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Journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine
Journal Prestige (SJR): 0.812  Citation Impact (citeScore): 1 Number of Followers: 20  Hybrid journal (It can contain Open Access articles)ISSN (Print) 1076-2752 - ISSN (Online) 1536-5948 Published by LWW Wolters Kluwer  [330 journals]
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- Prediction Model for Job Retention According to the Type of Return to Work
Among Industrially Injured Workers in Korea-
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Authors: Bae; Suk Won; Won, Jong-Uk; Park, Wha Me
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Objectives This study aimed to investigate how the type of return to work after an industrial accident affects job retention.Methods Using data from the panel study of workers' compensation insurance first-third, and hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals were calculated for workers leaving their jobs.Results The HR leaving their jobs were higher in the “reemployed” compared with that in the “returned to original work,” with HR of 2.69 (2.33–3.10). According workers' status, the HRs leaving their jobs were higher among the “reemployed” than among those who “returned to original work.” Regular and daily workers' HRs were 1.70 (1.37–2.11) and 3.55 (2.96–4.26), respectively.Conclusions The findings suggest that to increase job retention rate, protection policies for reemployed workers or support for employers who hire reemployed workers should be considered.
PubDate: Fri, 04 Nov 2022 00:00:00 GMT-
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- Head Trauma and Concussions in Film and Television Stunt Performers: An
Exploratory Study-
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Authors: Senn; Ariana B.; McMichael, Leslie P.; Stewart, Lori J.; Russell, Jeffrey A.
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Objectives The aims of the study were to assess prevalence and management of head impacts in stunt performers and to evaluate performers’ quality of life and ability to work after head injury.Methods Stunt performers completed an online survey about head impacts/head whips history, diagnosed concussions, reasons for not reporting injuries, health care sought after head impacts, attitudes toward on-set concussion management, perceived ability to work as a stunt performer, and health-related quality of life.Results One hundred seventy-three performers (80%) indicated at least one head impact/head whip during their stunt career. Of these, 86% exhibited concussion-like symptoms and 38% received one or more concussion diagnoses. Sixty-five percent continued working with concussion-like symptoms. Short Form-12 mental component scores were suggestive of depression in 42%.Conclusions Concussion seems to be a serious occupational health issue in stunt performers. We suggest that concussion management, risk reduction, and education should be addressed in this community.
PubDate: Fri, 04 Nov 2022 00:00:00 GMT-
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- Health Care Organization Policies for Employee Safety and COVID-19
Pandemic Response: A Mixed-Methods Study-
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Authors: Siddique; Sundus; Rice, Serena; Bhardwaj, Mansi; Gore, Rebecca; Coupal, Haylee; Punnett, Laura
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Objective The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic impacted the well-being of health care workers. We examined the association between prepandemic perceptions of perceived organizational support for safety (using NOSACQ-50), safety hazards and the pandemic's impact on individual workers and institutions.Methods Questionnaires from health care staff of five public health care facilities were collected in 2018 (n = 1059) and 2021 (n = 1553). In 2021, 17 workers were interviewed from the same facilities.Results Interviewees reported that their organizations struggled to communicate due to changing guidelines, inadequate personal protective equipment, training, and infection control, early in the pandemic. Questionnaire reports of decreased staffing and increased workload during the pandemic were associated with lower baseline NOSACQ scores.Conclusion Survey findings predicted some variation in organizational response to the pandemic. Better organizational policies for employee safety and pandemic planning could improve health care institutions’ preparedness.
PubDate: Fri, 28 Oct 2022 00:00:00 GMT-
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- Association Between Skeletal Muscle Mass and Cardiovascular Risk Factors
in Occupational Sedentary Population: A Cross-sectional Study-
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Authors: Lu; Yaru; Wang, Xiao-He; Li, Jing; Wang, Wenhong; Zhang, Shi; Huang, Yaping; Wang, Yi; Li, Chun-Jun
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Objective The aims of this study were to determine the association of skeletal muscle mass with three cardiovascular risk factors and explore a simple and clinically feasible indicator for identifying high-risk groups of cardiovascular diseases in occupational sedentary population.Methods We recruited 7316 occupational sedentary participants older than 18 years from the Health Management Center of Tianjin Union Medical Center. Age-adjusted logistic regression was used to analyze the association between skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) and cardiovascular risk factors.Results There were significant positive associations between SMI, especially arm SMI, and cardiovascular risk factors in both male and female subjects (odds ratio, 1.28 to 5.02; P < 0.001).Conclusions Our findings suggest that measurements of skeletal muscle mass, particularly in the arms, may help identify individuals at high risk for cardiovascular disease in an occupationally sedentary population.
