An analysis of antibody response following the second dose of CoronaVac and humoral response after booster dose with BNT162b2 or CoronaVac among healthcare workers in Turkey.

Limited data are available on the short- to midterm levels of antibodies to the CoronaVac vaccine and quantitative change in humoral response after homologous or heterologous booster doses. In this prospective cohort study, we evaluated the anti-receptor-binding domain (RBD) immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels after two doses of CoronaVac and heterologous/homologous booster administration among healthcare workers in a university hospital in Turkey. Quantitative anti-RBD IgG antibody levels were measured at first and fourth months in 560 healthcare workers who had completed two doses of CoronaVac vaccine, and within 2 months after the third dose of CoronaVac or BNT162b2. Participants were asked to complete a questionnaire during the first blood draw. The seropositivity rate was 98.9% and 89.1%, and the median antibody level was 469.2 AU/ml and 166.5 AU/ml at first and fourth month, respectively. In the fourth month, a mean reduction of 61.4% ± 20% in antibody levels was observed in 79.8% of the participants. The presence of chronic disease (odds ratio [OR]: 1.76, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.15-2.69) and being in the 36-50 age group (OR: 2.11, 95% CI: 1.39-3.19) were identified as independent predictors for low antibody response. The antibody level increased 104.8-fold (median: 17 609.4 vs. 168 AU/ml) and 8.7-fold (median: 1237.9 vs. 141.4 AU/ml) in the participants who received BNT162b2 and CoronaVac, respectively. During the follow-up, 25 healthcare workers (4.5%) were infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. Considering the waning immunity and circulating variants, a single booster dose of messenger RNA vaccine seems reasonable after the inactivated vaccine especially in risk groups.

The development of a globally acceptable national model for occupational hygiene in Turkey: a modified Delphi study.

BACKGROUND: Although various organizations working in developed countries established the standards and approaches used in occupational hygiene, occupational hygiene professional interests and needs continue to develop in a global context. There is thus an urgent need for expanded occupational hygiene models. For successful field implementation, these models should be based on several sets of criteria, including those related to international standards, various national requirements, and multidisciplinary approaches. This is particularly important for countries in which no occupational hygiene model has been developed. This study thus examined the consensus on occupational hygiene standards among stakeholders in Turkey regarding the development of a national model. A modified Delphi study was conducted among key occupational health experts in Turkey who could aid in the relevant implementation, policy-making, and educational processes for such a model. Participants were selected from various governmental institutions, non-governmental organizations, trade unions, universities, and occupational health practices. RESULTS: The first-round findings were obtained from open-ended questions. The results revealed several requirements, including the adoption of an international hygiene definition, the official recognition of professional and practical areas in Turkish occupational hygiene, hygienist training methods, priorities, and competent institutions. Second-round findings indicated a consensus rate of over 80% regarding the need for implementation standards, training and education standards, requirements and priorities, and competent institutions for professionals working in the field of occupational hygiene. A third-round and SWOT analysis was also conducted among the group to confirm the consensus issues. CONCLUSIONS: The search for solutions and developmental expectations increases when awareness of internationalization and the need for common global standards increase. This developmental process may provide the basis for an appropriate model in developing countries.

Three-year' experience of a tertiary level occupational diseases clinic.

INTRODUCTION: We aimed to evaluate the diagnosis of patients who applied on the first three years of our clinic, in order to contribute to the state of occupational diseases (OD) in Turkey. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study is a cross-sectional study, between November 2013 and December 2016, 862 subjects were accepted for the evaluation. Gender, age, application ways, the reason of referral, workplace, exposure time and possible risks for the patients were evaluated through a file examination. RESULT: Total of 708 (82.1%) was male and 154 (17.9%) were female. The mean age of the subjects was 38.3 ± 7.7 years; the mean term of employment was 126.6 ± 87.3 (1-420) months. The most common cause of referral was the suspicion of occupational pulmonary diseases (64.3%) with 554 workers. 435 workers (50,6%) were diagnosed to have an OD, 78 workers (9.0%) were diagnosed with work-related diseases. The most common diagnoses of OD; 169 (38.9%) pneumoconiosis, 71 (16.3%) occupational asthma, 38 (8.7%) cervical disc hernia, 24 (5.5%) lumbar disc hernia, 24 (5.5%) hearing loss, 19 (4.3%) cubital/carpal tunnel, and 15 (3.4%) workers have lead intoxication. CONCLUSIONS: Dust, chemicals, ergonomic risks and noise still remain as important occupational health risks in Turkey. It is seen that the existing occupational diseases monitoring system is inadequate to identify and manage the health problems of the workers. An effective and comprehensive occupational disease monitoring system should be established and legal regulations should be planned.

