health occupational

BACKGROUND: Allergic contact dermatitis is one of the most common forms of skin diseases that require medical intervention. Appropriate detection of allergens by patch test and accurate avoidance of them is the key to management. The objective of this study is to determine the types and frequency of allergens responsible for Allergic contact dermatitis in a tertiary hospital of Nepal. METHODS: Altogether 120 patients with Allergic contact dermatitis were enrolled in the study...

BACKGROUND: Taxi drivers in a Chinese megacity are frequently exposed to traffic-related particulate matter (PM2.5 ) due to their job nature, busy road traffic, and urban density. A robust method to quantify dynamic population exposure to PM2.5 among taxi drivers is important for occupational risk prevention, however, it is limited by data availability. METHODS: This study proposed a rapid assessment of dynamic exposure to PM2.5 among drivers based on satellite-derived information, air quality data from monitoring stations, and GPS-based taxi trajectory data...

BACKGROUND: Early access to care for carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) can avoid higher rates of surgery and permanent harm yet is often delayed, particularly for populations more likely to underutilise care. OBJECTIVE: We sought to explore patient experiences and perspectives of health service access for CTS to inform an equity-focussed co-design of a health service for improving early care access. METHODS: In this Normalisation Process Theory (NPT)-informed qualitative study we conducted semistructured in-depth interviews with 19 adults with experience of CTS...

Roads represent one of the main sources of wildlife mortality, population decline, and isolation, especially for low-vagility animal groups. It is still not clearly understood how wildlife populations respond to these negative effects over space and time. Most studies on wildlife road mortality do not consider the spatial and temporal components simultaneously, or the imperfect roadkill detection, both of which could lead to inaccurate assumptions and unreliable mitigation actions. In this study, we applied a multi-season occupancy model to a 14-year amphibian mortality dataset collected along 120 km of roads, combined with freely available landscape and remote sensing metrics, to identify the spatiotemporal patterns of amphibian roadkill in a Mediterranean landscape in Southern Portugal...

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic and irreversible fibrotic disease whose natural history is characterised by a progressive worsening of the pulmonary function, exertional dyspnoea, exercise intolerance, reduced physical activity, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) impairment. Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary programme that uses a combination of strength training, teaching, counselling, and behaviour modification techniques to reduce symptoms and optimise functional capacity in patients with chronic lung disease...

This study aimed to identify the individual, organizational, and environmental factors which contributed to COVID-19-related outcomes in long-term care facilities (LTCFs). A systematic review was conducted to summarize and synthesize empirical studies using a multi-level analysis approach to address the identified influential factors. Five databases were searched on 23 May 2023. To be included in the review, studies had to be published in peer-reviewed journals or as grey literature containing relevant statistical data...

Despite curative treatment and discharge from acute hospital settings, breast cancer patients often have cancer- and treatment-related morbidity which impairs them from returning to work. Hence, the role of community-based return to work rehabilitation programs is important to help these patients transition back to work. This was a retrospective cohort study involving patients with breast cancer conducted at a community-based cancer rehabilitation center. Patients were involved in an interdisciplinary vocational rehabilitation program involving physiatrists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and social workers...

This study aimed to develop a problem-based learning program for occupational health nursing using smart learning, and to report the program's effects on occupational health knowledge and nursing professionalism. A quasi-experimental study was performed using a non-equivalent control group pre-test-post-test design. An occupational health nursing problem-based learning program using smart learning was developed, and students produced videos containing problem-solving strategies in groups. The experimental and control groups consisted of 34 and 29 participants, respectively...

Physical fitness is mandatory for public safety officers. Police officers experience elevated levels of cardiovascular disease and associated risks making fitness a peak concern. Officers often have more marked fitness level decreases with aging compared to the general population. This cross-sectional study investigated the cardiovascular health, muscular strength/endurance, and mobility of officers in a medium-sized police department (N = 83); (4 females, 79 males), age (36.82 ± 10 years), height (179...

BACKGROUND: Hypertension-related knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of hypertensive patients can affect the awareness, treatment and control of hypertension. However, little attention has been paid to the association between the change of hypertension preventive KAP and blood pressure (BP) control in occupational population using longitudinal data. We assess the effectiveness of a workplace-based multicomponent hypertension intervention program on improving the level of KAP of hypertension prevention, and the association between improvement in KAP and BP control during intervention...

