Abstract
Saudi Arabia (SA) is one of the hottest countries in the world. This study was conducted to assess the impact of summer heat stress in Southeastern SA on short-term kidney injury (KI) among building construction workers and to identify relevant risk factors. Measurements of urinary albumin-creatinine ratio (ACR), height, weight, hydration, symptoms, daily work and behavioral factors were collected in June and September of 2016 from a cohort of construction workers (n = 65) in Al-Ahsa Province, SA. KI was defined as ACR ≥ 30 mg/g. Multivariate linear regression analysis was used to assess factors related to cross-summer changes in ACR. A significant increase in ACR occurred among most workers over the study period; incidence of KI was 18%. Risk factors associated with an increased ACR included dehydration, short sleep, and obesity. The findings suggest that exposure to summer heat may lead to the development of KI among construction workers in this region. Adequate hydration and promotion of healthy habits among workers may help reduce the risk of KI. A reduction in work hours may be the most effective intervention because this action can reduce heat exposure and improve sleep quality.
Highlights
The rise in global temperature resulting from climate change is increasing concern about occupational heat stress among working populations around the world, in areas with a hot climate [1,2]
These results are in line with those from a recent meta-analysis of health under occupational heat strain where 15% of individuals who were frequently exposed to occupational heat stress developed Kidney injury (KI) [58]
We previously reported that these workers were exposed to heat stress levels that exceeded the safe limits for Wet Bulb Globe Temperatures (WBGT) levels as published by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) [35]
Summary
The rise in global temperature resulting from climate change is increasing concern about occupational heat stress among working populations around the world, in areas with a hot climate [1,2]. Performing work activities during exposure to excessive heat stress has been found to seriously affect the health of workers [5], decrease productivity [6]. Kidney injury (KI) is a health effect of concern, especially in hot work settings where heat stress and dehydration prevail [9,10,11,12]. Increasing evidence indicates that recurrent episodes of KI may be linked to chronic kidney disease of unknown etiology (CKDu) among young male workers performing strenuous activities in hot regions of Central America [13,14,15]. Public Health 2020, 17, 3775; doi:10.3390/ijerph17113775 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph
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