ORCID Profile
0000-0001-9295-7966
Current Organisations
National Taiwan University
,
National Cheng Kung University
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Publisher: Wiley
Date: 22-11-2018
DOI: 10.1111/JNU.12441
Abstract: Nurses are exposed to a poor psychological work environment this may cause poor mental health, which is a risk factor for suicidal ideation. We investigated the association between psychological work environment and suicidal ideation among hospital nurses in Taiwan. We conducted a cross-sectional survey in Taiwan female nurses using stratified s ling by region (north, central, south, and east) to select representative centers for this study. A self-report questionnaire including items on demographic data, the psychological work environment, and suicidal ideation was sent to nurses working in hospitals. Multiple logistic regression and population attributable risk analyses were performed to assess the effect of the psychological work environment on suicidal ideation. A total of 2,734 eligible questionnaires (76.8%) were returned. The prevalence of suicidal ideation was 18.3%, and higher risk was found to be associated with the educational level of junior college or below, higher personal burnout, higher client-related burnout, and always feeling stressed at work. Estimation of population attributable risk showed that higher personal burnout, client-related burnout, and always feeling stressed at work were the most crucial factors among nurses, accounting for 19.4%, 8.6%, and 10.5% of suicidal ideation, respectively. A considerable proportion of nurses developed suicidal ideation. A poor psychological work environment was a relevant factor for suicidal ideation. This study provides relevant knowledge for nursing management levels in preventing the development of suicidal ideation among nurses. Not only for nurses' mental health, but for patient safety and care quality, further studies in improving nurses' psychological work environment are warranted.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2018
DOI: 10.1016/J.IJHEH.2018.04.009
Abstract: No study has examined the effects of air pollutants on albuminuria in type 2 diabetes. Therefore, the present study investigated this association. This follow-up study enrolled 812 patients with type 2 diabetes between 2003 and 2012. The urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR) was recorded annually. Exposure to the air pollutants CO, NO The study objects (mean age: 55.4 years) were followed for 3 or more years (average period: 5.4 years). ACR increase was found to be positively associated with the male sex, baseline hemoglobin A1c, and exposure to CO and PM Exposure to high CO and PM
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 08-2019
DOI: 10.1038/S41598-019-47576-9
Abstract: Loss of skeletal muscle mass is common with aging and can cause morbidity and mortality in the elderly. The effects of particulate air pollution on skeletal muscle mass is not known. The study aims to assess the chronic effects of ambient fine particulates (PM 2.5 ) on the body composition of the elderly. From October 2015 to November 2016, a cross-sectional survey on 530 elderly (age = 65 years) was conducted in the Taipei Basin, Taiwan. The body composition was measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis (InBody 120). One year exposure to air pollution was estimated using the Kriging method at the participant’s residence. Multiple linear regression analysis, after adjustments for demographics and co-pollutants, was used to examine the effects of PM 2.5 on body composition indices and force of handgrip. Changes in body composition for an interquartile (1.4 μm/m 3 ) increase in PM 2.5 concentration included a 0.4 kg (95% confidence interval (CI): −0.31, −0.58 p 0.0001) decrease in skeletal muscle mass (2.0%) and a 0.7 kg (95% CI: 0.47, 0.91 p 0.0001) increase in body fat mass (3.6%). While PM 2.5 reduced fat free mass in the upper extremities and trunk, but not in the lower extremities, it increased body fat mass in the three parts. There was no significant effect of PM 2.5 on handgrip force. Higher physical activity (versus lower than median) was associated with less detrimental effect of PM 2.5 on skeletal muscle mass and body fat mass (p values for interaction term: 0.009 and 0.013, respectively). Long-term PM 2.5 exposure is associated with decreased skeletal muscle mass and increased body fat mass in the elderly, which can be ameliorated by physical activity.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2020
Publisher: Japan Epidemiological Association
Date: 05-01-2022
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2022
DOI: 10.1016/J.ENVRES.2022.112700
