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False-positive HIV screening test in a healthcare student Occup. Med. (IF 5.1) Pub Date : 2024-03-25 J Quigley, T Hussain, C Arthur
Summary This case report describes a 22-year-old female Ambulance Technician student who displayed human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) false positivity following a recent hepatitis B vaccination. Occupational health clinicians who work in a healthcare setting (with healthcare staff and/or students) should be aware of the possibility of false-positive HIV screening test results, and where a false positive
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A review of the injuries caused by occupational footwear Occup. Med. (IF 5.1) Pub Date : 2024-03-25 M C Pereira-Barriga, J M Borrero-Hernández, J J García-Iglesias, D López-López, C Ruiz-Frutos, R Allande-Cussó, J Gómez-Salgado
Background Occupational footwear is intended to provide protection against the risks associated with work activities. The choice of footwear is complex due to the welfare, health and safety conditions of workers. Aims To identify the injuries and problems caused by occupational footwear through a systematic review of the existing literature. Methods A literature search was carried out in the Cumulative
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New occupational medicine competency framework for UK undergraduate medical students Occup. Med. (IF 5.1) Pub Date : 2024-03-20 Drushca Lalloo, Finola Ryan, Wendy Telling, Laura Blackburn, Richard Peters
Occupational medicine (OM) teaching is under-represented and inconsistent in UK medical school training. Unless universities take action, inadequate OM teaching provision will leave tomorrow’s doctors unprepared to support their patients to return to work after illness/injury, to remain at work and to identify occupational diseases. This Editorial presents a newly developed competency framework to
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Job demands and DHEA-S levels: a study on healthcare workers Occup. Med. (IF 5.1) Pub Date : 2024-03-08 F Marcatto, E Patriarca, D Bramuzzo, E Lucci, F Larese Filon
Background The intricate interplay between work-related stress and its physiological impact has drawn extensive research attention. Dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEA-S) emerges as a potential biomarker reflecting stress-related endocrine changes. Aims This cross-sectional study aimed to examine the association between job demands and DHEA-S levels among healthcare workers. The study also explored
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Occupational Health Services in policing: identifying the psychological burden to OHS team members Occup. Med. (IF 5.1) Pub Date : 2024-02-22 N Tehrani
Background Occupational Health Services (OHS) workers in the police are exposed to stressful and pressurized environments where they try to help employees deal with serious physical and mental health conditions. Aims This study used psychological surveillance to identify the level of mental health conditions within each of the police OHS (POHS) roles and to identify whether it was possible to identify
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Validity of submaximal aerobic capacity and strength tests in firefighters Occup. Med. (IF 5.1) Pub Date : 2024-02-21 W Hart, D Taylor, D C Bishop
Background Typically, the fitness of UK firefighters is assessed via submaximal estimate methods due to the low demands on time, money, expertise and equipment. However, the firefighter-specific validity of such testing in relation to maximum aerobic capacity (V˙O2max) and particularly muscular strength is not well established. Aims To examine the validity of submaximal methods to estimate V˙O2max
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Survey to assess the feasibility of establishing an international network for evidence synthesis in occupational safety and health Occup. Med. (IF 5.1) Pub Date : 2024-02-19 D M McElvenny, J Verbeek, D Gagliardi, C Tikka, J L Hoving
Background Evidence synthesis in the field of occupational safety and health (OSH) has been continuously growing over the last two decades. With over 100 systematic reviews now published, the Cochrane Work Review group has played an important role in this development and the Cochrane Thematic Group ‘Work & Health & Social Security’ was established recently to combine evidence from both the OSH and
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The time is right to establish a Global Network for Evidence for Work Occup. Med. (IF 5.1) Pub Date : 2024-02-19 Stefania Curti, Stefano Mattioli
Access to accurate and unbiased evidence is of paramount importance. An international survey was conducted to determine if establishing a global network for evidence synthesis in occupational safety and health (OSH) was feasible. Many institutions, organizations and experts have expressed an interest in collaborating. This newly established network is aimed at producing and stimulating high-quality
