An overview of 9/11 experiences and respiratory and mental health conditions among World Trade Center Health Registry enrollees

Details

• Personal Author:
  Brackbill R ; Cone, James E. ; DiGrande L ; Farfel M ; Frieden TR ; Friedman S ; Galea S ; Pezeshki G ; Prann A ; Thomas P ; Thorpe L ; Walker DJ ; Williamson D
• Description:
  To date, health effects of exposure to the September 11, 2001 disaster in New York City have been studied in specific groups, but no studies have estimated its impact across the different exposed populations. This report provides an overview of the World Trade Center Health Registry (WTCHR) enrollees, their exposures, and their respiratory and mental health outcomes 2-3 years post-9/11. Results are extrapolated to the estimated universe of people eligible to enroll in the WTCHR to determine magnitude of impact. Building occupants, persons on the street or in transit in lower Manhattan on 9/11, local residents, rescue and recovery workers/volunteers, and area school children and staff were interviewed and enrolled in the WTCHR between September 2003 and November 2004. A total of 71,437 people enrolled in the WTCHR, for 17.4% coverage of the estimated eligible exposed population (nearly 410,000); 30% were recruited from lists, and 70% were self-identified. Many reported being in the dust cloud from the collapsing WTC Towers (51%), witnessing traumatic events (70%), or sustaining an injury (13%). After 9/11, 67% of adult enrollees reported new or worsening respiratory symptoms, 3% reported newly diagnosed asthma, 16% screened positive for probable posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and 8% for serious psychological distress (SPD). Newly diagnosed asthma was most common among rescue and recovery workers who worked on the debris pile (4.1%). PTSD was higher among those who reported Hispanic ethnicity (30%), household income G$25,000 (31%), or being injured (35%). Using previously published estimates of the total number of exposed people per WTCHR eligibility criteria, we estimate between 3,800 and 12,600 adults experienced newly diagnosed asthma and 34,600-70,200 adults experienced PTSD following the attacks, suggesting extensive adverse health impacts beyond the immediate deaths and injuries from the acute event. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Asthma Asthma, Occupational Dust Emergency Responders Environmental Exposure Environmental Pollution Epidemiology Hazardous Substances Irritants Lung Men Mental Health Nervous System Occupational Health Respiratory System Respiratory Tract Diseases Risk Assessment Risk Factors Safety September 11 Terrorist Attacks Stress, Psychological Women

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• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: World Trade Center Bronchial-asthma Children Emergency-responders Environmental-exposure Environmental-hazards Environmental Exposures Exposure-levels Health-hazards Humans Injuries Mental Health New York City Population Estimates Of WTC Disaster Health Outcomes Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Psychological-effects Psychological-reactions Psychological-stress Psychology Pulmonary-function Pulmonary-system Pulmonary-system-disorders Rescue-workers Respirable-dust Respiration Respiratory-irritants Respiratory-system-disorders Respiratory Symptoms Risk-factors Serious Psychological Distress Stress Terrorism Traumatic-injuries World Trade Center Health Registry (WTCHR) WTC Attacks

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• ISSN:
  1099-3460
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Georgia ; New York ; OSHA Region 2 ; OSHA Region 4
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  85
• Issue:
  6
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20046604
• Citation:
  J Urban Health 2008 Nov; 85(6):880-909
• Contact Point Address:
  Mark Farfel, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, New York, NY, USA
• Email:
  mfarfel@health.nyc.gov
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2009
• Performing Organization:
  New York City Health/Mental Hygiene
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20030430
• Source Full Name:
  Journal of Urban Health: Bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine
• End Date:
  20090429
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:4f26a11fa4a834241e26cf7685524b38d44f31989b8e97aaa51caac12b5334ce0be05738492df38cd1af08422014cd88c2aa5a76bd869de70aaa27676e36fc9a
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/201610/cdc_201610_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 440.65 KB ]