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ASSADI SEYEDEHNEGAR. Cardiovascular disorders and exposure to chemical pollutants. JOURNAL OF PREVENTIVE MEDICINE AND HYGIENE 2024; 65:E59-E64. [PMID: 38706761 PMCID: PMC11066832 DOI: 10.15167/2421-4248/jpmh2024.65.1.3126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
Introduction Exposure with some chemical can cause cardiovascular disorders. Occupational exposures with chemicals are modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. The Objective of this study was the determination of cardiovascular disorders in industries with occupational exposures. Materials and methods Study was a cross-sectional method and was done on workers of related industries. The study was done with a physical examination and checklist by getting health and illness history and clinical tests about the risk factors and cardiovascular disorders. According to exposures the population of the study was divided into 3 groups. Data were analyzed with SPSS 16, by considering p < 0.05 as significant. Results The frequency of unstable angina and stable angina were the most in group 1. The relative risk for unstable angina was 1.55 (1.46-1.61) in group 1 and for stable angina was 1.54 (1.47-1.62) in this group. The risk of thrombophlebitis was 8.48 (7.07-10.17) in group 2. Conclusions Workers in industry with chemical pollutants had cardiovascular disorders. The occupational exposures, especially chemical agents are effective on cardiovascular system.
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Affiliation(s)
- SEYEDEH NEGAR ASSADI
- Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
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Teixeira LR, Pega F, Dzhambov AM, Bortkiewicz A, da Silva DTC, de Andrade CAF, Gadzicka E, Hadkhale K, Iavicoli S, Martínez-Silveira MS, Pawlaczyk-Łuszczyńska M, Rondinone BM, Siedlecka J, Valenti A, Gagliardi D. The effect of occupational exposure to noise on ischaemic heart disease, stroke and hypertension: A systematic review and meta-analysis from the WHO/ILO Joint Estimates of the Work-Related Burden of Disease and Injury. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2021; 154:106387. [PMID: 33612311 PMCID: PMC8204276 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2021.106387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2020] [Revised: 12/24/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) are developing joint estimates of the work-related burden of disease and injury (WHO/ILO Joint Estimates), with contributions from a large number of individual experts. Evidence from mechanistic data suggests that occupational exposure to noise may cause cardiovascular disease (CVD). In this paper, we present a systematic review and meta-analysis of parameters for estimating the number of deaths and disability-adjusted life years from CVD that are attributable to occupational exposure to noise, for the development of the WHO/ILO Joint Estimates. OBJECTIVES We aimed to systematically review and meta-analyse estimates of the effect of any (high) occupational exposure to noise (≥85 dBA), compared with no (low) occupational exposure to noise (<85 dBA), on the prevalence, incidence and mortality of ischaemic heart disease (IHD), stroke, and hypertension. DATA SOURCES A protocol was developed and published, applying the Navigation Guide as an organizing systematic review framework where feasible. We searched electronic academic databases for potentially relevant records from published and unpublished studies up to 1 April 2019, including International Trials Register, Ovid MEDLINE, PubMed, Embase, Lilacs, Scopus, Web of Science, and CISDOC. The MEDLINE and Pubmed searches were updated on 31 January 2020. We also searched grey literature databases, Internet search engines and organizational websites; hand-searched reference lists of previous systematic reviews and included study records; and consulted additional experts. STUDY ELIGIBILITY AND CRITERIA We included working-age (≥15 years) workers in the formal and informal economy in any WHO and/or ILO Member State but excluded children (<15 years) and unpaid domestic workers. We included randomized controlled trials, cohort studies, case-control studies and other non-randomized intervention studies with an estimate of the effect of any occupational exposure to noise on CVD prevalence, incidence or mortality, compared with the theoretical minimum risk exposure level (<85 dBA). STUDY APPRAISAL AND SYNTHESIS METHODS At least two review authors independently screened titles and abstracts against the eligibility criteria at a first stage and full texts of potentially eligible records at a second stage, followed by extraction of data from qualifying studies. We prioritized evidence from cohort studies and combined relative risk estimates using random-effect meta-analysis. To assess the robustness of findings, we conducted sensitivity analyses (leave-one-out meta-analysis and used as alternative fixed effects and inverse-variance heterogeneity estimators). At least two review authors assessed the risk of bias, quality of evidence and strength of evidence, using Navigation Guide tools and approaches adapted to this project. RESULTS Seventeen studies (11 cohort studies, six case-control studies) met the inclusion criteria, comprising a total of 534,688 participants (39,947 or 7.47% females) in 11 countries in three WHO regions (the Americas, Europe, and the Western Pacific). The exposure was generally assessed with dosimetry, sound level meter and/or official or