Most Say Work Is Bad for Their Health
Excerpt By Alan Mozes, Reuters Health

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Most patients seeking medical attention for a range of concerns feel their work environment is either the direct cause of their health problems or is aggravating pre-existing conditions, study findings show.

``Occupational health concerns are extremely common,'' said lead author Dr. Phillip Harber of the University of California, Los Angeles. ``And while, traditionally, people have thought about coal mines and asbestos production, in reality, occupational hazards are relevant to office workers, teachers and professional performers. So we need to broaden our focus and consider all the possibilities.''

Harber and his colleagues interviewed over 100 patients who sought care at managed care facilities and hospital clinics in the Los Angeles area.

Occupational health concerns were generally very common among the patients, according to the report in the November issue of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

The investigators found that almost 40% of the patients said they believed the cause of their illness or injury could be job-related. Many more--nearly 7 out of 10--said their health problems were made worse by either the stress or physical requirements of the workplace.

Men were more than twice as likely as women to say that their job had actually caused their health problem, but the researchers found little gender difference in whether people thought that work had worsened their health. Overall, 13% said they had changed jobs because of health issues, while almost 20% said that poor health had caused them to change what they did at work in some manner.

Six out of 10 patients said making changes in their work environment could help them function better.

Harber and colleagues conclude that healthcare providers should ask patients about their occupational health concerns, no matter what motivated the patient to seek care in the first place.

``Healthcare providers really should ask about occupational factors and not wait for the patients to bring it up, because patients won't bring it up by themselves,'' Harber told Reuters Health. ``It can offer real opportunities to prevent disease and also to improve a patient's overall sense of well-being.''

Harber stressed the need to improve the training of American physicians and nurses when it comes to appreciating the health impact of various work environments.

``The healthcare provider can make suggestions about minor changes at work that can help (the patient) work more effectively,'' he said. ``(Adjusting an office) chair can have a big impact. Sometimes more so than a discussion about selecting one drug as opposed to another drug. And yet physicians hardly ever address these issues.''

SOURCE: Journal of Occupational Environmental Medicine 2001;43:939-945.

Reference Source 89

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