OBJECTIVE To assess the impact on health plan and disability costs associated with continuous positive airway pressure or bi-level positive airway pressure treatment of obstructive sleep apnea in a commercial motor vehicle driver population. METHODS A retrospective, pre/post claims-based comparison analysis was performed. Health plan and disability costs, in addition to disability claimant ra...

OBJECTIVES We sought to examine the associations between participation in a worksite fitness center and worker productivity. METHODS A modified Work Limitations Questionnaire (WLQ) and employees' short-term disability claims were used as productivity measures with multivariate logistic regression models to control for health risk, age, gender, and work location. RESULTS Nonparticipants in a...

Diabetes, a serious and costly condition, is characterized by illness and death from long-term microvascular and macrovascular complications (1). Additionally, numerous and well-known comorbidities can accompany diabetes, including cardiovascular disease, retinopathy, amputations, and nephropathy (1). Often these complications and comorbidities interfere with a person’s ability to self-manage t...

Disease nonbattle injury (DNBI) surveillance is a critical component of U.S. military force health protection and has been aggressively implemented by the U.S. Central Command. This study presents a multivariate analysis of factors associated with DNBI incidence rates as well as a description of morbidity measures associated with DNBI from U.S. Navy ships deployed to the Middle East from Octobe...

We explored the effect of intravenous infusions of a bisphosphonate, pamidronate, in the management of chronic mechanical spinal pain, a worldwide public health problem in terms of lost workdays, medical treatment costs, and suffering. Bisphosphonates have an anti-nociceptive effect in animals. In humans, intravenous pamidronate relieves numerous painful conditions, including metastatic bone pa...

Inadequate environmental sanitation in many cities is a major cause of diseases and is a drain on the economy by way of lost workdays, cost of treatment and cleanup activities. Municipal authorities and policymakers need to act fast to address this issue. Sustainable waste management provides a comprehensive inter-disciplinary framework for addressing the problems of managing urban solid waste,...

The removal of third molar teeth is one of the most common procedures performed by oral and maxillofacial surgeons. Third molar extraction is associated with undesirable sequelae and complication. Morbidity is related to pain, swelling, trismus, infection, alveolar osteitis, bleeding, nerve injury, dental injury, jaw fracture, temporomandibular joint dysfunction, lost workdays, and general inco...

OBJECTIVE To estimate the economic impact of sunburn in a beachgoing population during the summer. DESIGN Survey. SETTING Galveston, Tex, beachfront. PARTICIPANTS Convenience sample of 56 sunburned beachgoers. Intervention None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Days of work lost as a result of sunburn in the previous year. RESULTS Thirty-eight respondents (68%) reported painful sunburn. Sunscree...

OBJECTIVES Elevated risk factors for a number of chronic diseases have been identified in lorry drivers. Unhealthy lifestyle behaviours such as a lack of physical activity (PA) and high levels of sedentary behaviour (sitting) likely contribute to this elevated risk. This study behaviourally phenotyped UK lorry drivers' sedentary and non-sedentary behaviours during workdays and non-workdays and ...

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of multiple chemical sensitivities (MCS), its co-occurrence with asthma and fragrance sensitivity, and effects from exposure to fragranced consumer products. METHODS A nationally representative cross-sectional population-based sample of adult Americans (n = 1137) was surveyed in June 2016. RESULTS Among the population, 12.8% repor...