Healthy worker effect phenomenon - PubMed (original) (raw)

Healthy worker effect phenomenon

Divyang Shah. Indian J Occup Environ Med. 2009 Aug.

Abstract

The Healthy Worker Effect (HWE) phenomenon has been under debate since some years. Some epidemiologists regard HWE as an ordinary method problem while others consider it a field of science by itself. This article gives definitions of HWE explained with historical background; discusses factors affecting it and suggests methods to minimize problems associated with it.

Keywords: Healthy Worker Effect; occupational epidemiology; selection bias.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: Nil

Similar articles

• Healthy Worker Effect Phenomenon: Revisited with Emphasis on Statistical Methods - A Review.
  Chowdhury R, Shah D, Payal AR. Chowdhury R, et al. Indian J Occup Environ Med. 2017 Jan-Apr;21(1):2-8. doi: 10.4103/ijoem.IJOEM_53_16. Indian J Occup Environ Med. 2017. PMID: 29391741 Free PMC article. Review.
• A review of the healthy worker effect in occupational epidemiology.
  Li CY, Sung FC. Li CY, et al. Occup Med (Lond). 1999 May;49(4):225-9. doi: 10.1093/occmed/49.4.225. Occup Med (Lond). 1999. PMID: 10474913 Review.
• [Definition, characteristics and methods of reducing the healthy worker effect].
  Sobala W. Sobala W. Med Pr. 2008;59(1):49-53. Med Pr. 2008. PMID: 18663895 Review. Polish.
• Characteristics of the healthy worker effect.
  Baillargeon J. Baillargeon J. Occup Med. 2001 Apr-Jun;16(2):359-66. Occup Med. 2001. PMID: 11319057 Review.
• A technique to re-assess epidemiologic evidence in light of the healthy worker effect: the case of firefighting and heart disease.
  Choi BC. Choi BC. J Occup Environ Med. 2000 Oct;42(10):1021-34. doi: 10.1097/00043764-200010000-00009. J Occup Environ Med. 2000. PMID: 11039166

Cited by

• Cancer incidence among seafarers and fishermen in the Nordic countries.
  Ugelvig Petersen K, Pukkala E, Martinsen JI, Lynge E, Tryggvadottir L, Weiderpass E, Kjærheim K, Heikkinen S, Hansen J. Ugelvig Petersen K, et al. Scand J Work Environ Health. 2020 Sep 1;46(5):461-468. doi: 10.5271/sjweh.3879. Epub 2020 Jan 9. Scand J Work Environ Health. 2020. PMID: 31917456 Free PMC article.
• Healthy Worker Effect Phenomenon: Revisited with Emphasis on Statistical Methods - A Review.
  Chowdhury R, Shah D, Payal AR. Chowdhury R, et al. Indian J Occup Environ Med. 2017 Jan-Apr;21(1):2-8. doi: 10.4103/ijoem.IJOEM_53_16. Indian J Occup Environ Med. 2017. PMID: 29391741 Free PMC article. Review.
• Work-related stress in midlife is associated with higher number of mobility limitation in older age-results from the FLAME study.
  Kulmala J, Hinrichs T, Törmäkangas T, von Bonsdorff MB, von Bonsdorff ME, Nygård CH, Klockars M, Seitsamo J, Ilmarinen J, Rantanen T. Kulmala J, et al. Age (Dordr). 2014;36(6):9722. doi: 10.1007/s11357-014-9722-4. Epub 2014 Nov 7. Age (Dordr). 2014. PMID: 25378119 Free PMC article.
• Healthy Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Sleep Hygiene to Promote Cardiometabolic Health of Airline Pilots: A Narrative Review.
  Wilson D, Driller M, Johnston B, Gill N. Wilson D, et al. J Lifestyle Med. 2023 Feb 28;13(1):1-15. doi: 10.15280/jlm.2023.13.1.1. J Lifestyle Med. 2023. PMID: 37250274 Free PMC article. Review.
• Caring for Coronavirus Healthcare Workers: Lessons Learned From Long-Term Monitoring of Military Peacekeepers.
  Gjerstad CL, Bøe HJ, Falkum E, Nordstrand AE, Tønnesen A, Reichelt JG, Lystad JU. Gjerstad CL, et al. Front Psychol. 2020 Oct 19;11:566199. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.566199. eCollection 2020. Front Psychol. 2020. PMID: 33192842 Free PMC article.

References

1. 1. Last J. A Dictionary of Epidemiology. 3rd ed. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press; 1995.
2. 1. McMichael AJ. Standardized mortality ratios and the “healthy worker effect”: Scratching beneath the surface. J Occup Med. 1976;18:165–8. - PubMed
3. 1. Doll R, Fish REW, Gammon EJ, Gunn W, Hughes GO, Tyrer FH, Wilson W. Mortality of gas workers with special reference to cancers of the lung and bladder, chronic bronchitis, and pneumoconiosis. British Journal of Industrial Medicine. 1965;22:1–12. - PMC - PubMed
4. 1. Ogle W. Letter to the Registrar-General on the mortality in the registration districts of England and Wales during the ten years 1871–80. Supplement to the 45th Annual Report of the Registrar General of Births, Deaths, and Marriages in England. 1985.
5. 1. McMichael AJ, Spirtas R, Kupper LL. An epidemiologic study of mortality within a cohort of rubber workers, 1964-72. J Occup Med. 1974;16:458–64. - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources

• Full Text Sources

  • Europe PubMed Central
  • Ovid Technologies, Inc.
  • PubMed Central