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

Abstract

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.

Keywords

• Older worker
• occupational disease
• work-related disease
• aging workforce
• workplace health promotion

References

1. Republic of Turkey Ministry of Family and Social Services, General Directorate of Services for Persons with Disabilities and the Elderly. Bulletin of disabled and elderly statistics. Ankara, Turkey, 2022 [Internet]. Available from: https://www.aile.gov.tr/media/115108/eyhgm_istatistik_bulteni_temmuz2022.pdf (in Turkish).
2. CDC National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Older employees in the workplace. 2012. Issue Brief No. 1 [Internet]. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/workplacehealthpromotion/tools-resources/pdfs/issue-brief-no-1-older-employees-in-workplace-07122012.pdf
3. International Labour Office. ILO Recommendation R162 – Older Workers Recommendation (1980) [Internet]. Available from: https://www.ilo.org/dyn/normlex/en/f?p=NORMLEXPUB:12100:0::NO::P12100_ILO_CODE:R162
4. Brun E, Milczarek M. European risk observation report 5: expert forecast on emerging psychosocial risks related to occupational safety and health. European Agency for Safety and Health at Work [Internet]. Available from: https://osha.europa.eu/en/publications/report-expert-forecast-emerging-psychosocial-risks-related-occupational-safety-and
5. Runge K, van Zon SKR, Bültmann U, Henkens K. Transitioning out of work and metabolic syndrome incidence: a longitudinal study among 13 303 older workers from the lifelines cohort study and biobank. J Epidemiol Community Health 2022;76(9):779-785.
6. Rohwedder S, Willis RJ. Mental retirement. J Econ Perspect 2010;24(1):119-138.
7. Republic of Turkey Ministry of European Union. Factsheet on 2012 European year for active aging and ıntergenerational solidarity. Ankara, Turkey, 2011 [Internet]. Available from: https://www.ab.gov.tr/files/SBYPB/Sosyal%20Politika%20ve%20%C4%B0stihdam/aktif_yaslanma_bilgi_notu.pdf (in Turkish).
8. Turkish Statistical Institute. Elderly statistics 2020 [Internet]. Available from: https://biruni.tuik.gov.tr/yayin/views/visitorPages/index.zul (in Turkish).

9. Social Insurance and General Health Insurance Law (2006) [Internet]. Available from: https://www.mevzuat.gov.tr/MevzuatMetin/1.5.5510-20120101.pdf (in Turkish).
10. Occupational Health and Safety Law (2012) [Internet]. Available from: https://www.mevzuat.gov.tr/MevzuatMetin/1.5.6331.pdf (in Turkish).
11. Danaei G, Ding EL, Mozaffarian D, et al. The preventable causes of death in the United States: comparative risk assessment of dietary, lifestyle, and metabolic risk factors. PLoS Med 2009;6(4):e1000058. Pitt-Catsouphes M, James JB, Matz-Costa C. Workplace-based health and wellness programs: the intersection of aging, work, and health. The Gerontologist 2015;55(2):262-270.
12. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Worksite health 101: making the case for worksite health [Internet]. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/workplacehealthpromotion/tools-resources/pdfs/nhwp-wh101-making-the-case-07172012.pdf
13. Hughes SL, Seymour RB, Campbell RT, et al. Comparison of two health-promotion programs for older workers. Am J Public Health 2011;101(5):883-890.
14. Çağlayan Ç, Etiler N. Advanced analysis of 2010 health survey the health of older workers [Internet]. Available from: https://www.academia.edu/27698111/T%C3%9CRK%C4%B0YEDE_YA%C5%9ELI_C4%B0%C5%9E%C3%87%C4%B0LER%C4%B0N_SA%C4%9ELI%C4%9EI (in Turkish).
15. White MS, Burns C, Conlon HA. The impact of an aging population in the workplace. Workplace Health Saf 2018;66(10):493-498.
16. Turkish Statistical Institute. Turkish Statistical Institute Statistics of 2020 [Internet]. Available from: https://www.sgk.gov.tr/Istatistik/Yillik/fcd5e59b-6af9-4d90-a451-ee7500eb1cb4/ (in Turkish).
17. International Labour Office. Safety and health in agriculture. Geneva, Switzerland. 2000 [Internet]. Available from: https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/@ed_protect/@protrav/@safework/documents/publication/wcms_110193.pdf
18. Goodall H, Evans J. Older worker. In: Palmer KT, Brown I, Hobson J, editors. Fitness for Work the Medical Aspects, 5th ed. United Kingdom: Oxford University Press; 2013.p.525-551.
19. Söderbacka T, Nyholm L, Fagerström L. Workplace interventions that support older employees’ health and work ability - a scoping review. BMC Health Serv Res 2020;20(1):472.
20. Bosma AR, Boot CRL, Snippen NC, et al. Supporting employees with chronic conditions to stay at work: perspectives of occupational health professionals and organizational representatives. BMC Public Health 2021;21(1):592.
21. Turkish Statistical Institute. Labor force statistics 2021 [Internet]. Available from: https://data.tuik.gov.tr/Bulten/Index?p=%C4%B0%C5%9Fg%C3%BCc%C3%BC-%C4%B0statistikleri-2021-45645&dil=1#:~:text=%C4%B0%C5%9Fg%C3%BCc%C3%BC%202021%20y%C4%B1l%C4%B1nda%20bir%20%C3%B6nceki,ise%20%32%2C8%20oldu (in Turkish). International Labour Office Ankara. Promoting gender equality in the world of work [Internet]. Available from: https://www.ilo.org/ankara/projects/gender-equality/lang--en/index.htm#:~:text=Women%20constitute%20almost%20half%20of,Turkish%20Statistical%20Institute%20(TU%C4%B0K
22. Occupational diseases in 2017 (poster) [Internet]. [Accessed date: 8 October 2022]. Available from: https://www.occupationaldiseases.nl/sites/default/files/documents/Statistics-on-Occupational-Diseases-2018_infographic.pdf