Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (J OCCUP ENVIRON MED)

Publications in this journal

• Article: Long-term socio-professional and psychological status in workers investigated for occupational asthma in Quebec

  Grégory Moullec, Kim L Lavoie, Jean-Luc Malo, Denyse Gautrin, Jocelyne L'Archevêque, Manon Labrecque
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  ABSTRACT: Objective: To compare the long-term status of workers with occupational-asthma (OA), with those of subjects with work-exacerbated asthma (WEA) and non-asthmatic (NA) workers. Methods: We contacted 179 subjects investigated for suspected OA at Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal from 1997 to 2007. Participants completed questionnaires on psychological and functional status, followed by a telephone-interview about socio-professional outcomes and healthcare-utilization. Results: OA workers are more likely to have been removed from the workplace compared to WEA. The HRQL of all workers was still impaired. A high prevalence of psychiatric disorders was found among OA and WEA workers. Compared to WEA and OA workers, the NA group shows a higher rate of physician consultations for all causes. Conclusion: Regardless of the diagnosis they received, these workers need to benefit from psychosocial support in the period following investigation for suspicion of OA.
  Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 04/2013;
• Article: Annual Incremental Health Benefit Costs and Absenteeism Among Employees with and Without Rheumatoid Arthritis

  Kleinman NL, Cifaldi MA, Smeeding JE, Shaw JW, Brook RA
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  ABSTRACT: Objective: To assess the impact of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) on absence time, absence payments, and other health benefit costs from the perspective of US employers. Methods: Retrospective regression-controlled analysis of a database containing US employees' administrative health care and payroll data for those who were enrolled for at least 1 year in an employer-sponsored health insurance plan. Results: Employees with RA (N = 2705) had $4687 greater average annual medical and prescription drug costs (P < 0.0001) and $525 greater (P < 0.05) indirect costs (because of sick leave, short- and long-term disability, and workers' compensation absences) than controls (N = 338,035). Compared with controls, the employees with RA used an additional 3.58 annual absence days, including 1.2 more sick leave and 1.91 more short-term disability days (both P < 0.0001). Conclusion: Employees with RA have greater costs across all benefits than employees without RA.
  Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 03/2013; 55(3):240-244.
• Article: Occupational Asthma Screening Questionnaire-11: A New Tool In Clinical Setting?

  Pralong J, Moullec G, Suartana E, Gérin M, Gautrin D, Labrecque M
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  ABSTRACT: Objective: Occupational asthma is one of the most prevalent occupational lung diseases. Due to its consequences for workers and its financial burden, early screening is crucial. The objective of the study was to evaluate the screening performance of the Occupational Asthma Screening Questionnaire-11-items (OASQ-11) in a clinical setting. Methods: Between January 2009 and December 2011, 169 workers referred for potential OA to the Sacré-Coeur Hospital (Montreal, Canada), completed the OASQ-11 and underwent diagnostic work-ups to determine final diagnoses. The discriminative abilities of the OASQ-11 as a whole and in relation to demographic and exposure parameters were determined by the area under the receiving operator characteristic curve (AUC). Results: Based on the specific inhalation challenge diagnostic criteria, 20 workers (12%) had OA. The sensitivity of the 11 items of the OASQ-11 varied between 65% and 94%, while the specificity varied between 11% and 46%. Model 1 consisting of 8 items of the OASQ-11 showed fair discrimination (AUC: 0.69; 95% CI: 0.58-0.80). Addition of age and exposure duration to Model 1 significantly improved discrimination (AUC, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.72-0.88). Conclusion: A simple model consisting of 8 items of the OASQ-11, age and exposure duration could well discriminate subjects with and without OA in a clinical setting.
  Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 01/2013;
• Article: Newly Reported Lupus and Rheumatoid Arthritis in Relation to Deployment Within Proximity to a Documented Open-Air Burn Pit in Iraq

  Kelly A. Jones, Besa Smith, Nisara S. Granado, Edward J. Boyko, Gary D. Gackstetter, Margaret A.K. Ryan, Christopher J. Phillips, Tyler C. Smith, for the Millennium Cohort Study Team
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  ABSTRACT: Objective: To assess the relationship between possible exposure to smoke from documented open-air burn pits and newly reported lupus and rheumatoid arthritis among Millennium Cohort participants who have deployed in support of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Methods: Prospectively assessed self-reported lupus and rheumatoid arthritis among deployers who completed both 2004–2006 and 2007–2008 questionnaires. Results: After exclusions, more than 18,000 participants were deployed, including more than 3000 participants deployed within a 3-mile radius of a documented burn pit. After adjustment, proximity within 3 miles of a burn pit was not significantly associated with rheumatoid arthritis or lupus in general; however, one location was associated with lupus, although few cases were at this site (n = 2). Conclusions: Results indicate deployers potentially exposed to documented burn pits in the combined three-camp analysis were not at an elevated risk of lupus or rheumatoid arthritis.
  Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 05/2012; 54(6):698–707.
• Article: Occupational Health and Safety Surveillance and Research Using Workers' Compensation Data

