Significant differences in health risks and diseases across occupational groups
A new report from the National Institute of Public Health (Statens Institut for Folkesundhed) highlights how diseases and risk factors are distributed across six major occupational groups in Denmark.
The report is based on data from the Danish National Health Survey 2021 and national health registers. It compares the proportion of individuals with selected risk factors and diseases within the following sectors: construction, transport, cleaning, education, social and health care, and nursing.
“Our findings can help strengthen preventive efforts in professions that play a crucial role in society,” says Anne Vinggaard Christensen, one of the researchers behind the report.
“They may hopefully support the development of more targeted strategies to improve health among employees in specific sectors. This is especially important in professions where we already see – or expect – labour shortages.”
Risk factors vary between occupational groups
Daily smoking is most common among people working in the transport sector, where one in four smokes every day. Among nurses, the figure is around seven percent.
A similar pattern is seen in relation to sedentary leisure time: A quarter of transport workers report that their leisure time is mostly spent sitting down, compared to about seven percent of nurses.
Alcohol consumption is highest among construction workers. One in five reports drinking more than 10 units of alcohol per week, and about nine percent show signs of moderate to severe alcohol problems. The lowest rate of alcohol problems is found among cleaning staff, while nurses have the lowest proportion exceeding 10 units per week.
The report also shows differences in the proportion of people with poor mental health. The largest proportion is found among social and health care assistants, while the smallest is among construction workers.
Diet and obesity also vary across sectors. In the transport sector, one third have an unhealthy diet and are severely overweight. Among nurses, the proportions are lower – seven percent and 16 percent respectively.
Some diseases vary – others are widespread across sectors
The prevalence of certain diseases also differs. For example, type 2 diabetes, ischemic heart disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are most common in the transport sector and least common among construction workers, educators, and nurses.
Researcher Isabelle Pascale Mairey, who also contributed to the report, emphasizes that the figures only reflect people currently in employment.
“It’s important to remember that our data only include individuals who are actively working. That means some professions may appear healthier simply because a certain level of physical fitness is required for the job. At the same time, lifestyle factors naturally play a role.”
Some health conditions are widespread across all sectors – especially lower back pain, where differences between occupational groups are less pronounced. Between one in five and one in four people report being bothered by back or lower back pain.
“Back pain is common in the general population, so it’s not surprising that it’s also widespread in all these sectors. But certain jobs involve positions and movements that put more strain on the back – and that could help explain the high numbers,” says Isabelle Pascale Mairey.
Depression is another condition that significantly impacts the workforce. The highest proportion is found among social and health care assistants – here, 14 percent have either been hospitalized or received prescription medication for depression. Among construction workers, the figure is six percent.
Methods and data
Occupational groups are defined based on Statistics Denmark’s DISCO classification system, which groups employees by job function.
Information on risk factors and back pain is based on questionnaire data from the Danish National Health Survey 2021, combined with register data. The prevalence of diseases is based solely on national health registers.
The figures do not account for differences in age and gender across occupational groups, but it is assessed that participants are representative on these parameters.
Contact: Researcher Anne Vinggaard Christensen, tel.: +45 6550 9385, e-mail: anvi@sdu.dk, og Researcher Isabelle Pascale Mairey, tel.: +45 6550 7709, e-mail: ipa@sdu.dk, National Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark