Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology最新文献

{"title":"Workplace bullying in a German representative sample of employees: a cross-sectional analysis.","authors":"Franziska D Welzel, Franziska Ulrike Jung, Alexander Pabst, Antonia M Buß, Hermann Burr, Uwe Rose, Andreas Seidler, Steffi G Riedel-Heller, Margrit Löbner","doi":"10.1186/s12995-026-00535-3","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12995-026-00535-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Workplace bullying (WB) is linked to a variety of detrimental health outcomes among affected individuals, while also imposing negative organizational consequences on the businesses involved. The objective of the present study was to update prevalences of WB and to investigate associations with WB distinguished by the source of bullying (from co-workers, supervisors, or both) in a representative sample of employees in Germany.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The study is based on a representative cross-sectional telephone survey comprising a sample of N = 5,015 employed adults. WB was defined as cases in which respondents indicated that they had experienced unfair criticism, harassment, or public humiliation by co-workers and/or supervisors on a weekly basis over the previous six months. To identify associations of WB, multivariable logistic regression analyses were run, distinguished by the source of bullying.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The prevalence of WB was 6.5% overall, with 4.4% reporting WB by co-workers and 3.5% reporting WB by supervisors. WB decreased with age, with the highest prevalence among young adults aged 18 to 29 years (11.5%). Individuals in an apprentice status (12.3%), or those working in blue-collar jobs (10.2%) showed the highest prevalence for WB. In multivariable analyses, only age was significantly associated with WB across all sources of WB showing a higher vulnerability for younger employees. WB by co-workers and WB by supervisors were strongly linked.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>One in fifteen employed individuals experiences WB in Germany. Young age was the most consistent factor associated with WB. Partial associations of some variables (gender, region, professional status) highlight the context-dependent nature of WB. Furthermore, the strong link between WB by co-workers and WB by supervisors underscores the systemic nature of this work phenomenon. Implementing preventive strategies that specifically address WB is needed to sustain employee health.</p>","PeriodicalId":48903,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology","volume":"21 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13689300/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149247058","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Principles of occupational health: from peg legs to pension funds.","authors":"Thomas C Erren, Christopher Dietrich, Sabine Berger, Ines Huber, Andreas Pinger","doi":"10.1186/s12995-026-00533-5","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12995-026-00533-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Pirates, considered lawless barbarians, had a functioning and premium-free accident insurance system in the 17th century, the principles of which are also found in today's workers' compensation: collective risk-sharing, fixed compensation payments for injuries, and jointly financed benefits. Modern occupational health formalizes and significantly extends the pirates' rough-and-ready concept through legal and actuarial frameworks. For illustration, we compare the Pirate Codes or Articles with their compensation practice with today's occupational safety and health systems in the UK and Germany. Our comparison is confined to self-governing pirate communities.</p>","PeriodicalId":48903,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology","volume":"21 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13670441/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149197262","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Physical pain and risk of suicide and non-fatal self-harm among Swedish construction workers followed over three decades.","authors":"Kirsten Mehlig, Hannah Sundvall, Ingibjörg H Jonsdottir, Jenny Nyberg, Leo Stockfelt, Margda Waern, Maria Åberg","doi":"10.1186/s12995-026-00532-6","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12995-026-00532-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Aim: </strong>This observational cohort study aimed to investigate the extent to which physical pain increases the long-term risk of suicidal behavior among construction workers.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In 1989-93, 79,099 men from the Swedish construction workers cohort completed a questionnaire on working conditions and physical symptoms, including pain, in addition to their routine health examination. The participants assessed how often they had experienced pain in nine anatomical areas over the past year; this was summarized into four categories describing pain in the neck, shoulders and upper back; the lower back and hip; the upper limbs (hand, wrist, elbow); and the lower limbs (foot, ankle, knee). Frequent pain in at least one location, as well as location-specific frequencies, were considered main exposures. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression was used to examine associations between pain and risk of (1) suicide, and (2) non-fatal self-harm including suicide attempt, censored at emigration, disability pension, retirement, other causes of death and end of follow-up in 2018.