Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan 063210, China.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Dec 21;19(1):24. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19010024.
Occupational exposure to heat stress and noise at the workplace are widespread physical hazards and have been associated with an increase in both morbidity and mortality. This study aims to examine the association between occupational heat stress and noise exposure and carotid atherosclerosis in Chinese steelworkers. A total of 3471 subjects were included in this study. Carotid plaque was measured using ultrasonography. The occupational information was collected by face-to-face personal interviews and all of the reported information was verified with the company's records. Workers were divided into non-exposure and exposure groups according to the company's records regarding previous and/or current heat stress and noise exposure status in the workplace. The prevalence of carotid plaque was 30.1% in the study population and workers exposed to both occupational heat stress and noise had the highest prevalence of carotid plaque at 37.2%. The odds of carotid plaque in individuals of different exposure status were significantly elevated after adjustment for potential confounders, especially in the heat stress and noise exposure combination group: OR = 1.32, 95% CI: 1.06 to 1.65, in individuals who had experienced heat stress exposure; OR = 1.49, 95% CI: 1.18 to 1.88, in individuals who had experienced noise exposure; OR = 2.02, 95% CI: 1.60 to 2.56, in the combination group. No significant association in female workers and no significant multiplicative or additive interactions were found between occupational heat stress and noise exposure and carotid plaque. Exposure to occupational heat stress and noise are statistically associated with carotid atherosclerosis among male steelworkers.
职业性热应激和噪声暴露是普遍存在的物理危害因素，与发病率和死亡率的增加有关。本研究旨在探讨中国钢铁工人职业性热应激和噪声暴露与颈动脉粥样硬化的关系。共纳入 3471 名受试者。采用超声检查测量颈动脉斑块。通过面对面的个人访谈收集职业信息，所有报告的信息均与公司记录进行核实。根据公司记录，将工人分为非暴露组和暴露组，记录其以往和/或当前工作场所的热应激和噪声暴露情况。研究人群中颈动脉斑块的患病率为 30.1%，暴露于职业性热应激和噪声的工人颈动脉斑块的患病率最高，为 37.2%。调整潜在混杂因素后，不同暴露状态个体的颈动脉斑块患病率显著升高，尤其是在热应激和噪声联合暴露组：经历过热应激暴露的个体的 OR = 1.32，95%CI：1.06 至 1.65；经历过噪声暴露的个体的 OR = 1.49，95%CI：1.18 至 1.88；联合暴露组的 OR = 2.02，95%CI：1.60 至 2.56。在女性工人中未发现显著关联，也未发现职业性热应激和噪声暴露与颈动脉斑块之间存在显著的相乘或相加交互作用。职业性热应激和噪声暴露与男性钢铁工人的颈动脉粥样硬化呈统计学相关。
