A Perspective from an Occupational Medicine Clinic in Turkey: Which Work-related Diseases Do Older Workers Most Frequently Suffer From?

Abstract

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the general health status and work-related diseases of older workers based on data from an occupational medicine outpatient clinic in a university hospital.
 
 Material and Methods: This descriptive study analyzed data of 526 workers aged 45-64 who visited the clinic between 2015-2020.
 
 Results: The median patient age was 48 (45-76). Of the patients, 48.1% were smokers, and 73.4% had a BMI of 25 and above. Most of the workers (79.3%) were employed in the industry sector, and none was in the agricultural sector. A total of 291 (55.3%) patients had at least one chronic disease. Of the workers, 328 (62.4%) were diagnosed with at least one work-related disease.
 
 Conclusion: The high rates of smoking and obesity found in this study highlight the need for health promotion activities in the workplace. Regular chronic disease follow-ups should be included in workplace health surveillance to ensure early detection and appropriate management. The absence of referrals from the agricultural sector underscores the need to improve access to occupational health services for older workers in this sector. It is essential to review workplace measures pertaining to work-related diseases to protect the health of older workers.