Abstract: This study determined whether in iduals residing near petrochemical industrial parks (PIPs) have a higher risk of chronic glomerulonephritis (CGN). We performed population-based 1:4 case-control study by using Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database from 2000 to 2016. The subjects were aged 20-65 years, residing in western Taiwan, and did not have a history of any renal or urinary system disease in 2000. The case cohort included those who had at least three outpatient visits or one hospitalization between 2001 and 2016 with codes for CGN as per International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-Ninth and Tenth Revisions. Controls were randomly s led age-, sex-, and urbanization-matched in iduals without renal and urinary system diseases. Petrochemical exposure was evaluated by the distance to the nearest PIP of the residential township, and petrochemical exposure probability was examined considering the monthly prevailing wind direction. Conditional logistic regression was used to determine the association between petrochemical exposure and CGN risk. A total of 320,935 subjects were included in the final analysis (64,187 cases and 256,748 controls). After adjustment for potential confounders, living in townships within a 3-km radius of PIPs was associated with a higher risk of CGN (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.32, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.28-1.37). Compared with townships more than 20 km away from PIPs, those within 10 km of PIPs were associated with significantly increased risks of CGN in a dose-dependent manner. When prevailing wind was considered, townships with high exposure probability were associated with a significantly increased risk of CGN. We found that those residing near PIPs or with high petrochemical exposure probability had a higher risk of CGN. These findings highlight the need for monitoring environmental nephrotoxic substances and the renal health of residents living near PIPs.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2022
DOI: 10.1016/J.ENVRES.2022.113128
Abstract: Evidence regarding the negative neurodevelopmental effects of compound exposure to petrochemicals remains limited. We aimed to evaluate the association between exposure to petrochemical facilities and generated emissions during early life and the risk of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) development in children. We conducted a population-based birth cohort study using the 2004 to 2014 Taiwanese Birth Certificate Database and verified diagnoses of ADHD using the National Health Insurance Database. The level of petrochemical exposure in each participant's residential township was evaluated using the following 3 measurements: distance to the nearest petrochemical industrial plant (PIP), petrochemical exposure probability (accounting for monthly prevailing wind measurements), and monthly benzene concentrations estimated using kriging-based land-use regression models. We applied Cox proportional hazard models to evaluate the association. During the study period, 48,854 out of 1,863,963 children were diagnosed as having ADHD. The results revealed that residents of townships in close proximity to PIPs (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.20, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.16-1.23, <3 vs. ≥10 km), highly affected by petrochemical-containing prevailing winds (HR = 1.12, 95% CI: 1.08-1.16, ≥40% vs. <10%), and with high benzene concentrations (HR = 1.26, 95% CI: 1.23-1.29, ≥0.75 vs. <0.55 ppb) were consistently associated with the increased risk of ADHD development in children. The findings of the sensitivity analysis remained robust, particularly for the 2004 to 2009 birth cohort and for models accounting for a longer duration of postnatal exposure. This work provided clear evidence that living near petrochemical plants increases the risk of ADHD development in children. Further studies are warranted to confirm our findings.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2020
DOI: 10.1016/J.ENVRES.2019.108960
Abstract: Exposure to air pollution has been linked to adverse effects on vascular diseases. However, the effects of air pollution exposure on diabetic retinopathy (DR), a vascular disease, have not been studied. To determine the association of ambient air pollution exposure with DR risk. Patients newly diagnosed as having diabetes mellitus (DM) during 2003-2012 from Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2005), a subset of National Health Insurance Research Database, were included as the study cohort. Newly diagnosed DR patients one year or later after DM diagnosis were identified as cases. Kriging was used to interpolate yearly concentrations of air pollutants at township levels and linked with every in idual's residence in each year average concentrations during the follow-up period were then calculated as personal exposure. Conditional logistic regressions with adjustments for age at DM diagnosis and comorbidities were applied. Of newly diagnosed DM cases during 2003-2012, 579 were newly diagnosed as having DR over a mean follow-up period of 5.6 years. The Odds ratio (95% confidence interval) of DR occurrence for every 10-μg/m In patients with DM, the higher particulate matter exposure, the higher is the DR risk.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2021
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 10-2018
DOI: 10.1111/PAI.12973
Publisher: Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc
Date: 04-09-2018
DOI: 10.4088/JCP.17M11729
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 29-12-2017
DOI: 10.1007/S11136-017-1772-5
