Adverse health impacts sometimes come from aspects of life that one might not consider a public health issue. As this week’s health briefs show, that can be the case with sitting in traffic or laboring for a paycheck in less-than-ideal circumstances.
Traffic pollution and pregnancy
Pregnant women exposed to traffic-related air pollution have a greater chance of serious neonatal complications compared to pregnant women who are not.
The finding is based on research from UT Southwestern Medical Center that matched records from 60,000-plus births with air-monitoring data. The study was published in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
The researchers found that pregnant patients living in urban areas that had elevated nitrogen dioxide, which is commonly found in vehicle exhaust, had higher rates of preterm birth, including the risk of babies being born before 28 weeks, which is considered extremely preterm. They also found an association with more neonatal intensive care unit admissions, respiratory problems in the infants and other “adverse outcomes,” according to a news release from the university.
The study showed air pollution from heavy traffic can be harmful to women during pregnancy and that their children can be affected even after delivery, according to Dr. David B. Nelson, associate professor and division chief of maternal-fetal medicine in obstetrics and gynecology at UT Southwestern. “The relationship between air pollution exposure and childhood and adult respiratory conditions is well established, but this study is novel in identifying consequences to the perinatal population,” he said.
Nelson said that while the study established a link, it did not prove causation.
The chances for preterm birth at less than 28 weeks gestation were eight times higher for pregnancies exposed to the highest air pollution levels compared with the lowest, according to a news release.
“It is challenging to say how much exposure to nitrogen dioxide is too much, but it’s important to note that many of the patients in our study experienced clinical impacts from exposure to nitrogen dioxide levels that were within (the Environmental Protection Agency’s) allowable limits,” Nelson said. “Pregnant patients in urban, high-traffic areas may hold jobs or have other responsibilities that make it difficult to minimize their exposure, and they often are already at higher risk of adverse perinatal outcomes given the other social obstacles they face. These findings further highlight how the environment may impact maternal-child health.”
Mental health and your job
Where you work could be a major determinant of health, according to a new report in The Lancet that reveals work-related causes of mental health conditions.
The paper, by University College Cork researchers for the Lancet Series on work and health, suggests that “major progress in population health” can occur if work environments are improved.
The study showed many workers have mental health problems and mental disorders. The researchers said that 15% of working-age adults have depression, anxiety and substance abuse, among other mental challenges.
Per the study, employees who have mental health disorders are more likely to miss work because they are ill and also to face unemployment, leave the workforce permanently and earn less over their lifetime. All of these things can make mental disorders worse. And the cost is borne not only by the individual, but by employers and society, as well.
A news release on the work says the paper “presents sound epidemiological evidence based on large-scale international cohort studies” that the risk of depressive disorders is greater when working conditions are negative. The paper also talks about ways to improve mental health at work.
Besides University College Cork researchers, the team included academics from universities in Europe, Japan and Australia. The findings were presented at the World Health Summit in Berlin.
Said one of the study authors, Birgid Greiner of the university’s School of Public Health, “We know mental health problems and disorders are common in our working population. Workplaces have huge potential to influence mental health by promoting the positive aspects of work and providing safe, non-discriminatory support for those showing signs of mental health problems. Modifying psychosocial working conditions is key. Workplace mental health should be made a collective concern at all levels of an organization.”
Recommended strategies to better workplace mental health include improving working conditions, creating policies on mentally healthy work — especially for the work environments or low-wage or marginalized employees — as well as promoting training programs and seeing that health care providers take into account a patient’s working conditions as they assess, diagnose and manage patients’ mental health conditions.
Government has a role, too, researchers said. It should work at improving both support and workplace conditions so that people who do have mental health problems and disorders can be part of the workforce.