PubDate: Mon, 17 Oct 2022 00:00:00 GMT-
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- Workplace Culture and Mental Health of Ethnic Minority Workers in Japan
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Authors: Uezato; Akihito; Sakamoto, Kohei; Miura, Mieko; Futami, Akane
Abstract: No abstract available
PubDate: Mon, 17 Oct 2022 00:00:00 GMT-
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- Decrease in Health-Related Quality of Life and Post–COVID-19 Syndrome in
Health Care Workers After SARS-CoV-2 Infection: A Cohort Study-
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Authors: D'Ávila; Karen Gomes; Monaiar, Luciana Rott; Dantas, Lia Dias Pinheiro; Freitas, Alana Ambos; Loureiro, Marcelle Martinez; Bonamigo, Renan Rangel; Dantas Filho, Fábio Fernandes; Silva, Denise Rossato
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Objectives The aim of this study is to assess the persistence of symptoms, the prevalence of post–COVID-19 syndrome, and the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among health care workers (HCWs) 6 months after severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection.Methods A prospective cohort study was conducted. All HCWs with confirmed COVID-19 from January to June 2021 were invited to participate. Health-related quality of life was evaluated in three moments: before COVID-19, after COVID-19 (on return to work), and after 6 months. Persistence of symptoms post–COVID-19 was also assessed.Results There was a worsening in all dimensions of HRQOL. After 6 months, self-rated health on EuroQol visual analog scale did not return to pre–COVID-19 values. At total, 36.2% of HCWs were diagnosed with post–COVID-19 syndrome.Conclusions There was a significant deterioration in HRQOL among HCWs who had COVID-19 and a high frequency of post–COVID-19 syndrome.
PubDate: Thu, 13 Oct 2022 00:00:00 GMT-
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- Musculoskeletal Health Climate Is a Prognostic Determinant of Sickness
Absence Among Female Eldercare Workers: A Prospective Cohort Study-
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Authors: Ajstrup; Merete; Budtz, Cecilie Rud; Nielsen, Kent Jacob; Andersen, Dorte Raaby; Andersen, Johan Hviid; Christiansen, David Høyrup
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Objectives The present study investigated the association between musculoskeletal health climate, that is, the shared perceptions among workers concerning musculoskeletal health, and sickness absence.Methods Questionnaire data on two domains of musculoskeletal health climate, perceived management priority (PMP) and pain acceptance at work (PAW), were collected at baseline. Data on sickness absence were extracted at 1-year follow-up. Data were analyzed using negative binomial multivariable regression.Results The final study population comprised 390 female eldercare workers. Compared with participants with low PMP scores, participants with high PMP scores had lower risk of sickness absence (incidence rate ratio, 0.6; 95% confidence interval, 0.4–0.9). Participants with high PAW scores had higher risk of sickness absence than participants with low PAW scores (incidence rate ratio, 1.4; 95% confidence interval, 0.9–2.2).Conclusions The results showed an association between the musculoskeletal health climate and sickness absence.
PubDate: Thu, 13 Oct 2022 00:00:00 GMT-
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- Mortality Associated With Occupational Exposure in Helsinki,
Finland—A 24-Year Follow-up-
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Authors: Jalasto; Juuso; Luukkonen, Ritva; Lindqvist, Ari; Langhammer, Arnulf; Kankaanranta, Hannu; Backman, Helena; Rönmark, Eva; Sovijärvi, Anssi; Kauppi, Paula; Piirilä, Päivi
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Objectives Our objective was to study mortality related to different obstructive lung diseases, occupational exposure, and their potential joint effect in a large, randomized population-based cohort.Methods We divided the participants based on the answers to asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) diagnoses and occupational exposure and used a combined effects model and compared the results to no asthma or COPD with no occupational exposure.Results High exposure had a hazards ratio (HR) of 1.34 (1.11–1.62) and asthma and COPD coexistence of 1.58 (1.10–2.27). The combined effects of intermediate exposure and coexistence had an HR of 2.20 (1.18–4.09), high exposure with coexistence of 1.94 (1.10–3.42) for overall mortality, and sub-HR for respiratory-related mortality of 3.21 (1.87–5.50).Conclusions High occupational exposure increased overall but not respiratory-related mortality hazards, while coexisting asthma and COPD overall and respiratory-related hazards of mortality.
