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Ioannou LG, Foster J, Morris NB, Piil JF, Havenith G, Mekjavic IB, Kenny GP, Nybo L, Flouris AD. Occupational heat strain in outdoor workers: A comprehensive review and meta-analysis. Temperature (Austin) 2022; 9:67-102. [PMID: 35655665 PMCID: PMC9154804 DOI: 10.1080/23328940.2022.2030634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The present comprehensive review (i) summarizes the current knowledge on the impacts of occupational heat stress on outdoor workers, (ii) provides a historical background on this issue, (iii) presents a meta-analysis of published data, (iv) explores inter-individual and intra-individual factors, (v) discusses the available heat mitigation strategies, (vi) estimates physical work capacity, labour productivity, and metabolic rate for the year 2030, and (vii) provides an overview of existing policy and legal frameworks on occupational heat exposure. Meta-analytic findings from 38 field studies that involved monitoring 2,409 outdoor workers across 41 jobs in 21 countries suggest that occupational heat stress increases the core (r = 0.44) and skin (r = 0.44) temperatures, as well as the heart rate (r = 0.38) and urine specific gravity (r = 0.13) of outdoor workers (all p < 0.05). Moreover, it diminishes the capacity of outdoor workers for manual labour (r = -0.82; p < 0.001) and is responsible for more than two thirds of the reduction in their metabolic rate. Importantly, our analysis shows that physical work capacity is projected to be highly affected by the ongoing anthropogenic global warming. Nevertheless, the metabolic rate and, therefore, labour productivity are projected to remain at levels higher than the workers' physical work capacity, indicating that people will continue to work more intensely than they should to meet their financial obligations for food and shelter. In this respect, complementary measures targeting self-pacing, hydration, work-rest regimes, ventilated garments, and mechanization can be adopted to protect outdoor workers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonidas G. Ioannou
- FAME Laboratory, Department of Physical Education and Sport Science, University of Thessaly, Trikala, Greece
| | - Josh Foster
- Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine, Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas and University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Nathan B. Morris
- Department of Human Physiology & Nutrition, University of Colorado, Springs, Colorado, USA
| | - Jacob F. Piil
- Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, August Krogh Building, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - George Havenith
- Environmental Ergonomics Research Centre, Loughborough Design School, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK
| | - Igor B. Mekjavic
- Department of Automation, Biocybernetics and Robotics, Jozef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Glen P. Kenny
- Human and Environmental Physiology Research Unit, School of Human Kinetics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lars Nybo
- Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, August Krogh Building, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Andreas D. Flouris
- FAME Laboratory, Department of Physical Education and Sport Science, University of Thessaly, Trikala, Greece
- Human and Environmental Physiology Research Unit, School of Human Kinetics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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Carvalho F, Kiyatkin EA, Rusyniak DE, Romanovsky AA. Temperature in the spotlight of drug abuse research. Temperature (Austin) 2015; 2:27-8. [PMID: 27226999 PMCID: PMC4843858 DOI: 10.1080/23328940.2015.1008872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2015] [Revised: 01/08/2015] [Accepted: 01/08/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
This editorial summarizes Temperature's special issue entitled "Temperature and Toxicology with a Focus on Drugs of Abuse" (2014, volume 1, issue 3), dedicated to the multiple recent discoveries related to the thermoregulatory effects of xenobiotics. Several basic and clinical studies on xenobiotic-induced hyperthermia are reported that propose novel mechanisms and treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Félix Carvalho
- UCIBIO-REQUIMTE; Toxicology Laboratory; Department of Biological Sciences; Faculty of Pharmacy; University of Porto, Portugal
| | - Eugene A Kiyatkin
- Behavioral Neuroscience Branch; National Institute on Drug Abuse – Intramural Research Program; NIH; Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Daniel E Rusyniak
- Department of Emergency Medicine; Pharmacology and Toxicology; Indiana University School of Medicine; Indianapolis, IN USA
| | - Andrej A Romanovsky
- Systemic Inflammation Laboratory (FeverLab); Trauma Research; St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center; Phoenix, AZ USA
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