Indian Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine最新文献

Background: Beedi rolling is a labor-intensive occupation that can cause a variety of health problems due to prolonged exposure to tobacco dust. This cross-sectional study aimed to assess morbidity, hematological profile, and DNA damage among beedi rollers in Karnataka.

Methods: A total of 153 participants, including 85 beedi and 65 non-beedi rollers, were enrolled in the study. Morbidity status and hematological parameters were determined through a structured questionnaire and autoanalyzer, respectively. DNA damage was quantified by measuring micronuclei frequency from buccal mucosal cells.

Results: The majority of beedi rollers were women from low socioeconomic background. Nearly half of them work in an environment with poor lighting and one-third in rooms with inadequate ventilation. The most commonly reported morbidities included musculoskeletal symptoms, followed by ophthalmic and respiratory symptoms. When compared to non-beedi rollers, the beedi roller group exhibited significantly lower mean hemoglobin levels, red blood cell count, monocyte count, and packed cell volume. Beedi rollers were observed to have higher frequency of micronuclei, indicating increased DNA damage, compared to non-beedi rollers (P = 0.016).

Conclusion: The elevated micronuclei frequency observed among beedi rollers underscores the importance of continued research to identify and address specific occupational hazards contributing to genetic damage in this population.

Background: Chronic exposure to low-level environmental lead (Pb) causes several health effects in humans. Its biomonitoring by non-invasive biomarkers is imperative to identify Pb exposure in the occupationally unexposed general public.

Objective: To quantify urinary lead (U-Pb) and urinary δ-Aminolevulinic acid (ALA) in the general population of West Bengal, India, and identify the impact of routine life activities (smoking habit, traveling, and cooking activities) and sociodemographic factors on U-Pb and U-ALA levels.

Method: Urine samples (N = 258) were obtained from urban and rural area residents from November 2021 to February 2022. U-Pb and U-ALA were quantified by atomic absorption (283 nm) and UV-spectrometer (553 nm). A structured questionnaire was used for data collection.

Results: About 8% of rural residents, 15% of urban residential area residents, and 35% of urban commercial area residents had U-ALA levels > 5 mg/L permissible limit. Low-income-group (LIG) individuals had two times higher ALA than the middle-income group. ALA was significantly (P < 0.05) higher in smoker traveler males, traveler females, and females who had passive exposure to tobacco smoke. U-Pb was within permissible limits in total study individuals.

Conclusion: Pb exposure was higher in urban than rural residents; furthermore, urban commercial residents had Pb exposure higher than urban residential residents. Results are evident that vehicular emissions and tobacco smoke were potential contributors to environmental Pb exposure among study participants. The present work provides data on Pb body burden among the residents of West Bengal that might be useful for policymakers and in pollution abatement strategies too.

Background and objectives: Construction workers are prone to develop musculoskeletal problems and it is a leading cause for the morbidity due to their work type. This study aimed to assess the body mechanics practice and perceived musculoskeletal problems of construction workers.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted between November 2019 and July 2020 among 390 construction workers at construction sites under selected villages of Udupi District, Karnataka by using by proportionate method. Villages were selected using a simple random sampling method and samples were collected by convenience sampling. Samples were mason helpers between 20 and 50 years of age, without any history of chronic musculoskeletal problems. Tools used were demographic proforma, self-reported body mechanics practice questionnaire, and modified Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire. Analysis done with descriptive and inferential statistics by using SPSS Version 16.0.

Results: Majority 144 (36.9%) of the participants were in the age group between 41 and 50 years. Most 376 (96.4%) of them were men and majority of them 309 (79%) followed fair body mechanics practice and 191 (49%) of the participants had low back problems and were responsible for their activity restrictions. Body mechanic practice of the construction workers was found to be significantly associated with unhealthy practice (P ≤ 0.001) and health problems (P < 0.001).

Conclusion: The study concluded that the body mechanic practice of the construction workers was found to be significantly associated with unhealthy practices and health problems. The study recommends that educating construction workers about the importance of following proper body mechanics at the workplace and during day-to-day activities is crucial to prevent musculoskeletal problems and improve quality of life.

Background: Reasonable accommodation (RA) refers to adjustments or modifications that an employer makes to the workplace to enable an employee with a mental illness to perform the essential functions of their job. Employer and employee should work together to determine the most beneficial accommodations that would not impose an undue hardship on the employer.

Materials and methods: An exploratory study design with a purposive sampling technique was used in the current study. Ten in-depth interviews have been conducted with the caregivers (CGs) of persons with severe mental disorders (SMDs).

Results: The CGs' mean age is 55 years. The data have been collected from November 2022 to January 2023. Out of ten CGs, three were female and seven were male. The content analysis of CG interview transcripts suggests that persons with SMD lost or discontinued their jobs due to leaves, lack of peer support/supervision, more targets, shift work, discrimination at the workplace, and lower salaries. The CGs opined that the RAs for persons with SMD are adjustments in the work environment, policy, or procedure modifications that enable the individual to perform their job, allowing them to work from home.

Conclusion: RAs for persons with SMDs are essential from the CGs' perspective. RA for persons with SMD at work can promote their job continuation and social support.

Objective: To compare the cost-effectiveness of a newly introduced decentralized method with the existing centralized solid waste management (SWM) method in 2019 in Tirunelveli City, Tamil Nadu, India.

Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study was undertaken to compare the costs for the two SWM methods using the bottom-up approach. We ascertained cost centers for the collection, transportation, and processing of solid waste for the two methods. We reviewed the records and collected data to estimate the costs and outputs (waste processed per capita) of the two SWM methods using data abstraction forms for each identified cost center. We calculated the cost and outcome of both methods and the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER).

Results: The total cost for the decentralized method was ₹121 million (USD 1.72 million), and that of the centralized method was ₹222 million (USD 3.15 million). The cost per capita of SWM in one year was lesser for the decentralized (₹526) as compared to the centralized method (₹612). The cost per metric tonne (MT) of SWM in decentralized and centralized methods was ₹5595 and ₹4683, respectively. The ICER lies in the right lower quadrant (ICER: 1.2375), indicating that the decentralized method was cost-effective.

Conclusion: Solid waste processing by the decentralized method is cost-effective as compared to the centralized processing method in terms of waste processed per capita. We recommend the civic bodies to adopt the decentralized method with sufficient allocation of resources for efficient SWM. Furthermore, this will not only reduce greenhouse gas emissions but also have a positive impact on climate change mitigation.

Background: Prolonged hours of sitting in sustained posture is a common job requirement of desk job workers. Potential risk of iliopsoas muscle shortening leading to lumbar hyperlordosis, which in turn may cause low-back pain was identified. Thus, this study determined association between iliopsoas muscle length and lumbar lordosis in desk job workers.

Methods and material: This cross-sectional study was conducted on forty-six desk job workers working for 5 hrs/day for at least 5 years. Workers were assessed for iliopsoas muscle length using Modified Thomas test and flexi-ruler was used to measure lumbar lordosis. Pearson's correlation was operated for association of iliopsoas length with lumbar lordosis.

Results: Lumbar lordosis demonstrated moderate positive correlation with both right (r = 0.628) and left Iliopsoas muscle length (r = 0.647).

Conclusion: This study concluded workers with higher degree of lumbar lordosis presented with shorter iliopsoas length. Timely intervention to maintain the length of this muscle will ensure low incidence of low-back pain among desk job workers thereby safeguarding their spine due to cumulative trauma.

Background: Despite the understanding of the association between noise exposure and noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL), the effects of noise on vestibular function are less well understood and neglected.

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the function of the vestibular system in workers with NIHL.

Materials and methods: Thirty male textile workers with symmetrical NIHL (49.3 ± 4.5 dB at 4 kHz) and thirty healthy male textile office staff with normal hearing were included in this study. Pure tone audiometry using air conduction and bone conduction was used to determine hearing thresholds. The videonystagmography battery test, including the oculomotor test, caloric test, and video head impulse test (vHIT), was used for the evaluation of vestibular system function.

Results: There was no difference in saccadic tracking, smooth pursuit tracking, and optokinetic nystagmus between the two groups. It was found that the abnormal vHIT was significantly higher in workers with NIHL (40%) than in the control group (3.3%). In addition, the abnormal caloric test was significantly higher in workers with NIHL (33.3%) than in the control group (0%). The association between the hearing thresholds of 3, 4, 6, and 8 kHz and vestibular dysfunction was significant.

Conclusion: This study provides evidence of the simultaneous occurrence of NIHL and vestibular dysfunction. In other words, the results support the role of noise as a risk factor for the development of vestibular dysfunction in textile workers.

The cashew processing industry plays a vital role in supporting the livelihoods of a large number of individuals in southern Kerala. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the prevalence of occupational health problems and associated factors among cashew workers. This cross-sectional survey was conducted among 360 cashew workers. Socio-demographics, musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), respiratory symptoms, and dermatological problems were collected through a scheduled interview. Log binomial regression analysis was done. The prevalence of MSDs, chronic lung diseases (CLDs), and dermatological problems were 55.8%, 18.9%, and 47.5%, respectively. Female workers and workers with a lower education level were significantly more likely to report MSDs. Male workers and those with more years of employment were significantly more likely to report CLDs. Workers in the shelling and peeling section were significantly more likely to report dermatological problems. Targeted interventions to improve the occupational health of cashew workers are needed.

Background: Occupational noise-induced hearing loss (ONIHL) is the commonest occupational disease globally. However, literature on ONIHL in airport employees of developing countries is scarce.

Aims: To assess the burden of ONIHL and its associated factors among employees working at an international airport in Eastern India.

Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 212 such airport employees who had been working in the airport for >1 year. By stratified random sampling, participants were recruited from airfield, terminal, and administration sections. ONIHL was measured using a portable audiometer and noise exposure using a sound-level meter.

Results: The mean age was 34.1 ± 9.2 years, 89.2% were men. The mean year of working in the airport was 7.6 ± 6.3 years. The 8-hour-time-equivalent noise exposure ranged from 56.6 to 86.5 dBA. Approximately 50% of the employees do not wear any hearing protection equipment when working. Prevalence of ONIHL was found to be 7.6%. On multivariable analysis, higher noise exposure and use of hearing protection equipment were found to be positively and negatively associated with ONHIL, respectively.

Conclusion: ONIHL was found to be prevalent among employees working at the airport, and focus should be given on reducing noise exposure levels and ensuring use of protective equipment among the employees.