Memory Functions in Recreational Pistol Sport Shooters: Does Lead Matter?

Objective The aim of our study was to examine the memory functions of pistol sport shooters using powder charges when exposure to lead is expected to be considerably lower than in occupational circumstances. Methods A neuropsychological battery of memory and intelligence tests was administered to 20 sport shooters and 20 controls whose mean ages (SDs) were 55 (9.6) and 54 (9.3) years respectively. Memory functions were evaluated with three subtests of the Wechsler Memory Scale - Revised (WMS-R) and an incidental memory test. Intelligence was assessed with four subtests of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale - Revised (WAIS-R). The level of alcohol consumption and depression were examined in both groups. Blood lead level was determined among the shooters. Results The shooters performed worse than the controls in the tests of incidental and logical memory. The groups did not differ in intelligence, mood or alcohol consumption. The mean (SD) blood lead level of the sport shooters was 0.52 μmol/L (0.40), responding 10.76 μg/dl (8.28). Conclusions Low lead exposure in recreational shooting conditions may impair verbal memory. Therefore it is important to ensure that lead exposure is prevented among those shooting for sport

Employment status and changes in working career in relation to asthma : a cross-sectional survey

Background: Asthmatics confront inconveniences in working life that make it more difficult to pursue a sustainable career, such as unemployment and work disability. Ways of dealing with these inconveniences may be career changes. More needs to be known about the backgrounds and consequences of career changes among asthmatics, especially their relation to asthma or a change in asthma symptoms. The aim of this study was to compare earlier career changes of adults with asthma who are working full time to those who have drifted away from active working life because of work disability, unemployment or early retirement. The frequency of having changed tasks, work place or occupation, whether the changes had been driven by asthma and furthermore, whether the changes had affected their asthma symptoms were investigated. Methods: In this population-based survey study, all patients with reimbursement rights for asthma aged 20-65 years in the city of Tampere (total population 190,000), Finland (n = 2613) were recruited. The questionnaire was sent in October 2000 and the response rate was 79%. The questionnaire included questions e.g. on changing tasks, work place and occupation, whether these changes were driven by asthma or associated with change of asthma symptoms. The respondents were divided into four groups: working full-time, work disability, unemployed and retired due to age. We applied ANOVA with Dunnet's post-test (variances were not equal between the groups) for a continued variable age and Chi-squared tests for categorical variables. Logistic regression models were built using unemployed vs. full-time work or work disability vs. full-time work as an outcome variable. A p-value of Results: Adults with asthma working full time had more often made changes in their career, but not as often driven by asthma as those with current work disability. The reason for changing work place compared to full-time workers (24.9%) was more often mainly or partly due to asthma among those with work disability (47.9%, p <0.001) and the unemployed (43.3%, p = 0.006). Of those who made career changes because of asthma, a major proportion (over 67%) reported relief in asthma symptoms. Changing tasks (OR 5.8, 95% CI 1.9-18.0, for unemployment vs. full-time work), work place (OR 2.8, 95% CI 1.1-7.0, for work disability vs. full-time work and OR 2.6, 95% CI 1.3-5.4, for unemployment vs. full-time work) or occupation (OR 2.7, 95% CI 1.2-6.0, for unemployment vs. full-time work) mainly because of asthma was associated with an elevated risk for undesirable employment status even after adjusting for age, gender, smoking and professional status. Conclusions: Career changes that were made mainly because of asthma were associated with undesirable employment status in this study. However, asthma symptoms were relieved after career changes especially among those who reported asthma to be the reason for the change. In addition to proper treatment and counselling of asthma patients towards applicable area of work or study, it may be beneficial to support early career changes in maintaining sustainable working careers among adults with asthma.Peer reviewe

Asthma diagnosed in late adulthood is linked to work disability and poor employment status

