Occupational Health Assessment of Permanent University Employees in Terms of Clinical Biochemical Data

Abstract

Aim: Occupational health and safety involves important measures, trainings, and health screenings as defined by law. The existing literature on occupational medicine practices and related clinical laboratory data has considerable room for expansion. The aim of this study is to contribute to the evaluation of workplace medicine practices with original laboratory data. Material and Method: The clinical laboratory data of the workers from the Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat University, Turkey, were analyzed retrospectively. Biochemical test results of a total of 104 permanent worker, 43 women and 61 men, were compared. Statistical analysis results were evaluated and p<0.05 was accepted as the limit of significance. Results: In the statistical analysis based on sex, AST (Aspartate Aminotransferase), ALT (Alanine aminotransferase), RBC (Red blood cell), HGB (Hemoglobin), HCT (Hematocrit), MCH (Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin; Average Cell Hemoglobin), MCV (mean erythrocyte volume), MCHC (Average Cell Hemoglobin Concentration), MONO (Monocyte) and MONO% values are higher in male workers, whereas PLT (platelet), PCT (Percent ratio of platelet cells to other cells), RDW-CV (Erythrocyte distribution width-coefficient variation-coefficient of variation) and RDW-SD (Erythrocyte distribution width-standard deviation) values are higher in female workers (p<0.05). Discussion: In this study, the young age of the participating workers prevented laboratory results to go off the reference range. Values that differ between female and male gender groups are in line with expected differences based on gender. Including the fasting blood glucose values in routine clinical laboratory tests requested within the scope of workplace medicine may be useful in the early diagnosis and prevention of increasingly frequent insulin resistance, obesity, and type 2 diabetes mellitus.