HOW DOES OCCUPATION ASSOCIATE WITH DIABETES RISK AND PROGNOSIS? EVIDENCE FROM ALL SWEDISH EMPLOYEES 2006-2015

Diabetes is a chronic disease affecting one in five Swedes during their lifetime, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease and premature death. Half of those affected are in working ages with limited work ability as a common consequence. Diabetes prevalence is increasing and there is an urgent need for effective primary and secondary prevention.

Adults spend a large proportion of their time at work and the workplace is a potentially important but unexplored arena for prevention. To be efficient, preventive efforts should target high-risk occupations.

The overall aim of this project is to identify occupations where employees have a high risk of diabetes and/or poor prognosis if afflicted with diabetes and factors contributing to excess risk.

Through a unique nationwide registry study based on the Swedish population (n=4.6 million) observed 2006-2015, we will study the risk of diabetes and prognosis in affected individuals across all occupational groups, an area where research is scarce.

The project will also provide knowledge about the risk of cardiovascular disease and death in relation to occupation in the entire working population. We will retrieve information on physical, psychosocial and chemical exposures at work through a job exposure matrices. Information on BMI, tobacco use, and physical fitness is obtained through national registers.

For people with diabetes, detailed information on lifestyle and clinical risk factors is available through the National Diabetes Register. This makes it possible to identify risk factors for the development of diabetes as well as prognostic factors.

The results of our study may form the basis for targeted workplace intervention aimed at a) preventing diabetes and b) reducing the risk of complications for people with diabetes. As an extension, we will also study COVID-19 in relation to occupation and diabetes.