Underreporting trends of occupational illnesses in Mexico

OBJECTIVE: To report trends underreporting levels of occupational illnesses (OI) in Mexico from 2000 to 2015. METHODS: An ecological study was conducted. Data on OI was obtained from the Statistical Memories of the Mexican Institute of Social Security. We used univariate sensitivity analysis to estimate the average value and range. RESULTS: During the 2000-2015 period, the estimated average OI underreporting in the Mexican population was 89.1%; the minimum was 81.8% in 2015 and the maximum 95% in 2007, with an annual decrement rate of 1% (p<0.05) was observed from 2007 to 2015. CONCLUSIONS: Important changes to improve reporting of OI have taken place since 2007, most likely due to the implementation of new policies in this matter. Even though the OI report in Mexico is higher than what the World Health Organization estimates for Latin America (18% in 2015), activities to address this problem remain insufficient. Furthermore, it is important to evaluate the current process of identification and registration of OI in order to identify those that need reinforcement, to guarantee adherence to regulations, to consolidate training systems, and importantly, to develop the governing capacity of the sanitation and labor authorities to exercise their coordinating and regulatory functions.