Systematic review of reviews: occupational exposures and work disability

Abstract Background Occupational exposures significantly impact workers’ health and may lead to temporary or permanent work absence. Although the effect of occupational exposures on work participation has been studied extensively, research remains fragmented in covering different exposures and outcomes. This review investigates the evidence on the associations between occupational exposures and work disability. Methods Following PRISMA guidelines, a systematic review of reviews was conducted using PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. Reviews and meta-analyses of observational studies examining associations between occupational exposures and self- or physician-assessed sickness absence or disability retirement, published until 2023, were included. The review findings were supplemented with an additional search for original studies published after 2012 focusing on exposures less covered by the reviews. Quality assessment was performed using AMSTAR and the NH quality assessment tools. Results A total of 21 reviews and meta-analyses and 35 complementing original studies were included. While 10 reviews covered psychosocial exposures and 19 reviews focused on temporary work disability, fewer examined other exposures like chemicals (3 reviews, 7 original studies) or permanent work disability (8 reviews, 17 original studies). Next, we’ll further synthesize these studies to evaluate the levels of the evidence. Conclusions Our review found that published studies primarily focused on work-related psychosocial exposures and temporary work disability, revealing gaps in research on other occupational exposures like chemicals and permanent work disability. Key messages • There’s a need to explore a wider range of occupational exposures and their impact on work disability beyond psychosocial exposures. • The focus of prior reviews on occupational exposures and temporary work disability underscores the importance of studying the impact of these exposures on permanent work disability in future research.