Indian Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine最新文献

Introduction: Workplace violence (WPV) against healthcare professionals in India is alarmingly high, exceeding global averages, with emergency departments and intensive care units being high-risk areas. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and risk factors of WPV among doctors, evaluate reporting practices, assess its psychosocial impact, and evaluate existing prevention measures.

Methodology: A descriptive, cross-sectional survey was conducted using a semi-structured questionnaire distributed via Google Forms through snowball sampling. The questionnaire, validated for content, included demographic information, details of WPV encountered in the past 12 months, its consequences, reporting practices, and mitigation strategies. Statistical analysis, including descriptive statistics and Spearman rank correlation, was performed using SPSS version 19.

Results: Out of 658 respondents, 60.9% reported experiencing WPV, predominantly verbal abuse. Perpetrators were mainly patients' visitors, and common causes included dissatisfaction with services and poor communication. Night hours, operation theatres, ICUs, and emergency rooms were high-risk locations. A significant portion (48%) did not report incidents due to perceived inaction and lack of organizational support. WPV negatively impacted psychosocial well-being in over half of the affected doctors. Deficiencies in training and grievance redressal systems were reported, with a strong recommendation for communication skills training.

Conclusion: WPV is highly prevalent among Indian doctors, with verbal abuse being the most common form. Poor communication and lack of reporting mechanisms exacerbate the issue. Integrating communication training into medical curricula and establishing robust reporting systems are crucial for mitigating WPV and supporting healthcare professionals.

Background: Work-related stress in healthcare professionals can negatively affect the quality of healthcare delivered, particularly in high-stress environments like the Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU).

Objectives: We examined the prevalence of work stress and common stressors among healthcare providers in the NICU.

Method: Consenting NICU healthcare providers across eight NICUs in Karnataka State participated in the study. Stress and psychological distress were examined using the Tool to Assess and Classify Work-Related Stress (TAWS-16) and the Kessler Psychological Distress (K10).

Results: Among 171 participants, the prevalence of work stress was 32.7%, with 19.3% reporting stress symptoms and 38.6% experiencing psychological distress. Key stressors included meeting deadlines (80.7%), performing multiple roles (69.6%), long hours of work (60.3%), and unsatisfactory remuneration (61.4%). NICU mortality (OR = 1.13, 95% CI 1.025-1.26, P = 0.019) and being a trainee (OR = 2.33, 95% CI 1.08-5.02, P = 0.03) posed a higher risk for occupational stress.

Conclusions: Nearly one-third of healthcare professionals in NICU reported stress and psychological distress at the workplace. Study findings highlight the need to lower NICU mortality and enhance organizational support for trainee staff.

Background: The chrome tanning method is widely used in the Indian tannery industry. Workers from these tanneries are directly exposed to Cr compounds due to inadequate safety measures and knowledge.

Objective: This study aimed to examine oxidative stress and DNA damage in tannery workers in Kanpur exposed to Cr both in the workplace and outside of it in terms of health.

Methods: Blood samples were collected from the people of Jajmau, Kanpur, India. The study population was divided into three distinct categories. Group I comprised 100 individuals occupationally exposed to chromium (Cr) in tannery industries. Group II included 100 individuals who resided near tannery industries but were not occupationally exposed to Cr. Finally, Group III contained 100 healthy individuals who had never been exposed to Cr. Inductively coupled plasma‒mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was used to measure Cr in all blood samples. Malondialdehyde (MDA), reduced glutathione (GSH), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) concentrations were used to quantify oxidative stress. A comet assay was used to determine the extent of DNA damage, and the lengths of comet tails in both the exposed and control groups were measured.

Results: Cr, MDA, SOD, and DNA damage levels were significantly greater in the exposed groups than in the control groups (P < 0.001), whereas GSH levels were significantly lower (P < 0.001).

Conclusion: This study's findings indicate that timely identification of the detrimental impacts of Cr on individuals employed in tanneries is highly important for mitigating health risks and minimizing exposure.

Introduction: Air pollution is one of the key global health and environmental concern. It has been ranked among top five global risk factor of mortality by health effect institute. Long-term exposure to air pollution can cause respiratory diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive airway disease. This study aims to determine lung function test parameters in traffic police personnel.

Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study of sample size 104 was conducted among traffic police personnel (52) and general police personnel (52) in central Karnataka. An interviewer administered questionnaire consisting of sociodemographic details, body mass index (BMI), work experience in years, and lung function parameters assessed by using spirometry was recorded. The spirometric parameters between exposed and nonexposed groups were compared by the independent T test, and the odds ratio was calculated to measure the strength of association.

Results: The mean duration of active service in the traffic police personnel was 3.8 ± 4.95 years. FEV1 was significantly lower in traffic policemen (3.08 L) as against the general policemen (3.25 L). FEF 25-75 was also lower in traffic policemen (3.27 L) as compared to general policemen (3.90 L) (P value = 0.004, CI-0.19-1.06). FEV1/FVC (%) among traffic policemen (84.9%) was lower when compared to general policemen (88.7%) (P value = 0.0011, CI-1.59 to 6.12). The odds of having small airway obstruction in traffic policemen were 4.2 times (P value = 0.001, CI-1.74 to 10.10) more than the general policemen.

Conclusion: Our study showed that the traffic policemen had significant small airway obstruction without any respiratory symptoms. Early recognition of small airway disease and prevention of further exposure by personal protective measures and administrative controls can prevent progression to severe chronic airway disease.

Purpose: All occupations are associated with stress, but defence service is significantly more stressful than others. However, there are very few studies focusing on occupational stress in the defence force in the existing literature. The present study aims to assess the prevalence of occupational stress among Non-Gazetted Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Jawans and identify the factors influencing it.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the 148^th battalion of CRPF in India, including 353 Non-Gazetted Officers as participants. The study utilized a questionnaire containing the occupational stress scale developed by Srivastava and Singh in 1984. Descriptive statistics, Chi square, and logistic regression were employed to achieve the study objectives.

Results: The study found that nearly three-fourths of the Non-Gazetted Officers experienced moderate occupational stress, while approximately 2% of officers reported high occupational stress. Factors significantly associated with stress included age at marriage, physical separation from family, insufficient time for family, involvement in hazardous activities, and additional sources of family income.

Conclusion: The study successfully met its objective of assessing the prevalence of occupational stress among Non-Gazetted CRPF Jawans and identifying the factors influencing it. These results underscore the necessity for family support programs and organizational-level interventions, such as regular counseling, improved recreational facilities, and adequate rest, to help officers alleviate stress effectively.

Purpose: To evaluate the visual status, ocular profiles, and associated quality of life (QoL) among workers in the weaving community of Salem District, Tamil Nadu, South India.

Method: This study was conducted in rural weaving and textile factories within Salem District, South India, focusing on weaving-related work. From an estimated population of 8,010 employees, 1,230 participants were selected for the study. Three suitable factories were chosen after obtaining appropriate permissions. The inclusion criteria were workers aged 18-60 years actively involved in production roles, while administrative staff were excluded. Visual acuity, was assessed, and refractive errors, including myopia, hypermetropia, and astigmatism, were measured. Visual impairment was defined as a visual acuity of less than 6/12 in either eye. For participants under 40 years of age, additional evaluations included near point of accommodation and near point of convergence. Comprehensive data collection involved recording demographic information, conducting detained eye examination, and assessing quality of life using the low vision quality of life questionnaire (LVQOL).

Results: The study included 1,230 participants, with a mean age of 39.46 ± 10.84 years, of whom 74.4% were male. Visual impairment (VI) was observed in 35.04% of participants, with the majority (83.75%) of Vi cases had uncorrected refractive errors (URE) and 7.19% had cataracts. Visual impairment was more prevalent in the 51-60 age group, affecting 48.1% of individuals in this category. Females demonstrated higher odds of spectacle usage compared to males (OR 0.729, 95% CI 0.548-0.969), especially among workers in sewing and presser roles. A low mean near point of convergence (NPC) of 8.84 ± 3.29 cm was noted, with 36% of participants exhibiting reduced amplitudes of accommodation. Color vision defects were identified in 6.0% of females and 4.6% of males. A significant associations was found between occupation, gender, and spectacle usage (X2, N = 122, P = 0.029). Quality of life, as measured by the LVQOL, ranged from 1.8 to 5.0, with a mean score of 4.386 ± 0.6445. A statistically significant correlation was identified between presenting visual acuity and LVQOL scores, indicating that participants with visual impairment had lower overall LVQOL scores (Spearman correlation, P < 0.01).

