Higher risk of heart disease in health jobs

Health workers are more likely to suffer from heart disease and stroke while restaurant workers struggle with bronchitis, research has revealed.

A study of chronic illness in 4000 people aged between 45 and 64 discovered certain workers were more prone to particular conditions. Research found that health and community workers, including doctors, nurses and social workers, were twice as likely to suffer from cardiovascular conditions such as heart disease and stroke.

The chance of workers in cafes contracting bronchitis, as well as musculoskeletal, cardiovascular and endocrine conditions such as diabetes, was double that of other workers.

Those in the retail industry were more likely to suffer from musculoskeletal conditions, such as shoulder or ankle injuries.

Using data from the 2005 National Health Survey, the industry groups studied were all compared with a reference group of property and business workers with low risk factors.

Workers in other industries, including education, transport, construction and agriculture, did not show significantly higher rates of chronic illness.

The study, by researchers at the Northern Rivers University in NSW, also found that managers and administrators - people mostly working in offices - were less likely to suffer from cancer.

Dr Deborah Schofield said that while the reasons behind the differing rates of disease was not known, researchers could speculate. For example, the lower incidence of cancer in managers could be attributed to those workers being able to afford to stop working when their health deteriorated.

"Lower socio-economic status is thought to be related to both lower-grade occupations and poorer health," she said.

Dr Schofield said preventing chronic health conditions could be essential to workforce participation because some industries with higher rates of illness, such as retail and health and community services, were growing.

"If the chronic conditions in growth industries are work-related, then rates of disease may increase as these industries continue to grow," she said.

"Given Australia's ageing population, emerging work shortages, and with chronic diseases affecting the majority of the workforce, measures to prevent illness may be an important strategy for increasing labour force participation."

The research will be published today in The Medical Journal of Australia.

Julia Medew, The Age