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>55% of workers reported frequent pain in at least one location, with lower back being the most common site. Frequent pain increased the risk of non-fatal self-harm by 25% compared to no pain in any location and the risk of suicide was doubled. Frequent pain in hand, wrist or elbow was associated with excess risk of both fatal and non-fatal self-harm, while frequent pain in foot, ankle or knee was associated with non-fatal self-harm only, independent of socio-demographic factors, parental origin, body mass index, height and blood pressure. After adjustment for occupational group and unfavorable working position, the increased risk associated with pain in the limbs remained.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Our findings underscore the importance of recognizing and addressing the psychological consequences of physical pain among construction workers, particularly when the pain affects the arms or legs.</p>","PeriodicalId":48903,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology","volume":"21 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13663277/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149184275","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Post-traumatic stress disorder: outline and updated insights focusing on occupational factors.","authors":"Lea S Lewandrowski, Doris Klingelhöfer, Dörthe Brüggmann, David A Groneberg","doi":"10.1186/s12995-026-00530-8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12995-026-00530-8","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background: &lt;/strong&gt;Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a stress-related disorder associated with substantial psychological distress and functional impairment, and it carries major relevance for occupational health because it frequently follows traumatic exposure in both high-risk professions and occupations not traditionally classified as high risk. This narrative review focuses on occupational risk factors, prevalence, work capacity, and implications for workers' compensation and return to work.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods: &lt;/strong&gt;A non-systematic (narrative) literature search was conducted in PubMed/MEDLINE and Google Scholar for English- and German-language articles, with supplementary hand-searching of reference lists and institutional/guideline sources (e.g., WHO, AWMF). No protocol was registered, consistent with conventions for narrative reviews. Reporting follows the general principles of the Scale for the Assessment of Narrative Review Articles (SANRA), the checklist commonly used to appraise this review type, rather than PRISMA, which applies to systematic reviews.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;Occupational risk is particularly elevated in military service (including soldiers and veterans), public safety and disaster management, and occupations with structurally frequent severe incidents (e.g., transport, construction, industrial production), while unpredictable bystander events can also trigger PTSD in occupations not traditionally classified as high risk settings. Risk is shaped by trauma type, severity, and recurrence, as well as pre-traumatic, peri-traumatic, and post-traumatic factors. Prevalence varies substantially by context and is not directly comparable across studies, which differ markedly in population, exposure severity, diagnostic method, and assessment period. With this caveat, particularly high burden is reported in conflict-affected populations, healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, and trauma-exposed occupational groups such as military personnel, police officers, paramedics, train drivers, construction workers and industrial workers. Established treatments (trauma-focused psychotherapy, with pharmacotherapy as an adjunct) are distinct from early post-event interventions such as screening and Psychological First Aid, which aim to prevent chronicity rather than treat established illness. Routine single-session debriefing is not supported by the evidence. Occupational medicine must also address work capacity, return to work, compensation, and rehabilitation, since symptomatic improvement does not necessarily restore functional ability.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusion: &lt;/strong&gt;Stronger workplace prevention, early screening after traumatic exposure, organizational support, and clearer compensation and return-to-work pathways are needed to reduce the long-term occupational consequences of PTSD. Evidence specifically comparing treatment of occupational versus non-occupational PTSD remains limited, and pre","PeriodicalId":48903,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology","volume":"21 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13632356/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149117053","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Occupational differences in sickness presenteeism in the baseline survey of the German National Cohort (NAKO).","authors":"Thi-Ngoc-Tu Nguyen, Melanie Schubert, René Mauer, Marvin Reuter, Nico Dragano, Andreas Seidler","doi":"10.1186/s12995-026-00529-1","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12995-026-00529-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>This study examines the relationship between occupation and sickness presenteeism (SP) among German employees. In addition, it investigates occupation-specific differences in SP according to supervisory or managerial responsibilities.