International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health最新文献

Introduction: Many pollutants constantly worsen the ecological situation, thereby causing irreparable harm to the health of the population. Technogenic impact on the biosphere has become one of the significant factors dictating our conditions of existence on Earth.

Purpose of the study: to conduct a comparative analysis of the frequency of cytogenetic abnormalities, indicators of proliferation disorders and nuclear destruction of vaginal and buccal epithelium of pregnant women 26-33 years old living in conditions of radioactive, chemical and combined environmental contamination of the Bryansk region.

Methods: micronucleus test, staining method by Kvik, fluorescence method, immunocytochemistry method, Shapiro-Wilk test, Mann-Whitney U test.

Results: the frequency of cytogenetic abnormalities, indicators of proliferation disorders and nuclear destruction in the vaginal epithelium of pregnant women living in areas of radioactive, chemical and combined environmental contamination is 1.3-4.9 times higher, and in the buccal epithelium 1.6-7.8 times higher compared to ecologically safe (control) areas (p < 0.01-0.001). The combined effect of radioactive contamination and chemical pollution resulted in a significantly higher (increase from 12.8% to 81.4% in vaginal epithelium and from 22.6% to 2.3 times in buccal epithelium) frequency of cells with micronuclei, cells with protrusions, binuclear cells, cells with double nuclei, as well as cells with karyopyknosis and karyolysis in pregnant women compared to areas with only one pollution factor.

Conclusion: The results demonstrate the synergistic effects of radiation contamination and chemical pollution on the cytogenetic status of pregnant women.

Background: Typically affecting people's quality of life, dyssomnia is among the most prevalent chronic illnesses worldwide. A positive correlation between air pollution and dyssomnia has been demonstrated by epidemiological research. However, no meta-analyses evaluating the relationship between the prevalence of dyssomnia in people of all ages and air pollutants (PM_2.5, PM₁₀, NO₂, SO₂, and O₃) were found.

Objectives: Conduct a meta-analysis utilizing data from current studies (until 2024) to provide reliable insights into the relationship between air pollution exposure and the likelihood of dyssomnia prevalence.

Methods: We systematically searched three databases for studies on air pollution and dyssomnia up to January 15, 2024. Random-effects models were used to estimate the pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). Subgroup analyses, funnel plots, and meta-regression analyses were also performed.

Results: There were 11 studies from 4 different nations that involved 3,328,183 participants in total. The odds ratios (ORs) for PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ were 1.29 (1.16-1.44) and 1.13 (1.03-1.23) per 10 µg/m³ increase in pollutants, respectively. The OR per 10 µg/m³ increment of gaseous pollutants were 1.06 (1.00-1.12) for NO₂ and 1.16 (1.04-1.31) for O₃. No significant association was observed between SO₂ and dyssomnia. Adults are more sensitive to air pollution than children or adolescents for that the effects of PM_2.5、PM₁₀ and SO₂ were significantly stronger in adults than children or adolescents. The effect of air pollution on dyssomnia was more significant in developed countries than in developing countries. There was a difference in the subgroup test for PM₁₀ between developed and developing countries.

Conclusion: This meta-analysis implies the relationship between the air pollution and dyssomnia. Economic status and age may influence the effect. It was suggested to provide guidance for disease prevention and explored potential avenues for further research.

Purpose: Given the lack of robust prognostic models for early identification of individuals at risk of work disability, this study aimed to develop and externally validate three models for prolonged work absence among individuals on sick leave due to musculoskeletal disorders.

Methods: We developed three multivariable logistic regression models using data from 934 individuals on sick leave for 4-12 weeks due to musculoskeletal disorders, recruited through the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration. The models predicted three outcomes: (1) > 90 consecutive sick days, (2) > 180 consecutive sick days, and (3) any new or increased work assessment allowance or disability pension within 12 months. Each model was externally validated in a separate cohort of participants (8-12 weeks of sick leave) from a different geographical region in Norway. We evaluated model performance using discrimination (c-statistic), calibration, and assessed clinical usefulness using decision curve analysis (net benefit). Bootstrapping was used to adjust for overoptimism.

Results: All three models showed good predictive performance in the external validation sample, with c-statistics exceeding 0.76. The model predicting > 180 days performed best, demonstrating good calibration and discrimination (c-statistic 0.79 (95% CI 0.73-0.85), and providing net benefit across a range of decision thresholds from 0.10 to 0.80.

Conclusions: These models, particularly the one predicting > 180 days, may facilitate secondary prevention strategies and guide future clinical trials. Further validation and refinement are necessary to optimise the models and to test their performance in larger samples.

Objective: In the current study, we explored the associations between exposure to fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) constituents and full-term small for gestational age (SGA) in different periods.