PubDate: Thu, 06 Oct 2022 00:00:00 GMT-
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- SARS-CoV-2 Seroprevalence in Employees of Four Essential Non–Health Care
Sectors at Moderate/High Risk of Exposure to Coronavirus Infection: Data
From the “First Wave”-
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Authors: Belloni; Giulia; Dupraz, Julien; Butty, Audrey; Pasquier, Jérôme; Estoppey, Sandrine; Bochud, Murielle; Gonseth-Nussle, Semira; D'Acremont, Valérie
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Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) seroprevalence in Swiss non–health care employees at a moderate to high risk of exposure: bus drivers and supermarket, laundry service, and mail-sorting center employees.Methods Data on 455 essential workers included demographics, SARS-CoV-2 exposure and use of protective measures. Anti–SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulins G and A targeting the spike protein were measured between May and July 2020.Results The overall crude seroprevalence estimate (15.9%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 12.6% to 19.7%) among essential workers was not significantly higher than that of the general working-age population (11.2%; 95% CI, 7.1% to 15.2%). Seroprevalence ranged from 11.9% (95% CI, 6.3% to 19.8%) among bus drivers to 22.0% (95% CI, 12.6% to 19.7%) among food supermarket employees.Conclusions We found no significant difference in seroprevalence between our sample of essential workers and local working-age population during the first lockdown phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Having a seropositive housemate was the strongest predictor of SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity.
PubDate: Fri, 09 Sep 2022 00:00:00 GMT-
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- Perceived Supervisor Support for Health Affects Presenteeism: A
Prospective Cohort Study-
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Authors: Mori; Takahiro; Nagata, Tomohisa; Nagata, Masako; Odagami, Kiminori; Mori, Koji
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Objective We investigated how perceived supervisor support for health (PSSH) affects the occurrence of presenteeism 1 year later.Methods A prospective cohort study was conducted using a questionnaire survey. In total, 10,718 nonmanagerial employees in seven companies in Japan were included in the analyses. We conducted multilevel logistic regression analyses nested by company to estimate the odds ratios (ORs) of the relationship between PSSH at baseline and high presenteeism at follow-up.Results The ORs for high presenteeism at follow-up were significantly higher for high (OR, 1.31; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.14 to 1.51), low (OR, 1.63; 95% CI, 1.37 to 1.94), and very low PSSH (OR, 2.42; 95% CI, 1.88 to 3.12), compared with very high PSSH.Conclusions Lower PSSH can induce high presenteeism, suggesting that increasing PSSH is important to reduce the occurrence of presenteeism in companies.
PubDate: Tue, 06 Sep 2022 00:00:00 GMT-
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- Seeking Good Work in the COVID-19 Recovery: Shifting Priorities and
Employment Choices Among Workers-
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Authors: Griffiths; Melda Lois; Gray, Benjamin J.; Kyle, Richard G.; Davies, Alisha R.
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Objective Disruption to working lives spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic may shape people’s preferences for future employment. We aimed to identify the components of work prioritized by a UK sample and the employment changes they had considered since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods A nationally representative longitudinal household survey was conducted in Wales at two time points between 2020 and 2021.Results Those in poorer health prioritized flexibility and were more likely to consider retiring. Those with limiting preexisting conditions or low mental well-being were more likely to consider becoming self-employed. Those experiencing financial insecurity (including those with high wage precarity or those furloughed) were more likely to consider retraining, becoming self-employed, or securing permanent employment.Conclusions Ensuring flexible, secure, and autonomous work is accessible for individuals facing greater employment-related insecurity may be key.
PubDate: Tue, 06 Sep 2022 00:00:00 GMT-
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- “Should I Tell My Leader or Not'”—Health-Oriented Leadership and
Stigma as Antecedents of Employees' Mental Health Information Disclosure
Intentions at Work-
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Authors: Pischel; Sarah; Felfe, Jörg
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Objective To investigate how health-oriented leadership and stigma facilitate or impede employees' disclosure intentions to leaders.Methods In two studies—an experimental vignette (n = 73) and a cross-sectional study (n = 220)—we manipulated or measured health-oriented leadership, transformational leadership, and organizational stigma and compared different reasons for disclosure (mental health problems and severe error) to separate general and specific disclosure decisions.Results Health-oriented leadership fostered disclosure above and beyond transformational leadership. High organizational stigma was associated with lower disclosure. Health-oriented leadership had a stronger effect on disclosing mental problems than on disclosing a severe error and slightly mitigated the negative relationship between stigma and disclosure in study 1. Findings were not influenced by employees' current mental health status.Conclusions Our findings highlight the importance of health-oriented leadership as a facilitator and organizational stigma as a barrier to disclosure intentions.
