Physical work exposure matrix for use in the UK Biobank

Area of Science:

• Occupational health
• Epidemiology
• Bioinformatics

Background:

• UK Biobank (UKB) is a large prospective cohort with extensive health data.
• However, UKB has limited occupational information, hindering research on physical work exposures.
• Existing occupational data in UKB includes job title and self-reported manual work/physical activity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish and validate a linkage between UK Biobank and a job exposure matrix.
• The matrix is based on the US Occupational Information Network (O*NET) database for physical work exposures.
• To assess the validity of this linkage for occupational health research.

Main Methods:

• Linked UK Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) codes from UKB participants to US SOC codes.
• Utilized existing crosswalks to connect UKB job titles to O*NET variables.
• Assessed face validity using high O*NET scores for specific job titles and calculated Spearman's correlation with self-reported measures.

Main Results:

• Successfully linked 323,936 out of 324,114 UKB participants with job titles to the O*NET database.
• Observed expected correlations between O*NET scores and self-reported physical work.
• Demonstrated positive correlations for static strength (Spearman's rho = 0.50) and time spent standing (Spearman's rho = 0.56).

Conclusions:

• A novel linkage between a job exposure matrix and UK Biobank data has been created.
• This linkage provides a valuable resource for studying occupational exposures and disease.
• The method demonstrates the potential for a wide range of physical work values across diverse occupations.