Call centers and noise-induced hearing loss.

Noise is defined as unwelcome sound. It has been estimated that 16% of adult hearing loss in the world is due to noise exposure at the workplace. This report offers a case that diagnosed with hearing loss of whom working as a call center operator at home. Home agent operators should be explored.

Waning Humoral Immune Response Following the Third and Fourth SARS-COV-2 Vaccine: A Cohort Study in Healthcare Workers.

BACKGROUND: This study is aimed at providing information about the timing of booster doses and antibody kinetics in healthcare workers. METHODS: This research extends a prospective cohort study conducted at Dokuz Eylul University Hospital in Turkey, covering the period from March 2021 to December 2021. During this timeframe, the antibody levels of the health workers were measured at four different time points. The associations of antibody levels with gender, age, occupation, body mass index (BMI), chronic disease, and smoking were analyzed. RESULTS: There was a significant difference between antibody levels in all four blood draws (p < 0.001). Antibody levels decreased in both those vaccinated with BNT162b2 (p < 0.001) and those vaccinated with CoronaVac (p = 0.002) until the fourth blood draw. There was a significant difference between those vaccinated with one and two doses of booster BNT162b2 before the third blood draw (p < 0.001), which continued at the fourth blood draw (p < 0.001). The antibody levels of those with an interval of 41-50 days between two vaccinations decreased significantly at the fourth blood draw (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This study provides insight into the dynamics and persistence of antibody response after additional COVID-19 vaccine doses among healthcare workers. The longer the interval between booster doses may result in greater antibody levels being maintained over time, allowing for longer durations of protection.

Explaining the decline in coronary heart disease mortality in Turkey between 1995 and 2008.

BACKGROUND: Coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality rates have been decreasing in Turkey since the early 1990s. Our study aimed to determine how much of the CHD mortality decrease in Turkey between 1995 and 2008 could be attributed to temporal trends in major risk factors and how much to advances in medical and surgical treatments. METHODS: The validated IMPACT CHD mortality model was used to combine and analyse data on uptake and effectiveness of CHD treatments and risk factor trends in Turkey in adults aged 35-84 years between 1995 and 2008.Data sources were identified, searched and appraised on population, mortality and major CHD risk factors for adults those aged 35-84 years. Official statistics, electronic databases, national registers, surveys and published trials were screened from 1995 onwards. RESULTS: Between 1995 and 2008, coronary heart disease mortality rates in Turkey decreased by 34% in men and 28% in women 35 years and over. This resulted in 35,720 fewer deaths in 2008.Approximately 47% of this mortality decrease was attributed to treatments in individuals (including approximately 16% to secondary prevention, 3% angina treatments, 9% to heart failure treatments, 5% to initial treatments of acute myocardial infarction, and 5% to hypertension treatments) and approximately 42% was attributable to population risk factor reductions (notably blood pressure 29%; smoking 27%; and cholesterol 1%). Adverse trends were seen for obesity and diabetes (potentially increasing mortality by approximately 11% and 14% respectively). The model explained almost 90% of the mortality fall. CONCLUSION: Reduction in major cardiovascular risk factors explained approximately 42% and improvements in medical and surgical treatments explained some 47% of the CHD mortality fall. These findings emphasize the complimentary value of primary prevention and evidence-based medical treatments in controlling coronary heart disease.

Which Jobs are Unlucky against the Biologic and the Economic Risks Caused by the Covid-19 Pandemic?

Context: Beyond the biological impact of the pandemic in working life, socioeconomic consequences is also important for workers. This study aimed to investigate both biologic and economic impacts of the pandemic. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a structured questionnaire were applied by telephone to 233 workers who were diagnosed with coronavirus disease-2019 (Covid-19) at hospital. A pretest was applied before the data collection. The outcomes of the study were work-related Covid-19 transmission (WRCT) and pandemic-related economic worsening (PREW). Descriptive statistics is presented. Chi-square test is used in comparison of proportions. Results: Of the 233 workers, 52% were male (n = 120) and the mean age was 37.7 (±9.2) years. WRCT was observed in 73% of health care workers. PREW was 6.7 times higher in private sector (95% confidence interval = 3.1-14.5), especially in self-employed and small business owners. Drivers and sales workers were the unluckiest. Because they were affected in terms of both the WRCT and PREW. Conclusions: Within the framework of occupational health, the economic destructive effects of the Covid-19 pandemic as well as the biological impacts should be considered with a holistic perspective. Protective policies should be developed especially for economically fragile groups against the pandemic such as self-employed, small business owners, and private sector workers.

