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Minnesota highway maintenance worker cohort mortality study: Methods and noncancer mortality
Author(s) -
Parker David L.,
Bender Alan P.,
Johnson Rebecca A.,
Scharber Wendy K.,
Williams Allan N.,
Marbury Marian C.,
Mandel Jack S.
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
american journal of industrial medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.7
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1097-0274
pISSN - 0271-3586
DOI - 10.1002/ajim.4700150506
Subject(s) - medicine , environmental health , cohort , cohort study , gerontology , emergency medicine
In 1984, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) began a cohort mortality study of 4,849 workers to follow up concerns with the health and safety of highway maintenance workers (HMWs). A total of 1,530 deaths had occurred, resulting in a standardized mortality ratio (SMR) of 91 (p < 0.01) and an all cancer SMR of 84 (p < 0.01). There was a significant elevation in the SMR for chronic renal failure among long‐term rural workers (SMR = 676, p < 0.05). The SMR was also elevated for transportation injuries. The latter SMR was highest among short‐term urban workers (SMR = 280, p < 0.01). In addition, the SMR for transportation‐related injury deaths tended to increase the later the decade of starting work. The SMRs were 137, 259, 502, and 2,145 for urban workers starting work in the decades 1945–1954, 1955–1964, 1965–1974, and 1975–1984, respectively. This study demonstrates the possible adverse health effects of highway maintenance work and the need to comprehensively evaluate injury mortality among selected occupational cohorts.