Abstract: Occupational injuries have considerable impact on workers' lives. However, data regarding workers' health-related quality of life (HRQOL) at several years after the injury are lacking. This study assessed workers' HRQOL at 6 years after occupational injury and determined related factors in each HRQOL domain. Workers who sustained an occupational injury in 2009 and who responded to a previous survey at 3 or 12 months after their injury were followed up in 2015. A total of 1715 participants were candidates for this study. The Taiwanese version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life scale-abbreviated version (WHOQOL-BREF) was used to assess their HRQOL. Multiple linear regression analysis identified predictive factors for HRQOL at 6 years after occupational injury. A total of 563 workers completed the questionnaire (response rate, 32.8%). Adverse life events and additional severe occupational injuries that occurred within the follow-up period, and decreased salary after the injury were significant factors for low scores in all domains of the WHOQOL-BREF. In addition, unmarried participants had low scores in the social relationship domain. Workers with family members requiring care scored low in the physical and environment domains. Workers whose injuries had major effects on their physical appearance had low scores in the physical and psychological domains. Workers with unstable employment had low scores in physical, psychological, and environment domains. At 6 years after occupational injury, workers' HRQOL was poor among those whose salaries decreased after the injury, after adjustment for other factors.
Publisher: S. Karger AG
Date: 2022
DOI: 10.1159/000525346
Abstract: b i Introduction: /i /b Air pollutants are classified as carcinogens by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Long-term exposure to ambient particulate matter with an aerodiameter of 2.5 μm or lower (PM sub .5 /sub ) has been reported to be linked with increased mortality due to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the effects of air pollutants other than PM sub .5 /sub on HCC-related mortality have not been fully investigated. Accordingly, we conducted this study to assess the effect of long-term exposure to air pollutants (PM sub .5 /sub and nitrogen dioxide [NO sub /sub ]) on HCC-related mortality. b i Method: /i /b In 2005, the Taiwan Liver Cancer Network (TLCN) was established by the National Research Program for Genomic Medicine to recruit liver cancer patients from 5 major medical centers in northern, central, and southern Taiwan. The TLCN had successfully recruited 9,344 patients by the end of 2018. In this study, we included 1,000 patients randomly s led from the TLCN to assess the effect of exposure to air pollutants on HCC mortality after HCC diagnosis. Daily averages of PM sub .5 /sub and NO sub /sub concentrations were retrieved from 77 air quality-monitoring stations and interpolated to the townships of patients’ residences by using the Kriging method. The effect of air pollutants on HCC survival was assessed using a Cox proportional hazards model. b i Results: /i /b A total of 940 patients were included in the analysis. After adjusting for potential confounders and mutually adjusting for co-pollutants, we observed that the hazards ratio (95% confidence interval) for HCC-related mortality for every 1-μg/m sup /sup increase in PM sub .5 /sub concentration was 1.11 (1.08–1.14) and that for every 1-ppb increase in NO sub /sub concentration was 1.08 (1.03–1.13). b i Conclusion: /i /b Our study suggests that long-term exposure to PM sub .5 /sub and NO sub /sub was associated with decreased survival time in patients with HCC in Taiwan.
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 29-11-2019
Abstract: In healthcare settings, nurses’ workload, burnout, and job satisfaction are associated to the patient–nurse ratio. Whether this ratio also affects their intention to leave the nursing profession, along with the underlying stress pathway, remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effects of the patient–nurse ratio on nurses’ intention to leave and considering the mediating roles of burnout and job dissatisfaction. The study analyzed the data of two pooled cross-sectional surveys collected in 2013 and 2014. Measures were obtained by a structure questionnaire, which queried the average daily patient–nurse ratio (ADPNR), nurses’ personal burnout, client-related burnout, job dissatisfaction, intention to leave, and other demographics. ADPNRs were standardized according to hospital levels. Multiple regression models examined mediation hypotheses, and a percentile bootstrap confidence interval was applied to determine the significance of indirect effects. A total of 1409 full-time registered nurses in medical and surgical wards of 24 secondary or tertiary hospitals in Taiwan completed self-administered questionnaires. Most of the participants were female (97.2%), and the mean age was 29.9 years. The association between the standardized ADPNR and intention to leave their job was significantly mediated by personal burnout, client-related burnout, and job dissatisfaction. Higher standardized ADPNRs predicted higher levels of personal burnout, client-related burnout, and job dissatisfaction, each of which resulted in higher levels of intention to leave the current job. The results highlight that appropriate patient–nurse ratio standards may be further discussed by selecting personal burnout, client-related burnout, and job dissatisfaction as indicators.