Pre-infection antibody levels of vaccinated healthcare workers with SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough infection: A nested case-control study.

AIM: To evaluate anti-RBD IgG antibody levels and neutralizing antibody titers between the health care workers (HCWs) with breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infection and controls. METHODS: In this nested case-case control study, we followed 548 vaccinated HCWs with homologous (only with inactivated vaccine) or heterologous (both with inactivated and BNT162b2 vaccine) vaccination for 11 months, prospectively. We obtained blood samples from the participants for quantitative anti-RBD IgG and surrogate neutralization test. The participants with SARS-CoV-2 PCR positivity (at least 14 days after the last vaccination) were considered breakthrough infection. We chose 1:2 matched controls from the cohort, according to age, sex and vaccination status. We used R version 4.0.2 for the statistical analysis. RESULTS: Sixty-five cases and 130 controls were included in the study. The number of the breakthrough infections in HCWs were correlated with the pandemic waves in Türkiye and peaked during Omicron outbreak. The median age of the cases was 39 and 78.5% were female. The cases had more comorbidities than controls, significantly (p = 0.021). All cases experienced no or mild symptoms and recovered completely. Both pre-infection anti-RBD antibody and neutralizing antibody titers did not differ between cases and matched controls (p = 0.767, p = 0.628). CONCLUSION: In this study, we showed that there was no comparable difference in humoral response after homologous or heterologous vaccination between the cases of breakthrough infection and matched controls. Compliance with infection control measures should be ensured, in combination with vaccination.

The association between employment status and metabolic syndrome in women: modifying effect of education.

The aim of the researchers in this study was to examine the relations of paid work versus housework and educational level to metabolic syndrome in women. The study sample consisted of women who participated in a baseline survey of the Heart of Balcova Project, which is an ongoing cohort study in Izmir, Turkey. A randomly selected subsample of women who were aged 30-64 years and who were not retired or unemployed was derived from the individuals who participated in the Heart of Balcova Project. All data were collected through face-to-face interviews with 191 workers and 342 housewives. The association between employment status and metabolic syndrome was explored using multiple logistic regression models. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was significantly higher among housewives than among workers. Among the women with a high educational level, odds of metabolic syndrome were significantly higher for housewives than for those who were employed. An association between employment status and metabolic syndrome was not observed in the group with a low level of education. The findings revealed that educational level had a modifying effect on the relationship between employment status and metabolic syndrome among women and thus has implications for improving the understanding of the importance of health and educational opportunities for housewives.

Precarious Work as Risk Factor for 5-Year Increase in Depressive Symptoms.

OBJECTIVES: The aim was to investigate the longitudinal relationship between precarious work and depressive symptoms in a representative cohort of employees in Germany. METHODS: In the German Study on Mental Health at Work (S-MGA) (n = 2009), depressive symptoms were assessed by the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Precarious work was measured through baseline (2012) self-reported job insecurity, marginal part-time, fixed-term contract, hourly wage and-during follow-ups 2012-2017-unemployment. Among employees without depressive symptoms at baseline (2012), we ran logistic regression analyses stratified by gender with depressive symptoms at follow-up in 2017 as the dependent variable, adjusting for baseline (2012) age, gender, socioeconomic position and partner status. RESULTS: Among men, job insecurity (OR: 2.47; 95% 95% CI: 1.37-4.48) and low wage (3.79; 1.64-8.72) at baseline were significantly associated with depressive symptoms at follow-up. Among women, indicators of precarious work were not associated with depressive symptoms at follow-up. Among men, a cumulative exposure index of precarious work was significantly associated with the development of depressive symptoms (one indicator: 1.84; 0.94-3.60, ≥two indicators: 7.65; 3.30-17.73). This index was not associated with depressive symptoms among women. The population attributable fraction of precarious work due to depressive symptoms among men was approximately 30%. CONCLUSIONS: Among employees in Germany, precarious work seems to be a risk factor for the subsequent development of depressive symptoms among men, but not among women. Research on precarious employment in different countries is needed.