Background: Age at asthma onset is associated with severity and outcomes of the disease. Objective: We studied if age at asthma diagnosis is related to employment and outcomes in working career. Patients and methods: A questionnaire was sent to 2613 adults with asthma in Tampere, Finland, and a follow-up questionnaire was sent after six years. Asthmatics were divided into groups based on their employment status: working full-time or work disability. Logistic regression was used to study the association of age at asthma diagnosis with employment status at baseline and with the risk of exiting full-time work during follow-up period. Results: In cross-sectional analysis, asthma diagnosed in late adulthood (50 + years) was associated with higher OR for having work-disability compared to childhood onset asthma (OR [95% CI] 3.60 [1.43-9.06]). During follow-up, asthma diagnosed in late adulthood was associated with higher OR for exiting full time work compared to childhood-onset asthma (OR 10.87 [3.25-36.40]). Conclusions: Asthma diagnosed in late adulthood is a higher risk for poor employment than asthma diagnosed earlier in life. Adult-onset of asthma is an important factor in view of work ability and early rehabilitation procedures.Peer reviewe

Correlates of employment status in individuals with asthma : a cross-sectional survey

Background: This study aims to elucidate factors that among adults with asthma are associated with working full-time. Methods: This cross-sectional survey of 2613 working-age adults with asthma included questions on asthma history, symptoms and use of asthma medication, socioeconomic factors and health behavior. Full-time workers were compared to groups according to employment status: unemployed, work disability and retired due to age. Results: Adults with asthma working full time were younger and more often nonmanual workers, experienced less asthma symptoms, used less asthma medication and smoked less than subjects with work disability. After adjusting for age, gender, smoking and professional status, having frequent symptoms of asthma during last month was associated with an increase in the risk of unemployment (OR 2.3, 95% CI 1.3-4.2) and with an increase in the risk of work disability (OR 4.4, 95% CI 2.3-8.2). Conclusions: Among adults with asthma, full-time work was associated with younger age, less symptomatic asthma despite of less medication, nonmanual work and less smoking. Having more severe symptoms of asthma was associated with undesirable employment status such as unemployment or work disability. Possibilities to change from manual to nonmanual work may be important in preventing work disability and early exit from work.Peer reviewe

Asthma trigger perceptions are associated with work disability

Objective: To study the association between perceptions of various triggers of asthma and employment status. Methods: A questionnaire was administered to all those adults living in the city of Tampere, Finland, who were entitled to special reimbursement for asthma medication by the Social Insurance Institution (n = 2613). The response rate was 79%. The study population (n = 1657) consisted of individuals who worked full-time (n = 967), were unemployed (n = 197), had all-cause work disability (n = 334), or were retired due to old age (n = 159). Given a list of potential asthma triggers, the respondents were asked how often (never/sometimes/often) the trigger caused or worsened their asthma symptoms during leisure time. Results: After adjusting for background variables (age, sex, smoking, and professional status), frequency of asthma symptoms, and the use of asthma medication during the last year, any individual trigger identified as asthma-relevant was associated with having work disability (vs. working full-time). The highest odds ratio (OR) was found for vehicle exhaust (OR 5.0, CI 2.2-11.4). We found similar but less consistent associations between asthma trigger perceptions and unemployment. No elevated ORs were found regarding asthma trigger perceptions for old-age retirement. Conclusions: Perceptions of asthma triggers are associated with all-cause work disability. Our findings suggest that asthmatics have excess trigger perceptions that are not explained by asthma alone. Asthmatics need to be informed that inaccurate trigger perceptions may develop, and how they are induced, because unnecessary trigger avoidance may interfere with work life.Peer reviewe

Identification of Depression and Screening for Work Disabilities among Long-Term Unemployed People

