A Case-Control Study Relating Railroad Worker Mortality to Diesel Exhaust Exposure Using a Threshold Regression Model

Details

• Personal Author:
  Garshick E ; Hart JE ; Laden F ; Lee M-LT ; Whitmore GA
• Description:
  A case-control study of lung cancer mortality in U.S. railroad workers in jobs with and without diesel exhaust exposure is reanalyzed using a new threshold regression methodology. The study included 1256 workers who died of lung cancer and 2385 controls who died primarily of circulatory system diseases. Diesel exhaust exposure was assessed using railroad job history from the US Railroad Retirement Board and an industrial hygiene survey. Smoking habits were available from next-of-kin and potential asbestos exposure was assessed by job history review. The new analysis reassesses lung cancer mortality and examines circulatory system disease mortality. Jobs with regular exposure to diesel exhaust had a survival pattern characterized by an initial delay in mortality, followed by a rapid deterioration of health prior to death. The pattern is seen in subjects dying of lung cancer, circulatory system diseases, and other causes. The unique pattern is illustrated using a new type of Kaplan-Meier survival plot in which the time scale represents a measure of disease progression rather than calendar time. The disease progression scale accounts for a healthy-worker effect when describing the effects of cumulative exposures on mortality. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Cardiovascular Diseases Cardiovascular System Epidemiology Lung Lung Diseases Mortality Neoplasms Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Railroads Respiratory System Respiratory Tract Diseases Safety Workplace

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• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Biostatistics Cardiovascular Disease Chronic Exposure Circulatory System Death Diesel Exhaust Disease Progression Environmetrics Exposure Risk First Hitting Time Health Status Healthy Worker Effect Kaplan-Meier Plot Latent Process Lung Cancer Mortality Rates Occupational Health Railroad Industry Stochastic Process Survival Analysis Wiener Process Work Environment

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• ISSN:
  0378-3758
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Maryland ; Massachusetts ; Ohio ; OSHA Region 1 ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  139
• Issue:
  5
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20056711
• Citation:
  J Stat Plann Inference 2009 May; 139(5):1633-1642
• Contact Point Address:
  Mei-Ling Ting Lee, Biostatistics Division, College of Public Health, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
• Email:
  meilinglee@cph.osu.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2009
• NORA Priority Area:
  Transportation, Warehousing and Utilities
• Performing Organization:
  University of Maryland - College Park
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20060901
• Source Full Name:
  Journal of Statistical Planning and Inference
• End Date:
  20090831
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:f8924142b1c20f2f8518453ab8610a13bcb59b530ea6a00fc62931f0b90dc849bddd9f1e00eb87306c7c114b7dcf1c55bc33011b17f552fd9051a742440dae3b
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/214263/cdc_214263_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 215.30 KB ]