scholarly journals Using a Qualitative Phenomenological Approach to Inform the Etiology and Prevention of Occupational Heat-Related Injuries in Australia

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 846
Author(s):  
Alana L Hansen ◽  
Susan Williams ◽  
Scott Hanson-Easey ◽  
Blesson M Varghese ◽  
Peng Bi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Heat Stress ◽  
Occupational Injuries ◽  
Heat Exposure ◽  
Phenomenological Approach ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Future Climate Change ◽  
Climate Change Scenarios ◽  
Prevention Measures ◽  
Qualitative Phenomenological

Epidemiological evidence has shown an association between exposure to high temperatures and occupational injuries, an issue gaining importance with environmental change. The aim of this study was to better understand contributing risk factors and preventive actions based on personal experiences. Interviews were conducted with 21 workers from five Australian states using a critical phenomenological approach to capture the lived experiences of participants, whilst exploring contextual factors that surround these experiences. Two case studies are presented: a cerebrovascular injury and injuries among seasonal horticulture workers. Other accounts of heat-related injuries and heat stress are also presented. Risk factors were classified as individual, interpersonal and organizational. In terms of prevention, participants recommended greater awareness of heat risks and peer-support for co-workers. Adding value to current evidence, we have provided new insights into the etiology of the health consequences of workplace heat exposure with workers identifying a range of influencing factors, prevention measures and adaptation strategies. Underpinning the importance of these are future climate change scenarios, suggesting that extended hot seasons will lead to increasing numbers of workers at risk of heat-stress and associated occupational injuries.

scholarly journals Occupational Injuries and Accidents in Work Environment’s Heat Stress Exposure: A Systematic Review

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rajabali Hokmabadi ◽  
Vida Rezaei-Hachesu ◽  
Meghdad Kazemi ◽  
Hossein Fallah ◽  
Farideh Golbabaei
Keyword(s):  
Heat Stress ◽  
Occupational Injuries ◽  
Heat Exposure ◽  
Extreme Temperature ◽  
Work Environments ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Analytical Studies ◽  
Risk Increase ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Hot Environments

Background: activity in hot environments is among the most common physical dangers in work environments that not only creates diseases resultant from heat which influences on staff’s health but also increases job injuries and accidents. Job injuries, diseases, and reduction in workers' efficiency in exposure to heat stress have caused increasing anxiety. Most of the study results are demonstrative of diseases as a result of heat and less related to job injuries and accidents. Therefore, the present study aims at reviewing previous studies in the field of job injuries and accidents in exposure to the work environment's heat stress. Methods: this review study has systematically reviewed publications and articles from 2000 to 2019 in databases. Keywords including "heat stress”, “heat strain”, “heat exposure”, “heat wave", "heat injuries”, “job accidents”, “job exposure”, “hot environment” and “air change" have been used and finally, 30 articles included into the study. Results: study articles consist of 29 jobs and 1 military environment. Study occupations consist of one study about military forces, textile, aluminum smelting, cleaners of oil reservoirs, two studies about mineworkers and metal and iron industries, three studies about building workers, four studies about agricultural workers and 15 studies about different occupations. Also, 11 studies conducted in open environments, seven studies in closed environments and 12 others conducted both in open and closed environments. 17 analytical studies, three correlational, cross-sectional, cohort studies, one cohort, and descriptive study and two descriptive-analytical studies have been conducted. Most job injuries and accidents happened during summer and men especially the young have involved in such problems and job injuries and accidents have increased due to extreme temperature increase. Generally, job injuries and accidents include burn, slip, collision with things and collision with mobile things. Conclusion: there is a strong relationship between temperature in hot environments and risk increase in injuries and accidents of work environments which differ based on employees' features (such as age, gender, occupation, and industry). However, dominant mechanisms on the happening of such injuries have not been determined yet. It necessitates more expertise to determine especial injuries and accidents happening in hot environments. Policymakers and employers have to be more aware of job injuries and accidents in heat exposure and suitable educational resources have to be provided to prevent such injuries.

scholarly journals 345Occupational heat stress and economic burden: evidence to support development of workplace heat management policies

2021 ◽  
Vol 50 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Borg ◽  
Peng Bi ◽  
Jianjun Xiang ◽  
Olga Anikeeva
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Heat Stress ◽  
Economic Burden ◽  
Occupational Injuries ◽  
Productivity Loss ◽  
Heat Exposure ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Work Efficiency ◽  
Heat Management ◽  
Management Policies

