Modelling complex mixtures in epidemiologic analysis: additive versus relative measures for differential effectiveness

Details

• Personal Author:
  Bertke S ; Daniels, Robert D. ; Hamra GB ; MacLehose R ; Richardson D
• Description:
  Objectives: Mixed exposures are often combined into single exposure measures using weighting factors. This occurs for many complex mixtures in environmental and occupational epidemiology including multiple congeners, air pollutants and unique forms of ionising radiation, among others. Methods: The weights used for combining exposures are most often determined from experimental animal and cellular research. However, evidence from observational research is necessary to support their use in risk analyses, since results from experimental research do not directly translate to observational epidemiology. Results: Using simulated data, we show that ratio-based relative weights cannot be reliably estimated from observational research. As a solution to this problem, we propose an approach for estimating differences in effectiveness of distinct exposures based on their excess effectiveness compared with a reference exposure. Conclusions: This alternative is easy to calculate and provides reliable estimates of differences in effectiveness of distinct exposures. This is important to regulatory bodies using relative measures for policy decisions, as well as practicing epidemiologists conducting risk analyses. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Animals Epidemiology Occupational Health Radiation Risk Assessment Safety
• Keywords:
  Alpha-radiation Beta-radiation Biological-effects Exposure-levels Gamma-radiation Ionizing-radiation Models Radiation-effects Radiation-exposure Risk-analysis Synergism

  More +
• ISSN:
  1351-0711
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Minnesota ; North Carolina ; Ohio ; OSHA Region 4 ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DSHEFS - Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  141-146
• Volume:
  71
• Issue:
  2
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20043769
• Citation:
  Occup Environ Med 2014 Feb; 71(2):141-146
• Contact Point Address:
  Dr Ghassan Hamra, Section of Environment and Radiation, International Agency for Research on Cancer, 150 Cours Albert Thomas, Lyon 69006, France
• Email:
  hamrag@fellows.iarc.fr
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2014
• NORA Priority Area:
  Manufacturing ; Mining
• Performing Organization:
  University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20100901
• Source Full Name:
  Occupational and Environmental Medicine
• End Date:
  20130831
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:e5a6a727174567d9d6c9412fb68a307f4af8ac6a0c1468cb2ffa5fbba1bb9b05d30447f6e5d38a12c64cfc799e90c9b51eb8fa820f1ed38ec8c27fcb5b68b1a5
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/195584/cdc_195584_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 284.72 KB ]