Global burden of disease in endemic fighting agents, results of an occupational cohort, in a state in northeastern Brazil.

Introduction: The health effects of insecticide exposure have been extensively investigated in farmers, but research among endemic fighting agents, as well as health outcomes that may be related to occupational exposure, is still scarce.

Objectives: To understand the global burden of disease in endemic fighting agents throughout their work trajectory and analyze any changes in their morbidity and mortality profile.

Methods: In this historical, census, non-concurrent cohort, data were collected from medical records to measure global burden of disease indicators.

Results: Changes in morbidity patterns were observed over the decades worked. Although traumatic and osteoarticular injuries predominated initially, they were replaced by chronic non-communicable diseases. There was a high burden of mental disorders during the third decade, and neoplasms were an important outcome in the final decade.

Conclusions: These findings are relevant to workers' health, as they demonstrate a change in disease burden throughout the work trajectory. They also allowed for a critical analysis of the relationship between health conditions and occupational exposures.