Shift work and risk factors for coronary heart disease in Japanese blue-collar workers: Serum lipids and anthropometric characteristics

This study was conducted to determine if there is an associationbetween shift work and risk factors for coronary heart disease(CHD) in Japanese mate blue-collar shift workers. Health check-updata on serum lipid concentration and anthropometric indicesof 33 three-shift workers and 27 two-shift workers were comparedwith those of day workers. The average years in age of the shiftworkers and day workers were 34.5 (SD=7.1) and 32.7 (SD=7.6),respectively. Serum total cholesterol levels of three-shift,two-shift and day workers were 5.70 (SD=1.19) mmol/l, 4.81 (SD=1.01)mmol/l, 4.98 (SD=0.95) mmol/l, respectively, and the cholesterollevels of three-shift workers were significantly higher thanthe other workers (p<0.05). In addition, the abdominal tohip circumference ratios were 0.905 (SD=0.060) for three-shiftworkers and 0.877 (SD=0.054) for day workers, with a significantdifference (p<0.05). In the present Japanese population,three-shift workers had higher risks of CHD than day workers,which was characterized by higher levels of serum total cholesteroland tendency to central obesity. These findings held when lifestylefactors were taken into account.     

The mediating role of sleep,physical activity,and diet in the association between shift work and respiratory infections

Objectives:Shift work may be associated with an increased incidence of respiratory infections. However, underlying mechanisms are unclear. Therefore, our aim was to examine the mediating role of sleep, physical activity, and diet in the association between shift work and respiratory infections.Methods:This prospective cohort study included 396 shift and non-shift workers employed in hospitals. At baseline, sleep duration and physical activity were measured using actigraphy and sleep/activity diaries, sleep quality was reported, and frequency of meal and snack consumption was measured using food diaries. In the following six months, participants used a smartphone application to report their influenza-like illness/acute respiratory infection (ILI/ARI) symptoms daily. Mediation analysis of sleep, physical activity, and diet as potential mediators of the effect of shift work on ILI/ARI incidence rate was performed using structural equation modeling with negative binomial and logistic regression.Results:Shift workers had a 23% [incidence rate ratio (IRR) 1.23, 95% CI 1.01–1.49] higher incidence rate of ILI/ARI than non-shift workers. After adding the potential mediators to the model, this reduced to 15% (IRR 1.15, 95% CI 0.94–1.40). The largest mediating (ie, indirect) effect was found for poor sleep quality, with shift workers having 29% more ILI/ARI episodes via the pathway of poorer sleep quality (IRR 1.29, 95% CI 1.02–1.95).Conclusions:Compared to non-shift workers, shift workers had a higher incidence rate of ILI/ARI that was partly mediated by poorer sleep quality. Therefore, it may be relevant for future research to focus on perceived sleep quality as an underlying mechanism in the relation between shift work and increased infection susceptibility.     

Global,regional and national burden of disease attributable to 19 selected occupational risk factors for 183 countries, 2000–2016: A systematic analysis from the WHO/ILO Joint Estimates of the Work-related Burden of Disease and Injury

ObjectivesWe provide a brief introduction to the objectives, data, methods and results of the World Health Organization (WHO)/International Labor Organization (ILO) Joint Estimates of the Work-related Burden of Disease and Injury (WHO/ILO Joint Estimates), which estimated the burden attributable to 19 selected occupational risk factors.MethodsThe WHO/ILO Joint Estimates were produced within the global Comparative Risk Assessment framework, which attributes the burden of one specific health outcome (ie, disease/injury) to a specific occupational risk factor. For 39 established occupational risk factor-health outcome pairs, estimates are produced using population attributable fractions (PAF) from recent burden of disease estimates. For two additional pairs, PAF are calculated from new databases of exposure and risk ratios produced in WHO/ILO systematic reviews. Attributable disease burdens were estimated by applying the PAF to total disease burdens.ResultsGlobally in 2016, it is estimated that 1.88 [95% uncertainty range (UR) 1.84–1.92] million deaths and 89.72 (95% UR 88.61–90.83) million disability-adjusted life years were attributable to the 19 selected occupational risk factors and their health outcomes. A disproportionately large work-related burden of disease is observed in the WHO African Region (for disability-adjusted life years), South-East Asia Region, and Western Pacific Region (for deaths), males and older age groups.ConclusionsThe WHO/ILO Joint Estimates can be used for global monitoring of exposure to occupational risk factors and work-related burden of disease and to identify, plan, cost, implement and evaluate policies, programs and actions to prevent exposure to occupational risk factors and their associated burden.     

