International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health最新文献

Objective: This study investigates the associations of α1-antitrypsin, inter-α-trypsin inhibitor heavy chain (ITIH4), and 8-isoprostane with lung function in shipyard workers exposed to occupational metal fume fine particulate matter (PM_2.5), which is known to be associated with adverse respiratory outcomes.

Methods: A 3-year follow-up study was conducted on 180 shipyard workers with 262 measurements. Personal exposure to welding fume PM_2.5 was collected for an 8-h working day. Pre-exposure, post-exposure, and delta (∆) levels of α1-antitrypsin, ITIH4, and 8-isoprostane were determined in urine using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Post-exposure urinary metals were sampled at the beginning of the next working day and analyzed by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. Lung function measurements were also conducted the next working day for post-exposure.

Results: An IQR increase in PM_2.5 was associated with decreases of 2.157% in FEV₁, 2.806% in PEF, 4.328% in FEF_25%, 5.047% in FEF_50%, and 7.205% in FEF_75%. An IQR increase in PM_2.5 led to increases of 42.155 µg/g in ∆α1-antitrypsin and 16.273 µg/g in ∆ITIH4. Notably, IQR increases in various urinary metals were associated with increases in specific biomarkers, such as post-urinary α1-antitrypsin and ITIH4. Moreover, increases in ∆ α1-antitrypsin and ∆ITIH4 were associated with decreases in FEV₁/FVC by 0.008% and 0.020%, respectively, and an increase in ∆8-isoprostane resulted in a 1.538% decline in FVC.

Conclusion: Our study suggests that urinary α1-antitrypsin and ITIH4 could indicate early lung function decline in shipyard workers exposed to metal fume PM_2.5, underscoring the need for better safety and health monitoring to reduce respiratory risks.

Objective

There is limited study from low-and-middle income countries on the effect of perinatal exposure to air pollution and the risk of infection in infant. We assessed the association between perinatal exposure to traffic related air pollution and the risk of infection in infant during their first six months of life.

Methods

A prospective cohort study was performed in Jakarta, March 2016–September 2020 among 298 mother-infant pairs. PM_2.5, soot, NO_x, and NO₂ concentrations were assessed using land use regression models (LUR) at individual level. Repeated interviewer-administered questionnaires were used to obtain data on infection at 1, 2, 4 and 6 months of age. The infections were categorized as upper respiratory tract (runny nose, cough, wheezing or shortness of breath), lower respiratory tract (pneumonia, bronchiolitis) or gastrointestinal tract infection. Logistic regression models adjusted for covariates were used to assess the association between perinatal exposure to air pollution and the risk of infection in the first six months of life.

Results

The average concentrations of PM_2.5 and NO₂ were much higher than the WHO recommended levels. Upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) were much more common in the first six months of life than diagnosed lower respiratory tract or gastro-intestinal infections (35.6%, 3.5% and 5.8% respectively). Perinatal exposure to PM_2.5 and soot suggested increase cumulative risk of upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) in the first 6 months of life per IQR increase with adjusted OR of 1.50 (95% CI 0.91; 2.47) and 1.14 (95% CI 0.79; 1.64), respectively. Soot was significantly associated with the risk of URTI at 4–6 months age interval (aOR of 1.45, 95%CI 1.02; 2.09). All air pollutants were also positively associated with lower respiratory tract infection, but all CIs include unity because of relatively small samples. Adjusted odds ratios for gastrointestinal infections were close to unity.

Conclusion

Our study adds to the evidence that perinatal exposure to fine particles is associated with respiratory tract infection in infants in a low-middle income country.

Objectives

The literature is nonexistent on the assessment of overall fractions of diseases attributable to multiple dependent psychosocial work factors. The objectives of the study were to calculate the overall fractions of coronary heart diseases (CHD) and depression attributable to multiple dependent psychosocial work factors in 35 European countries.

Methods

We used already published fractions of CHD and depression attributable to each of the following psychosocial work factors: job strain, effort-reward imbalance, job insecurity, long working hours, and workplace bullying. We took all exposures and their correlations into account to calculate overall attributable fractions. Wald tests were performed to test differences in these overall attributable fractions between genders and between countries.

Results

The overall fractions of CHD and depression attributable to all studied psychosocial work factors together were found to be 8.1% [95% CI: 2.0-13.9] and 26.3% [95% CI: 16.2–35.5] respectively in the 35 European countries. There was no difference between genders and between countries.

Conclusion

Our study showed that the overall fractions attributable to all studied psychosocial work factors were substantial especially for depression. These overall attributable fractions may be particularly useful to evaluate the burden and costs attributable to psychosocial work factors, and also to inform policies makers at European level.

