Exposure to environmental occupational constraints and all-cause mortality: Results for men and women from a 20-year follow-up prospective cohort, the VISAT study. Be aware of shift-night workers!

OBJECTIVE

To determine the predictive value of the large panel of occupational constraints (OC) on all-cause mortality with a 20-year follow-up, in general population of workers.

METHODS

In VISAT prospective cohort study, 3,138 workers (1,605 men; 1,533 women) were recruited during the periodic work health visits conducted by occupational physicians. OC (physical, organizational, psychological and employment categories) were collected through self-questionnaires. Exposure durations of each OC were divided by tertile distribution. Cox-regression models were performed to analyze the associations between all-cause mortality and each OC first separately and simultaneously in a single model.

RESULTS

The mortality rates were higher among exposed participants to most of OC compared to those unexposed. Being exposed and longer exposure increased the risks of all-cause mortality for exposures to carrying heavy loads, loud noise, working more than 48 h/week, starting its first job before 18 years old although these risks became non-significant after adjustments for cardiovascular risk factors. Shift work and night work confirmed a high risk of mortality whatever the adjustments and notably when the other occupational exposures were taking into account, with, respectively: HR: 1.38 (1.01-1.91) and 1.44 (1.06-1.95). After adjustments being exposed more than 13 years to a work requiring getting-up before 5:00 a.m. and more than 16 years in rotating shift work significantly increased the risk of mortality by one and a half.

CONCLUSION

The links between each OC and all-cause mortality and the role of individual factors were stressed. For night-shift workers, it is urgent to implement preventive strategies at the workplace.