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 15-01-2019
Abstract: Psychological factors may compromise return to work among workers with occupational injuries, and little is known about the long-term consequences of psychological symptoms relating to return to work. The study examined the impact of psychological symptoms on return to work as well as exploring factors associated with return to work among injured workers. A total of 572 workers who experienced occupational injuries were recruited in this prospective cohort study. Surveys of the psychological symptoms using the 5-item Brief Symptom Rating Scale (BSRS-5) were conducted at 3 and 12 months after the injury. All of the workers were invited to join the study at year 6 after the injury. Sociodemographic factors, psychological symptoms, injury severity, and return-to-work status were collected. Approximately 10% of injured workers could not return to work even 6 years after the injury. Severe psychological symptoms within 1 year after the injury presented a significant risk factor for not returning to work 6 years after the injury (adjusted OR = 0.7, 95% CI: 0.5–0.8). Furthermore, age, education level, length of hospitalization, and injury-induced changes in appearance had significant independent influence on return to work as well. These findings highlight the importance of the effects of mental health within 1 year post injury on return to work, and support the concept of early screening, detection, and intervention in at-risk occupational injured workers with severe psychological symptoms.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2015
DOI: 10.1016/J.IJNURSTU.2014.09.003
Abstract: Lack of sleep is a common problem amongst nurses. Short sleep duration has been related to stress and burnout. However, in nurses, the effects of short sleep duration on job strain and burnout are controversial and a clear relationship has been lacking. This study aims to assess whether short sleep duration is related to job strain and burnout statue, and whether such relationship is in a dose-dependent manner. A cross-sectional survey among female nurses in secondary referral health centers in Taiwan, using a self-administered structured questionnaire. Stratified s ling by region and patient bed number category was done to select representative centers for this survey. Approximately 10% of all secondary referral centers were randomly selected from each stratum. Non-linear dose-response relationship between sleep duration and job strain and burnout scores was assessed by general additive models (GAM), adjusting for personal characteristics, work condition, and family situation. Among the 2268 full-time nurses in 39 hospitals invited to participate in this study, 1384 (61%) satisfactorily completed the questionnaire. There were 169 nurses (12.2%) who slept less than 6 h per working day. Among the participants, 37% (n=512) were classified into high strain group. The mean scores of personal, work-related, and client-related burnout were 59.4 (SD=22.0), 54.6 (SD=21.7), and 42.3 (SD=18.6). Compared to those slept longer than 7 h, nurse who slept less than 6 h per working day had higher risk for job strain (adjusted odds ratio, AOR=1.8, 95% confidence interval, CI=1.2-2.7), personal burnout (AOR=3.0, CI=1.7-5.2), work-related burnout (AOR=3.4, CI=2.0-6.0), and client-related burnout (AOR=2.0, CI=1.2-3.6). GAM analysis found a linear relationship between sleep duration and job strain, and client-related burnout. For personal and work-related burnout, a linear increase in burnout score between 7 h and 5 h of sleep was observed, followed by a leveling off for durations of less than 5 h. Our study found sleep duration at working days was inversely associated with female nurses' job strain and burnout in a dose-dependent manner. Further studies on work factors which affecting sleep duration are warranted.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 2021
Abstract: Short sleep duration is common among nurses. Sleep restriction has been associated with musculoskeletal discomfort. However, studies on the effect of short sleep duration on chronic neck and shoulder discomfort in nurses have been lacking. The aim of this study was to determine whether short sleep duration is related to chronic neck and shoulder discomfort. We conducted a cross‐sectional survey of female nurses in secondary referral health centers in Taiwan. We applied stratified s ling based on region (north, central, south, and east) to select representative centers for this study. A self‐administered structured questionnaire, including demographic data, the psychological working environment, and musculoskeletal symptoms, was administered to nurses. Multiple logistic regression and population attributable risk analyses were performed to assess the effect of average sleeping hours per working day on chronic neck and shoulder discomfort. A total of 1602 (78.9%) questionnaires were eligible for final analysis. The prevalence rates of chronic neck and shoulder discomfort were 33.9% and 34.7%, respectively. Population attributable risk estimation revealed that a sleep duration of hours per working day was the most crucial factor for chronic neck and shoulder discomfort in the nurses, accounting for 8.8% of chronic neck discomfort and 8.6% of chronic shoulder discomfort respectively. Our study found that sleep duration on working days was associated with chronic neck and shoulder discomfort in female nurses. Further interventions are warranted for maintaining nurses’ sleep hygiene.
