Mesleki ve Çevresel Hastalıklar

Chlordecone is an organochlorine pesticide that has been used in banana plantations on the French Caribbean islands to combat the banana weevil, a pest that ravaged crops. While chlordecone poses major risks to human health, many countries, including the United

Persson ML, Willert MV, Kyndi M, et al Work participation and disability pension after work-related PTSD: trajectories and impact of occupation. Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2025;82:589-596. This article was previously published with an error. The percentage of patients with a

Formaldehyde is a known respiratory and skin sensitiser and carcinogen. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) first classified formaldehyde as a Group 1 carcinogen more than two decades ago in 2004 and reaffirmed its classification in 2009.1 2

Silva-Peñaherrera M, Benavides FG. Excess potential years of working life lost in six countries from Latin America and Europe in 2020 and 2021. Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2024;81:532-534. This article was previously published with an error. The authors inadvertently omitted

Objectives Silicosis is one of the most common forms of pneumoconiosis worldwide. In Rwanda, there is a lack of data on the silicosis burden and occupational risk among underground miners. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study among all miners from

Objectives To support occupational physicians (OPs) in the execution of preventive tasks, a peer coaching intervention was developed and implemented in existing peer groups. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of the intervention on OPs’ execution

Mediation analyses encompass a variety of approaches with the goal of understanding pathways through which exposures impact outcomes via an intermediary variable(s).1 2 While approaches to assess mediation have existed for more than a century,3 potential outcomes (PO) (or counterfactual)

The healthy worker survivor effect (HWSE) arises in occupational epidemiology when less healthy workers leave work, resulting in a survivor population of healthier, more heavily exposed workers. Ignoring this selection process can lead to underestimation of lifetime risk in cohort

Objectives Teachers’ mental health, an important asset for society, may be impacted by security or health crises alongside more structural changes. Our primary aim was to assess 2012–2022 trends in depressive symptoms among French teachers compared to similar employees. We

Objectives The purpose of the current study was to evaluate differences in total sleep time and heart rate variability (HRV) in active-duty firefighters between on-shift and off-shift days. Methods 59 structural firefighters (age: 37.3±7.3 years; height: 1.80±0.08 m; weight: 88.9±14.1

Objectives Night work disrupts sleep, which may increase inflammatory processes, pain sensitivity and pain perception. We investigated effects of night shifts on musculoskeletal pain (MSP) and other mental and somatic symptoms using day-to-day measurements in a within-person design. We also

Exposure mixtures are sets of exposures that co-occur in place and time. Traditionally, epidemiologists have focused work within mixtures on isolating the effects of single exposures by statistical adjustment for other elements of the mixture as confounders. Increasingly, however, mixture

Economic downturns are, unfortunately, a recurring feature of public life. Whether driven by inflationary shocks, fiscal consolidation, political ideology or post-crisis recalibration, austerity resurfaces with dependable regularity. It comes wearing different masks—‘efficiency savings’, ‘streamlining’ and ‘value for money’—but its underlying

This May, the World Health Assembly (WHA) will vote on re-establishing a mandate for the WHO to address the health consequences of nuclear weapons and war.1 Health professionals and their associations should urge their governments to support such a mandate

Objectives To investigate the effects of overwork on brain structure to better understand its impact on workers’ cognitive and emotional health. The goal was to provide evidence for the potential neurological risks associated with prolonged working hours. Methods A total

Objectives The objective was to investigate if high physical workload during pregnancy is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. Methods The register-based cohort, DOC*X-Generation included employed pregnant women in Denmark (1977–2018). A summary score of physical workloads, based on a job

Objectives A decreased ability to repair oxidative DNA damage, due to melatonin suppression, is a compelling mechanism by which night shift workers are at an increased risk of cancer. We sought to determine if melatonin supplementation would improve oxidative DNA

Objectives To investigate the effect of precarious employment (PE) on the risk of diagnosed chronic musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) among Swedish workers in occupations with strenuous working conditions. Methods This nationwide register-based cohort study included workers registered as living in Sweden

2023 was the hottest year on record; 2024 is set to be even hotter. The rise in climate change-driven occupational heat stress is putting the health and livelihoods of workers at grave risk.1 2 The number of workers suffering the

Coal miners are occupationally exposed to coal mine dust, which can cause a spectrum of diseases called coal mine dust lung disease; these include coal workers pneumoconiosis (CWP, also known as ‘black lung’), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), silicosis and

