Analysis of occupational health examination results of 49 474 workers exposed to coal dust in Anhui Province in 2022

Objective  To understand the health status of workers exposed to coal dust in Anhui Province, providing a scientific basis for the prevention and treatment of coal workers' pneumoconiosis in the province.

Methods  Occupational health examination data of workers exposed to coal dust in Anhui Province in 2022 was collected. The basic conditions and occupational health examination results of these workers were analyzed.

Results  A total of 49 474 occupational health examination records were collected. Among them, 427 cases showed pneumoconiosis-like changes on chest X-ray examination, with a detection rate of 0.86%. Abnormal forced vital capacity (FVC) was found in 10 298 cases, with a detection rate of 20.81%. Abnormal forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV₁) was found in 2 022 cases, with a detection rate of 4.09%. Abnormal FEV₁/FVC ratio was found in 347 cases, with a detection rate of 0.70%. The cases with pneumoconiosis-like changes were distributed across five cities, with 425 cases detected in four cities in northern Anhui, accounting for 99.53% of the total detected cases. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the abnormality rate of occupational health examination (pneumoconiosis-like changes and abnormalities in any one of the three indicators of lung function) was influenced by the economic type, scale, and industry type of the enterprises where the workers were employed, as well as individual characteristics (gender, age, and employment time). Specifically, compared to Hong Kong-, Macau-, Taiwan-, and foreign-invested enterprises, state-owned enterprises had a higher risk of abnormal occupational health examination results (OR = 4.42), while collective enterprises had a lower risk (OR = 0.31); medium-sized, small and micro-enterprises had higher risks than large enterprises (OR = 1.23, 2.00). Manufacturing and other industries had lower risks than mining (OR = 0.65, 0.80). Females had a lower risk than males (OR = 0.74). Compared to workers under 30 years old, workers aged 45 to 49, 50 to 54, 55 and above had higher risks of abnormal occupational health examination results (OR = 1.33, 1.46, 1.94). Compared to workers with less than 3 years of service, those with 4 to 6 years, 20 to 24 years, and 25 to 29 years of service had lower risks (OR = 0.84, 0.81, 0.83), while those with 15 to 19 years of service had a higher risk (OR = 1.19). All these differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05 or 0.01).

Conclusions  The hazard of coal dust in Anhui Province remains severe, and the health status of workers exposed to coal dust still requires close attention. It is necessary to continue occupational health monitoring for key regions and populations and further improve the occupational health examination monitoring system.