Forty years of struggle in North Carolina: Workplace segregation and fatal occupational injury rates.

OBJECTIVE: To assess workplace segregation in fatal occupational injury from 1992 to 2017 in North Carolina. METHODS: We calculated occupational fatal injury rates within categories of occupation, industry, race, age, and sex; and estimated expected numbers of fatalities among Black and Hispanic male workers had they experienced the rates of White male workers. We also estimated the contribution of workforce segregation to disparities by estimating the expected number of fatalities among Black and Hispanic male workers had they experienced the industry and occupation patterns of White male workers. We assessed person-years of life-lost, using North Carolina life expectancy estimates. RESULTS: Hispanic workers contributed 32% of their worker-years and experienced 58% of their fatalities in construction. Black workers were most overrepresented in the food manufacturing industry. Hispanic males experienced 2.11 (95% CI: 1.86-2.40) times the mortality rate of White males. The Black-White and Hispanic-White disparities were widest among workers aged 45 and older, and segregation into more dangerous industries and occupations played a substantial role in driving disparities. Hispanic workers who suffered occupational fatalities lost a median 47 life-years, compared to 37 among Black workers and 36 among White workers. CONCLUSIONS: If Hispanic and Black workers experienced the workplace safety of their White counterparts, fatal injury rates would be substantially reduced. Workforce segregation reflects structural racism, which also contributes to mortality disparities. Root causes must be addressed to eliminate disparities.

Satellite mapping reveals extensive industrial activity at sea.

The world's population increasingly relies on the ocean for food, energy production and global trade1-3, yet human activities at sea are not well quantified4,5. We combine satellite imagery, vessel GPS data and deep-learning models to map industrial vessel activities and offshore energy infrastructure across the world's coastal waters from 2017 to 2021. We find that 72-76% of the world's industrial fishing vessels are not publicly tracked, with much of that fishing taking place around South Asia, Southeast Asia and Africa. We also find that 21-30% of transport and energy vessel activity is missing from public tracking systems. Globally, fishing decreased by 12 ± 1% at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and had not recovered to pre-pandemic levels by 2021. By contrast, transport and energy vessel activities were relatively unaffected during the same period. Offshore wind is growing rapidly, with most wind turbines confined to small areas of the ocean but surpassing the number of oil structures in 2021. Our map of ocean industrialization reveals changes in some of the most extensive and economically important human activities at sea.

Sociodemographic inequities in the burden of carcinogenic industrial air emissions in the United States.

BACKGROUND: Industrial facilities are not located uniformly across communities in the United States, but how the burden of exposure to carcinogenic air emissions may vary across population characteristics is unclear. We evaluated differences in carcinogenic industrial pollution among major sociodemographic groups in the United States and Puerto Rico. METHODS: We evaluated cross-sectional associations of population characteristics including race and ethnicity, educational attainment, and poverty at the census tract level with point-source industrial emissions of 21 known human carcinogens using regulatory data from the US Environmental Protection Agency. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals comparing the highest emissions (tertile or quintile) to the referent group (zero emissions [ie, nonexposed]) for all sociodemographic characteristics were estimated using multinomial, population density-adjusted logistic regression models. RESULTS: In 2018, approximately 7.4 million people lived in census tracts with nearly 12 million pounds of carcinogenic air releases. The odds of tracts having the greatest burden of benzene, 1,3-butadiene, ethylene oxide, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, and nickel emissions compared with nonexposed were 10%-20% higher for African American populations, whereas White populations were up to 18% less likely to live in tracts with the highest emissions. Among Hispanic and Latino populations, odds were 16%-21% higher for benzene, 1,3-butadiene, and ethylene oxide. Populations experiencing poverty or with less than high school education were associated with up to 51% higher burden, irrespective of race and ethnicity. CONCLUSIONS: Carcinogenic industrial emissions disproportionately impact African American and Hispanic and Latino populations and people with limited education or experiencing poverty thus representing a source of pollution that may contribute to observed cancer disparities.

Understanding Financial Relationships Between Orthopedic Surgeons and Industry for Research.

