International journal of occupational medicine and environmental health最新文献

Objectives: This communication is aimed at outlining the role of the National Register of Biological Agents (NRoBA) in the system of working conditions supervision in Poland.

Material and methods: The paper was prepared based on a review of Polish legislation related to employee health protection, as well as scientific literature and recommendations of expert organizations regarding the intentional use of biological agents.

Results: Polish law obliges employers to protect the health and safety of employees occupationally exposed to harmful agents. The State Sanitary Inspection and the State Labor Inspection supervise the employer's fulfillment of these obligations. Occupational exposure to biological agents may result from their intentional use (e.g., in the biotechnology industry or a scientific laboratory) or be related to their unintentional presence (e.g., in healthcare, sewage treatment plants, municipal waste management plants). Making a distinction between these 2 types of exposure is important for employers in relation to their legal obligations. In the case of using harmful biological agents for scientific, industrial or diagnostic purposes, the employer is obliged to notify the State Sanitary Inspection. Such notifications from employers are gathered in the NRoBA. Its aim is to support hygiene supervision over the intentional use of biological agents and to increase the employer's attention to the protection of the health of employees exposed to these agents. The International Labor Organization (ILO) in 2023 published Technical Guidelines on Biological Hazards in the Working Environment, in which it recommended increasing the capacity for epidemiological surveillance by creating networks or dedicated websites to collect and analyze adverse events in employees of research and development laboratories. The NRoBA complies with these guidelines but in order to use it in epidemiological studies, it should be re-digitalized to extend the range of collected data.

Conclusions: The NRoBA in its present form has been used in Poland for almost 2 decades. Now it is time for re-digitalization to ensure its full compliance with the ILO recommendations and to use it in epidemiological studies. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2025;38(1):91-97.

Ionizing radiation is considered as a harmful factor to health. However, X‑rays are widely used in diagnostic and therapeutic procedures such as those performed during cardiac interventions. Their use is particularly invaluable in saving life procedures when the risk of adverse effects of radiation is relatively low compared to the consequences of non-treated or treated with other invasive methods diseases. One branch of these types of medical procedures is interventional cardiology in pediatrics due to possible higher than in adults risks of developing cancer in exposed to ionizing radiation children. On the other hand, medical staff in particular physician, may be exposed to relatively high radiation levels during their work. Parallel with enlarging workload (growing number of procedures per year), high levels of cumulative doses to most exposed, and often not protected, parts of operator's body as eye lenses and brain may be achieved. Exposure to X‑rays in pediatric interventional cardiology is a worldwide point of scientific interest from around 65 years, however assessment and simulating low level doses is still developing. In this review found data presents various trials of evaluating doses or levels of exposure to both medical staff and patient as well as methods of optimization and protection against X‑rays in pediatric cardiac interventional procedures. The issue of establishing diagnostic reference levels was also taken into consideration during analysis. Thirty papers from period 2013 to 2023 were analyzed. The main assumption of this condensed review is to reveal radiation protection methods worldwide and in Poland. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2024;37(6):569-80.

Objectives: Defined as attending work while ill, presenteeism is highly prevalent and has negative consequences such as reduced productivity and lower well-being for workers. This study aims to estimate the prevalence of presenteeism among Korean workers during the COVID-19 pandemic and identify the risk factors.

Material and methods: Using data extracted from the second wave of the Korea Health Panel Survey in 2019-2021, this study assessed experience of presenteeism and the number of presenteeism days as the dependent variable. Independent variables included gender, age group, educational level, employment status, household income quartile, and the presence of chronic conditions. Two generalized estimating equation models were used.

Results: In 2019, 30.6% of participants reported experiencing presenteeism; this decreased to 17.9% in 2020 and 13.5% in 2021. The mean number of presenteeism days decreased from 2.30 days in 2019 to 1.46 days in 2020 and to 1.04 days in 2021. The participants were less likely to experience presenteeism in 2020 and 2021 than in 2019 (OR = 0.48 and OR = 0.36, respectively, p < 0.001). The risk of presenteeism is higher among women, younger age groups, participants with regular employment or on-contract positions, lower income, and chronic conditions than their counterparts. The number of presenteeism days significantly decreased in 2020 and 2021 (β = -0.44 and -0.78, respectively, p < 0.001).

