{"title":"The Effects of Increasing Heat Waves on Outpatient Caregivers-Attitudes, Measures, and Outlook.","authors":"Chiara Frantzen, Andrea Kaifie","doi":"10.1097/JOM.0000000000003362","DOIUrl":"10.1097/JOM.0000000000003362","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Increasing heatwaves pose a significant health risk. This study investigates the impact of heatwaves on staff in outpatient care services in a large city in western Germany.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A cross-sectional survey was conducted from March to June 2023, which targeted the managers of 78 outpatient nursing services. The 33-item questionnaire addressed attitudes toward climate change, health impacts on patients and staff, and potential measures to improve working conditions during heatwaves.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of the 40 services that participated, 90% had not received training on climate adaptation, 38% felt uninformed about heat-related measures, and 50% requested more time for caregiving duties during heatwaves. Guidelines for heatwaves were supported by 78% of participants, and 75% wanted more heat-protection training.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Outpatient care services require more active involvement in heat-protection planning to safeguard staff as heatwaves become more frequent.</p>","PeriodicalId":94100,"journal":{"name":"Journal of occupational and environmental medicine","volume":" ","pages":"445-449"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143598665","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 Asthma Mortality, Michigan 2003-2023.","authors":"Kenneth D Rosenman, Mary Jo Reilly","doi":"10.1097/JOM.0000000000003377","DOIUrl":"10.1097/JOM.0000000000003377","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>The aim of the study was to identify causes and factors associated with work-related asthma.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>There were 13 work-related asthma (WRA) deaths identified over 21 years in a statewide lung disease surveillance system.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The deceased ranged from 19 to 77. Eight had new onset, and five had aggravated WRA. Five deaths from exposure to isocyanates, two to welding fumes, two to food products, and one death each from exposure to secondhand cigarette smoke, milk tank cleaning agents, chemicals used in construction, and molding machine release spray.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Even when health care practitioners note that work is a trigger of a patient's asthma, there is typically a delay in the recognition and action to address the workplace exposure(s). A WRA death is the ultimate consequence of a practitioner's delay in not addressing work exposure(s) as an asthma trigger.</p>","PeriodicalId":94100,"journal":{"name":"Journal of occupational and environmental medicine","volume":" ","pages":"459-461"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143598669","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":"Gestational Weight Gain as a Modifiable Factor for the Impact of Preconceptional Maternal Shift Work on Postpartum Weight Retention.","authors":"Chih-Fu Wei, Mei-Huei Chen, Ching-Chun Lin, Meng-Shan Tsai, Ya-Wen Chen, Yue Leon Guo, Shio-Jean Lin, Hua-Fang Liao, Jarvis T Chen, Wu-Shiun Hsieh, Pau-Chung Chen","doi":"10.1097/JOM.0000000000003369","DOIUrl":"10.1097/JOM.0000000000003369","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>This study examined whether gestational weight gain (GWG) mediates the relationship between maternal shift work and postpartum weight retention (PPWR).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Mothers with singleton births in the Taiwan Birth Cohort Study were assessed for shift work, GWG, and PPWR. Propensity score matching balanced baseline characteristics. We applied multivariable generalized linear regression and causal mediation analysis for the associations, with GWG amount and excessive GWG as mediators.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Shift work before pregnancy was associated with higher GWG (0.55 kg, 95% confidence interval: 0.36-0.75) and increased odds of excessive GWG (adjusted OR: 1.18, 95% confidence interval: 1.08-1.29). Excessive GWG mediated the relationship between shift work and PPWR, with shift workers retaining 0.37 kg more at 6 months postpartum.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Maternal shift work before pregnancy increases GWG, contributing to PPWR. Managing GWG is crucial to reduce shift work-related PPWR.</p>","PeriodicalId":94100,"journal":{"name":"Journal of occupational and environmental medicine","volume":" ","pages":"e424-e430"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143598597","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":"Still Running on Fumes-Contaminated Cabin Air and Health Consequences.","authors":"Judith Anderson, Eileen McNeely","doi":"10.1097/JOM.0000000000003382","DOIUrl":"10.1097/JOM.0000000000003382","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":94100,"journal":{"name":"Journal of occupational and environmental medicine","volume":"67 6","pages":"e431-e437"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144210585","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}
Thomas E Bernard, Gummanur Manjunath, James C Wesdock
{"title":"Relating Ambient Heat to Site Clinic Visits for Heat-Related Symptoms Among Four Middle Eastern Aluminum Smelters.","authors":"Thomas E Bernard, Gummanur Manjunath, James C Wesdock","doi":"10.1097/JOM.0000000000003358","DOIUrl":"10.1097/JOM.0000000000003358","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study aimed to describe the relation between clinic visits for symptoms of heat-related illness (heat-related visits [HRV]) and ambient Heat Index among aluminum smelters in the Arab Gulf States.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Four smelters provided HRV data. Meteorological data from nearby airports provided data for Heat Index (HI). Three approaches to finding a smelter-specific trigger for heat stress management were examined.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The rate ratios from Poisson regressions were 1.2/°C for one smelter, 1.1/°C for two others, and 0.96 (not significant) for the fourth; all showed no carry-over effect from preceding day. Using a logistic distribution provided a reasonable trigger.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>HRVs increased with the Heat Index for three of the four smelters. In this limited study, the trigger point based on the logistic distribution at P = 0.05 was the most protective.</p>","PeriodicalId":94100,"journal":{"name":"Journal of occupational and environmental medicine","volume":" ","pages":"e386-e391"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143598661","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}
Emily Q Ahonen, Megan R Reynolds, Frank Drews, Camie Schaefer, Rachael M Jones