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Impacts of workplace verbal aggression classified via text mining on workers’ mental health Occup. Med. (IF 5.1) Pub Date : 2024-02-12 Y Nishimura, S Matsumoto, T Sasaki, T Kubo
Background Exposure to workplace aggression adversely affects workers’ health; however, little is known regarding the impact of specific types of verbal content. Aims We aimed to examine the relationship between exposure to several types of aggressive words at work and the victim’s depressive symptoms and sleep disturbance using text mining. Methods We conducted a longitudinal survey with 800 workers
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Hypoxaemia and risk of asphyxia during underground work in artisanal cobalt mines Occup. Med. (IF 5.1) Pub Date : 2024-02-09 P Musa Obadia, J Pyana Kitenge, T Carsi Kuhangana, S Verpaele, A Ndala Nyongonyi, T Kayembe Kitenge, P d M Katoto, C Banza Lubaba Nkulu, B Nemery
Background More than half the cobalt needed for vehicle electrification originates from the southern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), with a substantial part being extracted by artisanal miners. Aims To investigate oxygen saturation during underground work among cobalt artisanal miners. Methods In a field survey, we measured oxygen saturation (SpO2) and heart rate by pulse oximetry
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Nightshift work and irregular menstrual cycle: 8-year follow-up cohort study Occup. Med. (IF 5.1) Pub Date : 2024-02-08 K Kim, M Y Lee, Y Chang, S Ryu
Background Irregular menstruation is a major health problem among women, although its association with nightshift work remains controversial. Aims To study the association between nightshift work and irregular menstrual cycle among female workers and investigate any differences according to sleep quality, working hours or obesity. Methods This study included female workers who underwent health examinations
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Culture, conditions and care support mental health of healthcare workers during crises Occup. Med. (IF 5.1) Pub Date : 2024-02-06 J L Maple, M Whiteside, N Smallwood, M Putland, P Baldwin, M Bismark, W Harrex, D Johnson, L Karimi, K Willis
Background The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has presented immense challenges to health systems worldwide and significantly impacted the mental health of frontline healthcare workers. Aims This study drew on the experiences of frontline healthcare workers to examine organizational strategies needed to support the mental health and well-being of healthcare workers during times of crisis
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Help-seeking intentions of UK construction workers: a cross-sectional study Occup. Med. (IF 5.1) Pub Date : 2024-02-06 M Duncan, D Bansal, E Cooke
Background In response to the high rates of poor mental health in the construction industry, numerous workplace interventions have been designed to address the known and suspected risk factors to employee mental health and well-being. A key challenge of these strategies is low engagement in support services. Aims The goals of this research were to investigate the help-seeking intentions of employees
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Culture of presenteeism: emergent perspectives from an NHS-workforce convenience sample Occup. Med. (IF 5.1) Pub Date : 2024-02-06 Z Marciniak-Nuqui, M L Cabling, R J Romanelli
Background The United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS) has been under strain for more than a decade, which has been exacerbated by the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. According to NHS staff, this is felt especially during the winter (also called ‘winter pressure’), when both absenteeism and presenteeism rates are high in the healthcare workforce. Aims To understand the culture
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Shaping the stress consultation in Occupational Health Occup. Med. (IF 5.1) Pub Date : 2024-01-29 John Sterland
Consultation skills are more important than ever, with increasing emphasis on patient view. A geometrical approach to the Occupational health practitioners (OHPs) toolkit is suggested and could order, group or classify cases risk factors and causes as shapes (circles, triangles with squares) for common patterns of presentation of stress, perhaps as a basis for discussion in training, audit or other
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Loneliness in the workplace: a mixed-method systematic review and meta-analysis Occup. Med. (IF 5.1) Pub Date : 2024-01-29 B T Bryan, G Andrews, K N Thompson, P Qualter, T Matthews, L Arseneault
Background Loneliness is a risk factor for a range of mental and physical health problems and has gained increasing interest from policy-makers and researchers in recent years. However, little attention has been paid to loneliness at work and its implications for workers and employers. Aims Identify workplace, health and personal factors associated with workplace loneliness. Methods We searched five
