Applying the Worker Well-Being Framework to Identify Factors that Impact Turnover Among Long-Haul Truck Drivers.

BACKGROUND: Drivers in the long-haul trucking industry have chronic health conditions, engage in unhealthy behaviors, and leave the industry at high rates. Previous work has not considered the health and safety outcomes resulting from the conditions of work in the trucking industry and their role in turnover. The goal of this study was to understand the expectations of an incoming workforce, explore how work conditions impact their well-being, and identify strategies for retention. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted among current long-haul drivers and supervisors at trucking companies, and students and instructors at trucking schools (n = 33). Participants were asked about why they decided to enter the industry, their health challenges related to being in the trucking industry and whether these challenges were related to turnover, and strategies for retention. FINDINGS: Health conditions, differences in job expectations, and work demands were associated with leaving the industry. Workplace policies and culture (e.g., lack of supervisor support, schedules that limited home time, company size, and lack of benefits) were associated with workers' intention to leave an organization. Strategies identified to improve retention included integrating health and wellness into onboarding, creating realistic job expectations for those entering the industry, establishing relationships with drivers and dispatchers, and developing policies to limit time away from family. CONCLUSION/APPLICATION TO PRACTICE: Turnover in the trucking industry is a persistent problem and leads to a shortage of skilled workers, increases the workload, and reduces productivity. Understanding the relationship between the conditions of work and well-being provides a more holistic approach to address the health, safety, and well-being of long-haul truck drivers. Health conditions, differences in job expectations, and work demands were associated with leaving the industry. Workplace policies and culture (e.g., supervisor support, schedules that limited home time, lack of benefits) were associated with workers' intention to leave an organization. These conditions provide an opportunity for occupational health interventions to promote the physical as well as psychological health of long-haul truck drivers.

Low-level mercury, omega-3 index and neurobehavioral outcomes in an adult US coastal population.

BACKGROUND: Neurodevelopmental effects of omega-3 fatty acids and mercury from fish consumption have been characterized in children. In contrast, neurobehavioral outcomes associated with fish are not well studied in adults. OBJECTIVE: This study of avid seafood consumers on Long Island (NY, USA) sought to define associations between mercury, seafood consumption, omega-3 fatty acids and neurobehavioral outcomes. METHODS: A computer-based test system was used to assess neurobehavioral function. Blood total Hg (Hg) and omega-3 index were measured in 199 adult avid seafood eaters, who also completed the neurobehavioral assessment and an extensive food and fish frequency and demographic questionnaire. RESULTS: For most of the outcomes considered, neither Hg nor omega-3 index was associated with neurobehavioral outcomes after adjustment for key confounding variables. Fish consumption, however, was associated with decreased odds of both self-reported fatigue (OR 0.85; 95 % CI 0.72, 1.01) and a constellation of neurologic symptoms (OR 0.79; 95 % CI 0.66, 0.96). CONCLUSIONS: Results from our study provide little evidence that omega-3 fatty acids or Hg is associated with cognitive function in adult avid seafood consumers. Larger studies are needed to confirm our finding of associations between fish consumption and decreased self-reported fatigue and neurologic impairment.

Assessing the association between pesticide exposure and cognitive development in rural Costa Rican children living in organic and conventional coffee farms.

We examined the association between pesticide exposure and cognitive development among rural Costa Rican children in a cross-sectional study. Study participants aged 4-10 years included 17 children whose parents worked in La Amistad organic coffee plantation and 18 Las Mellizas children whose parents worked in their own small conventional coffee farms. Two spot-urine samples were collected from each participant and analyzed for organophosphorus and pyrethroids pesticide metabolites. We administered the computerized Behavioral Assessment and Research System (BARS), a figure-drawing task, and a long-term memory test to evaluate study participant's cognitive development. Although urinary pesticide metabolite levels did not vary considerably between these two groups of children, we found that Las Mellizas children performed better in BARS and the figure drawing tests than did La Amistad. The results from the linear mixed-effects models suggested that family socioeconomic status (SES) might be a significant contributor to the variation of the outcomes of the neurobehavioral tests. The effect of pesticide exposure, however, as measured in a snapshot fashion, did not play a significant role to the performance of the cognitive development evaluation. Regardless of the study limitations, needed effort should be devoted to the improvement of the SES on the La Amistad families so that their children's cognitive development would not be compromised further. Additionally, future studies should focus on addressing the limitations imposed on the snapshot assessment of pesticide exposure and on conducting cognitive development evaluation so the link between childhood pesticide exposure and their cognitive development can be thoroughly investigated.