Digestive Troubles among Omnibus Workers

Abstract

THE belief that gastric disorders are unduly common among busmen is widespread among the men themselves and their leaders. The problem was placed before the Industrial Health Research Board, and considered by a joint Committee of the London Passenger Transport Board and the Trade Union of Transport and General Workers, and it was the unanimous opinion that an answer should be sought to the following question: Do omnibus workers suffer from digestive complaints more frequently or more severely (or both) than other groups of workers of similar economic and social position? The Committee of the Industrial Health Research Board considered that the investigation of the problem had in the first place to be statistical, and it was decided to make a comparison of the incidence of sickness (limited to periods of more than two weeks' duration) among omnibus workers and tramway workers. The investigation was undertaken by Dr. Bradford Hill, and the results of his inquiry are now published (Report No. 79. Medical Research Council Industrial Health Research Board. H.M. Stationery Office. Price 6d. net). An examination was made of the sickness records of omnibus and tramway workers in the employ of the London Passenger Transport Board. The data were extracted for the years 1925–26 and 1933–35, but the records of the first period were found to be unsatisfactory and the analysis of the sickness experience was therefore confined to the data relating to the years 1933–35. The age distributions of the omnibus and tramway workers differ considerably, and it was necessary to compare the occupational groups age by age, and in reaching a comparative figure for all ages to allow for the differences in the age distributions.