There is limited data on the association between pesticide exposure in children and anthropometric outcomes, particularly in non-agricultural communities and developing countries. This study investigated the association between organophosphate pesticide (OPP) exposure and anthropometric outcomes in primary schoolchildren from four informal settlements in Western Cape Province in South Africa. Using a repeated cross-sectional design of 600 schoolchildren over a 12-month period, urinary dialkyl phosphate (DAP) metabolites, diethylphosphate (DEP), dimethylphosphate (DMP), and dimethylthiophosphate (DMTP) were measured at baseline with DEP and DMP measured at follow-up. Anthropometric measurements height, weight, and Body Mass Index (BMI) were collected at both time points. The mean age for all participants at baseline was 9.93 ± 0.90 years and mean ΣDAP at baseline was 41.78 ± 33.80 ng/mL. Mean changes in weight, height, and BMI from baseline to follow-up for all participants were 6.04 ± 5.29 kg, 6.83 ± 4.00 cm, and 1.05 ± 2.01 kg/m ², respectively. Eighty percent of participants measured below the 50th percentile in height-for-age at baseline, and 76.8% at follow-up. No consistent associations were found between DAPs and anthropometric outcomes. Urinary OPP metabolite measurements and the prevalence of short stature among children in the study were high compared to other settings. The study did not find evidence of an association between OPP exposure and child anthropometric outcomes. Large longitudinal studies with follow-up periods exceeding two years and incorporating pesticide biomonitoring at multiple time-points are recommended.

The Diesel Exhaust in Miners Study (DEMS) played a decisive role in the classification of diesel engine emissions as a Group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. However, the statistical analysis of this extensive cohort study and the interpretation of the results have been widely criticized. Recently, a comprehensive systematic review was published whose meta-analysis revealed a statistically significant positive linear dose-response relationship. The results of the case-control approach from the DEMS contributed significantly to this result. However, the contradictory results of the mortality analysis for the entire cohort were not mentioned. The method for estimating the linear dose-response relationship in the studies included in the aforementioned systematic review must also be scrutinized from a methodological point of view. Meanwhile, the follow-up of the DEMS-cohort has been extended by 18 years, which has significantly strengthened the database for the analysis. The results of this important data material and its effects on the meta-analysis are discussed. Ultimately, the meta-analysis was reanalyzed, corrected for the shortcomings identified.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) represents a critical yet often underdiagnosed contributor to occupational morbidity, given its established links to impaired vigilance, neurocognitive dysfunction, and accident proneness. This cross-sectional study evaluated the prevalence of OSA risk and its relationship with occupational accidents among rotating shift workers. Between April and June 2024, 217 textile workers underwent assessment using the STOP-BANG questionnaire (score ≥3 indicating OSA risk) alongside the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and Insomnia Severity Index. Compared with their counterparts, those at risk were older, had higher body mass index, larger neck and waist circumferences, longer employment duration, more comorbidities, and higher daytime sleepiness scores (ESS: 4 [0–11] vs. 5 [0–16];p = 0.007), while subjective sleep time and sleep quality indices were comparable. In total, 36.4% of workers reported an occupational accident in the past year. Accident prevalence was higher in those with OSA risk (50.0% vs. 28.1%), and OSA risk remained an independent predictor of accidents (adjusted OR = 2.55; 95% CI: 1.44–4.53;p = 0.001) in the fully adjusted model. These findings highlight OSA as a prevalent, underrecognized determinant of occupational safety among shift workers. Integrating systematic OSA screening into workplace health surveillance and implementing targeted preventive measures could mitigate accident risk, improve productivity, and contribute to a closer alignment between sleep medicine and occupational health practice.

Introduction: Occupational heat stress can lead to cardiovascular and thermoregulatory changes, including elevated heart rate, increased core temperature, and altered blood pressure. Evidence remains limited regarding the physiological impact of heat stress in tropical occupational settings. Sugarcane workers in Thailand experience prolonged exposure to extreme heat during harvesting. This study assessed the impact of heat stress exposure on physiological responses among Thai sugarcane workers. Methods: Field measurements were conducted in Nakhon Sawan Province during cooler and hotter harvesting periods in 2023. Demographic, health, and work-related data were collected using a questionnaire. Heat stress exposure was assessed using Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) across entire shifts, and a full work shift time-weighted average effective WBGT (WBGT_eff-FS-TWA), adjusted for clothing, was calculated. Resting heart rate, body temperature, and blood pressure were recorded pre- and post-shift. Associations between WBGT_eff-FS-TWA and post-shift physiological parameters were analysed using general linear regression, adjusting for pre-shift values and confounders. Results: Mean WBGT_eff-FS-TWA was 31.3 ± 2.8 °C (range: 22.9–35.4 °C). Post-shift systolic and diastolic blood pressures were significantly lower, while heart rate and body temperature were significantly higher compared to pre-shift values (p < 0.001). WBGT_eff-FS-TWA was not associated with post-shift blood pressure. However, heart rate increased by 0.61 beats/min (95% CI: 0.24–0.98) and body temperature by 0.02 °C (95% CI: 0.002–0.03) per 1 °C increase in WBGT_eff-FS-TWA. Conclusion: Heat stress exposure was linked to modest increases in heart rate and body temperature among sugarcane workers. With rising global temperatures, monitoring cardiovascular and thermoregulatory responses is critical for safeguarding workers in hot environments.