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At least 1,531 records · Page 85Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

[The importance of work conditions in the textile industry to worker absenteeism].

A study was performed in the "Belgrade Wool Co." as a retrospective epidemiological investigation, for a three-year period (1985-1987), on a sample of 134 blue-collar female workers. The following statistically significant facts were established: in favourable working conditions (sewing department) the older workers (above the age of 35 years) were absent from work because of illness longer than the younger workers; the number of the younger workers (age 35 years or under) with sick absences increased as working conditions worsened (wool-mills compared to sewing departments). Respiratory diseases made the most frequent cause of absence from work. Harder working conditions influenced the morbidity structure as cause of absenteeism resulting in the rise of prevalence of mental disorders among the younger workers, and of locomotor and circulatory diseases among the older ones. The younger workers showed a rising trend in the severity and frequency of injuries as causes of absence from work, which correlated with the degree of deterioration of working conditions. Finally, under extremely hard working conditions (wool-mills) the rate of occupationally induced injuries among the younger workers was as much as three times higher than among the older ones, and the duration of sick absences was longer.

Absenteeism↗
PubMed1989

[Incidence of hypertension and borderline hypertension with reference to complex professional stress in above ground and under ground workers in ore mining].

Comprehensive health care for working people requires a deeper insight into the relationship between work load and biological reactions. This is necessary to be able to adequately influence the field of industrial medicine. The incidence of both hypertension and borderline-hypertension in a group of 200 face workers with complex work load as well as 150 pithead metal workers aged between 25 and 45 was measured over a period of 5 years (1981-1986). The hypertension incidence was 0.90% in the group of face workers and 1.46% with the pithead metal workers, while the incidence of borderline-hypertension was 1.30% for the face workers and 2.12% for the pithead metal workers. A statistically significant difference between those people working above ground and those working underground was not apparent. No relationship was found between age, Broca-index, habit of smoking, shift work, the total time away from home and the development of an increase in blood pressure. Both a hypertension incidence totalling 1.14% and an incidence of borderline-hypertension of 1.66% were found in the test group aged between 25 and 45. This roughly corresponded to the nationally statistical level and was in line with the relevant literature. There was no discernable effect with regard to developing hypertension and borderline-hypertension, respectively, as a result of complex work load in the test group. The incidence rates require regular blood pressure tests on normotensive miners and pithead workers, respectively, as a prerequisite for early detection and registering as well as an adequate therapy of both hypertension and borderline-hypertension.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

[Evaluation of the health status of workers exposed to carbon disulfide].

The investigation included 134 workers from a viscose rayon factory who were exposed to average concentrations of carbon disulphide exceeding MAC values (x = 119.3 mg/m3) for more than 75% of their working hours. Workers' chronic morbidity from carbon disulphide exposure was analysed over a three-year period, and results were compared with those for a control group of the same age but with a shorter exposure duration. The percentage of ill workers and the prevalence rate were both similar to those of the control group. However, as concerns the specific morbidity caused by carbon disulphide exposure, toxic polyneuropathy was present only among the exposed workers. In that group hypertension too reached a higher prevalence rate, statistically significant, although both groups consisted of younger workers of similar age. The prevalence of other diseases was comparable, possibly because of the selection bias, and the healthy worker effect. Owing to that effect workers with the most distinct symptoms had been removed from their jobs and, consequently, excluded from examinations. That could have been a reason for underestimating exposure effects.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Pension coverage among private wage and salary workers: preliminary findings from the 1988 survey of employee benefits.

