Marie-Élise Parent1, Hugues Richard1, Jean-François Sauvé2. 1. Epidemiology and Biostatistics Unit, INRS-Institut Armand-Frappier, Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université du Québec, 531 Boul. des Prairies, Laval, Québec H7V 1B7, Canada. 2. Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Université de Montréal, 2375, Chemin de la Côte Ste-Catherine, Montréal, Québec H3T 1A8, Canada.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Work histories generally cover all jobs held for ≥1 year. However, it may be time and cost prohibitive to conduct a detailed exposure assessment for each such job. While disregarding short-term jobs can reduce the assessment burden, this can be problematic if those jobs contribute important exposure information towards understanding disease aetiology. OBJECTIVE: To characterize short-term jobs, defined as lasting more than 1 year, but less than 2 years, in a population-based study conducted in Montreal, Canada. METHODS: In 2005-2012, we collected work histories for some 4000 participants in a case-control study of prostate cancer. Overall, subjects had held 19 462 paid jobs lasting ≥1 year, including 3655 short-term jobs. Using information from interviews and from the Canadian Classification and Dictionary of Occupations, we characterized short-term jobs and compared them to jobs held ≥2 years. RESULTS: Short-term jobs represented <4% of subjects' work years on average. Forty-five per cent of subjects had at least one short-term job; of these, 49% had one, 24% had two, and 27% had at least three. Half of all short-term jobs had been held before the age of 24. Short-term jobs entailed more often exposure to fumes, odours, dust, and/or poor ventilation than longer jobs (17 versus 13%), as well as outdoor work (10 versus 5%) and heavy physical activity (16 versus 12%). CONCLUSIONS: Short-term jobs occurred often in early careers and more frequently entailed potentially hazardous exposures than longer-held jobs. However, as they represented a small proportion of work years, excluding them should have a marginal impact on lifetime exposure assessment.
BACKGROUND: Work histories generally cover all jobs held for ≥1 year. However, it may be time and cost prohibitive to conduct a detailed exposure assessment for each such job. While disregarding short-term jobs can reduce the assessment burden, this can be problematic if those jobs contribute important exposure information towards understanding disease aetiology. OBJECTIVE: To characterize short-term jobs, defined as lasting more than 1 year, but less than 2 years, in a population-based study conducted in Montreal, Canada. METHODS: In 2005-2012, we collected work histories for some 4000 participants in a case-control study of prostate cancer. Overall, subjects had held 19 462 paid jobs lasting ≥1 year, including 3655 short-term jobs. Using information from interviews and from the Canadian Classification and Dictionary of Occupations, we characterized short-term jobs and compared them to jobs held ≥2 years. RESULTS: Short-term jobs represented <4% of subjects' work years on average. Forty-five per cent of subjects had at least one short-term job; of these, 49% had one, 24% had two, and 27% had at least three. Half of all short-term jobs had been held before the age of 24. Short-term jobs entailed more often exposure to fumes, odours, dust, and/or poor ventilation than longer jobs (17 versus 13%), as well as outdoor work (10 versus 5%) and heavy physical activity (16 versus 12%). CONCLUSIONS: Short-term jobs occurred often in early careers and more frequently entailed potentially hazardous exposures than longer-held jobs. However, as they represented a small proportion of work years, excluding them should have a marginal impact on lifetime exposure assessment.
Authors: S Cordier; A Bergeret; J Goujard; M C Ha; S Aymé; F Bianchi; E Calzolari; H E De Walle; R Knill-Jones; S Candela; I Dale; B Dananché; C de Vigan; J Fevotte; G Kiel; L Mandereau Journal: Epidemiology Date: 1997-07 Impact factor: 4.822
Authors: Calvin B Ge; Melissa C Friesen; Hans Kromhout; Susan Peters; Nathaniel Rothman; Qing Lan; Roel Vermeulen Journal: Ann Work Expo Health Date: 2018-11-12 Impact factor: 2.179
Authors: Eve Bourgkard; Pascal Wild; Maria Gonzalez; Joëlle Févotte; Emmanuelle Penven; Christophe Paris Journal: Occup Environ Med Date: 2013-09-18 Impact factor: 4.402
Authors: Susan Peters; Roel Vermeulen; Lützen Portengen; Ann Olsson; Benjamin Kendzia; Raymond Vincent; Barbara Savary; Jérôme Lavoué; Domenico Cavallo; Andrea Cattaneo; Dario Mirabelli; Nils Plato; Joelle Fevotte; Beate Pesch; Thomas Brüning; Kurt Straif; Hans Kromhout Journal: Ann Occup Hyg Date: 2016-06-09
Authors: Philip J Lupo; Peter H Langlois; Jennita Reefhuis; Christina C Lawson; Elaine Symanski; Tania A Desrosiers; Zeina G Khodr; A J Agopian; Martha A Waters; Kara N Duwe; Richard H Finnell; Laura E Mitchell; Cynthia A Moore; Paul A Romitti; Gary M Shaw Journal: Environ Health Perspect Date: 2012-02-13 Impact factor: 9.031