The purpose of this study was to compare the pattern of mortality of blue-collar workers employed less and more than 1 year in the man-made vitreous fiber (MMVF) and the reinforced plastic industries, the latter group being exposed to styrene. We conducted an analysis among 21,784 workers with less than 1 year of employment (short-term workers) and 19,117 workers with 1 or more years of employment (long-term workers) employed in eight European countries. We conducted analyses based on external as well as internal comparisons. In both cohorts, the standardized mortality ratio for all causes among short-term workers was approximately 40% higher, compared with that for longer-term workers. In internal comparisons, the difference was reduced to 9% in the MMVF cohort and 11% in the styrene cohort. Workers with less than 1 month of employment displayed an increased mortality in both cohorts and in most countries. The increased mortality among short-term workers was not concentrated shortly after they quit employment. In both cohorts, short-term workers had a higher mortality from external causes, while little difference was seen in mortality from ischemic heart disease and malignant neoplasms. Although extra-occupational factors may contribute to increase the mortality of short-term workers and, in particular, of those employed for less than 1 month, the difference observed in analyses adjusted for characteristics of employment suggested a relatively small difference in mortality from most causes.

Mortality of short-term workers in two international cohorts / P. Boffetta, D. Sali, H. Kolstad, D. Coggon, J. Olsen, A. Andersen, A. Spence, A.C. Pesatori, E. Lynge, R. Frentzel-Beyme, J. Chang-Claude, I. Lundberg, M. Biocca, V. Gennaro, L. Teppo, T. Partanen, E. Welp, R. Saracci, M. Kogevinas. - In: JOURNAL OF OCCUPATIONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL MEDICINE. - ISSN 1076-2752. - 40:12(1998 Dec), pp. 1120-1126. [10.1097/00043764-199812000-00012]

Mortality of short-term workers in two international cohorts

A.C. Pesatori;
1998

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to compare the pattern of mortality of blue-collar workers employed less and more than 1 year in the man-made vitreous fiber (MMVF) and the reinforced plastic industries, the latter group being exposed to styrene. We conducted an analysis among 21,784 workers with less than 1 year of employment (short-term workers) and 19,117 workers with 1 or more years of employment (long-term workers) employed in eight European countries. We conducted analyses based on external as well as internal comparisons. In both cohorts, the standardized mortality ratio for all causes among short-term workers was approximately 40% higher, compared with that for longer-term workers. In internal comparisons, the difference was reduced to 9% in the MMVF cohort and 11% in the styrene cohort. Workers with less than 1 month of employment displayed an increased mortality in both cohorts and in most countries. The increased mortality among short-term workers was not concentrated shortly after they quit employment. In both cohorts, short-term workers had a higher mortality from external causes, while little difference was seen in mortality from ischemic heart disease and malignant neoplasms. Although extra-occupational factors may contribute to increase the mortality of short-term workers and, in particular, of those employed for less than 1 month, the difference observed in analyses adjusted for characteristics of employment suggested a relatively small difference in mortality from most causes.
Occupational Exposure ; Styrene ; Humans ; Europe ; Cause of Death ; Mineral Fibers ; Adult ; Cohort Studies ; Occupational Diseases ; Plastics ; Time Factors ; Chemical Industry ; Male
Settore MED/44 - Medicina del Lavoro
dic-1998
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/2434/210911
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