OBJECTIVE: This study sought to understand trends in industry payments for research awarded to orthopedic surgeons. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Open Payments database was queried for the years 2016 to 2021 for industry payments for research. Financial analyses were performed to understand temporal trends and differences by orthopedic subspecialty and principal investigator characteristics such as sex. The threshold for statistical significance was set at .05. RESULTS: A total of 2014 orthopedic surgeons were identified, among whom 542 adult reconstruction (27%) and 460 sports medicine (23%) surgeons were major beneficiaries. Seventy-one female orthopedic surgeons comprised the minority (4%). Total research payments awarded during the study period aggregated to $266,633,592, with adult reconstruction ($88,819,047; 33%) and sports medicine ($57,949,822; 22%) receiving the highest amounts. Total research payments awarded trended upward yearly except for a decline in 2020 that subsequently rebounded (P<.001). Median annual research payment per orthopedic surgeon was $13,375. Median total industry payments per orthopedic surgeon differed between specialties (P <.001), with the highest amounts for adult reconstruction ($44,063) and sports medicine ($34,567) and the lowest amounts for hand ($12,052) and foot and ankle ($19,233). Median total payments did not differ significantly when stratified by sex (P=.276) and region (P=.906). Specialties in which the respective top three companies offered the majority of the research funding were musculoskeletal oncology (90%), pediatric orthopedics (66%), and shoulder and elbow (64%). CONCLUSION: These results can be used as a primer for orthopedic surgeons seeking to leverage industry relationships to fund translational research. [Orthopedics. 2024;47(3):172-178.].

Country-specific net-zero strategies of the pulp and paper industry.

The pulp and paper industry is an important contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions1,2. Country-specific strategies are essential for the industry to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, given its vast heterogeneities across countries3,4. Here we develop a comprehensive bottom-up assessment of net greenhouse gas emissions of the domestic paper-related sectors for 30 major countries from 1961 to 2019-about 3.2% of global anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions from the same period5-and explore mitigation strategies through 2,160 scenarios covering key factors. Our results show substantial differences across countries in terms of historical emissions evolution trends and structure. All countries can achieve net-zero emissions for their pulp and paper industry by 2050, with a single measure for most developed countries and several measures for most developing countries. Except for energy-efficiency improvement and energy-system decarbonization, tropical developing countries with abundant forest resources should give priority to sustainable forest management, whereas other developing countries should pay more attention to enhancing methane capture rate and reducing recycling. These insights are crucial for developing net-zero strategies tailored to each country and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 for the pulp and paper industry.

Smoking among industrial workers in Brazil: association with sociodemographic factors, alcohol consumption, and stress levels / Tabagismo em trabalhadores da indústria no Brasil: associação com fatores sociodemográficos, consumo de bebidas alcoólicas e nível de estresse

ABSTRACT Objective: To determine the prevalence of smoking, as well as its association with sociodemographic factors, alcohol consumption, and stress levels, among industrial workers in Brazil. Methods: This was a nationwide survey, conducted in 24 capitals in Brazil through the application of a pre-tested questionnaire. The response to the question "What is your smoking status?" was the outcome variable. To determine the associations, we performed Poisson regression analyses in which the inputs were blocks of variables: block 1 (age and marital status); block 2 (level of education and gross family income); block 3 (geographic region); and block 4 (alcohol consumption and stress level). All analyses were stratified by gender. Results: The sample consisted of 47,328 workers ≥ 18 years of age, of whom 14,577 (30.8%) were women. The prevalence of smoking was 13.0% (15.2% in men and 7.9% in women). Advancing age, alcohol consumption, and a high stress level were positively associated with smoking. A lower risk of smoking was associated with being married, having a higher level of education, and living in the northeastern region of the country (versus the southern region). Conclusions: The prevalence of smoking was greater in men than in women. Alcohol consumption and high stress levels appear to promote smoking.

RESUMO Objetivo: Determinar a prevalência de tabagismo e sua associação com fatores sociodemográficos, consumo de bebidas alcoólicas e nível de estresse em trabalhadores industriários no Brasil. Métodos: Inquérito nacional realizado em 24 capitais brasileiras através da aplicação de um questionário previamente testado. A variável de desfecho foi obtida através da pergunta: "Com relação ao fumo, qual a sua situação?". Para determinar as associações, foram realizadas análises de regressão de Poisson com entrada de variáveis em blocos: nível 1 (idade e estado civil); nível 2 (escolaridade e renda familiar bruta); nível 3 (região geográfica) e nível 4 (consumo de bebidas alcoólicas e nível de estresse). Todas as análises foram estratificadas por sexo. Resultados: A amostra foi composta por 47.328 trabalhadores com 18 anos ou mais de idade, sendo 14.577 mulheres (30,8%). A prevalência de tabagismo foi de 13,0% (15,2% em homens e 7,9% em mulheres). Aumento da faixa etária, consumo de bebidas alcoólicas e nível de estresse elevado associaram-se positivamente ao tabagismo. Estar casado, ter maior nível de escolaridade e residir na região nordeste do país (quando comparada com a região sul) estiveram associados com menores probabilidades de tabagismo. Conclusões: A prevalência de tabagismo variou entre os sexos, sendo maior entre os homens. O consumo de bebidas alcoólicas e o nível de estresse elevado favoreceram o uso do tabaco.

