bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Asbestos disease risk communication conducted by the New Jersey department of health
Authors: Stanbury Martha , Solice‐Sample Gwendolyn , Pescatore John 
Published: April 2007

AbstractSince October 1985, the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) has required hospitals to report all patients with a discharge diagnosis of asbestosis. As follow‐up to a needs assessment survey of these patients, the NJDOH developed an educational packet including an information bulletin titled “Asbestos Disease: Medical and Legal Facts for Employees” and a pre‐stamped postcard evaluation survey. The packet was sent to 1,418 patients reported by hospitals; 433 patients returned the evaluation questionnaire. The survey assessed attitudinal responses (were the materials helpful and easy to understand?) and behavioral responses (did the respondent plan on discussing the materials with a doctor or lawyer?) to the information in the packet. Of the postcard respondents, 85% found the materials helpful, and approximately half indicated that they would discuss the materials with a doctor or lawyer. Of the 33% who were proxy respondents, half appeared not to have understood that the materials had relevance to them as family members. Modifications to the protocol for the asbestos disease educational packet were made based on the evaluation data. Limitations of the evaluation survey and the value of process evaluations in risk communication projects are discussed. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Community lead exposure
Authors: Prenney Brad 
Published: April 2007

AbstractIn August, 1990, a regional transit authority began removing paint on two overhead bridges on a commuter railroad line running through a residential neighborhood of Lynn, Massachusetts, an industrial city north of Boston. The contracted work involved the sandblasting of existing bridge paint to prepare the surface for repainting. The sandblasting was conducted without shrouding or adequate worker protection. The bridge paint was not tested for lead content, nor were neighborhood residents informed of the operations prior to the commencement of the work. Following complaints by residents to the local and state health departments, a cease‐work order was issued. Laboratory tests of paint samples revealed a lead content ranging from 5% to 15%. Sandblasting debris was evident throughout the adjacent neighborhood. What followed was a 3‐month effort by state and local government officials and the transit authority and its contractors to assess, communicate, and remedy the damage done by the operations. Soil, dust, and blood samples were collected to assess environmental contamination and health effects. Notices were sent, meetings held, and informational sites established to inform community residents of the impact of the operations and remediation efforts. The local and Boston media provided extensive coverage of the incident and its aftermath. Remediation efforts involved the relocation of occupants from residences in proximity of the site and extensive clean‐up of the interiors of affected homes by licensed lead abatement contractors. The cost of the cleanup was well over $1 million. Efforts to notify and inform the community of the risks and possible health effects associated with the bridge operations were complicated by at least two factors: first, the community's initial mistrust of the transit authority and governmental agencies as a result of the incident itself, and, second, the difficulty in distinguishing lead exposure caused by the bridge operation from background exposure to lead associated with living in an urban environment. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Evaluation issues in the drake chemical workers notification and health registry study
Authors: Leviton Laura C. , Chen Huey T. , Marsh Gary M. , Talbott Evelyn O. 
Published: April 2007

AbstractThe Drake Chemical Workers' Health Registry combined notification of workers about bladder cancer risk with access to a free program for screening and diagnosis. Evaluation of the project has given rise to several findings and new research questions. Findings in this article illustrate the following evaluation issues: 1) studying the combination of strategies that are most effective and cost effective to notify workers of their disease risks, 2) determining the realistic yield from strategies to gain participation in health screening and other protective services for notified workers, 3) identifying the notification strategies that were most effective for different kinds of participants, 4) using process evaluation to identify key activities for ensuring continued participation of cohort members in screening, and 5) examining the extent to which participants are willing to quit smoking to protect their health. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Assessing quality of life when planning and evaluating worker notification programs: Two case examples
Authors: Meyerowitz Beth E. 
Published: April 2007

AbstractNotifying workers that they have been placed at risk for serious medical problems may affect their lives in unexpected ways. Although very little evidence supports the fear of notification causing grave psychological problems, more subtle disruptions in quality of life may result. In addition, psychological reactions to notification, such as anxiety or denial, may impede or enhance workers' abilities to process, remember, or act upon the information presented. Measuring how different notification strategies affect quality of life is crucial; this process can enable us to design and select effective strategies that improve, rather than disrupt, the lives of workers and their families. Two preliminary efforts to include consideration of quality of life in planning and evaluating notification programs are described. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Fatal occupational accidents in Ontario, 1986–1989
Authors: Shannon Harry S. , Hope Laura , Griffith Lauren , Stieb David 
Published: April 2007

