Terry Boyle1,2,3, Renee N Carey4, Deborah C Glass5, Susan Peters6, Lin Fritschi4, Alison Reid4. 1. Cancer Control Research, British Columbia Cancer Agency, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. 2. School of Population and Public Health, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. 3. Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia. 4. School of Public Health, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia. 5. Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. 6. School of Population Health, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Although job-related diseases result in more deaths per year than job-related injuries, most research concerning ethnic minority workers has concerned accidents and injuries rather than disease-causing exposures such as carcinogens. METHODS: We conducted a telephone-based cross-sectional survey to estimate the prevalence of occupational exposure to carcinogens among a sample of ethnic minority workers in Australia, and compared their exposure prevalence to that of a sample of the general Australian-born working population ('Australian workers'). RESULTS: One-third of the ethnic minority workers were exposed to at least one carcinogen at work. The likelihood of exposure to carcinogens was not significantly different from that of Australian workers, although the likelihood of exposure to individual carcinogens varied by ethnicity. CONCLUSION: Knowing the prevalence of exposure to carcinogens in the workplace in different ethnic groups will allow better targeted and informed occupational health and safety measures to be implemented where necessary.
BACKGROUND: Although job-related diseases result in more deaths per year than job-related injuries, most research concerning ethnic minority workers has concerned accidents and injuries rather than disease-causing exposures such as carcinogens. METHODS: We conducted a telephone-based cross-sectional survey to estimate the prevalence of occupational exposure to carcinogens among a sample of ethnic minority workers in Australia, and compared their exposure prevalence to that of a sample of the general Australian-born working population ('Australian workers'). RESULTS: One-third of the ethnic minority workers were exposed to at least one carcinogen at work. The likelihood of exposure to carcinogens was not significantly different from that of Australian workers, although the likelihood of exposure to individual carcinogens varied by ethnicity. CONCLUSION: Knowing the prevalence of exposure to carcinogens in the workplace in different ethnic groups will allow better targeted and informed occupational health and safety measures to be implemented where necessary.
Authors: Alison Daly; Renee N Carey; Ellie Darcey; HuiJun Chih; Anthony D LaMontagne; Allison Milner; Alison Reid Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2019-02-28 Impact factor: 3.390