GLORIA

GEOMAR Library Ocean Research Information Access

Your email was sent successfully. Check your inbox.

An error occurred while sending the email. Please try again.

Proceed reservation?

Export
Filter
  • Articles  (14)
  • Air pollution, air quality, Other exposures  (7)
  • Open access  (5)
  • Allergy, asthma, Respiratory, Other exposures  (2)
  • Back pain
  • 2010-2014  (14)
  • 2012  (14)
  • Medicine  (14)
  • 1
    Publication Date: 2012-12-18
    Description: Objective To estimate the rate of work injury over the 24 h clock in Ontario workers over 5 years (2004–2008). Methods A cross-sectional, observational study of work-related injury and illness was conducted for a population of occupationally active adults using two independent data sources (lost-time compensation claims and emergency department encounter records). Hours worked annually by the Ontario labour force by time of day, age, gender and occupation were estimated from population-based surveys. Results There was an approximately 40% higher incidence of emergency department visits for work-related conditions than of lost-time workers’ compensation claims (707 933 emergency department records and 457 141 lost-time claims). For men and women and across all age groups, there was an elevated risk of work-related injury or illness in the evening, night and early morning periods in both administrative data sources. This elevated risk was consistently observed across manual, mixed and non-manual occupational groups. The fraction of lost-time compensation claims that can be attributed to elevated risk of work injury in evening or night work schedules is 12.5% for women and 5.8% for men. Conclusions Despite the high prevalence of employment in non-daytime work schedules in developed economies, the work injury hazards associated with evening and night schedules remain relatively invisible. This study has demonstrated the feasibility of using administrative data sources to enhance capacity to conduct surveillance of work injury risk by time of day. More sophisticated aetiological research is needed to understand the specific mechanisms of hazards associated with non-regular work hours.
    Keywords: Open access
    Print ISSN: 1351-0711
    Electronic ISSN: 1470-7926
    Topics: Medicine
    Published by BMJ Publishing Group
    Location Call Number Limitation Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 2
    Publication Date: 2012-12-18
    Description: Objectives Acute lung function (LF) changes might predict an accelerated decline in LF. In this study, we investigated the association between cross-shift and longitudinal changes in forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV 1 ) among woodworkers in a 6-year follow-up study. Methods 817 woodworkers and 136 controls participated with cross-shift changes of FEV 1 at baseline and FEV 1 and forced vital capacity at follow-up. Height and weight were measured and questionnaire information on respiratory symptoms, employment and smoking habits was collected. Wood dust exposure was assessed from 3572 personal dust measurements at baseline and follow-up. Cumulative wood dust exposure was assessed by a study-specific job exposure matrix and exposure time. Results The median (range) of inhalable dust at baseline and cumulative wood dust exposure was 1.0 (0.2–9.8) mg/m 3 and 3.8 (0–7.1) mg year/m 3 , respectively. Mean (SD) for %FEV 1 /workday and FEV 1 /year was 0.2 (6.0)%, and –29.1 (41.8) ml. Linear regression models adjusting for smoking, age, height and weight change showed no association between cross-shift and annual change in FEV 1 among woodworkers or controls. Including different exposure estimates, atopy or cross-shift change dichotomised or as quartiles did not change the results. Conclusions This study among workers exposed to low levels of wood dust does not support an association between acute LF changes and accelerated LF decline.
