Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology最新文献

Objectives: Depressive symptoms, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are common morbidities among coal miners, but the risk of these morbidities has not been analyzed relative to other occupations taking into account relevant covariates.

Methods: Using random digit dialing, we surveyed men aged 50 or over with a history of employment who resided in counties in Appalachia with high coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP) mortality rates. We used the Primary Care Post-Traumatic Stress (PTSD) Screen and the Brief Trauma Questionnaire to query specific traumatic experiences. We used the Patient Health Questionnaire scale to assess depression symptoms and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder questionnaire to measure anxiety. Multivariable logistic regression analyzed associations between coal mining and depression, anxiety, and PTSD, adjusting for trauma, smoking and demographics.

Results: Of 1,428 participants, 233 (16.3%) reported coal mining employment. Coal mining was associated with increased odds of depression (OR 1.6; 95% CI 1.1 to 2.4) and anxiety (OR 1.7; 95% CI 1.1 to 2.7). Among those with any trauma (n = 711), coal mining was not associated with increased risk of PTSD (OR 0.80; 95% CI 0.5 to 1.3]. Non-coal trauma was associated with three-fold increased odds of anxiety (OR 3.2; 95% CI 2.0 to 5.1); for coal trauma, anxiety was associated with six-fold increased odds (OR 6.0; 95% CI 2.9 to 12.4).

Conclusions: Appalachian region coal miners carry an increased burden of depression and anxiety. This should be recognized by clinicians and at a population level, as worthy of individual and public health intervention.

Introduction: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders represent a major public health problem, contributing significantly to the global burden of disability-adjusted life years and affecting the quality of life of all population groups. The main problem in most musculoskeletal disorders is low back pain. Therefore, our study aims to identify the overall prevalence of work-related low back pain among the working population in sub-Saharan Africa.

Methods: Research published between 2010 and 2023 in English, conducted in Sub-Saharan Africa was included in this systematic review and meta-analysis. Using Boolean logic operators and targeted keywords, we searched for publications on a number of electronic databases (Web of Science, PubMed, Google Scholar, African Journals Online (AJOL), and Science Direct). The Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal techniques were utilized to conduct a quality assessment of the papers and ascertain their relevance to the study. The degree of heterogeneity among the included studies, the 95% confidence interval, and the pooled prevalence were estimated using a random effects model. Sensitivity studies were carried out to determine the causes of heterogeneity and the impact of outliers.

Results: In this study, a total of 970 articles were retrieved, and 35 studies were included in the systematic review and meta-analysis. The overall estimated pooled prevalence of low back pain among the working population in sub-Saharan Africa was (55.05% [95% CI: 49.34, 60.76]). Based on a sub-group analysis by countries, the higher pooled prevalence of low back pain was found in Uganda at (61.48% [95% CI: 40.39, 82.57]), while the lower pooled prevalence of low back pain was in Ghana at (34.48% [95% CI: 17.96, 51.01]).

Conclusions: This systematic review and meta-analysis found that 55.05% of the included study participants experienced low back pain in the previous years. Therefore, it is recommended that policymakers incorporate and enhance strategies for the prevention and management of low back pain within the health system management guidelines of each country.

Background: Occupational biomonitoring is essential for assessing health risks linked to workplace exposures. The use of 'omics' technologies, such as metabolomics and proteomics, has become crucial in detecting subtle biological alterations induced by occupational hazards, thereby opening novel avenues for biomarker discovery.

Aims: This systematic review aims to evaluate the application of metabolomics and proteomics in occupational health.

Methods: Following the PRISMA guidelines, we conducted a comprehensive search on PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science for original human studies that use metabolomics or proteomics to assess occupational exposure biomarkers. The risk of bias was assessed by adapting the Cochrane Collaboration tool and the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale.

Results: Of 2311 initially identified articles, 85 met the eligibility criteria. These studies were mainly conducted in China, Europe, and the United States of America, covering a wide range of occupational exposures. The findings revealed that metabolomics and proteomics approaches effectively identified biomarkers related to chemical, physical, biomechanical, and psychosocial hazards. Analytical methods varied, with mass spectrometry-based techniques emerging as the most prevalent. The risk of bias was generally low to moderate, with specific concerns about exposure measurement and confounding factors.

Conclusions: Integrating metabolomics and proteomics in occupational health biomonitoring significantly advances our understanding of exposure effects and facilitates the development of personalized preventive interventions. However, challenges remain regarding the complexity of data analysis, biomarker specificity, and the translation of findings into preventive measures. Future research should focus on longitudinal studies and biomarker validation across diverse populations to improve the reliability and applicability of occupational health interventions.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to identify and visualize from different perspectives the topic on occupational exposure in operating room (OEOR).

