A more integrated approach can support multidisciplinary teams with the capacity to maximize effective and safe C&D in health care.

Background and objective Adverse working conditions contribute to obesity and physical inactivity. The purpose of this study was to examine the associations of occupational factors with obesity and leisure-time physical activity among nurses. Methods This study used cross-sectional data of 394 nurses (mean age 48 years, 91% females, 61% white) randomly selected from the California Board of Registered Nursing list. Data on demographic and employment characteristics, musculoskeletal symptom comorbidity, physical and psychosocial occupational factors, body mass index (BMI), and physical activity were collected using postal and on-line surveys from January to July in 2013. Results Of the participants, 31% were overweight and 18% were obese; 41% engaged in regular aerobic physical activity (≥150 min/week) and 57% performed regular muscle-strengthening activity (≥2 days/week). In multivariable logistic regression models, overweight/obesity (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2) was significantly more common among nurse managers/supervisors (OR = 2.54, 95% CI: 1.16–5.59) and nurses who worked full-time (OR = 2.18, 95% CI: 1.29–3.70) or worked ≥40 h per week (OR = 2.53, 95% CI: 1.58–4.05). Regular aerobic physical activity was significantly associated with high job demand (OR = 1.63, 95% CI: 1.06–2.51). Nurses with passive jobs (low job demand combined with low job control) were significantly less likely to perform aerobic physical activity (OR = 0.49, 95% CI: 0.26–0.93). Regular muscle-strengthening physical activity was significantly less common among nurses working on non-day shifts (OR = 0.55, 95% CI: 0.34–0.89). Physical workload was not associated with obesity and physical activity. Conclusions Our study findings suggest that occupational factors significantly contribute to obesity and physical inactivity among nurses. Occupational characteristics in the work environment should be considered in designing effective workplace health promotion programs targeting physical activity and obesity among nurses.

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Background: Pesticides are widely used in agriculture, and off-target pesticide drift exposes workers and the public to harmful chemicals.Objective: We estimated the incidence of acute illnesses from pesticide drift from outdoor agricultural applications and characterized drift exposure and illnesses.Methods: Data were obtained from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health’s Sentinel Event Notification System for Occupational Risks–Pesticides program and the California Department of Pesticide Regulation. Drift included off-target movement of pesticide spray, volatiles, and contaminated dust. Acute illness cases were characterized by demographics, pesticide and application variables, health effects, and contributing factors.Results: From 1998 through 2006, we identified 2,945 cases associated with agricultural pesticide drift from 11 states. Our findings indicate that 47% were exposed at work, 92% experienced low-severity illness, and 14% were children (< 15 years). The annual incidence ranged from 1.39 to 5.32 per million persons over the 9-year period. The overall incidence (in million person-years) was 114.3 for agricultural workers, 0.79 for other workers, 1.56 for nonoccupational cases, and 42.2 for residents in five agriculture-intensive counties in California. Soil applications with fumigants were responsible for the largest percentage (45%) of cases. Aerial applications accounted for 24% of cases. Common factors contributing to drift cases included weather conditions, improper seal of the fumigation site, and applicator carelessness near nontarget areas.Conclusions: Agricultural workers and residents in agricultural regions had the highest rate of pesticide poisoning from drift exposure, and soil fumigations were a major hazard, causing large drift incidents. Our findings highlight areas where interventions to reduce off-target drift could be focused.

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Musculoskeletal injuries and symptoms are prevalent in nurses and are largely associated with strenuous patient handling. In 2011, California enacted legislation that required acute-care hospitals to implement safe patient handling (SPH) policies and programs. To assess the early phase of this legislation, we conducted an epidemiological assessment of organizational SPH practices, musculoskeletal symptoms, and perceptions in a random sample of 396 registered nurses. Among those who worked in hospitals and had patient handling duties (n = 220), the 12 month prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal symptoms was 69% (lower back 54%, neck 41%, shoulders 34%, and hands/wrists 26%). Twenty-two percent of the nurses reported that their hospitals had a "no-lift" policy, 37% reported that their hospitals had lift teams, and 61% reported the availability of mechanical lift equipment such as floor or ceiling lifts. Nurses whose facilities employed lift teams were significantly less likely to report low back pain (OR = 0.54, 95% CI [0.30-0.97]). Nurses whose units had ceiling lifts were significantly less likely to report shoulder pain than nurses with no access to lifts (OR = 0.32, 95% CI [0.10-0.98]). Roughly 60% of respondents were aware of the SPH law, and 33% reported changes in their hospital's patient handling policies or programs since the law went into effect. Hospital SPH practices reported by the nurses in our sample were generally sub-optimal, but our findings suggest positive effects of elements required by SPH legislation. These data will serve as the baseline for future evaluation of the impact of this law in California.

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Study findings suggest a need for additional interventions such as use of less toxic products to reduce health risks among cleaning workers.