Case-control study of bladder cancer using city directories as a source of occupational data
Commercial city directories, currently produced in 1250 United States cities, potentially provide yearly information on occupation and employer for all city residents over age 18 years. To investigate the usefulness of these occupational data, the authors have conducted a case-control study of male bladder cancer mortality in Hamilton County, Ohio (which includes Cincinnati). A total of 731 bladder cancer cases who died during 1960-1982 were matched on age, sex, race, date-of-death, and residence at death to two controls per case. Risks of bladder cancer death were calculated by occupation, industry, and specific employer, using both city directories (multiple statements) and death certificates (single statement). Four companies showed a significant excess bladder cancer risk when using city directories. Only one would have been identified using death certificates, which ask for usual lifetime type of industry rather than a specific company name. Using city directories, significant positive associations were found between bladder cancer and occupation as an engineer, tailor, carpenter, furnace operator, blending machine operator, chemist, pressing machine operator, house cleaner, or salesman. For industry, the authors found significant positive associations for the textile, chemical, grain mill, foundry, petroleum, building service, entertainment, and advertising industries. A significant increase in risk for those with 20 or more years of employment was seen for those employed as truck drivers and furnace operators, or those employed in the railroad industry. A check of the validity of city directory data indicated that 77 per cent of the listings agreed with Social Security earnings reports for employer in any given year. One limitation of Hamilton County city directory data was the fairly large number of yearly listings without any occupational data (15 per cent for occupation, 36 per cent for employer).
- Research Organization:
- National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH
- OSTI ID:
- 6168754
- Journal Information:
- Am. J. Epidemiol.; (United States), Vol. 126:2
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
DIRECTORIES
DATA ANALYSIS
NEOPLASMS
EPIDEMIOLOGY
URINARY TRACT
CHEMICAL INDUSTRY
HEALTH HAZARDS
MORTALITY
OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE
OCCUPATIONS
OHIO
PETROLEUM INDUSTRY
RISK ASSESSMENT
BODY
DISEASES
DOCUMENT TYPES
FEDERAL REGION V
HAZARDS
INDUSTRY
NORTH AMERICA
ORGANS
USA
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