company records. The outcome was most commonly assessed using health records. We are very uncertain (low quality of evidence) about the effect of occupational exposure to noise (≥85 dBA), compared with no occupational exposure to noise (<85 dBA), on: having IHD (0 studies); acquiring IHD (relative risk (RR) 1.29, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.15 to 1.43, two studies, 11,758 participants, I2 0%); dying from IHD (RR 1.03, 95% CI 0.93-1.14, four studies, 198,926 participants, I2 26%); having stroke (0 studies); acquiring stroke (RR 1.11, 95% CI 0.82-1.65, two studies, 170,000 participants, I2 0%); dying from stroke (RR 1.02, 95% CI 0.93-1.12, three studies, 195,539 participants, I2 0%); having hypertension (0 studies); acquiring hypertension (RR 1.07, 95% CI 0.90-1.28, three studies, four estimates, 147,820 participants, I2 52%); and dying from hypertension (0 studies). Data for subgroup analyses were missing. Sensitivity analyses supported the main analyses. CONCLUSIONS For acquiring IHD, we judged the existing body of evidence from human data to provide "limited evidence of harmfulness"; a positive relationship is observed between exposure and outcome where chance, bias, and confounding cannot be ruled out with reasonable confidence. For all other included outcomes, the bodies of evidence were judged as "inadequate evidence of harmfulness". Producing estimates for the burden of CVD attributable to occupational exposure to noise appears to not be evidence-based at this time. PROTOCOL IDENTIFIER 10.1016/j.envint.2018.09.040. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER CRD42018092272.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liliane R Teixeira
- Workers' Health and Human Ecology Research Center, National School of Public Health Sergio Arouca, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
| | - Frank Pega
- Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland.
| | - Angel M Dzhambov
- Department of Hygiene, Faculty of Public Health, Medical University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria; Institute for Highway Engineering and Transport Planning, Graz University of Technology, Graz, Austria.
| | - Alicja Bortkiewicz
- Department of Work Physiology and Ergonomics, Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, Lodz, Poland.
| | - Denise T Correa da Silva
- Workers' Health and Human Ecology Research Center, National School of Public Health Sergio Arouca, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
| | - Carlos A F de Andrade
- Department of Epidemiology and Quantitative Methods in Health, National School of Public Health Sergio Arouca, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil; School of Medicine, Universidade de Vassouras, Vassouras, RJ, Brazil.
| | - Elzbieta Gadzicka
- Department of Work Physiology and Ergonomics, Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, Lodz, Poland.
| | - Kishor Hadkhale
- Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland.
| | - Sergio Iavicoli
- Inail, Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Epidemiology and Hygiene, Monte Porzio Catone, Rome, Italy.
| | | | | | - Bruna M Rondinone
- Inail, Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Epidemiology and Hygiene, Monte Porzio Catone, Rome, Italy.
| | - Jadwiga Siedlecka
- Department of Work Physiology and Ergonomics, Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, Lodz, Poland.
| | - Antonio Valenti
- Inail, Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Epidemiology and Hygiene, Monte Porzio Catone, Rome, Italy.
| | - Diana Gagliardi
- Inail, Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Epidemiology and Hygiene, Monte Porzio Catone, Rome, Italy.
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Performance of Small-Scale Sawmilling Operations: A Case Study on Time Consumption, Productivity and Main Ergonomics for a Manually Driven Bandsaw. FORESTS 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/f12060810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Sawmilling operations represent one of the most important phases of the wood supply chain, because they connect the conversion flow of raw materials into finite products. In order to maintain a high volume of processed wood, sawmills usually adopt different processing strategies in terms of equipment and methods, which can increase the value or volume of the lumber produced from logs. In this study, the performance of small-scale sawmilling operations was monitored, whilst also evaluating the exposure of workers to harmful factors. An assessment of time consumption, productivity, and main ergonomics was conducted during the use of a manually driven bandsaw. In addition, the exposure to noise was investigated to complement the knowledge in this regard. The results indicated a rather high time utilization in productive tasks, which may come at the expense of exposure to noise and to poor working postures. The modelling approach resulted in statistically significant time consumption models for different phases (blade adjustment, effective sawing, returning, unloading lumber, and loading and fixing lumber). The exposure to noise was close to 92 dB (A) (8 h) and, therefore, the level of emitted noise is likely to depend on the condition of the used blades, species sawn and on the dimensional characteristics of the logs. In terms of ergonomic risks, the poorest postures were those related to tasks such as moving the logs, loading the logs, fixing the logs, rotating and removing the logs, as well as unloading the lumber.
