Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine

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A socioecological framework for research on work and obesity in diverse urban transit operators based on gender, race, and ethnicity: BongKyoo Choi, Peter Schnall, Marnie Dobson, Haiou Yang, Dean Baker, YoungJu Seo; Ann Occup Environ Med 2017;29:15. Published online May 17, 2017; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40557-017-0171-2

Urban transit (bus and rail) operators, totaling nearly 700,000 persons, are one of the heaviest occupational groups in the United States (US). Little is known about occupational risk factors for weight gain and obesity and their interrelationship with health-related behaviors, particularly among female minority (African Americans and Hispanics) transit operators who are at greater risk for obesity. As a step towards developing successful obesity interventions among urban transit operators, this paper aims to present a new socioecological framework for studying working conditions, chronic strain, health-related behaviors, weight gain/obesity, and obesity disparity in diverse urban transit operators based on gender, race, and ethnicity. Our framework is a synthesis of several different theories and disciplines: the resource-work load model (work stress), occupational ergonomics, the theory of intersectionality, and worksite health promotion. The framework was developed utilizing an extensive literature review, results from our on-going research on obesity, input from focus groups conducted with Los Angeles transit operators as well as interviews and meetings with transit operator stakeholders (management, unions, and worksite transit wellness program), and ride-along observations. Our hypotheses highlighted in the framework (see Fig. 1) are that adverse working conditions, largely characterized as a combination of high demands and low resources, will increase the risk for weight gain/obesity among transit operators directly through chronic strain and hypothalamic dysfunction (hyper-and hypo-activations), and indirectly through health-related behaviors and injuries/chronic severe pain. We also hypothesize that the observed increase in adiposity among female minority operators is due to their greater exposure to adverse occupational and non-occupational conditions that reflect their intersecting social identities of lower social class and being a minority woman in the US. Our proposed framework could greatly facilitate future transit worksite obesity studies by clarifying the complex and important roles of adverse working conditions in the etiology of weight gain/obesity and obesity disparity among transit operators and other working populations.

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Facilitators and barriers to achieving dietary and physical activity goals: focus group interviews with city bus drivers and counseling dietitians
Yongmin Jo, Suhyeun Cho, Young-Hee Han, Taisun Hyun
Korean Journal of Community Nutrition.2023; 28(5): 376. CrossRef
Primary Prevention of Weight Gain Among New Bus Operators
Ryan Olson, Sean P. M. Rice, Talya N. Bauer, Brad Wipfli, W. Kent Anger, Todd Bodner, Peter Graven, Leah S. Greenspan
Journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine.2023; 65(2): 128. CrossRef
Bus Operators’ Body Weight Changes During Their First 2 Years of Work
Ryan Olson, Sean P.M. Rice, Layla R. Mansfield, Brad Wipfli, Todd Bodner, W. Kent Anger, Talya N. Bauer
Journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine.2021; 63(12): 1093. CrossRef
Burden of tobacco, kola nut and alcohol consumption and its association with periodontal disease, potentially malignant lesions and quality of life among bus drivers, Lagos State, Nigeria
Afolabi Oyapero, Oyejoke Oyapero, Aliru Akinleye
Population Medicine.2020;[Epub] CrossRef
Pilot test of an interactive obesity treatment approach among employed adults in a university medical billing office
Rachel G. Tabak, Jaime R. Strickland, Bridget Kirk, Ryan Colvin, Richard I. Stein, Hank Dart, Graham A. Colditz, Ann Marie Dale, Bradley A. Evanoff
Pilot and Feasibility Studies.2020;[Epub] CrossRef
Obesity and Socioeconomic Disparities
Cecilia M. Jevitt
Journal of Perinatal & Neonatal Nursing.2019; 33(2): 126. CrossRef
Complejidad de la expresión de genes asociados a obesidad en el tejido adiposo humano
Alejandra Rodríguez, Carlos Echandía, Adalberto Sánchez, José María Satizábal, Julio César Montoya, Felipe García Vallejo
Revista Med.2019; 26(1): 14. CrossRef
The Key Role of Work in Population Health Inequities
Paul A. Landsbergis, BongKyoo Choi, Marnie Dobson, Grace Sembajwe, Craig Slatin, Linda Delp, C. Eduardo Siqueira, Peter Schnall, Sherry Baron
American Journal of Public Health.2018; 108(3): 296. CrossRef
Work stress and health problems of professional drivers: a hazardous formula for their safety outcomes
Sergio A. Useche, Boris Cendales, Luis Montoro, Cristina Esteban
PeerJ.2018; 6: e6249. CrossRef
Work organization, health, and obesity in urban transit operators: A qualitative study
Marnie Dobson, BongKyoo Choi, Peter L. Schnall
American Journal of Industrial Medicine.2017; 60(11): 991. CrossRef