AbstractWe examined 470 fatal occupational accidents in Ontario, 1986–1989, that met eligibility criteria. Homicides and most accidents on public roads were excluded. Information was obtained from coroners' files and records of the provincial Ministry of Labour. Levels of alcohol likely to produce impairment were found in six subjects (2% of the two‐thirds of fatalities tested). Cannabis was detected in 3.9% of cases (17% of those tested), but other illegal drugs were not found. Recommendations of coroner's juries showed that organizational factors were considered relevant on many occasions, although language and literacy were rarely mentioned. The incidence rate rose steadily with age. Other data items were examined, although, because of missing information and/or lack of denominator data for many of them, the conclusions that can be drawn are limited. Among these tentative findings was that more fatal accidents occurred in the first half of the shift than in the second half. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss. Inc.
Evaluation of risks for non‐Hodgkin's Lymphoma by occupation and industry exposures from a case‐control study
Authors: Blair Aaron , Linos Athena , Stewart Patricia A. , Burmeister Leon F. , Gibson Robert , Everett George , Schuman Leonard , Cantor Kenneth P. 
Published: April 2007

AbstractThe etiology of non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) is not well understood. To develop hypotheses on causes of this tumor, data from a population‐based case‐control interview study of 1,867 white men (622 cases and 1,245 controls) in Iowa and Minnesota conducted during 1980–1983 were examined. Subjects, or their next of kin, were interviewed to obtain information on agricultural exposures, work history, medical conditions, and family history. This analysis focuses on risks of NHL by occupation, by industry, and by selected exposures. Although many comparisons were made, few significant associations were observed. Small numbers and limitations in exposure assessment, however, would tend to reduce opportunities to detect associations. The strongest finding was with various occupations that work in metals and metal products. The analysis by exposure estimates also uncovered a significant association with metals, but risks did not increase with estimated intensity of exposure. Slightly elevated risks were also noted among persons employed as painters and construction workers, agricultural and forestry workers, printers and typesetters, funeral directors and embalmers, and dry cleaners. Although the overall risks for benzene and other solvents were small, they increased slightly with level of assigned exposure. Although some associations may be due to chance, several of these occupations and industries have been linked to lymphoma in other investigations and deserve further attention. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Acute traumatic injuries in underground bituminous coal miners
Authors: Lee Terrence , Anderson Craig , Kraus Jess F. 
Published: April 2007

AbstractUsing injury information from the 1986 Mine Safety and Health Administration data‐base, and demographic information from a 1986 sample survey of the miner population, acute traumatic injury rates for male workers in underground bituminous coal mines were computed by age, current job experience, and total mine work experience. Three groups of workers assessed in this study showed the highest injury rates: workers aged 15–30 years; workers with between 2 and 3 years of experience; and workers with 10 or more years of experience in the current job.Injury rates decline with age in each time‐interval of current job category and each total mine working experience category. Experience per se does not appear to be related to lower injury rates independent of age, which is paradoxical. The interaction of worker age with length of current or total mining experience is complex. The potential for catastrophic multiple fatalities and severe injuries suggests that additional work is needed to study, simultaneously, factors such as training and job task, and those that describe specific work exposures and mining hazards. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Use of organic solvents and potential worker exposure in the motor vehicle manufacturing industry
Authors: Macaluso Maurizio , Delzell Elizabeth , Rose Vernon , Perkins Jimmy 
Published: April 2007

AbstractThis survey was designed to assist with planning epidemiologic studies of the effects of solvent exposure among motor vehicle manufacturing workers. The objectives were to identify subgroups of workers with solvent exposure, and to evaluate the availability of data for a job‐exposure matrix (JEM). Of 65 plants selected, 31 (48%) participated. Participant plants represent all production activities initially included in the survey, and employ 97,655 hourly workers. About 14% of these workers use organic solvents (direct exposure), and 19% work in the proximity of solvent‐using operations (indirect exposure). However, only 3% have direct exposure, and 6% have indirect exposure to large‐volume (≥ 100 gallons/month)/high‐frequency (hourly)‐use solvents. The highest solvent exposure prevalence occurs in plants manufacturing engines and power train components and in metal degreasing/cleaning and painting tasks, and entails exposure to petroleum fractions, aromatic hydrocarbons, alcohols, and ketones. A JEM can be developed using plant records on job titles, work histories, production scheduling, and plant engineering, and using the corporate computerized personnel and industrial hygiene databases. However, information on solvent use and on exposure is adequate only for recent time periods. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Asbestos exposure among finnish lung cancer patients: Occupational history and fiber concentration in lung tissue
Authors: Karjalainen A. , Anttila S. , Heikkilä L. , Karhunen P. , Vainio H. 
Published: April 2007