{"title":"Integrating Power Into Research, Outreach, and Practice to Make the Most of the Next Decade of the Total Worker Health ® Program.","authors":"Emily Q Ahonen, Megan R Reynolds, Frank Drews, Camie Schaefer, Rachael M Jones","doi":"10.1097/JOM.0000000000003338","DOIUrl":"10.1097/JOM.0000000000003338","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":94100,"journal":{"name":"Journal of occupational and environmental medicine","volume":" ","pages":"400-403"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12133433/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143191587","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}
Angela Stufano, Folashade O Omokhodion, Dingani Moyo, Luigi de Maria, Luigi Vimercati, Piero Lovreglio, Ivo Iavicoli
{"title":"Occupational Risk Management in the Context of Emerging Infections: The MPOX Paradigm.","authors":"Angela Stufano, Folashade O Omokhodion, Dingani Moyo, Luigi de Maria, Luigi Vimercati, Piero Lovreglio, Ivo Iavicoli","doi":"10.1097/JOM.0000000000003372","DOIUrl":"10.1097/JOM.0000000000003372","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":94100,"journal":{"name":"Journal of occupational and environmental medicine","volume":" ","pages":"385-392"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143598657","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":"Psychosocial Work Conditions, Mental Distress, Burnout, and Hypnotic Use Among Healthcare and Social Workers: A Comparative Analysis With General Employees.","authors":"Ming-Wei Lin, Su-Wei Wong, Yawen Cheng","doi":"10.1097/JOM.0000000000003356","DOIUrl":"10.1097/JOM.0000000000003356","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Healthcare and social workers (HSWs) often face demanding psychosocial work environments, which may lead to hypnotic use. This study investigates the associations between psychosocial work conditions, mental distress, burnout, and hypnotic use among HSWs compared to general employees.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Data from the 2022 Survey of Perceptions of Safety and Health in Work Environment in Taiwan included 202 HSWs and 808 matched general employees. Regression analyses examined relationships between psychosocial factors (e.g., job demands, job control, workplace violence) and mental health outcomes.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>HSWs reported higher job demands, workplace violence, burnout, and hypnotic use than general employees. Adverse psychosocial factors were linked to mental distress for both groups, with HSWs showing significantly higher odds of hypnotic use (OR, 2.47; 95% CI, 1.21-5.03).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Targeted interventions are essential to enhance workplace conditions and mental health for HSWs.</p>","PeriodicalId":94100,"journal":{"name":"Journal of occupational and environmental medicine","volume":" ","pages":"e379-e385"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143598659","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":"The Effect of Ketamine-Assisted Group Therapy on Treatment-Resistant Mental Health Conditions in Firefighters: A Prospective Observational Case Series.","authors":"Vivian Wl Tsang, Michelle Cq Lin, Cassandra M Choles, Pamela Kryskow","doi":"10.1097/JOM.0000000000003352","DOIUrl":"10.1097/JOM.0000000000003352","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Firefighters display elevated risk for diagnoses of mental health illnesses. Psychedelic-assisted therapies show promise in the treatment of clinically challenging conditions. This observational case series analyzed data from firefighters with mental health diagnoses who participated in a 12-week ketamine-assisted group therapy treatment plan.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Questionnaire scores (Generalized Anxiety Disorder Assessment-7, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, The Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist -5, Brief Inventory of Psychosocial Functioning ) collected throughout the program were scored and statistically analyzed for changes. Qualitative data were analyzed through thematic analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Significant decreases with large effect sizes were detected in Generalized Anxiety Disorder Assessment-7 and The Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist-5 scores after completion in the 12-week treatment plan, which persisted 6 months later. Participants noted it was beneficial being in a cohort with fellow firefighters.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Statistically and clinically significant improvements to posttraumatic stress disorder and anxiety diagnoses were detected in the cohort of firefighters after the Roots to Thrive Ketamine-Assisted Group Therapy program, with results retained six months post treatment.</p>","PeriodicalId":94100,"journal":{"name":"Journal of occupational and environmental medicine","volume":" ","pages":"e372-e378"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143461304","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}
Guillermo Villamizar, Arthur Frank, Paula Bizzi Junqueira, Juan Felipe Villamizar, Gabriel Camero
{"title":"ASBESTOS EXPOSURE IN LOW-MIDDLE INCOME COMMUNITIES OF CARTAGENA, COLOMBIA: A SURVEY OF KNOWLEDGE, PRACTICES, AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION.","authors":"Guillermo Villamizar, Arthur Frank, Paula Bizzi Junqueira, Juan Felipe Villamizar, Gabriel Camero","doi":"10.1097/JOM.0000000000003472","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1097/JOM.0000000000003472","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>To assess community knowledge, practices, and environmental risks associated with residential asbestos exposure in low-middle income neighborhoods of Cartagena, Colombia.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In a cross-sectional survey, 305 residents from 30 asbestos-affected neighborhoods completed questionnaires on asbestos knowledge and practices. Environmental samples (roofing, dust, and water) were analyzed for asbestos fibers.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Asbestos-cement roofing was present in 87.5% of homes. While 55.8% recognized asbestos hazards, 52% routinely disturbed asbestos materials, and informal disposal was common. Socially embedded practices, such as repurposing asbestos sheets and improper disposal were common. Asbestos fibers were found in 90% of dust samples and 85% of rainwater samples.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Residential asbestos exposure remains a major health risk in these communities. Mitigation requires not only education but also improved policies for safe removal and replacement of asbestos materials.</p>","PeriodicalId":94100,"journal":{"name":"Journal of occupational and environmental medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144499967","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}