRH in Chile. This type of analysis is infrequent in Latin America.

Methods: We used objective and subjective air pollution measures. The first corresponds to PM_2.5, and the latter to the perception of a high level of air pollution. Drawing on data from two independent and repeated nationwide surveys over the period 2006-2017 at the individual level in Chile, we performed repeated cross-sectional analyses for each year of survey application. Ordered Logit (OL) and Logit (L) multivariate models were used to investigate the association between SRH and air pollution measures, considering other socioeconomic and demographic covariates.

Results: We found that the higher is the level of air pollution, the lower the SRH in Chile, regardless of whether air pollution is physically measured or perceived by respondents. The results were consistent over the years in the sign and significance of regression coefficients using two surveys and two forms of the outcome variable.

Conclusions: Our findings add evidence that air pollution is a relevant determinant of SRH. In addition, they show that subjective measures of air pollution can be as reliable as physical measures in the analysis of the association between air pollution and human health.

Objective: In this pilot study on subway workers, we explored the relationships between particle exposure and oxidative stress biomarkers in exhaled breath condensate (EBC) and urine to identify the most relevant biomarkers for a large-scale study in this field.

Methods: We constructed a comprehensive occupational exposure assessment among subway workers in three distinct jobs over 10 working days, measuring daily concentrations of particulate matter (PM), their metal content and oxidative potential (OP). Individual pre- and post-shift EBC and urine samples were collected daily. Three oxidative stress biomarkers were measured in these matrices: malondialdehyde (MDA), 8-hydroxy-2'deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) and 8-isoprostane. The association between each effect biomarker and exposure variables was estimated by multivariable multilevel mixed-effect models with and without lag times.

Results: The OP was positively associated with Fe and Mn, but not associated with any effect biomarkers. Concentration changes of effect biomarkers in EBC and urine were associated with transition metals in PM (Cu and Zn) and furthermore with specific metals in EBC (Ba, Co, Cr and Mn) and in urine (Ba, Cu, Co, Mo, Ni, Ti and Zn). The direction of these associations was both metal- and time-dependent. Associations between Cu or Zn and MDA_EBC generally reached statistical significance after a delayed time of 12 or 24 h after exposure. Changes in metal concentrations in EBC and urine were associated with MDA and 8-OHdG concentrations the same day.

Conclusion: Associations between MDA in both EBC and urine gave opposite response for subway particles containing Zn versus Cu. This diverting Zn and Cu pattern was also observed for 8-OHdG and urinary concentrations of these two metals. Overall, MDA and 8-OHdG responses were sensitive for same-day metal exposures in both matrices. We recommend MDA and 8-OHdG in large field studies to account for oxidative stress originating from metals in inhaled particulate matter.

Introduction: Jobs in domestic cleaning are often conceived as 'precarious employment' (PE)-i.e. a multidimensional concept referring to accumulated adverse characteristics of employment due to workers' weak bargaining position. Against this background, the Belgian service voucher system (SVS) was implemented aimed at creating formal and stable, subsidized domestic services jobs.

Purpose: The current study assesses the relationship between PE and mental health (WHO5) in the Belgian SVS, accounting for the potential mediating role of working conditions and perceived financial strain at the household level.

Methods: We analysed a cross-sectional sample of 1,115 Belgian SVS domestic cleaners, collected in 2019 through an online survey. A mediation model was estimated.

Results: The crude effect of PE on adverse mental health was strong (ß 0.545-S.E. 0.063). However, 50% of the association between PE and mental well-being was mediated by work task characteristics (quantitative demands, physical demands, task variation and autonomy) and 25% by household-level perceived financial strain. The remaining direct effect of PE on adverse mental well-being is ß 0.066 (S.E. 0.032-25% of the total effect).

Conclusion: These findings are the first based on the Belgian Employment Precariousness Scale (EPRES-BE) and are consistent with earlier-made-but seldom simultaneously tested-assumptions on the mechanisms relating PE to adverse mental health-i.e. involving direct associations and indirect associations via adverse working conditions and material deprivation. Based on the results, we recommend more democratic and higher-quality management practices in the SVS, in addition to higher wages and working time reduction.

Objective: This cross-sectional study aims to examine association between different components of physical fitness and perceived work ability among working age population.

Methods: The population-based study sample included 2050 participants aged 18-74 from the Finnish national Health 2011 study. Physical fitness was assessed by the single leg stand test, the modified push-up test, the vertical jump test and the six-minute walk test, and perceived work ability was assessed via interview. Logistic regression was used for examining the associations between physical fitness and work ability.

Results: After adjusting for potential confounders (age, sex, marital status, educational level, work characteristics, total physical activity, daily smoking, BMI and number of diseases), odds ratios indicated that good work ability was more likely among those who had better balance in single leg stand test (OR = 1.54; 95% CI 1.07-2.24), and who belonged in the high fitness thirds in six-minute walking test (OR = 2.08; 95% CI 1.24-3.49) and in vertical jump test (OR = 2.51; 95% CI 1.23-5.12) compared to lowest third. Moreover, moderate (OR = 1.76; 95% CI 1.02-3.05) to high fitness (OR = 2.87; 95% CI 1.40-5.92) in modified push-up test increased the likelihood of good work ability compared to lowest third.

Conclusion: These study results indicate that good musculoskeletal as well as cardiorespiratory fitness are associated with better perceived work ability. Promoting physical fitness in individual and societal level may be potential targets for maintaining good work ability in working age population.