Mortality from non-malignant diseases in a cohort of female pulp and paper workers in Norway

Hilde Langseth ^1* and Kristina Kjæ rheim ¹

¹ The Cancer Registry of Norway, Norway

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: hilde.langseth{at}kreftregisteret.no.

Accepted 5 May 2006

Abstract

ABSTRACT Objectives: The objective of the present study was to investigate the risk of death from non-malignant diseases in female pulp and paper workers in Norway.

Methods: A total of 3143 women first employed between 1920-1993 were included in the study cohort. Information about each cohort member was obtained from personnel record files in the mills in order to identify employment periods and job categories. Data on cause and date of death was added by linkage to the Cause of Death Register using unique personal identification numbers. The follow-up period was 1951-2000. Standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated using the national female mortality rates as reference. Poisson regression analysis was used to examine internal relations between the duration of employment in paper departments and the risk of death from selected causes. Relative risks (RRs) and 95% CIs were calculated.

Results: The study showed a significantly increased risk for total non-malignant mortality (SMR=1.14, 95% CI=1.05-1.24), mainly due to increased mortality from ischemic heart disease (SMR=1.22, 95% CI=1.03-1.43) and cerebrovascular diseases (SMR=1.16, 95% CI=0.94-1.42). Analysis by department showed the highest risk of death in paper department workers with short-term employmentInternal analyses showed a 5% and 9% increase in risk of dying from ischemic heart disease and respiratory diseases, respectively, among paper department workers exposed to paper dust. The risk decreased with increasing duration of employment.

Conclusion: The elevated risk of ischemic heart diseases and respiratory diseases seen among employees of paper departments can possibly be related to exposure to paper dust.

Keywords: mortality, paper dust, pulp and paper workers, women

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

• McBride, D. I., Burns, C. J., Herbison, G. P., Humphry, N. F., Bodner, K., Collins, J. J. (2009). Mortality in employees at a New Zealand agrochemical manufacturing site. Occup Med (Lond) 59: 255-263 [Abstract] [Full Text]