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Original Article

The Effects of the Structural Unemployment on Health-related Behavior and Health: Daegyun Hong, Jungwon Kim, Dongmug Kang; Korean Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2009;21(4):346-353. Published online December 31, 2009; DOI: https://doi.org/10.35371/kjoem.2009.21.4.346

Abstract PDF

OBJECTIVES
This study aimed to examine the effects of unemployment on health-related behavioral changes and worker's health, and to produce the basic data that is needed to formulate the necessary measures for reducing the health hazards and social costs caused by unemployment.
METHODS
A questionnaire survey was conducted with a group of 123 people who had lost their jobs due to structural unemployment (the unemployment group) and with a group of 155 employed people (the employment group). The 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) was used as a tool for evaluating the demographic characteristics, the health-related behaviors and the health level.
RESULTS
Irregular mealtimes and increased smoking and drinking rates were observed in the unemployment group (P<0.05). The results of the logistic regression analysis that was conducted after correcting for the confounding variable showed that in the unemployment group, unlike in the employment group, the odds ratio of the group with a low health level score on the SF-36 has a significant difference in "Role limitation resulting from physical problems" (OR 2.20, 95% CI=1.01~4.78), "Role limitation resulting from emotional problems" (OR 4.51, 95% CI=1.90~10.69) and "Mental health" (OR 3.43, 95% CI=1.52~7.74) among the eight lower areas.
CONCLUSIONS
Unemployment causes a negative change in health-related behaviors and lower levels of mental and physical health. Systematic research must be conducted to promote good health among unemployed workers and to reduce their social costs.

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Material hardship and self-rated health among low-income households in South Korea
Jaeseung Kim, RaeHyuck Lee, Joyce Shim
Asia Pacific Journal of Social Work and Development.2018; 28(4): 279. CrossRef
The Effects of Health Counseling Programs by Occupational Health Nurses on the Unemployed Visiting the Employment Welfare Plus Center
Hye-Sun Jung, Insun Jang
Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing.2016; 25(3): 188. CrossRef

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Original Article

Incidence and related factors of fatty liver among male workers: Jin Seok Kim, Jong Young Lee, Kuck Hyun Woo, Jay Young Ryu; Korean Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2003;15(3):310-322. Published online September 30, 2003; DOI: https://doi.org/10.35371/kjoem.2003.15.3.310

Abstract PDF

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to investigate the incidence rate of fatty liver and it's related factors based on a three year follow up of multiphasic health screening participants.
METHODS
671 male workers who had participated in both initial and second multiphasic health screening were selected. Initial screening was performed during the year of 1996 to 1997 and second screening was performed during the year of 1999 to 2000. Among them, four hundred and thirty workers who didn't initially have a fatty liver were selected as the final study subjects. They were classified into 2 categories according to the initial and second hepatic ultrasonographic findings; stationary normal(307, 71.4%), and fatty liver incident(123, 28.6%). The incidence rate was calculated using the incidence density method.
RESULTS
The incidence rate of fatty liver among the male workers was 9.73 per 100 person-years. The white collar workers had a higher incidence rate(10.66) than the blue collar workers(8.14). The incidence density ratio of alcohol drinking to fatty liver incidence was 1.41, and the incidence density ratio of low vegetable diet was 1.63. The incidence density ratio of obesity was 1.78 for the 100-109% obesity index group, 2.83 for the 110-119% obesity index group, 4.25 for the >or=120% obesity index group over <100%. Smoking, regular exercise, salty food preference, and taking food supplement had no significant effect on the incidence of fatty liver. The fatty liver incident group had higher initial blood pressure, GPT, gamma GTP, fasting blood sugar, HbA1c, uric acid, total cholesterol and triglyceride levels than the stationary normal group. However, there were no differences in the GOT, HDL-cholesterol or LDL-cholesterol levels. In the multiple logistic regression analysis, obesity index and serum triglyceride were found to be major factors in the incidence of fatty liver after controlling age, alcohol drinking, vegetable diet, daily coffee intake, blood pressure, HbA1c, total cholesterol, and uric acid levels.
CONCLUSION
The incidence rate of fatty liver among the male workers was 9.73 per 100 person-years. The lifestyles which gave rise to an increasing incidence of fatty liver were those involving excessive alcohol drinking, obesity, and low vegetable diet. Moreover, many cardiovascular disorder related health indices such as blood pressure, and the blood sugar, blood lipid and uric acid levels, were related to the incidence of fatty liver.

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Assessment of the Health Complaints among White-Collar and Blue-Collar Workers Using the Electronic Health Records
Veysel ALCAN, Caner DOĞRU
Karaelmas İş Sağlığı ve Güvenliği Dergisi.2023; 7(1): 1. CrossRef
Effects of Providing Health Education to Workers for the Management of Liver Disease Screened by Periodic Health Surveys
Mee-Ra Lee, Jin-Seok Kim
Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing.2013; 22(4): 324. CrossRef

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