Occupational Morbidity Research Articles

Стан професійної захворюваності у Придніпровському економічному регіоні за 2015-2019 роки

The purpose of the study was to analyze the occupational morbidity in the Dnieper Economic Region, its structure in dynamics for 2015-2019, identify the main causes that lead to the formation of occupational pathology, and suggest ways to solve the problem. Material and methods. Based on the processing of the medical documentation of the clinic, the Ukrainian Research Institute of Industrial Medicine, we conducted a comparative analysis of occupational morbidity indicators in the dynamics of 2015-2019 was carried out taking into account the main forms of pathology and regional distribution. Results and discussion. The level of occupational morbidity among workers of the Dnieper Economic Region in 2015-2019 varies from 354 to 10307 cases. The leadership in the formation of professional pathology remains with the Dnipropetrovsk region, where large enterprises of the leading branches of heavy industry are located, in dangerous and harmful conditions of which a significant number of people work. In the structure of occupational morbidity, the first place is occupied by chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases of occupational etiology (31.7%), the second is cochlear neuritis (27.3%), the third is radiculopathy (23.7%), and the fourth is vibration disease (7.6%). Indicators of occupational morbidity indicate only the detection of occupational pathology. The statistics do not reflect the true situation, which is due to the imperfection of labor protection legislation, the lack of legal and economic sanctions for concealing occupational diseases, and the shortcomings of medical diagnostic and preventive work among workers. The solution to this problem, in our opinion, may consist in enhancing coordination of the entire complex of scientific and practical activities for the development and substantiation of strategies, tactics and implementation of national policies from the most important areas of occupational medicine. Conclusion. It is necessary to formulate a systematic approach to the prevention of occupational morbidity of the population, taking into account the characteristics of the current situation in the region and in the country as a whole. Comprehensive solution of problems in the health of workers, taking into account the interagency coordination of the system of measures, in the future will ensure the preservation of labor potential, prolong working life, and reduce general and occupational diseases

Features of overall and occupational morbidity rates among mine workers of marble and granite quarries of the Irkutsk Region

In connection with the active development of the mining sector of the economy, there is an important task of labor rate setting of mine workers and reliable records of occupational morbidity rate associated with dust emissions. The review is based on the scientific literature on occupational lung diseases in the mining industry that focuses on the recording and identification of occupational diseases associated with the silica dust (SiO2) exposure. The article addresses both “traditional” and “emerging” concerns regarding occupational diseases of the respiratory system in mine workers, incorporating the data on evidence-based practices of practitioners in developed and developing countries. The data is devoted to deciphering the types of occupational diseases that are given the least attention, which results in the fact that many workers put themselves at risk due to a lack of knowledge about the consequences of inhaling stone dust while performing their duties. The SiO2 dust resulted from the quarrying of marble and granite is underestimated. Its contribution to the development of occupational diseases of mine workers is significant and requires focused attention and an integrated approach to the prevention and control of occupational lung diseases associated with mining. The study has been carried out with the financial support of the Russian Foundation for Basic Research within the framework of scientific project No. 19-31-27001.

Harmful production factors

It is shown how the distribution of the main harmful production factors influencing the formation of the occupational morbidity of workers is shown.

Increased severity of labor is the most important risk factor of occupational diseases at enterprises in the Arctic

In Russia, in the structure of harmful production factors that cause the development of occupational pathology, the severity of labor takes the second place. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of increased labor severity on the occurrence, prevalence and structure of occupational diseases in workers at enterprises in the Arctic. The analysis included results of the monitoring study “Working conditions and occupational morbidity” of the population of the Arctic zone of Russia in 2008 – 2018. It was found that in 2008-2018 there was a significant increase in the etiological significance of increased labor severity in the development of occupational pathology: the share of the factor in the total structure of harmful occupational exposures increased from 7.4% to 8.9% (p <0.001), and that of occupational diseases caused by increased labor severity - from 18.6% to 46.9% (p <0.001). Two thirds of occupational diseases caused by the increased severity of labor occur in miners, and diseases of the musculoskeletal system dominate in their structure (80.1%). The risk of developing this group of occupational health disorders in 2018 was higher than in 2008: RR=3,95; CI 3,13-4,99; χ2 =155,9; р<0,001. In contrast to the Russian Federation as a whole, where the increased severity of labor ranks second among the occupational pathology causing factors (24.7%), in the Russian Arctic it came out on top in 2018 (46.9%), exceeding the cumulative effect of all physical factors (44.0%). When carrying out recreational activities and prevention of occupational pathology at enterprises in the Arctic, special attention should be paid to achieving permissible levels of labor severity among workers engaged in mining operations.