Purpose

Bullying of leaders is an underexplored topic in organizational research. To fill this knowledge gap, the aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of bullying of leaders and to examine whether holding a formal leadership position influences the relationships between exposure to bullying and the outcomes job satisfaction and depression.

Methods

Data from two separate surveys were employed: (1) A cross-sectional occupation specific sample comprising 678 Norwegian child welfare social workers; (2) A nationally representative probability sample of 1,608 Norwegian employees with two time-points (6 months’ time-lag).

Results

Analyzing multiple indicators of workplace bullying, holding a formal leadership position had no impact on the initial risk of being bullied. Analyses of prospective data showed that leaders report a somewhat stronger increase in levels of bullying over time compared to non-leaders, although the effect size was small. With exception of a small buffering effect on the cross-sectional association between exposure to bullying behaviors and job satisfaction in the second sample, holding a leadership position had no effect on the strength of the association between bullying and outcomes.

Conclusion

The findings show that leaders have the same risk of being bullied and are influenced by bullying in roughly the same manner as non-leaders. Organizational measures and interventions against bullying should therefore consider leaders as a risk group in line with other employees.

Objectives

Small-for-gestational-age (SGA) and large-for-gestational-age (LGA) births are major adverse birth outcomes related to newborn health. In contrast, the association between ambient air pollution levels and SGA or LGA births has not been investigated in Japan; hence, the purpose of our study is to investigate this association.

Methods

We used birth data from Vital Statistics in Japan from 2017 to 2021 and municipality-level data on air pollutants, including nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), photochemical oxidants, and particulate matter 2.5 (PM_2.5). Ambient air pollution levels throughout the first, second, and third trimesters, as well as the whole pregnancy, were calculated for each birth. The association between SGA/LGA and ambient levels of the air pollutants was investigated using crude and adjusted log-binomial regression models. In addition, a regression model with spline functions was also used to detect the non-linear association.

Results

We analyzed data from 2,434,217 births. Adjusted regression analyses revealed statistically significant and positive associations between SGA birth and SO₂ level, regardless of the exposure period. Specifically, the risk ratio for average SO₂ values throughout the whole pregnancy was 1.014 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.009, 1.019) per 1 ppb increase. In addition, regression analysis with spline functions indicated that an increase in risk ratio for SGA birth depending on SO₂ level was linear. Furthermore, statistically significant and negative associations were observed between LGA birth and SO₂ except for the third trimester.

Conclusions

It was suggested that ambient level of SO₂ during the pregnancy term is a risk factor for SGA birth in Japan.

Purpose: Using COR theory to study developments of health and other key resources in self-employed workers in Sweden over 6 years, this study: (1) explored whether the heterogenous group of self-employed workers contained subgroups with different health trajectories, (2) investigated whether these were more typical for certain individuals (with respect to age, gender, sector, education, employment status), and (3) compared the different health trajectories regarding resource development in mental well-being, business resources, employment status, work ability.

Method: The study used data from the Swedish longitudinal occupational survey of health (SLOSH) and included participants working as self-employed or combiner (N = 2642).

Result: Five trajectories were identified with latent class growth curve model analysis (LCGM). Two health trajectories with (1) very good, respective (2) good stable health (together comprising 78.5% of the participants), (3) one with moderate stable health (14.8%), (4) one with a U-shaped form (1.9%), and (5) one with low, slightly increasing health (4.7%). The first two trajectories flourish: they maintained or increased in all key resources and were more likely to remain self-employed. Trajectories three and five consist of those who fight to maintain or increase their resources. Workers in the U-shaped health trajectory show signs of fight and flight after loss in health and other key resources.

Conclusions: Studying subgroups with different resource developments over time was suitable to understand heterogeneity in self-employed workers. It also helped to identify vulnerable groups that may benefit from interventions to preserve their resources.

Purpose: Sleep quality (SQ) is essential in the overall well-being and quality of life, but little is known about the association of secondhand smoking (SHS) with SQ. This study assessed the relationship between SHS and SQ among adults who had never smoked in Ibadan, Nigeria.

Methods: We identified 3193 respondents who had never smoked or used any form of tobacco product in the Community-based Investigation of the Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Diseases in the Ibadan and suburbs (COMBAT-CVDs) study. SHS was self-reported, SQ assessed using a sleep quality scale, and SQ scores were classified by the quartile distributions of SQ scores in this sample as good (< 7), moderate (7-13), fair (14-20), and poor (≥ 21), and logistic regression models were used to estimate the multivariable-adjusted odds ratio and 95% confidence interval (CI) of the association between SHS and SQ in a two-sided test at P < 0.05.