Methods: We included 155,897 participants, and matched the exposure concentrations of PM_2.5 and its constituents [sulfate (SO₄^2-), nitrate (NO₃^-), ammonium (NH₄⁺), organic matter (OM), and black carbon (BC)] according to participants' geographical location. To explore the associations of prenatal exposure to PM_2.5 and its constituents with the risk of full-term SGA, we used logistic regression, restricted cubic spline regression (RCS) and quartile g-computation (QGCOMP).

Results: We found that individual exposure to PM_2.5 and its constituents was positively associated with the risk of full-term SGA (P < 0.05), whether in the year before pregnancy or the entire pregnancy. These associations were more pronounced in the second trimester. We found that the risk of full-term SGA was positively and linearly related to the concentrations of PM_2.5 and its constituents (P_overall < 0.05, P_nonlinear > 0.05). The associations of PM_2.5 and its constituents with full-term SGA were stronger in multiparous mothers. Moreover, full-term SGA was associated with exposure to mixtures of SO₄^2-, NO₃^-, NH₄⁺, OM, and BC before pregnancy and in the second and third trimester. Among these, BC was positively associated with full-term SGA at each of the aforementioned stages.

Conclusions: The risk of full-term SGA was positively and linearly related to concentrations of PM_2.5 and its constituents, and these associations were more pronounced in the second trimester. BC was the most hazardous constituent of PM_2.5 that was associated with full-term SGA.

Background: Bushfires (also known as wildland or forest fires) expose emergency responders to occupational hazards under exceptional circumstances. Whilst the health impacts of structural firefighting have been studied, less is known about the non-respiratory health impacts or risk of mortality amongst bush firefighters, who can be volunteers. More information about health risks is needed to generate effective prevention strategies.

Objective: To critically evaluate and synthesise the published evidence about the non-respiratory health risks and risk of mortality associated with bushfire fighting.

Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted in Medline, Scopus, and Embase to identify studies evaluating morbidity or mortality or associated risk factors among bushfire fighters. The quality of included studies was evaluated twice independently using a specific quality assessment tool.

Results: Twenty-seven studies were included. 11(41%) were assessed as moderate quality and 16(59%) as low quality. There is a growing body of evidence for adverse short-term impacts of bushfire fighting on mental health and injuries. Linkage studies showed that volunteer firefighters had lower mortality and cancer risk in their late forties compared to the general population.

Conclusion: Most studies relied on cross-sectional and retrospective designs without comparison groups, limiting the ability to draw robust conclusions. It is essential to conduct higher-quality research using prospective designs and longer-term follow-up to better understand the health outcomes of bushfire fighting, particularly given the anticipated increase in the frequency and severity of bushfires.

Objective: Overall, police officers have higher rates of several adverse health conditions (e.g., cardiovascular health profiles and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)) compared to persons in many other occupations. Our objective was to conduct a comparative study of occupational exposures and health outcomes among police officers across: (a) a 7-year period, from the baseline examination (2004-2009) to the 1st follow-up examination (2011-2015) and (b) a 12-year period, from baseline to the 2nd follow-up examination (2015-2019).

Methods: Participants were from the Buffalo Cardio-Metabolic Occupational Police Stress (BCOPS) Study. Variables were assessed through self-report, standardized validated questionnaires, or standardized medical procedures. We computed the 7- and 12-year changes in mean values (for continuous/numeric variables) or prevalence (for categorical variables) and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using MIXED and GENMOD procedures in SAS.

Results: Occupational stress significantly increased over 12 years [3.4; (95% CI 1.2, 5.6)]. The percentage of officers who reported excellent/very good health significantly decreased across both time periods: [- 11.8%; (- 17.8, - 5.9)] across seven years and [- 17.3%; (- 24.2, - 10.4)] across 12 years. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome increased over seven years [10.7%; (5.3-16.0)] and over 12 years [7.4%; (0.1-14.0)]. Abdominal obesity and glucose intolerance significantly increased over both time periods while hypertension and elevated triglyceride levels increased slightly but not significantly over both time periods.

Conclusion: Occupational stressors and some health outcomes of officers worsened over time indicating the need for self-health monitoring and wellness programs for police.

Objective: Few studies have investigated the relationship between post-pandemic hybrid work-from-home (WFH), mental health, and work-life balance. We examined the association between hybrid WFH, mental distress, availability demands, work-life conflict, and life-work conflict.

Methods: Data from 24,763 office workers in the public sector in Norway were analyzed by linear and logistic regressions.

