Cancer risk in information technology workers: a UK Biobank study

Abstract Background The information technology (IT) workforce has been growing more rapidly than others, with occupational health (OH) risks of sedentary behaviour, physical inactivity and poor diet, yet studies of their non-communicable disease risk, notably cancer, are lacking. Aims To investigate cancer risk in IT workers compared to others in employment and the nine major Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) groups. Methods We evaluated incident diagnosed cancers in the UK Biobank cohort through national cancer registry linkage. Cox proportional hazard regression models, with 15-year follow-up, were used to compare incident cancer risk among IT workers with all other employed participants and with the nine major SOC groups. Results Overall, 10 517 (4%) employed participants were IT workers. Adjusting for confounders, IT workers had a slightly lower cancer incidence compared to all other employed participants (Model 2: hazard ratio = 0.91, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.83–1.01). Compared to the nine major SOC groups, they had a similar (Major Groups 2, 5 and 8) or lower (Major Groups 1, 3, 4, 6, 7 and 9) cancer incidence. Conclusions Despite their occupational risks of sedentary behaviour, poor diet and physical inactivity, IT workers do not have an increased cancer incidence compared to all other employed participants and the nine major SOC groups. This study paves the way for large, longitudinal health outcome studies of this under-researched and rapidly growing occupational group. The information technology (IT) workforce is growing more rapidly than others, accounting for almost 10% of the UK workforce, and despite their known occupational risks of sedentary behaviour, poor diet and physical inactivity, cancer outcomes among IT workers are unknown. In this study, we identified that IT workers do not have an increased cancer incidence compared to all other employed participants and the nine major Standard Occupational Classification groups.