Results: The mean (SD) of age in this sample was 34.8 ± 15.1 years; 1621 (50.8%) were females, and 848 (26.6%) experienced SHS. The multivariable-adjusted odds by categories of SQ scores (using good SQ as reference) in the light of SHS were OR: 1.64 (95%CI 1.28, 2.12) for moderate SQ, OR: 1.88 (95%CI 1.46, 2.42) for fair SQ and OR: 2.14 (95%CI 1.66, 2.75) for poor SQ; P < 0.0001 after adjusting for relevant covariates. The sex- and age groups- stratified analyses revealed similar trends.

Conclusion: SHS is associated with higher odds of poor SQ in this study. Culturally relevant interventions for mitigating exposure to SHS might improve SQ and overall quality of life, particularly among vulnerable populations.

Purpose: Several epidemiological studies have linked lead (Pb) exposure to induced oxidative stress and the promotion of inflammatory response. We performed a within-subjects study (repeated measures study) to evaluate the relationship between the concentration of blood lead (B-Pb) and toenail lead (T-Pb) and circulating markers of inflammation.

Methods: We evaluated the associations between B-Pb concentrations and T-Pb concentrations and circulating markers of inflammation, soluble intracellular adhesion molecule-1 (s-ICAM-1), soluble vascular adhesion molecule-1 (s-VCAM-1), and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) on 158 traffic enforcers from the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) traffic enforcer's health study. Linear mixed-effects models with random subject-specific intercepts were fitted to estimate the association between B-Pb and T-Pb exposure and circulating markers of inflammation, adjusting for confounding factors.

Results: Traffic enforcers were middle-aged men (89.4%) with a mean age (± SD) of 37.1 years ± 8.9 years and had a total of 293 valid markers of inflammation measurements. B-Pb concentration was related to increased hs-CRP levels. A 10% increase in B-Pb was associated with a 5.7% increase in hs-CRP level [95% confidence interval (95% CI): 1.3-10.1]. However, B-Pb was not associated with s-ICAM-1 and s-VCAM-1. Furthermore, no associations were observed between T-Pb and all the circulating markers of inflammation.

Conclusions: Low-level B-Pb may increase hs-CRP among traffic enforcers. Moreover, the study suggests that Pb via the oxidative and inflammation pathways may have an essential role in the development of cardiovascular disease. Furthermore, MMDA and the Department of Labor and Employment can use our study's findings as evidence to conduct routine screening of blood heavy metals, especially Pb, among MMDA and other traffic enforcers as part of their yearly medical examination.

Purpose: Evaluations of organizational-level interventions to prevent work-related illness have identified enabling factors, but knowledge of necessary and sufficient conditions for intervention success is needed. The aim was to identify difference-making factors that distinguish intervention groups with and without a positive intervention effect on sickness absence.

Methods: An organizational-level intervention designed to decrease sickness absence by providing support from process facilitators was implemented at eight healthcare workplaces in Sweden between 2017 and 2018. We applied coincidence analysis (CNA) to analyze 34 factors and determine which factors were necessary and sufficient for a successful implementation of tailored interventional measures on an organizational level (dichotomous) and reduced sickness absence (trichotomous).

Results: Two factors perfectly explained both the presence and absence of a successful implementation: "a high sense of urgency" and "good anchoring and participation from the strategic management". The presence of either of these factors alone was sufficient for successful implementation, whereas the joint absence of both conditions was necessary and sufficient for the absence of successful implementation and an intervention effect. In addition, high employee participation was both necessary and sufficient for a high intervention effect. For organizations without high employee participation, successful implementation led to a medium-effect size.

Conclusions: This study identified participation as a difference-maker in the implementation process. Participation from different stakeholders turned out to be important in different phases. When implementing organizational-level interventions, high participation from both strategic management and employees appears to be crucial in terms of the intervention's effect on sickness absence.

Objective: Occupational exposure to pesticides is a known risk for disrupting cellular immune response in flower workers due to their use of multiple chemical products, poor work conditions, and inadequate protection. Recently, the analysis of pesticide use patterns has emerged as an alternative to studying exposure to mixtures of these products. This study aimed to evaluate the association between exposure to different patterns of pesticide use and the cytokine profile of flower workers in the State of Mexico and Morelos, Mexico.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out on a population of 108 flower workers. Serum levels of IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10 cytokines were analyzed by means of multiplex analysis, and TNF-α and IFN-γ using an ELISA test. Pesticide use patterns were generated by principal components analysis.

Results: The analysis revealed that certain patterns of pesticide use, combining insecticides and fungicides, were associated with higher levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, particularly IL-6 and IFN-γ.

Conclusion: These findings indicate that pesticides may possess immunotoxic properties, contributing to increased inflammatory response. However, further comprehensive epidemiological studies are needed to establish a causal relationship.