O5E.3 Occupational diseases among workers in different socioeconomic positions

Abstract

Introduction To determine differences between workers in lower and higher socioeconomic positions (SEP) in: i) incidence, trends and type of occupational disease (OD) and ii) incapacity for work due to ODs. It is hypothesized that workers in lower and higher SEP still differ in health disparities from an occupational perspective. Methods From a Dutch cohort of occupational physicians (OPs), ODs assessed by OPs were retrieved over a seven year period (2010-2016) for lower and higher SEP groups. Incidence and type of OD and incapacity for work were determined for the total number of ODs and six frequently occurring ODs. Trends in incidence were estimated using a multilevel negative binominal regression model. Result In total, 54 per 100,000 workers in elementary occupations, machine operating and assembly jobs, as well as managerial and intellectual jobs during 2016 had an OD diagnosed and reported by an OP, from which 98 per 100,000 were for lower SEP, and 36 per 100,000 for higher SEP. Among the lower SEP, musculoskeletal disorders (37%) and noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) (32%) comprised two-thirds of the OD diagnoses. Among the higher SEP, distress/burnout comprised 60% of the OD diagnoses, with an increasing trend (6%; 95% CI: 3%-8%). Incapacity for work due to work-related low back disorders (69% vs 9%) and shoulder-, arm-and wrist disorders (89% vs 47%) differed significantly between workers in lower compared to higher SEP. Discussion Occupational diseases occur at a 2.7 higher incidence rate for workers in lower SEP compared with higher SEP. Incapacity for work due to work-related musculoskeletal disorders are higher for workers in lower SEP compared with higher SEP, suggesting fewer opportunities to modify work tasks and working circumstances for lower SEP. Psychosocial risk factors constitute the greatest problem for workers in higher SEP, resulting in distress/burnout, accompanied by incapacity for work.