Occupational and environmental medicine
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Comparative Study
Performance of self-reported occupational exposure compared to a job-exposure matrix approach in asthma and chronic rhinitis.
Self-reported exposure to vapours, gas, dust or fumes (VGDF) has been widely used as an occupational exposure metric in epidemiological studies of chronic lung diseases. Our objective was to characterise the performance of VGDF for repeatability, systematic misclassification, and sensitivity and specificity against exposure likelihood by a job-exposure matrix (JEM). ⋯ The VGDF item is moderately sensitive measured against JEM as a benchmark. The measure is a useful assessment method for epidemiological studies of occupational exposure risk.
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Multicenter Study
Repeated respiratory hospital encounters among children with asthma and residential proximity to traffic.
The prevalence of adverse respiratory outcomes among children has been frequently associated with measurements of traffic-related exposures, and other data suggest asthma severity is worsened with residence near heavy traffic. We examined the association between neighbourhood traffic burden and repeated acute respiratory illnesses that required emergency department visits and/or hospitalisation for children with a primary or secondary diagnosis of asthma (89% acute bronchitis or pneumonia). ⋯ Results suggest exposure to traffic-related air pollution increases asthma severity as indicated by hospital utilisation. The finding in infants suggests this is an especially vulnerable population, although the validity of asthma diagnosis at this age is unknown. Females and children who do not have private insurance may also be more vulnerable to air pollution from traffic.
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In Spain, sick pay benefits for work-related sick leave episodes are higher than for non-work-related episodes. Our aim is to assess whether time to return to work is longer for higher paid sick leave episodes than for lower paid episodes. ⋯ Sick pay benefits have a limited effect on time to return to work after a sick leave episode.
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The aim of this prospective study was to examine the relationship between interpersonal conflicts at work and subsequent self-reported health outcomes (self-reported general health, need for recovery, and prolonged fatigue) and occupational mobility (internal mobility ie, changing job function, and external mobility ie, changing employers). ⋯ The results of this study indicate a possible causal relationship between interpersonal conflicts at work and self-reported health and occupational mobility. Given the considerable impact of interpersonal conflicts at work on the individual worker and on the organisation, and the fact that interpersonal conflicts at work are highly prevalent, these findings underline the need for interventions aimed at preventing the occurrence of interpersonal conflicts at work, or at least reducing the harmful effects on both the employee and the organisation.