BACKGROUND The proportion of asthma in adults that is due to occupational exposures is not known. AIM To examine the contribution of workplace exposures to the development of asthma in adults in New South Wales (NSW) in a cross sectional, population-based study. METHODS A randomly selected population of 5,331 18- to 49-year olds completed and returned a mailed questionnaire (response rate 3...

BACKGROUND Occupational physicians can contribute to good management in healthy enterprises. The requirement to take into account the needs of the customers when planning occupational health services is well established. AIMS To establish the priorities of UK employers, employees, and their representatives regarding the competencies they require from occupational physicians; to explore the re...

Quantitative estimation of exposure for occupational epidemiology studies has received increasing attention in recent years and, as a result, a body of methodological literature has begun to take form. This paper reviews the generic issues in the methodology of exposure assessment, particularly methods for quantitative retrospective assessment studies. A simple framework, termed an exposure dat...

OBJECTIVE To find a broad consensus on research priorities and strategies in the field of occupational health and safety in Italy. METHODS A two phase questionnaire survey was based on the Delphi technique previously described in other reports. 310 Occupational safety and health specialists (from universities and local health units) were given an open questionnaire (to identify three priority...

BACKGROUND In 2010, an accreditation system for occupational health services (OHS) in Norway was implemented. AIMS To examine OHS experiences of the accreditation system in Norway 4 years after its implementation. METHODS A web-based questionnaire was sent to all accredited OHS asking about their experiences with the accreditation system. Responses were compared with a similar survey conduc...

Since 1994, occupational health services (OHS) in the Netherlands have been provided by commercial enterprises with the market dominated by a few major organizations. The number of companies with their own internal OHS is decreasing. Most OHS employ occupational health physicians (OHP), occupational hygienists, occupational safety engineers and experts in occupational psychology. Companies with...

This study aimed to determine the incidence rates of psychiatric disorders within 1 year after occupational injury and to examine the association between occupational injury and the incidence of psychiatric disorders using National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD). We used cohort approach in this investigation. All eligible subjects were from the NHIRD, and aged 18-65 years old. A tot...

In response to our perceptions of the need to clarify the nature of school-based occupational therapy services at the local, state, and federal levels, we have written this article to address three areas. First, we suggest that the terminology used by school-based occupational therapists to describe their work be explained in terms that will allow parents and educators to better understand the ...

Several articles on the developing specialty of hand therapy within occupational therapy were featured in the September 27, 1990, issue of OT Week. It was disturbing to read, however, that the American Society of Hand Therapists was founded in 1977 not to augment or promote occupational therapy's knowledge base or practice, but rather, to "foster the advancement of the profession of hand therap...