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 18-01-2017
Abstract: Poor psychosocial work environments are considered critical factors of nurses’ intention to leave their profession. Workplace injustice has been proven to increase the incidence of psychiatric morbidity among workers. However, few studies have directly investigated the effect of workplace justice on nurses’ intention to leave their profession and the population attributable risk among nurses. This study identified factors associated with workplace justice and nurses’ intention to leave the profession. A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a self-administered structured questionnaire. Approximately 10% of all secondary referral centers in Taiwan were stratified and randomly s led. Multiple logistic regression and population attributable risks were preformed to assess the effect of workplace justice on nurses’ intention to leave the nursing profession. This study was approved by the Research and Ethical Committee of National Taiwan University Hospital. Only nurses who consented to the study participated in the survey. A total of 2268 nurses were recruited, of whom 1417 (62.5%) satisfactorily completed the questionnaire. The participants were classified and 342 (24.1%) of them were placed into the low workplace justice group. Nurses with low workplace justice had a higher intention of leaving the profession (adjusted odds ratio = 1.34, 95% confidence interval = 1.02–1.77). “Employees’ opinions are influential in hospital’s decision making” and “employees’ performance is evaluated fairly” were the most influential factors of the participants’ intention to quit. The adjusted population attributable risk was 3.7% for low workplace justice. This study has identified that workplace justice is a protective factor of nurses’ leaving their current profession. A fair performance appraisal system and increased autonomy at work are warranted to dissuade nurses from leaving the nursing profession.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 02-01-2017
DOI: 10.1007/S00406-016-0762-X
Abstract: The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence rates of depressive, anxiety and PTSDs, and the risk factors for psychological symptoms at 6 years after occupational injury. This longitudinal study followed workers who were occupationally injured in 2009. Psychological symptoms and return to work were assessed at 3 and 12 months after injury. Injured workers who had completed the initial questionnaire survey at 3 or 12 months after injury were recruited. A self-administered questionnaire was mailed to the participants. For workers with high Brief Symptom Rating Scale and Post-traumatic Symptom Checklist scores, an in-depth psychiatric evaluation was performed using the Mini-international Neuropsychiatric Interview. A total of 570 workers completed the questionnaire (response rate, 28.7%). Among them, 243 (42.6%) had high psychological symptom scores and were invited for a phone interview 135 (55.6%) completed the interview. The estimated rates of major depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) artial PTSD were 9.2 and 7.2%, respectively, and both these rates were higher at 6 years after injury than at 12 months after injury (2.0 and 5.1%). After adjustment for family and social factors, the risk factors for high psychological scores were length of hospitalization immediately after injury, affected physical appearance, repeated occupational injuries, unemployment, and number of quit jobs after the injury. At 6 years after occupational injury, the re-emergence of psychiatric disorders was observed. Relevant factors for poor psychological health were severity of injury and instability of work. Periodic monitoring of psychological and physical health and economic stability are warranted.
Location: Taiwan, Province of China
No related grants have been discovered for Weishan Chin.