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Hawi N, Alazzawi S, Schmitz A, Kreibich T, Gehrke T, Kendoff D, Haasper C. Noise levels during total hip arthroplasty: the silent health hazard. Hip Int 2020; 30:679-683. [PMID: 31007060 DOI: 10.1177/1120700019842348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND While there is an enormous amount of data on various surgical aspects of total hip arthroplasty (THA), there is only limited literature on the health hazards incurred by the surgical team. Since THA surgery produces noise, exposure over a long period of time may lead to gradual hearing loss which is known as noise-induced hearing loss. METHODS We investigated the noise levels during THA and compared it with the maximum allowed limits at the workplace in the United Kingdom. In collaboration with specialised audio engineers, we analysed the noise levels during various steps of performing 7 uncemented THA. RESULTS The results showed that the noise levels were close to the allowed limits for a workplace in the UK. CONCLUSION Hospitals and staff who work in orthopaedic operating theatres should be aware of this risk and precautions should be put in place.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nael Hawi
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Helios ENDO-Klinik, Hamburg, Germany.,Trauma Department, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Sulaiman Alazzawi
- Orthopaedic Department, Vancouver General Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Alfred Schmitz
- Institute for Acoustics and Audio Technique (IFAA), Grevenbroich, Germany
| | - Thomas Kreibich
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Helios ENDO-Klinik, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Thorsten Gehrke
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Helios ENDO-Klinik, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Daniel Kendoff
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Helios ENDO-Klinik, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Carl Haasper
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Helios ENDO-Klinik, Hamburg, Germany
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Baltin CT, Wilhelm H, Wittland M, Hoelscher AH, Stippel D, Astvatsatourov A. Noise patterns in visceral surgical procedures: Analysis of second-by-second dBA data of 599 procedures over the course of one year. Sci Rep 2020; 10:3030. [PMID: 32080239 PMCID: PMC7033177 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-59816-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2019] [Accepted: 02/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The objective of this study is to analyze noise patterns during 599 visceral surgical procedures. Considering work-safety regulations, we will identify immanent noise patterns during major visceral surgeries. Increased levels of noise are known to have negative health impacts. Based on a very fine-grained data collection over a year, this study will introduce a new procedure for visual representation of intra-surgery noise progression and pave new paths for future research on noise reduction in visceral surgery. Digital decibel sound-level meters were used to record the total noise in three operating theatres in one-second cycles over a year. These data were matched to archival data on surgery characteristics. Because surgeries inherently vary in length, we developed a new procedure to normalize surgery times to run cross-surgery comparisons. Based on this procedure, dBA values were adjusted to each normalized time point. Noise-level patterns are presented for surgeries contingent on important surgery characteristics: 16 different surgery types, operation method, day/night time point and operation complexity (complexity levels 1–3). This serves to cover a wide spectrum of day-to-day surgeries. The noise patterns reveal significant sound level differences of about 1 dBA, with the most-common noise level being spread between 55 and 60 dBA. This indicates a sound situation in many of the surgeries studied likely to cause stress in patients and staff. Absolute and relative risks of meeting or exceeding 60 dBA differ considerably across operation types. In conclusion, the study reveals that maximum noise levels of 55 dBA are frequently exceeded during visceral surgical procedures. Especially complex surgeries show, on average, a higher noise exposure. Our findings warrant active noise management for visceral surgery to reduce potential negative impacts of noise on surgical performance and outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- C T Baltin
- Department of Orthopaedics and Trauma Surgery, University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
| | - H Wilhelm
- Faculty of Management and Economics, Witten/Herdecke University, Witten, Germany
| | - M Wittland
- Department of Nursing and Health Care, Faculty V, University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Hannover, Germany
| | - A H Hoelscher
- Contilia Centre for Diseases of the Oesophagus, Elisabeth Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - D Stippel
- Department of General, Visceral and Cancer Surgery, University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - A Astvatsatourov
- Clinical Trials Centre Cologne, University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