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Sustaining work ability amongst female professional workers with long COVID Occup. Med. (IF 5.1) Pub Date : 2024-01-10 J Lunt, S Hemming, J Elander, K Burton, B Hanney
Background Long COVID (LC) compromises work ability (WA). Female worker WA has been more adversely impacted than WA in men. Exploration of lived experiences could elucidate the WA support required. Aims To explore the working conditions and circumstances experienced as affecting sustained WA amongst female workers with LC, to help mitigate worklessness risks. Methods Online semi-structured qualitative
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To disclose or not to disclose to the DVLA Occup. Med. (IF 5.1) Pub Date : 2023-12-29 Lara Shemtob, Kaveh Asanati, Massoud Mansouri, Nick Jenkins
What is the role of an occupational health clinician when a worker refuses to notify the driver and vehicle licensing agency (DVLA) when required to by law? There is no specific guidance on this dilemma for occupational health clinicians, where the context and parameters of the doctor–patient relationship is different to the relationship between the worker and their general practitioner (GP) or specialist
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Advancing fatigue management in healthcare: risk-based approaches that enhance health service delivery Occup. Med. (IF 5.1) Pub Date : 2023-12-29 M Sprajcer, A Robinson, M J W Thomas, D Dawson
Given the need for 24/7 healthcare services, fatigue is an inevitable consequence of work in this industry. A significant body of regulatory advice and hospital services have focused primarily on restricting work hours as the primary method of mitigating fatigue-related risk. Given the inevitability of fatigue, and the limited capacity of labour agreements to control risk, this commentary explores
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Pandemic preparedness from the perspective of Occupational Health professionals Occup. Med. (IF 5.1) Pub Date : 2023-12-12 Y Chen, C Ingram, V Downey, M Roe, P Sripaiboonkij, C M Buckley, E Alvarez, C Perrotta, C Buggy
Background Prior to any infectious disease emergence as a public health concern, early occupational preparedness is crucial for protecting employees from novel pathogens— coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is no different. Aims This study ascertains how occupational safety and health (OSH)/Human Resource (HR) professionals in the Republic of Ireland had managed to prepare their workplaces prior to
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Impaired hospitalized patient mobility is associated with nurse injuries Occup. Med. (IF 5.1) Pub Date : 2023-12-12 K H McLaughlin, D L Young, E Colantuoni, K Funk, A M Stone, J Ballreich, E H Hoyer
Background Staff injuries adversely affect the health of staff members as well the ability of health care teams to effectively care for patients. Identifying patients who pose an increased risk of injury may allow for the planning of risk mitigation strategies, but few studies have examined patient factors associated with staff injury risk. Aims Examine the relationship between staff injury and patient
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Sick leave due to SARS-CoV-2 infection Occup. Med. (IF 5.1) Pub Date : 2023-12-11 G Vandersmissen, J Verbeeck, P Henckens, J Van Dyck, C Wuytens, G Molenberghs, L Godderis
Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused a high burden of sick leave worldwide. Long-term sick leave for COVID-19 may be longer than for other influenza-like syndromes. The real impact of long COVID on absenteeism remains uncertain. Aims To investigate the burden of sick leave, especially >12 weeks, in Belgian workers with a positive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test for severe acute
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Post-acute COVID-19 complications in UK doctors: results of a cross-sectional survey Occup. Med. (IF 5.1) Pub Date : 2023-12-11 D Bland, R Evans, A Binesmael, S Wood, S P Qureshi, K Fearnley, A Small, W D Strain, R Agius
Background As a consequence of their occupation, doctors and other healthcare workers were at higher risk of contracting coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and more likely to experience severe disease compared to the general population. However, systematic information on post-acute COVID complications in doctors is very limited. Aims This study aimed to determine the symptoms, perceived determinants
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An outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 in a public-facing office in England Occup. Med. (IF 5.1) Pub Date : 2023-12-11 G Nicholls, B Atkinson, K van Veldhoven, I Nicholls, M Coldwell, A Clarke, C J Atchison, A I Raja, A M Bennett, D Morgan, N Pearce, T Fletcher, E B Brickley, Y Chen
