Realizzazione di un database per la raccolta ed elaborazione dei dati ottenuti da una esperienza integrata di sorveglianza sanitaria di lavoratori agricoli lombardi

Agriculture is a relevant economic activity in the Region of Lombardy, where 57,420 agricultural enterprises present, with an extension of 1,41 million hectares, and a total of about 214.141 agricultural workers. This paper describes an experience addressed at the creation of a database for the collection and elaboration of information obtained from the health surveillance of the workers of the sector. The database is “user friendly” and it is composed by the following chapters: 1. The Enterprises; 2. The Workers; 3. The Health Risk; 4. Results of the Health Surveillance. The database allows a statistical and epidemiological elaboration of the collected data. In particular, it is possible to select the workers affected by a specific disease and those exposed to specific and selected risk factors, as well as pointing out different levels of exposure, etc. This database is a promising tool for the collection and elaboration of data coming from the agricultural sector, and therefore for the improvement of the knowledge on the relationships between different risk factors and diseases. Also specific activities addressed at the detection of new and emerging risk factors and diseases can be carried out using the data collected. Finally, the database allows the harmonization and the comparability of data collected by different subjects in different settings.