Conclusions: Workers were less likely to experience presenteeism in 2020 and 2021 than in 2019, and the number of presenteeism days decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic. The risk of presenteeism was associated with worker characteristics. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2024;37(6):617-29.

Objectives: The study aimed to examine the relationship between occupational factors and sleep disorders among employees in petrochemical enterprises.

Material and methods: All participants from the employees of Hainan Petroleum Refining and Chemical Enterprises were recruited by the cluster sampling in June 1, 2022. The questionnaire used in this research was primarily composed of 3 sections: demographic characteristics, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) questionnaire and occupation-related factors affecting sleep disorders. A 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM) method was used to balance the demographic characteristics of the 2 groups. Multivariate logistic regression was employed to analyze the independent factors influencing sleep disorders.

Results: A total of 952 valid questionnaires were collected. The frequency of sleep disorders among the 952 participants was 41.9% (N = 399). After PSM, 356 pairs were successfully matched. There was no statistical difference in socio-demographic characteristics between sleep disorder groups (p > 0.05). The logistic regression analysis showed that employees with weekly working time >40 h exhibited a higher likelihood of sleep disorders (OR: 1.74, 95% CI: 1.09-2.82) than those working ≤40 h. Individuals exposed to high-temperature working environments were more likely to experience sleep disorders (OR: 1.77, 95% CI: 1.12-2.81), while the sleep disorder risk in those with occupational stress was 2.67-fold (OR: 2.67, 95% CI: 1.89-3.80). Employees in storage and transportation (OR: 3.34, 95% CI: 1.81-6.40) and other positions (OR: 1.68, 95% CI: 1.03-2.75) displayed a higher risk of sleep disorders than operational workers.

Conclusions: The frequency of sleep disorders among employees in petrochemical enterprises is high. Weekly working hours, type of work position, high-temperature exposure, and high occupational stress are associated with increased risk of sleep disorders among petrochemical workers. Health policymakers should fully consider these factors in improving the sleep quality of petrochemical workers. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2024;37(6):591-601.

Objectives: The aim of this qualitative research study was to explore the barriers encountered by Ukrainian war migrants and refugees in accessing vaccinations in Poland and the challenges related to delivering vaccinations observed by healthcare professionals (HCPs).

Material and methods: The study was based on an analysis of data from 18 in-depth interviews with HCPs working with Ukrainian refugees conducted in Poland in July and August 2023. The authors analyzed the data using the UNICEF Journey to Health and Immunization (JHI) framework in order to identify bottlenecks and possible interventions that could solve existing problems in preventive healthcare for migrants.

Results: This qualitative study revealed that at each stage of the JHI, there were challenges related to vaccinating Ukrainian children in Poland, which were similar to those experienced in other countries - gaps in routine immunizations and the need to fill these gaps by ensuring refugee populations are fully included in routine immunization in the host country. The work environment, training, and communication with the Ukrainian mothers contribute to HCPs' engagement in increasing vaccine uptake among their patients. The HCPs' attitudes, skills, and experiences impacted their interactions with patients and participation in the immunization process. Healthcare professionals observed that the mother's journey was influenced by vaccine literacy level, competing priorities, individual barriers of access (e.g., language barrier, costs), as well as feelings associated with the decision to vaccinate a child, including worries about vaccine safety. The surrounding cultural norms, social support, and past experiences with the Ukrainian health system also influenced decisions on vaccinations.

Conclusions: Overcoming barriers related to vaccinations requires a comprehensive approach, starting with expanding HCPs' knowledge about migrants' rights to health services, including vaccinations, improving communication between patients and HCPs, building vaccine literacy/trust in vaccinations, and achieving vaccination coverage through tailored and flexible systemic solutions. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2024;37(6):602-16.

