Occupational Health News and Research

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Fluctuating work hours increase health risks for workers

Workers who juggle volatile work hours that change from week to week may experience adverse health effects that impact their ability to work, although the limitations vary by gender, say researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign who conducted a recent study.

18 Aug 2026

Good sleep in midlife may extend working life expectancy

Healthy sleep patterns in mid life are linked to longer working life expectancy, suggest the findings of a large study of working age men and women, published online in Occupational & Environmental Medicine.

18 Aug 2026

Leicester-led research reveals long COVID’s lasting impact on healthcare workers

Major research has found that long COVID continues to affect a substantial proportion of healthcare workers, with serious consequences for their health, work and home lives, and NHS workforce overall.

18 Aug 2026

Prediction model can estimate heart disease risk in women earlier in life

McGill University researchers have developed a new tool to identify heart disease risk in women earlier in life.

3 Aug 2026

Corn-based foods linked to higher mycotoxin exposure in pregnancy

Consuming common foods such as corn chips and popcorn may put pregnant women at risk of being exposed to mycotoxins – harmful substances produced by mold – according to Rutgers researchers.

22 Jul 2026

Japanese study links breastfeeding to mixed risks for childhood allergies

Breastfeeding is widely recognized for its important role in supporting a child's early growth and immune system development.

16 Jul 2026

New York pedestrian fatalities often involve alcohol and drugs

In New York State, 44% of pedestrian deaths involved alcohol or drug use by the pedestrian, suggests a retrospective analysis published online in the journal Injury Prevention.

13 Jul 2026

Children and adults who eat more live microbe-rich foods have healthier diets

French children and adults widely consumed foods likely to contain live microbes, mainly yogurt, unpasteurised cheese, fruits, and vegetables. Higher intake was associated with more nutrient-rich diets and better diet quality scores, but the cross-sectional study cannot prove health benefits.

29 Jun 2026

Scientists identify genes linking air pollution to severe asthma

For many people with asthma, air-quality advisories are harbingers of worsening symptoms. But for reasons science has struggled to explain, the extent to which pollution exacerbates asthma varies widely from person to person.

24 Jun 2026

Secondhand smoke exposure linked to higher blood cadmium levels

A new study finds that adults who simply breathe in secondhand cigarette smoke have about 1.5 times more of the toxin cadmium in their blood than people in smoke-free environments.

15 Jun 2026

NHS pathology staff face unsafe formaldehyde exposure levels

Routine exposure to harmful levels of the human tissue preservative formaldehyde are risking the health of thousands of NHS staff working in pathology departments across the UK, due to poor monitoring and control, finds an analysis of Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, published online in the journal Occupational & Environmental Medicine.

9 Jun 2026

Home sewage overflows expose residents to dangerous drug-resistant bacteria

A new study shows that sewage overflows in homes can expose people to bacteria that can make them sick, including antibiotic-resistant and multidrug resistant bacteria which can make infections difficult to treat.

5 Jun 2026

Childhood eczema may limit educational and career opportunities later

Atopic dermatitis (AD), the most common form of eczema, impacts patients' life trajectories beyond the physical scars.

28 May 2026

Survey reveals silica dust risks for Australia’s tunnel workers

The responses to a national survey published today have revealed tunnel construction workers across Australia say they face significant exposure to silica dust, a hazardous dust that can cause incurable diseases like silicosis and lung cancer.

29 Apr 2026

Supporting healthcare workers after medical errors improves patient safety

The World Day for Safety and Health at Work, led by the International Labour Organization, is marked each year on 28 April.

28 Apr 2026

Lung scan patterns predict severity of sarcoidosis and breathing issues

A new study from researchers at National Jewish Health and collaborating institutions has found that different patterns seen on lung scans can signal how severe sarcoidosis may be, and how it affects breathing.

28 Apr 2026

Early life exposure to PFAS associated with common childhood leukemia

Early exposure to PFAS, a group of widely used compounds known as "forever chemicals," was associated with a higher risk of acute lymphoblastic leukemia, the most common childhood cancer, according to University of California, Irvine Joe C. Wen School of Population & Public Health researchers.

27 Apr 2026

Gut-liver changes drive foodborne infection severity in fatty liver disease

A research team led by the University of California, Irvine's Joe C. Wen School of Population & Public Health has uncovered a critical biological link explaining why individuals with metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), or fatty liver disease, face significantly worse outcomes from certain foodborne infections.

15 Apr 2026

Talc not contaminated with asbestos shows no link to cancer

In a systematic review and meta-analysis, researchers found that occupational exposure to talc that is not contaminated with asbestos is not associated with an increase in the risk of lung cancer, mesothelioma, or laryngeal cancer.

10 Apr 2026

Study identifies four radiomic profiles linked to sarcoidosis severity

Researchers have identified a new method for analyzing chest CT scans that may help physicians better understand the different forms of sarcoidosis, a complex inflammatory lung disease that affects more than 150,000 people in the United States.

9 Apr 2026