Based on data for private wage and salary workers in May 1988, this article examined pension coverage under two types of employer-sponsored pension plans. Some of the factors associated with employer-financed pension coverage were also examined, and comparisons were made to findings on pension coverage of full-time workers in 1972, 1979, and 1983. "Covered" workers were defined as those actually participating in a pension plan. Among all private sector employees studied, 34 percent were covered by a "basic" pension plan (most of which, presumably, were defined benefit plans), and 14 percent were covered by a pretax retirement savings plan--a subtype of defined contribution plan. With 7 percent of the respondents covered by both types of plans, the total coverage rate under employer-sponsored plans was 41 percent. Twelve percent of the respondents reported that they had contributed to an IRA in 1987. The reported IRA usage was somewhat higher among those already covered by a pension plan than among noncovered workers. Six percent of the respondents were not covered by an employer-sponsored plan but were contributing to an IRA, yielding a total of 47 percent who were participating in either an employer-sponsored or an individual retirement plan. While it was assumed--as in previous studies--that all "basic" coverage was being funded by employers, only four-fifths of those in pretax retirement savings plans reported that employers were also contributing to these plans. The remainder of the analysis was restricted to coverage under employer-financed plans, and it was further restricted to full-time workers. A total of 46 percent of these workers were covered under employer-financed pension plans--33 percent covered only by a basic plan, 7 percent covered only by a pretax plan, and 6 percent dually covered. Among men, the coverage rate was 49 percent, compared with 43 percent among women. Several individual and job-related characteristics were found to be associated with employer-financed pension coverage among full-time employees. Coverage rates were quite low among workers under age 25, but were substantially higher among those aged 35-59. Pension coverage was also low among those with less than 5 years of employment on the job, but relatively high among those with 5 years or more of job tenure. Coverage rate differences by race were not substantial. Whites reported a coverage rate of 47 percent, compared with 42 percent among blacks and 45 percent among other races.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Employment↗
PubMed1987

Income of new disabled-worker beneficiaries and their families: findings from the New Beneficiary Survey.

In 1982, disabled workers who came on the social security disability insurance rolls from mid-1980 to mid-1981 had median monthly incomes of less than $500 if they were unmarried and less than $1,300 if they were married. These median monthly income levels, which include the income of a spouse and minor children if present, are roughly half those of the noninstitutionalized population aged 25-64. Social security benefits are the most important source of income for disabled workers and their families: They account for 40 percent of the total family income of married disabled workers and 65 percent of the total income of unmarried disabled workers. Social security benefits provide at least half of all income for more than 80 percent of unmarried disabled-worker beneficiaries and for 50 percent of the married beneficiaries. For married disabled-worker beneficiaries, earnings of the spouse are the second most important income source. Spousal earnings account for 28 percent of total income. Pensions and asset income each account for about 10 percent of total income for these married beneficiaries. Earnings are not an important source of income for unmarried disabled-worker beneficiaries for whom they amount to only about 3 percent of total income. Pensions, asset income, and public transfers each account for about 10 percent of total income of the unmarried beneficiaries.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Therapeutic and preventive diet and various indicators of health and work capacity of workers at the industrial plant "Sintez"].

Anthropometric investigations conducted have shown that 28.1% of the workers have excessive body mass. At the same time energy expenditure of workers at some departments and bays is within the range of 164 +/- 1.6-188.89 +/- 3.5 kcal/h. Natural resistance parameters (lysozyme activity, virus persistence) in the workers of the enterprise were lower than in the control group. Physical working capacity of 15% of the workers was rather low. Optimal providing of the body with ascorbic acid, thiamine and riboflavin was recorded only in 30-40% of the examined workers. Ration N 5 that was given to the workers was characterized by excessive energy value, low content of animal protein and vegetable fat deficiency; the content of simple sugars was 2-fold higher than the value recommended. The components of the ration are not sufficiently balanced, it does not meet the physiological needs of the workers.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Reported vague symptoms and at-risk status: the case of polyvinyl chloride workers in Louisville.

This study concerns the frequency of visits to the dispensary by workers with vague symptoms of physical illness at a polyvinyl chloride plant in Louisville, KY, where an outbreak of hepatic angiosarcoma occurred. The illness behavior of three cohorts of workers at three levels of risk--workers removed from the chemical plant to a pallet plant (PP) because their screening results indicated liver abnormalities; workers who had some positive test results (TP); and workers whose test results were negative (TN)--was studied before (time 1) and after (time 2) the angiosarcoma crisis. It was predicted that, during time 2, the groups' visits to the dispensary would increase in relation to their levels of risk (PP greater than TP greater than TN). Although there was an overall increase in the percentage of visits because of vague symptoms during time 2, the only cohort with different behavior was the group of TP workers: they reduced their use of the dispensary. These results are similar to those in a previous study in which all symptoms of illness were included. It is speculated that social and individual factors, as well as the labeling phenomenon, explain the results. Health care providers are encouraged to follow up with workers at risk who seem to avoid monitoring their health.

