Preprint Feed – Occupational and Environmental Health

medrxiv Subject Collection: Occupational And Environmental Health This feed contains articles for medRxiv Subject Collection "Occupational And Environmental Health"

• Using low-cost sensors and GPS to assess spatiotemporal variations in personal exposure to PM2.5 in the Washington State Twin Registry

  by Liu, N., Avery, A., Austin, E., Meschke, J. S., Beck, N. K., Carvlin, G., Liu, Y., Moudon, A. V., Novosselov, I., Shirai, J. H., Duncan, G. E., Seto, E. on June 9, 2025 at 12:00 am

  Epidemiological studies typically rely on exposure assessments based on ambient PM2.5 concentrations at participants’ home addresses. However, these approaches neglect personal exposures indoors and across different non-residential microenvironments. To address this problem, our study combined low-cost sensors and GPS to conduct two-week personal PM2.5 monitoring in 168 adults recruited from the Washington State […]

• Occupational Health and Safety among Healthcare Professionals at the Ashanti Regional Hospital, Ghana

  by Opoku, F. J., Boakye-Yiadom, J., Oppong, F., Agyekum, T. P., Dassah, E. on June 6, 2025 at 12:00 am

  BackgroundIn Ghana, occupational health and safety (OHS) is vital in protecting healthcare professionals from workplace hazards such as infectious diseases, physical injuries, and psychological stress. These risks can negatively affect staff well-being and productivity. Strengthening OHS practices is essential not only for creating safer work environments but also for improving the quality of healthcare delivery. […]

• International Migrant Workers, Heat Exposure, and Climate Change: A Systematic Review of Health Risks and Protective Interventions

  by van der Horst, L., Bouaddi, O., Williams, S., Jago, M., Lau, K., Hargreaves, S., Furber, B., Zafirah Zaini, A., El Ghitany, I., Loganathan, T., Flouris, A., Testa, D., Zimmerman, C. on June 4, 2025 at 12:00 am

  BackgroundInternational migrant workers, representing 170 million people globally, often face hazardous working conditions, including extreme heat exposure. This increases their risk of occupational heat strain, exacerbated by poor working conditions. This systematic review aims to identify the health risks of occupational heat exposure among international migrant workers globally, and document existing protective […]

• Respiratory Exacerbations Increase with Chronic PM2.5 Exposure in Current and Former Smokers

  by Crooks, J. L., Wang, Z., Karimzadeh, M., Lynch, D., Bhatt, S., DeMeo, D., Hersh, C., Baraghoshi, D., Regan, E. on May 29, 2025 at 12:00 am

  RationaleShort term exposure to fine particulates (PM2.5) increases the risk of respiratory exacerbations, but the effects frequently resolve. The contribution of chronic, long-term exposure, to respiratory exacerbations is poorly defined. ObjectivesTo assess the long-term effects of PM2.5 on the risk of severe exacerbations in current and former smokers. MethodsA longitudinal cohort of current and former […]

• Adjusting for the reduced sensitivity of CXR in the dose-response relationship between cumulative silica exposure and silicosis in miners

  by Howlett, P., Durairaj, A., Gan, J., Lesosky, M., Feary, J. on May 29, 2025 at 12:00 am

  IntroductionA recent meta-analysis confirmed that Chest Xray (CXR) has low sensitivity for the diagnosis of silicosis however the impact of this is unclear. We therefore re- estimated a previously published dose-response relationship between cumulative respirable crystalline silica (RCS) exposure and silicosis risk, under the assumptions that sensitivity was either fixed or relative to the population proportion of […]

• Health Implications of Head Portering in Female Head Porters: A Scoping Review Protocol

  by Segbedzie, V., Richter, S., Petrucka, P. on May 28, 2025 at 12:00 am

  ObjectiveThis scoping review protocol outlines the steps to conduct a scoping review to assess the health experiences of female head porters and their unique health challenges and needs. The review aims to broaden our understanding of the occupational health challenges facing head porters in sub-Saharan Africa and identify any gaps in the health literature related to this population. IntroductionHead portering is […]

