Global, regional, and national burdens of ischemic heart disease and stroke attributable to exposure to long working hours for 194 countries, 2000–2016: A systematic analysis from the WHO/ILO Joint Estimates of the Work-related Burden of Disease and Injury. (September 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Pega, Frank; Náfrádi, Bálint; Momen, Natalie C.; Ujita, Yuka; Streicher, Kai N.; Prüss-Üstün, Annette M.; Descatha, Alexis; Driscoll, Tim; Fischer, Frida M.; Godderis, Lode; Kiiver, Hannah M.; Li, Jian; Magnusson Hanson, Linda L.; Rugulies, Reiner; Sørensen, Kathrine; Woodruff, Tracey J.
• Is Part Of: Environment international. Volume 154(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-09
• Subjects: Burden of disease -- Working hours -- Ischemic heart disease -- Stroke; Environmental protection -- Periodicals; Environmental health -- Periodicals; Environmental monitoring -- Periodicals; Environmental Monitoring -- Periodicals; Environnement -- Protection -- Périodiques; Hygiène du milieu -- Périodiques; Environnement -- Surveillance -- Périodiques; Environmental health; Environmental monitoring; Environmental protection; Periodicals; 333.705
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2021.106595
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0160-4120

Abstract

Highlights: We present the first WHO/ILO Joint Estimates of the Work-related Burden of Disease and Injury. Globally in 2016, 488 million people were exposed to long working hours (≥55 hours/week). This exposure had 745, 194 attributable deaths and 23.3 million DALYs from ischemic heart disease and stroke. These are 4.9% of all deaths and 6.9% of all DALYs from these causes. The Western Pacific, South-East Asia, men, and older people carried higher burdens. Abstract: Background: World Health Organization (WHO) and International Labour Organization (ILO) systematic reviews reported sufficient evidence for higher risks of ischemic heart disease and stroke amongst people working long hours (≥55 hours/week), compared with people working standard hours (35–40 hours/week). This article presents WHO/ILO Joint Estimates of global, regional, and national exposure to long working hours, for 194 countries, and the attributable burdens of ischemic heart disease and stroke, for 183 countries, by sex and age, for 2000, 2010, and 2016. Methods and Findings: We calculated population-attributable fractions from estimates of the population exposed to long working hours and relative risks of exposure on the diseases from the systematic reviews. The exposed population was modelled using data from 2324 cross-sectional surveys and 1742 quarterly survey datasets. Attributable disease burdens were estimated by applying the population-attributable fractions to WHO's Global Health Estimates of total disease burdens. Results: In 2016, 488 million people (95% uncertainty range: 472–503 million), or 8.9% (8.6–9.1) of the global population, were exposed to working long hours (≥55 hours/week). An estimated 745, 194 deaths (705, 786–784, 601) and 23.3 million disability-adjusted life years (22.2–24.4) from ischemic heart disease and stroke combined were attributable to this exposure. The population-attributable fractions for deaths were 3.7% (3.4–4.0) for ischemic heart disease and 6.9% for stroke (6.4–7.5); for disability-adjusted life years they were 5.3% (4.9–5.6) for ischemic heart disease and 9.3% (8.7–9.9) for stroke. Conclusions: WHO and ILO estimate exposure to long working hours (≥55 hours/week) is common and causes large attributable burdens of ischemic heart disease and stroke. Protecting and promoting occupational and workers' safety and health requires interventions to reduce hazardous long working hours.