Background An outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) with an attack rate of 55% (22/40 workers) occurred at a public-facing office in England from August to September 2021. Published evidence regarding outbreaks in office workplaces remains limited. Aims To describe an investigation of workplace- and worker-related risk factors following an outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 in
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Health- and job-related factors associated with work ability in older working populations of Korea Occup. Med. (IF 5.1) Pub Date : 2023-12-11 J -Y Park, D -W Lee, J Choi, M Kim, M -Y Kang
Background Knowledge about determinants of workability is crucial for designing interventions to increase the participation of older employees in the workforce and maintain or increase their productivity levels at work. Aims This study explored the impact of health conditions and job characteristics on poor work ability. Methods This study used data from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (KLoSA)
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Workplace violence in radiology: results of a systematic review Occup. Med. (IF 5.1) Pub Date : 2023-12-11 I M Busch, M Rimondini, S D Scott, F Moretti, D Cecchin, A W Wu, C Giraudo
Background Workplace violence (WPV) is a growing issue in health care with far-reaching consequences for health workers’ physical and psychological well-being. While some medical specialities like emergency medicine have always been considered at higher risk for WPV, several studies have also reported its occurrence in radiology. Aims This systematic review aimed to comprehensively synthesize the types
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Occupational asbestos exposure and ovarian cancer: updated systematic review Occup. Med. (IF 5.1) Pub Date : 2023-12-11 F Turati, M Rossi, A Spinazzè, E Pira, D M Cavallo, L Patel, C Mensi, C La Vecchia, E Negri
Background The association between asbestos exposure and ovarian cancer has been questioned given the possible misdiagnosis of peritoneal mesothelioma as ovarian cancer. Aims To update a systematic review on ovarian cancer risk in women occupationally exposed to asbestos, exploring the association with the time since first exposure and the duration of exposure. Methods We searched PubMed from 2008
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Increased risk of lower limb osteoarthritis among former professional soccer (football) players Occup. Med. (IF 5.1) Pub Date : 2023-12-09 E R Russell, S J Spencer, C M Atherton, D M Lyall, D F Mackay, K Stewart, J A MacLean, J P Pell, W Stewart
Background Soccer is a high-speed contact sport with risk of injury. Despite long-standing concern, evidence to date remains inconsistent as to the association between playing professional-level soccer and lifelong musculoskeletal consequences. Aims The objectives were to assess risk of osteoarthritis in former professional soccer players compared to matched general population controls, and subsequently
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Occupational asthma, rhinitis and contact urticaria from greenhouse work Occup. Med. (IF 5.1) Pub Date : 2023-12-02 I Lindström, P Hölttä, L Airaksinen, K Suuronen, S Suomela, H Suojalehto
Background The current knowledge about occupational allergic diseases among greenhouse workers is scant. Aims To describe greenhouse workers’ occupational allergic diseases. Methods We identified 28 greenhouse workers with occupational allergic diseases in 2002–2020 by conducting a systematic search in the patient register of the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health. All the patients worked in
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Descriptive study of COVID-19 vaccinations and infections within an NHS workforce. Occup. Med. (IF 5.1) Pub Date : 2023-11-29 M Ke,G Soothill,K Wilson,S Swietlik,A Leckie,R Sutherland
BACKGROUND Healthcare workers were a priority group for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination during the pandemic. Occupational exposure may account for some of the increased risk faced. AIMS Describe COVID-19 vaccine uptake and infection rates in staff across a large NHS board in Scotland to better understand occupational risk during the pandemic. METHODS Descriptive cross-sectional study
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Occupational injuries in workers of a Spanish bank Occup. Med. (IF 5.1) Pub Date : 2023-11-29 L Reinoso-Barbero, L Pardillos, M -C Romero-Paredes, R Díaz-Garrido, J -M Mendiguren, A Gieco, F Gómez-Gallego
Background In 2017, 69 108 work-related traffic injuries with medical leave were documented, constituting 12% of all occupational injuries (OI) in Spain. Aims The aim of this study was to describe OI within a Spanish bank company during 2017. Methods A cross-sectional analysis was conducted using the company’s mandatory OI records, presenting data in both absolute (n) and relative (%) frequencies.
