title: Occupation and tuberculosis: a descriptive study in Turkish patients with tuberculosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The present study was designed to determine the distribution of tuberculosis patients according to their occupations in Turkey.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 757 patients with bacteriologically and histopathologically confirmed diagnosis of tuberculosis and under the tuberculosis treatment were included in this retrospective descriptive study. Medical records of patients admitted to the Ministry of Health Sureyyapasa Chest Diseases and Chest Surgery Training and Research Hospital between the years of 2004 and 2007 were evaluated in terms of patient demographics and the occupations. Occupations were classified into 10 groups according to the International Standardization Classification Occupation (ISCO-88).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Males composed 67% of the overall population [mean age (SD) was 41.3 (16.4) years]. Recurrent and newly diagnosed tuberculosis patients composed 81 and 19% of the patients, respectively. The most frequently identified major occupational groups were; craft and related workers (32%), plant and machine operators and assembler (10%), followed by the subgroups of textile, garment and related trades workers (12.9%), motor vehicle drivers (5.8%). The youngest subgroup among the most popular subgroups with a mean age (SD) of 29.5 (11.1) years, was textile, garment and related trades workers while the subgroup of mining and construction laborers was the oldest with a mean age (SD) of 63.9 (7.9) years. In all occupational subgroups, the frequency of males was higher than females. In female patients, the most frequently identified subgroup was, textile, garment and related trades workers while, mining and construction laborers, motor vehicle drives, building frame and related trades workers were composed solely of males. The frequency of newly diagnosed patients was significantly higher than former tuberculosis patients in the occupational subgroups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It seems crucial to improve conditions of workplaces with arrangements enabling healthier environment such as adequate ventilation, appropriate living space as well as routine health controls of employees especially for the textile industry.
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Chest Diseases, Sureyyapasa Chest Diseases and Chest Surgery Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey. aylinbabalik@gmail.com
authors.forename: Aylin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Babalık
authors.forename: Nadi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bakırcı
authors.forename: Korkmaz
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Oruc
authors.forename: Şule
authors.initials: Ş
authors.lastname: Kızıltaş
authors.forename: Gülgin
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Çetintaş
authors.forename: Sinem
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Altunbey
authors.forename: Haluk C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Çalışır
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects; D009790:Occupations / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult