Capturing occupational risk of airborne disease: An international job-exposure matrix based on five exposure factors.

Objective: This study aimed to construct a job-exposure matrix (JEM) for the risk of being infected by infectious agents through airborne or droplet transmission in an occupational setting, which might lead to a respiratory disease.

Methods: An established COVID-19-JEM formed the basis for the development of the general airborne infectious agents JEM. Nine researchers in occupational epidemiology from three European countries (Denmark, The Netherlands and the United Kingdom) discussed and agreed on which factors from the COVID-19-JEM were relevant and whether new factors or adjustments of risk levels were needed.

Assessing occupational styrene exposure in the European and US Glass Reinforced Plastics Industry for the period between 1947 and 2020.

Background: We aimed to develop a method for assessing occupational styrene exposures for application in epidemiological studies on risks of lymphohematopoietic neoplasms and other malignant and non-malignant diseases in the European and the US glass reinforced plastics industries.

Method: We estimated a linear mixed effects model based on individual airborne personal measurements of styrene from the glass reinforced plastics industry in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, UK, and the US. The most suitable model was chosen based on its predictive power as assessed using cross validation with different combinations of predictors; and by comparing their prediction errors.

How can exposure assessment for pesticides in epidemiological studies be improved? Insights from the IMPRESS project.

The IMPRoving Exposure aSSessment Methodologies for Epidemiological Studies on Pesticides (IMPRESS) project (http://www.impress-project.org/) aimed to further the understanding of the performance of pesticide exposure assessment methods (EAMs).

Supporting the working life exposome: Annotating occupational exposure for enhanced literature search.

An individual's likelihood of developing non-communicable diseases is often influenced by the types, intensities and duration of exposures at work. Job exposure matrices provide exposure estimates associated with different occupations. However, due to their time-consuming expert curation process, job exposure matrices currently cover only a subset of possible workplace exposures and may not be regularly updated.

Occupational exposure to pesticides and neurobehavioral outcomes. Impact of different original and recalled exposure measures on the associations.

Background: Several measures of occupational exposure to pesticides have been used to study associations between exposure to pesticides and neurobehavioral outcomes. This study assessed the impact of different exposure measures for glyphosate and mancozeb on the association with neurobehavioral outcomes based on original and recalled self-reported data with 246 smallholder farmers in Uganda.

Methods: The association between the 6 exposure measures and 6 selected neurobehavioral test scores was investigated using linear multivariable regression models.

Risk of hypersensitivity pneumonitis and other interstitial lung diseases following organic dust exposure.

Background: Organic dust is associated with hypersensitivity pneumonitis, and associations with other types of interstitial lung disease (ILD) have been suggested. We examined the association between occupational organic dust exposure and hypersensitivity pneumonitis and other ILDs in a cohort study.

Methods: The study population included all residents of Denmark born in 1956 or later with at least 1 year of gainful employment since 1976.

Self-reported and urinary biomarker-based measures of exposure to glyphosate and mancozeb and sleep problems among smallholder farmers in Uganda.

Objective: We aim to showcase the impact of applying eight different self-reported and urinary biomarker-based exposure measures for glyphosate and mancozeb on the association with sleep problems in a study among 253 smallholder farmers in Uganda.

Methods: The questionnaire-based exposure measures included: (1) the number of application days of any pesticide in the last 7 days (never, 1-2; >2 days) and six glyphosate and mancozeb-specific measures: (2) application status over the last 12 months (yes/no), (3) recent application status (never, last 7 days and last 12 months), (4) the number of application days last 12 months, (5) average exposure-intensity scores (EIS) and (6) EIS-weighted number of application days in last 12 months. Based on 384 repeated urinary biomarker concentrations of ethylene thiourea (ETU) and glyphosate from 84 farmers, we also estimated (7) average biomarker concentrations for all 253 farmers.

Factors influencing occupational exposure to pyrethroids and glyphosate: An analysis of urinary biomarkers in Malaysia, Uganda and the United Kingdom.

Background: Long-term exposure to pesticides is often assessed using semi-quantitative models. To improve these models, a better understanding of how occupational factors determine exposure (e.g.

Exposure assessment for repeated sub-concussive head impacts in soccer: The HEalth and Ageing Data IN the Game of football (HEADING) study.

The purpose of this paper was to develop exposure estimates for repetitive sub-concussive head impacts (RSHI) for use in epidemiological analyses. We used a questionnaire to collect lifetime history of heading and other head contacts associated with training and playing football from 159 former footballers all members of the English professional football association. We used linear mixed effect regression with player as the random effect, to model the number of headers, blows to the head and head-to-head impacts as a function of potential exposure affecting factors, which were treated as the fixed effects.

Development of a quantitative North and Central European job exposure matrix for wood dust.

Wood dust is an established carcinogen also linked to several non malignant respiratory disorders. A major limitation in research on wood dust and its health effects is the lack of (historical) quantitative estimates of occupational exposure for use in general population-based case-control or cohort studies. The present study aimed to develop a multinational quantitative Job Exposure Matrix (JEM) for wood dust exposure using exposure data from several Northern and Central European countries.

Associations between an international COVID-19 job exposure matrix and SARS-CoV-2 infection among 2 million workers in Denmark.

Objectives: This study investigates the associations between the Danish version of a job exposure matrix for COVID-19 (COVID-19-JEM) and Danish register-based SARS-CoV-2 infection information across three waves of the pandemic. The COVID-19-JEM consists of four dimensions on transmission: two on mitigation measures, and two on precarious work characteristics.

Methods: The study comprised 2 021 309 persons from the Danish working population between 26 February 2020 and 15 December 2021.

