Heat Safety in the Workplace:Modified Delphi Consensus to Establish Strategies and Resources to Protect U.S Workers

The purpose of this consensus document was to develop feasible, evidence‐based occupational heat safety recommendations to protect the US workers that experience heat stress. Heat safety recommendations were created to protect worker health and to avoid productivity losses associated with occupational heat stress. Recommendations were tailored to be utilized by safety managers, industrial hygienists, and the employers who bear responsibility for implementing heat safety plans. An interdisciplinary roundtable comprised of 51 experts was assembled to create a narrative review summarizing current data and gaps in knowledge within eight heat safety topics: (a) heat hygiene, (b) hydration, (c) heat acclimatization, (d) environmental monitoring, (e) physiological monitoring, (f) body cooling, (g) textiles and personal protective gear, and (h) emergency action plan implementation. The consensus‐based recommendations for each topic were created using the Delphi method and evaluated based on scientific evidence, feasibility, and clarity. The current document presents 40 occupational heat safety recommendations across all eight topics. Establishing these recommendations will help organizations and employers create effective heat safety plans for their workplaces, address factors that limit the implementation of heat safety best‐practices and protect worker health and productivity

Attitudes toward and experiences of gender issues among physician teachers: A survey study conducted at a university teaching hospital in Sweden

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Gender issues are important to address during medical education, however research about the implementation of gender in medical curricula reports that there are obstacles. The aim of this study was to explore physician teachers' attitudes to gender issues.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>As part of a questionnaire, physician teachers at Umeå University in Sweden were given open-ended questions about explanations for and asked to write examples why they found gender important or not. The 1 469 comments from the 243 respondents (78 women, 165 men) were analyzed by way of content analysis. The proportion of comments made by men and women in each category was compared.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We found three themes in our analysis: Understandings of gender, problems connected with gender and approaches to gender. Gender was associated with differences between women and men regarding behaviour and disease, as well as with inequality of life conditions. Problems connected with gender included: delicate situations involving investigations of intimate body parts or sexual attraction, different expectations on male and female physicians and students, and difficulty fully understanding the experience of people of the opposite sex. The three approaches to gender that appeared in the comments were: 1) avoidance, implying that the importance of gender in professional relationships was recognized but minimized by comparing gender with aspects, such as personality and neutrality; 2) simplification, implying that gender related problems were easy to address, or already solved; and 3) awareness, implying that the respondent was interested in gender issues or had some insights in research about gender. Only a few individuals described gender as an area of competence and knowledge. There were comments from men and women in all categories, but there were differences in the relative weight for some categories. For example, recognizing gender inequities was more pronounced in the comments from women and avoidance more common in comments from men.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The surveyed physician teachers gave many examples of gender-related problems in medical work and education, but comments describing gender as an area of competence and knowledge were few. Approaches to gender characterized by avoidance and simplification suggest that faculty development programs on gender need to address and reflect on attitudes as well as knowledge.</p

Team Sports

Millions of individuals around the world participate in various types of sport and physical activity as part of their everyday lives including organized team sports. Organized sport encompasses a wide variety of age groups, participation levels, and types of activity. For example, team sports may involve youth to senior athletes, recreational to professional athletes, and activities that involve various durations and intensity levels. As a result of these variations, differences exist regarding ways in which to most optimally enhance performance in the heat while also promoting health and safety. Such differences include population risk factors for performing exercise in the heat, sport-specific and position-specific demands, and practical applications to combat these challenges. Regardless of these individual factors, maximizing both performance and safety should be a priority among all competitors

The Gun at home and abroad.

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The Effect of Fluid Availability on Consumption and Perceptual Measures during Aerobic Exercise

Fluid availability may alter drinking behavior; however, it is currently unknown if the availability of fluid impacts behavior and gastrointestinal issues (GI) that are often associated with increased fluid intake. The purpose of this study was to determine if ad libitum (AL) versus periodic (PER) fluid intake influences fluid consumption and GI distress during exercise in trained athletes. Male and female Division I NCAA Cross Country athletes (n = 11; age = 20 ± 1 years) participated in this counterbalanced crossover study. Each participant completed a moderate intensity 10 km run on two separate occasions. In one trial, participants had unlimited availability to fluid to consume AL. In the other trial, participants consumed PER fluid at stations placed every 3.2 km. Assurance of euhydration prior to each trial was confirmed via urine specific gravity (USG) and urine color. Subjective perceptions of thirst and gastric fullness were assessed pre- and post-exercise via Likert questioning and a visual analog scale, respectively. Participants started each trial euhydrated (AL = 1.009 USG ± 0.009; PER = 1.009 USG ± 0.009; urine color AL, 3 ± 1; urine color PER, 2 ± 1). Fluid volume consumption was significantly higher during the AL condition compared to PER (p = 0.050). Thirst significantly increased from pre- to post-run regardless of treatment (p p = 0.492). Feelings of fullness did not change pre-post trial (p = 0.304) or between trials (p = 0.958). Increased fluid availability allows for increased fluid consumption without the negative experience of GI discomfort

Availability of a Flavored Beverage and Impact on Children’s Hydration Status, Sleep, and Mood

Euhydration remains a challenge in children due to lack of access and unpalatability of water and to other reasons. The purpose of this study was to determine if the availability/access to a beverage (Creative Roots®) influences hydration in children and, therefore, sleep quality and mood. Using a crossover investigation, 46 participants were randomly assigned to a control group (CON) or an intervention group and received Creative Roots® (INT) for two-week periods. We recorded daily first morning and afternoon urine color (Ucol), thirst perception, and bodyweight of the two groups. Participants reported to the lab once per week and provided first morning urine samples to assess Ucol, urine specific gravity (USG), and urine osmolality (Uosmo). Participants also completed the questionnaires Profile of Mood States-Adolescents (POMS-a) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Dependent t-tests were used to assess the effects of the intervention on hydration, mood, and sleep quality. Uosmo was greater and Ucol was darker in the control group (mean ± SD) [Uosmo: INT = 828 ± 177 mOsm·kg−1, CON = 879 ± 184 mOsm·kg−1, (p = 0.037], [Ucol:INT = 5 ± 1, CON = 5 ± 1, p = 0.024]. USG, POMS-a, and PSQI were not significant between the groups. At-home daily afternoon Ucol was darker in the control group [INT = 3 ± 1, CON = 3 ± 1, p = 0.022]. Access to Creative Roots® provides a small, potentially meaningful hydration benefit in children. However, children still demonstrated consistent mild dehydration based on Uosmo, despite consuming the beverage