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A total of 86,855 employees (average age: 45.7 ± 10.5, 48.3% men, and 51.7% women) from the German National Cohort (NAKO) who had reported illness at least once in the past 12 months were included in this cross-sectional study (response: 15.6%). Data were collected between 2014 and 2019. Occupations were grouped into 14 segments based on the German Classification of Occupations 2010. SP was defined as attending work despite illness at least once within the past 12 months. Robust Poisson regression analyses were conducted to estimate prevalence ratios (PRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for SP, comparing each occupational segment with all other occupations combined as the reference group. Additional analyses compared SP between employees with and without supervisory or managerial responsibilities overall and within each occupational segment, and by sex.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Among employees who had been ill at least once in the past 12 months, 76.4% reported SP. The highest prevalence of SP was observed in healthcare, social and cultural service occupations, trade, and food industry and hospitality. Overall, employees with supervisory or managerial responsibilities had a higher SP prevalence than those without such responsibilities (PR = 1.08; 95% CI = 1.07-1.10). This association was stronger among men (PR = 1.11; 95% CI = 1.09-1.12) than among women (PR = 1.04; 95% CI = 1.02-1.06). In general, the elevated prevalence of SP among supervisors and managers was not confined to specific occupational segments. Rather, certain occupational segments exhibited consistently higher SP prevalence regardless of hierarchical position.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Among German employees, SP prevalence varies notably across occupations, with above-average levels in healthcare, social and cultural service, trade, and food industry and hospitality. Supervisory and managerial responsibilities were associated with a modestly higher prevalence of SP, with a stronger association among men than women. However, occupation-specific patterns were broadly similar across hierarchical groups, indicating that SP is likely influenced by a combination of occupational context and hierarchical position.</p>","PeriodicalId":48903,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology","volume":"21 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13615606/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149065457","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sedentary behavior and activity patterns in Swedish log truck drivers - a descriptive cross-sectional study.","authors":"Charlotte Lewis, Valentin Kim, Albin Stjernbrandt, Jens Wahlström, Viktoria Wahlström","doi":"10.1186/s12995-026-00531-7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12995-026-00531-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Professional drivers spend a significant amount of their worktime sedentary and generally have a high prevalence overweight or obesity, musculoskeletal pain and poor health. Sedentary time has been linked to several health outcomes, and there are international guidelines for weekly physical activity. The aim of this study was to investigate the activity pattern for Swedish log truck drivers during work and leisure time.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Log truck drivers were recruited from four companies in northern Sweden between April and October 2023. Time spent in various physical activities was measured during workdays and non-workdays over a consecutive week using an AX6 accelerometer, combined with a worktime diary and a survey including questions regarding age, height, weight, health, pain, and exercise habits. Accelerometry data were processed through the ActiPass software. Patterns for sedentary behavior and physical activities were presented descriptively and compared to the guidelines.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Participants spent a majority of both their workdays and non-workdays sedentary (77.3% and 66.6%, respectively), and on average, 5.5% of their time was spent in moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA). The time spent in MVPA, however, differed substantially depending on the bout time, and few individuals reached the recommendations, even with short bout cut-offs. Participants slept 6.4 h (SD 1.8) on workdays and 8.6 h (SD 1.8) on non-workdays.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Sedentary behavior and lack of physical activity are prevalent in log truck drivers, and most of them do not reach the recommendations of weekly physical activity. Sleep duration was below recommendations on many workdays.</p>","PeriodicalId":48903,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology","volume":"21 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149065397","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Artificial stone and silicosis: the Korean experience.","authors":"Jun-Pyo Myong","doi":"10.1186/s12995-026-00528-2","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12995-026-00528-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Engineered stone (ES), also termed artificial stone, is a quartz-rich composite slab (typically 85-95% crystalline silica) used for kitchen and bathroom surfaces, and has driven a global resurgence of accelerated silicosis. Korea presents a distinctive context in which individual workers accumulated multi-era exposure across cementitious terrazzo (Dokkidashi), natural stone, polymer solid surface and high-quartz ES. We combine a narrative review of the Korean ES industry, respirable crystalline silica (RCS) exposure and clinical phenotype with a single-center case series.