Wenhui Zhou

Musculoskeletal symptoms and associated risk factors in a large sample of Chinese workers in henan province of China

OBJECTIVEnTo investigate the one-year prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms and associated risk factors in a large sample of Chinese workers in various industrial settings.nnnMETHODSnA total of 5,338 (3,632 males and 1,706 females) workers from 13 companies participated in this study. Musculoskeletal symptoms in different body regions in the previous year and their risk factors were assessed by a self-reported questionnaire. Logistic regression analyses were performed to estimate the individual, work-related physical and psychosocial risk factors for the musculoskeletal symptoms.nnnRESULTSnThe most commonly affected body regions among the workers were lower back (59.7%), neck (48.6%), shoulders (38.8%), and wrists (33.5%). Female workers had greater prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms in the neck, shoulders, and wrists than male workers. Results of multivariate analyses indicated that individual, work-related physical and psychosocial factors were associated with the musculoskeletal symptoms.nnnCONCLUSIONnThe results suggest that interventions aimed at reducing musculoskeletal symptoms in the Chinese working population should take into account multiple risk areas including individual, physical job characteristics and work-related psychosocial factors.

Psychosocial work environment and well-being: a cross-sectional study at a thermal power plant in China.

Psychosocial Work Environment and Well‐Being: A Cross‐Sectional Study at a Thermal Power Plant in China: Shanfa Yu, et al. Department of Occupational and Environment Medicine, Peking University Health Center, China—To investigate the effects of the job demand‐control (DC) model and the effort‐reward imbalance (ERI) model on workers well‐being, self‐reports for psychosocial work conditions and well‐being were made by a sample of 878 workers at a thermal power plant in China using the main dimensions of DC and ERI questionnaires. Logistic regression analyses were employed controlling for age, gender, and educational level, and negative and positive affection among others. Workers reporting high job demands and low job control or high efforts and low rewards had elevated risks of job dissatisfaction, psychosomatic complaints and depressive symptoms. Odds ratios were generally higher in workers reporting both high efforts and low rewards. Furthermore, low reward proved to be a stronger predictor of poor wellbeing when both job stress models were simultaneously adjusted. To some extent, interaction effects were found for social support, but no interaction effects were found for overcommitment. The findings indicate independent effects of both the DC model and the ERI model on well‐being. Future work should explore the combined effects of these two models of psychosocial stress at work on health more thoroughly.

Job Stress, Gene Polymorphism of β2-AR, and Prevalence of Hypertension

OBJECTIVEnTo study the interactive effect of job stress and genetic susceptibility (or gene polymorphism) on hypertension.nnnMETHODSnA cross-sectional epidemiological study was conducted in 452 workers from a thermal power plant in China. Extrinsic effort, occupational reward, and over-commitment were measured. Hypertensive patients were defined by three phases of screening, reexamination, and final diagnosis. beta2-AR genotypes and allele frequencies at amino acid positions 16 (beta2-AR-16: Arg-->Gly) and 27 (beta2-AR-27: Gln-->Glu) were identified by PCR-RFLP.nnnRESULTSnJob stress was related with the prevalence of hypertension in males (P < 0.05), whereas no significant relationship was found in females (P > 0.05). Differences in genotypes and allele frequencies of the beta2-AR-16 were statistically significant between the hypertension and control groups (P < 0.05), whereas those of beta2-AR-27 were not (P > 0.05). The prevalence of hypertension was higher in individuals carrying Gly16 allele than in those carrying Arg16 allele of the high job stress group (P < 0.01 or 0.05).nnnCONCLUSIONnHigh job stress and polymorphism of beta2-AR-16 have an interactive effect on the prevalence of hypertension in male workers.

Co-effect of Demand-control-support Model and Effort-reward Imbalance Model on Depression Risk Estimation in Humans: Findings from Henan Province of China*

OBJECTIVEnTo investigate the co-effect of Demand-control-support (DCS) model and Effort-reward Imbalance (ERI) model on the risk estimation of depression in humans in comparison with the effects when they are used respectively.nnnMETHODSnA total of 3 632 males and 1 706 females from 13 factories and companies in Henan province were recruited in this cross-sectional study. Perceived job stress was evaluated with the Job Content Questionnaire and Effort-Reward Imbalance Questionnaire (Chinese version). Depressive symptoms were assessed by using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D).nnnRESULTSnDC (demands/job control ratio) and ERI were shown to be independently associated with depressive symptoms. The outcome of low social support and overcommitment were similar. High DC and low social support (SS), high ERI and high overcommitment, and high DC and high ERI posed greater risks of depressive symptoms than each of them did alone. ERI model and SS model seem to be effective in estimating the risk of depressive symptoms if they are used respectively.nnnCONCLUSIONnThe DC had better performance when it was used in combination with low SS. The effect on physical demands was better than on psychological demands. The combination of DCS and ERI models could improve the risk estimate of depressive symptoms in humans.

