Wanhyung Lee1,2,3, Seunghyun Lee4, Jeonghoon Kim5,6, Jihyun Kim1,2,3, Yeong-Kwang Kim1,2,3, Kyoosang Kim5,7, Jong-Uk Won1,2,3,8, Jaehoon Roh1,2,3,8, Jin-Ha Yoon1,2,3,8. 1. The Institute for Occupational Health, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea. 2. Graduate School of Public Health, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea. 3. Incheon Worker's Health Center, Incheon, Republic of Korea. 4. The First Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu, Japan. 5. Department of Environmental Health Research, Seoul Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea. 6. Department of Environmental Health, Graduate School of Public Health, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea. 7. Department of Occupational Environmental Medicine, Seoul Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea. 8. Department of Preventive Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Abstract
Background: Most studies in the field of smoking exposure in the workplace linked to occupational safety have only focused on active smoking. Few studies have reported that exposure to second-hand smoke in the workplace is a possible factor increasing the risk of occupational injury without considering occupational characteristics. The aim of this study was to determine the association between occupational injury and level of exposure to second-hand smoke at the workplace among Korean workers, after taking into account occupational characteristics. Method: Using data from the third Korean Working Conditions Survey, levels of exposure to second-hand smoke were categorized as none, moderate, and high. We investigated the influence of exposure to second-hand smoke on occupational injury using logistic regression analysis with stratification by sex, smoking status, smoke-free policy in the workplace, and occupational characteristics. Occupational characteristics (occupational classification, working schedule, length of working day, and co-exposure to occupational hazards in the workplace) were stratified and analyzed using logistic regression models to estimate the risk of occupational injury linked to exposure to second-hand smoke. Results: Among all participants, there was a significant dose-dependent association between risk of occupational injury and level of exposure level to second-hand smoke. After stratification by sex and smoking status, there was a significant association between risk of occupational injury and exposure level to second-hand smoke. Moreover, there was a significant relationship between exposure to second-hand smoke in the workplace and occupational injury, depending on the smoking-free policy at workplace (odds ratio [OR] in completely non-smoking workplace, 4.23; OR in non-smoking workplace with separate smoking area, 2.98; OR in smoking workplace 2.84). Additionally, there was a significant relationship between risk of occupational injury and exposure to second-hand smoke after stratification by occupational classification, working schedule, long working hours, and co-exposure to hazards in the workplace. Discussion: There was a dose-response relationship between occupational injury and exposure to second-hand smoke, even after stratification to reduce the impact of various potential confounders and after taking into account occupational characteristics. These findings provide greater insight into the effects of exposure to second-hand smoke on the working population and may direct further research and policy-making in this field.
Background: Most studies in the field of smoking exposure in the workplace linked to occupational safety have only focused on active smoking. Few studies have reported that exposure to second-hand smoke in the workplace is a possible factor increasing the risk of occupational injury without considering occupational characteristics. The aim of this study was to determine the association between occupational injury and level of exposure to second-hand smoke at the workplace among Korean workers, after taking into account occupational characteristics. Method: Using data from the third Korean Working Conditions Survey, levels of exposure to second-hand smoke were categorized as none, moderate, and high. We investigated the influence of exposure to second-hand smoke on occupational injury using logistic regression analysis with stratification by sex, smoking status, smoke-free policy in the workplace, and occupational characteristics. Occupational characteristics (occupational classification, working schedule, length of working day, and co-exposure to occupational hazards in the workplace) were stratified and analyzed using logistic regression models to estimate the risk of occupational injury linked to exposure to second-hand smoke. Results: Among all participants, there was a significant dose-dependent association between risk of occupational injury and level of exposure level to second-hand smoke. After stratification by sex and smoking status, there was a significant association between risk of occupational injury and exposure level to second-hand smoke. Moreover, there was a significant relationship between exposure to second-hand smoke in the workplace and occupational injury, depending on the smoking-free policy at workplace (odds ratio [OR] in completely non-smoking workplace, 4.23; OR in non-smoking workplace with separate smoking area, 2.98; OR in smoking workplace 2.84). Additionally, there was a significant relationship between risk of occupational injury and exposure to second-hand smoke after stratification by occupational classification, working schedule, long working hours, and co-exposure to hazards in the workplace. Discussion: There was a dose-response relationship between occupational injury and exposure to second-hand smoke, even after stratification to reduce the impact of various potential confounders and after taking into account occupational characteristics. These findings provide greater insight into the effects of exposure to second-hand smoke on the working population and may direct further research and policy-making in this field.
Authors: Sung Wook Jang; Hwan-Cheol Kim; Ji Ho Kim; Min Sun Kim; Youna Won; Hyeonwoo Ju; Hyung Doo Kim; Go Choi; Shin-Goo Park; Jong-Han Leem Journal: Ann Occup Environ Med Date: 2021-05-04