Dinâmicas territoriais recentes no Estado do Rio Grande do Sul / Recent territorial dynamics in the Rio Grande do Sul State

O primeiro volume aborda as dinâmicas territoriais recentes e a evolução do debate sobre as questões regionais no Rio Grande do Sul, em artigo elaborado pela equipe do Departamento de Planejamento Governamental da Secretaria do Planejamento, Gestão e Participação Cidadã (Deplan-Seplag).

Deslocamento para o trabalho e fatores associados em industriários do sul do Brasil / Commuting to and from work and factors associated among industrial workers from Southern Brazil / Desplazamiento para el trabajo y factores asociados en industriales del sur de Brasil

Estudo transversal visando estimar a prevalência das formas de deslocamento para o trabalho e identificar fatores associados em trabalhadores do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul. Um total de 2.265 trabalhadores responderam questionário sobre a forma de deslocamento utilizado para ir ao trabalho: caminhada/bicicleta, ônibus ou de carro/moto. Para estimar a associação entre o desfecho e variáveis sociodemográficas, ocupacionais e comportamental foi utilizada a regressão logística multinomial. O principal meio de deslocamento para o trabalho foi o ônibus (45,7 por cento). Trabalhadores com maior condição socioeconômica tiveram maior probabilidade de deslocamento passivo.

Cross-sectional study that aimed to estimate the prevalence of forms of commuting to and from work and to identify factors associated among industrial workers in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil. A total of 2,265 workers completed a questionnaire on the forms of commuting to and from work (walking/biking, bus or car/motorcycle). Multinomial logistic regression was used to estimate the association between the outcome and sociodemographic, occupational and behavioral variables. The main form of commuting to and from work was by bus (45.7 percent). Workers with higher socioeconomic condition were more likely to engage in passive commuting.

Estudio transversal buscando estimar la prevalencia de las formas de desplazamiento para el trabajo e identificar factores asociados en trabajadores del Estado do Rio Grande do Sul (sur de Brasil). Un total de 2.265 trabajadores respondieron cuestionario sobre la forma de desplazamiento utilizado para ir al trabajo: caminata/bicicleta, autobús o en carro/moto. Para estimar la asociación entre el resultado y variables sociodemográficas, ocupacionales y conductual se utilizó la regresión logística multinomial. El principal medio de desplazamiento para el trabajo fue el autobús (45,7 por ciento). Trabajadores con mayor condición socioeconómica tuvieron mayor probabilidad de desplazarse de forma pasiva.

Fatores associados à capacidade para o trabalho de trabalhadores do Setor Elétrico / Factors associated with labor capacity in electric industry workers

O Setor Elétrico passou por recente processo de reestruturação produtiva com reflexos nas condições e organização do trabalho, podendo comprometer a capacidade para o trabalho. Este estudo objetivou avaliar fatores associados à capacidade para o trabalho junto a 475 trabalhadores de uma empresa do Setor Elétrico no Estado de São Paulo, Brasil. Neste estudo transversal foi realizada análise descritiva e análise de regressão linear múltipla. A média do Índice de Capacidade para o Trabalho (ICT) foi de 41,8 pontos (escala de 7,0 a 49,0 pontos). A análise múltipla mostrou que os fatores que melhor explicaram a variabilidade do ICT foram estresse no trabalho (p < 0,001) e saúde física (p < 0,001 em todas as dimensões). Em outra análise, excluídas as dimensões da saúde, as variáveis associadas ao ICT foram estresse no trabalho (p < 0,001), local de trabalho (p = 0,022), prática de atividade física (p = 0,001), consumo de álcool (p = 0,012) e índice de massa corporal (p < 0,001). Os resultados identificaram aspectos a serem considerados no desenvolvimento de medidas visando a preservação da capacidade para o trabalho, com ênfase no controle do estresse no trabalho e na promoção da saúde.

