Maria Albin’s research while affiliated with Karolinska Institutet and other places

What is this page?


This page lists works of an author who doesn't have a ResearchGate profile or hasn't added the works to their profile yet. It is automatically generated from public (personal) data to further our legitimate goal of comprehensive and accurate scientific recordkeeping. If you are this author and want this page removed, please let us know.

Publications (284)


A Systematic Review of Evaluated Labor Market Initiatives Addressing Precarious Employment: Findings and Public Health Implications
  • Literature Review

January 2025

·

41 Reads

International Journal of Social Determinants of Health and Health Services

·

·

·

[...]

·

Precarious employment (PE) is a major determinant of population health and contributor to health and social inequities. The purpose of this article is to synthesize and critically appraise available evidence on labor market initiatives addressing PE identified through a systematic review. Of the 21 initiatives reviewed, grouped into four categories—labor market policies, legislation, and reforms; union strategies; apprenticeships and other youth programs; social protection programs—10 showed consistently positive outcomes and 11 a combination of negative, mixed, or inconclusive outcomes. In addition to reviewing the key findings, we discuss public health implications and recommendations related to PE and the implementation and evaluation of initiatives. Given the wide diversity of initiatives, implementation approaches, evaluation methods, and socioeconomic and historical contexts characterizing the labor markets of the countries studied, we refrain from making recommendations regarding the most effective initiatives to address PE. Instead, we discuss several implications concerning the four types of initiatives to further support those searching for solutions to address PE. We strongly recommend tailoring adopted initiatives to local contexts to match a country's specific PE problems and unique labor market and socioeconomic context. Keywords occupational epidemiology, low-quality employment, non-standard employment, employment quality, social determinants of health inequities, employment insecurity, income inadequacy, lack of rights and protection in the employment relationship


Associations between DNA methylation and breast cancer. Adjusted for age, parity, physical activity, education level, civil status, occupational status, smoking status, and alcohol consumption
Associations between levels of CRY1 and BMAL1 methylation and breast cancer in adjusted logistic regression models. Adjusted for age, parity, physical activity, education level, civil status, occupational status, smoking status, and alcohol consumption. Categorization based on above/below median methylation values among those with any methylation
Road traffic noise and breast cancer: DNA methylation in four core circadian genes
  • Article
  • Full-text available

November 2024

·

45 Reads

Clinical Epigenetics

Background Transportation noise has been linked with breast cancer, but existing literature is conflicting. One proposed mechanism is that transportation noise disrupts sleep and the circadian rhythm. We investigated the relationships between road traffic noise, DNA methylation in circadian rhythm genes, and breast cancer. We selected 610 female participants (318 breast cancer cases and 292 controls) enrolled into the Malmö, Diet, and Cancer cohort. DNA methylation of CpGs (N = 29) in regulatory regions of circadian rhythm genes (CRY1, BMAL1, CLOCK, and PER1) was assessed by pyrosequencing of DNA from lymphocytes collected at enrollment. To assess associations between modeled 5-year mean residential road traffic noise and differentially methylated CpG positions, we used linear regression models adjusting for potential confounders, including sociodemographics, shiftwork, and air pollution. Linear mixed effects models were used to evaluate road traffic noise and differentially methylated regions. Unconditional logistic regression was used to investigate CpG methylation and breast cancer. Results We found that higher mean road traffic noise was associated with lower DNA methylation of three CRY1 CpGs (CpG1, CpG2, and CpG12) and three BMAL1 CpGs (CpG2, CpG6, and CpG7). Road traffic noise was also associated with differential methylation of CRY1 and BMAL1 promoters. In CRY1 CpG2 and CpG5 and in CLOCK CpG1, increasing levels of methylation tended to be associated with lower odds of breast cancer, with odds ratios (OR) of 0.88 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.76–1.02), 0.84 (95% CI 0.74–0.96), and 0.80 (95% CI 0.68–0.94), respectively. Conclusions In summary, our data suggest that DNA hypomethylation in CRY1 and BMAL1 could be part of a causal chain from road traffic noise to breast cancer. This is consistent with the hypothesis that disruption of the circadian rhythm, e.g., from road traffic noise exposure, increases the risk of breast cancer. Since no prior studies have explored this association, it is essential to replicate our results. Graphical abstract

Download



Residential exposure to transportation noise and risk of incident atrial fibrillation: a pooled study of 11 prospective Nordic cohorts

October 2024

·

36 Reads

·

3 Citations

The Lancet Regional Health - Europe

Background Transportation noise has been linked with cardiometabolic outcomes, yet whether it is a risk factor for atrial fibrillation (AF) remains inconclusive. We aimed to assess whether transportation noise was associated with AF in a large, pooled Nordic cohort. Methods We pooled data from 11 Nordic cohorts, totaling 161,115 participants. Based on address history from five years before baseline until end of follow-up, road, railway, and aircraft noise was estimated at a residential level. Incident AF was ascertained via linkage to nationwide patient registries. Cox proportional hazards models were utilized to estimate associations between running 5-year time-weighted mean transportation noise (Lden) and AF after adjusting for sociodemographics, lifestyle, and air pollution. Findings We identified 18,939 incident AF cases over a median follow-up of 19.6 years. Road traffic noise was associated with AF, with a hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of 1.02 (1.00–1.04) per 10-dB of 5-year mean time-weighted exposure, which changed to 1.03 (1.01–1.06) when implementing a 53-dB cut-off. In effect modification analyses, the association for road traffic noise and AF appeared strongest in women and overweight and obese participants. Compared to exposures ≤40 dB, aircraft noise of 40.1–50 and > 50 dB were associated with HRs of 1.04 (0.93–1.16) and 1.12 (0.98–1.27), respectively. Railway noise was not associated with AF. We found a HR of 1.19 (1.02–1.40) among people exposed to noise from road (≥45 dB), railway (>40 dB), and aircraft (>40 dB) combined. Interpretation Road traffic noise, and possibly aircraft noise, may be associated with elevated risk of AF. Funding 10.13039/501100004785NordForsk.





Long-term exposure to transportation noise and obesity: A pooled analysis of eleven Nordic cohorts

July 2024

·

74 Reads

Environmental Epidemiology

Background Available evidence suggests a link between exposure to transportation noise and an increased risk of obesity. We aimed to assess exposure-response functions for long-term residential exposure to road traffic, railway and aircraft noise, and markers of obesity. Methods Our cross-sectional study is based on pooled data from 11 Nordic cohorts, including up to 162,639 individuals with either measured (69.2%) or self-reported obesity data. Residential exposure to transportation noise was estimated as a time-weighted average L den 5 years before recruitment. Adjusted linear and logistic regression models were fitted to assess beta coefficients and odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) for body mass index, overweight, and obesity, as well as for waist circumference and central obesity. Furthermore, natural splines were fitted to assess the shape of the exposure-response functions. Results For road traffic noise, the OR for obesity was 1.06 (95% CI = 1.03, 1.08) and for central obesity 1.03 (95% CI = 1.01, 1.05) per 10 dB L den . Thresholds were observed at around 50–55 and 55–60 dB L den , respectively, above which there was an approximate 10% risk increase per 10 dB L den increment for both outcomes. However, linear associations only occurred in participants with measured obesity markers and were strongly influenced by the largest cohort. Similar risk estimates as for road traffic noise were found for railway noise, with no clear thresholds. For aircraft noise, results were uncertain due to the low number of exposed participants. Conclusion Our results support an association between road traffic and railway noise and obesity.


Boxplots (A–C) and scatterplots (D–F) of the serum concentrations of CD84, FGF23, and HO1. A–C show the normalized protein abundance (NPX) between welders (green) and controls (orange) separately for timepoint 1 (left side) and timepoint 2 (right side). Plots D–F show the NPX in relation to respirable dust (mg/m³) divided into timepoint 1 (turquois) and timepoint 2 (gray). The gray shaded area shows the predicted 95% confidence interval
Longitudinal changes in cardiovascular disease–related proteins in welders

July 2024

·

33 Reads

International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health

Objective Occupational exposure to welding fumes is linked to a higher risk of cardiovascular disease; however, the threshold exposure level is unknown. Here, we aimed to identify changes in proteins associated with cardiovascular disease in relation to exposure to welding fumes. Methods Data were obtained from two timepoints six years apart for 338 non-smoking men (171 welders, 167 controls); of these, 174 (78 welders, 96 controls) had measurements available at both timepoints. Exposure was measured as personal respirable dust (adjusted for personal protective equipment), welding years, and cumulative exposure. Proximity extension assays were used to measure a panel of 92 proteins involved in cardiovascular processes in serum samples. Linear mixed models were used for longitudinal analysis. The biological functions and diseases related to the identified proteins were explored using the Ingenuity Pathway Analysis software. Results At both timepoints, the median respirable dust exposure was 0.7 mg/m³ for the welders. Seven proteins were differentially abundant between the welders and controls and increased incrementally with respirable dust: FGF23, CEACAM8, CD40L, PGF, CXCL1, CD84, and HO1. CD84 was significant after adjusting for multiple comparisons. These proteins have been linked to disorders of blood pressure, damage related to clogged blood vessels, and chronic inflammatory disorders. Conclusion Exposure to mild steel welding fumes below current occupational exposure limits for respirable particles and welding fumes in Europe and the US (1–5 mg/m³) was associated with changes in the abundance of proteins related to cardiovascular disease. Further research should evaluate the utility of these proteins as prospective biomarkers of occupational cardiovascular disease.


