Work-related Symptoms Research Articles

The Outcome of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Treatment Depends on Affective State at the Time of Admission.

In Austria, new approaches of rehabilitation programs focus on the prevention of mental illness and offer treatment not only for acute psychiatric patients, but also for those who are at risk of developing a mental disorder or have recovered from one.The aim of this study was to determine the effects of a psychiatric rehabilitation program on individuals with different mood states. 600 patients with a history of affective disorder were tested at the time of admission to an Austrian inpatient psychiatric rehabilitation center. Data of extreme groups - patients who were depressed (n=59; BDI-II<9 and HAMD<8) or euthymic (n=59; BDI<18 and HAMD>19) at the time of therapy start - were analyzed. The participants completed the Maslach Burnout Inventory - General Survey, the Symptom Checklist - Revised and the Stress Coping Questionnaire at the beginning and the end of the 6-weeks rehabilitation program. After 6 weeks, both groups showed significantly less psychiatric symptoms (BDI-II, HAMD, SCL-90, and negative coping strategies (SVF). Importantly, work-related stress symptoms ("burnout" symptoms) improved significantly in the euthymic group. Euthymic patients seem to be able to focus on work-related stress symptoms including reduced emotional exhaustion through treatment, while currently depressed patients primarily benefit by an improvement in general psychiatric symptomatology. The results indicate the crucial role of mood state validated with standardized psychological questionnaires BDI-II and HAMD at time of admission to such programs. These findings could have implications on treatment decisions for psychiatric patients and assist in making a forecast concerning ability to recover and treatment prognosis.

Effect of a Developed Nursing Stretch Break Application on Work-Related Musculoskeletal Complications and Fatigue among Nurses: An Interventional Study.

The present study aimed to develop Nursing Stretch Break (NSB) application to relieve work-related musculoskeletal complications and fatigue among hospital nurses. This interventional study was conducted among 71 nurses (15 men and 56 women with a mean age of 33.32 ± 6.42) employed in Shiraz governmental hospitals, Southwest Iran, for four months. In this study, NSB was developed; it includes eight main menus for the user, including (1) Registration, (2) Stretches, (3) User panel, (4) Questions from the researcher, (5) About us, (6) Contact us, (7) Reports, and (8) Answers to questions. Data were collected pre and post-intervention via the Persian version of the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (P-NMQ), the Persian version of the Multidimensional Assessment of Fatigue (P-MAF) Scale, the Persian version of the Numeric Rating Scale (P-NRS), and the Persian version of the Usefulness, Satisfaction, and Ease of use (P-USE) questionnaire. NSB application usability testing showed that the mean scores of P-USE subscales were high. The prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal symptoms (WMSs) in the last 7 days in nurses' body parts, except the elbows and knees, was significantly lower after the intervention than before. In addition, the intensity of work-related musculoskeletal pain/discomfort in all body parts, except the knees, was significant relief after the intervention compared to before. The results demonstrated that the difference in the mean score of the total fatigue and its subscales, except "degree of interference with activities of daily living," was significant after the intervention compared to before. NSB could be a low-cost and feasible ergonomic solution to improve the nurses' musculoskeletal health.

Occupational Health: Physical Activity, Musculoskeletal Symptoms and Quality of Life in Computer Workers: A Narrative Review.

Computer work has assumed a very important role for many companies, but specific occupational and health symptoms associated with the use of computers can appear. According to the literature, physical activity is considered a key player in the prevention and control of work-related musculoskeletal symptoms, contributing to a better quality of life in computer workers. The principal aims of this review are to contribute to a better understanding of the relationship among sedentary behavior, physical activity and quality of life of computer workers; to outline the importance of promoting the development of an educational program for Occupational Health directed at computer workers at the level of quality of life, musculoskeletal symptoms, and physical activity; and to call for attention to the factors needed to initiate and maintain a health program that involves the active participation of workers who must be concerned about their health. This review demonstrates the important role of workplaces in health promotion and the opportunities that workplaces provide to establish and continue successful health-promotion programs for computer workers, generating important benefits for the health and quality of life of individuals and groups.