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study reviewed Korean trade, employment, exposure-measurement, and adjudicated-case data, and conducted a retrospective case series at the Pneumoconiosis Clinic, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital (index window 1-31 March 2026). Rapid-progression cases required radiographic pneumoconiosis plus progressive massive fibrosis (PMF)/complicated disease, a forced vital capacity (FVC) decline ≥ 150 mL/year, or accelerated disease at presentation, with ≥1 year of follow-up and serial spirometry.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The only ES-specific Korean exposure dataset (Institute of Occupation and Environment, C company, 2018) showed personal quartz of 0.045-0.179 mg/m³ (up to 3.6 times over the Korean occupational exposure limit) and cristobalite of 0.026 mg/m³ even under nominally wet processing; slab X-ray diffraction returned quartz contents of 24%, 65%, 70% and 100%, the 24%-quartz product additionally containing 28% cristobalite. Five rapid-progression cases (all men; median age 67 years) had 34-50 years of total stone work but only 3-7 years of ES exposure; all five had PMF, and the median annual FVC decline was -0.14 L/year (range -0.47 to -0.11).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>ES exposure was superimposed on decades of prior mixed silica exposure-a difference of degree rather than of kind from series reported elsewhere, possibly reflecting the shorter latency available to younger ES-only workers. Surveillance, exposure standards and compensation criteria should address multi-era exposure rather than ES alone.</p>","PeriodicalId":48903,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology","volume":"21 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13576292/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148978074","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Single versus double lung transplantation in patients with pneumoconiosis: a retrospective cohort study.","authors":"Chaojian Chen, Yifeng Huang, Zijie Li, Junhan Wu, Weifeng Zhong, Leyan Chen, Feng Liu, Guibin Qiao","doi":"10.1186/s12995-026-00524-6","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12995-026-00524-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Lung transplantation (LT) is emerging as a critical final treatment for end-stage lung diseases including pneumoconiosis. Outcomes of single lung transplantation (SLT) and double lung transplantation (DLT) in pneumoconiosis remain understudied. This study evaluates clinical differences between the two procedures in pneumoconiosis patients to guide therapeutic decision-making for this occupational population.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This retrospective cohort study included 119 pneumoconiosis patients undergoing LT at The Affiliated Wuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University between Jan 2018 and Dec 2022. The choice of SLT versus DLT was primarily driven by clinical judgment of high surgical risk, primarily due to severe pleural adhesions or calcification deemed too risky for bilateral pneumonectomy. Data on demographics, intraoperative and postoperative characteristics and patient survival were collected to compare SLT and DLT outcomes using Mann-Whitney U test and Pearson's chi-square test. The primary outcome was 1-year posttransplant survival. Posttransplant survival was assessed by Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox proportional hazards models.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of all the transplant recipients, 61 (51.3%) underwent SLT and 58 (48.7%) underwent DLT. DLT recipients were younger (44 [33-51] vs. 49 [43-53], p = 0.012), had higher mean pulmonary pressure (25.0 [20.0-25.0] vs. 20.0 [15.0-25.0] mmHg, p = 0.005) and experienced longer ischemic time (16.1 [13.4-18.0] vs. 7.2 [6.2-8.5] hours, p < 0.001). The durations of intraoperative and postoperative extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) were significantly longer in DLT recipients (p < 0.001; p = 0.003). The perioperative mortality of recipients who underwent SLT was more than three times higher than that of those undergoing DLT (18.0% vs. 5.2%, p = 0.059). Those who received DLT had significantly improved survival compared to SLT, with a hazard ratio of 0.24 (95% CI: 0.07-0.81, p = 0.022).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Our preliminary data suggested that DLT might be associated with better survival in patients with pneumoconiosis compared to SLT. A randomized controlled trial or large-scale multicenter registry study is needed to confirm this survival benefit and refine patient selection criteria.</p>","PeriodicalId":48903,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology","volume":"21 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13531740/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148866146","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Heart rate variability as a strain parameter in maritime settings: a scoping review of methodological approaches to data collection and analysis in field studies on the high seas.","authors":"Daniel Vasylenko, Lorenz Scheit, Chiara Reck, Dorothee Dengler, Volker Harth, Marcus Oldenburg","doi":"10.1186/s12995-026-00526-4","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12995-026-00526-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Seafarers are exposed to unique occupational stressors that place sustained demands on the autonomic nervous system. Heart rate variability (HRV) represents a promising non-invasive tool for assessing mental and physical strain in maritime settings. However, its methodological application in real field conditions remains poorly characterized, and existing HRV guidelines do not specifically address the methodological challenges of maritime field studies.