A Workers’ Survey on Exposure to Cancer Risk Factors in Europe: An Innovative Approach to get Comparable and Reliable Data for Prevention and Policy-making Purposes by Xabier Irastorza, Marine Cavet and William Cockburn
A Workers’ Survey on Exposure to Cancer Risk Factors in Europe: An Innovative Approach to get Comparable and Reliable Data for Prevention and Policy-making Purposes
UK Digital Medicine Research Centre Strategic Development Plan
Semelhante a A Workers’ Survey on Exposure to Cancer Risk Factors in Europe: An Innovative Approach to get Comparable and Reliable Data for Prevention and Policy-making Purposes by Xabier Irastorza, Marine Cavet and William Cockburn
Semelhante a A Workers’ Survey on Exposure to Cancer Risk Factors in Europe: An Innovative Approach to get Comparable and Reliable Data for Prevention and Policy-making Purposes by Xabier Irastorza, Marine Cavet and William Cockburn (20)
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A Workers’ Survey on Exposure to Cancer Risk Factors in Europe: An Innovative Approach to get Comparable and Reliable Data for Prevention and Policy-making Purposes by Xabier Irastorza, Marine Cavet and William Cockburn
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http://osha.europa.eu
Background of the survey
Cancer: more than half of all work-related deaths in the European Union
https://oshwiki.eu/wiki/Eliminating_occupational_cancer_in_Europe_and_globally
A need for data on workplace exposures to cancer risk factors
A lack of harmonised and comparable data in Europe
A feasibility study was conducted in 2017
https://osha.europa.eu/en/publications/feasibility-study-development-computer-assisted-telephone-survey-
estimate-workers/view
Aims of the Workers’ exposure survey on cancer risk factors in Europe:
• An accurate and comprehensive picture of current risks related to worker
exposure to a selection of cancer risk factors
• High quality information for both prevention and policy making purposes
• A contribution to the challenge of reducing work-related cancer
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Overview of the methodology
Following an Australian model based on a web-based application to assess
occupational exposure in epidemiological studies (OccIDEAS), developed by
a team led by Prof Lin Fritschi https://www.occideas.org/
Comprehensive sample sizes of employed population, contacted by phone
A selection of countries for the initial survey
Assessment of several exposures at the
same time, within a range of cancer risk
factors including asbestos, benzene,
chromium VI, diesel exhaust, nickel, silica dust,
UV radiation, wood dust, among others
Harmonised methodology and standardised
data collection across the six countries
First findings in 2023
Country Sample size
Finland 2,500
France 5,000
Germany 7,500
Hungary 3,125
Ireland 2,500
Spain 3,750
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Adaptation to the European context
National expertise:
• One group of minimum six experts in each participating country
• Occupational hygiene generalists with a big network (including specialist for
specific issues)
Working process:
• National experts give insight on any specificities regarding tasks or working
practices in their country that could have an effect on the determinants of
exposure to cancer risk factors.
• National experts assess all sets of questions (modules) to check if:
−they are complete and adequate for the national context;
−some tasks or exposure situations are relevant to the country but yet not
covered in the questionnaire;
−some tasks or exposure situations are not relevant for Europe.
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Validation of the questionnaire – a crucial step
One of the pillar to good quality
A thorough adaptation is required to achieve high quality results
Coverage of all potential exposure situations to the selected cancer risk
factors – work tasks in all 6 countries should be accurately reflected
Correct terminology – survey should be relevant to the respondent and
properly understood
A group of international experts provides additional input on the cancer
risk factors, conditions of use at workplaces and exposure assessment
High quality data is needed to enable data processing with OccIDEAS tool
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Questionnaire adaptation to different national languages
EU-OSHA drafted a glossary of technical terms included in the questionnaire
to support national experts, linguists and interviewers
cApStAn conducted a translatability assessment of the questionnaire and
suggested some alternative wordings
IPSOS NV piloted a pre-testing of a selection of questions (cognitive interviews)
to ensure that the survey questions are understood correctly and are able to be
answered accurately by respondents
final version of the English master questionnaire
Next steps:
• Translation into Finnish, French, German, Hungarian and Spanish, following a
complex translation approach, widely used in cross-cultural surveys (TRAPD)
• Adaptation of the English questionnaire for Ireland
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Challenges and limitations
Identification of European scenarios (cancer risk factors and occupational
safety & health legislations) and differences from Australia, leading to:
• A new set of questions on chemical/pharmaceuticals/plastics industry;
• A new questions on medical devices manufacturing;
• A new questions to address automotive industry, wood processing;
• A new set of questions addressing the nuclear energy sector;
• Additional questions on control measures for tasks involving asbestos removal;
• Changes in exposure levels to benzene for specific work tasks…
Identification of relevant differences between European countries, and how
to address them
Adaptation to national languages, simple questions but specific terminology