{"title":"Nutrition and hydration habits of German anaesthesiology residents.","authors":"J Reuter, P Meybohm, J Menger","doi":"10.1093/occmed/kqag100","DOIUrl":"10.1093/occmed/kqag100","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Adequate nutrition and hydration during clinical workdays are essential for physicians' wellbeing, health, cognitive function, and performance. Anaesthesiology residents work in high-pressure environments that may hinder adherence to recommended dietary and fluid intake guidelines and impair their healthy eating and drinking habits.</p><p><strong>Aims: </strong>To assess the dietary and hydration habits of anaesthesiology residents in Germany, identify workplace-related barriers, and evaluate their readiness for behavioural change.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A nationwide, cross-sectional online survey was conducted among anaesthesiology residents in German hospitals. The questionnaire assessed nutrition, hydration, food access at work, perceived barriers, and readiness for change. Descriptive and inferential analyses were applied.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 257 residents completed the survey. The majority (64%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.58-0.70) consumed less than the recommended five daily portions of fruit and vegetables. Sweet snacks were frequently eaten during work (68% >1x/week, 95% CI 0.62-0.73). Nearly half of female (50%) and one-third of male participants (32%) drank less than 1L per day. While most participants drank water daily at work (90%), caffeine intake was also high (56% daily). Main barriers to healthy eating included time constraints, workload, and limited food availability. Meals were not frequently skipped. Most participants (88%, P < 0.001) expressed willingness to change their dietary behaviour.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Nutritional and hydration habits among German anaesthesiology residents were suboptimal and constrained by workplace factors. Improving access to healthy food and ensuring structured breaks may support resident wellbeing and performance.</p>","PeriodicalId":520727,"journal":{"name":"Occupational medicine (Oxford, England)","volume":" ","pages":"424-430"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148852246","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}
S Tazrin, T Niyarepola, S A M Stevelink, R Bhundia, D Lamb, N Greenberg, B Croak
{"title":"Reflective practice to reduce moral injury in healthcare workers.","authors":"S Tazrin, T Niyarepola, S A M Stevelink, R Bhundia, D Lamb, N Greenberg, B Croak","doi":"10.1093/occmed/kqag060","DOIUrl":"10.1093/occmed/kqag060","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Moral injury (MI) can arise when individuals experience events that violate their moral beliefs. During the COVID-19 pandemic, MI gained attention among healthcare workers (HCWs). Reflective practice (RP) may help prevent or mitigate MI but remains underexplored. This narrative review examines existing literature on RP interventions addressing MI in HCWs.</p><p><strong>Aims: </strong>To synthesize existing literature on RP interventions to prevent or mitigate MI in HCWs.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A semi-structured literature search was conducted in July 2024 and updated in August 2025 across four databases. Twelve studies evaluating RP interventions, including three studies identifying barriers to RP, were included. Across the 12 studies, the sample size was n = 793, involving nurses and other HCWs.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Most studies implemented structured workshops combining RP with psychoeducation and group discussion. Of the studies, 11 studies lacked control groups, three used pre-/post-test designs, while others relied on self-reported helpfulness. These studies provided preliminary evidence for the feasibility and perceived value of RP in addressing MI. The only study with a control group was limited by a small sample size, and the results were non-significant. Reported barriers to implementing RP included individual-level factors (e.g. lack of experience) and institutional obstacles (e.g. limited managerial support).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Findings suggest RP holds promise as an intervention for MI in HCWs. However, the evidence base is limited by small samples and weak study designs. Further research using robust methodologies, including randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and longitudinal studies, is needed to evaluate RP across diverse HCW roles, including administrative staff.</p>","PeriodicalId":520727,"journal":{"name":"Occupational medicine (Oxford, England)","volume":" ","pages":"435-441"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13673504/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148993668","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Non-pharmacological intervention for shift nurses' sleep: systematic review and meta-analysis.","authors":"A Y L Lee, L A Tse","doi":"10.1093/occmed/kqag085","DOIUrl":"10.1093/occmed/kqag085","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Nurses working rotating shifts often experience poor sleep quality due to circadian rhythm disruption. Previous reviews primarily focused on managerial changes to improve nurses' alertness during night shifts. Although some studies found that individual-level non-pharmacological interventions may significantly alleviate sleep problems, past reviews focused only on aromatherapy.