Shiftwork and Metabolic Risk Factors of Cardiovascular Disease: Mina HA, et al. Department of Preventive Medicine, Dankook University College of Medicine, Korea—We conducted this study to examine the relationship between shift work duration and the metabolic risk factors of cardiovascular disease among shift workers. The study population consisted of 226 female hospital nurses and 134 male workers at a firm manufacturing diapers and feminine hygiene materials, whose mean ages were 28.5 yr for the nurses and 29.1 yr for the male workers. The fasting blood sugar level, serum cholesterol, blood pressure, height and weight, waist and hip circumferences (only for the nurses), and numbers of walks during work (as a measure of physical activity) were measured. Using the Karasek's job contents questionnaire, job stress was assessed. Information about the years of work, shift work duration, past medical and behavioral history, including smoking, was obtained by a self‐administered questionnaire. With definitions of hypertension as systolic blood pressure (SBP) ≥160 or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) ≥90 mmHg occurring at least once, hypercholesterolemia as serum total cholesterol ≥240 mg/dl, obesity as body mass index (BMI) ≥25 kg/m² and as waist to hip ratio (WHR) ≥0.85, we examined the prevalences of metabolic risk factors among subjects. Regression analyses to show the relationships between shift work duration and metabolic risk factors were performed using simple and multivariate models stratified by age, and adjusted for smoking, drinking, job strain and physical activity. Duration of shift work was significantly associated with SBP or cholesterol level among male workers aged 30 or more. Among female nurses, it was inversely associated with DBP (in those who were below 30 yr old) and cholesterol (in those who were aged 30 or more). BMI was non‐significantly associated with the duration of shift work in both male workers and female nurses who were 30 yr old or more. WHR in female nurses increased slightly according to increasing duration of shift work. Fasting blood sugar was not significantly associated with the duration of shift work in either sex regardless of age‐group. These results suggest an association between shift work duration and the metabolic risk factors of cardiovascular disease.

Ye BJ, et al. Ann Occup Environ Med. 2016 Jan;28(1):5. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40557-015-0086-8

Kim HC, et al. Ann Occup Environ Med. 2015 Dec;27(1):30. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40557-015-0085-9

1) The subject of study was limited to children and adolescents under the age of 20.

Concerns have developed for the possible negative health effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic field (RF-EMF) exposure to children’s brains. The purpose of this longitudinal study was to investigate the association between mobile phone use and symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) considering the modifying effect of lead exposure. A total of 2,422 children at 27 elementary schools in 10 Korean cities were examined and followed up 2 years later. Parents or guardians were administered a questionnaire including the Korean version of the ADHD rating scale and questions about mobile phone use, as well as socio-demographic factors. The ADHD symptom risk for mobile phone use was estimated at two time points using logistic regression and combined over 2 years using the generalized estimating equation model with repeatedly measured variables of mobile phone use, blood lead, and ADHD symptoms, adjusted for covariates. The ADHD symptom risk associated with mobile phone use for voice calls but the association was limited to children exposed to relatively high lead. The results suggest that simultaneous exposure to lead and RF from mobile phone use was associated with increased ADHD symptom risk, although possible reverse causality could not be ruled out.

Hospitalized patients are vulnerable to sleep disturbances because of environmental stresses including noise. While most previous studies on hospital noise and sleep have been performed for medical machines in intensive care units, there is a limited data for patients hospitalized in medical wardrooms. The purpose of present study was to measure noise level of medical wardrooms, identify patient-perceived sources of noise, and to examine the association between noise levels and sleep disturbances in hospitalized patients. Noise dosimeters were used to measure noise level in 29 inpatient wardrooms at a university hospital. Sleep pattern and disturbance were assessed in 103 hospitalized patients, using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Leeds Sleep Evaluation Questionnaire. The mean equivalent continuous noise level for 24 hours was 63.5 decibel A (dBA), which was far higher than 30 dBA recommended by the World Health Organization for hospital wardrooms. Other patients sharing a room were perceived as the most common source of noise by the patients, which was usually preventable. Of the patients in the study, 86% had bad sleep as assessed by the PSQI. The sleep disturbance was significantly correlated with increasing noise levels in a dose response manner. Systemic organizational interventions are needed to keep wardrooms private and quiet to reduce sleep disturbance.