Conclusion: Uncorrected refractive error (URE) emerged out as the primary cause of visual impairment among workers in the weaving industry. Additionally, presenting visual acuity significantly influenced the quality of life (QoL) of participants. These findings underscore the urgent need for timely interventions to enhance both worker performance and overall QoL within the weaving industry.

Introduction: Occupational injuries pose a critical challenge amid India's rapid industrialization. National Programme on Occupational Diseases Quadrant I reports alarming global statistics, with India contributing significantly to the burden. Injuries impose a significant financial burden on individual households, leading to substantial out-of-pocket expenditures (OOPE) causing severe financial distress for the families of the victims. This study explores the profile and economic ramifications of such injuries, emphasizing the urgent need for intervention.

Methods: This cross-sectional mixed methods study, conducted in a tertiary care hospital in Bangalore, Karnataka, analyses data from 148 occupational injury cases over 6 months. Ethical approval was obtained, and data were collected from hospital records and direct patient inquiries. Demographics, injury characteristics, root causes, and outcomes were analyzed. The economic burden, catastrophic health expenditure, awareness, and utilization of social security schemes (SSS) were assessed.

Results: A predominant demographic vulnerability exists among workers under 25 years old, especially in high-risk sectors. Traumatic injuries, primarily due to employee negligence, are prevalent, with extremity injuries and ocular injuries being common. While 68.9% of participants claimed access to personal protective equipment (PPE) at their work sites, only 51.4% reported actual usage of PPE. A significant financial strain was observed, with 64 out of 148 participants experiencing catastrophic health expenditure. Insurance coverage and SSS utilization are limited, indicating gaps in awareness and procedural complexities.

Discussion: The findings underscore the need for targeted interventions, particularly in high-risk sectors and during vulnerable periods, such as postlunch hours. Bridging the gap between PPE availability and utilization is crucial. The study emphasizes the importance of collaborative efforts between regulatory bodies, employers, and workers to enhance safety measures. Furthermore, it highlights the challenges and successes in SSS utilization, suggesting the need for streamlined processes and increased awareness campaigns. Recommendations include targeted interventions, safety training, and streamlined SSS processes to address the complexities surrounding workplace incidents and improve overall occupational well-being. Continued research is crucial to refining preventive strategies and mitigating the impact of occupational injuries.

Conclusion: This study reveals the urgent need for improved safety measures and streamlined social security schemes to mitigate the significant economic burden of occupational injuries in India.

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are a global health concern affecting various professions, particularly manual laborers, such as brick kiln workers (BkWs) predominantly in South Asia. However, limited research has been conducted on the prevalence of MSDs and associated risk factors among BkW. This study aims to determine the prevalence of MSDs among BkW and identify associated risk factors. We used a systematic review (SR) and meta-analysis (MA) to synthesize the existing literature on the MSDs of BkW. The Boolean search technique was used to extract sources from electronic databases (PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Web of Science). Only peer-reviewed research articles on work-related MSDs (WMSDs) of BkW in the English language have been considered. We calculated the standard error and prevalence rate of MSDs in each body part for the MA. Our initial search yielded 40 articles, of which 13 were eligible for SR and 11 for MA. The majority of studies stemmed from India, and few from Nepal and Pakistan. The highest WMSDs were found to be lower back (76.27%; 95% CI 66.15-86.40), shoulders (61.91%; 95% CI 46.62-77.19), wrist/hand (59.94%; 95% CI 45.30-74.58), and knees (55.55%; 95% CI 36.93-74.18) among BkW. The significant risk factors for WMSDs included low body mass index (BMI), age, sex, posture, repetition, working duration, and experience. BKWs had high prevalence outcomes on WMSDs in the lower back, shoulders, knees, and wrists but the evidence for risk factors related to MSDs was low in these studies. Further research and preventive measures are crucial for safeguarding the health and well-being of these workers.