Chemical Industry↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Health status of shift workers in oil refineries].

Within a cross-sectional epidemiologic study in an oil refinery the "mean health score" in shift and daily workers was estimated, following a method developed by the authors and based on the mean health score technique processed by M. Koller for an Austrian refinery. No significant difference was observed in the mean health score between the shift-workers and the daily-workers. However analysis of the results shows, some meaningful trends to be considered: the mean health score would seen higher in shift-workers than in daily ones for lower class of age (30; 30-40 years), while an inverse trend is observed in higher class of age. In the Austrian refinery the shift-workers mean health score is uniformly lower in all class of age. The difference observed in the study refinery could be due to the lower class of length of employment of the young shift workers with regard to the young daily ones, while in the Austrian refinery the greater damage for the shift-workers state of health could be due to a greatly more irregular shift with less adaptability.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Elemental mercury exposure among children of thermometer plant workers.

Because evidence of mercury exposure was found among workers of a mercury thermometer-manufacturing plant in March 1984, the Vermont Department of Health studied the workers' children for both exposure to mercury and evidence of mercury toxicity. The median urine mercury level of 23 workers' children was 25 micrograms/L. This was significantly higher than the level (5 micrograms/L) among 39 children randomly selected from nonworkers' households in the same community (P less than .001). Mercury-in-air levels measured in workers' homes were higher than those measured in control homes. A significant correlation was found between the urine mercury levels of the workers' children and the urine mercury levels of their working parents. No child had frank mercury toxicity. No evidence of neurologic toxicity among exposed children was discovered by a pediatric neurologist who examined these and unexposed children without knowledge of their exposure status. This is the first report demonstrating mercury exposure in children of mercury workers. Although toxic effects of mercury were not demonstrated at these levels of exposure, children of mercury workers are at risk for mercury exposure and potential mercury toxicity.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Characteristics of the longest job for new disabled workers: findings from the New Beneficiary Survey.

This article describes the characteristics of the longest job held by new disabled-worker beneficiaries responding to questions in the 1982 New Beneficiary Survey, conducted by the Social Security Administration in October-December 1982. The characteristics include pension coverage, job duration, employer type, occupation, and industry. Many disabled workers (about half the men and two-fifths of the women) reported having been covered by a pension plan. Pension coverage, pension receipt, and job tenure all increased with age, and older disabled workers had pension coverage similar to that of retired workers. Disabled and retired workers often differed in other job characteristics, but tended to become more similar with increasing age. Disabled workers were more likely to have had longest jobs with private employers and in operator-laborer occupations. When they were compared with the job characteristics of retired workers, the characteristics of disabled women exhibited less difference than did those of disabled men.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

[Caloric intake and weight gain according to the shift schedule of shift workers].

Survey involved 84 workers matched for age, socio-occupational and families status and divided into 3 groups : A : 27 shift workers on 3 days rotating shift, B : 47 shift workers on 5 days rotating shift, C : 20 days workers. Each subject was submitted to dietary survey by means of 24 hours recall, realised 3 times for shift workers and once for control. All workers were interviewed about caloric intake of the preceding day off caloric intake. Annual weight gain was studied through the use of occupational health service records. There was no significant difference between the 3 groups for working day caloric intake. Day-off intake was lower (p less than 0.05) in group A (day-off any day of the week). Annual weight gain was not different between the 3 groups. Shift workers with faster weight gain had a higher caloric intake on day-off and after evening meal.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Effects of Nocardia rubra cell wall skeleton on lymphocyte subsets in former poison gas factory workers.

Peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets were determined in former workers of the Okunojima Poison Gas Factory (poison gas workers) having a high incidence of lung cancer, and the effect of administration of Nocardia rubra cell wall skeleton (N-CWS) was studied. In poison gas workers not receiving N-CWS, both the percentage and absolute number of Leu-2a+ cells were significantly increased as compared with normal controls, while both the percentage and absolute number of Leu-7+ cells as well as the Leu-3a/Leu-2a ratio were significantly decreased. In poison gas workers receiving N-CWS, the percentage of Leu-2a+ cells was significantly decreased when compared with poison gas workers not receiving N-CWS, while the percentage of Leu-1+ cells and both the percentage and absolute number of Leu-7+ cells as well as the Leu-3a/Leu-2a ratio were significantly increased. When N-CWS was administered to poison gas workers, the percentage of Leu-2a+ cells significantly decreased, with a minimum two weeks after administration, while the percentage of Leu-3a+ and the Leu-3a/Leu-2a ratio significantly increased and the percentages of Leu-1+ and Leu-7+ cells also increased. Furthermore, the absolute number of Leu-3a+ cells increased markedly with a peak two weeks after administration. The absolute numbers of both Leu-1+ cells and Leu-7+ cells as well as total lymphocytes also significantly increased, but that of Leu-2a+ cells showed hardly any change. It is considered that a single administration of N-CWS transiently corrects the abnormality of lymphocyte subsets, and that repeated administration of N-CWS once every three months may maintain the lymphocyte subsets of poison gas workers at normal levels.

Aged↗
PubMed1983

[Dental caries, periodontal diseases and the condition of mouth mucosa in workers of the petrochemical industry].

259 workers of the divisions of the highest toxic substances risk in the working environment were examined. The masticatory system was examined clinically. The examinations indicated considerable caries in all workers. The intensity of the disease differed insignificantly between workers of particular divisions. Peridontal disorders were found in almost all workers (over 80% of subjects). The highest rate of those disorders was that in the workers of the Divisions of Furfural and Asphalt Oxidation. The periodontal disorders were fairly advanced. In most (over 60%) cases the destructive periodontal disease was diagnosed. Among the diseases of oral mucosa, leukoplakia was most frequent, affecting 42.8% of workers of Divisions of Furfural and 26.0% of workers of the Division Phenol.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Anatomy of the healthy worker effect: a critical review.

The healthy worker effect is the composite result from factors such as (1) selection of the work force, (2) changes in lifestyle accompanying employment, and (3) methodological characteristics of the standardized mortality ratio (SMR). While the choice of the general population as the comparison population is the underlying reason for this effect, no more feasible, widely accepted or "better" alternative is yet available. Much of the current understanding of the healthy worker effect has been limited to an examination of selection of the work force. The purpose of this report is to illustrate, using examples from a large cohort study, the importance of many factors other than selection. They include employment-associated benefits such as economic gain, medical insurance and lifestyle changes, the proportion of active workers, the calculation method, data completeness, length of follow-up and certain characteristics of SMR methodology. It is shown that some of the healthy worker effect is characteristic of SMR methodology and that the strength of the healthy worker effect depends on the proportion of active workers in the cohort. Furthermore, the disappearance of the healthy worker effect may be due to factors such as aging of the cohort and can be totally unrelated to the true increase in the mortality risk. In other words, its disappearance, in many instances, may be an artifact of SMR methodology.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Cross-sectional study of pulmonary function in cadmium alloy workers.