  David F. Utterback, Teresa M. Schnorr, Barbara A. Silverstein, Emily A. Spieler, Tom B. Leamon, Benjamin C. III Amick
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  ABSTRACT: Objective: Examine uses of US workers' compensation (WC) data for occupational safety and health purposes. Methods: This article is a summary of the proceedings from an invitational workshop held in September 2009 to discuss the use of WC data for occupational safety and health prevention purposes. Results: Workers' compensation data systems, although limited in many ways, contain information such as medical treatments, their costs and outcomes, and disability causes that are unavailable from national occupational surveillance sources. Conclusions: Despite their limitations, WC records are collected in a manner consistent with many occupational health and safety surveillance needs. Reports are available on the use of WC data for surveillance and research purposes such as estimating the frequency, magnitude, severity, and cost of compensated injuries. Inconsistencies in WC data can limit generalization of research results.
  Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 01/2012; 54(2):171–176.
• Article: Barriers and facilitators to implementation of an occupational health guideline aimed at preventing weight gain among employees in the Netherlands

  Verweij LM, Proper KI, Leffelaar ER, Weel ANH, Nauta AP, Hulshof CTJ, van Mechelen W
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  ABSTRACT: Objective: To assess barriers and facilitators to implementation of an occupational health guideline aimed at preventing weight gain. Methods: Barriers and facilitators to implementation were assessed among 14 occupational physicians (OPs) and employers and analyzed following a systematic approach using Atlas.ti. Results: Barriers and facilitators mentioned by OPs and employers were related to the sociopolitical context, organization, OP, and guideline. Recommendations include the formation of a linkage group, collaboration with other experts, formation of peer support groups, and communicating benefits of investments, expectations, and ethical considerations. Results of this study recommend incorporating these barriers and facilitators in the guideline, including strategies about how to overcome barriers and stimulate facilitators. Conclusions: The identified barriers and facilitators can be used to increase the chance of successful implementation of the final guideline into occupational health practices throughout the Netherlands.
  Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 01/2012; 54(8):954-960.
• Article: Health & Safety for Museum Professionals

  John Howard, Anita Schill
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  ABSTRACT: An abstract is unavailable. This article is available as HTML full text and PDF.
  Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 12/2011; 54(1):109–110.
• Article: Nanotechnology and Health

  Nanoparticle Task Force ACOEM
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  ABSTRACT: An abstract is unavailable. This article is available as HTML full text and PDF.
  Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 05/2011; 53(6):687–689.
• Article: Pandemic Influenza Guidance for Corporations

  Emergency Preparedness Task Force ACOEM
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  ABSTRACT: An abstract is unavailable. This article is available as HTML full text and PDF.
  Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 05/2011; 53(6):690–694.
• Article: Neurologic Symptoms Associated With Raising Poultry and Swine Among Participants in the Agricultural Health Study

  Meghan F. Davis, Freya Kamel, Jane A. Hoppin, Michael CR Alavanja, Laura Beane Freeman, Gregory C. Gray, Kenrad Nelson, Ellen Silbergeld
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  ABSTRACT: Objective: Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) is the leading cause of acute peripheral neuropathy worldwide, often associated with recent foodborne infection with Campylobacter jejuni. In this cross-sectional analysis of data from the Agricultural Health Study, we tested whether swine and poultry exposure were associated with increased prevalence of GBS-like neurologic symptoms. Methods: Using multivariate analysis, we tested the symptoms such as numbness and weakness, relevant to inflammatory peripheral neuropathies, among farmers with self-reported occupational poultry or swine exposure compared with farmers who reported no occupational animal exposure. Results: Among swine farmers/workers, prevalence of weakness and numbness were increased (P < 0.05). Among poultry farmers/workers, prevalence of weakness and numbness were increased, but increased prevalence of weakness was not statistically significant. Conclusions: Occupational contact with live poultry or swine, potentially related to C. jejuni exposure, was associated with increased reporting of GBS-like symptoms.
  Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 01/2011; 53(2):190–195.
• Article: Radiographic Changes Associated with Exposure to Erionite in Road Gravel in North Dakota”

  Patrick H. Ryan, Mark Dihle, Susan Griffin, Charles R. Partridge, Richard Taylor, Timothy Hilbert, Stephen Adjei, James E. Lockey
  Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 01/2011; 53(8):893-899.
• Article: The Direct and Indirect Cost Burden of AcuteCoronary Syndrome

