Journal of Environmental and Occupational Science最新文献

{"title":"A study of work-related musculoskeletal risks associated with the outpatient surgeries -","authors":"Sang D. Choi, K. Ahn","doi":"10.5455/jeos.20151016125049","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5455/jeos.20151016125049","url":null,"abstract":"Objective: The purpose of this study is to examine the occupational hazards and risks of work-related musculoskeletal injuries and disorders of surgeons and physicians performing outpatient surgery. Material and Methods: A two-page survey instrument was developed to assess the occupational risk factors of general practice physicians and specialty practitioners performing ambulatory or outpatient surgeries. A total of 150 questionnaires were distributed to hospitals, free-standing surgical centers, and doctor offices located in the upper Midwestern United States. Results: Twenty-three physicians/surgeons performing outpatient surgery procedures completed the self-reporting questionnaire. About 80% of respondents reported some type of musculoskeletal symptoms or injuries in the neck, back, shoulder, wrists/hands, and legs/knees. The perceived body discomfort scores were significantly higher for the standing-only operating position than for the sitting/both operating position. Most respondents did not receive any training or instructions for ergonomic modifications in their practices. Conclusion: The outpatient physicians/surgeons are susceptible to prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal injuries and disorders. By properly using the ergonomic assessment techniques, valuable information on ergonomic practices and workplace design/selection could assist in the early interventions of musculoskeletal injury prevention in the outpatient surgery industry.","PeriodicalId":16086,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Environmental and Occupational Science","volume":"19 1","pages":"190-195"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"83336181","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Obesity and the risk for occupational injuries: A literature review","authors":"E. Brown, Sang D. Choi","doi":"10.5455/JEOS.20150715120050","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5455/JEOS.20150715120050","url":null,"abstract":"Obesity has been associated with the increased risk of acquiring adverse health conditions and often overlooked is the direct influence that obesity has on physical limitations, fatigue and the risk for occupational injuries. The purpose of this review study was to examine the literature on the impact that obesity has as a risk factor for occupational injury to identify the associations between Body Mass Index (BMI) categories and non-fatal traumatic occupational injuries. Peer-reviewed literature was searched for studies on the risk of overweight and obesity on non-fatal traumatic occupational injuries. The initial literature search was conducted using electronic databases and the systematic search strategy yielded 308 articles. Eleven studies that investigated Body Mass Index (BMI) as a risk factor for occupational injury were further examined. Although there was diversity among the industries represented in these studies, there appears to be a strong association between obesity and risk for occupational injury such as fall-related injuries, lower extremity injuries, and sprains, strains & dislocations. The findings indicated that obese persons are significantly more likely to have had an occupational injury than their normal weight counterparts. Research also showed that the increased costs associated with occupational injuries, workers’ compensation claims and obesity. Further research is needed to elucidate the mechanisms of obesity related injuries and how obesity interacts with other occupational hazards.","PeriodicalId":16086,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Environmental and Occupational Science","volume":"31 1","pages":"163-170"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"73478144","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Work related musculoskeletal risks associated with the care, treatment and transportation of bariatric patients: A review","authors":"Philip K. Porter, Sang D. Choi","doi":"10.5455/JEOS.20141231093214","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5455/JEOS.20141231093214","url":null,"abstract":"The physical involvement required to care for a bariatric (severely obese) patient is a complex and dangerous order for a health care worker. Obesity rates have significantly increased in the United States, but there has been a lack of bariatric research on the effectiveness of ergonomic intervention for handling a patient of extreme weight and size, as well as on the utilization of equipment. As the number of bariatric healthcare patients rises, so does the risk for those who manually handle these patients – specifically an increased risk in work related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs). A literature review study was conducted to better understand what contributes to effectiveness of ergonomic intervention in the interaction between the bariatric patient and the healthcare worker regarding musculoskeletal risks associated with the care, treatment, and transportation of bariatric patients. Four hazard/risk areas were identified included: bariatric patient handling equipment, work environment, rules and procedures, and education and training. The literature supports the use of equipment to aid the healthcare worker in lifting and transferring bariatric patients. However, there are significant barriers that need to be addressed in order to reduce musculoskeletal injuries in healthcare workers handling bariatric patients.","PeriodicalId":16086,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Environmental and Occupational Science","volume":"15 1","pages":"53-55"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"73964938","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Musculoskeletal complaints among central sterile supply technicians in relation to physical and psychosocial factors at work","authors":"M. El-Helaly, H. Balkhy","doi":"10.5455/JEOS.20150321110632","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5455/JEOS.20150321110632","url":null,"abstract":"Objective: The objective was to examine the prevalence of musculoskeletal complaints (MSCs) among central sterile supply technicians (CSSTs) in relation to their physical workload and psychosocial factors at work. