Occupational Skin Conditions in the Emerging US Green Collar Workforce.

-Financial support for this study provided by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) grant R03-OH010124

Age-related macular degeneration and smoking cessation advice by eye care providers: a pilot study

This is the final version of the article. Available from the publisher via the link in this record.Smoking is a modifiable risk factor for age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of irreversible vision loss in the United States. We conducted a pilot study among eye care providers and AMD patients to assess smoking cessation preferences and cessation services offered at a large academic medical center. Most patients who smoke reported never being advised to quit smoking, although most eye care providers reported that they had advised smokers to quit. Two-thirds of providers expressed a desire for additional training and resources to support patient quit attempts, indicating the need for the integration of smoking cessation opportunities in the clinic setting.Support for this study was provided in part by a National Eye Institute grant (no. R21-EY019096)

Health status of older US workers and nonworkers, National Health Interview Survey, 1997-2011.

This is the final version of the article. Available from the publisher via the DOI in this record.INTRODUCTION: Many US workers are increasingly delaying retirement from work, which may be leading to an increase in chronic disease at the workplace. We examined the association of older adults' health status with their employment/occupation and other characteristics. METHODS: National Health Interview Survey data from 1997 through 2011 were pooled for adults aged 65 or older (n = 83,338; mean age, 74.6 y). Multivariable logistic regression modeling was used to estimate the association of socioeconomic factors and health behaviors with 4 health status measures: 1) self-rated health (fair/poor vs good/very good/excellent); 2) multimorbidity (≤1 vs ≥2 chronic conditions); 3) multiple functional limitations (≤1 vs ≥2); and 4) Health and Activities Limitation Index (HALex) (below vs above 20th percentile). Analyses were stratified by sex and age (young-old vs old-old) where interactions with occupation were significant. RESULTS: Employed older adults had better health outcomes than unemployed older adults. Physically demanding occupations had the lowest risk of poor health outcomes, suggesting a stronger healthy worker effect: service workers were at lowest risk of multiple functional limitations (odds ratio [OR], 0.82; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.71-0.95); and blue-collar workers were at lowest risk of multimorbidity (OR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.74-0.97) and multiple functional limitation (OR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.72-0.98). Hispanics were more likely than non-Hispanic whites to report fair/poor health (OR, 1.62; 95% CI, 1.52-1.73) and lowest HALex quintile (OR, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.13-1.30); however, they were less likely to report multimorbidity (OR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.73-0.83) or multiple functional limitations (OR, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.77-0.88). CONCLUSION: A strong association exists between employment and health status in older adults beyond what can be explained by socioeconomic factors (eg, education, income) or health behaviors (eg, smoking). Disability accommodations in the workplace could encourage employment among older adults with limitations.Funding sources included the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (grant no. R01OH03915), the National Institute on Aging (grant no. F30AG040886), and the European Regional Development Fund and European Social Fund to the European Centre for Environment and Human Health (University of Exeter Medical School)

Application of handheld devices to field research among underserved construction worker populations: a workplace health assessment pilot study

This is the final version of the article. Available from BioMed Central via the DOI in this record.BACKGROUND: Novel low-cost approaches for conducting rapid health assessments and health promotion interventions among underserved worker groups are needed. Recruitment and participation of construction workers is particularly challenging due to their often transient periods of work at any one construction site, and their limited time during work to participate in such studies. In the present methodology report, we discuss the experience, advantages and disadvantages of using touch screen handheld devices for the collection of field data from a largely underserved worker population. METHODS: In March 2010, a workplace-centered pilot study to examine the feasibility of using a handheld personal device for the rapid health assessment of construction workers in two South Florida Construction sites was undertaken. A 45-item survey instrument, including health-related questions on tobacco exposure, workplace safety practices, musculoskeletal disorders and health symptoms, was programmed onto Apple iPod Touch® devices. Language sensitive (English and Spanish) recruitment scripts, verbal consent forms, and survey questions were all preloaded onto the handheld devices. The experience (time to survey administration and capital cost) of the handheld administration method was recorded and compared to approaches available in the extant literature. RESULTS: Construction workers were very receptive to the recruitment, interview and assessment processes conducted through the handheld devices. Some workers even welcomed the opportunity to complete the questionnaire themselves using the touch screen handheld device. A list of advantages and disadvantages emerged from this experience that may be useful in the rapid health assessment of underserved populations working in a variety of environmental and occupational health settings. CONCLUSIONS: Handheld devices, which are relatively inexpensive, minimize survey response error, and allow for easy storage of data. These technological research modalities are useful in the collection and assessment of environmental and occupational research data.This study was supported in part by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)'s Deep South Educational Research Center at the University of Alabama (sub-contract: 288477-10) as a Graduate Student Pilot Grant Award; the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) grant F31AR057687 and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) grant R01 OH003915

Attitudes toward and Uptake of H1N1 Vaccine among Health Care Workers during the 2009 H1N1 Pandemic