    Keywords: Open access
    Print ISSN: 1351-0711
    Electronic ISSN: 1470-7926
    Topics: Medicine
    Published by BMJ Publishing Group
    Location Call Number Limitation Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 3
    Publication Date: 2012-12-18
    Description: Objectives Falls are a leading cause of injury at work, and slipping is the predominant cause of falling. Prior research has suggested a modest correlation between objective measures (such as coefficient of friction, COF) and subjective measures of slipperiness (such as worker perceptions) in the workplace. However, the degree of association between subjective measures and the actual risk of slipping at the workplace is unknown. This study examined the association between perception of slipperiness and the risk of slipping. Methods 475 workers from 36 limited-service restaurants participated in a 12-week prospective cohort study. At baseline, demographic information was collected, participants rated floor slipperiness in eight areas of the restaurant, and work environment factors, such as COF, were measured. Restaurant-level and area-level mean perceptions of slipperiness were calculated. Participants then reported their slip experience at work on a weekly basis for the next 12 weeks. The associations between perception of slipperiness and the rate of slipping were assessed. Results Adjusting for age, gender, body mass index, education, primary language, mean COF, use of slip-resistant shoes, and restaurant chain, each 1-point increase in mean restaurant-level perception of slipperiness (4-point scale) was associated with a 2.71 times increase in the rate of slipping (95% CI 1.25 to 5.87). Results were similar for area-level perception within the restaurant (rate ratios (RR) 2.92, 95% CI 2.41 to 3.54). Conclusions Perceptions of slipperiness and the subsequent rate of slipping were strongly associated. These findings suggest that safety professionals, risk managers and employers could use aggregated worker perceptions of slipperiness to identify slipping hazards and, potentially, to assess intervention effectiveness.
    Keywords: Open access
    Print ISSN: 1351-0711
    Electronic ISSN: 1470-7926
    Topics: Medicine
    Published by BMJ Publishing Group
    Location Call Number Limitation Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 4
    Publication Date: 2012-11-15
    Description: Background There is limited information regarding the occupational exposures of subjects with a diagnosis of work-exacerbated asthma (WEA). Objectives To: (1) identify potential specific occupational, chemical, biological and physical agents associated with incident cases of WEA and (2) compare these agents with occupational exposures of occupational asthma (OA) and non-work-related asthma (NWRA) cases. Methods Subjects were workers with work-related asthma (WRA) or NWRA referred between 2005 and 2008 to two Quebec clinics specialised in the field of WRA. Specific inhalation challenges were performed to differentiate OA from WEA. Work exposures were assessed using a detailed occupational questionnaire. Exposures to 41 chemical and biological agents were coded in a semiquantitative way according to a combination of indices for concentration in workplace air, frequency and confidence of exposure by an occupational hygienist expert in occupational exposure coding. This expert was blind to the medical status of WEA, OA or NWRA. Five physical agents were coded on a yes/no scale. Results 153 subjects were enrolled (53 WEA, 67 OA and 33 NWRA). WEA cases were significantly more exposed to ammonia, engine exhaust fumes, silica, mineral fibres, aerosol propellants and solvents, and significantly less exposed to animal derived dust and enzymes than were OA cases. Exposure to physical conditions did not differ between WEA and OA. Conclusions Exposures associated with WEA differ from those associated with OA in this study. A proportion of subjects with WEA may suffer from low-dose irritant asthma, which remains a hypothesis to be tested.
    Keywords: Allergy, asthma, Respiratory, Other exposures
    Print ISSN: 1351-0711
    Electronic ISSN: 1470-7926
    Topics: Medicine
    Published by BMJ Publishing Group
    Location Call Number Limitation Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 5
    Publication Date: 2012-11-15
    Description: Objective Desert dust, which is included in course particles, is considered to have potential toxicity. The effect modification of desert dust on associations between anthropogenic air pollution and mortality has been evaluated. However, the independent effects of Asian dust are less clear. Thus, we evaluated the effects of Asian dust on mortality independent of particulate matter (PM) in western Japan. Methods We obtained daily mean concentrations of Asian dust using Light Detection and Ranging measurements and suspended particulate matter (SPM) concentrations (approximately PM 8 ) during March 2005 to December 2010. We then evaluated city-specific associations of Asian dust and SPM with daily mortality using a time-series analysis targeting 1 379 052 people aged 65 or above living in 47 cities. The city-specific results were then combined with a Bayesian-hierarchical model. Results Asian dust did not modify the effects of SPM on mortality. Meanwhile, Asian dust was adversely associated with mortality independent of SPM. The excess risk following a 10 μ/m 3 increase in mean of the current to the previous 2 days Asian dust concentration was 0.6% (95% CI 0.1 to 1.1) for heart disease, 0.8% (95% CI 0.1 to 1.6) for ischaemic heart disease, 2.1% (95% CI 0.3 to 3.9) for arrhythmia and 0.5% (95% CI 0.2 to 0.8) for pneumonia mortality. Furthermore, the effects of Asian dust were stronger in northern areas close to the Eurasian continent (source of Asian dust). Conclusions Asian dust had adverse effects on circulatory and respiratory mortality independent of PM.