The study explores whether clinical screening targeted at work disabilities among long-term unemployed people reveals eligible individuals for a disability pension and the importance of depression in granting the disability pensions. A total of 364 participants of the screening project were considered as eligible to apply for disability pension. Among them, 188 were diagnosed as clinically depressed. They were classified into those with earlier depression diagnosis (n = 85), those whose depression had not been diagnosed earlier (n = 103), and those without diagnosed depression (n = 176). The association of this Depression identification pattern' with being granted a disability pension was explored by logistic regression analyses. Compared to those with earlier diagnosis, those whose depression had not been diagnosed earlier were granted disability pension more commonly (72% vs. 54% OR 2.2, p = 0.012). Corresponding figures of the undepressed were 73%, OR 2.3, p = 0.002. The adjustments did not affect the results. Clinical examination of the long-term unemployed people in terms of work disability seems to be worthwhile. In particular, the examination reveals new depression diagnoses, which contribute more to the award of disability pension than depression diagnosed earlier by regular health care. Novel ways to detect depression among the unemployed should be implemented in the health and employment services.Peer reviewe

Self-reported health problems in a health risk appraisal predict permanent work disability : a prospective cohort study of 22,023 employees from different sectors in Finland with up to 6-year follow-up

Purpose Work disability (WD) as a medico-legal concept refers to disability benefits (DB) that are granted due to diseases that permanently reduce work ability. We studied whether an occupational healthcare instrument for the prediction of sickness absence (SA) risk-a health risk appraisal (HRA)-also predicts permanent WD. Methods HRA results were combined with registry data on DB of 22,023 employees from different industry sectors. We analysed how the HRA risk categories predict DB and considered occupational group, gender, age, and prior SA as confounding variables. Cumulative incidence function illustrates the difference between the HRA risk categories, and the Fine-Gray model estimates the predictors of WD during 6-year follow-up. Results The most common primary reasons for permanent WD were musculoskeletal (39%) and mental disorders (21%). Self-reported health problems in the HRA, labelled as "WD risk factors", predicted DB when controlling for age and prior SA. Hazard ratios were 10.9 or over with the lower limit of the 95% confidence interval 3.3 or over among those with two simultaneous WD risk factors. 14% of the females and 17% of the males with three or more simultaneous WD risk factors had received a DB, whereas the respective figures among those without findings were 1.9% and 0.3%. Conclusions Self-reported health problems in the HRA, especially multiple simultaneous WD risk factors, predict permanent WD among both genders across occupational groups. Screening WD risk with a self-administered questionnaire is a potential means for identifying high-risk employees for targeting occupational healthcare actions.Peer reviewe

Work ability of teachers associated with voice disorders, stress, and the indoor environment: A questionnaire study in Finland

ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to determine whether self-reported work ability is associated with voice disorders, stress at work, and the quality of the perceived indoor environment.Study designA cross-sectional study.MethodsWe conducted a questionnaire study of 1 198 Finnish teachers utilizing the Work Ability Score.ResultsThe Work Ability Score median was 8 (Q1: 7, Q3: 9), and 71% (CI 95% 69%–74%) of the subjects reported that they had good work ability. Female teachers had a significantly lower Work Ability Score than male teachers. The median number of days absent due to sickness during the previous year was 4 (Q1: 2, Q3: 10). Voice disorders (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 2.44; CI95% 1.73–3.44), stress at work (rather or very much vs. not at all or little; aOR 6.53; CI95% 4.31–9.90), and poor perceived indoor environment quality (aOR 2.63; CI95% 1.86–3.71) were all clear risk factors for the Work Ability Score.ConclusionWe determined that decreased work ability in teachers is connected to voice disorders, stress at work, and poor perceived indoor environment quality. Thus, in order to better maintain teachers’ work ability, we recommend that special attention should be paid to occupational health care when there are problems in the indoor environment of teachers, and they suffer from voice disorders and stress.</p

Työterveystoiminnan seurannan indikaattorit – työkyvyn hallinnan, seurannan ja varhaisen tuen prosessien indikaattorit

Väliraportissa käsitellään työterveyshuollon vaikuttavuutta sekä hankkeen tuloksia. Mukana ovat myös hankkeessa valmistuneet tarkistuslistat