Age trend in risks for the chronic diseases in miners and metallurgists of the Kola Arctic

Introduction. With the combined and complex action of harmful occupation factors, traditional methods fail to allow an objective assessing of age-related changes in health.

The purpose of the work. To analyze and give a hygienic assessment of the age trend in prevalence in miners and metallurgists of the Kola Arctic.

Materials and methods. There were examined three groups of workers of the Kola Arctic region including 1758 workers from the mining complex with harmful working conditions (degree of harm 3.1.–3.3); 2181 workers of the metallurgical enterprise (degree of harm 3.1.–3.3); 242 engineering and technical staff (hazard classes 2 and 3.1). There were investigated 12 classes of diseases, established according to the data of periodic medical examinations. The average values of morbidity indices and linear regression indice were calculated as “disease risk = annual gain in risk (AGR) · age + const”. The relative assessment of the AGR was carried out in relation to the actual value to the control, background value.

Results. For each class of diseases in four age groups of employees (20–29; 30–39; 40–49; 50–59 years). These linear regressions were calculated. The obtained AGR values were compared with the control values and the values in the report. The obtained values ​​of the AGR were compared with the control values ​​and literature data. The highest AGR for diseases of the circulatory system, musculoskeletal system, and chronic diseases was found in workers in the mining complex. The highest annual increase in the risk of diseases of the respiratory, genitourinary and endocrine systems was observed in workers in metallurgical production. The annual rise in the risk of diseases of the organs of vision was the highest in the group of specialists. The differences in the prevalence in the examined groups of workers are due to the differences in the annual increases.

Limitations. The limitation of the study may be the insufficient amount of data to calculate the AGR in women due to the legislative prohibition of the use of female labour in underground work and in some types of metallurgical industries.

Conclusion. The workers at the mining complex have the highest annual gain in the risk for diseases of the circulatory system, musculoskeletal system, and in the number of chronic diseases. Metallurgical workers have the highest annual increase in the risk of diseases of the respiratory system, genitourinary, and endocrine systems. The annual increase in the risk of diseases of the visual organs is of the greatest importance in the group of specialists. The differences in the disease levels of the surveyed groups of workers are due to differences in their annual increases.

Compliance with ethical standards. The study was approved at the meeting of the Medical Expert Commission No. 2021/30.4 dated March 16, 2021. Each participant of the study gave informed voluntary written consent to participate in the study.

Contribution:
Sorokin G.A. – research concept and design, statistical data processing, text writing;
Syurin S.A. – data collection;
Kiryanova M.N. – data collection, text editing.
All authors are responsible for the integrity of all parts of the manuscript and approval of the manuscript final version.

Conflict of interest. The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Acknowledgement. The study had no sponsorship.

Received: May 3, 2024 / Accepted: June 19, 2024 / Published: January 31, 2025