Heat stress and heat strain among outdoor workers in El Salvador and Nicaragua

摘要: BackgroundThere is growing attention on occupational heat stress in Central America, as workers in this region are affected by a unique form of chronic kidney disease. Previous studies have examined wet bulb globe temperatures and estimated metabolic rates to assess heat stress, but there are limited data characterizing heat strain among these workers.ObjectiveThe aims were to characterize heat stress and heat strain and examine whether job task, break duration, hydration practices, and kidney function were associated with heat strain.MethodsWe used data from the MesoAmerican Nephropathy Occupational Study, a cohort of 569 outdoor workers in El Salvador and Nicaragua who underwent workplace exposure monitoring, including continuous measurement of core body temperature (Tc), heart rate (HR), physical activity, and wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT), over the course of three days in January …