Research/Studies

Ft. Lauderdale, FL — In 2017, positive tests for illicit drugs in the American workforce remained at their highest level in more than a decade, according to the annual Drug Testing Index from lab services provider Quest Diagnostics.

Evanston, IL — People who prefer to stay up late have a greater chance of dying at a younger age than those who are natural “early to bed and early to rise” types, according to a recent study conducted by researchers at Northwestern University and the University of Surrey.

Boca Raton, FL — The number of paid sick days workers have may determine whether they will get a flu shot or use other preventive health care services, according to a recent study from Florida Atlantic University and Cleveland State University.

San Diego — More than 4,600 coal miners have developed the most severe form of black lung disease since 1970, with nearly half of the cases emerging after 2000, according to a recent study from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Toronto — Access to fitness-related amenities onsite or near work increases workers’ physical activity levels, according to a recent study from the Institute for Work and Health.

Los Angeles — Long periods of inactivity may lead to atrophy of the part of the brain responsible for memory, according to a preliminary study from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Washington — Immigrant construction workers employed by small companies do not receive the same amount of safety and health training as their counterparts at larger companies, according to a recent study from NIOSH and the American Society of Safety Engineers.

Denver — In Colorado, marijuana use among workers in certain jobs “in which workers have responsibility for their own safety or the safety of others” exceeds that of the state’s general workforce, according to a recent study from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

Morgantown, WV — Falls are the second-leading cause of work-related deaths in the United States, representing 14 percent of all worker fatalities over an 11-year period, according to a recent study from NIOSH.

Washington — More than 20 percent of workers are obese, don’t get enough physical activity or are short on sleep, according to a recent study from NIOSH.