Impacts of diabetes mellitus in the workplace: an integrative review of occupational and economic factors

TL;DR

This review explores how diabetes affects workers and workplaces, highlighting factors like stress and long hours that contribute to the condition and its economic impact.

Contribution

The study integrates findings on occupational factors and diabetes, emphasizing the need for workplace health policies.

Findings

Diabetes leads to productivity losses, absenteeism, and early retirement.

Workplace factors like shift work and chronic stress are linked to type 2 diabetes.

Few studies address how workplace conditions affect type 1 diabetes management.

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus is a highly prevalent chronic condition worldwide and has a
substantial impact on workers’ quality of life and productivity. Its
consequences extend beyond clinical manifestations and reach broader social and
economic dimensions. Additionally, the workplace can function as a risk factor
for the development or worsening of the disease. The aim was to examine the
impacts of diabetes mellitus in occupational settings and identify the main
work-related factors associated with its occurrence and productivity outcomes.
This integrative review was conducted through searches in the Virtual Health
Library and PubMed using Portuguese and English descriptors related to diabetes,
occupational health, risk factors, and workplace medicine. Studies published in
English or Portuguese and relevant grey literature were included. The findings
were organized into two thematic categories: economic impact and occupational
factors associated with diabetes. Diabetes mellitus was associated with
substantial productivity losses, increased absenteeism, presenteeism, and early
retirement. Occupational factors such as shift work, long working hours, chronic
stress, low job control, and effort-reward imbalance were identified as
determinants of type 2 diabetes. A scarcity of studies addressing how workplace
conditions influence the management of type 1 diabetes was observed. It was
concluded that diabetes mellitus should be recognized as a significant
occupational health concern. Implementing workplace health policies,
organizational interventions, and health-promotion programs may contribute to
disease prevention and to preserving workers’ functional capacity.

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