Current trends in the sanitary-epidemiological situation on the incidence of occupational brucellosis

Introduction. Brucellosis belongs to zooantroponoses, the relevance of which is connected with widespread in several regions of the Russian Federation and the unfavorable employment outlook for cases of persons.Material and methods. Based on updated data, the modern trends of the sanitary-epidemiological situation on the incidence of occupational brucellosis in the Federal districts of Russia, including occupational cohorts, conditions, diagnosis, and occupational prognosis were analyzed. Results. In the period from 2011 to 2017, 412 cases of occupational brucellosis (OB) were shown to be registered in rural regions. OB was proved to rank third in the nosological structure of accumulated occupational pathology (14.6%). Despite the downward linear trend in the frequency of detection of OB, its prevalence in the nosological structure of the primary occupational morbidity of the working rural population did not undergo statistically significant changes and was within the range of 10.28 - 17.16%. Most often, the disease was detected in workers in occupations as follows: animal breeder, veterinarian, milker/operator of machine milking, and veterinary paramedic, infected during industrial contact with cattle. The North-Caucasus, Siberian, and Southern Federal districts were the most disadvantaged regions of the Russian Federation in terms of the OB incidence. In 96.6% of cases, OB was represented by a residual form, diagnosed in 88.5% of cases with self-treatment. The late diagnosis of OB and the high percentage of workers with primary established loss of performance (59.5%) could be related to both the virulence of Brucella abortus and the low quality of periodic medical examinations and limited availability of primary occupational pathology care in rural regions.Conclusion. Reducing the level of the OB incidence is not possible without strictly controlling the timeliness, completeness of coverage and regulated volume of periodic medical examinations, increasing the level of awareness and awareness of occupational risks, compliance with sanitary and veterinary rules for the prevention and control of infectious diseases common to humans and animals.

Up-to-date techniques for examining safety and physiological efficiency of industrial exoskeletons

Occupational morbidity caused by physical overloads and certain organs and systems being overstrained ranks second among occupational pathologies depending on an influencing adverse occupational factor. Given that, it seems vital and promising to develop industrial exoskeletons as they are able to protect a worker’s musculoskeletal system from excessive physical loads. And absence of a relative regulatory and technologic base is a challenge here as it imposes substantial limitations on industrial exoskeletons implementation in productions both in Russia and in other countries. A significant role in creating regulatory and technological base belongs to a possibility to accomplish an objective medical and biological examination of industrial exoskeletons safety and physiological efficiency. Developed and properly tested procedures for examining physiological and ergonomic properties of industrial exoskeletons will make a substantial contribution into a system of complex ergonomic tests accomplished at stages when exoskeletons are developed, created, and put into trial operation. The present paper dwells on up-to-date medical and biological procedures for examining safety and physiological efficiency of industrial exoskeletons. There are examples on using a «movement seizure» procedure performed with inertial sensors, ergospirometry, electromyography, and myotonometry for estimating physiological and ergonomic properties of industrial exoskeletons at a modeled working place. Results obtained via this research involving all the above mentioned procedures confirmed that it was safe and quite efficient to apply industrial exoskeletons for workers who had to deal with physical labor when performing work tasks similar to those used in developed models. Applied procedures can substantially enhance approaches to examining a worker’s functional state and obtained results will make a significant contribution into development of a regulatory and technological base for promising individual protection means used to protect the musculoskeletal system within the existing System of occupational safety standards.

