Background As climate change intensifies and extreme temperature events become more frequent, non-optimal temperature has emerged as a significant contributor to the global disease burden, representing a pressing public health challenge. Objective To analyze the disease burden, temporal trends, and health inequalities attributable to non-optimal, high, and low temperatures in China from 1990 to 2021, and to compare these findings with global levels to provide a scientific basis for targeted prevention strategies. Methods Using data from the Global Burden of Disease 2021 (GBD 2021), we extracted mortality rates and disability-adjusted life year (DALY) rates, and other indicators attributable to non-optimal, high, and low temperatures by sex, age, region, and cause. Joinpoint regression was applied to examine temporal trends. Decomposition analysis identified driving factors of change, while the slope index of inequality (SII) and concentration index (CI) quantified disparities across socio-demographic index (SDI) levels. Results From 1990 to 2021, the age-standardized mortality rates (ASMR) and age-standardized DALY rates (ASDR) attributable to non-optimal temperature in China exhibited a downward trend, decreasing from 66.48 (95%UI: 58.09, 76.56) to 32.70 (95%UI: 27.26, 39.26) per 100000 population, and from 1219.59 (95%UI: 1056.28, 1418.37) to 493.22 (95%UI: 403.88, 609.32) per 100000 population, respectively. Burdens attributable to non-optimal temperature and low temperature were higher than the global average, whereas the high temperature burden was lower. Males consistently experienced higher ASMR and ASDR attributable to non-optimal temperature than females. Cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases, and respiratory infections and tuberculosis were the top three causes of non-optimal temperature-attributable burdens. Decomposition analysis revealed that population aging and growth were the primary drivers of increased burden, while epidemiological changes primarily drove the decline. Health inequalities were most predominant between extreme SDI regions but narrowed over time. Conclusion Despite the overall decline in burden attributable to non-optimal temperature in China, significant challenges remain, including high risks from cold exposure, gender disparities, and the compounding effects of an aging population with cardiovascular or respiratory diseases. Policy makers should prioritize climate change adaptation, focusing on elderly health and regional equity while strengthening the public health workforce.

Background As climate change intensifies and extreme temperature events become more frequent, non-optimal temperature has emerged as a significant contributor to the global disease burden, representing a pressing public health challenge. Objective To analyze the disease burden, temporal trends, and health inequalities attributable to non-optimal, high, and low temperatures in China from 1990 to 2021, and to compare these findings with global levels to provide a scientific basis for targeted prevention strategies. Methods Using data from the Global Burden of Disease 2021 (GBD 2021), we extracted mortality rates and disability-adjusted life year (DALY) rates, and other indicators attributable to non-optimal, high, and low temperatures by sex, age, region, and cause. Joinpoint regression was applied to examine temporal trends. Decomposition analysis identified driving factors of change, while the slope index of inequality (SII) and concentration index (CI) quantified disparities across socio-demographic index (SDI) levels. Results From 1990 to 2021, the age-standardized mortality rates (ASMR) and age-standardized DALY rates (ASDR) attributable to non-optimal temperature in China exhibited a downward trend, decreasing from 66.48 (95%UI: 58.09, 76.56) to 32.70 (95%UI: 27.26, 39.26) per 100000 population, and from 1219.59 (95%UI: 1056.28, 1418.37) to 493.22 (95%UI: 403.88, 609.32) per 100000 population, respectively. Burdens attributable to non-optimal temperature and low temperature were higher than the global average, whereas the high temperature burden was lower. Males consistently experienced higher ASMR and ASDR attributable to non-optimal temperature than females. Cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases, and respiratory infections and tuberculosis were the top three causes of non-optimal temperature-attributable burdens. Decomposition analysis revealed that population aging and growth were the primary drivers of increased burden, while epidemiological changes primarily drove the decline. Health inequalities were most predominant between extreme SDI regions but narrowed over time. Conclusion Despite the overall decline in burden attributable to non-optimal temperature in China, significant challenges remain, including high risks from cold exposure, gender disparities, and the compounding effects of an aging population with cardiovascular or respiratory diseases. Policy makers should prioritize climate change adaptation, focusing on elderly health and regional equity while strengthening the public health workforce.

