Prevalence and incidence of coalworkers' pnuemoconiosis in U.S. underground mines.
Source
Proceedings of the 9th international symposium on epidemiology in occupational health. Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 94-112, 1994 Jan; :467-473
Abstract
The latest data concerning the prevalence of coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP) discovered following the end of a 13 year follow up study were presented. The first round of the study began in 1970 with visits to underground mines by a mobile examination trailer staffed by a medical team when work and smoking histories were obtained on over 9,000 miners. Round 2 was a repeat of the medical surveys three years later. The most recent data on these workers was collected between 1985 and 1988. Of the original group, 53% were current miners, 33% were former miners, mostly laid off due to lack of available work, and 14% were not working due to health related concerns. The group had an average age of 46 years and had spent an average of 18 years in mining and 14 years underground. Prevalence results were based on 3,200 participants. Those who left mining due to health reasons were twice as likely to have CWP 1+ compared to those who stayed in the industry. Miners with 20 or more years of tenure had a greater prevalence of CWP. Most of the CWP evident at the final examination had developed over the study period. Miners with CWP at the initial survey had high rates of progression. The author concludes that in general the CWP prevalence in United States underground coal miners is decreasing, suggesting that the use of compliance measures enacted in 1969 is having some good effect. However, the author also notes that existing measures may not be totally sufficient.
Keywords
NIOSH-Author; Mining-industry; Underground-miners; Coal-miners; Respiratory-system-disorders; Epidemiology; Risk-factors; Lung-disease; Coal-dust; Dust-control; Dust-exposure
Source Name
Proceedings of the 9th international symposium on epidemiology in occupational health
