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Exposure assessment in epidemiologic studies of birth defects by industrial hygiene review of maternal interviews
Author(s) -
Katz Elizabeth A.,
Shaw Gary M.,
Schaffer Donna M.
Publication year - 1994
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.4700260102
Subject(s) - medicine , environmental health , exposure assessment , occupational hygiene , occupational exposure , combustion products , occupational medicine , pregnancy , epidemiology , occupational safety and health , toxicology , pathology , combustion , chemistry , organic chemistry , biology , genetics
In epidemiologic studies of birth defects, occupational titles have frequently been used as surrogates for exposure. To avoid the error associated with such proxy exposure measures, we have designed a process in which an industrial hygienist systematically imputes exposures derived from maternal interviews. In response to a structured questionnaire, mothers of cases and controls recalled occupational and nonoccupational tasks performed or products used around the time of conception. Maternal exposures were then assigned to several a priori defined categories by an industrial hygienist. The central exposure category consists of 74 chemical families, e.g., alcohols, lead compounds. Other exposure categories are individual chemical compounds; nonchemical agents, e.g., ionizing radiation, infectious diseases; and product end‐use categories, e.g., insecticides, combustion products. A detailed description of this approach and its exposure assessment potential is presented using exposure data from 220 maternal interviews.