The Healthy Working Lives Group has undertaken research across a wide range of occupational groups, examining how work, health, risk exposure, professional role and workplace systems affect health outcomes, sickness absence, ill-health retirement and return to work.
This programme reflects a central principle of occupational health: different jobs create different risks, pressures and support needs. Good occupational health research therefore needs to understand the specific realities of different working populations.
About this work
Our research has examined occupational health issues in teachers, NHS staff, dental practitioners, doctors, dentists, equine veterinary surgeons, high-altitude mountain guides and information technology workers.
Across these studies, we have investigated topics including workplace exposures, work-related injury, mental and physical health, ill-health retirement, re-employment, occupational health service use, working hours and emerging risks in modern work.
Together, these studies show the breadth of occupational health research undertaken by the group, from clinical and professional workforces to high-risk manual and environmental occupations.
Teachers and NHS staff
The group has conducted studies on ill-health retirement among Scottish teachers and NHS staff.
This work examined the process and outcomes of ill-health retirement, including causes, occupational health involvement, return to work and re-employment.
These studies helped identify how health problems can lead to early labour-market exit, and how occupational health, rehabilitation and redeployment may support better outcomes.
Dental practitioners
The group has undertaken a significant body of work on dental practitioners, including studies of mercury exposure, neuropsychological functioning, occupational health service contact and ill-health retirement.
This work examined both environmental exposures in dental practice and the wider occupational health challenges experienced by dental professionals.
The studies considered mercury vapour levels in dental practices, body mercury levels among dentists and controls, health and neuropsychological functioning in dentists exposed to mercury, and the causes and effects of ill-health retirement among dental practitioners.
Equine veterinary surgeons
The group has also studied occupational risks among equine veterinary surgeons.
Working with horses carries distinctive risks, including injury from kicks, falls and handling large animals in unpredictable environments.
This research helped quantify the nature and frequency of injuries experienced by equine veterinary practitioners and highlighted the need for improved awareness, prevention and risk management.
Sherpas and high-altitude mountain guides
The group has undertaken pilot work on the work-health needs of high-altitude mountain guides, including Sherpas in Nepal.
This study examined the occupational health needs of workers whose employment involves physically demanding work in extreme environments.
The work highlighted the importance of studying occupational health in global and high-risk contexts, including populations whose work is essential but often under-researched.
Doctors and dentists
The group has examined occupational health contacts and referral trends among NHS doctors and dentists.
This work explored how doctors and dentists use occupational health services, the types of health issues leading to referral, and changes in referral patterns over time.
The group has also contributed to evidence on doctors’ working hours through a systematic review of the European Working Time Directive and doctors’ health.
Information technology workers
More recently, the group has investigated the health, lifestyle and occupational risks of information technology workers.
This work reflects the changing nature of modern employment and the growth of digitally mediated work.
The study examined health, lifestyle and occupational exposures among IT workers, including sedentary work and screen-based working patterns.
Why this matters
Occupational health cannot be one-size-fits-all. The risks faced by a teacher, dentist, doctor, equine vet, Sherpa or IT worker are not interchangeable.
Specific occupational group studies help identify where risks arise, how they affect health and employment, and what kinds of support or prevention may be needed.
This work supports better occupational health policy, targeted interventions and a more detailed understanding of how different forms of work shape health.
Key themes
- Occupational health in specific worker populations
- Ill-health retirement and re-employment
- Teachers and NHS staff
- Dental practitioner health
- Mercury exposure and neuropsychological functioning
- Doctors’ and dentists’ use of occupational health services
- Working hours and doctors’ health
- Equine veterinary injury risk
- High-altitude work and Sherpa health
- Information technology worker health
- Sedentary work and screen-based employment
- Return to work and workforce retention
Selected publications
- Ill health retirement in Scottish teachers: process, outcomes and re-employment
Brown, J., Gilmour, W.H. and Macdonald, E.B. (2006). International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health, 79(5), pp. 433–440.
https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/19834/ - Return to work after ill-health retirement in Scottish NHS staff and teachers
Brown, J., Gilmour, W.H. and Macdonald, E.B. (2006). Occupational Medicine, 56(7), pp. 480–484.
https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/19603/ - The involvement of occupational health services prior to ill-health retirement in NHS staff in Scotland and predictors of re-employment
Brown, J., Reetoo, K.N., Murray, K.J., Thom, W. and Macdonald, E.B. (2005). Occupational Medicine, 55(5), pp. 357–363.
https://doi.org/10.1093/occmed/kqi069 - Mercury vapour levels in dental practices and body mercury levels of dentists and controls
Ritchie, K.A., Burke, F.J.T., Gilmour, W.H., Macdonald, E.B., Dale, I.M., Hamilton, R.M., McGowan, D.A., Binnie, V., Collington, D. and Hammersley, R. (2004). British Dental Journal, 197(10), pp. 625–632.
https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/15835/ - Health and neuropsychological functioning of dentists exposed to mercury
Ritchie, K.A., Gilmour, W.H., Macdonald, E.B., Burke, F.J.T., McGowan, D.A., Dale, I.M., Hammersley, R., Hamilton, R.M., Binnie, V.I. and Collington, D. (2002). Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 59(5), pp. 287–293.
https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/2513/ - Dental practitioners and ill health retirement: a qualitative investigation into the causes and effects
Hill, K.B., Burke, F.J.T., Brown, J., Macdonald, E.B., Morris, A.J., White, D.A. and Murray, K. (2010). British Dental Journal, 209, E8.
https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bdj.2010.814 - Occupational risks of working with horses: a questionnaire survey of equine veterinary surgeons
Parkin, T.D.H., Brown, J. and Macdonald, E.B. (2018). Equine Veterinary Education, 30(4), pp. 200–205.
https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/156666/ - Work-health needs of high-altitude mountain guides (Sherpas) in Nepal: a pilot study
Macdonald, E.B., Shrestha, S., Chhetri, M.K., Sherpa, L.R., Sherpa, D.G., Murray, K. and Sanati, K.A. (2015). International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics, 21(1), pp. 9–14.
https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/107112/ - Doctor and dentist contacts with an NHS occupational health service
Lalloo, D., Ghafur, I. and Macdonald, E.B. (2013). Occupational Medicine, 63(4), pp. 291–293.
https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/82126/ - Trends in NHS doctor and dentist referrals to occupational health
Lalloo, D., Demou, E. and Macdonald, E.B. (2016). Occupational Medicine, 66(4), pp. 316–319.
https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/113167/ - European Working Time Directive and doctors’ health: a systematic review of the available epidemiological evidence
Rodriguez-Jareño, M.C., Demou, E., Vargas-Prada, S., Sanati, K.A., Skerjanc, A., Reis, P.G., Hämäläinen-Aro, R., Macdonald, E.B., Serra, C. and the UEMS Section of Occupational Medicine. (2014). BMJ Open, 4(7), e004916.
https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/4/7/e004916 - Health, lifestyle and occupational risks in Information Technology workers
Lalloo, D., Lewsey, J., Katikireddi, S.V., Macdonald, E.B. and Demou, E. (2021). Occupational Medicine, 71(2), pp. 68–74.
https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/227410/
Healthy Working Lives Group 