INTRODUCTION: Workplace safety and health are interrelated - a worker who is not healthy may cause safety lapses at the workplace; conversely, safety lapses could affect the health of the workers. This study was part of a larger Total Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) programme run by the Workplace Safety and Health Council, Singapore. The objectives were to obtain a baseline health profile of workers across four major industries and identify important health risks for targeted workplace interventions. METHODS: Five service providers (SPs) were appointed to run the Total WSH programme. As part of the programme, SPs conducted an anonymous basic health survey among workers of participating companies. RESULTS: The responses of 6,373 respondents from the cleaning, construction, manufacturing, and transport and storage industries were studied. The overall response rate was 62%. Key health issues identified were high rates of obesity (22%) and smoking (24%) and low prevalence of regular exercise and healthy dietary habits. Chronic disease rates were similar to population self-reported rates (hypertension 15%, high lipid 12% and diabetes mellitus 6%). The workers reported high work stress (13%). CONCLUSION Health issues are prevalent in the workforce and may affect work and employee safety. It is increasingly important for employees' health to be considered in risk assessments and prioritised in workplace safety and health management systems and strategies. Health promotion interventions should be targeted, and multilevel and multicomponent initiatives should be integrated with pre-existing occupational safety programmes.
Humans ; Singapore/epidemiology* ; Occupational Health ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Industry ; Workplace ; Health Surveys ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Smoking/epidemiology* ; Obesity/epidemiology* ; Health Status ; Occupational Stress/epidemiology* ; Young Adult

Introduction: Smoking is prevalent among Filipinos, but little is known about whether this is associated with the rapid decline of the renal function among patients with existing chronic kidney disease (CKD). The purpose of this study is to investigate whether or not there is a direct relationship of smoking to the progression of CKD requiring patient to be on dialysis/renal replacement therapy.

Methods: A cross-sectional, retrospective study design was used. All CKD 5D patients of the Amang Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center (ARMMC) Hemodialysis (HD) Unit in the month of July to August, 2019 were included, if they are > 18yo, regardless of their co-morbidities. Excluded are those with acute kidney injury (AKI), and iatrogenic, surgical or trauma complications that cause renal dysfunction. Charts were reviewed and 55 patients qualified. Smoking status were grouped according to the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) smoking definitions, either never, former and current smoker. Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) Creatinine were computed using the CKD-Epi formula 3-yr, 2-yr, 1-yr and 0-yr prior to HD. The main outcome measure was whether and what among the smoking status hastens the progression of CKD. Descriptive statistical analyses were done along with one-way variance, two-way variance, and chi-square.

Results: Most of the smokers were males (p < 0.001). Most of the participants had diabetes as the primary illness. All of the participants had same endpoint of having eGFR < 15 at the time of dialysis initiation. There was a significant progressive decrease from eGFR3 to eGFR0 in all smoking status. Current smokers have the highest significant reduction in eGFR (p <0.001).

Conclusion: Smoking hastens the progression of CKD among Filipinos. With that, we support the smoking cessation campaign of the ARMMC and the DOH. In addition, further work up is suggested to determine the primary mechanistic pathway of smoking that affects the renal cells.