Two groups of cadmium workers (7 and 9 men) and a group of reference workers (122 men) were studied for the purpose of determining the pulmonary effects of cadmium. Indices of pulmonary function, based on the forced expiratory flow volume curve and respiratory impedance, were measured for all the groups, and indicators of cadmium exposure and effects on renal tubular reabsorption functions were also measured in the two groups of cadmium workers. The mean blood and urinary levels of cadmium were 2.08 microgram/100 ml (185.06 nmol/l) and 32.6 microgram/l (290.04 nmol/l), respectively, and the level of inhalation exposure was estimated at about 1 mg/m3 as the 8-h average concentration for about 5 a in the high exposure group. The percentage of the predicted function values of the highly exposed workers was significantly deteriorated for forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1.0), peak expiratory flow, maximum expiratory flow at 75, 50, and 25% of the FVC, percentage of FEV1.0 to FVC, and respiratory impedance, whereas those of the slightly exposed workers were reduced only for FVC and FEV1.0. A paired comparison between the highly exposed workers and matched referents disclosed the same results. It was concluded that chronic obstructive pulmonary changes had been induced by cadmium in Japanese workers without a history of acute or subacute cadmium pneumonitis.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Vitamin B12, folic acid, ferritin and haematological variables among Thai construction site workers in urban Bangkok.

Serum vitamin B12, folic acid, ferritin and haematological variables were investigated in eighty-seven male and nineteen female construction site workers in Bangkok. Haemoglobin concentration, haematocrit and MCHC were found to be higher in male than in female workers. Serum ferritin was slightly higher in males than in females. Serum B12 was found to be higher in male than in female workers and serum folic acid level were significantly higher in female than in male workers. Vitamin B12 deficiency was found in 2.3 per cent and folic acid deficiency in 6.9 per cent of the male workers. Serum vitamin B12 and folic acid levels were normal for female workers. The adequate serum levels of vitamin B12 and folic acid might be the result of the habit of the workers to consume tonic drinks which contain glucose, caffeine, and vitamins especially vitamins B6, and B12.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

[Asbestos-related lesions detected by high-resolution CT scanning in asymptomatic workers. Specificity, relation to the duration of exposure and cigarette smoking].

The possibility to detect initial "preclinical" pulmonary lesions related to asbestos is under debate. The aim of this study is to report our experience. We have submitted to HRCT 70 shipyard workers with chest X-ray judged "normal" by "outside" readers (mean age 44.5 +/- 6.1 ys) with a similar grade of (low-level) exposure to amosite (mean duration of "direct"/"heavy" exposure was 4.2 +/- 4.9 ys; "environmental"/"light" exposure was 8.4 +/- 5.9 ys). Among the 70 workers, in 34 pleural plaques were shown, in 6 subjects parenchymal abnormalities alone and in 13 parenchymal and pleural abnormalities were found; in the last 17 workers no pathological finding was shown. In six subjects the presence of a combination of parenchymal abnormalities permitted us to diagnose asbestosis. The difference in the duration of exposure to asbestos for the subjects with both pleural and parenchymal involvement compared to all other groups of workers was statistically significant; also the difference in duration of exposure between workers with or without parenchymal involvement resulted significant. In a control group (20 subjects without any known professional exposure to asbestos) HRCT permitted us to identify 5 cases with small pleural plaques while only one case presented parenchymal bands; lesion frequency was significantly lower in comparison with the exposed group. Calcified plaques have been proved to be more common in the workers with heavier exposure, and no one of the reference group had calcified plaques. The CT-determined emphysema score was found to optimally correlate with smoking habit (pack/years). In conclusion our study suggests that pulmonary or pleural involvement can be shown by HRCT before the onset of any clinical symptomatology with high sensitivity and specificity. Furthermore the results seem to indicate that the prevalence of HRCT-shown parenchymal lesions and the severity of lung involvement among asbestos-exposed workers are related to the duration of exposure, as in most of clinically evident asbestos-related lung disorders, in contrast with previous observations.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Matched-pairs analysis of co-worker interactions in relation to opportunity, type of job, and placement approach.

Workers with and without disabilities (n = 85) were studied in an effort to determine whether co-worker relations differed between these employees. Few differences were found. Interactions of co-workers without disabilities with their supported co-workers who had disabilities were remarkably similar to their interactions with other co-workers without disabilities in eight of the nine interaction categories investigated. In the ninth category (befriending off the job), co-workers without disabilities interacted more among themselves. Considering only workers with disabilities, those employed individually in light industry occupations experienced less physical integration than did those employed either in groups or in any other occupation. These findings were discussed in relation to available research.

Employment↗