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Open research questions in Occupational Health and Performance

150 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 652 Occupational Health and Performance papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.

What the literature leaves open

  • current surveillance is episodic rather than continuous, - high-G manoeuvring, vibration, anti-G straining, and pressure-suit, helmet, or oxygen-mask interfaces can contaminate signals or displace skin-contact sensors, - direct fifth-generation evidence remains limited and responses are strongly individualized and context dependent

    Human limits in next-generation fighter aviation: psychophysiological stressors, readiness, health, performance, and countermeasures · 2026 · DOI

  • addressing the structural limitations of current aircrew health surveillance paradigms, - developing a framework that explicitly addresses these limitations, - investigating the effects of hypobaria on the brain

    Human limits in next-generation fighter aviation: psychophysiological stressors, readiness, health, performance, and countermeasures · 2026 · DOI

  • Limited data exist on the overall and sports nutrition knowledge among Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) cadets across different body mass index (BMI) categories.

    EVALUATING SELF-REPORTED DIETARY HABITS AND BARRIERS AMONG ROTC CADETS ACROSS BODY MASS INDEX CLASSIFICATIONS · 2026 · DOI

  • Years of experience (YXP) in the fire service have been shown to have a unique impact on FF health and performance; however, profiling the differences between those with less or more YXP has not yet been assessed.

    How Do Firefighters Differ Between Years Of Fire Service Experience: Part 2 - Body Composition Profiles · 2026 · DOI

  • However, limited research has examined which pain beliefs are central to military training and the broader military culture from the perspective of active basic training instructors.

    Pain Beliefs in the Military: A Qualitative Study Exploring the Perspectives of Instructors Within the Canadian Armed Forces on How Pain Is Addressed in Basic Training and the Broader Military Culture · 2026 · DOI

  • Abstract Introduction Trunk activation is known to influence lower extremity kinematics and neuromuscular control during jump-landings; however, trunk endurance has not been explored in relation to potential movement errors associated with injury risk in Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) cadets.

    Limited Associations Between Trunk Endurance and Landing Biomechanics in ROTC Cadets · 2026 · DOI

  • Future research should investigate how various dimensions of trunk performance, influence dynamic landing kinematics and LESS scores across both male and female populations.

    Limited Associations Between Trunk Endurance and Landing Biomechanics in ROTC Cadets · 2026 · DOI

  • Background: Age is considered an independent cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factor, but limited data exist concerning the impact of age and years in the fire service on firefighter health and physical performance.

    Impact of Age and Years in the Fire Service on Firefighter Health and Physical Performance Outcomes · 2025 · DOI

  • Evaluation of modifiable and nonmodifiable risk factors of MSKI risk prior to entry into these environments is largely understudied.

    Model for Musculoskeletal Injury Risk Factors Among US Army Basic Combat Trainees · 2025 · DOI

  • Busy ambulances are common, but little is known about their effect on response times.

    Using machine learning to assess the extent of busy ambulances and its impact on ambulance response times: A retrospective observational study · 2024 · DOI

  • The novel ability to use integrated data on deployment and health outcomes provides a model for additional studies of the health impact of environmental exposures during military service.

    Deployment to Military Bases With Open Burn Pits and Respiratory and Cardiovascular Disease · 2024 · DOI

  • Future research is warranted to determine cerebral biomarkers for individuals with exposure-associated dementia.

    Incidence of Dementia Before Age 65 Years Among World Trade Center Attack Responders · 2024 · DOI

  • Further studies should investigate the long-term effects of heavy backpacks on children's health. Research should focus on developing strategies to reduce the weight of backpacks.

    Effect of School Backpack Weight on Shape of Children\'s Feet · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a lack of research on the effect of school backpack weight on the shape of children's feet. Prior studies have focused on the effects of heavy backpacks on spinal overload and asymmetry.