Современные методы исследования безопасности и физиологической эффективности применения промышленных экзоскелетов

Occupational morbidity caused by physical overloads and certain organs and systems being overstrained ranks second among occupational pathologies depending on an influencing adverse occupational factor. Given that, it seems vital and promising to develop industrial exoskeletons as they are able to protect a worker’s musculoskeletal system from excessive physical loads. And absence of a relative regulatory and technologic base is a challenge here as it imposes substantial limitations on industrial exoskeletons implementation in productions both in Russia and in other countries. A significant role in creating regulatory and technological base belongs to a possibility to accomplish an objective medical and biological examination of industrial exoskeletons safety and physiological efficiency. Developed and properly tested procedures for examining physiological and ergonomic properties of industrial exoskeletons will make a substantial contribution into a system of complex ergonomic tests accomplished at stages when exoskeletons are developed, created, and put into trial operation. The present paper dwells on up-to-date medical and biological procedures for examining safety and physiological efficiency of industrial exoskeletons. There are examples on using a «movement seizure» procedure performed with inertial sensors, ergospirometry, electromyography, and myotonometry for estimating physiological and ergonomic properties of industrial exoskeletons at a modeled working place. Results obtained via this research involving all the above mentioned procedures confirmed that it was safe and quite efficient to apply industrial exoskeletons for workers who had to deal with physical labor when performing work tasks similar to those used in developed models. Applied procedures can substantially enhance approaches to examining a worker’s functional state and obtained results will make a significant contribution into development of a regulatory and technological base for promising individual protection means used to protect the musculoskeletal system within the existing System of occupational safety standards.

Occupational respiratory morbidity among hair and beauty salon workers in Udupi taluk, Karnataka, India

The Indian hair and beauty salon industry is growing rapidly due to the demand for beauty and personal care services and products. Workers in the industry are vulnerable to several occupational factors such as chemicals, confined space, and poor ventilation. Chemicals in the products used are known or suspected to cause allergies, respiratory, neurological and reproductive health problems and cancer. The present study was carried out to determine the factors associated with the occurrence of respiratory morbidity among hair and beauty salon workers of Udupi taluk, Karnataka, India. A total of 240 salon workers were recruited for the study. A semistructured, interviewer-led questionnaire was used to collect data. Peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) was done using a JSB peak flow meter. The frequency of respiratory morbidity among participating beauty salon workers was 19%. Men reported respiratory symptoms more frequently than women. Receiving training on work materials and practices was a significant protective factor (odds ratio = 0.3; 95% confidence interval: 0.1-0.7) for the occurrence of respiratory morbidity. The mean observed PEFR in these workers was significantly lower than their predicted values. While 61.2% of the workers were using some form of personal protective equipment, only 4% of workers used a mask or respiratory protection. Hair and beauty salon workers are at risk of developing respiratory morbidity potentially from harmful exposures and lack of effective control measures at the workplace.

Working conditions and occupational pathology of Kola Polar miners

Introduction. Despite the improvement of mining technologies and personal protective equipment for employees, working conditions in the mining industry create an increased risk of occupational diseases.The aim of the studyis to compare the working conditions and features of professional pathology of miners in the production of iron, apatite and copper — nickel ore in the Kola Polar region.Materials and methods. The data of social and hygienic monitoring on the section “Working conditions and occupational morbidity” of the population of the Murmansk region in 2007–2017 were studied.Results. It was found that in 2007–2017, there was no significant improvement in the working conditions of the studied groups of employees of mining enterprises. The structure of professional pathology of miners was still dominated by vibration disease (37.0%), radiculopathy (23.8%), mono-polyneuropathy (15.5%), sensorineural hearing loss (15.5%), and among the etiologically significant harmful industrial factors — the severity of labor (54.1%), general vibration (23.8%) and noise (13.1%). During the observation period, occupational morbidity in the mining of iron and copper-nickel ore decreased significantly, while in the mining of apatite ore it tended to increase. There is no causal relationship between changes in working conditions and the level of occupational morbidity of miners.Conclusions.It is necessary to improve the quality of hygienic and clinical research when conducting a special assessment of working conditions and periodic medical examinations to obtain an objective assessment of occupational health risks for miners in the Kola Polar region.