Citations (52)


... per 10-dB of 5-year mean time-weighted exposure, which changed to 1.03 (1.01-1.06) when implementing a 53-dB cut-off [18]. It should be mentioned that we did not identify literature on associations of transportation noise with sudden death, out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, or ventricular arrhythmias. ...

Reference:

Noise causes cardiovascular disease: it’s time to act
Residential exposure to transportation noise and risk of incident atrial fibrillation: a pooled study of 11 prospective Nordic cohorts
  • Citing Article
  • October 2024

The Lancet Regional Health - Europe

... Urine density was used to adjust for the subjects' hydration levels. Urine density was determined by weighing and adjustments performed as described in [41]. Adjust-ment for creatinine concentration in urine was also performed and data are presented in Supplementary Materials ( Figure S7 and Table S11). ...

The SAM-Krom biomonitoring study shows occupational exposure to hexavalent chromium and increased genotoxicity in Denmark
  • Citing Article
  • September 2024

International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health

... The future of occupational cancer research will take place amidst a changing workplace and green transition (155). The ongoing transformation and reorientation of global economies towards sustainability, includes the elimination and transformation of jobs and changes in exposure to known and unknown hazardous agents, and has yet to be fully understood (156,157). One example includes electronic waste work, predominant in low-and middle-income countries, often unregulated and informal work, where the infrastructure is poor to support the types of studies that have been influential in reaching sufficient evidence (149). ...

INTERCAMBIO: Promoting mental and physical health in changing working environments (climate change, sustainable work, and green jobs)
  • Citing Article
  • August 2024

ISEE Conference Abstracts

... Today, due to the complexity of the industrial production process, the risk of exposure to hazardous factors has increased [1]. Extensive studies investigate the effects of exposure to hazardous factors in the work environment on various aspects of the health of industrial workers [2][3][4][5][6][7]. ...

Narrative review of occupational exposures and noncommunicable diseases

Annals of Work Exposures and Health

... Several articles celebrating '50 years of research' in the Journal have documented that some preventive measures have been delayed unnecessarily, sometimes in a deliberate strategy by industry to manufacture uncertainty (4,26). Delays in taking necessary action can also be the result of scientists hesitating too long about the correct interpretation of results. ...

Successful prevention of organic solvent induced disorders: history and lessons
  • Citing Article
  • March 2024

Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health

... (18) According to NIOSH and the IARC, hexavalent chromium compounds (Cr(VI)) are classified as carcinogenic. (19) Hexavalent chromium compounds are the most toxic as they can easily pass through the membrane with the help of non-specific transporters, phosphate and sulfate anions. (20) Cr(VI) is reduced to produce ROS and other reactive metabolites that directly interact with DNA, resulting in damage to cellular structure, including genetic structures. ...

Hexavalent chromium still a concern in Sweden - Evidence from a cross-sectional study within the SafeChrom project
  • Citing Article
  • December 2023

International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health

... 11 Several studies have identified associations between precarious employment (PE) and adverse effects on mental health, 12 cardiovascular health 13 and mortality. 14 15 However, studies examining the relationship between PE and MSDs are comparatively scarce. ...

Causal effect of shifting from precarious to standard employment on all-cause mortality in Sweden: an emulation of a target trial

Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health

... Around five to ten percent of breast cancer cases are attributed to genetic factors and a variety of other risk factors have also been identified, including alcohol consumption, hormone replacement therapy, oral contraceptives, nulliparity, and mammographic density [2,3]. Environmental exposures such as transportation noise [4][5][6] and traffic-related air pollution [7,8] have been suggested to contribute to the etiology of breast cancer. ...

Exposure to long-term source-specific transportation noise and incident breast cancer: A pooled study of eight Nordic cohorts
  • Citing Article
  • July 2023

Environment International

... The researchers found that long-term shift work increases the risk of type 2 diabetes but has no significant impact on hypertension. [31] This discrepancy may be due to differences in family history and genetic background. Additionally, the hypertension group had a significantly lower average number of evening shifts per month but a significantly higher average number of night shifts per month compared to the control group. ...

Night and shift work patterns and incidence of type 2 diabetes and hypertension in a prospective cohort study of healthcare employees

Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health

... Beale et al. found that these differences were partly due to differences in work-related close contacts (11) and Reuter et al. found that the SARS-CoV-2 infection risk was generally twice as high for essential workers than for non-essential workers (9). Attendance at the workplace during the COVID-19 pandemic seems generally to be a risk factor for a SARS-CoV-2 infection (13,14). In line with these findings, some studies found that the possibility to work from home was associated with a lower infection risk (15)(16)(17)(18). ...

Occupational risks associated with severe COVID-19 disease and SARS-CoV-2 infection - a Swedish national case-control study conducted from October 2020 to December 2021

Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health