Abstract Background The adverse effects of heat on workers’ health and work productivity are well documented. However, the resultant economic consequences and productivity loss are less understood. This review aims to summarize the retrospective and potential future economic burden of workplace heat exposure in the context of climate change. Methods Literature was searched from database inception to October 2020 using Embase, PubMed, and Scopus. Articles were limited to original human studies investigating costs from occupational heat stress in English. Results Twenty studies met the criteria. Eighteen studies estimated costs from heat-induced labor productivity loss. Predicted global costs from lost worktime, in US$, were 280 billion in 1995, 311 billion in 2010 (≈0.5% of GDP), 2.5 trillion in 2030 (>1% of GDP) and up to 4.0% of GDP by 2100, with additional expenses after considering reduced work efficiency. Three studies estimated heat-related healthcare expenses from occupational injuries with averaged annual costs (US$) exceeding 1 million in Spain, 1 million in Guangzhou, China and 250,000 in Adelaide, Australia. Low- and middle-income countries and countries with warmer climates had greater losses as a proportion of GDP. Greater costs per worker were observed in outdoor industries, amongst males, and workers aged 25 to 44 years. Conclusions The estimated global economic burden of occupational heat stress is substantial. Climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies should be implemented to likely minimize future costs. Further research exploring the relationship between occupational heat stress and related expenses from lost productivity, decreased work efficiency and healthcare, and costs stratified by demographic factors, is warranted. Key messages The estimated retrospective and future economic burden from occupational heat stress is large. Responding to climate change is crucial to minimize this burden. Analyzing heat-attributable occupational costs may guide the development of workplace heat management policies and practices as part of global warming strategies.

scholarly journals An advanced empirical model for quantifying the impact of heat and climate change on human physical work capacity

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Josh Foster ◽  
James W. Smallcombe ◽  
Simon Hodder ◽  
Ollie Jay ◽  
Andreas D. Flouris ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Heat Stress ◽  
Skin Temperature ◽  
Work Capacity ◽  
Extreme Heat ◽  
Future Climate Change ◽  
Physical Work ◽  
Climate Change Scenarios ◽  
Physical Work Capacity ◽  
Mild Heat

AbstractOccupational heat stress directly hampers physical work capacity (PWC), with large economic consequences for industries and regions vulnerable to global warming. Accurately quantifying PWC is essential for forecasting impacts of different climate change scenarios, but the current state of knowledge is limited, leading to potential underestimations in mild heat, and overestimations in extreme heat. We therefore developed advanced empirical equations for PWC based on 338 work sessions in climatic chambers (low air movement, no solar radiation) spanning mild to extreme heat stress. Equations for PWC are available based on air temperature and humidity, for a suite of heat stress assessment metrics, and mean skin temperature. Our models are highly sensitive to mild heat and to our knowledge are the first to include empirical data across the full range of warm and hot environments possible with future climate change across the world. Using wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) as an example, we noted 10% reductions in PWC at mild heat stress (WBGT = 18°C) and reductions of 78% in the most extreme conditions (WBGT = 40°C). Of the different heat stress indices available, the heat index was the best predictor of group level PWC (R2 = 0.96) but can only be applied in shaded conditions. The skin temperature, but not internal/core temperature, was a strong predictor of PWC (R2 = 0.88), thermal sensation (R2 = 0.84), and thermal comfort (R2 = 0.73). The models presented apply to occupational workloads and can be used in climate projection models to predict economic and social consequences of climate change.

Occupational heat exposure and the risk of chronic kidney disease of non-traditional origin in the United States

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher L. Chapman ◽  
Hayden W. Hess ◽  
Rebekah A I Lucas ◽  
Jason Glaser ◽  
Rajiv Saran ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Chronic Kidney Disease ◽  
Heat Stress ◽  
Kidney Disease ◽  
Heat Exposure ◽  
Kidney Injury ◽  
The United States ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Physical Work ◽  
Occupational Heat Exposure

Occupational heat exposure is linked to the development of kidney injury and disease in individuals who frequently perform physically demanding work in the heat. For instance, in Central America, an epidemic of chronic kidney disease of non-traditional origin (CKDnt) is occurring among manual laborers, while potentially related epidemics have emerged in India and Sri Lanka. There is growing concern that workers in the United States suffer with CKDnt, but reports are limited. One of the leading hypotheses is that repetitive kidney injury caused by physical work in the heat can progress to CKDnt. Whether heat stress is the primary causal agent or accelerates existing underlying pathology remains contested. However, the current evidence supports that heat stress induces tubular kidney injury, which is worsened by higher core temperatures, dehydration, longer work durations, muscle damaging exercise, and consumption of beverages containing high levels of fructose. The purpose of this narrative mini review is to identify occupations that may place United States workers at greater risk of kidney injury and CKDnt. Specifically, we reviewed the scientific literature to characterize the demographics, environmental conditions, physiological strain (i.e., core temperature increase, dehydration, heart rate), and work durations in sectors typically experiencing occupational heat exposure, including farming, wildland firefighting, landscaping, and utilities. Overall, the surprisingly limited available evidence characterizing occupational heat exposure in United States workers supports the need for future investigations to understand this risk of CKDnt.