AbstractIn a series of 65 surgically treated lung cancer patients, past exposure to asbestos was evaluated by personal interviews, and by scanning electron microscopy analyses of the mineral fibers in lung tissue. Lung tissue samples of 17 autopsied male office workers were analyzed as referents. According to occupational history, 37% of the lung cancer patients had definite or probable, 31% possible, and 32% unlikely exposure to asbestos. The fiber concentration in the lung tissue ranged from <0.1 to 65 million fibers per gram dry tissue in the lung cancer group, and from <0.1 to 0.8 million fibers per gram dry tissue in the reference group. In 26% of the lung cancer patients, but in none of the referents, the fiber concentration exceeded 1 million fibers per gram dry tissue. Most of the exposed patients had been employed in various construction jobs, and valuable information about the exposure levels could be obtained by the mineral fiber analyses. In general, there was a good accord between the exposure categorization and the fiber burden measured in the lung. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The utility of health education among lead workers: The experience of one program
Authors: Porru Stefano , Donato Francesco , Apostoli Pietro , Coniglio Luciano , Duca Piergiorgio , Alessio Lorenzo 
Published: April 2007

AbstractHealth education represents a fundamental tool in the prevention of occupational diseases. For lead‐exposed workers, work practices, personal hygiene, and life habits are certainly influences in the amount of the metal absorbed in the body. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a health education program in 50 workers exposed to inorganic lead employed in seven small factories. The study was performed in 3 phases over one year. Before the program, blood lead levels were measured, and a questionnaire was administered in order to evaluate the baseline knowledge of the workers about lead poisoning and its prevention. After the health education program, the blood lead levels decreased (from 38.2 to 32.3 μg/dl) and the questionnaire scores improved in a highly significant manner (p < 0.001). These results were obtained both in the short (4 months) and in the medium term (1 year). The reduction of blood lead concentrations seemed to be due to changes in hygienic behaviors and life habits, such as alcohol consumption or cigarette smoking, probably induced by an increase in specific knowledge about the prevention of lead damages. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Investigation of an outbreak of “Humidifier fever” in a print shop
Authors: Mamolen Margaret , Lewis Daniel M. , Blanchet Michael A. , Satink Frederick J. , Vogt Richard L. 
Published: April 2007

AbstractAn outbreak of “humidifier fever” affected 16 (57%) of 28 workers in a print shop. The most common symptoms were myalgia, chills or subjective fever, and cough. Illness began 5–13 hours after entering the workplace, and lasted 2–24 hours. A humidifier in use the day of the outbreak was found to be contaminated with fungi, amebae, and Gram‐negative bacteria. The risk of illness was highest for those who had been on the job 3 months before the outbreak, a time when the humidifier was in constant use. Serologic studies of print shop workers showed positive reactions to extracts of organisms isolated from the humidifier, but could neither distinguish ill from well workers, nor identify causative organisms. The presence of endotoxin‐producing bacteria and the clinical syndrome are consistent with an organic dust toxic syndrome. Previous exposure appeared to be the major risk factor for illness. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Pregnant women at work: Sociodemographic perspectives
Authors: Moss Nancy , Carver Karen 
Published: April 2007

AbstractThe 1988 National Maternal and Infant Health Survey, a stratified random sample of 9,953 live births, shows that women who work during pregnancy are more likely to be non‐Hispanic white, married, of higher income and education, to have medical insurance, and of lower parity than nonemployed pregnant women (p < .0001). They begin prenatal care earlier, are less likely to smoke, and are more likely to state that the birth was wanted (p < .0001). Similar trends are seen for full‐time as compared to part‐time workers. Women employed as precision production workers, operators/fabricators, or in service occupations are disadvantaged with regard to sociodemographic and behavioral risks for pregnancy outcomes relative to women in professional and managerial occupations. Black race, parity, body mass index, and smoking, but not employment, are associated with low birth weight when gestational age is controlled. The effects of stress and its buffers, paternal characteristics, physical activity, and toxic exposures, both in and out of the workplace, should be considered, as should the normative and social policy context. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Asbestos fiber type in malignant Mesothelioma: An analytical scanning electron microscopic study of 94 cases
Authors: Roggli Victor L. , Pratt Philip C. , Brody Arnold R. 
Published: April 2007

AbstractAlthough the association between asbestos exposure and malignant mesothelioma is indisputable, controversy continues regarding the relative contribution of the various types of asbestos fibers to the development of mesothelioma. We examined the types of asbestos fibers recovered from lung parenchyma in more than 90 cases of malignant mesothelioma from the United States, using an analytical scanning electron microscope. Almost half of the patients were former asbestos insulators or shipyard workers. The fibers were recovered from lung tissues obtained at autopsy or surgical resection by means of a sodium hypochlorite digestion procedure. Amosite absestos was identified in 81% of the cases and accounted for 58% of all fibers 5 μm or greater in length. Tremolite/actinolite/anthophyllite were identified in 55% of the cases and accounted for 10% of all fiber types. Chrysotile was identified in 21% of the cases and accounted for 3% of fibers exceeding 5 μm in length. Crocidolite was found in 16% of the cases and accounted for 3% of fibers exceeding 5 μm in length. Nonasbestos mineral fibers (commonly found in the lungs of the general population) were observed in 71% of the cases and accounted for 25% of all fibers 5 μm or greater in length. The findings in this study are at odds with the assertion that crocidolite asbestos is responsible for most mesotheliomas in the United States. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Cancer and other causes of death among male and female farmers from twenty‐three states
Authors: Blair Aaron , Dosemeci Mustafa , Heineman Ellen F. 
Published: April 2007