PURPOSE: Traffic accidents are one of the major health problems in the world, being the first cause of burden of illness and the second leading cause of death in Iran. The Sistan-Baluchestan province is one of the most accidental provinces of Iran with the highest rate of accidents-caused deaths. This study was conducted to determine the risk factors associated with traffic accidents in Zahedan through 2013 to 2016. METHODS: This analytical cross-sectional study was carried out on 223 drivers from Zahedan who were traumatized by traffic accident and sent to Zahedan hospitals. The data were obtained through interviews taken by the trained interviewers via refereeing to the medical records and collected in the researcher-made checklist. Census was obtained from the study subjects. For data analysis, independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, Chi-square and logistic regression were used with the Stata software version 11.0. RESULTS: In this study, 223 male subjects with the mean age of (32.54 ± 12.95) years, 39.8% single and 60.2% married, entered for investigation. Most accidents (38.8%) occurred between 12:00 to 17:59. While driving, 47.1% of the study subjects were using cell phones, 89.1% had manual use of mobile phones, 21.9% had a habit of sending short message service (SMS) and 23.4% had sent SMS within 10 min before the accident. The one way analysis of variance showed that the mean age of individuals with marital status, driving experience, education and accident with motorcycle were significantly different (p < 0.05). Also, the multivariate logistic regression test indicated a significant relationship of smoking, ethnicity, insurance and SMS typing while driving with motorcycle accident (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION In this study, SMS and smoking while driving had the highest risk among the variables studied in the motorcycle accidents. Therefore, effective education attempting to enhance people's awareness about the consequences of using cell phone and smoking during driving to reduce traffic accidents seems necessary.
Accidents, Traffic/statistics & numerical data* ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Automobile Driving ; Cause of Death ; Cell Phone Use/adverse effects* ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Health Education ; Humans ; Iran/epidemiology* ; Male ; Marital Status ; Middle Aged ; Risk ; Smoking/adverse effects* ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND: We evaluated the effects of socioeconomic factors and psychosocial factors, both individually and combined, on all-cause mortality risk (mortality risk). METHODS: We conducted an 8-year (2006–2014) longitudinal analysis of 10,247 individuals who took part in the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging, a nationwide survey of people aged 45–79 years. Socioeconomic vulnerability (SEV) was assessed with factors such as education, household income, commercial health insurance, and residential area. Mental health (MH) was assessed with factors such as depression, social engagement, and life satisfaction. The covariates were age, gender, marital status, cohabiting, number of chronic diseases, and health behaviors such as regular exercise, smoking, and alcohol intake. We used a Cox proportional hazard analysis to investigate the effects of SEV and MH on mortality risk and also to analyze the superimposed effects of SEV-MH on mortality risk. RESULTS: After the controlling for the covariates, high SEV and negative MH were found to be strong predictors of all-cause mortality. The highest quartile of SEV (vs. lowest) had a 1.70 times greater mortality risk (hazard ratio [HR], 1.70; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.24–2.33) and the highest quartile of MH (vs. lowest) had a 2.13 times greater mortality risk (HR, 2.13; 95% CI, 1.72–2.64). Being in the highest quartile for both SEV and MH (vs. lowest) increased mortality risk more than 3 times (HR, 3.11; 95% CI, 2.20–4.40). CONCLUSION: High SEV and negative MH were independently associated with increased mortality risk, and their superimposed effects were associated with an increased risk of mortality.
Aging ; Chronic Disease ; Depression ; Education ; Family Characteristics ; Health Behavior ; Insurance, Health ; Longitudinal Studies ; Marital Status ; Mental Health ; Mortality ; Psychology ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Socioeconomic Factors

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Aging is an imperative problem for many countries in this century, and presents several challenges for the maintenance of good nutritional status. This study aims to assess the impact of socio-demographic factors, lifestyle and health status on the nutritional status among the elderly in Taiwan. SUBJECTS/METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out in Taiwan. Data were obtained from the Mei Jau Health Management Institution, which is a private health evaluation provider with multiple health screening centers in Taiwan and Asia. This study included 7947 adults aged 65 years or above. The data were extracted between 2001 to 2010. Nutritional status was assessed using anthropometric data, biochemical data and dietary intake information. RESULTS: Among the 7947 participants with mean age of 70.1 (SD = 4.5) years, 20.2%, 6.6%, 10.5% and 52.5% experienced underweight, protein malnutrition, anemia and inadequate dietary intake in the past month, respectively. Age was negatively correlated with body weight (r = −0.19, P = 0.02), body mass index (r = −0.41, P < 0.001), albumin level (r = −0.93, P < 0.001) and hemoglobin level (r = −0.30, P = 0.008). Age above 70 years, gender, unmarried status, retirement, lack of education, low family income, smoking, alcohol drinking, sleep duration of 6-8 hours, vegetarian diet, multiple medications, comorbidity and dysphagia were positively associated with malnutrition in older adults. CONCLUSIONS: Underweight and inadequate dietary intake are prevalent among the elderly in Taiwan. Vegetarian diet, multiple medications, comorbidity, dysphagia and lifestyle factors such as smoking, alcohol drinking and sleep duration of 6–8 hours are risk factors for undernutrition in older adults.
Adult ; Aged ; Aging ; Alcohol Drinking ; Anemia ; Asia ; Body Mass Index ; Body Weight ; Comorbidity ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Deglutition Disorders ; Diet ; Diet, Vegetarian ; Education ; Humans ; Life Style ; Malnutrition ; Mass Screening ; Nutritional Status ; Retirement ; Risk Factors ; Single Person ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Taiwan ; Thinness