Genetic variation in EYA4 on the risk of noise-induced hearing loss in Chinese steelworks firm sample

Objectives Noise-induced hearing loss is one of the most serious occupational diseases worldwide. It is caused by interactions between environmental and genetic factors. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between the genetic susceptibility of the eye absent homolog 4 (EYA4) gene and the risk of developing noise-induced hearing loss in China. Methods A case–control association study was carried out with 326 hearing loss cases and 326 controls matched with age and duration of noise exposure, drawn from a cohort of steel workers. Five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the EYA4 were selected and genotyped. Logistic regression was performed to analyse the main effect of genotypes and interactions between genotypes and individual/environmental factors adjusted for confounding factors. Moreover, generalised multiple dimensionality reduction was applied to further detect interaction among the 5 selected SNPs. Results Analysis revealed that locus polymorphism of rs3813346 was associated with the risk of developing noise-induced hearing loss in the dominance model, the codominance model and the addictive model (p=0.004, 0.009 and 0.003, respectively). A significant interaction between rs9321402 and cumulative noise exposure was found (p=0.002). A significant main effect p value (p=0.006) was obtained in the high-level exposure group (cumulative noise exposure ≥98u2005dB(A)). Generalised multiple dimensionality reduction indicated that the combined interaction of the 2 loci—rs3813346 and rs9493627—significantly affected the incidence of noise-induced hearing loss. Conclusions The research suggests that EYA4 genetic variant and its interaction with noise levels may modify the susceptibility to develop noise-induced hearing loss in Chinese population.

Polymorphisms of heat shock protein 70 genes (HSPA1A, HSPA1B and HSPA1L) and susceptibility of noise-induced hearing loss in a Chinese population: A case-control study

Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is the second-most frequent form of sensorineural hearing loss. When exposed to the same noise, some workers develop NIHL while others do not, suggesting that NIHL may be associated with genetic factors. To explore the relationship between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) genes (HSPA1A, HSPA1B and HSPA1L) and susceptibility to NIHL in Han Chinese workers exposed to noise, a case-control association study was carried out with 286 hearing loss cases and 286 matched with gender, age, type of work, and exposure time, drawn from a population of 3790 noise-exposed workers. Four SNPs were selected and genotyped. Subsequently, the effects of the alleles and genotypes of the three HSP70 genes (HSPA1A, HSPA1B and HSPA1L) on NIHL were analyzed by using a conditional logistic regression. A generalized multiple dimensionality reduction (GMDR) was applied to further detect an interaction between the four SNPs. Compared with the combined genotypes CC/TC, carriers of the TT genotype of rs2763979 appeared to show greater susceptibility to NIHL (P = 0.042, adjusted OR = 1.731, 95% CI 1.021–2.935). A significant interaction between rs2763979 and CNE was found (P = 0.029), and a significant association was found between TT of s2763979 and NIHL (P = 0.024, adjusted OR = 5.694, 95%CI 1.256-25.817) in the 96 dB (A)≤CNE<101 dB (A) group. The results suggest that the rs2763979 locus of the HSP70 genes may be associated with susceptibility to NIHL in Chinese individuals, and other HSP70 genes may also be susceptibility genes for NIHL, but the results must be further replicated in additional independent sample sets.

Association between psychosocial job characteristics and sickness absence due to low back symptoms using combined DCS and ERI models.

OBJECTIVEnTo evaluate the combined demand-control-support (DCS) and effort-reward-overcommitment (ERI-OC) stress models in association with sickness absence due to low back symptoms (SA-LBS).nnnMETHODSnA total of 2,737 blue-collar workers recruited from 13 companies in the most populous province (Henan) of China were included in the study. Personal and physical job characteristics, psychosocial scales of the stress models, and SA-LBS data in the preceding year were collected by a self-reported questionnaire and analyzed by a multivariable logistic regression model. Tertile exposure levels (low, medium and high) were constructed to discriminate a risk level. Odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used as the association with SA-LBS.nnnRESULTSnA large percentage (84.5%) of the Chinese workers did not take sick leave after reporting low back symptoms during the preceding year. High job demand or medium-high reward was associated with SA-LBS. The association of the combined stress models and SA-LBS was not evident.nnnCONCLUSIONSnThe ERI-OC model appeared to be more predictive of SA-LBS than the DCS model in the study population. The advantage of using combined stress models for predicting SA-LBS is not evident.

