Occupational diseases in the home care and assistance sector through the occupational disease surveillance program

The Occupational Disease Surveillance Program (MCP) was launched to investigate reports of occupational diseases in the workplace. An occupational disease is defined as any condition deemed by an occupational physician to be work-related and not previously recognized as an occupational injury. The objective of this study is to describe the reported conditions and their sociodemographic determinants among employees in the home care and assistance professions. This program relies on a network of volunteer occupational physicians who report, over a defined period, all observed work-related illnesses and the associated exposure factors identified during medical visits. The socio-professional characteristics of all employees who came in for a visit during this period were also collected. Between 2008 and 2011, 4,540 employees working in home care and assistance professions were seen in consultation, 85% of whom were women, who were the focus of the analysis. "Home health aides, housekeepers, and family care workers" were the most represented group (51%). The most frequently reported musculoskeletal conditions (MSCs) were musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), with the lumbar spine being the primary site of involvement. Depending on the year, their prevalence ranged from 3.8% to 7.8% and was higher than that observed across all sectors. The prevalence of mental distress ranged from 1.5% to 2.2%, a prevalence similar to that observed across all sectors. Further analyses on occupational exposures linked to these conditions will be presented. These results help identify the specific characteristics of these occupations particularly affected by MSDs and thus contribute to guiding prevention efforts. (R.A.)

Author(s): Provost D, Prouvost H, Riviere S, Fernet F, Valenty M

Publishing year: 2014

Pages: S32-S33

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