Associations Between Bioavailable Vitamin D and Remnant Cholesterol in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Introduction In circulation, 99% vitamin D is transported by binding to vitamin D binding protein (VDBP) and albumin. Vitamin D at free form and vitamin D binding to albumin are defined as bioavailable vitamin D. Vitamin D deficiency is associated with atherogenic lipid profile and insulin resistance. Remnant cholesterol is defined as the cholesterol component of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins and contributes to the atherosclerotic burden. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between bioavailable vitamin D and remnant cholesterol in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods A total of 198 T2DM patients and 208 non-diabetic subjects underwent biochemical measurements of lipid profiles, 25(OH)D, VDBP, CRP and albumin levels. Their demographic characteristics (age, sex) were questioned. Subjects with thyroid, kidney and liver dysfunction and using lipid-lowering therapy were not included in the study. The diagnosis of T2DM was made according to the American Diabetes Association ADA 2016 criteria. Classification of vitamin D levels was done according to the Endocrine Society. Bioavailable vitamin D concentrations were calculated. Results High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), 25(OH)D, free vitamin D and bioavailable vitamin D levels were significantly lower in diabetic patients than in non-diabetic patients while triglyceride, remnant cholesterol and CRP levels were found to be significantly higher. VDBP was positively correlated with CRP and remnant cholesterol in diabetic patients, but not in non-diabetic patients. Cut-off values were determined from non-diabetics as 3.56 ng/mL for bioavailable vitamin D and 26.56 mg/dL for remnant cholesterol. Logistic regression analysis in the control group showed that the odds ratio for increasing remnant cholesterol above the cut-off value was determined as 2.01 for low bioavailable vitamin D and 1.1 for elevated CRP. However, in T2DM there was no significant relationship. In all subjects, low bioavailable vitamin D increased the remnant cholesterol above the cut-off by 2.18-fold independent of the presence of T2DM. However, there was no significant risk to increase remnant cholesterol, considering a total 25(OH) D deficiency in all groups. Conclusions Low bioavailable vitamin D was found to be a risk factor for elevated remnant cholesterol. This relationship was not detected in patients with T2DM. We believe that the inflammation observed in Diabetes Mellitus may increase the concentrations of VDBP and a decrease in bioavailable vitamin D levels. Therefore, measuring VDBP and calculating the bioavailable vitamin D may provide additional information about the actual vitamin D status.

Methods for the study of employment relations and health inequalities in a global context.

The authors describe the major methods and sources of information used in the EMCONET study for researching global, employment-related health inequalities. A systematic review of the literature provides valuable knowledge for research in this area. However, the limited number of studies, the poor quality of methods used, and a lack of theories or concepts have produced inconsistent results. To minimize bias from these limitations and to reach a comprehensive understanding of the complexity and health effects of global employment conditions, this article outlines key strategies for a synthetic, comprehensive, participatory approach: adapting transdisciplinary knowledge acquisition, building a theoretical model, employing multiple sources for data collection, and using a variety of methods (qualitative/ quantitative studies and narrative knowledge). This approach provides solutions to important research and policy needs regarding the global context of key employment relations, social mechanisms, and health inequalities. The strategies are adapted to synthesize input from several disciplines (epidemiology, sociology, and political science), social actors, and institutions. The study's main sources of information are a variety of digital, bibliographic databases; the authors reviewed the scientific literature from 1985 to 2008 and books, reports, and other documents from 2000 to 2008.

The Effects of Multifaceted Ergonomic Interventions on Musculoskeletal Complaints in Intensive Care Units.

Working at intensive care units (ICUs) is considered a risk factor for developing musculoskeletal complaints (MSC). This study was conducted between January 2017 and June 2019 in two ICUs of a university hospital. It was designed as a pre- and post-assessment of the intervention group (IG) (N = 27) compared with a control group (CG) (N = 23) to determine the effects of a multifaceted ergonomics intervention program in reducing MSC. The IG (N: 35) received a multifaceted ergonomic intervention program, which was implemented by an ERGO team over an 18 month period. Four ergonomic interventions were planned as follows: individual level interventions such as training; stretching exercises and motivation meetings; administrative intervention such as a daily 10 min stretching exercises break; engineering interventions such as lifting and usage of auxiliary devices. The CG (N:29) did not receive any intervention. Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaire (CMDQ) was used to assess MSC in both groups. At the start of the intervention, both groups were similar concerning the number of visits to doctors due to MSC, the number of sick leave days, and total CMDQ scores (p > 0.05 for all). Two factor repeated ANOVA measures were performed for between-groups and within-group analyses. The mean of the initial CMSDQ total scores in both groups increased significantly in the 18th month (p < 0.001). However, the interaction effect of group and time (between and within factors) was not significant (p = 0.992). Work-related MSC is a common occupational health problem among nurses. This study showed that individual-level interventions are not likely to succeed in eliminating manual patient lifting by nurses. Our results suggested that interventions without administrative measures might have limited success.