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2013 among 64 CSSTs working in the central sterile supply department of a tertiary care hospital in Saudi Arabia. A questionnaire was used to collect data on demographic characteristics, physical workload, and psychosocial factors at work. Furthermore, a Nordic Questionnaire was used to examine the prevalence of MSCs among the participants. Results: The study showed that the overall 1-year prevalence of MSCs at anybody site of the participants was 43.8%. The reported MSCs were mostly related to the low back (28.1%), followed by wrists/hands (23.4%) and shoulders (21.9%). Age, gender, and BMI were not associated with MSCs. Work requiring exertion of arms/hands, and working in awkward postures were the only physical work factors that were significantly (P < 0.05) higher among CSSTs who had MSCs (89.3%, 57.1%, respectively) compared to CSSTs who had not (69.4%, 30.6%, respectively). Psychosocial factors at work did not show a significant difference between CSSTs who had MSCs and those who had not. Conclusion: 43.8% of the CSSTs reported 1-year prevalence of MSCs affecting mostly low back, wrists/hands, and shoulders. Ergonomic assessment and preventive intervention should be conducted to prevent the incidence of MSCs among CSSTs through controlling both physical and psychosocial risk factors at their workplace.","PeriodicalId":16086,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Environmental and Occupational Science","volume":"89 1","pages":"78-83"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"84377283","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Focused review of mathematical modeling of radiation-related abnormalities in the Techa River cohort -","authors":"Sergei V. Jargin","doi":"10.5455/JEOS.20150312010516","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5455/JEOS.20150312010516","url":null,"abstract":"Mathematical models describe relationships between numerical values. Adequate models can make testable extrapolations. A requirement to a mathematical model is its validity: once construed, a model and the region of validity should be tested. Here is reviewed a series of studies of the Techa river cohort, where mathematical models were claimed to reveal relationships between the dynamics of the hemato- and lymphopoiesis and the evolution of radiation dose rate over time. However, mathematical models describe rather than reveal relationships. The use of mathematical models without adequate verification may be conductive to the overestimation of biological effects of the low-dose low-rate ionizing radiation. Possible mechanisms of such overestimation are discussed.","PeriodicalId":16086,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Environmental and Occupational Science","volume":"56 1","pages":"114-117"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"82759885","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY REHABILITATION OF LOWER LIMB AMPUTEES IN THE NIGERIA ARMED FORCES MEDICAL SERVICES","authors":"A. A. Emechete, C. Mbada","doi":"10.5455/jeos.20151109115116","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5455/jeos.20151109115116","url":null,"abstract":"Background and objective: Soldiers are known to always sacrifice to defend the integrity of their nation and in the process may lose limbs even their lives. Injuries resulting from war are a major cause of disablement in armed forces personnel. This paper presents the outcome of a study on the Occupational Therapy Rehabilitation Programme (OTRP) of the post-war lower limb amputees at the Armed Forces Convalescent and Rehabilitation Depot, Lagos, Nigeria. Methods: Eighty soldiers (30 with above knee amputation and 50 with below knee amputation) who were given furloughs from the military authority and had satisfactorily completed physiotherapy prosthetic ambulatory training were recruited into this pre-test and post-test study. A 3-part questionnaire dealing with prosthetic use and training, social and family and work assessment was used. OTRP involved three phases; the initial assessment and evaluation phase; the intermittent phase of sequentially pre-prosthetic stump exercises, gait training, simulated vocational and job training; and the final phase of work assessment and job placement. OTRP was carried out thrice weekly for eight weeks and outcomes were assessed at inclusion and 8th week respectively. Results: The percentage difference in pre-and-post OTRP in terms of participants’ impression, usability, satisfaction and confidence in the use of prostheses was 62.5, 62.5, 45.0 and 32.5% respectively. Prosthetic use affected the sexual life of 25% of the married participants but there was no reported change following OTRP. Following OTRP, 18.8% of the participants intended to return to their previous occupation before joining the army, 44% wanted to go school, 56.3% desired better jobs; 98.8, 75.0 and 62.5% of the participants believed they could play soccer, swim and drive a car respectively. Conclusion: Occupational Therapy Rehabilitation Programme for post-war lower limb amputees who were on prostheses had positive influence on their attitude towards prosthetic use, social and family life, and perception on return to work, sports and vocation.","PeriodicalId":16086,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Environmental and Occupational Science","volume":"33 1","pages":"196-202"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"87475813","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of exposure to Benzene on oxidative stress and the functions of liver and kidney of male Albino Rat","authors":"A. A. El-Shakour, Ahmad S. El-Ebiarie, Y. Ibrahim, A. Moneim, Asmaa El-Mekawy","doi":"10.5455/JEOS.20141223050552","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5455/JEOS.20141223050552","url":null,"abstract":"Aim: Benzene is a volatile organic compound known to be carcinogenic to humans. The present study was conducted to determine the effects of exposure to average indoor concentrations of benzene on liver and kidney of rats. Methods: Adult male albino Wistar rats were exposed to 10, 30 and 50 ppm of benzene for 14 days. The effect on lipid peroxidation (LPO), nitric oxide (NO) and glutathione (GSH) as oxidative markers, in addition, liver and kidney function levels were determined in adult male rats. Results: Benzene intoxication increased the activities of liver enzymes (alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase) and the bilirubin level, in addition to the levels of uric acid, urea and creatinine were increased in the serum. Moreover, benzene inhalation at 10, 30 and 50 ppm for 