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Clinical Advances and Future Challenges for Occupational Health
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Clinical Advances and Future Challenges for Occupational Health

A special issue of Journal of Clinical Medicine (ISSN 2077-0383). This special issue belongs to the section "Epidemiology & Public Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 June 2026 | Viewed by 900

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Gabriele D’Ettorre

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Guest Editor
Department of Occupational Medicine, Local Health Authority, 73100 Lecce, Italy
Interests: occupational health; epidemiology; public health
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Vincenza Pellicani

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Guest Editor
Department of Mental Health, Local Health Authority, 73100 Lecce, Italy
Interests: occupational medicine; work-related stress; mental health

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The ongoing changes in occupational environments due to new technologies such as Industry 4.0, nanotechnologies, and artificial intelligence represent a global concern for both organizations and workers, as many acute and chronic, often unpredictable, occupational hazards could impact workers’ health, leading to occupational diseases (ODs). Moreover, people are working longer, and an aging workforce needs to acquire new skills to face new technological hazards; the clinical implications of this trend are not well known, and a special effort is required in order to both minimize the occurrence of new work-related diseases and to diagnose their onset early. To date, many studies have shown an increased rate of work-related diseases and disability-adjusted life years (DALY) attributable to new or already known occupational hazards globally. The update on research advances in occupational health, focusing on clinical topics, is pivotal to identifying preventive and therapeutic strategies aimed at minimizing the global burden of ODs.

This Special Issue aims to provide a communication platform for occupational health, and we encourage submissions of papers describing related, original research articles and reviews.

Dr. Gabriele D’Ettorre
Dr. Vincenza Pellicani
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Clinical Medicine is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • work-related disease
  • precision medicine
  • gender differences
  • aging workforce
  • preventive strategies

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 856 KB  
Article
Cross-Sectional Analysis: Waist-to-Hip Ratio and Oxygen Saturation Association in Men Exposed to Long-Term Chronic Intermittent Hypobaric Hypoxia
by Eduardo Pena, Samia El Alam, Karen Flores, Karem Arriaza, Patricia Siques, Julio Brito, Alexandra Del Río, Isaac Cortes and Mário de Castro
J. Clin. Med. 2026, 15(7), 2485; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm15072485 - 24 Mar 2026
Viewed by 317
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Long-term chronic intermittent hypobaric hypoxia (CIHH) is a common occupational exposure among high-altitude workers, particularly miners in northern Chile. This condition consists of working several days above 2500 m followed by rest at sea level, maintaining this cycle for years, which generates [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Long-term chronic intermittent hypobaric hypoxia (CIHH) is a common occupational exposure among high-altitude workers, particularly miners in northern Chile. This condition consists of working several days above 2500 m followed by rest at sea level, maintaining this cycle for years, which generates physiological alterations. This study analyzed associations among anthropometric indices and biomedical conditions in miners chronically exposed to long-term CIHH. Methods: This study was a cross-sectional analysis of 120 healthy Chilean male miners working at altitudes above 4400 m under a 7-day work/7-day rest schedule. Eligibility required ≥5 years of CIHH exposure and absence of cardiopulmonary disease, hypertension, diabetes, or oxygen therapy use. The assessments at altitude included oxygen saturation (SpO2), blood pressure, heart rate, hematological parameters, metabolic parameters, and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR); measurements were obtained 18 h after arrival at altitude. WHR, BMI, SpO2, and biomedical variables were collected following standardized procedures. Descriptive statistics and group comparisons were performed with Student’s t-test or the Wilcoxon test, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05. Normality assumption was assessed using the Shapiro–Wilk test. The association between WHR and SpO2 was estimated using linear regression, with WHR scaled so that one unit corresponds to a 0.1-unit increase. Adjusted models included BMI, age, and years working under CIHH. Effect sizes and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were reported. All statistical analyses were performed in the R programming language. Results: Mean SpO2 was 89.07 ± 0.50% and mean WHR was 0.94 ± 0.01. In unadjusted comparisons, workers with WHR > 0.94 had lower SpO2 than those below the threshold (88.8 ± 0.54 vs. 90.41 ± 0.50; p = 0.031). In adjusted models, the WHR–SpO2 association was small and imprecise (β per 0.1-unit WHR = −0.67 pp; 95% CI −2.08 to 0.74). Hemoglobin showed an independent association with SpO2, while other metabolic variables did not materially contribute. Conclusions: SpO2 showed a modest inverse association with WHR in long-term CIHH workers. Even small saturation decreases may matter at high altitude. Combined WHR–SpO2 monitoring may aid occupational surveillance, though longitudinal studies are needed to establish meaningful risk thresholds. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Clinical Advances and Future Challenges for Occupational Health)
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15 pages, 952 KB  
Article
Defining the Violence Victim Phenomenon: A Qualitative Study Among Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Specialists
by Pinar Ayvat and Ali Galip Ayvat
J. Clin. Med. 2026, 15(4), 1503; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm15041503 - 14 Feb 2026
Viewed by 284
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Healthcare workplace violence has evolved into a global crisis, significantly impacting high-risk specialties. While the “Second Victim Phenomenon” (SVP) is well-established for trauma following medical errors, the specific psychological trauma resulting from intentional external aggression remains conceptually under-defined. This study aims [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Healthcare workplace violence has evolved into a global crisis, significantly impacting high-risk specialties. While the “Second Victim Phenomenon” (SVP) is well-established for trauma following medical errors, the specific psychological trauma resulting from intentional external aggression remains conceptually under-defined. This study aims to introduce and define the “Violence Victim Phenomenon” (VVP) by exploring the lived experiences of anesthesiology and intensive care specialists, providing a theoretical framework for this distinct clinical state. Methods: A qualitative study was conducted with ten anesthesiology and intensive care specialists using a semi-structured focus group discussion. The session was subjected to thematic analysis using MAXQDA software. The analysis focused on the nature of violence encountered, psychological and professional impacts, and the role of institutional support systems. Results: The thematic analysis identified six core dimensions of VVP: forms and trajectories of violence, vulnerability amplifiers, psychological and occupational sequelae, coping and containment strategies, expectations of institutional support, and pandemic-specific intensifiers. Participants described a trauma profile comparable to SVP in severity but distinct in its etiology, rooted in intentional harm and “institutional abandonment.” VVP is characterized by a profound sense of vulnerability, loss of professional dignity, and a perceived lack of legal and administrative protection. Conclusions: VVP represents a critical gap in current academic literature. Defining VVP allows for a more nuanced understanding of the trauma healthcare workers face due to intentional aggression. To mitigate VVP, healthcare institutions must move beyond basic security measures toward a “just culture” that provides structured psychological, legal, and managerial support, recognizing clinicians as victims of systemic failure. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Clinical Advances and Future Challenges for Occupational Health)
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