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Occupational asthma induced by fish exposure Occup. Med. (IF 5.1) Pub Date : 2023-11-28 B Añibarro, L Feijoo, N de las Cuevas, F J Seoane
Summary Occupational asthma triggered by inhaling fish-derived aerosols is estimated to affect 2–8% of exposed individuals. This primarily affects workers in the fish processing industry. Fishmongers, rarely experience this issue, as recent research found no significant difference in asthma rates compared to a control group. We report the case of a fishmonger who presented with a 1-year history of
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A COVID-19 monitoring process for healthcare workers utilizing occupational health. Occup. Med. (IF 5.1) Pub Date : 2023-11-23 J C Crosby,R A Lee,G McGwin,S L Heath,G A Burkholder,R M Gravett,E T Overton,G Locks,M E Fleece,R Franco,S Nafziger
BACKGROUND Hospital-based occupational health (HBOH) is uniquely positioned to not only prevent severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission, but to care for healthcare workers (HCWs) sick with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). AIMS The primary objective of this study is to describe a system where HBOH services were adapted to provide a monitoring programme whereby HCWs
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Importance of occupational support for NHS patients with mental illness Occup. Med. (IF 5.1) Pub Date : 2023-11-15 C Kamau-Mitchell, B Lopes
Background Unemployment is a structural inequality which raises the risk of premature deaths among people with mental illness. Aims This study examined whether UK National Health Service (NHS) patients with mental illness get support to find or keep a job because reducing unemployment rates can reduce the risk of premature mortality. Methods This study analysed recently released data from 54 NHS trusts
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Hydrogen cyanamide exposure: a case series from Pavia Poison Control Centre Occup. Med. (IF 5.1) Pub Date : 2023-11-10 L Bernasconi, M Carnovale, D Lonati, V M Petrolini, A Schicchi, B Brolli, V M Negrini, C Grazioli, O Maystrova, E Buscaglia, Giulia Scaravaggi, F Crema, C A Locatelli
Background Hydrogen cyanamide is a plant growth regulator introduced in Italy as Dormex in 2000, but recalled from the market in 2008. It’s currently not authorized in Europe. Inhalation/dermal contact may cause irritation/caustic burns, ingestion of severe organ damage and concomitant alcohol consumption disulfiram-like reaction due to aldehyde-dehydrogenase inhibition by hydrogen cyanamide. Aims
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A challenge to the evidence behind noise guidelines for UK hospitals Occup. Med. (IF 5.1) Pub Date : 2023-11-10 T Hampton, S Everett, E Goldsmith, P J Lee
Background Teams assessing hospital noise against international guidelines regularly find that noise exceeds perceived safe levels in clinical settings. The care of sick people may be inherently noisy but recent efforts to tackle the problem propose a wider scope to identify sources and qualities of noise as well as more precision with noise recording. Aims We sought to challenge the scientific evidence
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Long-term occupational exposures on disability-free survival and mortality in older adults Occup. Med. (IF 5.1) Pub Date : 2023-11-10 S M Alif, G P Benke, H Kromhout, R Vermeulen, C Tran, K Ronaldson, K Walker-Bone, R Woods, L Beilin, A Tonkin, A J Owen, J J McNeil
Background The impact of long-term occupational exposures on health in older adults is increasingly relevant as populations age. To date, no studies have reported their impact on survival free of disability in older adults. Aims We aimed to investigate the association between long-term occupational exposure and disability-free survival (DFS), all-cause mortality and cause-specific mortality in initially
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Psychological support during a pandemic: an intervention for hospital teams. Occup. Med. (IF 5.1) Pub Date : 2023-11-06 L M Quarmby,M Hotton,S Jenner,J Kalthoff,E Patterson,A Scholcz,E Springham
BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic placed unprecedented stress on healthcare professionals and resulted in teams being scattered by shielding, working from home and redeployment. The Recovery, Readjustment and Reintegration programme (R3P) was implemented and evaluated in an acute NHS hospital Trust with the aim of supporting those staff involved. AIMS To explore the impact of offering themed reflective
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Cost-of-living crisis impacts the nursing and midwifery professions. Occup. Med. (IF 5.1) Pub Date : 2023-10-20 Sarah McGloin
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Associations between sleep difficulties and health outcomes in treatment-seeking veterans. Occup. Med. (IF 5.1) Pub Date : 2023-10-20 N Molloy,D Murphy
BACKGROUND Sleep disturbance in UK Armed Forces personnel appears to be frequent due to factors such as hostile sleeping environments and can persist even once they have transitioned into civilian life. Despite this, there is currently very limited literature surrounding the prevalence and associated factors of insomnia disorder among UK veterans. AIMS This study aimed to expand knowledge of the prevalence
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Systematic review of hearing loss in dental professionals. Occup. Med. (IF 5.1) Pub Date : 2023-10-20 J C Hartland,G Tejada,E J Riedel,A H-L Chen,O Mascarenhas,J Kroon
