Documents Torén, Kjell 12 results

"Legal regulations of the work environment are probably regarded as the main tools for promoting prevention at the workplace. Legal regulations are expressed as occupational exposure limits, bans, and taxes. Taxes can be regarded as economic incentives as well, and other economic incentives are insurance systems for employers' and consumers' actions. The latter have been found to have profound effects regarding environmental issues and may also, in the future, be a powerful tool for workplace-related prevention. The research in this area is rather limited, but there are some research results that can be obtained from the area of environmental economics. This paper discusses some examples in which legal regulations, economic incentives, or both have been used. Legal regulations and market-based economic incentives may produce similar results, but the economic cost and political feasibility typically differ. This situation makes the selection and design of instruments an important field for future research."

"The impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 permeates all aspects of society worldwide. Initial medical reports and media coverage have increased awareness of the risk imposed on healthcare workers in particular, during this pandemic. However, the health implications of COVID-19 for the global workforce are multifaceted and complex, warranting careful reflection and consideration to mitigate the adverse effects on workers worldwide. Accordingly, our review offers a framework for considering this topic, highlighting key issues, with the aim to prompt and inform action, including research, to minimize the occupational hazards imposed by this ongoing challenge. We address respiratory disease as a primary concern, while recognizing the multisystem spectrum of COVID-19-related disease and how clinical aspects are interwoven with broader socioeconomic forces."

"Several studies have demonstrated an excess risk for asthma among cleaning workers. The aim of this analysis was to compare clinical, immunological and functional characteristics associated with asthma in cleaners and other occupational groups. Cleaners, workers exposed to high molecular weight (MW) agents, workers exposed to low MW agents, and office workers were identified from an international community-based epidemiological study. Influence of sex, smoking, age and atopy on the relationships with asthma was investigated. Rates of respiratory symptoms, bronchial hyperresponsiveness, atopic sensitisation and lung function were compared between asthmatics from the four groups (case-case analysis). The risk for asthma in workers exposed to low MW agents was higher among nonatopics than among atopics. Case-case analysis showed no major differences in asthma characteristics between cleaners and workers exposed to high or low MW agents. Asthmatic cleaners had less atopy, more chronic bronchitis and a lower lung function as compared to office workers. Asthma in cleaning workers showed many similarities with that in workers known to be at risk for occupational asthma. Atopic sensitisation did not seem to play an important role in cleaning-related asthma."

"Work disability due to respiratory disease, especially asthma, is common and costly among working age adults. The goal of this analysis was to characterize the risk factors for such disability. We analyzed data from the Swedish part of the European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS), a random population-based sample of adults age 20 to 44, enriched with symptomatic subjects at increased likelihood of having asthma. We analyzed structured interview data available for 2,065 subjects and further analyzed methacholine challenge and skin prick test data for 1,562 of these. We defined respiratory work disability as reported job change or work loss due to breathing affected by a job. We used binary generalized linear modeling with a log link to estimate disability risk. Eighty-four subjects (4%) reported such work disability. This increased to 13% among those with asthma (45 of 350 subjects). Adjusting for covariates, occupations at high risk for asthma were associated with disability (prevalence ratio [PR] 1.8; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.1 to 3.0), as was self-reported regular exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) at work (PR 1.8; 95% CI 1.1 to 3.1) and self- reported job exposure to vapors, gases, dust, or fumes (VGDF) (PR 4.3; 95% CI 2.2 to 8.6). Workplace ETS exposure was also associated with methacholine challenge-positive asthma reported to be symptomatic at work among male subjects (PR 4.2; 95% CI 1.8 to 9.8), whereas high asthma-risk occupations were associated with this outcome among female subjects (PR 2.7; 95% CI 1.05 to 7.1). Respiratory work disability, defined as breathing-related job change due to work loss, was associated with workplace exposures themselves, even after taking into account other covariates. Better control of workplace exposures, including workplace ETS, may reduce work disability caused by respiratory conditions, especially adult asthma. "

"Work disability due to lung disease is common and costly. This problem stems from the prevalence of lung disease, especially asthma, among adults of working age. Even upper respiratory tract complaints that are generally considered to be nondisabling, such as allergic rhinitis, may be associated with prominent decrements in work productivity.

The origins of workplace disability are multifactorial and reflect an interaction between a person with a health condition causing an impairment and the environment, which may induce or aggravate symptoms and limit functional ability. Occupational conditions comprise a critical component of this environment. Exposure to irritants, dusts, or other adverse conditions that are known or suspected to cause or aggravate respiratory disease might be expected to promote disability as well. In occupational terms, the most severe manifestation of disability is the complete cessation of employment. Short of this, there are a number of other important measures of occupational disability, including lost work days, change in employment, limitation in duties, or reduction in the number of work hours due to ill health.

We used data from an international study of lung disease among adults of working age, the European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS), to analyze the impact of workplace exposures on respiratory symptoms at work and on reported changes in job due to breathing difficulty, which we used as a measure of occupational disability. We were particularly interested in this question because of an earlier analysis of ECRHS data from Sweden that had indicated such occupational disability was common and was related to working conditions. We hypothesized that this association would be consistent internationally over a range of potential exposures. "

"This study investigated whether previous findings of an increased risk of gliomas among workers in some pulp and paper mills could be confirmed for all Swedish pulp and paper mill workers and whether the increase could be attributed to certain occupational groups.Pulp mill workers, but not paper mill workers, were found to have more gliomas in 1971-1990 than expected. There was an increased risk of gliomas among maintenance workers in both pulp and paper mills. Few risk factors for brain tumors are recognized, and the causes of the increase are not obvious."