Findings in pre-employment examinations

Results of comprehensive pre-employment examinations of about 8,600 persons were analyzed. The most frequent findings are those related to the more prevalent risk factors and morbidity (of adults) in industrialized countries. Of special interest were the associations found between low level of education (or socioeconomic status), exposure to various occupational hazards, and poor life-style habits. These findings attest to the need for providing preventive follow-up (intervention) services to complement any large-scale screening program. Such services could be developed, relatively simply, based on existing occupational medicine units. The advantages and pitfalls of utilizing multiphasic screening technology in general and in occupational health settings are discussed.