Information technologies in occupational activities have been developing very rapid. Epidemiological studies have shown that musculoskeletal disorders are widely prevalent among employees working with a computer. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of musculoskeletal pain in various anatomical areas and its associations with individual, ergonomic, and psychosocial factors among computer workers of the public sector in Kaunas County, Lithuania. The investigation consisting of two parts – questionnaire study (Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire and Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire) and direct observation (evaluation of work ergonomics using the Rapid Upper Limb Assessment [RULA]) – was carried out in three randomly selected public sector companies of Kaunas County. The representative study sample comprised 513 public service office workers. The prevalence of musculoskeletal pain in five anatomical areas of the body (shoulders, elbows, wrists/hands, as well as upper and low back) was evaluated. The prevalence rates of shoulder, elbow, wrist/hand, upper and low back pain were 50.5 %, 20.3 %, 26.3 %, 44.8 %, and 56.1 %, respectively. Individual factors such as gender, age, computer work experience, and body mass index were found as significant for musculoskeletal pain in various musculoskeletal regions. The respondents reporting pain in shoulder, wrist/hand, upper back, and low back areas had a statistically significantly higher mean RULA score. The duration of working with a computer was found as a significant factor for shoulder pain. High quantitative demands were related to musculoskeletal pain in all investigated anatomical areas expect for the low back; weak social support was a significant predictor for complaints in upper and low back areas. This study confirmed associations between musculoskeletal pain and work ergonomics; therefore, preventive measures at the workplace should be directed to the improvement in ergonomic work environment, education, and workload optimization.

Background: Weather is a well-known factor worldwide in psychiatric problems such as depression, with the elderly and females being particularly susceptible. The aim of this study was to detect associations between the risk of depressive symptoms (DS) and weather variables. Methods: 6937 participants were assessed in the baseline survey of the Health Alcohol Psychosocial Factors in Eastern Europe (HAPIEE) study during 2006–2008. To assess the risk of DS, a multivariate logistic model was created with predictors such as socio-demographic factors, health behaviors, and weather variables. Results: DS were found in 23.4% of the respondents, in 15.6% of males and in 29.9% in females. A higher risk of DS (by 25%) was associated with November–December, a rising wind speed, and relative humidity (RH) < 94% and snowfall during the cold period occurring 2 days before the survey. A higher air temperature (>14.2 °C) predominant during May–September had a protective impact. A higher risk of DS in males was associated with lower atmospheric pressure (<1009 hPa) 2 days before. Females were more sensitive to the monthly variation, snowfall, and RH. Conclusions: The findings of our study suggest that some levels of weather variables have a statistically significant effect on DS.

To detect the complex association between arterial blood pressure (BP) and air temperature, atmospheric pressure, relative humidity, wind speed, and North Atlantic oscillation (NAO) indices. Data were obtained from the survey performed in the framework of the international Health, Alcohol and Psychosocial Factors in Eastern Europe study. The number of individuals used in the models or other analysed groups was 7077. The association between environmental variables and SBP and DBP were evaluated by applying the multiple regression analysis, adjusting for health-related and weather variables. More than one-half (58.7%) of the respondents had high BP, and 39.4% of the respondents had taken drugs for high BP during the last 2 weeks. Among the respondents, the mean SBP and DBP were 141.6 ± 22.2 and 90.4 ± 12.5 mmHg, respectively. An increase in SBP was associated with the presence of a lower relative humidity, and a higher wind speed and extreme atmospheric pressure with a lag of 2 days. During the period of spring–autumn, continuous NAO indices on the same day and a positive NAO on the same and on 2 previous days were negatively associated with the SBP value. A positive NAO was associated (P = 0.001) with a decrease in SBP by 1.7 mmHg in all participants, by 2.30 mmHg in physically active participants, and by 3.62 mmHg in the elderly, as compared with a negative NAO. These results provided new evidence that the NAO index may be affect the value of SBP and DBP in the elderly during the period of spring–autumn.

The effects of charged solar particles hitting the Earth’s magnetosphere are often harmful and can be dangerous to the human organism. The aim of this study was to analyze the associations of geomagnetic storms (GSs) and other space weather events (solar proton events (SPEs), solar flares (SFs), high-speed solar wind (HSSW), interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs) and stream interaction regions (SIRs)) with morbidity from acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and mortality from ischemic heart diseases (IHDs) during the period 2000–2015 in Kaunas (Lithuania). In 2000–2015, 12,330 AMI events (men/women n = 6942/5388) and 3742 deaths from IHD (men/women n = 2480/1262) were registered. The results showed that a higher risk of AMI and deaths from IHD were related to the period of 3 days before GS—a day after GS, and a stronger effect was observed during the spring–autumn period. The strongest effect of HSSW was observed on the day of the event. We found significant associations between the risk of AMI and death from IHD and the occurrence of SFs during GSs. We also found a statistically significant increase in rate ratios (RRs) for all AMIs and deaths from IHD between the second and fourth days of the period of ICMEs.