Reuben A, Ward R, Rothbaum AO, et al. Who tests for lead and why? A 10-year analysis of blood lead screening, follow-up and CNS outcomes in a statewide US healthcare system. Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2024;81:101-108. This article was previously

Objectives To examine the association between precarious employment and risk of occupational injury or illness in Ontario, Canada. Methods We combined accepted lost-time compensation claims from the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board with labour force statistics to estimate injury and

From 1 July 2024, Australia has banned the use, supply and manufacture of engineered stone, also known as artificial stone, which is made from crystalline silica-containing aggregates bonded with a polymer resin. Engineered stone is defined as an artificial product

The paper by Iversen and colleagues1 in this issue of Occupational and Environmental Medicine provides interesting insights into the potential contribution of inhaled respirable crystalline silica (RCS) in the development of idiopathic interstitial lung disorders and sarcoidosis. It also interestingly

Objectives To inform the potential human carcinogenicity of acrylonitrile, we estimate associations between acrylonitrile exposures and lung cancer mortality in US workers with the objectives of (1) assessing potential for healthy worker survivor bias and (2) adjusting for this bias

Begtrup LM, Sejbaek CS, Flachs EM, et al. Night work during pregnancy and small for gestational age: a Danish nationwide register-based cohort study. Occup Environ Med 2023;80:610-616. This article was previously published with an error. Duplicate sentences in the Introduction

Objectives This study aims to determine how workplace experiences of National Health Service (NHS) staff varied by ethnicity during the COVID-19 pandemic and how these experiences are associated with mental and physical health at the time of the study. Methods

Military personnel can be exposed to a variety of occupational and environmental pollutants that places their health at risk. In a recent publication in Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Garshick and colleagues characterised the inhalational exposures during deployment of US military

In this issue of OEM, Johnson et al1 report on occupational risks to menstrual health. This is an original study of data collected during the 1990s comparing work demands and menstrual cycle irregularity of flight attendants and teachers from three

Over 200 health journals call on the United Nations (UN), political leaders and health professionals to recognise that climate change and biodiversity loss are one indivisible crisis and must be tackled together to preserve health and avoid catastrophe. This overall

Macpherson RA, Koehoorn M, Neis B, et al. Do differences in work disability duration by interjurisdictional claim status vary by industry and jurisdictional context? Occup Environ Med 2021;78:583-592. doi: 10.1136/oemed-2020-106917. This article was previously published with an error. The authors

Objectives To establish whether prevalence and severity of long-COVID symptoms vary by industry and occupation. Methods We used Office for National Statistics COVID-19 Infection Survey (CIS) data (February 2021–April 2022) of working-age participants (16–65 years). Exposures were industry, occupation and

The 2023 International Epidemiology in Occupational Health (EPICOH) meeting in Mumbai, India focused on the theme: ‘Occupational Health Epidemiology: Need for Concerted Action’. I had the honor of being invited to deliver the Lifetime Achievement Oration. I prepared for this

Background Pneumoconiosis among coal miners in the USA has been resurgent over the past two decades, despite modern dust controls and regulatory standards. Previously published studies have suggested that respirable crystalline silica (RCS) is a contributor to this disease resurgence.

Objectives This study investigated occupational risk factors and exposure–response relationships for airway disease among health workers (HWs) exposed to cleaning agents in two tertiary hospitals in South Africa and Tanzania. Methods In this cross-sectional study, 697 participants completed questionnaire interviews

Reynolds CJ, Sisodia R, Barber C, et al. What role for asbestos in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis? Findings from the IPF job exposures case–control study. Occup Environ Med 2023;80:97–103. doi: 10.1136/oemed-2022-108404. Acknowledgments have been updated in the online HTML and PDF.