The psychological impact, risk factors and coping strategies to COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare workers in the sub-Saharan Africa: a narrative review of existing literature

BackgroundThe ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the physical and mental health of the general population worldwide, with healthcare workers at particular risk. The pandemic's effect on healthcare workers' mental well-being has been characterized by depression, anxiety, work-related stress, sleep disturbances, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Hence, protecting the mental well-being of healthcare workers (HCWs) is a considerable priority. This review aimed to determine risk factors for adverse mental health outcomes and protective or coping measures to mitigate the harmful effects of the COVID-19 crisis among HCWs in sub-Saharan Africa.MethodsWe performed a literature search using PubMed, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library, and Embase for relevant materials. We obtained all articles published between March 2020 and April 2022 relevant to the subject of review and met pre-defined eligibility criteria. We selected 23 articles for initial screening and included 12 in the final review.ResultA total of 5,323 participants in twelve studies, predominantly from Ethiopia (eight studies), one from Uganda, Cameroon, Mali, and Togo, fulfilled the eligibility criteria. Investigators found 16.3–71.9% of HCWs with depressive symptoms, 21.9–73.5% with anxiety symptoms, 15.5–63.7% experienced work-related stress symptoms, 12.4–77% experienced sleep disturbances, and 51.6–56.8% reported PTSD symptoms. Healthcare workers, working in emergency, intensive care units, pharmacies, and laboratories were at higher risk of adverse mental health impacts. HCWs had deep fear, anxious and stressed with the high transmission rate of the virus, high death rates, and lived in fear of infecting themselves and families. Other sources of fear and work-related stress were the lack of PPEs, availability of treatment and vaccines to protect themselves against the virus. HCWs faced stigma, abuse, financial problems, and lack of support from employers and communities.ConclusionThe prevalence of depression, anxiety, insomnia, and PTSD in HCWs in sub-Saharan Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic has been high. Several organizational, community, and work-related challenges and interventions were identified, including improvement of workplace infrastructures, adoption of correct and shared infection control measures, provision of PPEs, social support, and implementation of resilience training programs. Setting up permanent multidisciplinary mental health teams at regional and national levels to deal with mental health and providing psychological support to HCWs, supported with long-term surveillance, are recommended.

Employment Quality and Mental and Self-Reported Health Inequities among Latinx Housecleaners: The Safe and Just Cleaners Study.

Precarious employment, such as housecleaning, is one important structural contributor to health inequities. We used an employment quality (EQ) framework to characterize the impact of employment conditions on mental and self-reported ill-health among Latinx housecleaners in the New York City metropolitan area. Using a community-based participatory research approach, we collected cross-sectional survey data from 402 housecleaners between August 2019 and February 2020 to characterize housecleaners' EQ and its association with depression, perceived stress, and self-reported health. We also measured work-related irritant eye, skin, and respiratory symptoms, which have been shown in previous research to be associated with housecleaners' exposure to chemical components of cleaning products. Our housecleaner cohort was largely female and immigrant and most had worked at least five years. Survey items capturing the EQ dimensions of unbalanced interpersonal relations, low material resources, and violations of workers' rights were associated with increased odds of depression, perceived stress, and self-reported ill-health. Work-related irritant eye, skin, and respiratory symptoms were also independently associated with mental and self-reported ill-health and some of the effects of EQ on health were potentially partially mediated through their association with work-related irritant symptoms. Findings can inform directions for community-based educational and policy initiatives to improve housecleaners' employment quality.

Occupational health knowledge discovery based on association rules applied to workers’ body parts protection: a case study in the automotive industry

Occupational Health Protection (OHP) is mandatory by law and can be accomplished by considering the participation of others besides occupational physicians. The data shared can originate knowledge that might influence other processes related to occupational risk prevention. In this study, we used Artificial Intelligence (AI) methods to extract patterns among records shared under these circumstances over two years in the automotive industry. Records featuring OHP data against physical working conditions were selected, and a database of 383 profiles was designed. As Occupational Health Protection profiles under study are associated with work functional ability reduction, the body part(s) (n = 14) where it occurred were identified. Association Rules (ARs) coupled with Natural Language Processing techniques were applied to find meaningful hidden relationships and to identify the occurrence of protection profiles being assigned to at least two body parts simultaneously. After filtering ARs using three metrics (support, confidence, and lift), 54 ARs were found. The distribution of simultaneous body parts is presented as being higher in Special projects (n = 5). The results can use in: (i) design a multi-site body parts functional work ability (loss) model; (ii) model the capacity of organizations to retain workers in their working settings and (iii) prevent work-related musculoskeletal symptoms.