PubDate: Fri, 02 Sep 2022 00:00:00 GMT-
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- Sleep Variability in UK Long Distance Heavy Goods Vehicle Drivers
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Authors: Sherry; Aron Peter; Clemes, Stacy A.; Chen, Yu-Ling; Edwardson, Charlotte L.; Gray, Laura J.; Guest, Amber; King, James A.; Rowlands, Alex V.; Ruettger, Katharina; Sayyah, Mohsen; Varela-Mato, Veronica; Hartescu, Iuliana
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Objectives Sleep variability levels are unknown in heavy goods vehicle (HGV) drivers yet are associated with adverse health outcomes and reduced driver vigilance when high.Methods Two hundred and thirty-three HGV drivers recruited across 25 UK depots provided sleep variability, sleep duration, and sleep efficiency data via wrist-worn accelerometry (GENEActiv) over 8 days. Sleep variability indicators included social jetlag (the difference in midpoint of the sleep window between work and nonworkdays) and intraindividual variability of sleep window onset time, out-of-bed time, and sleep duration.Results Fifty-three percent of drivers experienced social jetlag (≥1 hour), and 27% experienced high (>2 hours) social jetlag. Drivers with the highest sleep variability had the shortest sleep duration and lowest sleep efficiency during workdays.Conclusions Drivers with high sleep variability may experience more fatigue when driving given the poor sleep outcomes during workdays observed.
PubDate: Sat, 20 Aug 2022 00:00:00 GMT-
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- Awareness, Use, and Opinions of Individual Fit Testing of Hearing
Protection Devices Among Practicing Michigan Occupational and
Environmental Medicine Association Health Care Providers-
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Authors: Rasmussen; Stephanie; Odenigbo, Charles; Wang, Ling; Wolfe, Amir; Rosenman, Kenneth
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Objective The aim of this study is to examine the awareness, opinions, and use of individual fit testing of hearing protection devices (HPDs) among occupational medicine practitioners.Methods Members of the Michigan Occupational and Environmental Medicine Association completed a 21-question survey on individual fit testing of HPDs.Results The survey response rate was 67%, 53% reported having heard of individual fit testing of HPDs, and 24% reported that their clinic/site performed the testing. Major barriers to its use were perceived time to perform (63%), cost (51%), lack of an Occupational Safety and Health Administration requirement (51%), and lack of long-term studies of its effectiveness (20%).Conclusions Further work to educate practitioners about the availability, implementation, and potential benefits of fit testing of HPDs is needed if use of this technology is to become more widespread.
PubDate: Tue, 16 Aug 2022 00:00:00 GMT-
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- The Potential for Total Worker Health® Approaches in State and
Territorial Health Departments: A National Mixed-Methods Study-
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Authors: Leff; Maija S.; Martini, Marisa; Baron, Sherry; Hannon, Peggy A.; Walton, AnnMarie; Linnan, Laura A.
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Objective To document the extent to which state and territorial health departments (SHDs) integrate their occupational safety and health (OSH) and workplace health promotion (WHP) activities consistent with a Total Worker Health (TWH) approach.Methods Nationally representative survey of OSH and WHP practitioners at 56 SHDs followed by in-depth interviews.Results Despite reporting limited awareness of the TWH initiative and TWH resources, most respondents (57% OSH, 64% WHP) reported collaboration between OSH and WHP staff in their departments. Collaborations were described in-depth. Barriers to OSH-WHP collaborations included resource insufficiencies, organizational structure in the SHD, and conflicting practices. Facilitators included knowledge of TWH approaches, proximity to TWH Centers of Excellence, proximity between OSH/WHP programs, and leadership initiative. Motivations for collaboration were enumerated.Conclusions Strategies for building TWH capacity and activity among SHDs are discussed.