A novel version of Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire-3: Turkish validation study.

Purpose: The aim of the study was to adapt the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire Version-3 (COPSOQ-3) into the Turkish language.Methods: This is a methodologic study. The field study occurred in four workplaces (call center, hospital, plastic and metal industries). The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) Measure of Sampling Adequacy and Bartlett's Test of Sphericity were used to assess the suitability of the sample for factor analysis. The principal component analysis and varimax rotation methods were used to identify the factor structure.The internal consistency was assessed using the Cronbach's alpha coefficient.Results: In total, 1076 respondents' questionnaires were evaluated. Fifty-eight percent of the participants were men and the mean age was 31.1 ± 7.7. Sampling adequacy was considered adequate (KMO =0.929). The factor analysis of the Turkish COPSOQ (COPSOQ-TR) identified 19 factors with eigenvalues higher than one and explained 66.1% of the total variance. The Cronbach's alpha values of 23 dimensions were over 0.70. The Cronbach's alpha values of control over working time and predictability were 0.54 and 0.66, respectively. The model was an excellent fit (Chi-Square = 8514.5, x2/df = 2.48, RMSEA = 0.038, SRMR = 0.053, CFI = 0.98).Conclusions: Findings show that COPSOQ-TR is a reliable and valid instrument that can be a useful tool to measure psychosocial risks in the Turkish language.

The Third Version of the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire.

INTRODUCTION: A new third version of the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ III) has been developed in response to trends in working life, theoretical concepts, and international experience. A key component of the COPSOQ III is a defined set of mandatory core items to be included in national short, middle, and long versions of the questionnaire. The aim of the present article is to present and test the reliability of the new international middle version of the COPSOQ III. METHODS: The questionnaire was tested among 23,361 employees during 2016-2017 in Canada, Spain, France, Germany, Sweden, and Turkey. A total of 26 dimensions (measured through scales or single items) of the middle version and two from the long version were tested. Psychometric properties of the dimensions were assessed regarding reliability (Cronbach α), ceiling and floor effects (fractions with extreme answers), and distinctiveness (correlations with other dimensions). RESULTS: Most international middle dimensions had satisfactory reliability in most countries, though some ceiling and floor effects were present. Dimensions with missing values were rare. Most dimensions had low to medium intercorrelations. CONCLUSIONS: The COPSOQ III offers reliable and distinct measures of a wide range of psychosocial dimensions of modern working life in different countries; although a few measures could be improved. Future testing should focus on validation of the COPSOQ items and dimensions using both qualitative and quantitative approaches. Such investigations would enhance the basis for recommendations using the COPSOQ III.

The effect of socioeconomic factors on quality of life after treatment in patients with head and neck cancer.

PURPOSE: To determine the effect of socioeconomic factors on quality of life (QoL) after treatment in patients with head and neck carcinoma (HNC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study population included 50 HNC patients seen in their control examinations after radiotherapy during a 2-month interval and who were willing to complete the Short-Form 36 QoL questionnaire. Socioeconomic, demographic, and tumor- and treatment-related factors were analyzed for their effect on physical component summary score (PCS) and mental component summary score (MCS) using the Mann-Whitney U test. RESULTS: All patients received radiotherapy, and 33 patients (66%) underwent surgery for the primary tumor and/or neck disease. Chemotherapy was given in 9 patients (18%). Mean PCS and MCS were 47.9 (range, 24.8-59.3) and 46.7 (range, 22-63.3) for the whole patient population. There was no significant factor affecting PCS. Education level of "middle school or higher," perceived economic status of "medium or higher," social security status of not being "absent or minimally covered," and unilateral type of neck surgery were found to increase MCS significantly. According to separate linear regression analyses performed for three socioeconomic variables, the most significant factor for MCS was social security status compared with education level and perceived economic status. It was the only parameter that retained its significance when all five parameters were combined in a linear regression model. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that educational status, perceived economic status, and social security status showed a significant effect on the QoL of HNC patients after radiotherapy. When all variables were taken into account, only "social security status" remained significant.

