Dataset Information

Health, lifestyle and occupational risks in Information Technology workers.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Information technology (IT) and the IT workforce are rapidly expanding with potential occupational health implications. But to date, IT worker health is under-studied and large-scale studies are lacking.

Aims

To investigate health, lifestyle and occupational risk factors of IT workers.

Methods

We evaluated self-reported health, lifestyle and occupational risk factors for IT workers in the UK Biobank database. Using logistic regression, we investigated differences between IT workers and all other employed participants. Regression models were repeated for IT worker subgroups (managers, professionals, technicians) and their respective counterparts within the same Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) major group (functional managers, science and technology professionals, science and technology associate professionals).

Results

Overall, 10 931 (4%) employed participants were IT workers. Compared to all other employed participants, IT workers reported similar overall health, but lower lifestyle risk factors for smoking and obesity. Sedentary work was a substantially higher occupational exposure risk for IT workers compared to all other employed participants (odds ratio [OR] = 5.14, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.91-5.39) and their specific SOC group counterparts (managers: OR = 1.83, 95% CI: 1.68-1.99, professionals: OR = 7.18, 95% CI: 6.58-7.82, technicians: OR = 4.48, 95% CI: 3.87-5.17). IT workers were also more likely to engage in computer screen-time outside work than all other employed participants (OR = 1.42, 95% CI: 1.35-1.51).

Conclusions

Improved understanding of health, lifestyle and occupational risk factors from this, the largest to date study of IT worker health, can help inform workplace interventions to mitigate risk, improve health and increase the work participation of this increasingly important and rapidly growing occupational group.

SUBMITTER: Lalloo D

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8034523 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Similar Datasets

Project description:BackgroundIn many countries, sex work is criminalized, driving sex work underground and leaving sex workers vulnerable to a number of occupational health and safety risks, including violence, assault, and robbery. With the advent of widely accessible information and communication technologies (ICTs), sex workers have begun to use electronic occupational health and safety tools to mitigate these risks.ObjectiveThis study aims to explore the use of ICTs by sex workers for managing occupational health and safety risks and strategies for reducing these risks. This paper aims to answer the following question: what is known about sex workers' use of ICTs in the delivery of occupational health and safety strategies?MethodsA literature review following the methodological framework for scoping reviews was conducted to analyze studies describing the use of ICTs by sex workers to mitigate occupational health and safety risks. Experimental, observational, and descriptive studies, as well as protocol papers, were included in this scoping review.ResultsOf the 2477 articles initially identified, 41 (1.66%) met the inclusion criteria. Of these studies, 71% (29/41) were published between 2015 and 2019. In these studies, the internet was the predominant ICT (24/41, 58%), followed by text messaging (10/41, 24%) and assorted communication technologies associated with mobile phones without internet access (7/41, 17%; eg, voice mail). In 56% (23/41) of the studies, sex workers located in high-income countries created occupational health and safety strategies (eg, bad date lists) and shared them through the internet. In 24% (10/41) of the studies, mostly in low- and middle-income countries, organizations external to sex work developed and sent (through text messages) occupational health and safety strategies focused on HIV. In 20% (8/41) of the studies, external organizations collaborated with the sex worker community in the development of occupational health and safety strategies communicated through ICTs; through this collaboration, concerns other than HIV (eg, mental health) emerged.ConclusionsAlthough there has been an increase in the number of studies on the use of ICTs by sex workers for managing occupational health and safety over the past 5 years, knowledge of how to optimally leverage ICTs for this purpose remains scarce. Recommendations for expanding the use of ICTs by sex workers for occupational health and safety include external organizations collaborating with sex workers in the design of ICT interventions to mitigate occupational health and safety risks; to examine whether ICTs used in low- and middle-income countries would have applications in high-income countries as a substitute to the internet for sharing occupational health and safety strategies; and to explore the creation of innovative, secure, web-based communities that use existing or alternative digital technologies that could be used by sex workers to manage their occupational health and safety.