Abstract:

Objective To understand the mortality characteristics of confirmed occupational disease cases reported in Jiangsu Province in 2023，analyze the underlying causes and features of reported occupational disease deaths，in order to provide a reference for formulating occupational disease prevention and control policies. Methods An analysis was performed on the deaths among confirmed occupational disease patients in Jiangsu Province in 2023，including gender ratio，spectrum of diseases，regional differences，distribution of age at death，and average disease course of the fatal cases. Results In 2023，a total of 235 fatal cases of confirmed occupational diseases were collected in Jiangsu Province. The male-to-female ratio was 22.5∶1. The age at death was predominantly concentrated in the older age groups，with the 70-<90 years group being the most prevalent（183 cases）. Yancheng City reported the highest number of deaths，totaling 59 cases. Among the 235 fatalities，pneumoconiosis accounted for 218 cases （92.7%），representing the primary occupational disease leading to death. The distribution of specific pneumoconiosis types（silicosis，coal workers' pneumoconiosis，asbestosis，and other types） among deceased patients showed a statistically significant difference between genders（P<0.05）. There was no statistically significant differences in the disease course and age at death among the deceased pneumoconiosis patients（both P>0.05）. The main underlying causes of death for confirmed occupational disease patients in Jiangsu Province were pneumoconiosis itself，cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases，and other respiratory system diseases attributable to pneumoconiosis. Conclusion The predominant fatal occupational disease among deceased patients in Jiangsu Province in 2023 was pneumoconiosis，with variations in the proportional mortality across different age groups and regions. The primary underlying causes of death among diagnosed occupational disease patients in Jiangsu Province were pneumoconiosis，cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases，and other pneumoconiosis-related respiratory diseases. It is recommended to enhance the prevention and diagnosis of pneumoconiosis，with particular attention to the rehabilitation and treatment of elderly patients. Supervision should be strengthened in industries and regions with significant dust hazards to establish a more efficient occupational disease prevention and control system.

Key words: Occupational diseases, Mortality, Pneumoconiosis, Underlying causes of death, Survey