Application of the New Asthma-Specific Job Exposure Matrix: A Study in Quebec Apprentice Cohort Exposed to Isocyanates

Background: Recently, the first asthma-specific Job Exposure Matrix (JEM) was updated to occupational asthma-specific JEM (OAsJEM). Our study aimed to evaluate the association between continued exposure to isocyanates and incident work-related chest symptoms in former car-painting apprentices and to compare the associations using the first and new OAsJEMs.Methods: We used data from an inception cohort of male car-painting apprentices. Post-apprenticeship exposure to isocyanate during follow-up was evaluated using the first asthma-specific JEM (“exposed”=1 or “not exposed”=0) and the new OAsJEM (high=2, medium=1, and none=0). Association between occupation exposure to isocyanate and incidence of work-related rhinoconjunctival and chest symptoms were evaluated through cox regression models, adjusted for age, smoking, wheezing, and non-specific bronchial hyperresponsiveness. Results: The agreement between the two JEMs (exposed vs non-exposed to isocyanate) was perfect (kappa coefficient=0.946, p&lt;0.001). There were only five subjects who were classified as non-exposed based on the first JEM, but had a medium exposure to isocyanate based on the new OAsJEM. Exposure to isocyanate increased the risk of occupational chest symptoms in the high-exposure category (hazard ratio [HR] 2.7, 95% CI 1.1 – 6.6) and the medium category (HR 2.9, 95% CI 0.3 – 30.0) compared to the reference group based on the new OAsJEM, whereas an HR of 2.5 (95% CI 1.0-6.2) was observed from the first JEM. Both JEMs yielded an inconclusive association between exposure to isocyanates and the risk for work-related rhino-conjunctivitis. Conclusion: The asthma-specific JEM and OAsJEM consistently showed that isocyanate exposure increased the risk of incident work-related chest symptoms.

A Pilot Study of Respiratory and Dermal Symptoms in California Cannabis Cultivation Workers

ABSTRACT Cannabis (Cannabis sativa, marijuana) is the largest cash crop in California. While it is difficult to characterize the size of the industry, the total production is estimated at 15 to 16 million pounds per year, with total revenues exceeding $10 billion per year. Despite the huge size and rapid growth of the industry, there has been little research on the health and safety of cannabis workers. The goal of this pilot study was to explore the feasibility of collecting cannabis worker health data with a self-administered survey and to analyze the first systematically collected data on occupational health symptoms among California cannabis cultivation workers. We performed a cross-sectional survey of demographic and job characteristics as well as eye, nasal, respiratory, and dermal symptoms among 29 workers at two cannabis farms in the Sacramento area, California. Most participants were men aged less than 30 years, with 48% of participants self-identifying as non-Hispanic white and 58% reporting at least some college education. The most frequently reported work-related symptom was nasal irritation, and 38% of the participants reported symptoms suggestive of asthma. The participants had a demographic makeup distinct from traditional California agricultural workers, and a very high prevalence of current use of cannabis (93%). The high proportion of respondents with symptoms suggestive of asthma raises concern; sensitization to the cannabis plant has been reported among cannabis workers and users and there are many well-documented agricultural exposures causing asthma and asthma-like syndrome.

Prevalence and risk factors of work-related contact dermatitis symptoms among healthcare cleaners during the COVID-19 pandemic in Northwest Ethiopia: a multicentre cross-sectional survey

ObjectiveThis study was aimed to explore the prevalence and risk factors of work-related contact dermatitis (WRCD) symptoms among cleaners working in healthcare institutions in Gondar city, Northwest Ethiopia, during the...

Prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal symptoms among young orthopedics during the surgical practice: an intervention study.

Work-related muscle-skeletal symptoms (WRMS) represent a substantial social and economic impact on the way of work and have a high incidence in surgeons. In the literature, several studies address the impact of WRMS in surgeons performing gynecological, laparoscopic, and robotic surgery, but there are no studies in the field of orthopedic surgery. This pilot study aims to assess the effectiveness of a preventive program to reduce pain. All workers filled in a standardized questionnaire, and postoperative pain in the operating room was quantified using a numeric scale (NAS). The intervention group followed ergonomic principles in the operating room supervised by a physiotherapist and specific physical exercises before and after surgery. Data were analyzed using the statistical program STATA rel. 14.0. Twenty-one surgeons were assigned to intervention groups and thirty-three to controls. At baseline, the two groups were homogeneous for anthropometric factors, and controls were older and with higher work seniority. Pain perception resulted in high in both groups in many body districts. At follow-up, after three months, the intervention group significantly reduced pain perception in all body districts for the lumbar back, knees, ankles and feet (p<0.05). In the control group, pain perception increased in all body districts investigated. We found a high prevalence of WRMS in young orthopedic surgeons, and we demonstrated the effectiveness of a preventive program through targeted ergonomic education and exercises for the most affected body districts.