OBJECTIVES: This study compared the nutritional status of children in low-income households in Indonesia whose fathers were either cigarette smokers or non-smokers. METHODS: A cross sectional study of 482 children aged 2–6 years was conducted, stratified by whether the fathers were non-smoking (n = 138) or smoking (n = 340). Mothers and smoking fathers were interviewed about socioeconomic status and cigarette expenditure, respectively. The nutritional status of children was defined by weight-for-age, height-for-age and weight-for-height. RESULTS: Both groups had similar income. Households with a father that smoked, spent 16.6% of their income on cigarettes. Children whose fathers did not smoke had higher height-for-age (−1.99 vs. −2.25 Z-score, p = 0.02) than children whose fathers smoked. Weight-for-age in children with fathers that did not smoke was greater (−1.49 vs. −1.64 Z-score) but not statistically significantly different to those children with fathers that smoked, nor was child weight-for-height (−0.46 vs. −0.45 Z-score). The prevalence of stunted growth was higher in the children with a father that smoked compared with those that had a father did not smoke (62.2 vs. 49.6%, p = 0.07, respectively). There were 28.3% of children underweight in homes where the fathers did not smoke, and 35.6% in households where the father smoked (p = 0.11). Wasting was observed in 4.4% children where fathers did not smoke and 4.7% where fathers did smoke. CONCLUSION: With similar income constraints, the degree of height growth faltering was less in children whose fathers did not smoke, compared to those whose fathers did smoke.
Child ; Family Characteristics ; Fathers ; Growth Disorders ; Health Expenditures ; Humans ; Indonesia ; Mothers ; Nutritional Status ; Prevalence ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Social Class ; Thinness ; Tobacco Products

OBJECTIVES: Harmful alcohol consumption is associated with considerable social and economic damage to individuals and society. Because gender and ethnic background influence alcohol intake differently, examining gender specific factors influencing harmful drinking is necessary. This study investigated gender differences in alcohol consumption, harmful drinking, and the associated factors among Korean adults. METHODS: We analyzed the data from the 2012–2015 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Data from survey participants aged 20–64 years (N = 18,581) were included. The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test was used for alcohol dependence, and pooled weights were used. Chi-squared tests and multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted. RESULTS: The prevalence of harmful alcohol use (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test score ≥ 16) was 10.7% in the total sample; 18.4% in men and 3.4% in women, which constituted a significant difference. Education, marital status, smoking, perceived stress, and depressive feeling were associated with harmful drinking in both genders. However, household income, occupation, and perceived health status were associated with harmful drinking only in men. CONCLUSION: Since there are gender differences in harmful drinking and alcohol dependence, gender tailored prevention and intervention strategies for alcohol dependence are necessary including consideration of smoking, stress, and depressive feeling.
Adult ; Alcohol Drinking ; Alcoholism ; Depression ; Drinking ; Education ; Family Characteristics ; Female ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Marital Status ; Nutrition Surveys ; Occupations ; Prevalence ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Weights and Measures

BACKGROUND: This study analyzed the relationship between health behaviors and marital adjustment in multicultural couples to evaluate their health status. METHODS: Married couples (70 Korean men and their immigrant wives) completed a structured interview on health behaviors and sociodemographic factors, the Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale (RDAS), and the Marital Intimacy Scale. Based on the cutoff value of the RDAS, respondents were classified into two groups: high or low dyadic adaptation groups. The collected data were compared with health behavior regarding smoking, alcohol consumption, exercise, and weight. RESULTS: The odds ratio (OR) (95% confidence interval [CI]) by logistic regression with adjustment for age, educational level, career, occupation, length of residence in Korea, nationality, religion, age difference between couple, number of children, monthly income, and proficiency in Korean was 1.279 (1.113–1.492) for unhealthy exercise and 1.732 (1.604–1.887) for unhealthy body weight in female immigrants with low marital adjustment. In Korean husbands with low marital adjustment, the OR (95% CI) was 1.625 (1.232–2.142) for smoking and 1.327 (1.174–1.585) for unhealthy exercise. No significant relationship was found between marital intimacy and health behaviors in female immigrants or Korean husbands. CONCLUSION: More desirable health behaviors were observed in highly adapted couples. Therefore, family physicians should be concerned with marital adjustment and other associative factors to evaluate and improve multicultural couples' health status.
Alcohol Drinking ; Body Weight ; Child ; Cultural Diversity ; Emigrants and Immigrants* ; Ethnic Groups ; Family Characteristics ; Female* ; Health Behavior* ; Humans ; Korea ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Marital Status ; Occupations ; Odds Ratio ; Physicians, Family ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Spouses ; Surveys and Questionnaires