• The diagnostic accuracy of chest Xray screening for silicosis: A systematic review, meta-analysis and modelling study

  by Howlett, P., Durairaj, A., Lesosky, M., Feary, J. on May 28, 2025 at 12:00 am

  ObjectivesChest Xray (CXR) is widely used for silicosis diagnosis, despite concerns regarding sensitivity. We investigated the diagnostic accuracy of CXR for silicosis screening compared to computed tomography (CT), high-resolution CT (HRCT) and autopsy, and modelled the relationship between CXR sensitivity and disease severity. MethodsMedline, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were searched on 2nd […]

• Just part of the job: understanding work-related injuries and safety culture in companion animal veterinary practices.

  by Tulloch, J. S. P., Schofield, I., Jackson, R., Whiting, M. on May 28, 2025 at 12:00 am

  Structured SummaryO_ST_ABSObjectivesC_ST_ABSTo examine the prevalence and types of work-related injuries in companion animal practices, explore the context of their occurrence, and the behaviours of injured persons. MethodsA mixed-methods analysis of a cross-sectional online survey of UK employees of a consolidated group of veterinary practices. ResultsOf 647 respondents, 77.6% experienced a work-related injury […]

• Neurodevelopment in children born to women exposed to pesticides during pregnancy

  by Mwakalasya, W. N., Mamuya, S. H., Manji, K., Moen, B. E., Ngowi, A. V. on May 27, 2025 at 12:00 am

  With the global rise in pesticide use, particularly in Africa, pregnant women working in horticulture face a significant risk of pesticide exposure, which may adversely affect fetal neurodevelopment. This study aims to investigate the relationship between self-reported maternal pesticide exposure during pregnancy and neurodevelopmental outcomes in their children, aged 4 to 6 years. A cross-sectional design was […]

• Visual Accessibility through Open Shelving: Impacts on Cognitive Load, Motivation, Physical Activity, and User Perception in Older Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment

  by Bilau, I., Koo, B., Fu, E., Chau, W., Kwon, H., Yang, E. on May 25, 2025 at 12:00 am

  Older adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) often experience difficulty locating items in kitchen cabinets, limiting their experiences in the kitchen and with meal preparation. This study examined how open shelving kitchen cabinets, relative to closed cabinets, affects cognitive load, motivation, physical activity, and user perception among older adults with MCI. Eleven older adults completed meal […]

• Mental Health Trajectories of Occupational Physicians in the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Reciprocal Path Model of Burnout, Depression, and Anxiety

  by Silva-Junior, J. S., Silveira, P. S. P., Ogata, A. J. N., Demarch, R. B., Siqueira, J. O. on May 22, 2025 at 12:00 am

  ObjectiveTo propose and test psychometric models establishing direct, cross-lagged, and reciprocal longitudinal relationships between burnout, depression, and anxiety among occupational physicians during the COVID-19 pandemic. MethodsThis one-year prospective cohort study used repeated online questionnaires at three time points (2020-2022). A convenience sample of occupational physicians was recruited through […]

• High ambient temperature during pregnancy and offspring cerebral palsy: A population-based study in California

  by Zhuo, H., Warren, J. L., Bellia, G., Wang, P., Chen, K., Liew, Z., Rogne, T. on May 21, 2025 at 12:00 am

  BackgroundCurrent evidence on prenatal exposure to heat stress and childhood neurodevelopment is sparse. Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common neuromotor disorder in childhood and there are growing concerns that environmental factors may play an etiological role. Our aim was to investigate whether prenatal exposure to high ambient temperature was associated with CP risk in the offspring. MethodsWe conducted a […]

• The Midnight Gap: Nighttime is associated with detrimental outcome in out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in Poland.