Personal and work-related factors associated with mental health among auto workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States

Little is known about the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on non-healthcare workers, especially among those who weathered unemployment related to shutdowns and supply-chain disruptions. We administered a cross-sectional survey (May – October 2021) to understand patterns between personal and work-related predictors and mental health symptoms among in-person auto workers in the United States (N = 1,165). The Generalized Anxiety Disorder-2 and the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 measured the presence of anxiety and depressive symptoms, respectively. Predictors included the presence of financial/family stressors, fear of SARS-CoV-2 exposure, perceptions of safety climate/culture, and clarity of workplace COVID-19 protocols. We used multinomial logistic regression to examine associations between the predictors and anxiety symptoms alone, depressive symptoms alone, and both anxiety and depressive symptoms compared to no symptoms, adjusting for socio-demographic characteristics, employee type, COVID-19 infection history, and preexisting psychological or psychiatric disorders. Experiencing financial/family stressors (adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 2.65, 95 % CI: 1.86–3.78) and feeling very concerned over SARS-CoV-2 exposure (AOR: 2.12, 95 % CI: 1.47–3.06) increased the odds of having both anxiety and depressive symptoms in comparison to experiencing no stressors, and feeling less than very concerned over exposure, respectively. Positive perceptions of safety climate/culture (AOR = 0.79, 95 % CI: 0.75–0.84) and strong clarity of COVID-19 protocols (AOR = 0.91, 95 %CI: 0.84–0.99) were associated with lower odds of both anxiety and depressive symptoms. These findings highlight the importance of job security and feeling safe at work in affecting the psychological impact of the pandemic on workers. Considerations for COVID-19 prevention in the workplace and mental health should go hand-in-hand.

Musculoskeletal symptoms and associated factors among beauty salon workers in Udupi, Karnataka, India.

The Indian salon industry is increasing rapidly due to demand for various kinds of beauty and personal care products. Working ability and health conditions of salon workers may be affected by specific work-related activities. Prolonged non-neutral postures, repetitive movements, lack of adequate breaks during work, working at a fast pace, general distress or prolonged standing periods make them vulnerable to musculoskeletal symptoms. The present study was carried out to assess work-related musculoskeletal symptoms among the beauty salon workers of Udupi taluk. A total of 240 salon workers were recruited for the study. A semi-structured, interviewer-led questionnaire based on a modified Nordic questionnaire was used to collect data. As many as 80.4% study participants reported work related musculoskeletal pain in one or more body parts. The common body parts affected by pain were neck, shoulder, elbow, wrist/hand, upper back, lower back, legs and ankles/feet. The analysis according to work postures suggested that short repetitive movements, stretching of hands to reach objects, working in the same posture for a longer time and the lack of weekly break from work was significantly associated with musculoskeletal symptoms. The beauty salon workers are at risk of developing musculoskeletal symptoms which could benefit from preventive structural, operational and educational measures.

Qualitative analysis of compassion fatigue and coping strategies among nurses

ObjectivesNurses are considered to be at risk of experiencing compassion fatigue, which can affect their personal and professional lives. The aim of this study was to investigate stressful factors contributing to the development of compassion fatigue in nurses, their experiences of compassion fatigue, and the coping strategies they used to cope with compassion fatigue. MethodsThe convenience sample of 86 nurses from Central Europe was recruited via social networking sites during the pandemic of COVID-19. Data collection was conducted via an online battery of questionnaires which included open-ended questions on the stressful factors, experiences, and coping strategies for compassion fatigue. The data were analysed using a theoretical thematic analysis based on Figley’s descriptions of compassion fatigue. The initial data was read several times to identify recurring statements. Each statement was then categorized into the emerging domains, subdomains, categories, and subcategories. ResultsThe results of our study show that stressful factors, experiences, and coping strategies for compassion fatigue in nurses in Central Europe could be related to cognitive, emotional, behavioural, somatic, personal relations, spiritual, and work-related symptoms of compassion fatigue as identified by Figley and that these may resemble experiences of nurses in North America, Japan, and Spain. ConclusionThis study provides a detailed overview of the stressful factors, experiences, and coping strategies for compassion fatigue, which could be used to develop an early screening tool and interventions for alleviating compassion fatigue and for preventive adaptation of the health care system.