    Keywords: Air pollution, air quality, Other exposures
    Print ISSN: 1351-0711
    Electronic ISSN: 1470-7926
    Topics: Medicine
    Published by BMJ Publishing Group
    Location Call Number Limitation Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 6
    Publication Date: 2012-11-15
    Description: Objective Cleaning products may cause work-related asthma, but information regarding the specific exposures involved is scarce. We aimed to determine the associations between asthma and occupational exposure to cleaning agents in hospital workers. Methods Analyses were conducted in 179 (136 women) hospital workers and a reference population of 545 subjects (18–79 years) from the French case-control and familial Epidemiological study on the Genetics and Environment of Asthma (2003–2007). Exposures to cleaning agents were estimated using three methods: self-report, expert assessment and an asthma-specific job-exposure matrix (JEM). Associations between cleaning products and current asthma were evaluated by logistic regressions, stratified by sex and adjusted for age and smoking status. Results According to expert assessment, 55% of male and 81% of female hospital workers were exposed to cleaning/disinfecting tasks weekly (p〈0.001). No association was observed between cleaning/disinfecting tasks and current asthma in men or in women whatever the assessment method used. In women, exposure to decalcifiers (expert assessment) was associated with current asthma (OR (95% CI):2.38 (1.06 to 5.33)). In hospital workers classified as exposed according to both the expert assessment and the JEM, additional associations were observed for exposure to ammonia (3.05 (1.19 to 7.82)) and to sprays with moderate/high intensity (2.87 (1.02 to 8.11)). Conclusions Female hospital workers are often exposed to numerous cleaning products, some of which were markedly associated with current asthma. Low numbers prevented a meaningful analysis in men. Objective and more accurate estimates of occupational exposure to cleaning products are needed to better understand the adverse effects of cleaning products.
    Keywords: Allergy, asthma, Respiratory, Other exposures
    Print ISSN: 1351-0711
    Electronic ISSN: 1470-7926
    Topics: Medicine
    Published by BMJ Publishing Group
    Location Call Number Limitation Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 7
    Publication Date: 2012-11-15
    Description: Objective This study investigated the association between long-term exposure to black smoke (BS) air pollution and mortality in two related Scottish cohorts with 25 years of follow-up. Methods Risk factors were collected during 1970–1976 for 15331 and 6680 participants in the Renfrew/Paisley and Collaborative cohorts respectively. Exposure to BS during 1970–1979 was estimated by inverse-distance weighted averages of observed concentrations at monitoring sites and by two alternative spatial modelling approaches which included local air quality predictors (LAQP). Results Consistent BS–mortality associations (per 10 μg m –3 increment in 10-year average BS) were observed in the Renfrew/Paisley cohort using LAQP-based exposure models (all-cause mortality HR 1.10 (95% CI 1.04 to 1.17); cardiovascular HR 1.11 (1.01 to 1.22); ischaemic heart disease HR 1.13 (1.02 to 1.25); respiratory HR 1.26 (1.02 to 1.28)). The associations were largely unaffected by additional adjustment for area-level deprivation category. A less consistent and generally implausible pattern of cause-specific BS–mortality associations was found for inverse-distance averaging of BS concentrations at nearby monitoring sites. BS–mortality associations in the Collaborative cohort were weaker and not statistically significant. Conclusions The association between mortality and long-term exposure to BS observed in the Renfrew/Paisley cohort is consistent with hypotheses of how air pollution may affect human health. The dissimilarity in pollution–mortality associations for different exposure models highlights the critical importance of reliable estimation of exposures on intraurban spatial scales to avoid potential misclassification bias.