</p><p><strong>Aims: </strong>To understand current trends and synthesise the effectiveness of non-pharmacological interventions for improving shift nurses' sleep quality.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed using seven databases for experimental trials published from 2014 to 2024 examining the effectiveness of non-pharmacological interventions on improving shift nurses' sleep quality. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed by Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 (RoB 2) tool. Meta-analysis was performed under fixed or random effect model according to heterogeneity assessed by I2 statistics. Sensitivity analysis and subgroup analysis were also conducted.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 15 articles were included in the narrative synthesis, and 11 of them were included in the meta-analysis. Mindfulness programs were the most common intervention, followed by aromatherapy. Overall pooled analyses of 11 studies showed a significant improvement in shift nurses' sleep quality with a standardised mean difference (SMD) of -0.63 (95% CI -1.01 to -0.25; P = 0.001; X2 = 71.53; I2 = 86%; P < 0.00001). Mindfulness programs were found to be beneficial, but no significant improvement was noted for aromatherapy.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Non-pharmacological interventions could effectively improve shift nurses' sleep quality. Mindfulness programs are gaining popularity and were shown to be beneficial but need to be further improved with personalised counselling to improve compliance with irregular work schedules.</p>","PeriodicalId":520727,"journal":{"name":"Occupational medicine (Oxford, England)","volume":" ","pages":"442-452"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13673503/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148890167","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Vicky C Moore, Alastair S Robertson, Christopher C Huntley, Gareth I Walters, P Sherwood Burge
{"title":"Work-related asthma in stainless steel welders, irritant or allergy?","authors":"Vicky C Moore, Alastair S Robertson, Christopher C Huntley, Gareth I Walters, P Sherwood Burge","doi":"10.1093/occmed/kqag068","DOIUrl":"10.1093/occmed/kqag068","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Work-related asthma in welders is often thought to be irritant rather than allergic, limiting the availability of surveillance, assisted retraining and compensation. However, excess inflammatory gene activation is a feature of asthma in stainless-steel welders.</p><p><strong>Aims: </strong>To investigate a cohort of workers exposed to stainless-steel welding fume who have work-related symptoms to assess if their diagnosis best fits irritant or allergic phenotypes or endotypes.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>All workers seen between 2000 and 2021 with confirmed work-related asthma exposed to stainless-steel welding fume were included. The types of exposure responses were identified from Oasys programme plots of 2-hourly peak expiratory flow (PEF) measurements at work and home over 4 weeks. While exposed, non-specific bronchial reactivity (NSBR), atopy, eosinophilia and fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) were measured. The irritant endotype was defined as (i) absence of relevant immunoglobulin E sensitization; (ii) association with NSBR; (iii) immediate onset of symptoms following exposure; and (iv) either pre-existing asthma or a latency period for symptom onset of <6 months.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Twenty-five workers exposed to stainless-steel welding fume showed PEF changes, confirming work-related asthma. A possible irritant endotype was present in four. One had pre-existing asthma, two had latencies of <6 months and three had NSBR. Peripheral eosinophilia and raised FeNO were uncommon.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The phenotype or endotype was incompatible with purely irritant mechanisms in 21 participants and had predominately T helper 2 low inflammatory characteristics. Stainless-steel welders with work-related asthma should be managed as occupational asthma with hypersensitivity.</p>","PeriodicalId":520727,"journal":{"name":"Occupational medicine (Oxford, England)","volume":" ","pages":"409-416"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148993655","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":"Preparing for pathogen X-occupational health and safety governance and pandemic management.","authors":"P Noone, D Natin, N Kelly","doi":"10.1093/occmed/kqag106","DOIUrl":"10.1093/occmed/kqag106","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":520727,"journal":{"name":"Occupational medicine (Oxford, England)","volume":" ","pages":"393-398"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149043346","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":"It's the economy, stupid! How economic factors drive incapacity.","authors":"Charlie Vivian","doi":"10.1093/occmed/kqag084","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/occmed/kqag084","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":520727,"journal":{"name":"Occupational medicine (Oxford, England)","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-07-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148633556","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}