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El-Sallamy RM, Kabbash IA, El-Fatah SA, El-Feky A. Physical hazard safety awareness among healthcare workers in Tanta university hospitals, Egypt. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2018; 25:30826-30838. [PMID: 28516353 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-017-9110-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2016] [Accepted: 04/26/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Hospital workers are exposed to many occupational hazards that may threaten their health and safety. Physical hazards encountered in hospital working environment include temperature, illumination, noise, electrical injuries, and radiation. To assess the awareness of healthcare workers (HCWs) about physical hazards in Tanta university hospitals, this cross-sectional study included 401 HCWs (physicians, nurses, technicians, and workers) from seven departments (general surgery, orthopedics, radiology, ophthalmology, kitchen, incinerator, and laundry). Data were collected through interview questionnaire to assess six types of physical hazards (noise, electric hazards, temperature, radiation, fire, and lighting,). Most of the physicians (63.7%) were aware of the level of noise. All physicians, nurses, technicians, and majority of workers reported that hearing protective devices were not available, and all HCWs reported that periodic hearing examination was not performed. Most of the nurses (75.2%) and workers (68.5%) did not attended emergency training, and more than two thirds of all HCWs were not briefed about emergency evacuation. Most HCWs were not given appropriate radiation safety training before starting work (88% of workers, 73.7% of nurses, 65.7% of physicians, and 68.3% of technicians). The majority of physicians, nurses, and technicians (70.5, 65.4, and 53.7%) denied regular environmental monitoring for radiation level inside work place. Health education programs on health and safety issues regarding physical hazards should be mandatory to all healthcare workers to improve their awareness and protect them from undue exposures they may face due to lack of adequate awareness and knowledge. There is urgent need of expanding the occupational healthcare services in Egypt to cover all the employees as indicated by the international recommendations and the Egyptian Constitution, legislation, and community necessity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rania M El-Sallamy
- Occupational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt.
| | - Ibrahim Ali Kabbash
- Public Health and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt
| | - Sanaa Abd El-Fatah
- Public Health and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt
| | - Asmaa El-Feky
- Occupational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt
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Thepaksorn P, Koizumi A, Harada K, Siriwong W, Neitzel RL. Occupational noise exposure and hearing defects among sawmill workers in the south of Thailand. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND ERGONOMICS 2018; 25:458-466. [DOI: 10.1080/10803548.2017.1394710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Phayong Thepaksorn
- Trang Research Center for Occupational Health, Sirindhorn College of Public Health, Thailand
- School of Public Health, Kyoto University, Japan
- College of Public Health Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand
| | - Akio Koizumi
- School of Public Health, Kyoto University, Japan
| | - Kouji Harada
- School of Public Health, Kyoto University, Japan
| | - Wattasit Siriwong
- College of Public Health Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand
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Gabbard R, Fendley M, Dar IA, Warren R, Kashou NH. Utilizing functional near-infrared spectroscopy for prediction of cognitive workload in noisy work environments. NEUROPHOTONICS 2017; 4:041406. [PMID: 28840158 PMCID: PMC5562416 DOI: 10.1117/1.nph.4.4.041406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2017] [Accepted: 07/17/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Occupational noise frequently occurs in the work environment in military intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance operations. This impacts cognitive performance by acting as a stressor, potentially interfering with the analysts' decision-making process. We investigated the effects of different noise stimuli on analysts' performance and workload in anomaly detection by simulating a noisy work environment. We utilized functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to quantify oxy-hemoglobin (HbO) and deoxy-hemoglobin concentration changes in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), as well as behavioral measures, which include eye tracking, reaction time, and accuracy rate. We hypothesized that noisy environments would have a negative effect on the participant in terms of anomaly detection performance due to the increase in workload, which would be reflected by an increase in PFC activity. We found that HbO for some of the channels analyzed were significantly different across noise types ([Formula: see text]). Our results also indicated that HbO activation for short-intermittent noise stimuli was greater in the PFC compared to long-intermittent noises. These approaches using fNIRS in conjunction with an understanding of the impact on human analysts in anomaly detection could potentially lead to better performance by optimizing work environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Gabbard
- Wright State University, Biomedical, Industrial and Human Factors Engineering, Dayton, Ohio, United States
