Effect of environmental risk factors in occupational noise exposure to noise-induced hearing loss / 中华劳动卫生职业病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the effect of environmental risk factors in occupational noise exposure on hearing loss and find out the susceptible population of noise induced hearing loss (NIHL).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A case-control study was designed to study the effect of environmental risk factors on NIHL. 2400 workers exposed to 75 approximately 120 dB noises from an air conditioning factory in southern China served as the subjects. 202 workers were selected from 10% of population with the maximum hearing shift of the left ear to 3000 Hz noises as the NIHL susceptible group while 204 workers from 10% of population with the least hearing shift as the NIHL tolerant group. A questionnaire was designed to carry out an investigation, and an occupational health survey was used to identify the occupational risk factors which might affect the hearing system. The univariate analysis and multivariate analysis were used to observe the effect of environmental risk factors on NIHL.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The results of univariate analysis showed that smoking, alcohol drinking, organic solvent, heavy metal, heat, dust were significantly was associated with NIHL (P < 0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that only heat was associated with NIHL (P < 0.05), and OR value was 1.804 (95% CI: 1.101 approximately 2.958).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Exposure to heat may be a high risk factor of NIHL.</p>

A cross-sectional study on self-reported health and intention of quitting smoking of smokers in Guangzhou factory workers / 中华劳动卫生职业病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the health status and intention of quitting smoking in factory workers, so as to provide scientific evidence for smoking control.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A cross-sectional survey was carried out on smoking behavior, self-reported health status (SRHS), and intention of quitting smoking in 668 Guangzhou factory workers with different job types. Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND) was used on current smokers. Logistic regression model was used to analyze the association of SRHS, difficulty of quitting smoking (DQS) with some risk factors.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>(1) 65.0% (n = 348) male and 3.0% (n = 4) female workers were ever-smokers. 90.6% of male smokers usually smoked when getting together with friends or smokers, staying at home, or at leisure time, or just after a meal. (2) 10.7% of the daily smokers and ex-smokers had a worse SRHS than the general same-age people, which is significantly higher than 5.1% of the occasional smokers and those who were never smoking. The OR was 2.22 (95% CI 1.08 approximately 4.59) after adjusting age and education. (3) Of male daily smokers, 50.5% ever thought of quitting smoking. The proportions of ever-thought of quitting smoking were 73.3%, 50.0% and 37.2% respectively in those with better, pretty the same and worse SRHS than the general same-age people (P = 0.009). The proportions of DQS self-scored 30 or less, 31 to 60 and 60 or more were 26.9%, 24.9% and 48.2% respectively in male daily smokers. The OR for DQS (self-scored > 30 vs < or =30) increased with increasing number of colleague smoked and worked around, and with nicotine dependence.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Daily smokers and former smokers have worse SRHS than those who are occasional smokers or never smokers in male workers, and most of those with worse SRHS who ever thought of quitting smoking. The DQS is mainly significantly associated with number of colleague smoking and working around, and with nicotine dependence.</p>

A cross-sectional study on smoking behavior and nicotine dependence among workers in Guangzhou / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective To investigate smoking behavior and nicotine dependence (ND), so as to provide evidence for tobacco control in workers. Methods A cross-sectional study to investigate smoking behavior and ND in 668 workers with different job assignment in Guangzhou. Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence and logistic regression model were used to analyze the association between ND and some risk factors. Results (1) The prevalence of ever-smoking was 65.0 % ( 348/535 ) in men ( 55.5 % daily smokers, 5.4% occasional smokers and 4.1% ex-smokers), and 3.0% (4/133) in women. The prevalence of current smoking for manual workers and safety officers were 67.6 % and 64.5 % respectively.(2) Among daily and occasional smokers, 66.7% and 89.7% of them had low ND respectively. Among daily smokers, ND increased with the duration of smoking. Manual workers and officers had higher ND. Conclusion The prevalence of smoking was relatively high in workers and officers and in men. However,majority of the smokers were with low ND and could be the prioritized target for a primary smoking cessation intervention program.

Effects of occupational noise exposure on norepinephrine in peripheral blood and cardiovascular system / 中华劳动卫生职业病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effects of noise on bioactivity of norepinephrine (NE) and cardiovascular system.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 130 workers exposed to the occupational noise in one enterprise were selected as noise exposure group, and 134 workers not exposed to the occupational noise and other poisons served as control group. Fasting venous blood was drawn to determine the content of NE in peripheral blood with ELISA. According to Occupational Health Surveillance Manage regulations, the occupational noise exposures crowd was examined.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The average of NE in exposure group was (0.1387 +/- 0.099) ng/ml, and (0.1019 +/- 0.080) ng/ml in control group. There was significant difference in NE between exposure and control group. There was significant difference in the detection rate of BP, HR and ECG between exposure and control group.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The occupation noise can increase the NE in peripheral blood, and maybe affects the cardiovascular system in this way.</p>