Objective To analyze the factors influencing the occupational health literacy (OHL) level among workers in key industries from the perspectives of both individual workers and enterprises. Methods A total of 32 336 front-line workers from 12 key industries in the secondary industry in Guangdong Province were selected as the research subjects by a stratified cluster random sampling method. Their OHL level was investigated using Occupational Health Literacy Questionnaire of National Key Populations, and the influencing factors were analyzed. Results The OHL level of the research subjects was 48.5%. The OHL level of the research subjects in four dimensions from high to low was basic knowledge of occupational health protection, occupational health practice and behavior, legal knowledge of occupational health, and basic skills of occupational health protection (80.7%, 61.2%, 48.3% and 29.5%, respectively). The multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that the OHL level of female workers was lower than that of males (P<0.05). Lower OHL was also associated with older age, lower education level, lower personal monthly income of workers (all P<0.01). The workers with length of service < 3 years and ≥ 20 years had lower OHL level than those with length of service 3-<10 years and 10-<20 years, respectively (all P<0.05). Workers in larger enterprises had higher OHL levels (all P<0.01). The OHL level of workers in the sixth category of industries with occupational injuries had higher occupational injury risks than those in the third and fourth categories (all P<0.05). The OHL levels of workers in state-owned enterprises, private enterprises, foreign-funded enterprises, and other enterprises were higher than that of workers in public institutions (all P<0.05). Conclusion The influencing factors of workers′ OHL in key industries of the secondary industry include individual factors (gender, age, education level, personal monthly income, length of service) and enterprise factors (enterprise size, enterprise nature and industry injury risk category). Female, older workers, those with lower education or income, and those with short length of service represent priority groups for OHL interventions, while small and micro enterprises are priority units for future workplace health promotion intervention.

Objective To investigate the prevalence and influencing factors of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) among bus drivers. Methods A total of 962 drivers from a bus company in Shenzhen City were selected as the research subjects using the judgment sampling method. The Musculoskeletal Disorders Questionnaire for Bus Drivers was used to investigate the prevalence of WMSDs among the research subjects. Results The prevalence of WMSDs was 37.8% in the bus drivers. The prevalence of WMSDs was higher in the low back/waist, neck, and shoulder compared with other body parts, with prevalence of 24.0%, 20.2%, and 14.8%, respectively. The prevalence of single-site and multi-site WMSDs was 18.5% and 19.3%, respectively. The results of the multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that longer job tenure and higher alcohol consumption frequency were associated with higher WMSDs risks (all P<0.01). Weekly work time >48 hours, insufficient rest, work-related fatigue, uncomfortable auxiliary lenses, non-upright trunk posture, prolonged static trunk posture, prolonged wrist flexion, and habitual staying up late were risk factors of WMSDs in the bus drivers (all P<0.05). Conclusion The prevention and treatment of WMSDs among the bus drivers cannot be ignored. Personal characteristics, work organization, work environment, working posture and sleeping habits are the factors that influence the development of WMSDs.

Objective To analyze the current status of occupational health literacy (OHL) among front-line workers in the metal products industry and to explore its influencing factors. Methods A total of 5 193 front-line workers from the metal products industry in 14 prefecture-level cities in Guangdong Province were selected as the research subjects by the stratified cluster random sampling method. The Occupational Health Literacy Questionnaire of National Key Populations was used to assess their OHL levels. To analyze the influencing factors of OHL, binary logistic regression analysis was conducted. Results The overall OHL level among the participants was 40.0% (2 079/5 193). The result of binary logistic regression analysis showed that workers with lower educational level, lower average monthly personal income, and smaller enterprise size had lower OHL levels (all P<0.01). In addition, workers in foreign-funded enterprises had higher OHL levels than those in private enterprises (P<0.01). Conclusion There remains considerable room for improvement in OHL among front-line workers in the metal products industry. Priority focus is to improve OHL among workers with lower education and income levels, as well as those employed in private and micro- or small-sized enterprises.