| | - Mary Fendley
- Wright State University, Biomedical, Industrial and Human Factors Engineering, Dayton, Ohio, United States
| | - Irfaan A. Dar
- Wright State University, Biomedical, Industrial and Human Factors Engineering, Dayton, Ohio, United States
| | - Rik Warren
- Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio, United States
| | - Nasser H. Kashou
- Wright State University, Biomedical, Industrial and Human Factors Engineering, Dayton, Ohio, United States
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Aghilinejad M, Kabir-Mokamelkhah E, Imanizade Z, Danesh H. Occupational Class Groups as a Risk Factor for Gastrointestinal Cancer: A Case-Control Study. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OCCUPATIONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL MEDICINE 2017; 8:21-31. [PMID: 28051193 PMCID: PMC6679632 DOI: 10.15171/ijoem.2017.851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2016] [Accepted: 12/23/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cancer has a high mortality rate in both developing and developed countries. 11%-15% of cancers are attributable to occupational risk factors. OBJECTIVE To determine if specific occupational classes, based on the International Standard for Classification of Occupations 2008 (ISCO-08), are risk factors for gastrointestinal (GI) cancer. METHODS In this case-control study, 834 cancer patients were interviewed by a single physician. Cases included patients with GI cancer. Age-matched controls were selected from non-GI cancer patients. Each year of working, up until 5 years before the diagnosis, was questioned and categorized by the ISCO classification. RESULTS 243 GI cancer cases and 243 non-GI cancer patients (486 in total) were studied. Working in ISCO class 8 (plant and machine operators, and assemblers) was significantly associated with higher risk of GI cancer (OR 1.63, 95% CI 1.05 to 2.52). Working in ISCO class 6 (skilled agricultural, forestry and fishery workers) and 9 (elementary occupations) were also associated with higher incidence of GI cancers. CONCLUSION Working in ISCO classes of 8, 6, and 9, which are usually associated with low socio-economic status, can be considered a risk factor for GI cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mashallah Aghilinejad
- Occupational Medicine Research Center (OMRC), Iran University of Medical Sciences and Health Services (IUMS), Tehran, Iran
| | - Elahe Kabir-Mokamelkhah
- Occupational Medicine Research Center (OMRC), Iran University of Medical Sciences and Health Services (IUMS), Tehran, Iran
| | - Zahra Imanizade
- Department of Occupational Medicine, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran
| | - Hossein Danesh
- Department of Occupational Medicine, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran.
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Dzhambov AM, Dimitrova DD. Occupational noise and ischemic heart disease: A systematic review. Noise Health 2017; 18:167-77. [PMID: 27569404 PMCID: PMC5187658 DOI: 10.4103/1463-1741.189241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Noise exposure might be a risk factor for ischemic heart disease (IHD). Unlike residential exposure, however, evidence for occupational noise is limited. Given that high-quality quantitative synthesis of existing data is highly warranted for occupational safety and policy, we aimed at conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis of the risks of IHD morbidity and mortality because of occupational noise exposure. We carried out a systematic search in MEDLINE, EMBASE, and on the Internet since April 2, 2015, in English, Spanish, Russian, and Bulgarian. A quality-scoring checklist was developed a priori to assess different sources of methodological bias. A qualitative data synthesis was performed. Conservative assumptions were applied when appropriate. A meta-analysis was not feasible because of unresolvable methodological discrepancies between the studies. On the basis of five studies, there was some evidence to suggest higher risk of IHD among workers exposed to objectively assessed noise >75–80 dB for <20 years (supported by one high, one moderate, and one low quality study, opposed by one high and one moderate quality study). Three moderate and two low quality studies out of six found self-rated exposure to be associated with higher risk of IHD, and only one moderate quality study found no effect. Out of four studies, a higher mortality risk was suggested by one moderate quality study relying on self-rated exposure and one of high-quality study using objective exposure. Sensitivity analyses showed that at higher exposures and in some vulnerable subgroups, such as women, the adverse effects were considerably stronger. Despite methodological discrepancies and limitations of the included studies, occupational noise appeared to be a risk factor for IHD morbidity. Results suggested higher risk for IHD mortality only among vulnerable subgroups. Workers exposed to high occupational noise should be considered at higher overall risk of IHD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angel M Dzhambov
- Department of Hygiene and Ecomedicine, Faculty of Public Health, Medical University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
| | - Donka D Dimitrova
- Department of Health Management and Healthcare Economics, Faculty of Public Health, Medical University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
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