| 1. |
- Alhamdow, Ayman, et al.
(författare)
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Chimney sweeps in Sweden : a questionnaire-based assessment of long-term changes in work conditions, and current eye and airway symptoms
- 2017
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Ingår i: International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0340-0131 .- 1432-1246. ; 90:2, s. 207-216
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objectives: To explore chimney sweeping work tasks, chimney sweeps’ use of protective equipment, and type of fuel used by clients, over time. Further, to assess work-relatedness of current eye and airway symptoms. Methods: In a cross-sectional study in 2011, male Swedish chimney sweeps (n = 483; age 21–69 years) answered a questionnaire about their occupational history and eye and airway symptoms. Results: Between 1960 and 2010, black-soot-sweeping in private homes was the major task, although it decreased during the time period, for chimney sweeps. Between 1975 and 2010, the use of petroleum oil decreased, whereas the use of pellets and wood increased. Also, the use of gloves and masks increased significantly. Black-soot-sweeping in industry was associated with work-related eye symptoms (prevalence odds ratio POR = 3.76, 95% CI: 1.72–8.24, for every 10% increment of working time, adjusted for age and tobacco smoking). Chimney sweeps also had slightly higher prevalence of cough with increasing black-soot-sweeping (POR = 1.06, 95% CI: 0.99–1.13 for every 10% increment, further adjusted for the use of mask), and the association was more pronounced, although nonsignificant, for black-soot-sweeping in industry (adjusted POR = 1.26, 95% CI: 0.98–1.61). Conclusions: Chimney sweeping tasks and use of protective equipment as well as type of fuel used by the clients changed significantly over the last 35 years, which may have changed chimney sweeps’ exposure to soot. Still, chimney sweeps in Sweden have black-soot-sweeping-related eye and airway symptoms.
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| 2. |
- Norlén, Filip, et al.
(författare)
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Occupational exposure to inorganic particles during pregnancy and birth outcomes : A nationwide cohort study in Sweden
- 2019
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Ingår i: BMJ Open. - : BMJ. - 2044-6055. ; 9:2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objectives The aim of this study was to investigate if occupational exposure to inorganic particles or welding fumes during pregnancy is associated with negative birth outcomes. Design A prospective national cohort study. Setting All single births from 1994 to 2012 in Sweden. Information on birth weight, preterm birth, small for gestational age, smoking habits, nationality, age, occupation, absence from work and education was obtained from nationwide registers. Exposure to inorganic particles (mg/m 3) was assessed from a job exposure matrix. Participants This study included all single births by occupationally active mothers (995 843). Outcome measures Associations between occupational exposures and negative birth outcomes in the form of low birth weight, preterm birth and small for gestational age. Results Mothers who had high exposure to inorganic particles and had less than 50 days (median) of absence from work during pregnancy showed an increased risk of preterm birth (OR 1.18; 95% CI 1.07 to 1.30), low birth weight (OR 1.32; 95% CI 1.18 to 1.48) as well as small for gestational age (OR 1.20; 95% CI 1.04 to 1.39). The increased risks were driven by exposure to iron particles. No increased risks were found in association with exposure to stone and concrete particles. High exposure to welding fumes was associated with an increased risk of low birth weight (OR 1.22; 95% CI 1.02 to 1.45) and preterm birth (OR 1.24; 95% CI 1.07 to 1.42). Conclusions The results indicate that pregnant women should not be exposed to high levels of iron particles or welding fumes.
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| 3. |
- Norlén, Filip, et al.
(författare)
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Occupational exposure to organic particles and combustion products during pregnancy and birth outcome in a nationwide cohort study in Sweden
- 2019
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Ingår i: Occupational and environmental medicine. - : BMJ. - 1351-0711 .- 1470-7926. ; 76:8, s. 537-544
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: To study if children of women exposed to organic particles and combustion products at work during pregnancy, have an increased risk of low birth weight, preterm birth or small for gestational age. Methods: A nationwide cohort of all occupationally active mothers and their children from single births during 1994 to the end of 2012 (1 182 138 observations) was formed. Information on birth outcome was obtained from the medical birth register. Information on absence from work, education, occupation, age, nationality and smoking habits was obtained from national registers. A job exposure matrix (FINJEM) was used to assess the exposure. Results: Pregnant women with low absence from work and high (>50th percentile) exposure to organic particles had an increased risk of giving birth to children with low birth weight (OR=1.19; 95% CI: 1.07 to 1.32), small for gestational age (OR=1.22; 95% CI: 1.07 to 1.38) or preterm birth (OR=1.17; 95% CI: 1.08 to 1.27). Subgroup analyses showed an increased risk of small for gestational age in association with exposure to oil mist. Exposure to oil mist and cooking fumes was associated with low birth weight. Paper and other organic dust was associated with preterm birth. Exposure to combustion products showed an increased risk of small for gestational age (OR=1.40; 95% CI: 1.15 to 1.71). Conclusions: The results indicate that occupational exposure to organic particles or combustion products during pregnancy is associated with restriction of fetal growth and preterm birth. More studies are needed to confirm a casual association.
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| 4. |
- Selander, Jenny, et al.
