Morbidity ranking of U.S. workers employed in 206 occupations: the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) 1986-1994.

Objective: The objective of this study was to rank U.S. occupations by worker morbidity.

Methods: From 1986 through 1994, morbidity information was collected on over 410,000 U.S. workers who participated in the National Health Interview Survey, an annual household survey representative of the U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized population. A multivariate adjusted logistic regression morbidity summary score was created for each worker group based on seven indicators: days of restricted activity, bedrest, and missed work in the previous 2 weeks; doctor visits and hospitalizations in the previous 12 months; reported health conditions; and health status.

Results: Worker groups reporting the greatest morbidity included social workers, inspectors, postal clerks, psychologists, and grinding machine operators; worker groups reporting the least morbidity included dentists, pilots, physicians, pharmacists, and dietitians.

Conclusions: These findings aid in the identification of worker groups that require increased attention for morbidity research and prevention.