  Stephen S. Johnston, Suellen Curkendall, Dinara Makenbaeva, Essy Mozaffari, Ron Goetzel, Wayne Burton, Ross Maclean
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  ABSTRACT: Objective: Quantify the incremental health care costs and workplace absence and short-term disability costs, to payers and employers, of patients hospitalized for acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Methods: Retrospective study using medical insurance claims for the years 2002 to 2007. Patients were aged 18 to 64 years and hospitalized for ACS between January 1, 2003, and December 31, 2006; comparison patients without evidence of coronary artery disease were also selected. The incremental impact of ACS was estimated using weighted regression. Results: 30,200 ACS patients were selected. Incremental annual direct costs of ACS were $40,671 (P < 0.001). For the indirect cost sub-analyses, incremental short-term disability costs of ACS were $999 (P < 0.001) and incremental absence costs were insignificant (P = 0.314) but from a small sample (N = 416). Conclusions: Patients with ACS impose a substantial direct cost burden on employers and payers and a substantial indirect cost burden on employers. Acute coronary syndrome is more costly to employers and payers than other health conditions that are common among employed persons. Rehospitalizations after the initial hospitalization are common and represent a large portion of the cost.
  Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 12/2010; 53(1):2–7.
• Article: A Field Guide to Workers' Compensation: A Holistic Approach to Improving the Health, Safety and Productivity of Human Capital

  Kathryn Mueller
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  ABSTRACT: An abstract is unavailable. This article is available as HTML full text and PDF.
  Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 11/2010; 52(12):1278–1279.
• Article: Eonomic Burden of Dermatitis in US Workers

  Laura A. Blanciforti
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  ABSTRACT: Objective: To estimate the economic burden associated with dermatitis in those aged 16 to 65 years and working in seven industry sectors (DW). Methods: The 2004 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey and the cost-of-illness method, which aggregates health care costs and productivity losses, were used. Results: The economic burden of DW was ∼$1.2 billion, representing 10.5% of the cost of all skin diseases and disorders (SDD). In all private industry (ie, the sum of the seven sectors examined), cost per employed person was ∼$11 for DW and $109 for SDD. In the all-services sector, one of the seven examined, cost per employed person was ∼$15 for DW and $113 for SDD. Conclusions: This study provides the first published estimate of the economic burden of DW, based on a representative sample of the US population.
  Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 10/2010; 52(11):1045–1054.
• Article: Workplace Weight Loss Program; Comparing Live and Internet Methods

  Riva Touger-Decker, Robert Denmark, Maura Bruno, Julie O’Sullivan-Maillet, Norman Lasser
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  ABSTRACT: Objective: To determine the effectiveness of the 12-week workplace intervention (WIP) on energy intake, weight, physical activity (PA) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk and the effect of delivery method on outcomes. Methods: A prospective clinical trial of a 12-week WIP comparing In-person and Internet-based delivery. All subjects received identical intervention with dietitian visits at baseline and weeks 6, 12 and 26. Subjects included overweight/obese academic health science center employees. Changes in weight, PA and CVD-risk were primary outcomes. Results: There was no significant treatment effect repeated-measure-ANOVA. Within subjects, significant main effects indicating improvement were noted at week-12 in weight, WC, body-fat, HRQOL and energy intake and at week-26 in weight, WC, body-fat, HRQOL, energy intake and systolic and diastolic BP. Conclusions: Improvements in some outcomes following a 12-week WIP were independent of delivery method.
  Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 10/2010; 52(11):1112–1118.
• Article: Internal Exposure, Effect Monitoring, and Lung Function in Welders After Acute Short-Term Exposure to Welding Fumes From Different Welding Processes

  Peter Brand, Monika Gube, Kerstin Gerards, Jens Bertram, Heinz Kaminski, Astrid Christiane John, Thomas Kuhlbusch, Martin Wiemann, Christian Eisenbeis, Reinhard Winkler, Thomas Kraus
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  ABSTRACT: Objective: In this study, the effect of short-term exposure to welding fumes emitted by different welding techniques on workers was investigated. Methods: In a 3-fold crossover study, six welders used three different welding techniques for 3 hours. Before and after welding, blood and urine samples were collected to perform biomonitoring of metals. Breath condensate was collected to assess inflammatory reactions, and lung function measurements were performed. Results: Welding led to a significant increase of chromium and nickel in blood and urine and of nitrate and nitrite in exhaled breath condensate. These increases were higher for manual metal arc welding with alloyed material (MAW-a). Several lung function parameters decreased after welding. This decrease was significantly higher after MAW-a. Conclusions: In respect to biological effects, MAW-a seems to be more important than other welding techniques.
  Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 08/2010; 52(9):887-892.
• Article: Occupational Exposures and Hodgkin Lymphoma: Canadian Case-Control Study

  Chandima P. Karunanayake, Gayatri V. Singh, John J. Spinelli, John R. McLaughlin, James A. Dosman, Helen H. McDuffie, Punam Pahwa
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  ABSTRACT: Objective: The objective was to study the association between Hodgkin Lymphoma (HL) and occupational exposures related to long-held occupation among males in Canada. Methods: A population-based case–control study of HL was conducted among males stratified by province of residence and age group. Conditional logistic regression was used to fit statistical models. Results: Several factors independently increased the risk of HL. Ever exposure to ionizing radiation from uranium showed a significant association with HL. Men who had smoked cigarettes for 25 years or more were the most likely to develop HL. Exposure to ultraviolet light and diagnosis with measles were negatively associated with HL, whereas diagnosis with shingles increased the risk of HL. Conclusions: The higher risk of developing HL may be associated with exposure to uranium ionizing radiation and years of cigarette smoking.
  Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 11/2009; 51(12):1447-1454.