Assessment of professional ability to work in occupational diseases of the peripheral nervous system

According to Rosstat forecasts for the period up to 2026, in the next 15–20 years, the population will decrease due to a decrease in the number of people of working age due to a low birth rate, a high death rate of the working-age population, an increase in morbidity and disability. One of the most common diseases among employees is the peripheral nervous system, which is detected in 32.3–58.0% of the surveyed employees of industrial enterprises. They make up 55.7–66.0% of the total occupational morbidity.The purpose of the study is to assess the degree of professional disability in occupational diseases of the peripheral nervous system. The analysis of occupational diseases of the peripheral nervous system for the years 2015–2017, its structure on the materials of the Occupational Medicine Centre of the Republic and the results of their primary medical and social examination (MSE) according to the acts of examination the national Bureau of MSE to assess the occupational disability in occupational diseases of the peripheral nervous system.It was found that in 2015–2017, the average level of occupational morbidity due to diseases of the peripheral nervous system was 0.54 per 10 thousand working population of the Republic. The most frequent are sciatica of the lumbosacral level–0.29 o / o, which occupy more than half (53.4%) of the total occupational morbidity due to diseases of the peripheral nervous system. Occupational diseases of the peripheral nervous system were detected in the machine-building, metallurgical, mining, agricultural, oil-producing and construction sectors of the economy. Almost all (93.9 per cent) who applied to Bureau of MSE was installed, the percentage of occupational disability for a period of one year. The vast majority (73.2%) of those who applied to the MSE office found 30% loss of professional ability to work. In the year of establishment of an occupational disease, 65.0% of professional patients are referred to the Bureau of medical and social expertise (MSE). They continue to work at their previous workplace and are exposed to the same harmful and dangerous working conditions.Effective prevention of occupational diseases and labor losses from them requires building an integrated system that combines primary, secondary and tertiary measures (rehabilitation by individual program) of prevention with the development of clear measures of responsibility for all those interested in a healthy employee.

Occupational diseases of chemical etiology at the enterprises in the Russian Arctic

Chemicals are among the most common harmful production factors causing occupational pathology among workers in various industries. The purpose of the study was to investigate the conditions of development, prevalence and structure of occupational diseases of chemical etiology among employees of enterprises in the Russian Arctic. Materials and methods. The analysis included results of the monitoring study «Working conditions and occupational morbidity» of the population of the Arctic zone of Russia in 2007–2018. Results. It was established that in 2007–2018, at the enterprises in the Arctic, the share of chemicals in the structure of harmful production factors was 8.0 %, and their impact was associated with the development of 7.7 % of cases of occupational pathology mainly among metallurgists of nickel and miners of mining enterprises. The risk of contact with harmful chemicals in 2007 was higher than in 2018: RR = 1.40; CI 1.38–1.43; p < 0.0001. Most often, the development of occupational diseases was caused by water-insoluble nickel compounds (40.6 %) and nickel hydroaerosols (27.2 %). The structure of the pathology of chemical etiology was dominated by chronic bronchitis (43.2 %), intoxication with metals and gases (19.3 %) and bronchial asthma (19.0 %). Acute forms of intoxication occurred mainly in miners exposed to carbon oxides (84.6 %), and chronic ones when in metallurgists exposed to nickel compounds (88.2 %). In 2007–2018, there was a decrease in the number of occupational diseases of chemical etiology. The risk of their development in 2007–2009 was higher than in 2016–2018: RR = 1.49; CI 1.21–1.83; χ2 = 14.7; p = 0.0001. Conclusion. To reduce the risk of occupational intoxications, first of all, it is necessary to reduce exposure to nickel compounds and carbon oxides by means of the technical modernization of production and use of modern personal protective equipment for workers.