Occupational asthma in teachers.

Work-related asthma symptoms are common in teachers and teaching assistants, there are few studies evaluating their causes. To identify causes of occupational asthma in teachers and teaching assistants referred to the Birmingham Occupational Lung Disease clinic 2000-20 using evaluation of serial Peak Expiratory Flow (PEF) records. Teachers and teaching assistants with possible occupational asthma were asked to record PEF 2-hourly at home and work for 4 weeks. Their records were evaluated with the Oasys programme. Those with a positive score for any of the three scores (area between curves (ABC), timepoint and Oasys score from discriminant analysis) were included. Repeat records were made as indicated to help identify the cause and the effects of remedial actions. Thirty-eight teachers or teaching assistants met the inclusion criteria with all three Oasys scores positive in 24, 2/3 scores in nine and 1/3 in five. The building was the likely cause in 17 (in new builds particularly acrylates from carpet adhesives and in old buildings mould and construction dust), bystander exposure to agents in the schools in 12 (cleaning agents, acrylates from photocopiers and chloramines from indoor pools) and materials used in the classroom in 9 (most commonly MDF in design and technology classes). We illustrate how the PEF records helped identify the cause. Oasys analysis of PEF records is a useful method of evaluating occupational asthma in teachers and identified difficult to confirm causes where successful remediation or redeployment was achieved.

Work-Related Traumatic Stress Response in Nurses Employed in COVID-19 Settings.

Nurses may be at a higher risk of experiencing work-related traumatic stress response during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to other clinicians. This study aimed to investigate the correlations between work-related trauma symptoms and demographic factors, psychosocial hazards and stress response in a census sample of nurses working in COVID-19 settings in Cyprus. In this nationwide descriptive and cross-sectional study, data were collected between April and May 2020 using a questionnaire that included sociodemographic, educational and employment and work-related variables, as well as a modified version of the Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale (STSS) for the assessment of work-related trauma symptoms during the pandemic. Overall, 233 nurses participated (with a response rate of 61.3%) and 25.7% of them reported clinical work-related trauma symptoms (STSS-M > 55; actual scale range: 17–85). The mean value for emotional exhaustion was 7.3 (SD: 2.29; visual scale range: 1–10), while the value for distress that was caused by being avoided due to work in COVID-19 units was 6.98 (SD: 2.69; visual scale range: 1–10). Positive associations were noted between trauma symptoms and both emotional exhaustion and distress from being avoided by others due to work in a COVID-19 setting and a negative association was also found between trauma symptoms and satisfaction from organizational support variables (all p < 0.002). Working in COVID-19 settings during the pandemic is a stressful experience that has been linked to psychologically traumatic symptoms Thus, supportive measures are proposed for healthcare personnel, even in countries with low COVID-19 burden.

The Effects of a Forest Therapy on Work-Related Stress for Employees in the Manufacturing Industry: Randomized Control Study

Background The effect of a forest therapy in a natural environment noted that the forest therapy induced a state of relaxation among workers, thereby decreasing cortisol levels and work-related stress. Objective The primary objective of this study is to determine the effects of the forest therapy for employees in the manufacturing industry on psychological stress responds, stress hormone and heart rate variability (HRV). The secondary objective is to determine the effects of the forest therapy for employees in the manufacturing industry on cytotoxic activity of natural killer (NK) cells, health-related quality of life and mood states compare to urban untreated and remained in urban environment. Methods Forty-two employees were recruited from a single workplace located in Incheon city, Republic of Korea. Participants were allocated to either an experimental group (n= 21), wherein they participated in the forest therapy and or a control group (n= 21), wherein they were given no treatment. Participants were assigned to these groups on a randomized, open-label basis. Pre and post-test measures of natural killer (NK) cell activity, salivary cortisol, heart rate variability (HRV), health-related quality of life, stress response, and mood states were taken for both groups. Results The results showed that participants who took part in the forest therapy showed greater physiological improvement when compared to those in the control group, as indicated by a significant increase in some HRV measures. The forest therapy also contributed to a significantly greater decrease in work-related stress symptoms and a significantly greater improvement in health-related quality of life and mood states compared to participants in the control group. Conclusions These results may suggest that the forest therapy could be an effective means of relaxation technique, reducing stress and leads to an increase in positive mood for employees in the manufacturing industry.

