Quality of life of coal dust workers without pneumoconiosis in mainland China. (1/24)

The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate the quality of life (QOL) of coal dust workers without pneumoconiosis in mainland China. Three hundred five coal dust workers and 200 non-dust workers without pneumoconiosis from five coal mines in Shanxi province were enrolled in this study. The Chinese World Health Organization Quality of Life-brief version (WHOQOL-BREF) questionnaire was used. Socio-demographic, working, and health factors were also collected. Multiple stepwise regression analysis was used to identify significant factors related to the four domain scores of WHOQOL-BREF. All functional domains of the Chinese WHOQOL-BREF were significantly worse in coal dust workers compared to non-dust workers except for psychological health. For the physical domain of QOL, educational level, working hours, and work danger were the significant factors. In the psychological domain, types of job, welfare satisfaction, work danger, hobbies, smoking, one-child family, and marital status were the predictive factors. Working hours, welfare satisfaction, educational level, and birthplace were the predictive factors for the social domain of QOL. Finally, the predictors for the environmental domain of QOL were types of job, working hours, welfare satisfaction, work danger, self-reported social status, smoking, and drinking. Coal dust workers without pneumoconiosis had worse QOL than non-dust workers but their subjective feelings were positive. There were four distinct models for the various domains of QOL. Corresponding health policies could be developed to improve their QOL.  (+info)

Evaluation of occupational exposures to respirable dust in underground coal mines. (2/24)

Dust can be produced by almost all mining operations in underground coal mines and seen all around the mine. Different occupational groups get exposed to different dust levels and in order to minimize the probability of developing coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP), it is necessary to investigate the workers exposed to dust. This study aimed to evaluate the dust concentration conditions in underground coal mines and also the occupational health risks associated with exposures to respirable dust. The data obtained from the dust measurement studies conducted in various underground coal mines between the years 1978-2006 was evaluated by using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey-Kramer procedure. In the statistical analyses, the comparison of dustiness between mines and their mining regions were made by using the average dust concentration values. In addition, the numbers of workers with doubtful pneumoconiosis diagnosis were evaluated according to the occupational job category by using the number of the workers with the job illness. It was concluded that the production regions have the higher dust concentration levels and the CWP is mostly diagnosed in the workers working in production regions.  (+info)

Airway function and respiratory resistance in Taiwanese coal workers with simple pneumoconiosis. (3/24)

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Prevalence characteristics and prediction of coal workers' pneumoconiosis in the Tiefa Colliery in China. (4/24)

To explore characteristics of the development of coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP) at present and trend in the future, we investigated 16,154 coal miners exposed to dust for at least 1 yr in the Tiefa Colliery in China. Occupational categories were divided into tunneling, mining, combining and helping. Four cohorts (before 1958, 1958-, 1968-, and after 1978) were created according to years of first exposure. Life-Table Method was used to calculate cumulative incidence rates of CWP adjusted by duration of dust exposure and predict the number of the new CWP patients. Results indicated that cumulative incidence rates of CWP in four cohorts were 26.65%, 18.94%, 1.15%, and 0.06%, respectively (Chi(2)=493.57, p<0.0001). The 55-yr cumulative rate of CWP of tunneling miners (25.90%) or that of combining miners (14.53%) was statistically higher than that of mining miners (7.26%) or that of helping miners (0.89%). The number of new CWP patients predicted in future was approximately 77. New CWP patients predicted would mainly occur among coal miners with first dust exposure in 1958-1967 and those working at tunneling. Most of them could be diagnosed in the age group from 45 to 75 and in the period of the next 20 yr from 2008 to 2028.  (+info)

Comparison of storage phosphor computed radiography with conventional film-screen radiography in the recognition of pneumoconiosis. (5/24)

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Coal workers' pneumoconiosis-related years of potential life lost before age 65 years - United States, 1968-2006. (6/24)

Coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP) is a preventable, slowly progressive parenchymal lung disease caused by inhalation and deposition of coal mine dust in the lungs. The incidence and rate of CWP progression is related to the amount of respirable coal dust to which miners were exposed during their working lifetime. Early pneumoconiosis can be asymptomatic, but advanced disease often leads to disability and premature death. To characterize the impact of premature mortality attributed to CWP in the United States, CDC's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) analyzed annual underlying cause of death data from 1968-2006, the most recent years for which complete data were available. Years of potential life lost before age 65 years (YPLL), and mean YPLL were calculated using standard methodology. This report describes the results of that analysis, which indicate that during 1968-2006, a total of 22,625 YPLL were attributed to CWP (mean per decedent: 5.7). Annual YPLL attributed to CWP decreased 91.2%, from an average of 1,484 YPLL per year during 1968-1972 to 154 per year during 2002-2006. However, annual YPLL from CWP have been increasing since 2002, from 135 in that year to 169 YPLL in 2006, suggesting a need for strengthening CWP prevention measures. CDC intends to maintain surveillance of CWP deaths to determine future trends and promote safer work environments.  (+info)

Lesions associated with mineral deposition in the lymph nodes and lungs of cattle: a case-control study of environmental health hazard. (7/24)

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Anthracosis and large mediastinal mass in a patient with healed pulmonary tuberculosis. (8/24)

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