A survey of patients with occupational pneumoconiosis reported in Guilin from 1957 to 2022

Objective To analyze the characteristics and trends of occupational pneumoconiosis in Guilin City, understand the health status of pneumoconiosis patients, and provide basic data for formulating relevant prevention and control policies.

Methods The occupational pneumoconiosis patients reported in Guilin City from 1957 to 2022 were selected as the investigation objects to carry out follow-up and retrospective investigations. The age of onset, working years, gender, type of pneumoconiosis, year of onset, and security status of pneumoconiosis patients were analyzed.

Results A total of 724 occupational pneumoconiosis patients reported in Guilin City from 1957 to 2022 were investigated. The peak incidence of pneumoconiosis occurred during the 5-year period from 1980 to 1985. There were statistically significant differences in the composition of pneumoconiosis stages diagnosed in different years(P < 0.05). Among the 724 patients, the male-to-female ratio was 71.4:1, among which pneumoconiosis was mainly in the first stage, with 370 cases(51.10%); 693 cases were mainly silicosis, accounting for 95.72%; and the remaining 7 types of pneumoconiosis accounted for only 31 cases. The median(P₂₅, P₇₅) age of pneumoconiosis onset was 48.46(41.69, 55.15) years old, and the difference in the distribution of pneumoconiosis stages in different age groups was statistically significant(P < 0.05). The median(P₂₅, P₇₅) dust exposure time of these pneumoconiosis cases was 17.33(11.17, 24.33) years, and the difference in the distribution of pneumoconiosis stages in different groups of dust exposure time was statistically significant(P < 0.05). The social security of pneumoconiosis survivors in Guilin City was mainly based on urban and rural residents' medical insurance, which accounted for 96.43%, while work-related injury insurance accounted for 44.39%.

Conclusions Occupational pneumoconiosis in Guilin City was mainly silicosis. After 2015, the annual report of pneumoconiosis decreased significantly, and the effect of the comprehensive control measures against pneumoconiosis was remarkable. It is necessary to continue to strengthen the supervision of enterprises with dust hazards, strengthen the occupational protection propaganda for key populations, and improve the implementation of work-related injury insurance.