Methods: In the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC), all the half-century data were retrieved from January 1st, 1973 to December 31st, 2022. CiteSpace, VOSviewer and Excel 2019 were employed to analyze and visualize data, based on publications, countries, institutions, journals, authors, keywords.

Result: A total of 336 journal papers were found. The increase of publications virtually started in 1991, peaked in 2020 and has been slowing down ever since. USA played most significant part among all the 49 countries/regions, while Universidade Estadual Paulista out of 499 institutions published the most papers. International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health bears the most documents and citations in all the 219 retrieved journals. There are 1847 authors found, among whom Hoerauf K is the most influential one. "Occupational exposure", "nitrous oxide" and "operating room personnel" are the top 3 co-occurrences keywords.

Conclusion: The trend in the field lies in "anaesthetic gas", "blood borne pathogen", "radiation" and "aerosol", while "surgical smoke" and "occupational safety" are the recently researching hot spots in this study. Accurate recognize and effective protection are always essential subjects for researchers.

Background: Depression poses a significant challenge globally, including in safety-critical industries such as aviation. In Saudi Arabia, where the aviation sector is rapidly expanding, pilots encounter unique stressors inherent to their profession. However, research on pilot mental health, particularly within the Saudi context, remains limited despite its critical role in flight safety.

Methods: This cross-sectional survey was designed to estimate the self-reported prevalence of depression in a convenience sample of airline pilots in Saudi Arabia. Participants were recruited from various commercial airlines in Saudi Arabia. Recruitment efforts utilized targeted outreach on social media platforms, focusing on pilot forums and groups. The survey was administered online for accessibility and convenience. The structured questionnaire, developed through a literature review and expert consultation, comprises sections on demographic and professional characteristics, occupational information, health habits, and depression assessment via the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9).

Results: This study enrolled 310 participants, with the largest cohort (34.8%, n = 108) falling within the 30-39 years age group, closely followed by individuals under 30 years (30.0%, n = 93). Males dominated the sex distribution (99.0%, n = 307). The mean PHQ-9 score was 8.2 ± 5.4. Notably, 40.6% (n = 126) of the participants had a score of 10 or higher, indicating the potential for moderate, moderate-severe, or severe depression. Multivariable binary logistic regression analysis revealed that pilots with 11-15 years of experience had greater odds of experiencing depression than did those with 0-10 years of experience did (odds ratio [OR]: 3.0, 95% confidence interval [CI]: [1.1-8.4], p = 0.04). Pilots with rest times exceeding 24 h had lower odds of depression than did those with rest times less than 1 h (OR: 0.3, 95% CI: [0.1-0.8], p = 0.02). Engaging in regular exercise was associated with reduced odds of depression (OR: 0.3, 95% CI: [0.2-0.5], p < 0.01), as was longer sleep duration (> 8 h) (OR: 0.2, 95% CI: [0.1-1.0], p = 0.04).

Conclusion: Our study estimates the prevalence and severity of self-reported depressive symptoms among airline pilots in Saudi Arabia, surpassing global estimates. The identified factors, including lack of regular exercise, short sleep duration, and insufficient rest between flights, underscore the complex mental health challenges faced by pilots in this region. Addressing these issues is crucial not only for pilot well-being but also for flight safety.

Background: The global market for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) is growing exponentially, resulting in an increase in mining activities for the metals needed for manufacturing LIBs. Cobalt, lithium, manganese, and nickel are four of the metals most used in the construction of LIBs, and each has known toxicological risks associated with exposure. Mining for these metals poses potential human health risks via occupational and environmental exposures; however, there is a paucity of data surrounding the risks of increasing mining activity. The objective of this review was to characterize these risks.

Methods: We conducted a review of the literature via a systematic search of the PubMed database on the health effects of mining for cobalt, lithium, manganese, and nickel. We included articles that (1) reported original research, (2) reported outcomes directly related to human health, (3) assessed exposure to mining for cobalt, lithium, manganese, or nickel, and (4) had an available English translation. We excluded all other articles. Our search identified 183 relevant articles.

Results: Toxicological hazards were reported in 110 studies. Exposure to cobalt and nickel mining were most associated with respiratory toxicity, while exposure to manganese mining was most associated with neurologic toxicity. Notably, no articles were identified that assessed lithium toxicity associated with mining exposure. Traumatic hazards were reported in six studies. Three articles reported infectious disease hazards, while six studies reported effects on mental health. Several studies reported increased health risks in children compared to adults.

Conclusions: The results of this review suggest that occupational and environmental exposure to mining metals used in LIBs presents significant risks to human health that result in both acute and chronic toxicities. Further research is needed to better characterize these risks, particularly regarding lithium mining.