  by Zadlo, A., Bednarek Chaluda, M., Karpinska, I. A., Cebula, G., Tokarek, T. on May 11, 2025 at 12:00 am

  ObjectiveOut-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) has low survival rates with worse outcomes at night due to delayed emergency medical services (EMS) response, resource limitations, and workforce fatigue. Timely resuscitation is crucial, but logistical challenges exacerbate disparities. Since randomized trials are unfeasible, all-comers registries provide essential data to bridge evidence gaps and improve EMS […]

• Long COVID and Work in the UK: Challenges, Support and Perspectives

  by Wei, H., Daniels, S., Wiggans, R., Coleman, A., Bramwell, D., McElvenny, D., Forde, D., van Tongeren, M. on May 8, 2025 at 12:00 am

  AimLong COVID (LC) presents significant challenges for working age individuals, leading to major inequalities in access to work, employment and relevant support. This study investigates the workplace support provided to people with Long COVID (PwLC) in the UK, focusing on their return- to-work (RTW) experiences. It encompasses perspectives from both PwLC and managers of PwLC. MethodsSemi-structured interviews […]

• Impact of Manganese on Neuronal Function: An Exploratory MultiOmic Study on Ferroalloy Workers in Brescia, Italy

  by Azmoun, S., Lewis, F., Shoieb, D., Jin, Y., Colicino, E., Winters, I., Gu, H., Krishnamurthy, H., Richardson, J., Placidi, D., Lambertini, L., Lucchini, R. on May 6, 2025 at 12:00 am

  Interest is growing in the potential role of manganese (Mn) in Alzheimers Disease (ADRD). This nested pilot study of a ferroalloy workers cohort was aimed to investigate the effects of long-term occupational Mn exposure on cognitive function through {beta}-amyloid (A{beta}) modification and brain deposition, as well as metabolomic, lipidomic and proteomic profiling. We examined 6 male exposed workers (median age […]

• Healthcare associated infection risk analysis at the obstetrics and gynecology department of a referral hospital in Cameroon

  by Cheuyem, F. Z. L., Lyonga, E. E., Takougang, I. on May 5, 2025 at 12:00 am

  BackgroundHealthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are a major problem in healthcare facilities. In Cameroon, maternal and neonatal mortality remain a concern. The underlying determinants include shortcomings in the quality of care, inadequate infrastructure and inconsistent application of infection control and prevention (ICP) measures. The objective of this study was to identify risks that increase the likelihood […]

• Cause-specific mortality among banana plantation workers in the French West Indies

  by Luce, D., Gambaretti, J., Michineau, L., Multigner, L., Barul, C. on May 2, 2025 at 12:00 am

  ObjectiveTo describe cause-specific mortality patterns of banana plantation workers in the French West Indies. MethodsThe study included 11221 farmers and farm workers who had work in banana cultivation in the French West indies (Guadeloupe or Martinique) between 1973 and 1993, followed up from January 1981 to December 2017. We calculated standardized mortality ratios (SMRs), causal mortality ratios (CMRs) and […]

• Return to Work with Long COVID: A Rapid Review of Support and Challenges

  by Daniels, S., Wei, H., McElvenny, D. M., van Tongeren, M., Bramwell, D., Coleman, A., Forde, D., Wiggans, R. on April 29, 2025 at 12:00 am

  ObjectiveTo explore existing evidence for the provision of support for return to work (RTW) in long COVID (LC) patients, and the barriers and facilitators to taking up this support. MethodsA rapid review was reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) approach. Searches were completed in June 2024 and included MEDLINE, Embase, American Psychological […]

• Occupational falls by site of occurrence within the workplace in Japan

  by Watanabe, K., Hirohashi, S., Yoshimi, T., Zaitsu, M. on April 28, 2025 at 12:00 am

  BackgroundLittle is known about the distribution of specific sites where occupational falls frequently occur within the workplace. This study aimed to examine the distribution of occupational falls by sites of occurrence in Japan. MethodsNational data of occupational falls resulting in absences of four or more days in 2023 were extracted from a website managed by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan. […]

