Multiple occupational exposures to hazards affecting the cardiovascular system among employees in France in 2016–2017, based on the Sumer survey
In recent years, cardiovascular diseases and strokes have ranked as the second leading cause of death in France, after cancer, due to a steady decline in the number of cardiovascular deaths linked to improvements in prevention and treatment. Nevertheless, among women, these diseases remain the leading cause of death. Occupational factors that may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease are often studied in isolation from one another, whereas in reality, exposure is multifaceted. A better understanding of multiple exposures allows for a more accurate assessment of occupational risks, which is a key step in the prevention process, aimed at safeguarding health and safety in the workplace. The aim of this study was to describe the multi-exposure of the French working population to a range of hazards (chemical, physical, psychosocial, etc.) that affect the cardiovascular system for prevention purposes. To this end, quantitative and qualitative indicators of multiple exposure to hazards affecting the cardiovascular system were determined by major industry sector and occupational field among the French working population, based on the 2016–2017 SUMER survey. The study also focused on describing exposure to hazards likely to amplify exposure to a specific hazard affecting the cardiovascular system. Multiple exposure to a set of hazards affecting the cardiovascular system was also described in two vulnerable subpopulations: women of childbearing age and older employees (aged 55 and older). This study, based on the 2016–2017 SUMER survey, revealed that in France, multiple exposure of employees to hazards affecting the cardiovascular system is common, as 6.8% of employees (approximately 1.7 million 1.5 million men and 150,000 women) were exposed, during the last week worked prior to the survey, to at least one chemical hazard, noise, and at least one psychosocial stressor affecting the cardiovascular system. For the vast majority of them (84.6%), this multiple exposure is compounded by at least one exposure to cold or heat, the handling of heavy loads, and work that routinely requires a forced position of one or more joints. The prevention of cardiovascular diseases in the workplace is therefore of significant public health importance. This prevention effort should be targeted in particular at workers under 45 years of age in the industrial and construction sectors, women of childbearing age, and older adults, who are populations at particularly high risk.
Author(s): Pécheux Marie, Houot Marie, Olié Valérie, Fillol Clémence
Publishing year: 2024
Pages: 32 p.
Collection: Studies and Surveys
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