BACKGROUND Hearing loss leads to increased irritability and disengagement in social activities and conversations, which may impact quality of life. Dental professionals are at risk of developing hearing loss through daily exposure to noise from a wide range of equipment that produces significantly high decibels and noise frequencies. AIMS The aim of this systematic review was to investigate the risk
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Multinational comparison study of aircraft pilot healthcare avoidance behaviour. Occup. Med. (IF 5.1) Pub Date : 2023-10-20 W R Hoffman,P K Patel,J Aden,A Willis,J P Acker,E Bjerke,E Miranda,J Luster,A Tvaryanas
BACKGROUND US and Canadian pilots are required to meet medical standards to secure their active flying status, but a subgroup exhibit healthcare avoidance behaviour due to fear of loss of that status. This phenomenon has the potential to impact pilot health, aeromedical screening and aviation safety. No international comparison study of pilot healthcare avoidance currently exists between US and Canadian
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Comparing shift work tolerance across occupations, work arrangements, and gender. Occup. Med. (IF 5.1) Pub Date : 2023-10-20 I Saksvik-Lehouillier,T A Sørengaard
BACKGROUND There are individual differences in shift work tolerance; however, we lack knowledge about how this is experienced across different occupations, sex and shift types. AIMS The aim was to describe and investigate shift work tolerance, and individual differences in shift work tolerance, in two occupations, between men and women and between day/evening workers and rotating shift workers. METHODS
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First-trimester occupational exposures and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy among US nurses. Occup. Med. (IF 5.1) Pub Date : 2023-10-20 I Agarwal,S Wang,J Stuart,S Strohmaier,E Schernhammer,J Rich-Edwards,J H Kang
BACKGROUND Limited and conflicting data exist regarding the impact of first-trimester nursing occupational exposures on hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP). AIMS To investigate whether first-trimester night shift work, work hours and work-related activities are associated with HDP. METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 6610 women within the Nurses' Health Study II. We used multiple
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Non-fatal injuries among police officers during use-of-force encounters Occup. Med. (IF 5.1) Pub Date : 2023-10-11 E R Maguire, E A Paoline
Background Occupational injuries are common in police work due to routine exposure to conflict, violence, accidents, and other hazards. However, little is known about the factors associated with non-fatal job-related injuries among police officers. Aims To study the factors associated with non-fatal job-related injuries among Tucson, AZ, police officers during encounters involving the use of force
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Management standards and burnout among surgeons in the United Kingdom. Occup. Med. (IF 5.1) Pub Date : 2023-10-06 J Houdmont,P Daliya,A Adiamah,E Theophilidou,J Hassard,D N Lobo,
BACKGROUND Burnout arising from chronic work-related stress is endemic among surgeons in the UK. Identification of contributory and modifiable psychosocial work characteristics could inform risk reduction activities. AIMS We aimed to assess the extent to which surgeons' psychosocial working conditions met aspirational Management Standards delineated by the UK Health and Safety Executive, draw comparisons
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COVID-19 associated with Raynaud's phenomenon in a vibration-exposed worker. Occup. Med. (IF 5.1) Pub Date : 2023-10-05 R Cooke
This is the first known case report of COVID-19-related Raynaud's phenomenon (RP) identified at routine health surveillance of a male exposed to hand-transmitted vibration. The temporal relationship with COVID infection followed the course previously reported, being a late feature associated with mild COVID, and followed by gradual spontaneous recovery. It is not known whether the RP, in this case
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Organic solvents and Multiple Sclerosis: the doubled risk dilemma. Occup. Med. (IF 5.1) Pub Date : 2023-09-29 A Seaton,D Baker,A K Hedstrom,L Alfredsson,K Schmierer
BACKGROUND Compensation for industrial disease in the UK may be obtained in two ways. A State scheme includes a list of accepted associations between occupations and diseases with evidence of a causative association. Epidemiological evidence of a doubled risk in the occupation concerned is usually required. This takes no account of variation of exposures within occupations, excluding many occupations
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School inspections and headteachers' mental health. Occup. Med. (IF 5.1) Pub Date : 2023-09-29 Dil Sen,Paul J Nicholson
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Workplace mental health screening for trauma-exposed workforces. Occup. Med. (IF 5.1) Pub Date : 2023-09-29 Neil Greenberg,David Forbes
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Enablers and barriers to mental health initiatives in construction SMEs. Occup. Med. (IF 5.1) Pub Date : 2023-09-29 H Blake,H Bullock,N Chouliara
BACKGROUND Mental ill-health is prevalent in the construction industry, and workers in small- to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are at high risk. Knowledge about the implementation of mental health initiatives in construction SMEs is limited. AIMS To explore enablers and barriers to implementing mental health initiatives within UK SME construction firms from the perspective of the business owners