Objective To investigate the prevalence and risk factors of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) among construction workers. Methods A total of 5 783 workers were selected as participants from 12 construction companies in Guangdong Province, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Zhejiang Province using a convenient sampling method. The revised Musculoskeletal Disorders Questionnaire was used to investigate the prevalence and influencing factors of WMSDs. Results The prevalence of WMSDs was 27.4% among the construction workers. The prevalence of WMSDs in shoulder, neck, waist/lower back and hand/wrist was 10.6%, 9.5%, 9.5% and 9.4% respectively, which was higher than that in other body parts. Bianry logistic regression analysis showed that the risk of WMSDs in construction workers with junior high school education and below was higher than that of high school/ college and above (P<0.05). The risk of WMSDs was higher in drinkers than that in non-drinkers (P<0.01). The worse the health status of construction workers, the higher the risk of WMSDs (P<0.01). The risk of WMSDs in those who exercised once or twice a month was lower than that in those who did not exercise (P<0.05). The risk of WMSDs was higher in construction workers with longer working hours in uncomfortable postures and greater back bending amplitude at work (all P<0.01). The risk of WMSDs in construction workers with hands holding above the shoulder was higher than that with hands below the shoulder (P<0.05). Construction workers who repeated the same work daily, involved in high-temperature work, often worked overtime, had insufficient rest time, and had a shortage of department personnel had a relatively high risk of WMSDs (all P<0.01). Conclusion The prevalence of WMSDs among the construction workers was relatively high, and the most common WMSDs occurred in shoulder, neck, waist/lower back and hand/wrist. Individual characteristic, work type, work posture and work organization are the influencing factors of WMSDs. Comprehensive measures, especially ergonomic measures based on personal and occupational characteristics should be taken to reduce the risk of WMSDs among construction workers.

ObjectiveTo analyze the current occupational health literacy (OHL) level and its influencing factors among drivers in transportation industry. Methods A total of 880 drivers of taxi companies, passenger transport companies, freight companies and online booking companies were selected as the research subjects using the judgment sampling method. The Occupational Health Literacy Questionnaire of National Key Populations was used to conduct a survey on their OHL levels via online questionnaires, and the influencing factors of OHL were analyzed. Results The OHL level of the research subjects was 54.32% (478/880). The OHL levels in the dimensions of occupational health legal knowledge, basic knowledge of occupational health protection, basic skills of occupational health protection, healthy working style and behavior were 55.34%, 79.55%, 58.30% and 46.25%, respectively. The results of the multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the OHL levels of drivers in passenger transport and freight companies were higher than that in taxi companies (all P<0.01). The OHL levels of drivers in private enterprises, foreign-funded enterprises, and other enterprises were lower than those in state-owned enterprises (all P<0.05). The OHL levels of drivers in large enterprises were lower than that of drivers in micro-enterprises (P<0.05). The OHL levels of drivers worked >5-10 years and >10 years were lower than that of drivers working 1-5 years (all P<0.05). Conclusion There is a considerable room for improvement in the OHL levels of drivers in the transportation industry. The category, economic type, and scale of the employing unit and driving work year of the current position are the main influencing factors of OHL levels.

Objective To investigate the awareness of occupational health knowledge and concept of front-line workers in the automobile manufacturing industry. Methods A total of 1 188 front-line workers from 47 automobile manufacturing enterprises in Guangdong Province were selected as the research subjects using the judgment sampling method. The awareness of occupational health knowledge and concept of the workers was investigated using the Personal Questionnaire for National Survey of Occupational Health Literacy for Key Populations. Results The median (25th and 75th percentiles) awareness of occupational health knowledge and concept among the research subjects was 56.00% (44.00%, 64.00%). The awareness was higher among male workers than female workers (P<0.05). The awareness was higher among married workers than workers with other marital status (P<0.05). The awareness of workers with an education level of middle school or below was lower than those in the senior high school and junior college group and bachelor's degree or above group (all P<0.05). The awareness of workers in the group with personal monthly income <5 000 was lower than that in the other two income groups with personal monthly income ≥5 000 (all P<0.05). The awareness of workers in medium and large enterprises was higher than that of workers in small and micro enterprises (all P<0.05). The awareness of workers in foreign-funded enterprises was higher than that in private enterprises and other enterprises (all P<0.05). The awareness of workers with job tenure >5-10 and >10 years was higher than that in workers with job tenure of 1-≤5 years (P<0.05). The awareness for the 25 items of occupational health knowledge and concept among the research subjects ranged from 6.14% to 96.72%, with an average awareness of 54.46% for the 25 items. Conclusion The awareness of occupational health knowledge and concept of front-line workers in automobile manufacturing industry is not high in general, and it is influenced by gender, marriage status, education level, personal monthly income, enterprise nature and scale, and job tenure.