PubDate: Tue, 16 Aug 2022 00:00:00 GMT-
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- Studying the Association Between Occupational Stress and Urinary Levels of
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Authors: Mourad; Basma Hussein; Gaballah, Inas Fawzy
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Objectives The aims of the study are to measure the prevalence and level of occupational stress (OS) and to explore its association with oxidative stress among some brickfield workers.Methods Eighty-six brickfield workers and 90 administrative controls were assessed using the Arabic validated version of the Occupational Stress Index. The urinary levels of oxidative biomarkers; 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine and biopyrrins were also measured.Results The prevalence of moderate and severe OS in addition to the urinary levels of both oxidative biomarkers was significantly higher among the brickfield workers compared with their controls. Both biomarkers levels were significantly and positively correlated with scores of Occupational Stress Index, duration of employment, and with each other. The receiver operating characteristic analysis showed significant specificity and sensitivity of both biomarkers for determining the level of OS.Conclusions A significant association between occupational and oxidative stresses was detected in brickfield workers.
PubDate: Tue, 16 Aug 2022 00:00:00 GMT-
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- Feasibility and Acceptability of Policies and Environmental Strategies for
Improving Physical Activity and Healthy Eating in Japanese Small and
Medium Corporations-
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Authors: Ozaki; Itsuko; Nishijima, Mariko; Konishi, Michiko
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Objective We assessed the implementation status of policies and environmental strategies for increasing physical activity (PA) and healthy eating (HE) in small and medium corporations to identify feasible and acceptable interventions.Methods An anonymous self-administered questionnaire was administered to 655 small and medium corporations to determine whether they implemented PA (18 items) and HE (17 items) policies and environmental strategies and, if not, their intention to do so in the future. We compared differences in the implementation and intention to implement rate by corporation size.Results The implementation and intention rates of costly items for PA and HE were low, regardless of corporation size, but were significantly lower in small corporations than in medium corporations.Conclusions To overcome cost barriers, employee participation must be encouraged, and employee knowledge of PA and HE must be improved.
PubDate: Mon, 08 Aug 2022 00:00:00 GMT-
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- Prolonged Computer Use by Office Workers Induces Ocular Symptoms
Associated With Tear Film Alterations and Overexpression of Mucin 5 AC and
Catalase-
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Authors: Saavedra Morales; Alejandra; González Díaz, Cesar Antonio; Villanueva López, Guadalupe Cleva; Padilla Juárez, Omar; Luna Torres, Ana Laura; Sánchez Monroy, Virginia
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Objective The aim of the study was to evaluate office workers for symptoms of computer vision syndrome (CVS) and alterations in the tear film relate to the hours of daily computer use.Methods Sixty-seven volunteers were divided into 2 groups: 2 to 6 and 7 to 12 hours of daily computer use. Computer vision syndrome symptoms, tear film stability by tear film break-up time test, and composition of mucin 5 AC, catalase, and IL-6 was assessed by relative gene expression of conjunctival impression cytology samples were examined.Results All participants exhibited moderate symptoms of CVS, whereas 90% showed reduced tear film stability. For the 7- to 12-hour (vs 2- to 6-hour) group, these effects were more pronounced and overexpression of mucin 5 AC and catalase was detected.Conclusions Prolonged computer use induced an overexpression of mucin 5 AC and catalase and instability of the tear film, associated with ocular symptoms.
PubDate: Tue, 02 Aug 2022 00:00:00 GMT-
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- Customized Occupational-Specific Graded Exercise Test for Structural
Firefighters: An Update-
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Authors: Dicks; Nathan D.; Brin, Halle N.; Perumal, Mohan D.; Hutcheson, Evan L.; Kopp, Samantha R.; Walch, Tanis J.; Carper, Michael J.; Barry, Allison M.
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Objective The aim of the study is to validate a customized V˙O2max Graded Exercise Test (GXT) protocol specifically to accommodate firefighters with different cardiovascular fitness levels.Methods Career male firefighters (N = 15) completed 3 customized GXTs on a treadmill: 1 in athletic clothes and 2 in their bunker gear to determine maximal oxygen uptake (V˙O2max).Results The on-duty task protocol was reliable, V˙O2max values of 40.2 ± 4.6 mL·kg·min−1 and 40.3 ± 5.3 mL·kg·min−1 between trials yielded an interclass correlation of 0.911 with a typical error of 1.48 mL·kg·min−1 and a coefficient of variation of 4.0%. The validity analysis indicated consistent maximal V˙O2 values for the GXTs yielding mean interclass correlation of 0.94 with typical error of 1.16 mL·kg·min−1 and a coefficient of variation of 2.9%.Conclusions The customized GXT for structural firefighters has shown to be a reliable, valid, and applicable method of testing cardiovascular fitness in firefighters.
PubDate: Thu, 21 Jul 2022 00:00:00 GMT-
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