Keratinocyte carcinoma (KC) comprises basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and are the most common forms of non-melanoma skin cancer are the most frequently diagnosed cancers among people with fair skin in Europe.1 2 People with

Do employees with a precarious attachment to the employer have higher risk of occupational injuries (OIs) than non-precarious workers? Kreshpaj et al1 have cleverly analysed Swedish OI registry data and show that the risk of OIs varies between different employment

The Monographs programme of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has, for more than 50 years, convened expert Working Groups to evaluate evidence regarding preventable causes of human cancer. Working Groups have evaluated more than a thousand agents,

Objectives Studies have demonstrated an association between doctors’ perceived working conditions, and their psychological well-being and patient care. However, few have examined inter-relationships among these three domains, and even fewer using longitudinal designs. Using meta-analytical structural equation modelling, we tested

Objectives To examine the association of shift work with and without night work with breast cancer among women in the public sector. Methods Using the Finnish Public Sector cohort study (N=33 359, mean age of 40.6 years at baseline), we

Wealthy nations must step up support for Africa and vulnerable countries in addressing past, present and future impacts of climate change The 2022 report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change paints a dark picture of the future of life

In this issue of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Yu et al1 present findings from a study of 199 miners with progressive massive fibrosis (PMF). Patients at high or intermediate probability of having pulmonary hypertension (PH, n=79) were defined, for the

Background Occupational hand eczema (OHE) is common in hairdressers, and many leave the trade because of the disease. However, the exact impact of OHE on career length is unknown. Objective To assess the effect of OHE on career length and

Hidajat M, McElvenny DM, Ritchie P, et al. Lifetime exposure to rubber dusts, fumes and N-nitrosamines and cancer mortality in a cohort of British rubber workers with 49 years follow-up. Occup Environ Med 2020;77:316–23. In the Discussion section on p.

Hoff A, Poulsen RM, Fisker J, et al. Integrating vocational rehabilitation and mental healthcare to improve the return-to-work process for people on sick leave with depression or anxiety: results from a three-arm, parallel randomised trial. Occup Environ Med 2022;79:134–42. The

Objectives To estimate occupational differences in COVID-19 mortality and test whether these are confounded by factors such as regional differences, ethnicity and education or due to non-workplace factors, such as deprivation or prepandemic health. Methods Using a cohort study of

Objective To explore whether the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted productivity of female academics in the field of occupational and environmental health, by examining trends in male and female authorship of submissions during and prior to the COVID-19 pandemic in Occupational

Objectives Firefighter health has received a great deal of increased attention over the past decade, but most work has been specific to men in the fire service due to small numbers of women, likely due to challenges with recruitment and

Objectives Mental health problems (MHPs) during childhood and adolescence are negatively associated with having a paid job in young adulthood. Yet, little is known about how young adults function at work, that is, do they experience difficulties in meeting their

Researchers, policy-makers, health professionals and the general population acknowledge the health benefits of regular physical activity.1 While adults predominantly are physically active as part of their job (ie, occupational physical activity), the evidence on physical activity and health is mainly

Carreón T, Hein MJ, Hanley KW, et al. Bladder cancer incidence among workers exposed to o-toluidine, aniline and nitrobenzene at a rubber chemical manufacturing plant. Occup Environ Med 2014;71:175–182. doi:10.1136/oemed-2013-101873 The authors have noted an error in table 2. The

Surveillance data are essential to identify and target prevention for all public health activity, including occupational safety and health. Accurate and timely surveillance data are needed to identify new hazards, monitor prevention activity, plan interventions and to evaluate the efficacy

Objectives Chronic kidney disease of undetermined or non-traditional aetiology (CKDu or CKDnT) has been reported in Mesoamerica among farmers under heat stress. Epidemiological evidence was lacking in Asian countries with similar climatic conditions. The objective of this study was to

Wealthy nations must do much more, much faster. The United Nations General Assembly in September 2021 will bring countries together at a critical time for marshalling collective action to tackle the global environmental crisis. They will meet again at the

The September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in New York City, at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, and at the crash site near Shanksville, Pennsylvania caused over 3000 deaths in the immediate aftermath, and adversely affected the health of hundreds of

Introduction The purpose of meta-analyses that generate pooled risk estimates is generally to inform causal inference, compiling evidence to address an aetiological question. Logically, drawing on information from all relevant studies is likely to be superior to relying on any

Objectives Healthcare workers (HCWs) are at high risk of developing SARS-CoV-2 infection. The aim of this single-centre prospective study was to evaluate the trend of SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in HCWs working at the primary referral centre for infectious diseases and bioemergencies

Objectives Studies concerning the association between shift work and drinking problems showed inconsistent results. We used data from a large occupational cohort to examine the association between shift work and different types of drinking behaviour. Methods A total of 93

