Assembling the Career Firefighter Health Study cohort: A methods overview.

American Journal of Industrial Medicine
Rachel Zeig-OwensMayris P Webber

Abstract

Studies of World Trade Center (WTC)-exposed rescue/recovery workers report the increased occurrence of health conditions after work at the WTC disaster site. However, the extent to which these associations are due to WTC exposure is unclear, in part due to the lack of suitable comparison groups. Accordingly, we identified a previously assembled National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) cohort of career firefighters from three US cities (n = 29,992). Here, we document the challenges in establishing this non-WTC-exposed firefighter cohort for the goal of tracking and comparing cancer and chronic health conditions in WTC-exposed and non-WTC-exposed firefighters. Follow-up process included institutional review board applications, data use agreements, state cancer registry linkages and vital status determination for the NIOSH firefighter cohort. After completion of these steps, we undertook outreach to the three original city fire departments and union officials, before contact tracing and direct recruitment of 14,566 living firefighters to complete a confidential health survey. We staggered recruitment efforts by the city, using letters, postcards, emails, videos, and telephone outreach. Participants who complet...Continue Reading

References

Sep 13, 2002·The New England Journal of Medicine·David J PrezantKerry J Kelly
Jun 5, 2003·Environmental Health Perspectives·John K McGeeStephen H Gavett
Jan 15, 2005·Journal of Clinical Epidemiology·Christopher JepsonPeter A Ubel
Nov 14, 2006·Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine·Grace K LeMastersJames Lockey
Jan 1, 2009·American Journal of Industrial Medicine·Marcos RibeiroMario Terra-Filho
Jul 11, 2009·Environmental Health Perspectives·Mayris P WebberDavid J Prezant
Sep 9, 2011·Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness·Jackie SooDavid J Prezant
Oct 4, 2011·American Journal of Industrial Medicine·Mayris P WebberDavid Prezant
Jan 5, 2013·JAMA : the Journal of the American Medical Association·Jiehui LiSteven D Stellman
Apr 19, 2013·American Journal of Epidemiology·Jorunn KirkeleitDavid C Christiani
Apr 25, 2013·Environmental Health Perspectives·Samara SolanPhilip J Landrigan
Oct 22, 2013·Occupational and Environmental Medicine·Robert D DanielsLynne E Pinkerton
Feb 11, 2014·Occupational and Environmental Medicine·Eero PukkalaPaul A Demers
Oct 23, 2017·Occupational and Environmental Medicine·Kajsa Kirstine Ugelvig PetersenJohnni Hansen
Aug 4, 2018·American Journal of Industrial Medicine·M Anne HarrisPaul A Demers
Oct 17, 2018·Occupational and Environmental Medicine·Julie Elbæk PedersenJohnni Hansen
May 16, 2019·International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health·Charles LiuMichael D Weiden
Aug 30, 2019·International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health·Carolina BigertPär Sparén

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Trending Feeds

COVID-19

Coronaviruses encompass a large family of viruses that cause the common cold as well as more serious diseases, such as the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; formally known as 2019-nCoV). Coronaviruses can spread from animals to humans; symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties; in more severe cases, infection can lead to death. This feed covers recent research on COVID-19.

Blastomycosis

Blastomycosis fungal infections spread through inhaling Blastomyces dermatitidis spores. Discover the latest research on blastomycosis fungal infections here.

Nuclear Pore Complex in ALS/FTD

Alterations in nucleocytoplasmic transport, controlled by the nuclear pore complex, may be involved in the pathomechanism underlying multiple neurodegenerative diseases including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Here is the latest research on the nuclear pore complex in ALS and FTD.

Applications of Molecular Barcoding

The concept of molecular barcoding is that each original DNA or RNA molecule is attached to a unique sequence barcode. Sequence reads having different barcodes represent different original molecules, while sequence reads having the same barcode are results of PCR duplication from one original molecule. Discover the latest research on molecular barcoding here.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disease characterized by unexplained disabling fatigue; the pathology of which is incompletely understood. Discover the latest research on chronic fatigue syndrome here.

Evolution of Pluripotency

Pluripotency refers to the ability of a cell to develop into three primary germ cell layers of the embryo. This feed focuses on the mechanisms that underlie the evolution of pluripotency. Here is the latest research.

Position Effect Variegation

Position Effect Variagation occurs when a gene is inactivated due to its positioning near heterochromatic regions within a chromosome. Discover the latest research on Position Effect Variagation here.

STING Receptor Agonists

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING) are a group of transmembrane proteins that are involved in the induction of type I interferon that is important in the innate immune response. The stimulation of STING has been an active area of research in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Here is the latest research on STING receptor agonists.

Microbicide

Microbicides are products that can be applied to vaginal or rectal mucosal surfaces with the goal of preventing, or at least significantly reducing, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Here is the latest research on microbicides.