Genetic Variation in POU4F3 and GRHL2 Associated with Noise-Induced Hearing Loss in Chinese Population: A Case-Control Study

Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is an important occupational disease worldwide resulting from interactions between genetic and environmental factors. The purpose of this study was to examine whether genetic variations in POU4F3 and GRHL2 may influence susceptibility to NIHL in the Chinese population. A matched case-control study was carried out among 293 hearing loss individuals and 293 normal hearing workers drawn from a population of 3790 noise-exposed workers. Ten single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in POU4F3 and GRHL2 were selected and genotyped. Logistic regression was performed to analyze the main effects of SNPs and the interactions between noise exposure and SNPs. Moreover, the interactions between predictor haplotypes and noise exposure were also analyzed. Analysis revealed that the CC genotype of rs1981361 in the GRHL2 gene was associated with a higher risk of NIHL (adjusted OR = 1.59; 95% CI: 1.08–2.32, p = 0.018). Additionally, the GG genotype of rs3735715 in the GRHL2 gene was also a risk genotype (adjusted OR = 1.48; 95% CI: 1.01–2.19, p = 0.046). Significant interactions were found between rs3735715, rs1981361 (GRHL2), rs1368402 as well as rs891969 (POU4F3) and noise exposure in the high-level exposure groups. Furthermore, the protective haplotype CA in the POU4F3 gene and the risk haplotype GCCG in the GRHL2 gene were identified combined with noise exposure. These results indicated that GRHL2 might be an NIHL susceptibility gene, but the effect of POU4F3 on NIHL could only be detected when taking noise exposure into account, and their effects were enhanced by higher levels of noise exposure. However, the differences were not significant after the Bonferroni correction was applied. These results should be seen as suggestive.

Combined Effect of Effort-Reward Imbalance and Sleep Quality on Depressive Symptoms Risk in Train Drives in China

Depressive symptoms is a complex disease caused by the interaction of individual characteristics, environment, lifestyle, environment and genetic factors. In recent two decades, many studies found that workers with high ERI, poor sleep quality were both associated with a higher risk of depressive symptoms. However there is still limited understanding regarding the interrelationships among interrelationships among ERI, poor sleep quality, and depressive symptoms. To this end, we designed combined effect model of ERI and sleep quality to analyze the two variables on depressive symptoms risk. This study showed that the combined effect of ERI and sleep quality was a risk factor for depressive symptoms, and the combined effect was larger than the separate one; Both high ERI and poor sleep quality were the greatest contributors to depression symptoms in combined effect model of ERI and sleep quality, which may supply a clue to explain the link between ERI, sleep quality and increased depression risk.

Effect of GRM7 polymorphisms on the development of noise-induced hearing loss in Chinese Han workers: a nested case-control study

BackgroundNoise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is a complex, irreversible disease caused by the interaction of genetic and environmental factors. In recent years, a great many studies have been done to explore the NIHL susceptibility genes among humans. So far, high powerful detections have been founded that genes of potassium ion channel genes (KCNQ4 and KCNE1), catalase (CAT), protocadherin 15 (PCDH15), myosin 14 (MYH14) and heart shock protein (HSP70) which have been identified in more than one population may be associated with the susceptibility to NIHL. As for metabolic glutamate receptor7 gene (GRM7), a lot of researches mainly focus on age-related hearing loss (ARHL) and the results have shown that the polymorphisms of GRM7 are linked to the development of ARHL. However, little is known about the association of GRM7 and the susceptibility to NIHL. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore the effect of GRM7 polymorphisms on the susceptibility to NIHL.MethodsA nested case-control study based on the cohort in a Chinese steel factory was implemented in 292 cases and 584 controls matched with the same sex, the age differenceu2009≤u20095xa0years old, the same type of work, duration of occupational noise exposure ≤2xa0years. Five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of GRM7 were gained through selecting and genotyping SNPs. Conditional logistic regression analysis was used to assess the main effect of GRM7 polymorphisms on the susceptibility to NIHL and the gene-by-environment interaction. Furthermore, the gene-by-gene interactions were analyzed by generalized multiple dimensionality reduction (GMDR).ResultsThis research discovered for the first time that the mutant allele C in rs1485175 of the GMR7 may decrease individuals’ susceptibility to NIHL. The interaction between rs1485175 and cumulative noise exposure (CNE) at high level was found after the stratification according to CNE (p/pbonu2009=u20090.014/0.007, ORu2009=u20090.550, 95% CI: 0.340–0.891). Permutation test of GMDR suggested that rs1920109, rs1485175 and rs9826579 in GRM7 might interact with each other in the process of developing NIHL (pu2009=u20090.037).ConclusionsThe results suggest that the mutant allele C of rs1485175 in GRM7 may reduce the susceptibility to NIHL in Chinese Han population.