(författare)
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Full-time exposure to occupational noise during pregnancy was associated with reduced birth weight in a nationwide cohort study of Swedish women
- 2019
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Ingår i: Science of the Total Environment. - : Elsevier BV. - 0048-9697. ; 651:Pt 1, s. 1137-1143
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Noise is a common exposure in the occupational work environment. Earlier studies of occupational noise and pregnancy outcome are few and show mixed results. To investigate if objectively assessed exposure to occupational noise during pregnancy is associated with reduced intrauterine growth and/or preterm birth a nationwide cohort study of 857,010 single births was initiated. Individual information on occupation and risk factors was retrieved from prenatal care interviews at pregnancy week 10. Occupational noise was classified into three exposure categories <75, 75–85, >85 dBA by a job exposure matrix. Odds ratios were adjusted for BMI, smoking, parity, education, physically strenuous work and low job control. Exposure to high (>85 dBA) levels of occupational noise throughout the pregnancy (full time workers) was associated with an increased risk of the child being born small for gestational age, OR 1.44 (95% CI 1.01 to 2.03) compared to noise exposure <75 dBA. A similar increase was seen for low birth weight OR 1.36 (95% CI 1.03 to 1.80) for high levels of noise. No clear association was seen for preterm birth. No consistent effects on birth outcome was observed in women who had worked part-time or were on leave of absence >21 days (median). In summary, full-time exposure to high levels of noise during pregnancy was associated with a slightly reduced fetal growth but not with preterm birth. The effect of intermediate occupational noise exposure (75–85 dBA) showed a small, but statistically increased risk for all studied birth outcomes. The study strengthens the evidence that pregnant women should not be long-term exposed to high levels >85 dBA of occupational noise during pregnancy. Intermediate exposure should be studied further.
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| 5. |
- Selander, Jenny, et al.
(författare)
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Maternal occupational exposure to noise during pregnancy and hearing dysfunction in children : A nationwide prospective cohort study in Sweden
- 2016
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Ingår i: Environmental Health Perspectives. - : Environmental Health Perspectives. - 0091-6765 .- 1552-9924. ; 124:6, s. 855-860
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Many women of childbearing age are occupationally active, which leads to a large number of pregnancies potentially exposed to occupational exposures. Occupational noise has been identified as a risk factor for hearing impairment in adults. However, very few studies have assessed the effect of occupational noise on the fetus. Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate whether occupational exposure to noise during pregnancy is associated with hearing dysfunction in children. Methods: This population based cohort study included 1,422,333 single births in Sweden 1986–2008. Data on mothers’ occupation, smoking habits, age, ethnicity, body mass index, leave of absence, and socioeconomic factors were obtained from interviews performed by prenatal care unit staff at approximately 10 weeks of gestation and from national registers. Occupational noise exposure was classified by a job–exposure-matrix as <75, 75–84, or ≥ 85 dBLAeq,8h. Diagnosed cases of hearing dysfunction (ICD-10 codes H90.3-7, 91.0, 91.2-3, 91.8, 93.1-2) were identified from a register of specialized medical care. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate associations. Results: In the full sample, containing a mixture of part-time and full-time workers during pregnancy, the adjusted HR for hearing dysfunction associated with maternal occupational noise exposure ≥ 85 vs. <75 dBLAeq,8h was 1.27 (95% CI: 0.99, 1.64; 60 exposed cases). When restricted to children whose mothers worked full-time and had <20 days leave of absence during pregnancy, the corresponding HR was 1.82 (95% CI: 1.08, 3.08; 14 exposed cases). Conclusions: This study showed an association between occupational noise exposure during pregnancy and hearing dysfunction in children. In view of mechanistic evidence and earlier indicative epidemiological and experimental findings, the results support that pregnant women should not be exposed to high levels of noise at work.
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| 6. |
- Skröder, Helena, et al.
(författare)
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Occupational exposure to whole-body vibrations and pregnancy complications : a nationwide cohort study in Sweden
- 2020
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Ingår i: Occupational and Environmental Medicine. - : BMJ Publishing Group Ltd. - 1351-0711 .- 1470-7926. ; 77:10, s. 691-698
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objectives: Pregnancy complications are common contributors to perinatal mortality and morbidity. Still, the cause(s) of gestational hypertensive disorders and diabetes are largely unknown. Some occupational exposures have been inconsistently associated with pregnancy complications, but exposure to whole-body vibrations (WBV) has been largely overlooked even though it has been associated with adverse birth outcomes. Therefore, the aim was to assess whether occupational WBV exposure during pregnancy is associated with pregnancy complications in a nationwide, prospective cohort study.Methods: The Fetal Air Pollution Exposure cohort was formed by merging multiple Swedish, national registers containing information on occupation during pregnancy and diagnosis codes, and includes all working women who gave birth between 1994 and 2014 (n=1 091 044). WBV exposure was derived from a job-exposure matrix and was divided into categories (0, 0.1–0.2, 0.3–0.4 and ≥0.5 m/s2). ORs with 95% CIs were calculated using logistic regression adjusted for potential confounders.Results: Among women working full time (n=646 490), we found increased risks of all pregnancy complications in the highest exposure group (≥0.5 m/s2), compared with the lowest. The adjusted ORs were 1.76 (95% CI 1.41 to 2.20), 1.55 (95% CI 1.26 to 1.91) and 1.62 (95% CI 1.07 to 2.46) for preeclampsia, gestational hypertension and gestational diabetes, respectively, and were similar in all sensitivity analyses. There were no clear associations for part-time workers.Conclusions: The results suggest that women should not be exposed to WBV at/above the action limit value of 0.5 m/s2 (European directive) continuously through pregnancy. However, these results need further confirmation.
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