Symptoms In Workplace Research Articles

Work-Related Symptoms of Patients with Asthma: A Multicenter Study.

It is considered that occupational exposure accounts for up to 25% of all cases of adult asthma. We need detailed individual-level data regarding the relationship between asthma, occupation, and work-related symptoms in Turkey to inform policies on workplace safety. This study aimed to investigate the association between asthma symptoms, occupation type, and workplace exposure in patients with asthma. In this cross-sectional multicenter study, adult patients with asthma were investigated by a questionnaire in terms of relationship between asthma symptoms and workplace exposure. The study population was adult patients who had been diagnosed with asthma for at least six months prior to study and who were under follow-up in Ankara, İstanbul, Erzurum, Düzce, Trabzon, Denizli, and Diyarbakır. The mean age of the 345 cases (188 females) was 41±13 years. The majority of the patients (36.8%) were "housewives"; other common occupations were office workers (6.7%), textile workers (4%), students (3.8%), hospital staff (3.5%), and cleaners (2.9%). Thirty-five percent of patients described worsening of asthma during working periods. Among patients with a history of increased symptoms in workplace, 100 (83%) developed asthma after starting work, while 20 patients (17%) had pre-existing asthma. Half of the patients described workplace exposure to dust, fume, and gases. Exposure to cleaning supplies at home was present in 43% of the subjects. Of all housewives, 12% (n=15) described an increase in their asthma symptoms during housework. The frequency of bleach or hydrochloric acid use alone among housewives was 60% and 34%, which was significantly higher than other occupations. The FEV1/FVC ratio of housewives who frequently used hydrochloric acid (FEV1/FVC=71.5) was lower than that of non-users (FEV1/FVC=74.9) (p=0.024). Patients with asthma experience significant workplace exposures that exacerbate their symptoms. Housewives experience significant exposure that triggers allergic and asthma symptoms. It is important to raise awareness about the prevalence and risks of occupational (including in-home) exposures in asthmatics patients and physicians to minimize asthma triggers and exacerbations.

Relation of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Symptoms and Increased Accidents in Airport Workers

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a chronic and debilitating disorder characterized by inattentiveness and impulsiveness, the most commonly encountered symptoms of hyperactivity. Adults with ADHD can suffer performance loss and loss of employment. It has been determined that individuals with ADHD have difficulty driving. Hypothesis of the research was that “the airport workers with a history of workplace driving accident have higher level of symptoms of ADHD, compared to the workers without a history of workplace driving A total of 138 accidents involving vehicles occurred between 2012 and 2014 at Havaþ, where the research was conducted. The research participants were given a questionnaire (study group was 110 workers involved in an accident; control group was 111 workers, matched with the study group for sex and age, although they were not involved in an accident) comprising Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (AASRS) and Adult ADHD DSM-IV Based Diagnostic Screening and Rating Scale (A-ADHDS). Using these scales, the participants were evaluated with respect to their accident status, performance, attendance and demographics. Diagnosis of ADHD was encountered only one employee in study group. A-ADHDS Hyperactivity subscale score was found to be significantly higher in study group compared to control group. Scores of the other subscales of A-ADHDS and AASRS found to be similar in groups. These results suggest that although there found to be no significant differences in rates of ADHD diagnosis in workers with a history of driving accident and the control group; the former may have higher rates of hyperactivity symptoms. Informing the workers and the employers about the effects and consequences of ADHD symptoms in workplace, screening the symptoms of ADHD in those to be employed in critical areas requiring driving skills might decrease the risk of workplace accidents.

Serum IgE Antibodies against Hazelnut in Hazelnut Processing Workers

Aim. Previous studies have shown a higher sensitization rate to hazelnut in processing workers but no relation was found between the respiratory symptoms in workplace and hazelnut sensitization. Material and Method. To evaluate the association between the hazelnut sensitization and workplace-related respiratory complaints, hazelnut processing workers had undergone a questionnaire included work-related respiratory symptoms, smoking history, pulmonary function testing, and measurement of serum IgE antibodies against hazelnut. Results. This study consisted of 88 hazelnut processing workers (79 females and 9 males), aged 14–59 years (Mean ± SD: 33.8 ± 10.5 years). The mean working duration was 38.8 ± 36.6 months (min: 1–max: 180). Specific IgE against hazelnut allergens was positive in 14 of cases (17.1%). There was no significant difference between the cases with and without specific IgE against hazelnut allergens regarding respiratory symptoms, history of allergy, smoking status and spirometric values. Conclusion. 17.1% of the hazelnut processing workers were seropositive against hazelnut. Being sensitized to hazelnut was not found to be associated with work-related respiratory symptoms in this study. Further studies are needed in hazelnut workers respiratory health to search topics other than asthma.