Gender features of occupational pathology in the Russian Arctic

Introduction. An interest in studying the gender characteristics of occupational pathology is determined by increasing economic activity in the Arctic and the upcoming expansion of women’s access to occupations with harmful working conditions.The purpose of the study was to carry out a comparative investigation of working conditions and occupational pathology among male and female workers at enterprises in the Arctic.Material and methods. The data of socio-hygienic monitoring “Working conditions and occupational morbidity” of the population of the Russian Arctic in 2007-2018 were studied.Results and discussion. 92.6% of occupational diseases have been established to occur in men due to more harmful working conditions (fibrogenic aerosols, noise, whole-body, and hand-arm vibration, the severity of labor). The risk of their occurrence in 2018 was higher than in 2007 (RR = 1.71; CI 1.51-1.93) and higher than in women (RR = 9.45; CI 7.19-12.4). Unlike men, 48.8% of women worked at facilities of the first group of sanitary and epidemiological welfare (satisfactory conditions) and they had in 2007-2018 a relatively stable number of newly diagnosed occupational diseases. The risk of occupational pathology in women in 2018 and 2007 did not change significantly (RR = 1.07; CI 0.73-1.59). In the structure of occupational diseases in men, the first places are occupied by vibration disease (24.2%), sensorineural hearing loss (20.3%) and radiculopathy (20.1%), and in women - myofibrosis of the forearms (21.2%), radiculopathy(13.7%) and chronic bronchitis (13.4%).Conclusion. Reducing exposure to physical overloads, fibrogenic aerosols, noise, vibration, and chemical factors should be a priority preventive direction at enterprises in the Arctic, especially among male workers whose occupational morbidity rate tends to increase.

Changes in working conditions and character of occupational pathology in enterprise workers in the Arctic

Introduction. Labor in the Arctic is associated with an increased risk of developing occupational diseases.The purpose of the study was to identify changes in risk factors, structure, and prevalence of occupational pathology among employees of enterprises in the Arctic during 2007-2018.Material and methods. The analysis of the data of socio-hygienic monitoring “Working conditions and occupational morbidity” of the Russian Arctic zone population was carried out.Results. 72.6% of workers at enterprises in the Arctic were found to have contact with harmful occupational factors. Within 12 years, the proportion of individuals exposed to noise and chemical factors decreased (p <0.001), while the proportion of those exposed to whole-body vibration, fibrogenic aerosols, and having increased severity of labor increased (p<0.001). In 2007-2018, the number of occupational pathology cases among employees of mining enterprises increased significantly (from 38.8% to 62.8%, p <0.001), while in metallurgical plants-it decreased (from 33.2% to 7.3% (p <0.001). In the structure of occupational pathology, the shares of radiculopathy (p <0.001) and vibration disease (p <0.001) increased due to a decrease in the shares of chronic bronchitis (p <0.001) and mono-polyneuropathy (p <0.001). Also, characteristic features of occupational pathology were an increase in the number of diseases associated with the severity of labor (from 20.7% to 46.9%, p <0.001), diseases diagnosed in one employee (from 1.006 ± 0.004 to 1.396 ± 0.030 cases, p < 0.001) and the number of men among occupational patients (from 87.3% to 94.7%, p <0.001).Conclusion. It is necessary to continue both improve working conditions at enterprises in the Arctic, and study the reasons for the low efficiency of prevention of occupational diseases, caused primarily by increased severity of labor in the mining industry.

Прогнозирование показателей производственного травматизма в Удмуртской Республике

The results of predicting occupational injury indicators on an example of the Udmurt Republic are shown in the article. As a method of modeling the correlation-regression analysis was used. The sources of statistical information were the annual reports to the Government of the Udmurt Republic from the Ministry of Social Policy and Labor of the Udmurt Republic, data from the Federal Service of State Statistics of the Russian Federation, and from the  Federal Service of State Statistics of the Udmurt Republic, forecast indicators from the program of socio-economic development of the Udmurt Republic. In modeling, the following indicators were used: average number of employees; the number of injured persons with disability for one working day or more and fatal; number of fatal injuries; the number of employees with occupational diseases; the number of days of disability in victims with disability for one working day or more and with a fatal outcome; funds spent on occupational safety activities per employee; the  share of employees employed in the conditions that do not meet sanitary and hygienic standards, of the total number of employees in the studied types of the economic activities; the number of trained in  occupational safety in the organizations of the Udmurt Republic; the investments in fixed assets at actual prices; gross regional product; gross regional product per capita. The quality of the obtained equations was evaluated using the coefficient of multiple determination, checking the significance of the coefficients of the linear equation of multiple regression and the significance of the linear equation as a whole. The results are the mathematical models for predicting occupational injury indicators that allow for implementing management of occupational safety in a preventive style. The results of the work are the mathematical models based on the statistics of injuries and occupational morbidity for 2002–2019 in the Udmurt Republic, designed to calculate the predicted indicators of injury rate and occupational morbidity, which showed satisfactory convergence of the obtained forecasts with actual values. 