BACKGROUND: The importance of stress relief methods is becoming an important issue in developed societies. However, no studies have examined the effects of stress relief methods on the risk of engaging in high-risk alcohol consumption. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the association between stress relief methods and high-risk alcohol consumption.METHODS: This study included a total of 5,313 subjects who participated in the 2005 Korean National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey. To evaluate high-risk alcohol consumption, we used the alcohol use disorders identification test (AUDIT-K). Regarding the stress relief method, participants were divided into three groups as follows: 1) those who were non-smokers and relieved stress using methods other than smoking (Group A), 2) those who were smokers but relieved stress using methods other than smoking (Group B), and 3) those who relieved stress by smoking (Group C). Multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine the association between the stress relief method and high-risk alcohol consumption.RESULTS: The mean scores of AUDIT-K were 5.7 for Group A, 10.0 for Group B, and 11.4 for Group C (P-value < 0.001). Compared to Group A, the odds ratio and 95% confidence intervals for high-risk alcohol consumption were 3.91 (1.96–7.80) for Group B and 6.26 (2.99–13.10) for Group C after adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, household income, education levels, residential area, marital status, stress levels, hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia.CONCLUSION: We found that the participants who relieved stress by smoking had a significantly higher risk of engaging in high-risk alcohol consumption.
Alcohol Drinking ; Body Mass Index ; Dyslipidemias ; Education ; Family Characteristics ; Hypertension ; Korea ; Logistic Models ; Marital Status ; Methods ; Nutrition Surveys ; Odds Ratio ; Smoke ; Smoking

BACKGROUND: Dietary patterns have a significant impact on prognosis, recurrence, and survival in patients with cancer. This study investigated dietary patterns using the Diet Quality Index-International (DQI-I) in cancer survivors compared to those in the general population without cancer.METHODS: Using the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey VI data, cancer survivors were defined as those diagnosed with cancer more than 1 year before the survey. The associations between possible predictors and the DQI-I score were examined using t-tests and analysis of variance. Adjusted multiple linear regression analysis was performed to compare the differences in DQI-I scores between cancer survivors and controls.RESULTS: In univariate analysis of 9,351 subjects (433 cancer survivors and 8,918 controls), age, sex, body mass index, marital status, education level, income, residential area, smoking status, and alcohol consumption were associated with the DQI-I score (each P-value < 0.05). After adjustment, cancer survivors showed higher DQI-I scores than the controls (67.40±8.90 vs. 65.50±9.40, P-value=0.007). In subgroup analysis, cancer survivors within 5 years after cancer diagnosis showed higher DQI-I scores than the controls (68.70±8.30 vs. 65.50±9.40, P-value=0.034), whereas those who survived beyond 5 years post-diagnosis did not show significant differences from the controls (66.70±9.20 vs. 65.50±9.40, P-value=0.063).CONCLUSION: Cancer survivors within 5 years of cancer diagnosis showed better dietary patterns than those in the general population. However, the differences were not observed after 5 years post-diagnosis. To reduce the risks of second primary cancer and mortality, targeted inventions for dietary habits are necessary for long-term survivors of cancer.
Alcohol Drinking ; Body Mass Index ; Diagnosis ; Diet ; Education ; Food Habits ; Humans ; Inventions ; Korea ; Linear Models ; Marital Status ; Mortality ; Neoplasms, Second Primary ; Nutrition Surveys ; Prognosis ; Recurrence ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Survivors