FfW Bulgarian report (English language) - Fit for Work Europe

2001). The study also found that for men over the age of 40, the risk of developing a back
disorder increased with obesity and heaviness of smoking.
Up to 18.5 per cent of the Bulgarian population were aged over 65 in 2011, almost doubling
the percentage in this age group since 1970 (Griva and Dikova, 2010). At the same time, the
employment rate of older workers in Bulgaria (aged between 55 and 64 years) is one of the
highest in the EU with 43.5 per cent in employment and an average exit age of 64.1 (Eurofound,
2007a). As the study above suggests the risk of developing MSDs increases with age, therefore
special attention is required for the job design of older employees.
An emerging health issue in Bulgaria is the prevalence of obesity – a risk factor for bone
and joint conditions (as well as cardio-vascular disease and diabetes). However, there is no
extensive data on this issue. One study estimated the prevalence of being overweight and
obese among urban adults 30-60 years of age, tracking differences between income and gender
groups. They observed that the likelihoods of being overweight and obese were greater among
men than women (44.8 per cent vs 32.4 per cent, and 6.0 per cent vs 4.7 per cent respectively),
and that BMI decreased as income increased (Ivanova, Dimitrov, Dellava and Hoffman, 2008).
Similar proportions were found by the European Health Interview survey (2008): 56.7 per cent
of men and 43 per cent of women were overweight, of which 11.3 per cent of men and 10.9 per
cent of women were categorised as obese. If Bulgarian trends mirror those in Europe, obesity is
likely to be a growing problem.
As well as increasing the risk of obesity, low levels of exercise may aggravate the severity of
MSDs, in particular back pain (Viir, Virkus, Laiho, Rajaleid, Selart et al., 2007). According to
an EU survey (European Commission, 2010) Bulgaria is among the European countries with
the lowest levels of physical activity: only 3 per cent of Bulgarians partake in regular sport
or exercise, citing time as the most common reason. However, 40 per cent were reported to
engage in a physical activity outside of sport such as cycling or gardening.
Smoking has been found to have an impact on the progress of RA disease (Bone and Joint
Decade, 2005). The proportion of daily adult smokers in Bulgaria is amongst the highest in
Europe at 32.3 per cent of the population. 16 Further risks are associated with exposure of
children and non-smokers to environmental tobacco smoke (WHO, 2009).
Steps towards improving physical health amongst the Bulgarian population have begun with
funding from WHO. The National Centre of Public Health and Analyses undertook an audit of
16 Eurostat
Work and MSDs in Bulgaria
Fit For Work? 29