The European Journal of Public Health Advance Access originally published online on June 7, 2005
The European Journal of Public Health 2005 15(3):305-312; doi:10.1093/eurpub/cki083
Miscellaneous |
A cohort study to estimate occupational mortality risks in Navarra
M.Dolores Ugarte1, Liliana Artieda2, Berta Ibáñez1, Ana F. Militino1, Mercedes Lezáun3, Marina López-Sagaseta4 and Conchi Moreno-Iribas5
1 Statistics and Operations Research Department. Public University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
2 Occupational Health and Research Service. Navarra Institute of Occupational Health, Pamplona, Spain
3 Research and Occupational Epidemiology Section. Navarra Institute of Occupational Health, Pamplona, Spain
4 Statistical Institute of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
5 Non-transmissible Diseases and Vital Statistics Section, Institute of Public Health of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
Correspondence: M. Dolores Ugarte, Statistics and Operations Research Department, Public University of Navarra, Campus de Arrosadía, 31006 Pamplona, Navarra, Spain, tel. +34 948169202, fax, +34 948169204, Email: lola{at}unavarra.es
Background: Few studies on occupational mortality have been conducted in Spain. The objective of this work was to analyse inequalities on global mortality and on mortality due to specific causes according to occupation in a historical cohort of males from the province of Navarra, Spain. Methods: The base population for this historical cohort comprised all employed men over age 34 from Navarra in the 1986 population register. Age-standardised point estimates and confidence intervals for occupational-specific mortality risks were computed. Results: There exist differences in mortality risks with respect to the overall risk of Navarra in certain occupational activities for several major causes of mortality. Some of the results corroborate previous findings in other works, such as the significant high risk that presents in leather, clothing workers and shoemakers when analysing kidney, bladder and other urinary malignant tumours, while others present a certain degree of novelty. Conclusion: This work contributes to filling the gap in the lack of works on occupational mortality in Spain. It also complements the information that other monitoring systems may provide on occupational health.
Keywords: historical cohort, occupational mortality, risk confidence intervals