Disability-adjusted life years due to occupational diseases in agriculture workers

Abstract

Introduction. Currently, many agro-industrial countries are experiencing a rapid intensification of agricultural and livestock production, which can critically affect the health of workers employed in agriculture, one of the five leading sectors of the economy with an increased risk of occupational diseases. Materials and methods. In order to assess the lost years of healthy life due to occupational diseases among agricultural workers of the Republic of Bashkortostan, 1,199 cases of chronic occupational morbidity of workers over 57 years (1960-2017) were analyzed; the number of years of life not lived or lived insufficiently due to this disease was calculated (the DALY index). Results. During the analyzed period, 41 occupational diseases was diagnosed as a result of exposure to four groups of the main harmful production factors of the working environment and the labour process: physical (43.6%), physical overload (38.9%), harmful chemicals (14.0%) and biological factors (3.5%). It was found that agricultural workers lost 2,256.1 years of healthy life due to occupational diseases, 73.2% accounted for dorsopathies, occupational diseases from vibration exposure and soft tissue diseases. The frequency of detection of occupational diseases and their clinical characteristics are reflected in the total number of years of healthy life lost. More than 75% of a total load of occupational diseases was caused by physical factors together with physical overload. A five-year delay in forming occupational diseases reduces the total lost years of healthy life by 17.0% and a ten-year delay by 33.5%. Limitations. One thousand one hundred ninety-nine cases were assessed over 57 years of observation when studying occupational morbidity, which is a sufficient reference sample. Conclusion. Quantitative analysis of the DALY index due to occupational disease allows to assess the likely medical and social damage by the number of years of healthy life lost for patients and justify priority measures aimed at reducing this damage.