Estimating occupational exposure to ultraviolet radiation in a nationwide cohort of French adults

Objective: To estimate the prevalence and distribution of occupational ultraviolet radiation (UVR) exposure in a French population-based cohort using two international job-exposure matrices. Methods: We analyzed lifetime occupational histories from 93,009 participants of the CONSTANCES cohort. Occupational exposure to UVR was assessed using CANJEM (solar and artificial UVR) and UVJEM (solar only). Weighted prevalence estimates were calculated across sociodemographic and occupational strata. Results: The weighted prevalence of occupational UVR exposure in the most recent job was ~2% (CANJEM: 2.06%, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.97–2.15; UVJEM: 2.08%, 95% CI: 1.99–2.17). Occupations with the highest estimated prevalence of UVR exposure included postal workers, masons, gardeners, building maintenance workers, construction equipment operators, and topographers. Conclusions: In this nationwide cohort of salaried workers, occupational UVR exposure remains a relevant concern, particularly among occupations involving outdoor activities.