Background: This study aimed to explore the impact of occupational activities involving extensive finger movement on the muscular characteristics of the forearms. In particular, the flexor digitorum (FD) muscular thickness and strength asymmetry between right and left hand were compared between musicians and non-musicians.

Methods: Ultrasonography was employed to measure the thickness of the FD in each hand, while a validated custom-made device was used to assess the strength of the flexor and extensor digitorum (ED). Initially, muscle differences were estimated by computing the asymmetry index between dominant and non-dominant hands. To assess potential occupational disparities, comparisons of the asymmetry index were conducted between 25 right-handed instrumental musicians and 25 right-handed non-musicians.

Results: Musicians exhibited lower asymmetry between dominant and non-dominant hands in both FD thickness and ED strength when compared to non-musicians. This effect was particularly pronounced in musicians playing instruments that extensively use the left-hand fingers (e.g., violinists).

Conclusions: Occupational activities, such as playing a musical instrument, can alter forearm muscle mass and strength distribution between dominant and non-dominant hands. This underscores the importance of considering occupational parameters in clinical or experimental interventions and musculoskeletal assessments.

Background: EU workers exposed to hand-arm vibration should be offered health surveillance to detect early symptoms, and findings, of Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS). To execute the mandatory vocational rehabilitation, the employer needs to be aware of injuries found in the medical check-up. We aimed to analyse: 1) How physicians graded the neurosensory component of HAVS on the Stockholm Workshop Scale (SWS), compared to semi-objective findings. 2) What vocational rehabilitative decisions (VRD) were taken by physicians after examinations. 3) Whether the VRDs differed in relation to the SWS-grading.

Methods: Data came from 660 medical records - all examinations performed during twelve consecutive months in one large Swedish occupational healthcare company. 572 individuals had data on the SWS from the physician. For the qualitative analysis, we used the inductive-iterative immersion-crystallization method.

Results: 60% of the examined workers had symptoms and 32% had semi-objective findings consistent with HAVS. The physicians' SWS gradings were underestimated in 59% of the cases with semi-objective findings. The VRDs were classified, relative to communication with the employer, as: "Adequate" (57%), when no injury was present, communication had already taken place, was planned, or was no longer needed in the absence of further exposure, "Semi-adequate" (18%), if no plan for communication was yet established or only communicated through a document with a shorter time until next check-up, and "Inadequate"(25%), when patients refused (20%), or physicians failed to communicate with the employer, despite findings (80%). Underestimated SWS-gradings of HAVS were significantly associated with more "Inadequate" VRDs in the group with semi-objective findings.

Conclusions: Occupational physicians underestimate the number of individuals with SWS 2-3 compared with semi-objective findings and regularly fail to communicate to the employer despite findings of HAVS. The underestimation of SWS-grading, followed by inadequate VRDs, excludes many workers from the employer's mandatory protective measures which may lead to aggravation of an untreatable injury in the affected individual and development of HAVS in their similarly exposed colleagues.

Background: Extending working lives due to labour market and pension regulations makes maintaining and promoting work ability necessary. The coronavirus pandemic has shown that employees in low-skilled jobs (no qualification required) contribute significantly to society and the economy. Research on these employees has been neglected in Germany for many decades despite demanding working conditions. Therefore, we investigate the relationship between low-skilled jobs and work ability. Moreover, we explore this relationship's variation by psychosocial work demands and resources.

Methods: We use two waves of the German Study on Mental Health at Work (S-MGA). We calculate Ordinary-Least-Squares (OLS) regression models with pooled data (n = 6,050) to analyse the relationship between job requirement level and work ability. We also explore the contribution of job demands and resources on this relationship with interaction models. We use the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ), to assess psychosocial work demands and resources.

Results: Employees performing low-skilled jobs report significantly less work ability than those in medium- or high-skilled jobs. Interaction models show significantly greater work ability for employees in medium- and high-skilled jobs with high influence on their work (amount or tasks). Unexpectedly, employees in low-skilled jobs have lower work ability with more influence on their work. Furthermore, high role clarity, describing responsibility, authority and work goals, is associated with lower levels of work ability among employees in low-skilled jobs.

Conclusions: The moderating effect of role clarity on the work ability of employees in low-skilled jobs can possibly be attributed to skills mismatch and limited responsibility, as well as a lack of self-perceived collective purpose of the job. The moderation of the influence on work dimension supports results of previous studies. Too much job autonomy can have negative effects under certain circumstances and is therefore perceived as a job demand in some studies. Consequently, mechanisms concerning psychosocial work demands and resources must be investigated in further studies with different theoretical approaches. The imbalance of job demands and resources shows that employers should invest in preserving the work ability to prevent early exit from the labour market in an aging society.