Objectives Although asbestos research has been ongoing for decades, there are remaining questions regarding cancer risk associated with low exposure and cancer subtypes, the influence of potential confounders, and the interaction between asbestos and smoking. We addressed these questions by studying the association between occupational asbestos exposure and pleural mesothelioma, lung and laryngeal cancer in the prospective population-based Netherlands Cohort Study (NLCS). Methods The NLCS includes 58279 men aged 55–69 years at enrollment in 1986. Based on job history information obtained from a self-administered questionnaire, asbestos exposure was estimated by linkage to job-exposure matrices. After 17.3 years of follow-up, 132 cases of pleural mesothelioma, 2324 cases of lung cancer, and 166 cases of laryngeal cancer were available for analysis. Results Overall, occupational asbestos exposure was associated with an increased risk of mesothelioma, lung and laryngeal cancer, also for relatively low exposure. Correcting for potential confounders as age, smoking, alcohol, and several occupational carcinogens hardly influenced these results. Associations with lung cancer subtypes were generally comparable to overall lung cancer, except for adenocarcinoma (HR ever versus never exposed = 1.43, 1.52, 1.49 and 0.94 for small cell, large cell, squamous cell and adenocarcinoma respectively). Adenocarcinoma showed only a weak positive association at higher exposure levels for long duration. For laryngeal cancer, associations were usually stronger for supraglottis cancer (HR = 2.48, 95% CI:1.33–4.65) than glottis cancer (HR = 1.12, 95% CI:0.74–1.69). There was no statistically significant additive or multiplicative interaction between asbestos and smoking for any of the cancers. Conclusions The well-established associations between asbestos and mesothelioma, lung and laryngeal cancer were corroborated at relatively low levels of cumulative exposure in the NLCS. Lung adenocarcinoma may only show an increased relative risk at higher asbestos exposure for long duration. Asbestos exposure may be stronger associated with supraglottis cancer than glottis cancer.

level (LDSL). Moreover, the correlations of the WLQ-subscales with functional disability and physical health were lower or similar in HDSL participants compared to LDSL participants. Conclusion This study provides the first evidence that measurement properties of the WLQ-16 may vary by depressive symptom level in workers who returned to work after musculoskeletal disorders. More research is needed to better understand how health-related work functioning measures perform in workers with depressive symptoms. Objectives To identify the role of lifestyle factors, work-related factors, and work engagement on health, work ability, and sickness absence. Methods Employees from two companies were invited to participate in a longitudinal study with questionnaires at baseline and six-month follow-up (n = 612, response: 40%). Lifestyle-related factors (physical activity, fruit and vegetable intake, body mass index), work-related factors (work demands, decision authority, skill discretion, physical job demands), and work engagement were assessed at baseline. At six-month follow-up, health, work ability, and sickness absence were assessed. Logistic regression analyses were performed to identify determinants of ill health, low work ability, and sickness absence. Additionally, additive interaction analyses were performed. Results A low work engagement at baseline was associated with ill health (OR: 2.02, 95% CI: 1.04-3.92) less than good work ability (OR: 3.51, 95% CI: 2.01-6.12), and sickness absence (short: OR: 1.51, 95% CI: 1.02-2.23, long: OR: 1.79, 95% CI: 0.99-3.24) at follow-up. A lack of vigorous physical activity (ORs 2.46-2.96) and obesity (ORs: 2.34-3.02) at baseline were associated with ill health, low work ability, and long-term sickness absence at follow-up. Frequently working in awkward postures (ORs: 4.85-5.25) was related with a low work ability and long-term sickness absence. Unhealthy lifestyle and unfavourable physical work-related factors were associated with a low work engagement at baseline. The interaction effects of lifestyle or work-related factors and work engagement on work ability were stronger than the sum of the single effects. Conclusion This study indicates that a low work engagement predicts ill health, a reduced work ability, and sickness absence. Furthermore, employees with an unhealthy lifestyle or unfavourable working conditions a low work engagement have a higher risk on a low work ability than their engaged colleagues. Hence, programs in occupational health should pay attention to both getting employees positively engaged in work and healthy in order to promote a productive work force. Results Among the most salient results, women worked mainly in the tertiary sector (78%), while men were distributed between the tertiary (44%) and primary sectors (37%). Over 70% of both women and men were not insured by their country's social security system. Among salaried workers, 24% of women and 20% of men had a written contract, approximately 13% of both had an oral contract and 3% had no contract. A...

Objectives The aim of this study was to investigate self-rated health before and after labour force exit due to unemployment, economic inactivity or early retirement. A secondary objective was to investigate health before and after entering paid employment Methods Trajectories of self-rated health in 520.830 employed and 278.954 non-employed persons were examined from the European Community Household Panel Survey (ECHP) for up to 5 years before and 6 years after labour force exit or re-employment, with yearly measurements from 1994–2001. Data were analysed by use of repeated-measures logistic regression with generalised estimating equations. Results The likelihood of poor health increased among persons who became unemployed (OR = 1.15, 95% CI 1.04–1.28) or economically inactive (OR = 1.29 95% CI 1.17–1.42). Among persons who left the labour force due to early retirement the likelihood of poor health increased in the years before retirement (OR = 1.10 95% CI 1.07–1.13), whereas this increase was less steep in the years after early retirement. Among unemployed persons who re-entered paid employment the likelihood of poor health decreased (OR = 0.80 95% CI 0.71–0.91). Conclusions Health is influenced by employment transitions into and out of the labour force. Policies should protect persons who leave the labour force against further deterioration of health. Entering paid employment is an important measure to improve self-rated health among unemployed persons.