Family-, Media-, and School-Related Risk Factors of Video Game Addiction

2013 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 118-128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Florian Rehbein ◽  
Dirk Baier
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Epidemiological Studies ◽  
Prevention Measures ◽  
School Life ◽  
Video Game Addiction ◽  
Effective Prevention ◽  
Game Addiction

In recent years, a variety of epidemiological studies have provided empirical data on the prevalence of video game addiction (GA) in different age groups. However, few studies investigated the causes of GA and could explain why video game playing as a widespread phenomenon leads to a comparatively small percentage of addicted players. Additionally, the existing longitudinal studies mainly consider psychological trait variables and neglect the possible explanatory value of predictors in socialization regarding media availability, media use, and family and everyday school life. In this paper, the results of a two-wave longitudinal study comprising a sample of students from Grades 4 to 9 (N = 406) are presented. The data show that 15-year-old video game addicts had already exhibited a number of specific risk factors at the age of 10. Students from single-parent families seem to be particularly at risk, as are students with low experienced school well-being and with a weaker social integration in class. The data also indicate that problematic use of video games in childhood increases the risk of GA in adolescence. Male students are especially vulnerable for developing GA. The results of this study are an important contribution to understanding risk factors for GA in adolescents, thereby laying the groundwork for effective prevention measures.

Cardiovascular Risk in Rheumatoid Arthritis and Mechanistic Links: From Pathophysiology to Treatment

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 431-446 ◽  
Author(s):  
George E. Fragoulis ◽  
Ismini Panayotidis ◽  
Elena Nikiphorou
Keyword(s):  
Rheumatoid Arthritis ◽  
Risk Factors ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Pharmacological Intervention ◽  
Cvd Risk ◽  
The Past ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Cv Disease ◽  
Obesity Hypertension ◽  
Inflammatory Burden

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune inflammatory arthritis. Inflammation, however, can spread beyond the joints to involve other organs. During the past few years, it has been well recognized that RA associates with increased risk for cardiovascular (CV) disease (CVD) compared with the general population. This seems to be due not only to the increased occurrence in RA of classical CVD risk factors and comorbidities like smoking, obesity, hypertension, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and others but also to the inflammatory burden that RA itself carries. This is not unexpected given the strong links between inflammation and atherosclerosis and CVD. It has been shown that inflammatory cytokines which are present in abundance in RA play a significant role in every step of plaque formation and rupture. Most of the therapeutic regimes used in RA treatment seem to offer significant benefits to that end. However, more studies are needed to clarify the effect of these drugs on various parameters, including the lipid profile. Of note, although pharmacological intervention significantly helps reduce the inflammatory burden and therefore the CVD risk, control of the so-called classical risk factors is equally important. Herein, we review the current evidence for the underlying pathogenic mechanisms linking inflammation with CVD in the context of RA and reflect on the possible impact of treatments used in RA.

Graft detachments in endothelial keratoplasty

2021 ◽  
pp. bjophthalmol-2020-318092
Author(s):  
Rashmi Deshmukh ◽  
Sridevi Nair ◽  
Darren Shu Jeng Ting ◽  
Tushar Agarwal ◽  
Jacqueline Beltz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Preventive Measures ◽  
Endothelial Keratoplasty ◽  
Common Complication ◽  
Prevention Measures ◽  
Descemet Stripping Endothelial Keratoplasty ◽  
Secondary Interventions ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Incidence Risk ◽  
Donor Graft

Graft detachment is the most common complication of endothelial keratoplasty. With the ongoing advancements in the field of endothelial keratoplasty, our understanding of risk factors of graft detachments and its management has been evolving. Various prevention measures have been described in literature including presoaking the donor graft, anterior chamber tamponade, venting incisions, sutures to prevent dislocation of graft. Management of a detached graft involves secondary interventions such as rebubbling, suturing and regrafts. In this review, we discuss graft detachment in different types of endothelial keratoplasty techniques including Descemet stripping endothelial keratoplasty, Descemet stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty and Descemet’s membrane endothelial keratoplasty; with emphasis on incidence, risk factors, preventive measures and their management.

