Impact of occupation on respiratory disease

Objectives This study identified occupations with a marked impact on sick l eaves due to respiratory disease. Methods A national sick-leave register containing information on all sick l eaves exceeding 14 days, physicians' diagnoses, and the occupational status of all manual and service employees in the private sector in Sweden was st udied. Sick leaves during 1992-1994 (N=210 755) were analyzed with special attention to respiratory disease and occupation. Results Respiratory disease accounted for 4.4% of the total number of sick leaves. The incidence of long-term (greater than or equal to 90 days) sick leaves due to respiratory disease was 3 times higher in occupations with a high incidence than in those with a low incidence. There was a high correla tion (r=0.80) between the incidence of long-term sick leave due to respirat ory disease and sick leave due to all other conditions; this finding sugges ts that market and selection factors may play an important role in determin ing the overall risk for sick leave in various occupations. The proportion of sick leaves due to long-term respiratory disease out of all long-term di sease was compared between occupations. Agricultural workers had a 46% high er proportion of long-term respiratory disease than metal workers. Industri al workers, food industry workers, and painters were also occupations with an increased risk. These findings could not be explained by differences in age or smoking habits. Conclusions Major differences were found among manual and service occupatio ns regarding long-term sick leave due to respiratory disease. Several occup ations, in which exposure to respiratory sensitizers and irritants are know n to occur, were among those in which workers had an increased risk for lon g-term respiratory disease.