Background Under the background of global climate change, temperature has increased dramatically. Most studies about association between temperature and human health are conducted in low-altitude areas, but rarely focus on plateau areas. Objective To examine the association between temperature and non-accidental mortality risk in Tibet Plateau, China and to identify vulnerable populations for formulating targeted policies of climate change adaptation. Methods The mortality data, meteorological data, and pollutant data of Tibet area between 2013 to 2019 were collected. Based on time-stratified case-crossover design, conditional logistic regression models were used to analyze the exposure-response relationship between temperature and cause-specific mortality, which was linearized to obtain excess risk for 1 ℃ change; attributable fraction was calculated for assessing burden attributable to temperature; and stratified analyses were further conducted by gender, age (＜65 years old, ≥65 years old), and causes of death (cardiovascular diseases, cerebrovascular diseases, and respiratory diseases). Sensitivity analyses were conducted by adjusting model parameters and variables. Results A total of 26 045 non-accidental deaths were collected in Tibet during 2013 and 2019, and the P₅₀ of temperature was 5.0 ℃. The non-accidental mortality risk increased as temperature become colder. A 1 ℃ decrease in temperature was associated with a 2.01% (95%CI: 0.94%-3.07%) increase in total non-accidental mortality, while the association changed to 2.05% (95%CI: 0.62%-3.47%) for male and 1.96% (95%CI: 0.34%-3.56%) for female, both of statistial significance; 1.45% (95%CI: −0.10%-2.98%) for the people <65 years old (not of significance) and 2.52% (95% CI : 1.04%-3.99%) for the people ≥65 years old (of significance); the excess risk for cardiovascular mortality was 2.65% (95%CI: 1.03%-4.24%), for cerebrovascular mortality was 3.70% (95%CI: 0.74%-6.57%), both of statistical significance, and for respiratory mortality was 2.18% (95%CI: −0.14%-4.44%), without significance. The total attribution number of non-accidental mortality was 5340 (95%CI: 2719-7528), and the total attributable fraction was 20.50% (95%CI: 10.44%-28.91%). The attributable fractions were higher in specific subgroups like male (20.72%), people ≥65 years (23.33%), and people with cardiovascular diseases (26.07%). Conclusion The exposure-response relationship between temperature and non-accidental mortality in Tibet showes that the non-accidental mortality risk increase as temperature become colder. The attributable burden of disease is heavy. Residents being male, ≥65 years, with cardiovascular diseases and respiratory diseases may be vulnerable to nonoptimal temperature.

Objective To compare the epidemiological characteristics of COVID-19 in Guangzhou and Wenzhou, and evaluate the effectiveness of their prevention and control measures. Methods Data of COVID-19 cases reported in Guangzhou and Wenzhou as of 29 February, 2020 were collected. The incidence curves of COVID-19 in two cities were constructed. The real time reproduction number ( R t ) of COVID-19 in two cities was calculated respectively. Results A total of 346 and 465 confirmed COVID-19 cases were analysed in Guangzhou and Wenzhou, respectively. In two cities, most cases were aged 30-59 years (Guangzhou: 54.9%; Wenzhou: 70.3%). The incidence curve peaked on 27 January, 2020 in Guangzhou and on 26 January, 2020 in Wenzhou, then began to decline in both cities. The peaks of imported COVID-19 cases from Hubei occurred earlier than the peak of COVID-19 incidences in two cities, and the peak of imported cases from Hubei occurred earlier in Wenzhou than in Guangzhou. In early epidemic phase, imported cases were predominant in both cities, then the number of local cases increased and gradually took the dominance in Wenzhou. In Guangzhou, the imported cases was still predominant. Despite the different epidemic pattern, the R t and the number of COVID-19 cases declined after strict prevention and control measures were taken in Guangzhou and in Wenzhou. Conclusion The time and scale specific differences of imported COVID-19 resulted in different epidemic patterns in two cities, but the spread of the disease were effectively controlled after taking strict prevention and control measures.