BACKGROUND: Though recommended by many and mandated by some, influenza vaccination rates among health care workers, even in pandemics, remain below optimal levels. The objective of this study was to assess vaccination uptake, attitudes, and distinguishing characteristics (including doctor-nurse differences) of health care workers who did and did not receive the pandemic H1N1 influenza vaccine in late 2009. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In early 2010 we mailed a self-administered survey to 800 physicians and 800 nurses currently licensed and practicing in Minnesota. 1,073 individuals responded (cooperation rate: 69%). 85% and 62% of Minnesota physicians and nurses, respectively, reported being vaccinated. Accurately estimating the risk of vaccine side effects (OR 2.0; 95% CI 1.5-2.7), agreeing with a professional obligation to be vaccinated (OR 10.1; 95% CI 7.1-14.2), an ethical obligation to follow public health authorities' recommendations (OR 9.9; 95% CI 6.6-14.9), and laws mandating pandemic vaccination (OR 3.1; 95% CI 2.3-4.1) were all independently associated with receiving the H1N1 influenza vaccine. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: While a majority of health care workers in one midwestern state reported receiving the pandemic H1N1 vaccine, physicians and nurses differed significantly in vaccination uptake. Several key attitudes and perceptions may influence health care workers' decisions regarding vaccination. These data inform how states might optimally enlist health care workers' support in achieving vaccination goals during a pandemic

Dramatic Increases in Obesity and Overweight Prevalence and Body Mass Index Among Ethnic-Immigrant and Social Class Groups in the United States, 1976–2008

This study examined trends in US obesity and overweight prevalence and body mass index (BMI) among 30 immigrant groups, stratified by race/ethnicity and length of immigration, and among detailed education, occupation, and income/poverty groups from 1976 to 2008. Using 1976–2008 National Health Interview Surveys, differentials in obesity, overweight, and BMI, based on self-reported height and weight, were analyzed by using disparity indices, logistic, and linear regression. The obesity prevalence for the US population aged ≥18 tripled from 8.7% in 1976 to 27.4% in 2008. Overweight prevalence increased from 36.9% in 1976 to 62.0% in 2008. During 1991–2008, obesity prevalence for US-born adults increased from 13.9 to 28.7%, while prevalence for immigrants increased from 9.5 to 20.7%. While immigrants in each ethnic group and time period had lower obesity and overweight prevalence and BMI than the US-born, immigrants’ risk of obesity and overweight increased with increasing duration of residence. In 2003–2008, obesity prevalence ranged from 2.3% for recent Chinese immigrants to 31–39% for American Indians, US-born blacks, Mexicans, and Puerto Ricans, and long-term Mexican and Puerto Rican immigrants. Between 1976 and 2008, the obesity prevalence more than quadrupled for those with a college education or sales occupation. Although higher prevalence was observed for lower education, income, and occupation levels in each period, socioeconomic gradients in obesity and overweight decreased over time because of more rapid increases in prevalence among higher socioeconomic groups. Continued immigrant and socioeconomic disparities in prevalence will likely have substantial impacts on future obesity trends in the US

Mapping the Hsp90 Genetic Interaction Network in Candida albicans Reveals Environmental Contingency and Rewired Circuitry

The molecular chaperone Hsp90 regulates the folding of diverse signal transducers in all eukaryotes, profoundly affecting cellular circuitry. In fungi, Hsp90 influences development, drug resistance, and evolution. Hsp90 interacts with ∼10% of the proteome in the model yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, while only two interactions have been identified in Candida albicans, the leading fungal pathogen of humans. Utilizing a chemical genomic approach, we mapped the C. albicans Hsp90 interaction network under diverse stress conditions. The chaperone network is environmentally contingent, and most of the 226 genetic interactors are important for growth only under specific conditions, suggesting that they operate downstream of Hsp90, as with the MAPK Hog1. Few interactors are important for growth in many environments, and these are poised to operate upstream of Hsp90, as with the protein kinase CK2 and the transcription factor Ahr1. We establish environmental contingency in the first chaperone network of a fungal pathogen, novel effectors upstream and downstream of Hsp90, and network rewiring over evolutionary time

Gender-specific associations of vision and hearing impairments with adverse health outcomes in older Japanese: a population-based cohort study

BACKGROUND: Several epidemiological studies have shown that self-reported vision and hearing impairments are associated with adverse health outcomes (AHOs) in older populations; however, few studies have used objective sensory measurements or investigated the role of gender in this association. Therefore, we examined the association of vision and hearing impairments (as measured by objective methods) with AHOs (dependence in activities of daily living or death), and whether this association differed by gender. METHODS: From 2005 to 2006, a total of 801 residents (337 men and 464 women) aged 65 years or older of Kurabuchi Town, Gunma, Japan, participated in a baseline examination that included vision and hearing assessments; they were followed up through September 2008. Vision impairment was defined as a corrected visual acuity of worse than 0.5 (logMAR = 0.3) in the better eye, and hearing impairment was defined as a failure to hear a 30 dB hearing level signal at 1 kHz in the better ear. Information on outcomes was obtained from the town hall and through face-to-face home visit interviews. We calculated the risk ratios (RRs) of AHOs for vision and hearing impairments according to gender. RESULTS: During a mean follow-up period of 3 years, 34 men (10.1%) and 52 women (11.3%) had AHOs. In both genders, vision impairment was related to an elevated risk of AHOs (multi-adjusted RR for men and women together = 1.60, 95% CI = 1.05-2.44), with no statistically significant interaction between the genders. In contrast, a significant association between hearing impairment and AHOs (multi-adjusted RR = 3.10, 95% CI = 1.43-6.72) was found only in the men. CONCLUSION: In this older Japanese population, sensory impairments were clearly associated with AHOs, and the association appeared to vary according to gender. Gender-specific associations between sensory impairments and AHOs warrant further investigation