• Study protocol for evaluating EEG-based predictive model for drowsiness measurement to reduce accident risk in active individuals

  by Boitard, C., Sadatnejad, K., Berthomier, C., Coehlo, J., Lenoir, J., Sagaspe, P., Mattei, J., Berthomier, P., Brandewinder, M., Philip, P., Micoulaud Franchi, J.-A., Taillard, J. on April 28, 2025 at 12:00 am

  Voluntary behaviors and socio-economic factors, such as social jetlag and shift work, can lead to insufficient or disrupted sleep, resulting in drowsiness in active individuals. In occupational and driving contexts, drowsiness poses a serious safety risk by impairing alertness, slowing reaction times, and increasing the likelihood of accidents. Developing predictive, automatic and easy to implement tools for […]

• Standard precautions perception and practice among health workers in the obstetrics-gynecology department of a referral hospital in Cameroon

  by Cheuyem, F. Z. L. on April 22, 2025 at 12:00 am

  BackgroundStandard precautions are infection control and prevention (ICP) measures designed to reduce the risk of transmission of infectious agents in healthcare settings. In Cameroon, maternal and neonatal mortality remain a concern. Unsystematic compliance with these measures increases the risk of HAIs and other medical hazards. The present investigation aimed at assessing the baseline understanding of hand […]

• Investigating biomarkers of exposure to jet aircraft oil fumes using mass spectrometry

  by Furlong, C. E., Richter, R., Marsillach, J., Zelter, A., McDonald, M., Rettie, A., Lockridge, O., Lundeen, R., Whittington, D. on April 19, 2025 at 12:00 am

  Most commercial passenger jet aircraft use very hot compressed engine air, after cooling as a source for ventilation and cabin pressurization onboard. This design means that engine oil and/or hydraulic fluid can contaminate the ventilation supply air during otherwise normal flights, exposing onboard crewmembers and passengers to the fumes. The oils and hydraulic fluids contain a complex mixture of triaryl […]

• Enhancing Bayesian Kernel Machine Regression: A Dynamic Thresholding Framework to Address Variability and Skewness in High-Dimensional Environmental Health Data

  by Hasan, K. T., Odom, G., Bursac, Z., Lucchini, R., Ibrahimou, B. on April 16, 2025 at 12:00 am

  Bayesian Kernel Machine Regression (BKMR) is widely used in environmental health research to model complex, nonlinear, and interactive relationships in high-dimensional datasets. However, using a fixed posterior inclusion probability (PIP) threshold can lead to inconsistent test size control, influenced by the coefficient of variation (CV) and sample size. This study introduces a dynamic thresholding approach that […]

• Dried blood spots analysis for targeted and non-targeted exposomics

  by Verri Hernandes, V., Zeyda, M., Wisgrill, L., Warth, B. on April 16, 2025 at 12:00 am

  Dried blood spots (DBS) are an established sample type, widely used in newborn screening programs for monitoring metabolic diseases. Their minimally invasive nature offers great promise for assessing chemical exposures, particularly during early life stages and in large-scale epidemiological studies. However, comprehensive evaluations of key analytical parameters such as extraction efficiency and matrix effects […]

• Association of Long-Term Outdoor Air Pollution Exposure with Incidence of Parkinson’s Disease, Multiple Sclerosis and Motor Neuron Diseases: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

  by Tien-Smith, A. Z., Absar, S., Best Rogowski, C., Phillips, V., Andersen, Z. J., Bredell, C., Fung, K. W., Hong, L., Szybka, M., Woodcock, J., Brayne, C., Khreis, H., Navaratnam, A. M. D. on April 16, 2025 at 12:00 am