Employment status changes of workers after referral to an occupational disease clinic.

OBJECTIVE: Occupational diseases (OD) are among the most significant issues of work life, with economic, medical, social, and ethical aspects. The majority of studies concerning OD focus on the causes or medical outcomes of OD. There are a limited number of studies investigating the social and economic impacts of being diagnosed with an OD. One of the important social aspects of OD is the employability of workers after an OD diagnosis. The aim of this study is to evaluate the changes in employment status after the OD diagnosis process. METHODS: This is a cross sectional study. There were 204 eligible cases, and 198 (97%) completed the study. The study data were obtained from patient files, including OD Committee reports and questionnaires applied via telephone interview. RESULTS: Among the 198 applicants, 170 (85.9%) were male and 146 (73.7%) were diagnosed with an OD. Of these workers, 106 (53.5%) had quit their current jobs. Of those workers, 89 out of 106 were in the OD group, and 17 were in the non-OD group. Diagnosis with OD (OR: 3.1 CI: 1.4-6.8) and non-union membership (OR: 11.1 CI: 5.2-23.5) increased the likelihood of quitting the job after an OD diagnosis. CONCLUSION: The short-term prognosis of OD was relatively poor. OD diagnosis or even referral to an outpatient clinic may cause quitting the job. Policies should account for the risk of unemployment after an OD diagnosis, and OD surveillance systems should obtain data on the employment status of workers following diagnosis.

Dental Technicians' Pneumoconiosis; Illness Behind a Healthy Smile - Case Series of a Reference Center in Turkey.

BACKGROUND: Dental laboratories include many hazards and risks. Dental technicians working in an unfavorable work environment in Turkey and other parts of the world may develop pneumoconiosis as a result of exposure to dust, depending on exposure time. In this study, we aimed to investigate the clinical and laboratory findings of dental technicians. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study consists of a case series. Between 2013 and 2016, a total of 70 who were working as a dental technician and referred to our clinic with suspicion of occupational disease were evaluated. Comprehensive work-history, physical examination complaints, functional status, chest X-ray, and high-resolution computed lung tomography (HRCT) findings were evaluated. RESULTS: In all, 46 (65.7%) of the 70 dental technicians were diagnosed with pneumoconiosis. About 45 (97.8%) subjects were male and 1 (2.2%) was female. The mean age of starting to work was 15.89 ± 2.79 (11-23) years. The mix dust exposure time was 176.13 ± 73.97 (18-384) months. Small round opacities were most common finding. In 16 patients, high profusion being 2/3 and above were identified, and large opacity was detected in 11 patients. The radiological profusion had a weak negative correlation with FEV 1 and FVC (correlation coefficient - 0.18, P = 0.210 and - 0.058, P = 0704) and moderate negative correlation between radiological profusion and FEV1/FVC (correlation coefficient - 0.377, P = 0.010). In addition, no correlation was observed between the age at start of work and the duration of exposure. CONCLUSION: The presence of pneumoconiosis continues in dental technicians in Turkey, especially because there is an early childhood apprenticeship culture and almost all workers in this period have the history of sandblasting.

Skydiving and the risk of cervical disc herniation.

The skydiving/parachuting sport which has recently gained popularity is also known for its accidents and injuries. However, there are a few studies related to its occupational ergonomic risks and occupational musculoskeletal diseases. It has been reported that the sudden hyperextension of the neck during the parachute opening, so called opening shock results in neck pain. It has been found that the jumpers are subjected to an average deceleration of 3-5 times the earth's gravitational acceleration (3-5 G) during parachute opening shock. It is considered that the spinal cord is destabilized by the impact of this force. This study presents the occupational cervical disc herniation occurring in the case of a subject who has been working as a skydiving/parachuting instructor for 25 years, and the ergonomic risks specific to the sports of skydiving. There is a requirement for systematic and representative studies related to the administrative measures to be taken in order to prevent the occupational diseases that may occur in the case of skydivers, the personal protective equipment to be used, and the employee. Int J Occup Med Environ Health 2018;31(2):243-249.