    Keywords: Air pollution, air quality, Other exposures
    Print ISSN: 1351-0711
    Electronic ISSN: 1470-7926
    Topics: Medicine
    Published by BMJ Publishing Group
    Location Call Number Limitation Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 8
    Publication Date: 2012-10-11
    Description: Diesel exhausts are common both in occupational and non-occupational settings. They are considered as a cause of lung cancer, and International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) recently upgraded the evidence from probable to sufficient ( http://www.iarc.fr ). However, the opinions about the health effects are not consistent. A recent review concluded that the published studies lack consistency. 1 A pooled analysis of case-control studies and a study of miners were interpreted as consistent with an increased risk but questioned by others. 2 3 Some of the studies of lung cancer risk from diesel exhaust are evaluating the risk in drivers of vehicles like buses, trains or heavy equipment operators. 1 2 4 The possibility to find an association in epidemiological study depends on the contrast in exposure between groups. We used nitrous dioxide as a marker of diesel exhausts...
    Keywords: Open access
    Print ISSN: 1351-0711
    Electronic ISSN: 1470-7926
    Topics: Medicine
    Published by BMJ Publishing Group
    Location Call Number Limitation Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 9
    Publication Date: 2012-10-11
    Description: Background Fetal growth restriction has been inconsistently associated with maternal exposure to elevated levels of traffic-related air pollution. Objective We investigated the relationship between an individualised measure of fetal growth and maternal exposure to a specific marker for traffic-related air pollution. Methods We estimated maternal residential exposure to a marker for traffic-related air pollution (nitrogen dioxide, NO 2 ) during pregnancy for 23 452 births using temporally adjusted land-use regression. Logistic regression was used to investigate associations with small for gestational age and sex (SGA) and fetal growth restriction, defined as proportion of optimal birth weight (POBW) below the 10th percentile. Sub-populations investigated were: women who spent most time at home, women who did not move house, women with respiratory or circulatory morbidity, women living in low/middle/high socio-economic areas, women who delivered before 37 weeks gestation, and women who delivered from 37 weeks gestation. Results An IQR increase in traffic-related air pollution in the second trimester across all women was associated with an OR of 1.31 (95% CI 1.07 to 1.60) for fetal growth restriction. Effects on fetal growth restriction (low POBW) were highest among women who subsequently delivered before 37 weeks of gestation. Effects on SGA were highest among women who did not move house: OR 1.35 (95% CI 1.08 to 1.69). Conclusions Larger effect sizes were observed for low POBW than for SGA. Exposure to traffic-related air pollution in mid to late pregnancy was associated with risk of SGA and low POBW in this study.
    Keywords: Air pollution, air quality, Other exposures
    Print ISSN: 1351-0711
    Electronic ISSN: 1470-7926
    Topics: Medicine
    Published by BMJ Publishing Group
    Location Call Number Limitation Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 10
    Publication Date: 2012-09-11
    Description: Objectives Scant evidence is available on effects of air pollution on longitudinally measured fetal biometry, and thus it remains unclear as to whether there are critical windows of exposure or specificity of effects. Our objective was to examine the association between exposure to nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) during pregnancy and fetal and neonatal anthropometry in a cohort of Spanish women. Methods Temporally adjusted land-use regression was used to estimate exposure to NO 2 at home addresses. Biparietal diameter (BPD), abdominal circumference (AC), femur length (FL) and estimated fetal weight (EFW) were evaluated in each trimester by ultrasound. As neonatal outcomes, weight, length and head circumference were analysed. SD scores adjusted by gestational age, mother characteristics and fetus sex were calculated at 12, 20 and 32 weeks of gestation as well as at birth. The association between fetal growth and average exposure to NO 2 in the relevant windows was investigated using regression models, adjusted for socio-demographic and lifestyle-related variables. Results Exposure to NO 2 was inversely associated with BPD, AC and EFW at week 32 and with growth in these parameters in weeks 20–32. BPD and FL were also affected earlier, at week 20. NO 2 levels above the median (38 μg/m 3 ) reduced size at week 32 by around 9% in all parameters except for FL (6%). The critical windows of exposure were in early pregnancy, before 20 weeks. Exposure in this period was also inversely associated with neonatal length and head circumference. Conclusions Maternal exposure to NO 2 is associated with impaired fetal growth from mid-gestation onwards.
    Keywords: Air pollution, air quality, Other exposures
    Print ISSN: 1351-0711
    Electronic ISSN: 1470-7926
    Topics: Medicine
    Published by BMJ Publishing Group
    Location Call Number Limitation Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
Close ⊗
This website uses cookies and the analysis tool Matomo. More information can be found here...