Assessment of the impact of a complex of harmful occupational factors on the development of chronic general somatic diseases in workers engaged in underground coal mining

Introduction. Underground coal mining is one of the types of economic activity with the largest proportion of workers engaged in harmful and dangerous working conditions, characterized by the complex effects of harmful factors of the production environment and the labor process.

The study aims to assess the impact of harmful production factors during underground coal mining on the development of chronic general somatic diseases in workers in order to develop adequate preventive measures aimed at maintaining health and prolonging working longevity.

Materials and methods. The authors conducted a cross-sectional epidemiological study, during which they examined the prevalence of chronic general somatic diseases. The object of the study was workers engaged in underground coal mining in a coal mine, the main group (272 people). The comparison group included repair and technical personnel employed in open-pit coal mining (140 people).

Results. It was found that the prevalence of chronic general somatic diseases among workers engaged in underground coal mining and workers in the comparison group are at the same level and amount to 78.0±2.5 and 70.7±3.8 per 100 employees, respectively, and significantly (p<0.05) increase with increasing length of service. The prevalence of diseases associated with metabolic disorders of lipoproteins and other lipidemias is significantly (p<0.05) higher among workers engaged in underground coal mining, and is 44.5±3.0, compared with the comparison group of 12.9±2.8. Among workers engaged in underground coal mining, a significant (p<0.05) increase in indicators was recorded with increasing length of service work from 34.9±4.2 with experience up to 15 years to 52.7±4.1 with experience of 15 years or more. It is shown that the prevalence of circulatory system diseases among workers over 40 years of age varies significantly — in the comparison group, the indicator was 40.7±5.5 per 100 employees, which is significantly higher (p<0.05) compared with workers engaged in underground coal mining — 20.0±3.1. It was found that dorsopathies are significantly (p<0.05) more often registered among workers engaged in underground coal mining, and amount to 33.1±2.9 per 100 workers, with 23.6±3.6 per 100 workers in the comparison group.

Limitations. The study is limited to a sample of surveyed employees of two coal mining enterprises using underground and open-pit coal mining methods (a coal mine and a coal mine).

Conclusion. It is shown that workers engaged in underground coal mining have an earlier formation of chronic dorsopathies. Lower prevalence rates of circulatory system diseases have been established in the group of workers engaged in underground coal mining compared to the group of workers engaged in open-pit coal mining, which may be due to the effect of a healthy worker, which is manifested as a result of the selection of people without chronic diseases characterized by high blood pressure in the profession of underground coal mining. In the first place in the structure of the prevalence of general somatic diseases in both groups were diseases of the endocrine system, eating disorders and metabolic disorders. Conducting a cross-sectional epidemiological study of the prevalence of chronic noncommunicable diseases based on data from periodic medical examinations of employees provides an opportunity to identify production-related forms of diseases in the structure of general somatic pathology. The results of such studies can be used in the development of scientifically based medical and preventive measures.

Ethics. The study was conducted in accordance with the Helsinki Declaration and approved by the Local Ethics Committee of the Izmerov Research Institute of Occupational Health, Protocol No. 5 dated 08/02/2023.

Contributions:
Varakuta I.S. — research concept, data collection, text writing, editing;
Leskina L.M. — research concept and design, editing, responsibility for the integrity of all parts of the article, writing the text;
Golovkova N.P. — research concept and design, editing, responsibility for the integrity of all parts of the article, writing the text;
Lyubimova M.S. — research concept, text writing, editing;
Khvalyuk P.O. — research concept, text writing, editing;
Lezhnev E.A. — research concept and design, data collection;
Chasovskikh E.V. — research concept and design, data collection.

Funding. The study was conducted within the framework of research work No. FGFE-2023-0014.

Conflict of interest. The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Received: 04.05.2026 / Accepted: 18.05.2026 / Published: 00.00.2026

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