Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41499074›Full record

SynthesisCurrent environmental health reports2026

An Umbrella Review of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses on Occupational Heat Exposure, Health Risks, and Productivity Losses Globally.

Aditya Nath, Subhashis Sahu, Jason Kai Wei Lee

Abstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Current environmental health reports, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Aditya NathErgonomics & Occupational Physiology Laboratory, Department of Physiology, University of Kalyani, Kalyani, Nadia, West Bengal, India.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0005-1622-1224
Subhashis SahuErgonomics & Occupational Physiology Laboratory, Department of Physiology, University of Kalyani, Kalyani, Nadia, West Bengal, India.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1584-4551
Jason Kai Wei LeeHuman Potential Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore. phsjlkw@nus.edu.sg.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4042-795X

Funding

Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, India 09/0106((17565/2024-EMR-l)
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundWorkplace heat exposure, intensified by climate change, increasingly threatens workers' health, safety, and productivity, especially in the agriculture, construction, and manufacturing sectors. However, current evidence is fragmented due to varied study designs, and the absence of an integrated, multidisciplinary synthesis.

objectivesThis umbrella review synthesizes findings from current systematic reviews and meta-analyses to appraise the health and productivity outcomes of workplace heat exposure, assess evidence quality, and identify critical research and policy gaps.

methodsFourteen systematic reviews and meta-analyses (published up to 31st March 2025) were included following predefined (PECOS) criteria. Methodological fidelity was analyzed using the AMSTAR checklist, and the strength of evidence was evaluated using the GRADE approach.

resultsThe fidelity of the included reviews was rated from moderate to high, while the robustness of evidence spanned from low to moderate due to study heterogeneity and observational designs. Consistent evidence links workplace heat exposure to higher risks of heat-related illness, reduced eGFR (AOR = 3.50, 95% CI: 1.30-9.40) resulting renal impairment, cognitive decline, and injuries (1% increase in risk per 1℃ rises in temperature). Emerging findings suggests heat-induced sub-cellular and molecular damage (i.e., increased 8-OHdG, HSP70), reduced sperm quality, indicating cellular dysfunction. Women and relocated workers face greater physiological strain. Productivity losses affect 30-60% of exposed workers, with prior estimates suggesting annual global economic losses of approximately $2.1 trillion.

conclusionsWorkplace heat hazards significantly threaten global workforce health and economic resilience. Urgent, coordinated interventions, robust policy measures, and high-quality longitudinal research are required to alleviate these risks.

Indexed as

EfficiencyHeat Stress DisordersHot TemperatureOccupational DiseasesOccupational ExposureHumansMeta-Analysis as TopicSystematic Reviews as TopicHSP70Physiological strainRenal impairmentSperm qualityWorkplace injuries

Identifiers

PMID41499074
PMCPMC12779733

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.