https://medicalxpress.com/occupational-medicine-news/ en-us Latest medical news and research in Occupational medicine Occupational burnout is a growing threat to care quality, workforce retention and physician well-being. Pregnant and postpartum physicians-in-training are especially at risk, facing stigma, limited support, and physical demands, alongside major role transitions and increased responsibilities at home. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-parental-package-burnout-physician-trainees.html Wed, 13 May 2026 11:00:03 EDT news697797181 Mothers who work in jobs where they are frequently exposed to toxic chemicals or experience high stress have higher odds of having a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), suggest the findings of original research published online in the journal Occupational & Environmental Medicine. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-autism-spectrum-disorder-child-linked.html Tue, 12 May 2026 18:30:02 EDT news697710904 Man-made "forever chemicals" have been detected in 98.8% of blood tests, in a new study which examined more than 10,500 samples. The findings are the latest indication to suggest that nearly every single person in the US is living with PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances)—and usually multiple—in their system. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-multiple-chemicals-people.html Fri, 08 May 2026 08:40:06 EDT news697447801 Researchers from National Jewish Health have conducted what is believed to be the largest systematic review of silicosis in mineral miners. Silicosis is an irreversible lung disease caused by the inhalation of respirable (breathable) crystalline silica dust, and—while preventable—it is not treatable and can be disabling. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-disease-global-pits-demand-critical.html Tue, 05 May 2026 16:00:06 EDT news697214461 The responses to a national survey 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. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-tunnel-workers-exposed-significant-silica.html Thu, 30 Apr 2026 07:20:06 EDT news696745382 Researchers at the Colorado School of Public Health (CSPH) are studying how cannabis use affects driving performance. Using a "video game-like" simulator, they measure how people drive before and after consuming cannabis. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-cannabis-reveal-big.html Sat, 25 Apr 2026 14:00:01 EDT news695985762 If you piled all of Phoenix's pavement into one spot, it would be enough to cover San Francisco four times over. Roads, parking lots, and other paved surfaces blanket a lot of land—an estimated 40% of Arizona's capital city. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-asphalt-bad-health.html Wed, 22 Apr 2026 15:00:01 EDT news696075781 For years, we've been told that "sitting is the new smoking." It's a catchy phrase that seems to sum up a very real problem, but it's also a huge oversimplification. If sitting were always the worst option, we could solve the problem by just standing up, and that is not the case. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-health.html Wed, 22 Apr 2026 13:20:06 EDT news696078841 Professional wrestlers die nearly three years earlier than people of the same age and sex, new research from Macquarie University shows. The findings are published in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine. The study—the largest of its kind—analyzed the survival of more than 1,000 male and female wrestlers who performed for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and its predecessor organizations. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-pro-spectacle-deadly-toll-fans.html Wed, 22 Apr 2026 12:20:03 EDT news696072601 A new study finds that lead chromate pigments are used in more than 90% of the lead paints that are being sold in Mexico. Lead Chromate is a well-known human carcinogen and a lead poisoning hazard. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-toxic-shelves-mexico-products.html Tue, 21 Apr 2026 19:00:04 EDT news696003782 A new study on physician misconduct using publicly available data on 208 physicians involved in cases of sex- or gender-based violence, harassment, or discrimination found gaps in how physicians were monitored and sanctioned. The research is published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. Using media stories, legal decisions, and information from physician regulatory body websites, researchers identified 689 victims—of whom 585 were women or girls and at least 40 were children—over five years from 2019 to 2024. Sexual-boundary or sexual-misconduct complaints were the most common (75, 36%) followed by sexual assault (65, 32%), although definitions sometimes differed. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-transparency-physician-sexual-misconduct.html Mon, 20 Apr 2026 00:00:04 EDT news695634502 Menopause has long been treated as something private, but the silence surrounding it is increasingly at odds with demographic reality. Women over 50 are the fastest-growing group in the workforce in many countries, and most will experience menopause during their working lives. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-women-menopause-symptoms-workplaces.html Wed, 15 Apr 2026 12:40:02 EDT news695472241 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. The findings are published in the Journal of Thoracic Oncology. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-respiratory-cancers-asbestos-free-talc.html Sat, 11 Apr 2026 10:30:01 EDT news695048471 A multidisciplinary research team has identified a faster way to determine which airborne chemicals pose a threat to human lungs. Led by an environmental health researcher with the Texas A&M University School of Public Health, the study in Inhalation Toxicology shows that lab-grown lung cells that behave like those inside the human body can reliably screen chemicals for respiratory toxicity. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-fast-accurate-enables-airborne-chemical.html Mon, 06 Apr 2026 17:40:02 EDT news694707637 The fight against widespread burnout in the health care workforce should begin with the training of future health care administrators, according to a new paper from the George Mason University College of Public Health. Published in the Journal of Health Administration Education, the paper examines how health administration programs can better prepare future leaders to address burnout by focusing on workplace factors such as working conditions, leadership support, job design and workload, social connections, and opportunities for advancement. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-ways-future-health-leaders-tackle.html Sun, 29 Mar 2026 15:30:02 EDT news693580973 Night shift workers living with type 2 diabetes (T2D) face challenges in maintaining a healthy diet and managing their condition. The findings by King's College London, as part of a series of studies published in Diabetic Medicine, underscore the need for tailored support to help this group improve their health and well-being. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-night-shifts-worsen-diabetes.html Sat, 28 Mar 2026 09:00:07 EDT news693487700 Efforts to address workplace violence against health care professionals need to evolve beyond preventing individual incidents to confronting systemic challenges that impede patient-centered, trauma-informed care, according to an article published in AACN Advanced Critical Care. Titled "Five Topics Overlooked in Workplace Violence Discussions in Health Care Settings," the study examines five underrecognized yet critical domains of inquiry that form the basis for practice and cultural changes in workplace violence prevention (WVP) on non-psychiatric units. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-workplace-violence-health-requires-paradigm.html Wed, 25 Mar 2026 16:40:01 EDT news693652843 Nine leading medical societies are calling for updated safety standards in fluoroscopy laboratories, often called "cath labs," where clinicians performing minimally invasive procedures face radiation exposure and orthopedic injuries from heavy protective equipment. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-medical-societies-alara-safety-standard.html Tue, 24 Mar 2026 09:00:05 EDT news693467710 A study conducted at the University of Jyväskylä shows that regular leisure-time physical activity started at a young age prevents a decrease in work ability at the end of a career. The result is societally significant, as productivity losses due to reduced work ability cost billions of euros annually. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-physical-ability-lifelong-childhood-career.html Thu, 19 Mar 2026 15:00:03 EDT news693144841 Ballet is an art of illusion: dancers seem to float across the stage and, in their leaps, appear to defy gravity for a moment. The effort behind this lightness and grace usually remains invisible to audiences. "Professional dance is a high-performance sport," says Professor Eileen Wanke of the Institute of Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine at Goethe University Frankfurt. "It requires exceptional physical control and athleticism, developed through many years of intensive training." https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-sensor-injury-pro-dancers.html Thu, 19 Mar 2026 11:40:04 EDT news693138962 Rheumatic and musculoskeletal disorders (RMDs) like arthritis are having a significant impact on how long people across Europe can remain healthy while working, according to a new study. A research team from Keele University has found that workers in European countries who have an RMD can expect to be healthy and in work for significantly less time than their counterparts who do not have one of these conditions, with the difference being as much as 50% in six of the countries studied. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-musculoskeletal-disorders-shortening-healthy-europe.html Tue, 17 Mar 2026 16:10:06 EDT news692981522 Two related studies published recently by international teams—including researchers with the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health and the UCLA Joe C. Wen School of Nursing—examined how diabetes, heart disease and other chronic illnesses can stem from a combination of working conditions and lifestyle factors. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-links-diet-chronic-illnesses.html Tue, 17 Mar 2026 09:50:03 EDT news692959262 Their job is to protect, promote, and restore human health and lives, but health care workers believe that their own use of alcohol and illegal drugs reduces the quality of care they provide to patients. A recent study suggests that more doctors and nurses struggle with substance use than we are aware of. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-doctors-nurses-substance-affects-patients.html Tue, 03 Mar 2026 17:00:04 EST news691759283 The scent of wood and visual wood elements reduce stress and significantly enhance recovery and mood indoors. The well-being effects of virtual wooden surfaces are very similar to those of genuine ones. A study carried out by the University of Helsinki and Natural Resources Institute Finland investigated how the scent of wood and walls that mimic wood affect people's recovery and mood indoors. The focus was on the effects of a scent representing Scots pine, virtual wooden walls and their combination. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-calmer-workplaces-scent-wood-visuals.html Thu, 26 Feb 2026 11:40:01 EST news691327442 Untreated obstructive sleep apnea may be costing the UK and US economies billions of pounds/dollars in lost productivity every year, with a considerable proportion of working-age adults experiencing symptoms indicative of the breathing disorder, suggests an analysis published online in the journal Thorax. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-obstructive-apnea-uk-economies-billions.html Tue, 24 Feb 2026 18:30:01 EST news691058942 A new study from the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health identifies team creativity as a powerful, measurable driver of well-being and effectiveness in primary care. The research validates a new Primary Care Team Creativity tool and finds that higher levels of team creativity is also associated with greater job satisfaction and lower burnout among clinicians and staff. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-team-creativity-emerges-catalyst-high.html Tue, 24 Feb 2026 05:40:02 EST news691130007 People who work at night have a higher risk of coronary artery disease, a type of heart disease. A new study suggests that a higher fiber intake in the diet may help reduce this risk. The study included over 220,000 adults in the UK and is published in the European Journal of Epidemiology. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-high-fiber-diet-linked-heart.html Mon, 23 Feb 2026 10:10:07 EST news691062814 An analysis co-led by Josefa A. Antón Ruiz, a researcher from the Department of Health Psychology at the University of Alicante (UA), reveals that 43.5% of health care professionals experienced clinically significant symptoms of insomnia during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The article, published in the journal Current Psychology, is based on a joint analysis of 34 studies conducted in 14 countries, with a sample of 32,930 health care professionals. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-health-professionals-insomnia-covid-reveals.html Mon, 23 Feb 2026 10:00:02 EST news691062708 A new systematic review and meta-analysis published in Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, the official journal of the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF), reveals that musicians face substantially higher rates of tinnitus, hearing loss, and hyperacusis compared to non-musicians. The study pooled data from 67 studies encompassing more than 28,000 musicians across 21 countries. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-musicians-tinnitus-loss-hyperacusis-significantly.html Tue, 17 Feb 2026 14:00:06 EST news690559087 Nurses are increasingly overloaded. This is especially true in nursing homes and in home care, as shown by the results of the latest nursing survey in which more than 18,000 nurses answered questions about how they experience their daily work, with particular emphasis on the psychosocial work environment. "The survey shows that municipalities in Norway are underfunded. The staffing is not proportionate to the tasks to be performed," says Solveig Osborg Ose. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-survey-nurses-workload-staffing.html Thu, 12 Feb 2026 14:49:29 EST news690130141