Respiratory afflictions during hairdressing jobs: case history and clinical evaluation of a large symptomatic case series

ObjectivesRespiratory symptoms at work are common among hairdressers. Various working materials, most notably bleaching ingredients such as ammonium persulfate, have been made responsible. The objective of this study is to achieve a better understanding of work-related respiratory symptoms of hairdressers by describing common features in a large affected collective.MethodsOne hundred forty-eight hairdressers with respiratory symptoms at work presenting between 2012 and 2019 were consecutively included in a case series. Anamnestic and diagnostic data including pulmonary function and allergy testing were retrospectively compiled from records and analysed. Additionally, cases were categorised in five groups with respect to occupational causation certainty.Results30% of the predominantly female collective had changed jobs or were on longer sick-leave. Besides respiratory symptoms, 10% also reported contact urticaria to blonde dyes. In 60% an obstructive airway disease was confirmed. A specific hypersensitivity reaction to ammonium persulfate was found in 15%. Group 1 with a proven immunological occupational causation showed significantly lower age (p < 0.001) and tenure time (p = 0.001), higher sensitization rates against environmental allergens as well as a higher total IgE (p = 0.015), compared to group 4 (obstructive airway disease, specific occupational causation unlikely).ConclusionsThis case series contributes to a better characterization of work-related respiratory symptoms in hairdressing as one of the largest examined collectives of symptomatic hairdressers. Ammonium persulfate as the most common specific cause showed signs of a type-I-like hypersensitivity reaction with typical risk factors for atopy. Prick testing is recommended in all symptomatic cases. However, a specific occupational causation often cannot be proved.

Associations between COVID-19 Work-Related Stressors and Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms among Chinese Doctors and Nurses: Application of Stress-Coping Theory.

Healthcare workers are vulnerable to posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) due to stressful work during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to investigate whether the associations between COVID-19 work-related stressors and PTSS would be mediated by maladaptive and adaptive coping strategies and moderated by perceived family support based on stress-coping theory. An anonymous online survey was conducted among 1449 doctors and nurses in five hospitals in China between October and November 2020 during the “post-outbreak” period. The prevalence of PTSS assessed by the Posttraumatic Symptom Scale Self-Report was 42%. Logistic regression analysis revealed that worries about being infected with COVID-19, perceived difficulties in family caregiving, coping strategies of rumination, catastrophizing, acceptance, and perceived family support were independently associated with PTSS. Furthermore, maladaptive and adaptive coping partially mediated the association between COVID-19 work-related stressors and PTSS.The results of multi-group analyses showed that perceived family support tended to intensify the associations between COVID-19 work-related stressors and adaptive coping and between adaptive coping and PTSS, whereas perceived family support attenuated the positive association between COVID-19 work-related stressors and PTSS. The findings suggest tailor-made health interventions with respect to alleviation of work-related stressors and coping skill training to reduce the risk of PTSS among healthcare workers, especially for those with lower perceived family support.

Prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal symptoms among tea garden workers in Bangladesh: a cross-sectional study

ObjectivesOccupational health is still in the developmental stage in Bangladesh. There is a lack of focus on agricultural workers. Statistics on musculoskeletal symptoms (MSS) of any occupational group can assist...

Occupational asthma in office workers.

Office work has a relative perception of safety for the worker. Data from surveillance schemes and population-based epidemiological studies suggest that office work carries a low risk of occupational asthma (OA). Office workers are frequently used as comparators in studies of occupational exposure and respiratory disease. We aimed to describe and illustrate our tertiary clinical experience of diagnosing OA in office workers. We searched the Birmingham NHS Occupational Lung Disease Service clinical database for cases of occupational respiratory disease diagnosed between 2002 and 2020, caused by office work or in office workers. For patients with OA, we gathered existing data on demographics, diagnostic tests including Occupational Asthma SYStem (OASYS) analysis of serial peak expiratory flow and specific inhalational challenge, and employment outcome. We summarised data and displayed them alongside illustrative cases. There were 47 cases of OA (5% of all asthma) confirmed using OASYS analysis of PEFs in the majority. Sixty percent of cases occurred in healthcare, education and government sectors. The most frequently implicated causative exposures or agents were: indoor air (9), printing, copying and laminating (7), cleaning chemicals (4), mould and damp (4), and acrylic flooring and adhesives (4). Exposures were grouped into internal office environment, office ventilation-related and adjacent environment. Clinicians should be vigilant for exposures associated with OA in office workers who present with work-related symptoms, where respiratory sensitizing agents may be present. A structured approach to assessment of the workplace is recommended.