Objectives We examined employment in mining occupations and industries and its association with neurological disease incidence in a linkage cohort from Ontario, Canada. Outcomes included Alzheimer’s disease (alone and with other dementias), Parkinson’s disease, parkinsonism, motor neuron disease and amyotrophic

During the current COVID-19 pandemic ‘essential’ workers have been praised daily by the mass media (and even applauded from balconies) as (involuntary) ‘heroes’ of our society. But who are they? The International Labour Organization has estimated that globally, there are

Objective The aim of this review was to systematically identify, appraise and synthesise evidence on work-related outcomes experienced by younger to middle-aged adults (aged 16–50 years) with arthritis. Methods Eligible studies were identified in Medline, PsycINFO, Embase and CINAHL in

Abramson MJ, Gwini SM, de Klerk NH, et al. Predictive value of non-specific bronchial challenge testing for respiratory symptoms and lung function in aluminium smelter workers Occup Environ Med 2020;77:535–9. In this article, there is an error in the descriptive

Objectives To provide systematically evaluated evidence of prospective associations between exposure to physical, psychological and gender-based violence and health among healthcare, social care and education workers. Methods The guidelines on Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses were followed.

Introduction The ‘changing nature of work’ has received increasing levels of attention within lay and research communities. In addition to the technologies of work, scrutiny has been focused on major shifts in the relationship between workers and their ‘employer’—namely the

Objective To evaluate what is currently known about the risk to surgeons and other operating theatre (OT) staff of human papillomavirus (HPV) transmission and HPV-related disease following surgical smoke exposure. Methods A systematic literature search of Embase and Ovid-MEDLINE was

Police face an increased risk of developing mental health problems, yet reliable estimates of their psychological difficulties remain unknown. This systematic review and meta-analysis estimate the pooled prevalence and risk factors for mental health problems among police personnel worldwide. Three

Objective Declining participation has been observed in previous epidemiological studies, could occupational risk factor epidemiology be particularly vulnerable to this trend? The objective of this study was to assess trends of participation rates in occupational case-control studies. Methods Five prominent

Taking on the job of Editor in Chief of Occupational and Environmental Medicine is a challenge, especially during a pandemic with enormous societal as well as environmental and occupational consequences. While we cannot fully anticipate the extent of these consequences,

Now that many countries are implementing ‘exit strategies’ from the containment measures, the health impact related to COVID-19, stress and isolation will become clear. However, there is a second wave of potential health consequences threatening us. According to economists, a

After seven busy and very enjoyable, although sometimes challenging, years as editor-in-chief (EIC) of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (OEM), it is time for me to move on and allow someone new to take over the leadership of the journal. The

The UNAIDS 90-90-90 targets, defined as 90% of people living with HIV aware of their status, among which 90% are on antiretroviral treatment (ART) and among which 90% have HIV viral suppression, have galvanised efforts worldwide to reduce HIV transmission

Since the first cluster of cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection was reported in Wuhan, China at the end of December 2019, reporting of cases has spread widely over the past 3 months to become a pandemic of crisis

Objectives This study examined predictors of lung cancer mortality, beyond age and smoking, among construction workers employed at US Department of Energy (DOE) sites to better define eligibility for low-dose CT (LDCT) lung cancer screening. Methods Predictive models were based

When the global burden of disease (GBD) methodology was introduced some 30 years ago, it represented a significant step toward providing systematic, comparable disease surveillance data on a worldwide scale. Since that time, the GBD approach has led to valuable

Objectives Occupational exposures to metal fumes have been associated with increased pneumonia risk, but the risk of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) has not been characterised previously. Methods We studied 4438 cases aged 20–65 from a Swedish registry of invasive infection

Objectives Previous analyses of cataract in radiation-exposed populations have assessed relative risk; radiogenic excess additive risk (EAR), arguably of more public health importance, has not been estimated. Previous analysis of a large prospective cohort of US radiologic technologists (USRT) quantified

Most readers of this journal would recognise that occupational health (OH) research is valuable. The Society of Occupational Medicine (SOM), a UK-based organisation for healthcare professionals working in or with an interest in OH, recently released a report where the

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Surveillance of Work-related and Occupational Respiratory Disease (SWORD) programme, the voluntary scheme for surveillance originally established at the National Heart and Lung Institute in London in January 1989. The SWORD surveillance programme

In 2008, Professor Dame Carol Black1 published her groundbreaking report, Working for a Healthier Tomorrow (the Black Report), which contained 10 key recommendations to bring about positive change in the health of the working-age population in the UK (box 1).

