Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine

OBJECTIVES: Determine if law enforcement officers develop subclinical atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) earlier than non-officers and if so, the extent to which conventional risk factors explain this difference. METHODS: Estimated pulse wave velocity (ePWV) was the marker of subclinical ASCVD. EPWV, ASCVD risk factors, metabolic syndrome (MetS), and 10-year risk for ASCVD were compared among 408 law enforcement officers and a civilian cohort. RESULTS: EPWV, 10-year ASCVD risk, and MetS prevalence increased significantly with age...

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to clarify the relationship between peripheral neuropathy in hand-arm vibration syndrome and cumulative exposure index. METHODS: 68 participants without symptoms were surveyed. The participants were divided into three groups based on past and current vibration exposure (VE). RESULTS: Comparison among groups according to past VE showed that the median and ulnar sensory nerve conduction velocities and median sensory nerve action potential (SNAP) amplitude were significantly lower in past high and low exposure groups than in the past non-exposure group...

OBJECTIVE: We investigated the effect of a 7-month healthy lifestyle intervention on cardiometabolic risk factors (CMRF) among male career military firefighters (FFs). METHODS: 49 FFs participated in a 7-month workplace multi-disciplinary healthy lifestyle intervention designed to reduce CMRF through exercise, diet, and improved sleep. Medical assessments, accelerometry, and surveys at the beginning and end determined program effectiveness. RESULTS: At the end of the intervention period, there was a significant improvement in measures of body composition and blood glucose...

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the causal effect of high stress assessment via an interview on the mental and physical health of workers one month later. METHODS: Stress assessment interviews and feedback were conducted with 50 Japanese workers. In addition to the interviewer, two occupational health professionals assessed participants' stress based on recordings. The average treatment effect was estimated by propensity score matching. RESULTS: High stress, according to the interview-based assessment, had a significant negative causal effect on self-reported well-being one month later (95% confidence interval: -3...

OBJECTIVE: To describe key features and the initial implementation of an employer-sponsored program designed to increase access to quality mental health treatment for employees of a large healthcare system. METHODS: Retrospective data were collected on employer's efforts to develop a programmatic solution to address barriers to accessing quality mental health treatment among its employees and on initial program implementation. RESULTS: Data from the initial cohort (N = 1049) of program participants support the use of low threshold digital tools to enhance access to care, the importance of care navigation and a robust curated provider network in matching employees to appropriate care options, and the value of providing online, evidence-based psychotherapy to facilitate high rates of treatment engagement...

OBJECTIVE: To identify stressors faced by hospital food service workers amid the COVID-19 pandemic and effective interventions mitigating these stressors. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, we conducted surveys (n = 305) and interviews (n = 9) in the summer and fall of 2022 with employees in hospital settings to determine the psychosocial, organizational, and environmental stressors they faced during the COVID-19 pandemic and interventions that improved health and well-being...

OBJECTIVE: The purposes of this study were to assess the association between exposure to particulate matter (PM2.5) and adolescent obesity, and to identify and visualize the world areas where the problems of adolescent obesity and air pollution by fine PM are more severe. METHODS: An ecological study, based on publicly available data from a WHO site. RESULTS: For each increase in air pollution there was an increase in the probability of being in the higher prevalence obesity group (OR = 1...

OBJECTIVE: To assess regulatory effect of Mediterranean diet for occupational noise exposure and hearing loss. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 4,757 individuals. Weighted logistic regression model was adopted to explore the association of occupational noise exposure and Mediterranean diet with hearing loss, and regulatory effects of the Mediterranean diet for the relationship of occupational noise exposure and hearing loss. RESULTS: Occupational noise exposure was associated with an increased odds of hearing loss...