Essential elements role in pathogenesis of occupational chronic lumbosacral radiculopathy in coal miners.

The problem of diagnosis in the early and preclinical stages of diseases is important in the prevention of occupational diseases and their complications, because this is the key to the timely initiation of treatment, the implementation of preventive measures. Chronic lumbosacral radiculopathy (CLSR) or low back pain (LBP) is one of the most common diseases in the structure of occupational pathology in Ukraine, which usually develops in those of working professions associated with physical activity, forced work posture, effect of high levels of general vibration, etc. The highest levels of occupational morbidity are recorded in the coal industry, which accounts for about 80% of occupational pathology in Ukraine. Above 1600 cases of CLRS are diagnosed annually in the country. A risk factor for the development of the CLSR is osteoporosis, which arises due to the impairment of quantitative and qualitative characteristics of bone tissue and is characterized by a decrease in its strength, animpairment of microarchitecture with a further increase in risk of fractures. One of the modern methods of assessing condition of bone tissue is determination of the content of macro- and trace elements (MaE and ME) in the biological environments of patients. Ca, Al, Mg, B, P are the most important in the formation and development of bone and connective tissue. To date, studies of bone tissue status in patients with CLSR of professional etiology have not been conducted (small in numbers). Goal – to determine the role of essential elements Ca, Al, Mg, B, P in serum and urine in the formation of occupational CLSR in miners. The research was conducted in 20 miners with CLRS (slaughterer, mining worker of a clearing face (MWCF), drifter) of coal mining industry of Donbass and Lviv-Volyn basins. The results were analyzed in two groups: І group consisted of patients with 10-15 years of work experience (n=10), II group with 16-32 years of work experience (n=10). The control group included 22 patients without pathology of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue. The inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy method (ICPAE) was used to determine the MaE and ME concentrations. The study revealed that the average serum aluminum (Al) concentration in miners with occupational CLSR (115.07 μmol/l) exceeded control group level (3.3 μmol/l) by almost 30 times (p<0.05). Serum boron (B) concentration in both age groups (25.90 μMol/l and 19.43 μMol/l, respectively) were lower than in the control (62.90 μMol/l), (p<0.05). The average serum calcium (Ca) concentration in patients with occupational CLSR (2.82 mmol/l) was 1.3 times higher than the same indicator in the control group (2.16 mmol/l), with a significant difference between the two age groups (p<0.05). It was revealed that the average level of phosphorus (P) in the urine of patients with occupational CLSR (19.0 mmol/l) significantly exceeded its content in patients of control group (11.96 mmol/l) (p<0.05). The concentration of Al in the urine of patients with CLSR in both age groups (1.26 μMol/l and 1.334 μMol/l, respectively) was higher that in control (0.85 μMol/l), (p<0.05). Reduction of Ca and Mg levels in the serum of miners in increasing work experience in harmful working conditions, exceeding average concentration of aluminum in patients' blood compared to the normative value and indicators of the control group patients was established.

Occupational radiation exposure and morbidity of circulatory disease among diagnostic medical radiation workers in South Korea

ObjectivesWe investigated the association between low-dose external occupational radiation exposure and circulatory disease morbidity among diagnostic medical radiation workers.MethodsA cohort of 11 500 diagnostic medical radiation workers was linked with...

Occupational risks related to the exposure of the noise and vibration factor on workers extracting fuel and nonfuel minerals. Preventive measures

Extraction of minerals with noise and vibration to be a priority harmful occupational factor, is one of the industries with a high risk of workers’ health, disorders. This is an occupational morbidity rate. In accordance with the regulatory and methodological documents, an assessment of the a priori and a posteriori occupational risks related to the impact of the noise-vibration factor was carried out for workers of the main occupations of the largest enterprises extracting fuel, energy and ore minerals of the Republic of Bashkortostan.An analysis of occupational health risks for workers has shown a rather high a priori risk, since the general hygienic assessment of working conditions is within the limits of Сlasses 3.2–3.4. Levels of occupational risk in accordance with occupational disease index ranged from «high» for vibrational disease in occupational groups of drifters, rig drivers, excavator drivers to «above average» for sensorineural hearing loss in installers, underground mining machine drivers, excavator drivers and aggregates. Based on the studies, measures have been developed aimed at reducing the levels of exposure to the noise-vibration factor and maintaining the health of workers engaged in mining.