    Effect of School Backpack Weight on Shape of Children\'s Feet · 2026 · DOI

  • The heterogeneity of the included studies presents a challenge to coherently summarising the effects of IMT. As described, studies include IMT instances that span countries, timeframes and different measurement techniques, which render synthesis challenging. Specifically, the difference between service types, such as conscript versus volunteer populations, intro- duces significant variance in motivation and pre-enlistment conditioning. Furthermore, baseline fitness levels varied widely among cohorts, complicating the ability to isolate the specific impact of initial military training (IMT). This is exacerbated by the inability to control for variables known to influence performance, such as sleep deprivation, nutritional intake and psychological stress, which are common to the mil- itary environment. The training itself presented further incon- sistencies and lacked clarity, likely in part due to security risks with sharing a detailed training regimen. In many cases, mass training environments limit the feasibility of individualised training methodologies, and frequent shifts in training focus often occur throughout the course. In addition, the varying lengths of training courses and the specific requirements of different military branches (e.g. Army versus Air Force versus Navy) limit the generalisability of the results. Finally, the data may be affected by the nature of the assessments themselves; testing may not have been conducted maximally due to recruit fatigue or a lack of standardised motivation, potentially result- ing in underestimations of true neuromuscular capacity and obfuscation of true effects. Future research should prioritise the establishment of standardised physical assessment protocols across military cohorts, potentially leveraging more insightful measure- ment approaches and technologies. Large-scale, longitudinal studies with similar data collection methods are essential to improve comparability and to develop a more cohesive understanding of how specific training modalities influence long-term health and readiness. stages of the course. This plateau, likely driven by a lack of appropriate periodisation, increases injury risk and compro- mises safety. Research suggests that reducing endurance- based loads offers more favourable outcomes for strength and power. Consequently, tracking fatigue proxies is essen- tial to balance stressors with recovery, ultimately enhancing performance and reducing the high injury rates common in IMT [10, 26, 77]. It is important, however, to reiterate the significant heterogeneity observed across the included stud- ies, which makes a concise synthesis difficult and calls for more specific research. These physiological responses are further nuanced by sex-based differences in baseline conditioning and training strain. For instance, females typically enter IMT with lower initial fitness levels and consequently exhibit greater car- diovascular strain during load carriage. While both sexes show improvements in muscular endurance, these effects were more pronounced in females. Males maintain higher absolute isometric strength. However, the impact of cumula- tive fatigue also appears to diverge; limited data suggest that males may experience a greater reduction in jump power than females over the duration of IMT. These sex-specific variations highlight the importance of a degree of individu- alised monitoring to mitigate the high injury rates associated with the cumulative stress of training. Funding Open Access funding enabled and organized by CAUL and its Member Institutions. The authors declare they did not receive any funding or financial assistance for this manuscript.

    What Are the Acute and Chronic Effects of Initial Military Training on Physiological and Neuromuscular Performance in Military Populations? A Narrative Review · 2026 · DOI

  • The lack of standardized tools to assess and monitor upper limb postural deviations in adolescents. The need for a culturally relevant assessment tool for Indian adolescents.

    Strings: Development and Validity of an Outcome Measure for Upper Limb Postural Deviations in Adolescents of India · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a lack of consensus on the most effective exercise protocols for the school environment aimed at preventing low back pain. The relationship between activity levels and pain occurrence remains controversial in the literature.

    The effectiveness of school-based exercise interventions for low back pain in adolescents: Systematic review protocol · 2026 · DOI

  • One challenge is the lack of institutional support and provision of protective equipment for firefighters. Another challenge is the low use of respiratory protection equipment among firefighters. A third challenge is the need to develop strategies to reduce health risks among firefighters.

    Risk Perception of Military Firefighters and Brigades in Relation to Exposure to Smoke from Forest Fires in Brazil · 2026 · DOI

  • further studies could investigate the health effects of wildfire smoke exposure on firefighters and brigades, - research could focus on developing and implementing effective institutional support and guidance for wildfire suppression, - studies could examine the relationship between risk perception and adherence to health prevention and safety practices

    Risk Perception of Military Firefighters and Brigades in Relation to Exposure to Smoke from Forest Fires in Brazil · 2026 · DOI

  • Fire investigators face exposure to hazardous substances. Fire investigators often lack proper training and equipment. Fire departments face challenges in providing adequate support for exposure reduction.

    Health, safety training, and exposure reduction practices among U. S. fire investigators: a cross-sectional study · 2026 · DOI

  • The study had a limited sample size of 56 participants. The study relied on self-reported data.

    Health, safety training, and exposure reduction practices among U. S. fire investigators: a cross-sectional study · 2026 · DOI

  • The study only included male police officers. The sample size was limited to 42 police officers from the special operations company.

    Musculoskeletal discomfort associated with special operations uniform use in elite police officers: a cross-sectional study · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a lack of research on musculoskeletal discomfort among police officers from special operations companies. The study aims to address this gap by investigating musculoskeletal discomfort with and without the use of a special operations uniform.

    Musculoskeletal discomfort associated with special operations uniform use in elite police officers: a cross-sectional study · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a need to synthesize existing research on the impact of military foot marches on physical performance outcomes. There is a lack of comprehensive reviews on the topic.

    A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis on the Impact of Military Foot Marches on Performance—Part 1: Physical Performance · 2026 · DOI

  • The need for early identification and timely referral of pediatric sensory and musculoskeletal conditions. The lack of standardized school-based health screenings for these conditions.

    School-based health screenings for early detection of pediatric sensory and musculoskeletal conditions: A cross-sectional study · 2026 · DOI

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150 open questions have been extracted from the limitations and future-work passages of 652 Occupational Health and Performance papers in our library. Each one below links back to the study that raised it, so you can read the original claim in context.

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