OBJECTIVE: This study assesses whether chronotype is related to COVID-19 infection and whether there is an interaction with shift work. METHODS: Cross-sectional survey of 19,821 U.S. adults. RESULTS: COVID-19 infection occurred in 40% of participants, 32.6% morning and 17.2% evening chronotypes. After adjusting for demographic and socioeconomic factors, shift/remote work, sleep duration and comorbidities, morning chronotype was associated with a higher (aOR: 1...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated cancer-specific mortality risks of workers employed in food, accommodation and beverage (FAB) activities. METHODS: We performed a case-control study based on countrywide mortality and National Social Insurance data. Adjusted cancer specific mortality odds ratios (MOR) were calculated. We modelled occupational exposure as "ever/never been employed" in FAB activities, using other sectors as reference. Analysis was performed by gender, length of employment and year of smoke banning...

OBJECTIVES: This paper identifies approaches to the responsible development of emerging technologies to secure worker safety and health. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was used to describe the history of the responsible development of worker protection from engineered nanomaterials. Lessons from that history were extended and applied to emerging technologies and illustrated in three examples: advanced manufacturing, synthetic biology, and artificial intelligence...

OBJECTIVE: This study focused on employees' perceived discrimination due to parenthood; and mental health, occupational stress and turnover intention. METHODS: Survey (2016) of an Australian convenience sample of employed parents: women (n = 2950) and men (n = 1318). RESULTS: Forty-two percent of all mothers reported missing out on promotion (n = 1,234/2950); one third reported negative comments from managers (n = 805/2950, 27%) or colleagues (n = 832/2950, 28%)...

OBJECTIVE: This study developed, implemented, and evaluated the feasibility of executing an organizational capacity building intervention to improve bus driver safety and well-being in a Chilean transportation company. METHOD: Through an implementation science lens and using a pre-experimental mixed methods study design, we assessed the feasibility of implementing a participatory organizational intervention designed to build organizational capacity. RESULT: We identified contextual factors that influenced the intervention mechanisms and intervention implementation and describe how the company adapted the approach for unexpected external factors during the COVID-19 pandemic and social and political unrest experienced in Chile...

OBJECTIVE: To compare employees of a US school district based on their social determinants of health (SDoH). METHODS: Employees (N = 5006) were categorized into low, medium, or high need SDoH tiers. Of them, N = 2469 also participated in a health risk appraisal in 2019. Subjects' average healthcare costs, health risk factors, and self-rated job performance were compared by SDoH tier and race. RESULTS: Significant differences were observed among the SDoH comparison groups regarding age, gender, race, and marital status...

INTRODUCTION: The "Future of Work" refers to workplace modifications projected to occur after pandemics, other large-scale events that affect the health and safety of broad sectors of the workforce, technological advancements, or shifts in the economy. This paper examines the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Future of Work. METHODS: The electronic databases PubMed, Google Scholar and Scopus were explored using search terms such as "post-pandemic", "working force" and "future of work" for papers published between 2000 to 2023...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the psychological impact of the COVID-19 crisis on the police and armed forces. METHODS: Participants (N = 242) completed an online survey that assessed post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), burnout, emotional suppression, and labour and sociodemographic variables. Mean difference, correlation, and stepwise linear regression tests were performed. RESULTS: One-third of participants showed severe PTSS, linked to patrolling duties, very frequent contact with other people, fear of contagion, perceived pandemic severity, living with at-risk people, taking a COVID-19 test, working more than normal, suffering an assault, having little vacation, and having to distance from loved ones...

OBJECTIVE: The early care and education (ECE) workforce experiences high rates of poor mental and physical health outcomes which impact staff well-being and burnout. This study aimed to assess the relationship between chronic health conditions and occupational burnout in ECE Head Start staff working in low-resourced locations. METHODS: This study administered an 89-item cross-sectional survey to 332 ECE staff employed in 42 Head Start centers in the United States...

BACKGROUND: U.S. nuclear capable shipyard workers have increased potential for occupational radiation exposure. OBJECTIVE: to examine solid tumor mortality risks at low doses. METHOD: 437,937 workers working from 1957 to 2004 at eight U.S. shipyards were studied. RESULTS: Radiation workers with a median life-time dose at 0.82 mSv had a significantly lower solid tumor mortality risk [Relative risk (RR): 0.96, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0...