Results: Employees practicing flexible hybrid WFH (i.e., when needed/desired) were less likely to report mental distress (measured by the Hopkins Symptom-Checklist; HSCL-5) than those not practicing WFH. WFH being self-chosen was associated with less distress. Flexible WFH was also associated with availability demands, work-life conflict, and life-work conflict, which were, in turn, linked to distress. The risk of distress increased with the number of weekly days of flexible WFH. Workers with fixed agreements to regularly WFH did not report significantly less distress than those with no WFH. However, fixed WFH was associated with lower availability demands, not with work-life conflict, and was more often self-chosen than flexible WFH.

Conclusion: Flexible WFH may alleviate distress but may also indicate attempts to cope with taxing availability demands, and may even introduce stressors that could reverse beneficial effects. Our results should motivate nuanced, multifactorial assessments of WFH in organizational practice and research.

Objective: To describe work practices and exposures among sugarcane farm workers on smallholder cooperatives in eSwatini, being subcontracted (cane cutters) or directly employed (pesticide applicators).

Methods: Data were collected at mid-harvest using repeated field observations and wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) measurements. Questionnaires were administered to 267 sugarcane cutters and 125 pesticide applicators. Individual work output was defined as the length of the row of sugarcane cut over the workday, which also determined the monthly remuneration. The Quick Exposure Check was used to assess exposure to musculoskeletal risks. Pesticide handling practices were described with a focus on personal protection safety practices. Additionally, heart rate was measured in 20 pesticide workers for estimation of workload and core temperature.

Results: Sugarcane sites generally had no provision for rest in shade. Few workers were provided with drinking water and thus used personal containers or took water from the irrigation system. The mean water intake over the workday was as low as 1.4 L. Most workers (87%) described their work as physically demanding. For workers with a high workload (cane cutters), the observed daily average maximum WBGT of 28.6 °C was above the NIOSH recommended exposure limit (REL) of 26 °C. Pesticide applicators had a moderate workload. A minority of the applicators had access to proper personal protective equipment such as air respirators (4%), chemical gloves (17%), and chemical overalls (21%); still, their protective clothing hindered heat dissipation and thus increased heat stress.

Conclusion: Workplace interventions are needed to protect workers' health and safety.

Objective: This study examines noise-induced hearing injuries, among active component service members in Military Working Dog (MWD) handler occupations compared to active component veterinary personnel, military police, and all other active component service members between 2012 and 2023.

Methods: A total of 3,373,990 active component service members were included, with 5,112 service members in the MWD handler occupation. 2,726 veterinary personnel, and 157,811 service members working as military police. Crude incidence rates and adjusted incidence rate ratios were calculated for any noise-induced hearing injury, as well as for significant threshold shifts, sensorineural hearing loss, noise-induced hearing loss, and tinnitus.

Results: During the surveillance period, MWD handlers sustained the highest incidence rate of noise-induced hearing injuries (416.84 cases per 10,000 person-years) compared to veterinary personnel, military police, and other military occupations. Incidence rates of tinnitus were higher than other noise injury types for all occupations and were highest among MWD handlers (262.51 cases per 10,000 person-years). During the surveillance period, incidence rates of tinnitus among MWD handlers steadily increased from 2016 (150.37 cases per 10,000 person-years) until it peaked in 2023 (607.80 cases per 10,000 person-years). Regardless of occupation, the incident rate ratio of any hearing injury increased with increasing age and was highest among MWD handlers who were 45 years and older [IRR = 5.63 (95%CI: 2.89-10.98)].

Conclusions: This study is among the first investigations into MWD handlers' noise-induced hearing injuries.

Purpose: The aim of this study is to assess the incidence of job loss related to health issues (fitness for work) over one year within the population of construction trades, to analyze the medical diagnoses associated with these unfitness for work situations, and to define the demographic and professional characteristics associated with them at the regional level in France (Occitania).

Methods: This prospective multicenter study was conducted between September 2019 and September 2020 and included employees monitored by 23 inter-company occupational health services in Occitania, France.

Results: In total, 71,772 employees from the construction sector were followed. The incidence of work unfitness during this period was estimated at 6.69 per thousand (95% CI [6.11; 7.32]). The two main causes of work unfitness were related to mental pathologies or musculoskeletal disorders. The identified risk factors, considering all causes, notably included age, particularly within the age intervals of 56-60 years (adjusted OR = 3.78, 95% CI [2.94-4.85]) and 61-62 years (adjusted OR = 6.17, 95% CI [4.17-8.91]) (reference 14-40 years), as well as the nature of the occupation, especially if it involved higher physical demands.

Conclusion: This study highlights the personal and professional determinants associated with job loss for medical reasons among workers in the construction sector. These findings provide further insights into the risk factors leading to work unfitness and thus enable the development of targeted preventive actions aimed at promoting workers' health and retention in employment.