World Diabetes Day 2025, November 14
Abstract
Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease that affects millions of people of working age. According to data from the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), its global prevalence continues to increase (1). In the workplace, diabetes not only affects individual health but also has economic and organizational implications for companies and healthcare systems.
Incidence and Prevalence of Diabetes in Workers
A 10-year population-based study conducted as part of the Gutenberg Health Study (GHS) (Germany) found that, among employees without diabetes at baseline, the cumulative incidence of type 2 diabetes was 6.9% (388 cases in 5,954 people), and 22.6% for metabolic syndrome (1,104 cases in 5,103). Furthermore, marked differences were observed by occupation: workers in “food production and processing” had the highest incidence (20.7%, standardized incidence ratio [SIR] = 3.0; 95% CI 1.8–4.7), followed by cleaners and drivers (2).
Regarding prevalence, a 6.4% diabetes diagnosis rate was reported among employed adults in the US (3). Similarly, a study in Australia with over 500,000 workers showed that blue-collar workers had a higher risk of diabetes, as calculated by the AUSDRISK, and a higher cardiovascular risk than white-collar workers (4).
These data suggest that diabetes is not only present in the working population, but that its distribution and risk depend in part on occupation, socioeconomic status, and working conditions.
References
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