  BackgroundParkinsons disease (PD), multiple sclerosis (MS) and motor neurone disease (MND) are progressive and debilitating diseases that are increasing in prevalence globally. Some primary studies show an increased risk from long-term outdoor air pollution exposure, while others contradict this association. MethodsAs per Khreis et al.1 protocol, a systematic review and meta-analysis was undertaken to assess the […]

• Evaluation of two easy-to-implement digital breathing interventions in the context of daily stress levels in a series of N-of-1 trials: results from the Anti-Stress Intervention Among Physicians (ASIP) Study

  by Vetter, V. M., Kurth, T., Konigorski, S. on April 11, 2025 at 12:00 am

  Physicians face intense work-related stress, which can harm their health, increase the risk of medical errors, lower healthcare quality, and increase costs within the healthcare system. In this 4-week intervention study, individual-level and population-level effects of two short and easy-to-perform breathing exercises designed to reduce stress are evaluated among 76 physicians in residency in Germany in a series […]

• Short-term ambient heat exposure and low APGAR score in newborns: A time-stratified case-crossover analysis in Sao Paulo state, Brazil (2013-2019)

  by Del Carretto, M. M., Godin, A., Neves, D., Paixao, E. S., Wan, K., Pescarini, J., Ferreira, A., Cortes, T. R., Smeeth, L., Barreto, M. L., Brickley, E. B., Part, C. on April 10, 2025 at 12:00 am

  Exposure to high ambient temperatures near the time of delivery has been associated with adverse birth outcomes, but studies examining the impact on immediate newborn health remain limited. We used a time-stratified case-crossover design combined with a distributed lag nonlinear model to evaluate the short-term effects of ambient heat (0-1 day lag) on low 5-minute APGAR score ([≤]7; sub-categories: 6-7, 3-5, […]

• Epigenome-wide association study of household air pollution exposure in an area with high lung cancer incidence

  by Rahman, M. L., Portengen, L., Blechter, B., Breeze, C. E., Wong, J. Y. Y., Hu, W., Downward, G. S., Zhang, Y., Cardenas, A., Ning, B., Li, J., Yang, K., Hosgood, H. D., Silverman, D. T., Rothman, N., Huang, Y., Vermeulen, R., Lan, Q. on April 4, 2025 at 12:00 am

  BackgroundLung cancer incidence among never-smoking women in Xuanwei, China, ranks among the highest worldwide and is largely attributed to household air pollution (HAP) from smoky (bituminous) coal combustion, with early-life exposures possibly playing a critical role. We conducted an epigenome-wide DNA methylation (DNAm) analysis across multiple exposure windows to elucidate molecular mechanisms. […]

• Indoor and Outdoor Volatile Organic Compound Levels During and After the 2025 Los Angeles Wildfires

  by Yao, Y., Garcia-Gonzales, D., Li, J., Niu, M., Jerrett, M., Zhu, Y. on April 1, 2025 at 12:00 am

  The January 2025 Los Angeles urban wildfires caused extensive destruction and exposed millions to wildfire smoke containing hazardous volatile organic compounds (VOCs). To evaluate exposure risks, we conducted indoor and outdoor VOC sampling at 24 locations during three phases: active burning, smoldering, and off-gassing. Outdoor benzene concentrations peaked during active burning but remained below OEHHA health […]

• 18F-FAPI PET/CT Imaging in Pneumoconiosis: a new tool for early diagnosis and guiding treatment of pulmonary fibrosis

  by Liu, C., Guo, Z., Shi, Y. w., Wu, Z., Xiang, Z., Yao, T., Liang, G., Wang, H., Pang, M., Li, S. on March 31, 2025 at 12:00 am

  PurposePneumoconiosis is characterized by pulmonary fibrosis. The activation of fibroblasts play an important role in the pathological development of pulmonary fibrosis. Chest CT, as a conventional examination to diagnose pulmonary fibrosis of pneumoconiosis, cannot evaluate the fibrosis activity. The application value of 18F-FAPI in pneumoconiosis is unclear. This study aimed to clarify the feasibility of […]