Background and objectives: Evidence shows that shift work may be correlated with insulin resistance (IR). Therefore its estimation in clinical and prevention practice is of great significance. A cross-sectional study was performed to examine the Homeostasis Model Assessment-Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) Index among healthcare shift workers (HCSW). Materials and Methods: A total of 272 healthcare workers (HCWs) were invited to participate in the study within an occupational surveillance framework, 137 were HCSW while 135 were healthcare non-shift workers (HCNSW). Fasting glucose, insulin, and HOMA-IR Index were evaluated in each participant and correlated with shift workers. Results: Indicators of glucose metabolism were significantly higher in HCSW p < 0.001, and logistic regression analysis confirmed a significant positive association between increased values of HOMA-IR Index and shift workers (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Shift work could be a risk factor in developing insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome.

The aim of this study was to assess the effects of a joint health promotion intervention on a cohort of healthcare workers (HCWs) who had at least one cardiovascular risk factor. The HCWs were assessed at three different times, i.e., time zero (T0), after 6 months (T6), and after 12 months (T12). The following parameters were measured at a medical examination: physical activity, blood pressure, waist circumference, body mass index (BMI), routine laboratory tests, plicometric analysis, work ability index (WAI), and body image dissatisfaction (BID). Among the 447 HCWs, 38 HCWs were included in the study; 45% (n = 17) were male. At T12, the average blood pressure, waist/hip ratio (WHR) index, BMI, total cholesterol, triglyceride level, and blood glucose values were reduced. The levels of physical activity and adherence to the Mediterranean diet had progressively increased. The WAI showed a significant shift from low to good work performance at T12, as well as BID score. This is the first study that has analyzed work performance in relation to a workplace health promotion through a multidisciplinary approach. This health promotion intervention that combined diet and sport activity has led to a significant change in HCWs’ lifestyles and body perceptions, as well as their ability to work. This project highlights the importance of using a multidisciplinary approach and the workplace setting in health promotion programs.

Breast cancer (BrC) treatment can produce disabilities that often impact the quality of daily life and impact the social and working relationships of the patient. This paper looked into the remaining work ability in a group of female healthcare personnel (HCPs) with BrC in Southern Italy. Each HCP was subjected to a medical check, routine blood tests, and a questionnaire on the work ability index (WAI). Of 980 (100%) HCWs undergoing health control, 6% (n = 54) had experienced BRC, and only 66.6% (n = 36) agreed to take part in the study. A total of 28 (78%) were on night shifts. The WAI score was quite low in 5 (13.8%) cases, moderate in 10 (27.7%) cases, good in 14 (38.8%) cases, and excellent in 7 (19.5%) HCWs. Among all health figures, in nurses as well as technical staff, lower WAI scores were observed. HCWs reported various comorbidities, which affected WAI score, such as limited mobility in the upper limbs, arm/shoulder pain, numbness, and lymphoedema. The main complication that negatively affects any work activity is the morbidity in the upper limbs. This seems to affect the ability to perform tasks, and the re-entry to work is highlighted on sick leave days.

Environmental exposure to fibers of respirable size has been identified as a risk for public health. Experimental evidence has revealed that a variety of fibers, including fluoro-edenite, can develop chronic respiratory diseases and elicit carcinogenic effects in humans. Fluoro-edenite (FE) is a silicate mineral first found in Biancavilla (Sicily, Italy) in 1997. Environmental exposure to its fibers has been correlated with a cluster of malignant pleural mesotheliomas. This neoplasm represents a public health problem due to its long latency and to its aggression not alerted by specific symptoms. Having several biomarkers providing us with data on the health state of those exposed to FE fibers or allowing an early diagnosis on malignant pleural mesothelioma, still asymptomatic patients, would be a remarkable goal. To these purposes, we reported the miRNA transcriptome in human normal mesothelial cell line (MeT-5A) and in the human malignant mesothelioma cell line (JU77) exposed and not exposed to FE fibers. The results showed a difference in the number of deregulated miRNAs between tumor and nontumor samples both exposed and not exposed to FE fibers. As a matter of fact, the effect of exposure to FE fibers is more evident in the expression of miRNA in the tumor samples than in the nontumor samples. In the present paper, several pathways involved in the pathogenesis of malignant pleural mesothelioma have been analyzed. We especially noticed the involvement of pathways that have important functions in inflammatory processes, angiogenesis, apoptosis, and necrosis. Besides this amount of data, further studies will be designed for the selection of the most significant miRNAs to test and validate their diagnostic potential, alone or in combination with other protein biomarkers, in high-risk individuals’ liquid biopsy to have a noninvasive tool of diagnosis for this neoplasm.

Background: the precision agriculture field optimizes resource use, enhancing performance. However, this leads to exposure to ergonomic risks for operators, in particular, tractor drivers, potentially causing musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). This study investigates how the display position in a semi-automatic tractor system influences operator comfort and muscle activation during harrowing operations. Methods: the assessment of muscular strain involved the use of surface electromyographic devices, while posture was evaluated throughout the analysis of the distribution of pressure exerted by the operator’s body on the seat, which was observed using two barometric pads, each positioned on the backrest and base of the seat. Finally, infrared thermography (IRT), a non-invasive tool to assess muscle activation, was used to measure the surface temperature of the driver’s back. The results showed a significantly greater muscular activation display for the position of display in semi-automatic driving at 50° and 80°. Conclusions: this study showed how the position of the display on the vehicle negatively influences posture, exposing workers to the risk of developing fatigue and, therefore, discomfort, with the potential onset of MSDs. The combined use of sEMG and IRT allowed for a non-invasive, cheap, and repeatable mechanical and functionality analysis.

The new 2019 coronavirus or SARS-CoV-2 has been the first biological agent to generate, in this millennium, such a global health emergency as to determine the adoption of public health measures. During this sanitary emergency, the emotional experience of healthcare workers (HCWs) has been hugely tested by several factors. In fact, HCWs have been exposed to greatly tiring physical, psychological and social conditions. The authors investigated the cardiocirculatory activity of a group of HCWs as well as how they perceived stress while working in COVID-19 wards. In particular, every HCW underwent a medical check, an electrocardiographic base exam, systolic and diastolic pressure measurement, and cardio frequency measurement. Furthermore, each HCW was provided with a cardiac Holter device (HoC) and a pressure Holter (Hop). Some psychological factors were considered in order to quantify the stress perceived by each HCW while at work through the administration of two questionnaires: the “Social Stigma towards Patients due to COVID Scale (SSPCS)” and the “Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL)”. The HoC and HoP analysis results for HCWs working in COVID-19 OU wards showed significant variations in cardiocirculatory activity. From the analysis of the SSPCS questionnaire answers, it is clear that all of them showed a sense of duty towards their patients. The analysis of the ProQOL questionnaire answers showed that the prevailing attitude is fear; however, HCWs did not absolutely discriminate against those who had COVID-19 nor did they refuse to help those in need. Continuous monitoring of these employees, also carried out through occupational medicine surveillance, allows for the detection of critical conditions and the implementation of actions aimed at preventing chronic processes.