Validation of Self-Reported Occupational Exposures in Meatpacking Workers

Details

• Personal Author:
  Eisen EA ; Hauser R ; Lander L ; Mittleman M ; Perry MJ ; Sorock, Gary S. ; Stentz TL
• Description:
  OBJECTIVE: The ability of workers to accurately recall exposures that occur on the day of their injury is considered a potential limitation of case-crossover studies. This study assessed validity of occupational exposures reported by uninjured workers at a Midwestern meatpacking plant. METHODS: One hundred thirty-six workers were observed for 60 min while working and then interviewed within 8 days (median 3 days) about exposures during the observation period. The level of agreement between self-reports and direct observations was assessed using kappas and intraclass correlation coefficients. RESULTS: Excellent agreement was found between observed and reported work location (kappa = 0.97, 95% CI: 0.92-1.0), task (kappa = 0.83, 95% CI: 0.76-0.91) and tools used (kappa = 0.88, 95% CI: 0.81-0.95). Personal protective equipment varied by work type and location, and agreement between observed and reported usage varied from excellent to poor for various items. Excellent agreement was found for tool sharpening (kappa = 0.89, 95% CI: 0.82-0.97); good agreement for occurrence of break during the observation period (kappa = 0.60, 95% CI: 0.45-0.74); and poor agreement for equipment malfunction, line stoppages, being tired, unusual task, unusual work method, being distracted, rushing, slipping, or falling. CONCLUSIONS: Agreement between observed and reported occupational exposures varied widely. Self-reported exposures are utilized in many occupational studies, and future exposure validity assessment studies should continue to improve retrospective study methods. Valid exposures will allow researchers to better understand injury etiology and ultimately prevent injuries from occurring. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Food Industry Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Personal Protective Equipment Safety Surveys And Questionnaires Workplace
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Validation Employee Exposure Exposure Assessment Health Surveys Meat-packing-industry Meatpacking Observation Occupational Exposure Personal Protective Equipment Questionnaires Workplace Monitoring Workplace Studies

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• ISSN:
  0271-3586
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  California ; Maryland ; Massachusetts ; Nebraska ; OSHA Region 1 ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 7 ; OSHA Region 9
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  52
• Issue:
  9
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20036278
• Citation:
  Am J Ind Med 2009 Sep; 52(9):707-715
• Contact Point Address:
  Melissa J. Perry, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Building 1 Room 1411, Boston, MA 02115
• Email:
  mperry@hsph.harvard.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2009
• NORA Priority Area:
  Manufacturing
• Performing Organization:
  Harvard School of Public Health
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20050901
• Source Full Name:
  American Journal of Industrial Medicine
• End Date:
  20110831
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:fcae2b36f65bd3924fee3a29e16e678b907b782adcd149c9237d661a0e6d6caaf373e0f44e1aea636f8b11636fab4cde23fcfe1f888272b9c6163a90d6560b2d
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/187763/cdc_187763_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 98.21 KB ]