AbstractOccupation and industry codes on death certificates from 23 states for 1984–1988 were used to evaluate mortality risks among white and nonwhite, male and female farmers. Proportionate mortality and proportionate cancer mortality ratios were calculated using deaths among nonfarmers from the same states to generate expected numbers. Among farmers there were 119,648 deaths among white men, 2,400 among white women, 11,446 among nonwhite men, and 2,066 among nonwhite women. Deficits occurred in all race‐sex groups for infective and parasitic diseases, all cancer combined, lung cancer, liver cancer, diseases of the nervous system, multiple sclerosis, hypertension, and emphysema. As reported in other studies, white male farmers had excesses of cancer of the lymphatic and hematopoietic system, lip, eye, brain, and prostate. Excesses of cancers of the pancreas, kidney, bone, and thyroid were new findings. Regional patterns were evident, particularly among white men. Significant excesses for accidents, vascular lesions of the central nervous system (CNS), and cancers of the prostate tended to occur in most geographic regions, while excesses for mechanical suffocation, non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma, and cancers of the lip, brain, and the lymphatic and hematopoietic system were limited to the Central states. Increases among nonwhite men were similar to those in white men for some causes of death (vascular lesions of the CNS and cancers of the pancreas and prostate), but were absent for others (lymphatic and hematopoietic system, lip, eye, kidney, and brain). Women (white and nonwhite) had excesses for vascular lesions of the CNS, disease of the genitourinary system (white women only), and cancers of the stomach and cervix (nonwhite women only). Cancer of the buccal cavity and pharynx was slightly elevated among women, and white women had nonsignificant excesses of multiple myeloma and leukemia. Excesses for leukemia and non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma occurred among white men and women, but not among nonwhites. Excesses for several types of accidental deaths were seen among all race‐sex groups. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Respiratory health status in swine producers using respiratory protective devices
Authors: Zejda Jan E. , Hurst Thomas S. , Barber Ernest M. , Rhodes Charles , Dosman James A. 
Published: April 2007

AbstractA cross‐sectional survey on respiratory health in swine producers showed that 30% of 301 examined men usually used a dust mask when working inside a barn. They did not differ significantly from dust mask nonusers in respect to respiratory symptoms and lung function. This analysis was undertaken to determine whether the respiratory health of dust mask users was associated with reasons why they had started individual respiratory protection. The subjects were recontacted in order to identify those who started using a mask to deliberately prevent symptoms (42 men) and those who started protection because of pre‐existing respiratory symptoms (44 men). Not unexpectedly, betweengroup comparisons of respiratory symptoms and lung function suggest that swine producers who wear dust masks for preventive purposes have better respiratory health than those who wear dust masks because of symptoms or those who do not use individual respiratory protection. The individual reasons for starting dust mask usage should be examined among potential determinants of the outcomes of prospective studies which can then provide more valid assessment of the effect of individual respiratory protection. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Respiratory function in sewage workers
Authors: Zuskin Eugenija , Mustajbegovic Jadranka , Schachter E. Neil 
Published: April 2007

AbstractRespiratory symptoms and ventilatory capacity were studied in a group of 74 sewage workers employed in cleaning the city sewage system of Zagreb, Croatia. Workers were studied by their work stations: closed channels (N + 26), drainage (N + 31), and other sewage workers (N + 17). The prevalence of chronic respiratory symptoms was higher in closed channel and drainage workers than in controls, particularly for chronic cough (range: 41.9–46.2% vs. 14.3%), chronic phlegm (range: 38.7–46.2% vs. 14.3%), chronic bronchitis (range: 32.3–42.3% vs. 8.6%), and chest tightness (range: 29.0–53.8% vs. 0%). In the first two groups of sewage workers there was a high prevalence of acute symptoms which developed during the work shift, being particularly pronounced for eye irritation (range: 16.1–26.9%), dyspnea (16.1–23.1%), dizziness (range: 6.5–23.1%), throat burning (9.7–19.2%), and skin irritation (range: 22.6–26.9%). Baseline ventilatory capacity was significantly decreased compared to predicted values in sewage workers; in particular, values for FEF50 and FEF25 were reduced, suggesting obstructive changes in smaller airways. Our data indicate that sewage workers experience frequent acute and chronic respiratory symptoms and exhibit objective evidence of respiratory dysfunction. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.