BACKGROUND: Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are known environmental contaminants with immunosuppressive properties. Their connection to rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a condition influenced by the immune system, is not well studied. This research explores the association between PFAS exposure and RA prevalence. METHODS: This research utilized data from the NHANES, encompassing a sample of 10,496 adults from the 2003-2018 cycles, focusing on serum levels of several PFAS...

BACKGROUND: Physical inactivity is a global public health problem. A practical solution would be to build physical activity into the daily routine by using active modes of transport. Choice of transport mode can influence cancer risk through their effects on levels of physical activity, sedentary time, and environmental pollution. This review synthesizes existing evidence on the associations of specific transport modes with risks of site-specific cancers. METHODS: Relevant literature was searched in PubMed, Embase, and Scopus from 1914 to 17th February 2023...

BACKGROUND: Tour guides' identification and internalization of occupational stigma may exacerbate their career development, perceived professional reputation and status, and mental health. The current study aimed to develop and verify the Tour guides Internalized Occupational Stigma Scale (TIOSS) to provide an effective tool for relevant quantitative research. METHODS: The study developed an initial questionnaire through literature analysis, expert review, and semi-structured surveys...

BACKGROUND: Prenatal or early childhood secondhand tobacco smoke (SHS) exposure increases obesity risk. However, the potential mechanisms underlying this association are unclear, but obesogenic eating behaviors are one pathway that components of SHS could perturb. Our aim was to assess associations of prenatal and early childhood SHS exposure with adolescent eating behaviors. METHODS: Data came from a prospective pregnancy and birth cohort (N = 207, Cincinnati, OH)...

BACKGROUND: Multifaceted SARS-CoV-2 interventions have modified exposure to air pollution and dynamics of respiratory diseases. Identifying the most vulnerable individuals requires effort to build a complete picture of the dynamic health effects of air pollution exposure, accounting for disparities across population subgroups. METHODS: We use generalized additive model to assess the likely changes in the hospitalisation and mortality rate as a result of exposure to PM2...

BACKGROUND: Empathy is a critical component of nursing care, impacting both nurses' and patients' outcomes. However, perceived empathy from spouses during pregnancy and its impact on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) are unclear. This study aimed to examine pregnant women's perceived empathy from their spouses and assess the relation of perceived empathy on HRQoL. METHODS: This cross-sectional study, performed in the obstetric clinics or wards of four well-known hospitals in Anhui Province, China, included 349 pregnant women in the second or third trimester; participants were recruited by convenience sampling and enrolled from October to December 2021...

The relationship between spirituality at work and occupational and subjective well-being is not a well-recognized area of research. Many studies have indicated the beneficial effects of spiritual activities on employees' flourishing, but the mechanisms of this influence are still not sufficiently explained. This study aimed to verify the proposed mechanisms that underlie employees' spirituality, stress at work, and life satisfaction, and the role of gratitude toward the organization in these relationships. It was assumed that employees' spirituality is indirectly related to stress at work via gratitude toward the organization...

BACKGROUND: According to epidemiological studies, psychosocial factors are known to be associated with disease activity, physical activity, pain, functioning, treatment help-seeking, treatment waiting times and mortality in people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Limited qualitative inquiry into the psychosocial factors that add to RA disease burden and potential synergistic interactions with biological parameters makes it difficult to understand patients' perspectives from the existing literature...

BACKGROUND: To investigate the feasibility of using the Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths and Injuries (STEADI) Falls Risk Tool Kit during community-based eye health screenings to assess falls risk of participants enrolled in the Manhattan Vision Screening and Follow-Up Study (NYC-SIGHT). METHODS: Cross-sectional analysis of data from a 5-year prospective, cluster-randomised clinical trial conducted in affordable housing developments in New York City in adults age 40 years and older...

Increased incidence of zoonoses, coupled with veterinarians' occupational exposure, led to this study examining the knowledge of licensed US veterinarians on zoonoses and their disease prevention practices. This online survey supported by the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians received 466 responses from 36 US states; 67% of the respondents were female, and 72.5% were small animal medicine practitioners. The One Health concept was familiar among 82% of respondents, 51.3% knew of continuing education training on zoonoses, and 68% had attended such a training in the last 5 years...