It is disconcerting that while physical assault is perceived as a major consequence of work-related violence, non-physical violence—which includes threats, sexual harassment, verbal abuse and bullying—may result in even greater burdens for the victims.1–4 In particular, verbal abuse involving another

Objectives Uranium miners in Příbram, Czech Republic were exposed to low and moderate levels of radon gas and other hazards. It is unknown whether these hazards increase the risk of mortality or cancer incidence when compared with the general Czech

Objectives Lead is a suspected carcinogen that has been inconsistently associated with kidney cancer. To clarify this relationship, we conducted an analysis of occupational lead exposure within a population-based study of kidney cancer using detailed exposure assessment methods. Methods Study

There is considerable controversy about the causes of the epidemics of chronic kidney disease of undetermined causes (CKDu), affecting agricultural communities in Central America, South Asia and possibly other parts of the world. In this Editorial, we argue that currently

It is worthwhile to consider the review by Dupont et al1 in the historical context of work design and occupational medicine. In the mid-20th century, the focus of work physical demand research was on occupations with high intensity physical work

Links between exposure to transportation noise and cardiovascular health have been intensively studied during the past decade, and in Europe transportation noise has been listed as a major environmental health burden second only to air pollution.1 The increasing number of

Lung cancer is responsible for nearly one in five of all cancer deaths in the world and is the leading occupationally related cancer type.1 Tobacco smoke exposure contributes the most significant risk although in developed countries, occupational exposures are estimated to

Objectives Established prostate cancer (PCa) risk factors include age, family history of PCa and African ancestry. Studies, mostly among highly screened, predominantly European ancestral populations, suggest that employment in certain occupations (eg, farming, military) may also have an increased risk

Chen et al1 illuminate the increasing risk of workplace violence to women in the education sector through analysis of lost time claims and emergency department visits in Ontario, Canada. The authors compare workplace violence lost-time injury workers’ compensation claims as

This issue of Occupational and Environmental Medicine includes the description of a novel job-exposure matrix (JEM) designed to characterise job-specific differences in lifestyle risk factors developed by Bondo Petersen et al,1 with the aim to provide lifestyle adjustment in aetiological analyses

From the early years following its inception in 1886, South African gold mining was characterised by racial stratification and circular migrant labour from neighbouring colonies (later states), systems which underlay the labour and health profile of the industry for the

The International Commission on Occupational Health (ICOH) calls for a concerted global effort to promote occupational safety and health strategies to prevent tuberculosis (TB) in high-risk occupations, including silica dust exposed workers in mining, construction and other industries. The highest

Objective We investigated trends and determinants of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) in deceased South African miners. Methods Statutory autopsies are performed on miners for occupational lung disease compensation, irrespective of cause of death. Data were extracted from the PATHAUT (Pathology Automation

Objectives Farmers are considered at lower risk of lung cancer. However, specific tasks can expose them to hazardous air contaminants such as pesticides, diesel exhaust and mineral dust. This study aimed to assess the associations between various crops and related

Objectives To examine the impact of recurrent, as compared with single, reports of back pain on exit from paid employment over decades of follow-up. Methods The study sample was from the British Whitehall II Study cohort (n=8665, 69% men, aged

Objectives Diacetyl, a butter flavour compound used in food and flavouring production, is a respiratory toxin. We characterised the burden of respiratory abnormalities in workers at popcorn and flavouring manufacturing facilities that used diacetyl as evaluated through US National Institute

Universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy services by 2030 is a target under the Sustainable Development Goals. Lack of access to modern energy is responsible for a high burden of respiratory and cardiovascular ill health, a burden falling

Objective Office environments have been causally linked to workplace-related illnesses and stress, yet little is known about how office workstation type is linked to objective metrics of physical activity and stress. We aimed to explore these associations among office workers

Background Benzene, toluene and xylene (BTX) are aromatic hydrocarbons with inconclusive evidence of lung carcinogenicity. The aim of this research was to assess the associations between occupational exposures to BTX agents and lung cancer. Methods In a population-based case-control study

Background There is moderate quality evidence that integrating work-directed interventions and components from psychological therapies reduces sickness absence in the medium term. We aimed to extend this evidence by examining objectively ascertained income and work participation status up to 4