Objectives: The phenomenon of urban heat island (UHI) is based on the occurrence of elevated air temperature in urban areas, in relation to the surrounding urban, rural and forest areas. The aim of the study was the assessment of the UHI in Łódź in 2014-2019. Łódź is a large city with an area of 293.3 km², located in the center of Poland.

Material and methods: The UHI was defined as the difference of at least 1.5°C in daily minimum temperature at the point representing the commutative conditions (lower temperature) and daily minimum temperature at the point located in the city center (higher temperature). Based on data from the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF)/CALMET models and the above criterium, the occurrence of UHI cases was analyzed.

Results: In summary the phenomenon of urban heat island in 2014-2019 was observed in every studied year, most often in 2018 with the highest UHI index almost 5°C, and increased over the years. The results proved that the highest UHI contrast was seen at night between 11 p.m. and 3 a.m.

Conclusions: The study confirms that the UHI phenomenon in Łódź is persistent and has expanded in spatial extent over the years due to urban growth. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2024;37(6):581-90.

Objectives: Job strain in dentistry makes the profession highly susceptible to occupational burnout. People with high sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) perceive workplace as more stressful and more demanding. Emotional intelligence (EI) is both a trait and an ability, which helps individuals adapt to the environment and reduces burnout. This study examines the relationship between SPS and burnout among Polish dentists and whether EI may be a protective factor against burnout in a group of highly sensitive dentists.

Material and methods: Polish dentists (N = 201) answered a questionnaire, the short Polish version of the Highly Sensitive Person Scale (HSPS-10), the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire - Short Form (TEIQue-SF), the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBI), and the demographic data questionnaire.

Results: Moderated hierarchical regression analyses showed that SPS can predict burnout factors exhaustion (p < 0.001) and disengagement (p = 0.012). Higher trait SPS was associated with higher burnout factors. Emotional intelligence can predict burnout factors exhaustion (p < 0.001) and disengagement (p < 0.001). Higher trait EI was associated with lower burnout factors. Also it turned out that EI moderates the relationship between SPS and burnout factor exhaustion (p = 0.015). The findings illustrated reverse buffering effect. UNIANOVA analyses showed that EI may have a protective effect on burnout, although this effect decreases for exhaustion and disappears for disengagement in the group of highly sensitive dentists.

Conclusions: Sensory processing sensitivity can help to identify dentists who are at risk to develop burnout. Training to increase EI levels can be implemented to reduce the risk of burnout among dentists, although it appears to be insufficient among those at higher risk, i.e., the highly sensitive dentists. This shows the importance of searching for other possible factors that could protect highly sensitive dentists from burnout. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2024;37(5):524-34.

Objectives: This publication analyses the activities of physicians and occupational medicine units in Poland during this period.

Material and methods: The analysis of the number of physicians and units of occupational medicine and the preventive and judicial activities they carried out was based on the MZ-35 and MZ-35A statistical forms, which constitute mandatory medical reporting.

Results: In Poland, during the pandemic, the number of physicians authorized to perform preventive examinations of employees decreased by 9.3% (6597 in 2019 vs. 5984 physicians in 2022). At the same time, the number of basic units of the occupational medicine where preventive examinations of employees decreased from 5974 to 5534 (by 7.4%). The average number of preventive examinations performed annually on employees throughout the pandemic decreased by 9.4% from 5 429 808 (in 2015-2019) to 4 923 161 (in 2020-2023). In the first 2 years of the pandemic, the share of decisions on health contraindications to perform professional activities in the position indicated in the referral increased slightly. During the pandemic, there was also a significant decrease in the number of visits carried out by occupational medicine physicians, both to entire workplaces (by 46%) and to individual positions (by 49%). During the COVID-19 pandemic, occupational medicine physicians reported almost 3 times more suspected occupational diseases than in previous years (an average of 1736 reports per year compared to 673 reports in 2015-2019). The most reports were recorded in 2020 (N = 2183).

Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the preventive activities performed by occupational medicine physicians. Reducing the number of mandatory medical examinations of employees during the pandemic could have led to the construction of a health debt of the working population, both in terms of limiting the unfavourable impact of working conditions and worsening the chances of early detection of lifestyle diseases. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2024;37(5):535-44.