The Brazilian electric utility sector has recently undergone major industrial restructuring, with impacts on working conditions and work organization that could jeopardize the capacity for work. This study aimed to evaluate factors associated with labor capacity in a sample of 475 workers from an electric utility company in the State of São Paulo, Brazil. This cross-sectional study included descriptive and multiple linear regression analyses. The mean labor capacity index (LCI) was 41.8 points (on a scale from 7.0 to 49.0). Multiple regression showed that the factors that best explained LCI variability were work stress (p < 0.001) and physical health (p < 0.001 in all the dimensions). In a separate analysis, excluding all the health dimensions, the variables associated with LCI were work stress (p < 0.001), workplace (p = 0.022), physical activity (p = 0.001), alcohol consumption (p = 0.012), and body mass index (p < 0.001). The results highlighted aspects to be considered when developing measures to protect labor capacity, with an emphasis on stress prevention and health promotion.

¿Explicitan los autores de la Revista Médica de Chile sus fuentes de financiamiento? / Disclosure of financial sources and conflicts of interest among research articles published in Revista Médica de Chile

Background: Financial relationships between the industry and researchers have raised concerns about the existence of conflicts of interest that could influence the scientific validity of the studies. Aim: To determine the financial sources of research articles published in the Revista Médica de Chile during a five-year period. Material and Methods: Retrospective analysis of all articles classified as ôresearch articlesõ, published in this journal between years 2001-2005, identifying the funding source and the existence of a declaration of conflicts of interest by the authors. Results: Two hundred seventeen out of 519 research articles published in the period (42 percent) had an explicit financial source disclosed. Of these, 28 percent were funded by internal sources, 36 percent by Fondo Nacional de Desarrollo Científico y Tecnológico and 36 percent by other sources. Twenty-six studies (5 percent) received funding from the industry. In only five of these, the authors explicity declared the absence of conflict of interest. Among the studies that did not disclose any financial source, one third required some funding to be carried out. Conclusions: Forty two percent of research articles published in the last five years did not specify the financial source. Those that did specify a funding source were mainly supported by non-profit agencies including university centers and governmental funds. This is in contrast with international reports that evidence an important financial support from the industry. Only a minority of the authors sponsored by the industry declared absence of conflict of interest.

Relación entre salud y renuncia al empleo en trabajadores de la industria maquiladora electrónica de Tijuana / The relationship between health and quitting work among electronic industry female workers in Tijuana

Objetivo. Analizar factores de salud, laborales y sociales que contribuyen a renunciar al trabajo en dos maquiladoras transnacionales del ramo electrónico de Tijuana. Material y métodos. Se realizó un estudio de cohorte a 725 mujeres empleadas en una planta japonesa y una estadunidense, entre enero y 1992 y marzo de 1994. La muestra se estratificó en dos intervalos de tiempo ó 30 y > 30 días laborados. Se efectuó un seguimiento de las mujeres hasta su renuncia o final del periodo de observación, mediante la recolección de información sobre variables de salud, sociales y ocupacionales de diversas fuentes de registro obtenidas de su centro de trabajo. Los motivos de renuncia y la confiabilidad de los datos obtenidos de los registros se estudiaron por medio de entrevistas de seguimiento realizadas a 46 por ciento (n= 148) de las trabajadoras que renunciaron y fueron localizadas aproximadamente 12 meses (desviación estándar= 6.7) después de su renuncia. Resultados. La probabilidad acumulativa de renunciar al trabajo fue de 67 por ciento en el primer año y de 81 por ciento en el segundo. La ausencia de antecedentes laborales previos, turno diurno y nacionalidad de la compañía, resultaron factores predictivos para la renuncia al empleo durante los primeros 30 días. Tabaquismo, antecedentes quirúrgicos y haberse incapacitado por enfermedad general después de controlar por otras variables, actuaron como factores predictivos para la renuncia posterior a 30 días. En contraposición, la tasa de renuncia posterior a 30 días resultó menor para mujeres con enfermedades crónicas. Conclusiones. La renuncia al empleo en las maquiladoras es elevada y selectiva; en tanto que los factores ocupacionales se asociaron con la renuncia temprana, los relacionados con la salud fueron mejores factores predictivos para la renuncia posterior a los primeros 30 días