Changes in the Results of Periodic Occupational Examinations in Four Years: A longitudinal study in a steel industry

Abstract

Introduction: Since occupational diseases are costly and have a direct impact on workers’ health, their identification and investigation are necessary. The purpose of this study was to investigate changes in the results of periodic occupational examinations and their effective factors over the last four years in Steel Industry of Kashan City.

Methods: This longitudinal study was conducted in a steel company in 2018. In order to investigate the changes, the results of periodic occupational examinations in this company were reviewed from 2014 to 2018. Blood pressure, blood glucose, audiometry, optometry, spirometry, and liver enzymes were evaluated. The results of medical records were analyzed by SPSS software version 21.

Results: The mean age, work experience, and body mass index of participants were 19.19 years, 9.45 years, and 27.58, respectively. The results showed that the most common disease was hearing loss. High levels of glucose and high cholesterol increased dramatically over the studied period. A significant difference was observed between AST and ALT in 2014 (P <0.05).

Conclusion: The results showed that some diseases were more prevalent among the staff due to the lack of attention to occupational health controls, the nature of work, and lack of proper control of occupational stress. Moreover, the results of this study can be used to improve the working conditions and choose the appropriate control measures for occupational diseases.