Anemia increases risk for falls in hospitalized older adults: an evaluation of falls in 362 hospitalized, ambulatory, long-term care, and community patients

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine if a relationship exists between the presence of anemia and the occurrence of falls during hospitalization in ambulatory older adults from long-term care and community settings. All individuals were hospitalized for acute conditions not related to a fall. PARTICIPANTS: Three hundred sixty-two hospitalized, ambulatory older (59-104 years) adults. MEASUREMENTS: Laboratory values (hemoglobin [Hb], hematocrit [Hct]), routine laboratory tests, pertinent medical history, and demographics. RESULTS: Ambulatory hospitalized patients who fell were compared to controls (no falls during hospitalization) of similar age (P = .283) and gender distribution (P = .554). Patients who fell had significantly lower Hb (P < .00005), lower Hct (P < .00005) and were more likely to be anemic (56% vs 38%, P = .001) than controls. A logistic regression model examined the effect of Hb level and anemia on falls and included the covariates of age, gender, place of residence, and race. The model described a 22% decreased risk of falls for every 1.0 g/dL increase in Hb (P < .0005) and an overall 1.9-fold increased risk of falls in anemic patients (P < .001). Patient age, gender, and place of residence were not related to the risk of falls during hospitalization. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest a potentially important link between anemia and the risk of falls during hospitalization in ambulatory older patients. Further studies are needed to determine if the risk of falls can be modified by correction of anemia and to determine the applicability of these findings to older adults in different settings.     

Consanguinity and advanced maternal age as risk factors for reproductive losses in Alexandria, Egypt

Background: Consanguinity has been a long-standing social habit among Egyptians. Estimates of consanguinity ratios in different parts of Egypt ranged from 29 to 50%. This study aimed at delineating the role of consanguinity and advanced maternal age on reproductive losses in Alexandria, Egypt. Methods: A case-control study, on 730 couples with history of reproductive losses and 2081 normal couples, was done during the period October, 1998 until August, 2000. Results: Of the 730 couples with reproductive losses, consanguinity frequency was 68.8% with 56.2% first cousins. Prenatal loss and infant deaths were highly encountered among consanguineous marriages (p < 0.0001). In a multivariate logistic regression analysis, consanguinity between couples increased the relative risk of repeated abortion (OR: 3.95; 95% CI: 3.04–5.14), stillbirths (OR: 10.6; 95% CI: 6.7–17.0), neonatal death (OR: 17.2; 95% CI: 10.8–27.3), post-neonatal death (OR: 14.5; 95% CI: 10.6–19.9) and total reproductive losses (OR: 8.3; 95% CI: 6.9–10.1). A positive association was found between advanced maternal age and repeated abortion (OR: 3.19; 95% CI: 2.04–4.97) as well as total reproductive losses (OR: 2.37; 95% CI: 1.74–3.2). Conclusion: This study, the largest-reported case-control study on reproductive losses in Alexandria, strongly suggests that consanguinity may play a major role in the high rates of prenatal and infant mortality while advanced maternal age has a significant role in the causation of repeated abortion, and they must be taken into account for genetic counseling in Egypt. Because of the possibility of controlling, the study gives clear indications for prevention.     