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A scoping review was conducted following PRISMA guidelines. Eleven maritime field studies measuring HRV in operational or semi-operational settings were included and assessed for device selection, measurement quality, analysis methods, HRV metrics, and covariates.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Chest strap systems were the most frequently used (n = 8) and showed sufficient validity for field use. Methodological heterogeneity in reporting of recording duration, analysis software, artifact handling and HRV parameters was high across studies. Operational factors including sailing schedule and work-rest organization were the most commonly examined covariates and were most frequently associated with significant HRV findings. Recurring findings were small and predominantly male populations, shared participant cohorts across multiple studies, and incomplete methodological reporting.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Overall, the studies utilized HRV appropriately for their respective aims. HRV measurement in maritime field settings is feasible but methodologically demanding, and it remains an underexplored domain, which limits the conclusions that can be drawn. More detailed and standardized reporting is necessary. Based on the recurring methodological reporting gaps, this review proposes a maritime-specific reporting checklist and an overview of recommended methodological options for future studies. Larger study populations are needed to account for confounding factors on board ships.</p>","PeriodicalId":48903,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology","volume":"21 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-08-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13528020/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148866131","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Occupational health risks and provision gaps among live-in caregivers: findings from a qualitative interview study of Polish live-ins in Germany.","authors":"Lea Scheuvens, Maria Girbig, Melanie Schubert, Charlyn Görres, Amelie Schirmer, Agnieszka Sykut, Stephanie Drössler, Verena Weihofen, Liv Hübner, Daniel Kämpf, Charlotte Pietzsch, Katja Schladitz, Franziska Welzel, Nadja-Raphaela Baer, Steffi Riedel-Heller, Liane Schenk, Margrit Löbner, Andreas Seidler","doi":"10.1186/s12995-026-00522-8","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12995-026-00522-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Migrant live-in caregivers play an important role in home-based long-term care, yet their working and living conditions remain largely underregulated. Despite increasing evidence of precarious employment and health risks among live-in caregivers internationally, little is known about their occupational health risks and access to occupational health care.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This qualitative interview study is part of the project Live-In Health and reports findings from 16 semi-structured interviews with Polish live-in caregivers (15 females and one male) working in German private households. Interviews were conducted in Polish, transcribed, translated into German, and analyzed using qualitative content analysis following an inductive-deductive approach. Identified work-related strains and risks were structured in four main domains according to established occupational risk assessment frameworks from the German care sector.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Participants reported extensive occupational health risks across the four main domains: physical strain (e.g., musculoskeletal strain from patient transfers), psychological strain (e.g., social isolation, conflicts with agencies, emotional burden), occupational safety and health including working hours (e.g., long working hours, insufficient recovery time, lack of preparation and insurance coverage), and exposure to biological and hazardous substances (e.g., wound care, unhygienic living conditions). Access to occupational and general health care in Germany was largely absent. Preventive services, occupational medical examinations, and accident insurance coverage were inconsistently available or missing altogether. Live-ins described substantial barriers related to legal ambiguity, agency practices, lack of information, and unclear responsibilities. At the same time, informal support from families, ambulatory care services, and peer networks emerged as partial coping resources.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Polish live-in caregivers in Germany are exposed to considerable occupational health risks while remaining largely excluded from occupational health care structures. The findings highlight substantial gaps in the implementation of existing occupational safety and health regulations for caregivers in private households. Strengthening occupational health protection for live-in caregivers requires enforceable working time regulations, reliable insurance coverage, accessible occupational health services, and clearer oversight of intermediary agencies. Tailored, low-threshold occupational health approaches are urgently needed to address the structural vulnerabilities of this workforce and to ensure healthy and sustainable care provision for the growing demand in home-based care for older people in Germany.</p>","PeriodicalId":48903,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology","volume":"21 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-08-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13455274/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148708187","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}