Radiculopathy in the structure of occupational morbidity in agricultural tractor drivers

The frequency of professional lumbosacral radiculopathy (PLR) in employees of the agro-industrial complex (AIC) of the Saratov region for the period 2008-2018 was studied. The dynamics and features of PCR detection are analyzed, and possible social trends affecting the detection of the disease are considered. Against the background of a general decrease in the number of cases of occupational diseases in the agricultural sector of the Saratov region over the past 11 years, there has been a trend towards a decrease in cases of professional PCR, which implies, on the one hand, an improvement in treatment and rehabilitation activities carried out in this direction, on the other hand, reflects the socio-economic realities of recent years.

Hypertension in Workers: The Role of Physical Activity and its Different Dimensions.

ResumoFundamento A atividade física, em diferentes dimensões (ocupacional, doméstica e de lazer), pode ter papel relevante sobre a hipertensão arterial (HA). Praticar atividade física apenas no lazer, ou isoladamente nas outras dimensões, pode ser insuficiente para o controle efetivo da HA.Objetivo Analisar o efeito isolado e cumulativo das dimensões da atividade física sobre a ocorrência de hipertensão arterial em trabalhadores.Métodos Estudo transversal com 1.070 trabalhadores de Limpeza Urbana e Indústria de Calçados, na Bahia, utilizando questionário aplicado por entrevistador acerca de aspectos sociodemográficos, ocupacionais, de estilo de vida e morbidade hipertensiva.Foram medidos peso, altura, circunferência abdominal e pressão arterial. Caso de HA: pressão arterial sistólica ≥140 ou diastólica ≥90, ou tratamento regular de Hipertensão. Foram investigadas as dimensões ocupacional, doméstica e de lazer da atividade física. Realizou-se análise multivariada com Regressão de Cox para estudos transversais.Resultados A prevalência de HA foi de 24%, sendo 37% dentre pacientes com idades entre 35 e 44 anos, e 51% entre 45 e 54 anos. O modelo multivariado evidenciou que ativos em uma dimensão ou em nenhuma tiveram 62% mais HA, e um valor 25% mais elevado de HA foi observado dentre aqueles trabalhadores ativos em duas das três dimensões, na comparação com os ativos nas três dimensões. Sexo masculino, maior idade (> 31 anos) e excesso de peso se associaram à HA, com razões de prevalência de 1,62, 2,10 e 2,26, respectivamente.Conclusões Verificou-se efeito cumulativo das dimensões da atividade física sobre a ocorrência de HA. Classificar sujeitos ativos no trabalho ou no ambiente doméstico como inativos ao se basear apenas na dimensão do lazer pode implicar em erro metodológico. (Arq Bras Cardiol. 2020; 114(5):755-761)

Occupational health of workers in underground occupations producing polymetalliccopperzinc ores

In mining operations, including those in the Republic of Bashkortostan, the health of workers is not good, due to the impact of adverse occupational factors, as evidenced by the level of occupational morbidity in the industry. In this regard, the solution of issues of workers’ health protection is the most significant in occupational health. The working conditions of male workers of the main underground occupations of the enterprise producing copper-zinc ores have been studied. We have evaluated the dependence of the identified diseases on occupational factors and findings on occupational morbidity between 1997 and 2018. The results of the studies indicate a complex of adverse factors affecting the workers of underground occupations that determine the evels and structure of work-related morbidity, including occupational, the main forms of which are vibrational disease, sensorineural hearing loss, diseases of the musculoskeletal and respiratory systems. Diseases of the musculoskeletal system, upper respiratory tract and arterial hypertension with a risk level from «medium» to «very high» are regarded to be work-related. The greatest number of cases of occupational morbidity among the underground occupations has been established among drifters, fasteners, and mining technicians. Preventive measures aimed at modifying occupational factors and improving medical support for enterprise workers have been developed.