Exploring the relationship between job characteristics and infection: Application of a COVID-19 job exposure matrix to SARS-CoV-2 infection data in the United Kingdom.

Objective: This study aimed to assess whether workplace exposures as estimated via a COVID-19 job exposure matrix (JEM) are associated with SARS-CoV-2 in the UK.

Methods: Data on 244 470 participants were available from the Office for National Statistics Coronavirus Infection Survey (CIS) and 16 801 participants from the Virus Watch Cohort, restricted to workers aged 20-64 years. Analysis used logistic regression models with SARS-CoV-2 as the dependent variable for eight individual JEM domains (number of workers, nature of contacts, contact via surfaces, indoor or outdoor location, ability to social distance, use of face covering, job insecurity, and migrant workers) with adjustment for age, sex, ethnicity, index of multiple deprivation (IMD), region, household size, urban versus rural area, and health conditions.

Validation of a COVID-19 Job Exposure Matrix (COVID-19-JEM) for Occupational Risk of a SARS-CoV-2 Infection at Work: Using Data of Dutch Workers.

Objectives: A COVID-19 Job Exposure Matrix (COVID-19-JEM) has been developed, consisting of four dimensions on transmission, two on mitigation measures, and two on precarious work. This study aims to validate the COVID-19-JEM by (i) comparing risk scores assigned by the COVID-19-JEM with self-reported data, and (ii) estimating the associations between the COVID-19-JEM risk scores and self-reported COVID-19.

Methods: Data from measurements 2 (July 2020, n = 7690) and 4 (March 2021, n = 6794) of the Netherlands Working Conditions Survey-COVID-19 (NWCS-COVID-19) cohort study were used.

A Systematic Review of Head Impacts and Acceleration Associated with Soccer.

Epidemiological studies of the neurological health of former professional soccer players are being undertaken to identify whether heading the ball is a risk factor for disease or premature death. A quantitative estimate of exposure to repeated sub-concussive head impacts would provide an opportunity to investigate possible exposure-response relationships. However, it is unclear how to formulate an appropriate exposure metric within the context of epidemiological studies.

Impact of occupational pesticide exposure assessment method on risk estimates for prostate cancer, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and Parkinson's disease: results of three meta-analyses.

Assessment of occupational pesticide exposure in epidemiological studies of chronic diseases is challenging. Biomonitoring of current pesticide levels might not correlate with past exposure relevant to disease aetiology, and indirect methods often rely on workers' imperfect recall of exposures, or job titles. We investigated how the applied exposure assessment method influenced risk estimates for some chronic diseases.

Recall of exposure in UK farmers and pesticide applicators: trends with follow-up time.

Background: Occupational epidemiological studies on pesticide use commonly rely on self-reported questionnaire or interview data to assess exposure. Insight into recall accuracy is important, as misclassification of exposures due to imperfect recall can bias risk estimates.

Methods: We assessed the ability of workers in three UK cohorts (Prospective Investigation of Pesticide Applicators' Health [PIPAH], Pesticide Users' Health Study [PUHS], and Study of Health in Agricultural Work [SHAW]) to remember their working history related to pesticide exposure over time periods ranging from 3 to 14 years prior.

Evaluation of two-year recall of self-reported pesticide exposure among Ugandan smallholder farmers.

Objectives: To evaluate smallholder farmers' recall of pesticide use and exposure determinants over a two-year period in a low-income country context.

Methods: The Pesticide Use in Tropical Settings (PESTROP) study in Uganda consists of 302 smallholder farmers who were interviewed in 2017. In the same season in 2019, these farmers were re-questioned concerning pesticide use (e.

Exposure to a SARS-CoV-2 infection at work: development of an international job exposure matrix (COVID-19-JEM).

Objective: This study aimed to construct a job exposure matrix (JEM) for risk of becoming infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus in an occupational setting.

Methods: Experts in occupational epidemiology from three European countries (Denmark, The Netherlands and the United Kingdom) defined the relevant exposure and workplace characteristics with regard to possible exposure to the SARS-CoV-2 virus. In an iterative process, experts rated the different dimensions of the COVID-19-JEM for each job title within the International Standard Classification of Occupations system 2008 (ISCO-08).

Dust exposure and the impact on hospital readmission of farming and wood industry workers for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Objectives It is still not well established how occupational air pollutants affect the prognosis of asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This study uses nationwide Danish registers and quantitative dust industry exposure matrices (IEM) for the farming and wood industries to estimate whether previous year dust exposure level impacts hospital readmissions for workers diagnosed with asthma or COPD. Methods We identified all individuals with a first diagnosis of either asthma (769 individuals) or COPD (342 individuals) between 1997 and 2007 and followed them until the next hospital admission for asthma or COPD, emigration, death or 31 December 2007.

Improving Exposure Assessment Methodologies for Epidemiological Studies on Pesticides: Study Protocol.

Background: Exposure to certain pesticides has been associated with several chronic diseases. However, to determine the role of pesticides in the causation of such diseases, an assessment of historical exposures is required. Exposure measurement data are rarely available; therefore, assessment of historical exposures is frequently based on surrogate self-reported information, which has inherent limitations.

Archaea and Bacteria Exposure in Danish Livestock Farmers.

Objectives: Methanogenic archaea have been found to make up part of the bioaerosols in pig, cattle, and poultry farms. So far no attempts have been made to determine how season, farm type, and farm characteristics may affect workers' exposure to archaea.

Methods: Personal filter samples from 327 farmers working on 89 Danish farms were analysed for the number of 16S rRNA gene copies from archaea and bacteria and for their dust and endotoxin content.