Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine

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OBJECTIVE: To analyze the feasibility of isometric wall squat exercise (IWSE) over a 12-week period as a method of breaking up sitting time during occupational activities in sedentary adults. METHODS: This feasibility randomized study involved sedentary adults. Participants in the IWSE group (n = 12) performed isometric wall squats, while participants in the STAND group (n = 12) were recommended to stand-up up for 12 weeks. Feasibility was assessed through online questionnaires in the 8th week regarding adherence, safety, satisfaction, and acceptability...

OBJECTIVES: Few Total Worker Health® studies, and fewer interventions, examine well-being in the work context of cancer survivorship. We investigated the possibility of occupation and oncology professionals working together to address employed survivors' work-associated needs. METHODS: We employed a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach to examine the educational, contextual, and workflow needs of oncology care team members to inform intervention design...

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between serum NSE and welders' pneumoconiosis, through chest X-ray and serum NSE. METHODS: The exposed group included 37 welders. The non-exposed group included 38 administrative workers. Both groups underwent history taking, clinical examination, chest X-ray, serum chromium and serum neuron-specific enolase (NSE). Air sampling was done for total suspended particles (TSP), respirable particles (PM10) and welding fumes (WFs)...

OBJECTIVES: This cross-sectional survey aimed to examine employment characteristics and their associations with employment precarity in two high socio-economic hardship Chicago neighborhoods. METHODS: We used a community-based participatory approach to develop and administer a survey to residents who perceived their work situations to be precarious. RESULTS: 489 residents were surveyed. Responses were skewed towards the most precarious work situations, with the majority of respondents employed outside of a traditional arrangement...

OBJECTIVE: This study examines variability in air consumption (AC) between firefighters (FF) working at a standardized pace; evaluates the relationship between AC efficiency (ACE) and work economy; identifies parameters associated with ACE; and explores the relationship between ACE and self-paced work rate. METHODS: FF completed randomized trials of an AC drill (ACD) at a standardized pace while breathing through a SCBA and a gas analyzer. A subsample completed another trial at a self-selected pace...

BACKGROUND: The primary objective of this study was to explore the viewpoints held by employees at a pharmaceutical manufacturing workplace in a middle-income country regarding management's role in promoting health behaviours in the workplace. METHODS: This study used transcripts of focus group discussion from an original study that investigated employee perceptions of factors associated with healthy behaviours among South African pharmaceutical manufacturing factory workers...

OBJECTIVES: To document adverse health effects among office, copy and print shop workers using the nano-Control International Organization Survey. METHODS: Self-reported information on 16 health outcomes and three surrogate exposure variables were collected from 1998 individuals between 1999-2010. Logistic regression models, adjusted for age, gender, and smoking status, assessed the association between printer exposure and health symptoms. RESULTS: Among the participants, 61...

OBJECTIVE: This study has been aimed to investigate factors associated with elevated blood lead levels (BLLs) across different percentiles in individuals employed in the petroleum industry and residents of Kirkuk city. Additionally, to provide evidence-based approaches to mitigate exposure risks and safeguard vulnerable populations. METHODS: The study involved 357 participants and utilized quantile regression to examine BLL in petroleum industry workers and Kirkuk residents...

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the associations between anxiety, depression, and coping in healthcare workers (HCWs) during COVID-19. METHODS: A survey used the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-2 to assess anxiety, the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 to assess depression, and the Brief COPE scale to evaluate coping mechanisms. RESULTS: Of the 1,172 participants who provided data, 24.7% screened positive for anxiety and 15.7% for depression...

OBJECTIVE: Participatory organisational-level interventions carry a risk of implementation failure. The current study evaluates the implementation of a work stress prevention approach in primary education and reflects on the use of real-time feedback as implementation strategy to prevent this risk. METHODS: The process evaluation was conducted at four primary schools in the Netherlands. A framework for evaluating organisational-level interventions was applied using mixed methods...

OBJECTIVES: To assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on disability insurance grants and related costs for workers with cancer. METHODS: This ecological time series study uses the inflection point regression model and the federal government's open-access dataset. We analyze the annual grant and cost rates of cancer-related disability insurance in Brazil (2010-2021). RESULTS: In 2020, the number of disability insurance grants due to malignant neoplasms decreased by 62...

OBJECTIVES: To assess occupational burnout (OB) changes among Brazilian healthcare workers (HCWs) from COVID-19 onset to six months later (T1) and identify risk and protective factors. METHODS: Using the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory and hierarchical multivariate linear regression in a two-stage online survey (initial n = 1,054; T1 n = 316), this study examined the impact of various factors on OB. RESULTS: Significant increases in personal and work-related OB were observed by T1...

OBJECTIVE: Previously we have found increased carotid-to-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) among shift workers compared to day workers in industry, and a decline in maximal oxygen uptake (V̇O2max) in all 86 workers. METHODS: Utilizing all available measurements in 2018, 2021 and 2022, this study investigated associations between V̇O2max and measures of arterial stiffness. Using a mixed model approach, we analysed the cross-sectional association between all V̇O2max (outcome) and measures of arterial stiffness (covariates)...

OBJECTIVE: Respirator medical evaluations are an important component of occupational health practice. Concepts and practices were established 25-50 years ago.METHODWe suggest analysis and discussion of three areas warranting update. RESULTS: a) Shifting from disease-based decisions to evaluating 12 specific domains- cardiopulmonary, sudden change in condition, thermal, work interference, exacerbating existing condition, donning/doffing, dermatologic, proper utilization, fit testing interference, cultural/religious, arms/legs, subjective responses...

OBJECTIVE: Examine the impact of a participatory wellness continuing medical education (CME) program on physician burnout, wellness, and well-being. METHODS: Physicians attending a three-day wellness CME program. Self-reported questionnaires at baseline with paired analyses at 26-week follow-up. RESULTS: Compared to baseline, at 26 weeks there were decreases in burnout (P < .001, ES -0.68), red meat consumption (P = .02, ES -0.29), and current stress levels (P < ...

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to assess the effect of air pollution on incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). METHODS: We tracked 486 T2DM patients from 2012 to 2021. Cox regression models were applied to assess the hazard of exposure to particulate matter, carbon monoxide (CO), ozone, nitrogen dioxide, and sulfur dioxide (SO2) on incident CVD, revealing hazard ratios (HRs). RESULTS: CVD incidents occurred in 73 individuals...

OBJECTIVE: To investigate potential savings obtained from restoring productivity in employees with chronic MSK pain through a digital care program (DCP). METHODS: Secondary analysis of a prospective longitudinal study assessing cumulative savings overall or across several industry sectors by analyzing changes in Work productivity and activities impairment (WPAI questionnaire). RESULTS: Employees from 50 U.S. states started the program (N = 5032)...

OBJECTIVE: To compare maternal demographics based on occupation coding status and evaluate potential bias by excluding manually coded occupations. METHODS: This case-control study assessed cases with clefts obtained from the Texas Birth Defects Registry. The NIOSH Industry and Occupation Computerized Coding System automatically coded occupations, with manual coding for unclassified cases. Maternal demographics were tabulated by occupation coding status (manual vs...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.