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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Heleno Correa Filho, MD PHD, Preventive and Social Medicine, University of Campinas, Rua Tessalia Vieira de Camargo, 126, Cidade Universitaria Zeferino Vaz, Campinas, 13084-970, Brazil, 011551937888036, helenocf@unicamp.br and Maria Inês Monteiro, PhD, Department of Nursing, University of Campinas, Rua Tessalia Vieira de Camargo,126, Cidade Universitaria Zeferino Vaz, Campinas SP, 13084-970, Brazil.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the profile of healthcare demands and perceived morbidity by wholesale market workers in the city of Campinas, state of São Paulo, Brazil, during the period 1995-2004. Five consecutive pilot studies were conducted in the decade. A first systematic random sample of local medical records was taken in 1995 to establish a general profile of health service users. A second database was built in 1998 to follow-up patients who voluntarily seek the health center with relevant chronic morbidity previously selected in 1997 (low back pain, high blood pressure, diabetes and acute conditions in epilepsy). A third database was taken from one year follow-up of porters with low back pain to measure length of time disease-free after the beginning of work and the number of spontaneous contacts with the health services due to morbidity during 1997-1998. The last two cross-sectional random sampling surveys were conducted in 2001 and 2003 to measure general perceived morbidity as disease burden for workers. This presentation describes the main conditions diagnosed by physicians in these surveys, such as acute respiratory infections, musculoskeletal disorders, injuries, and cardiovascular and rheumatic disorders. We also present the perceived morbidity according to different job titles. Most amenable and viable interventions were those focused on musculoskeletal disorders. Cold temperatures, humidity, dust, and exhaustion fumes were considered difficult to change. The most prevalent cardiovascular problem was high blood pressure.

Learning Objectives:

• 1.Demonstrate that pilot cross-sectional studies on workers’ health demands for health care may yield a fairly good approximation on their health profile if repeated cross-sectional sampling is carried out.
• 2.Evaluate how long a worker may tolerate bad working conditions and the burden on their health without changes in their work environment.
• 3.Establish a baseline for measuring intervention effectiveness and for comparisons between different groups of workers in other settings.

Keywords: Occupational Health, International Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No