14 days in adult male rats enhanced LPO and NO production in both serum and liver with a concomitant reduction in GSH content. Conclusions: On the basis of the above results, it can hypothesis that benzene inhalation caused hepatic and renal damages even at low concentration.","PeriodicalId":16086,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Environmental and Occupational Science","volume":"108 1","pages":"34-39"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"78859548","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Factors modifying childrens inhalational risk assessment","authors":"R. Saadeh, J. Klaunig","doi":"10.5455/JEOS.20150202022401","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5455/JEOS.20150202022401","url":null,"abstract":"Context: This study reviews factors in children, which alter their risk to inhalational exposures, and modify the inhalational risk assessment process. Factors identified in the literature distinguish children from adults when assessing risk of inhalational exposures. Such factors are determined based on children’s unique physiological, anatomical, and biochemical characteristics, which extend to include a unique inhalational dosimetry. Numerous methods have been developed to account for such factors in children. However, some factors are more inclusive than others are, and a comprehensive assessment of these factors is important to enhance risk analysis in children. Objective: The aim was to identify factors in children that modify the four steps of risk assessment and assess the magnitude of uncertainty associated with these factors. Methods: Authors did not follow a specific system for selecting articles from the literature. However, original and review articles were chosen based on their relevancy to the objectives of this paper. Five EPA documents and one WHO document were used to identify factors shown in Figure 1. EPA guidelines for inter and intra species differences and for inhalational dosimetry were used in calculating uncertainty associated with the identified factors. Results: Figure 1 illustrates factors identified as influential in children’s inhalational risk assessment, with the elucidation of possible correlations that exist among these factors. Table 1 ranks factors in order of their importance and determination in two selected steps of risk assessment. Figure 2 evaluates uncertainty related to factors shown in Figure 1 based on criteria described in Methodology. Figure 3 demonstrates the inclusiveness of each of the methods used to assess risk in children. Conclusion: Children’s risk assessment demands special considerations and the inclusion of factors specific to them because of their continuous developmental changes, which differentiate them from adults.","PeriodicalId":16086,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Environmental and Occupational Science","volume":"96 1","pages":"56-61"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"86336927","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Critical analysis of day time traffic noise level at curbside open-air microenvironment of two types of road network of a big city","authors":"Anirban Chowdhury, A. Debsarkar, S. Chakrabarty","doi":"10.5455/JEOS.20151104102243","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5455/JEOS.20151104102243","url":null,"abstract":"Aim: The aim of the research work is to critically analyze day time traffic noise level (Leq) at curbside open-air microenvironment of two types of road network of Kolkata City, India. Methods: 280 sets of data on road width, traffic volume, Leq, peak (L10) and background (L90) noise level were collected from curbsides of 23 major roads. The data was sub set according to the following road network types i.e., one-way traffic in single or double lane (RN-1) and both-way traffic in single lane (RN-2). Noise Climate (NC) and Traffic Noise Index (TNI) were computed for both types of road network. Results: After sub setting of data the number of sets of data accounted for 234 and 46 for RN-1 and RN-2 type of road network. The ratio (RN-1/RN-2) of the averages road width and traffic volume of two types of road network was 2.28 and 1.89. The ratio of the average Leq, NC and TNI of two type of road network was 0.98, 0.89 and 0.94. The ratio of the average L10 and L90 of two types of road network was 0.99, 1.01. Conclusion: RN-1 type of road network was wider and also had higher traffic volume in comparison with RN-2 type of road network. On the contrary RN-1 type of road network was quieter and less annoying in comparison with RN-2 type of road network. Lower Leq of RN-1 type of road network in spite of higher traffic volume was attributed to lower L10.","PeriodicalId":16086,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Environmental and Occupational Science","volume":"66 1","pages":"185-189"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"80400686","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Association of seminal plasma cadmium levels with semen quality in non-occupationally exposed infertile Nigerian males -","authors":"Mathias Abiodun Emokpae, Christian Ajiri Adobor","doi":"10.5455/JEOS.20150105111638","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5455/JEOS.20150105111638","url":null,"abstract":"Aim: Male infertility of unknown etiology may be attributed to various environmental exposures to toxic substances such as metals. Very few human studies have evaluated the relationship between male reproductive function and toxic metal concentrations in seminal plasma in Nigeria. The objective of this study was to evaluate the levels of cadmium in seminal plasma of non-occupationally exposed infertile Nigerian males and correlate their levels with semen quality. Materials and Methods: A total of 80 subjects were enrolled, which includes 60 infertile males on a routine visit to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City and 20 fertile males (controls). The concentration of cadmium in seminal plasma was measured using atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Semen analyses were performed according to World Health Organization standard. Results: Mean seminal plasma cadmium level was significantly higher (P < 0.001) in infertile males compared with controls. The toxic metal correlated negatively (P","PeriodicalId":16086,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Environmental and Occupational Science","volume":"34 1","pages":"40-43"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"87262327","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}