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Comparing post-traumatic stress severity in professional and volunteer Australian firefighters Occup. Med. (IF 5.1) Pub Date : 2023-09-15 I Counson, S Sanatkar, A Knight, D Lawrence, S B Harvey
Background While extensive research has highlighted increased risk for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in firefighters, previous research has yielded mixed results regarding the role of work status (professional versus volunteer) in the development of psychopathological symptoms. Aims To explore the predictive strength of work status on PTSD or post-traumatic stress symptom severity in a large
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Mental health and vitality predict spinal pain in healthcare workers Occup. Med. (IF 5.1) Pub Date : 2023-09-04 A Espin, R Núñez-Cortés, J Irazusta, A Rodriguez-Larrad, J Torres-Unda, J Vinstrup, M D Jakobsen, L L Andersen
Background Despite extensive investigation of ergonomic risk factors for spinal pain in healthcare workers, limited knowledge of psychological risk factors exists. Aims To assess the prospective association of mental health and vitality with development of spinal pain in healthcare workers. Methods A prospective cohort study was carried out involving 1950 healthcare workers from 19 hospitals in Denmark
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Impact of menopausal symptoms on work and careers: a cross-sectional study Occup. Med. (IF 5.1) Pub Date : 2023-08-05 M T O’Neill, V Jones, A Reid
Background Women over 50 years are one of the fastest-growing employment groups. Menopausal symptoms can adversely impact quality of life, work performance and attendance; however, few studies look at the impact of individual menopausal symptoms on work and career development. Aims To measure the prevalence of menopausal symptoms in employees in a healthcare setting, to assess the impact of individual
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Duty-related trauma and PTSD symptoms in US urban firefighters Occup. Med. (IF 5.1) Pub Date : 2023-07-31 C Pao, C Arbona, W Fan, J Tran
Background Little is known about the multi-dimensional nature of traumatic duty-related events encountered by firefighters in relation to their post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) risk. Aims To describe the types of duty-related events encountered by career firefighters and explore if years in the fire service or total event load moderated the association of trauma exposure to PTSD symptoms. Methods
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The impact of adolescent suicide on clinicians: a mixed-methods study Occup. Med. (IF 5.1) Pub Date : 2023-07-27 P Keightley, T Foster, K Eggins, R E Reay
Background Clinician reactions to client suicide may include shock, grief, guilt, self-doubt, shame, anger, and fears of blame and medico-legal consequences. Clinicians will often differ in their reactions to the suicide and the type of supports required. Adolescent suicide-specific literature is limited. Aims We sought to explore clinician reactions and perceptions of support following child and adolescent
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Impact of menopausal symptoms on presenteeism in Japanese women Occup. Med. (IF 5.1) Pub Date : 2023-07-26 T Ishimaru, M Okawara, S Tateishi, T Yasui, S Horie, Y Fujino
Background Menopausal symptoms are common among middle-aged women. Working women with severe menopausal symptoms are more likely to experience presenteeism—a condition where employees continue to work despite feeling unwell. However, it remains unclear as to which specific symptoms women experience during the menopausal transition and postmenopausal periods that primarily contribute to presenteeism
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Cancer risk in information technology workers: a UK Biobank study Occup. Med. (IF 5.1) Pub Date : 2023-07-21 D Lalloo, J Lewsey, S V Katikireddi, E B Macdonald, E Demou
Background The information technology (IT) workforce has been growing more rapidly than others, with occupational health (OH) risks of sedentary behaviour, physical inactivity and poor diet, yet studies of their non-communicable disease risk, notably cancer, are lacking. Aims To investigate cancer risk in IT workers compared to others in employment and the nine major Standard Occupational Classification
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Association between lifestyle habits and presenteeism Occup. Med. (IF 5.1) Pub Date : 2023-07-20 N P Adi, T Nagata, K Odagami, M Nagata, S Kajiki, M Kuroishi, K Mori
Background Presenteeism is affected by work-related and individual factors. Among individual factors, the effect of combining various lifestyle habits on presenteeism is unknown. Aims This study aimed to determine the relationship between changes in multiple good lifestyle habits with a change in presenteeism and to examine the effect of psychological factors on this relationship. Methods We performed
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Return-to-work following shoulder arthroplasty in adults with osteoarthritis Occup. Med. (IF 5.1) Pub Date : 2023-07-20 T I M Kuijpers, R J M Vossen, P P F M Kuijer, T D Alta, I N Sierevelt, A Van Noort
Background Anatomic total shoulder arthroplasty (aTSA) and hemiarthroplasty (HA) have demonstrated significant improvement in shoulder function and pain relief. Work-related outcomes have become increasingly important, while the current literature lacks evidence related to return-to-work (RTW) and which factors might have an influence on it. Aims This study aimed to assess RTW in patients who have