Estimated burden of disease attributable to selected occupational exposures in the United Arab Emirates

• Published in: American journal of industrial medicine Vol. 55; no. 10; pp. 940 - 952
• Main Authors: Folley, Tiina J., Nylander-French, Leena A., Joubert, Darren M., Gibson, Jacqueline MacDonald
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company 01.10.2012; Wiley-Liss
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Biological and medical sciences; Carcinogens; Confidence Intervals; Female; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; Neoplasms - epidemiology; Neoplasms - mortality; Noise - adverse effects; occupational burden of disease; Occupational Diseases - epidemiology; Occupational Diseases - etiology; Occupational Diseases - mortality; Occupational Exposure - adverse effects; occupational exposure assessment; Occupational Health; Occupational medicine; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; relative risk; Risk; risk assessment; United Arab Emirates; United Arab Emirates - epidemiology; Young Adult; Asia; United Emirates; United Arab Emirates; risk assessment; Profession; Occupational disease; Risk factor; occupational burden of disease; occupational exposure assessment; United Arab Emirates; Professional activity; Occupational exposure; Morbidity; Occupational medicine; Relative risk
• ISSN: 0271-3586; 1097-0274
• DOI: 10.1002/ajim.22043

Background As part of an effort to strengthen occupational safety and health programs, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) commissioned a study to estimate the burden of disease attributable to occupational exposure to carcinogens, particulate matter, and noise. Methods We developed an innovative simulation model to estimate the occupational disease burden and facilitate future assessments as more field‐based quantitative data become available. Results We determined that, in 2008, an estimated 46 deaths (95% CI: 27–71) and 17,000 health‐care facility visits (95% CI: 16,000–18,000), along with 4,500 cases of noise‐induced hearing loss, were attributable to the occupational risk factors covered in this study. Lung cancer and leukemia were associated with the highest number of deaths (38), whereas asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease contributed most to the health‐care facility visits (nearly 16,900). The highest estimated occupational disease burden is in construction. Conclusion These results will help the UAE to institute new policies for environment, health, and safety management. Am. J. Ind. Med. 55:940–952, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.