Comparison of Risk Factors of Falling for Psychiatric Inpatients and General Ward Inpatients Who Had Fallen

2021 ◽  
pp. 107839032110330
Author(s):  
Wen P. Chang ◽  
Hsiu J. Jen
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Multinomial Logistic Regression ◽  
Psychiatric Patients ◽  
Length Of Hospital Stay ◽  
Psychiatric Inpatients ◽  
General Ward ◽  
Prevention Measures ◽  
Risk Of Falling ◽  
Multinomial Logistic Regression Analysis ◽  
Risk Factors For Falling

BACKGROUND: For psychiatric patients, the issue of falling is complex. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to compare the risk factors for falling in psychiatric inpatients and general ward inpatients who had fallen. METHODS: The researchers first derived official fall records for 122 psychiatric inpatients and then selected 122 psychiatric inpatients who had not fallen as well as 122 general ward patients who had fallen, matched for gender, age, and length of hospital stay at the time of the fall incident. RESULTS: After controlling other variables, multinomial logistic regression analysis revealed that psychiatric inpatients who had fallen and had dizziness (odds ratio [OR] = 7.11, p < .001), had an unsteady gait (OR = 1.97, p = .030), or were not using aids (OR = 0.42, p = .042) were at greater risk of falling than those who had not fallen. The researchers also found that general ward inpatients who had fallen and had higher Charlson Comorbidity Index scores (OR = 1.77, p < .001), were clear-headed (OR = 27.15, p = .001), had dizziness (OR = 11.55, p < .001), were unable to walk (OR = 64.28, p < .001), or were using aids (OR = 3.86, p = .001) were at greater risk of falling than those who had not fallen before. CONCLUSIONS: The causes of falling among psychiatric inpatients and general ward inpatients are different. Medical personnel should understand the medications and attributes of patients for an accurate assessment of their risk factors for falling and thus implement fall prevention measures and health education to reduce falls.

scholarly journals Mapping current and potential future distributions of the oak tree (Quercus aegilops) in the Kurdistan Region, Iraq

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nabaz R. Khwarahm
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Habitat Suitability ◽  
Environmental Variables ◽  
Climate Changes ◽  
Future Climate ◽  
Annual Precipitation ◽  
Future Climate Change ◽  
Climate Change Scenarios ◽  
Kurdistan Region ◽  
Oak Tree

Abstract Background The oak tree (Quercus aegilops) comprises ~ 70% of the oak forests in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI). Besides its ecological importance as the residence for various endemic and migratory species, Q. aegilops forest also has socio-economic values—for example, as fodder for livestock, building material, medicine, charcoal, and firewood. In the KRI, Q. aegilops has been degrading due to anthropogenic threats (e.g., shifting cultivation, land use/land cover changes, civil war, and inadequate forest management policy) and these threats could increase as climate changes. In the KRI and Iraq as a whole, information on current and potential future geographical distributions of Q. aegilops is minimal or not existent. The objectives of this study were to (i) predict the current and future habitat suitability distributions of the species in relation to environmental variables and future climate change scenarios (Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 2.6 2070 and RCP8.5 2070); and (ii) determine the most important environmental variables controlling the distribution of the species in the KRI. The objectives were achieved by using the MaxEnt (maximum entropy) algorithm, available records of Q. aegilops, and environmental variables. Results The model demonstrated that, under the RCP2.6 2070 and RCP8.5 2070 climate change scenarios, the distribution ranges of Q. aegilops would be reduced by 3.6% (1849.7 km2) and 3.16% (1627.1 km2), respectively. By contrast, the species ranges would expand by 1.5% (777.0 km2) and 1.7% (848.0 km2), respectively. The distribution of the species was mainly controlled by annual precipitation. Under future climate change scenarios, the centroid of the distribution would shift toward higher altitudes. Conclusions The results suggest (i) a significant suitable habitat range of the species will be lost in the KRI due to climate change by 2070 and (ii) the preference of the species for cooler areas (high altitude) with high annual precipitation. Conservation actions should focus on the mountainous areas (e.g., by establishment of national parks and protected areas) of the KRI as climate changes. These findings provide useful benchmarking guidance for the future investigation of the ecology of the oak forest, and the categorical current and potential habitat suitability maps can effectively be used to improve biodiversity conservation plans and management actions in the KRI and Iraq as a whole.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document