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Session Evaluation

AOHC 2026 Concurrent Sessions

Clinical Occupational and Environment Medicine

118 - Occupational and Environmental Factors/Behaviors and Non-communicable Disease Risk

Sunday, April 19, 2026
2:45 PM - 3:45 PM CT
Location: Chicago Ballroom VIII
Claim 1.0 CME

All relevant financial relationships have been mitigated.


Disclosure(s):

Janvier Gasana, MD MPH PhD: No financial relationships to disclose
Sami Bég, MD MPA MPH FACLM: No financial relationships to disclose
Anyanate Ephraim, MBBS MSc MPH FFOM FACOEM: No financial relationships to disclose
Warren Silverman, MD: No financial relationships to disclose
Rosandra Walker, MD MPH FACOEM: No financial relationships to disclose
Session Description: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) cause 71% of global deaths, with 41 million deaths (85% in the Global South) and a projected cost of $47 trillion by 2025. A systematic review identified harmful occupational and environmental (OE) factors (air pollution, chemical exposure, physical inactivity, unhealthy diets, food environment) and beneficial behaviors (physical activity, healthy eating, stress management).
Beneficial behavioral responses are 1) Physical activity, 2) Healthy eating, 3) Stress management, 4) Avoiding toxic substances like tobacco and alcohol, 5) Applying Total Worker Health that integrates OSH with health promotion and wellness initiatives to protect and promote health/well-being of workers, 5) Regular medical checkup, and 6) Primordial prevention interventions with focus on Social Determinants of Health (SDoH).
Prevention strategies include primordial prevention (focusing on SDoH, primary prevention, early detection, and policies promoting healthy lifestyles. Implementing Total Worker Health and addressing SDoH are crucial for reducing NCD risk.

Educational Gaps: The gaps are 1) limited knowledge of occupational and environmental exposures contributing to NCDs, 2) Insufficient understanding of the impact of social determinants of health (SDoH) on NCD risk, 3) Limited training on taking occupational and environmental exposure histories, and 4) Gaps in knowledge about preventive strategies, such as primordial prevention and Total Worker Health approaches.

Is this session being sponsored by an ACOEM Section or Component?: No

Has this session previously been presented?: No

The AOHC 2026 theme is Healthy workers. Healthy world: Yes, my proposal supports the spirit of the conference theme in that it reveals the gaps between occupational and environmental factors and non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which will help physicians better understand and manage NCDs related to occupational and environmental factors.

Learning Objectives:

  • Upon completion, the participant will be able to describe the occupational and environmental exposures contributing to NCDs.
  • Upon completion, the participant will be able to define the impact of social determinants of health (SDoH) on NCD risk.
  • Upon completion, the participant will be able to take occupational and environmental exposure histories when seeing patients.