Mortality Associated With Occupational Exposure in Helsinki, Finland—A 24-Year Follow-up

Abstract

Objectives: Our objective was to study mortality related to different obstructive lung diseases, occupational exposure, and their potential joint effect in a large, randomized population-based cohort. Methods: We divided the participants based on the answers to asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) diagnoses and occupational exposure and used a combined effects model and compared the results to no asthma or COPD with no occupational exposure. Results: High exposure had a hazards ratio (HR) of 1.34 (1.11-1.62) and asthma and COPD coexistence of 1.58 (1.10-2.27). The combined effects of intermediate exposure and coexistence had an HR of 2.20 (1.18-4.09), high exposure with coexistence of 1.94 (1.10-3.42) for overall mortality, and sub-HR for respiratory-related mortality of 3.21 (1.87-5.50). Conclusions: High occupational exposure increased overall but not respiratory-related mortality hazards, while coexisting asthma and COPD overall and respiratory-related hazards of mortality.

Occupational exposure to vapors, gasses, dusts, and fumes in relation to causes of death during 24 years in Helsinki, Finland

“…The usefulness in large studies can be seen in the appliance of the estimation via known and often used occupation classifications such as the International Categorization of Occupations ver. 1988 (ISCO-88) which we have already used in a previous article (Jalasto et al 2023 ). In our previous papers, we also estimated the all-cause mortality related to exposure and self-reported respiratory diagnosis, and the result showed increased all-cause mortality related to high exposure to VGDF (Jalasto et al 2023 ).…”

“…1988 (ISCO-88) which we have already used in a previous article (Jalasto et al 2023 ). In our previous papers, we also estimated the all-cause mortality related to exposure and self-reported respiratory diagnosis, and the result showed increased all-cause mortality related to high exposure to VGDF (Jalasto et al 2023 ). In raw numbers, the amount of work-related all-cause mortality in Finland in the 1990s was estimated to be around 1800 per year (Nurminen and Karjalainen 2001 ).…”