Birthplace and social characteristics as risk factors for acute myocardial infarction in the province of Halland,Sweden

The aim of the study was to explore the impact of birthplace and socio-economic characteristics on the risk of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in a rural Swedish province. A case control study was performed and cases were all patients 30-72-y-old treated for the first time for an AMI during 1980-1992 and identified in a computerised hospital register. Three controls for each case were randomly selected from the national population register and were matched for gender, age and municipality. Birthplace ie within or outside the province, and a variety of socio-economic background factors were determined for cases and controls. The study comprised a total of 18 948 individuals including cases and controls.Altogether 4737 cases of AMI were identified whereof 3514 were men. Being born in the province was associated with the lowest risk for AMI in both sexes (RR=0.62, CI 0.57-0.67 for men and RR=0.61, CI 0.53-0.69 for women). A substantially reduced risk for men was found in farmers. In both sexes, high socio-economic status had a favourable effect on the risk to suffer an AMI. Being born in the province carried the lowest risk for AMI in both sexes and was independent of other tested socio-economic factors (income, education, occupation, and civil status). Province characteristics might be associated with this protective factor. Alternatively, migration as such might include unfavourable exposures that increase the risk for AMI among those who had moved to the province.     

Job strain and arterial blood pressure, serum cholesterol, and smoking as risk factors for coronary heart disease in Japan

Objective: To determine the effects of the job demands-control model on arterial blood pressure, serum total cholesterol, and smoking in male daytime and rotating-shift workers in Japan. Methods: The survey was conducted for all employees of an electrical factory in Japan using a mailed questionnaire concerning three job stressors, i.e., job overload, work-pace control, and work-site social support. A blood sample was taken at the same time. Data on 1 703 male daytime workers and 1 173 male rotating-shift workers were analyzed. Multiple logistic regression or analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) were employed to determine the effects of the job stressors on systolic and diastolic blood pressure, serum total cholesterol, and smoking with control for other covariates. Results: Among daytime workers, systolic and diastolic blood pressures were highest in the “high-strain” (i.e., higher job overload + lower work-pace control) group; ANCOVA indicated that a two-way interaction between job overload and work-pace control was significant (P < 0.01). This tendency was not observed among rotating-shift workers. The number of cigarettes smoked per day was greater in groups with lower work-pace control and lower work-site social support among daytime workers (two-way interaction between these two job stressors, P < 0.05); it was greater in groups with lower work-site social support among rotating-shift workers (main effect of work-site social support, P < 0.05). Conclusions: Our study suggest that job strain as defined in the job demands-control model is associated with increased systolic and diastolic blood pressures in male daytime workers in Japan. Smoking might be affected by lower work-site social support. Received: 10 June 1997 / Accepted: 20 March 1998     

How education, income, control over life and life style contribute to risk factors for cardiovascular disease among adults in a post-communist country

OBJECTIVES: To examine the effect of education, income, food habits and control over life on risk factors for cardiovascular diseases in Poland, a former communist country with ongoing transformations of the political and economic system, where cardiovascular disease is an important health problem. METHODS: The data were collected by questionnaire, as part of the CINDI Programme, from 2001 to 2002 in Lodz, an industrial city in Poland. The surveys were directed at random samples of 2000 men and 2000 women; 1847 participants aged 18-64 years responded. As detailed in the ATP III report, participants with three or more of abdominal obesity, hypertriglyceridaemia, low high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol, high blood pressure or high fasting glucose were defined as having the metabolic syndrome. RESULTS: We have found that education is more strongly associated with the metabolic syndrome. Our study suggests that higher education may be a strong and consistent predictor of good health. Also, low control over life (unfulfilled daily needs, unfulfilling work, little or no reward for effort at work) and lack of physical activity have been shown to be predictors for the metabolic syndrome. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that interventions to improve the health of the Polish population need to be specific for the social environment.     

Smoking and drinking habits as risk factors for hearing loss in the elderly: epidemiological study of subjects undergoing routine health checks in Aichi, Japan

In order to determine the risk factors for hearing loss in the elderly, a total of 496 subjects with bilateral hearing loss and 2807 age-matched persons without hearing disturbance were recruited from the participants in an automated multiphasic health screening examination, and their lifestyle and medical data were analysed. Current smokers showed a significantly increased risk of hearing loss compared with non-smokers (odds ratio after adjustment for sex, age, and potential confounders=2.10 (1.53-2.89)), while heavy drinkers did not show an increased risk compared to non-drinkers. Our findings might provide some clues for the primary prevention of age-related hearing loss.