Article

Inter-rater reliability of assessed prenatal maternal occupational exposures to solvents, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and heavy metals.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, Ohio 45226, USA.
Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene (impact factor: 1.19). 12/2011; 8(12):718-28. DOI:10.1080/15459624.2011.627293 pp.718-28
Source: PubMed

ABSTRACT Because direct measurements of past occupational exposures are rarely available in population-based case-control studies, exposure assessment of job histories by multiple expert raters is frequently used; however, the subjective nature of this method makes measuring reliability an important quality control step. We evaluated inter-rater reliability of 7729 retrospective jobs reported in the National Birth Defects Prevention Study. Jobs were classified as exposed, unexposed, or exposure unknown by two independent industrial hygienists; exposed jobs were further evaluated for intensity, frequency, and routes. Exposure prevalence ranged from 0.1-9.8%. Inter-rater reliability for exposure (yes/no), assessed by kappa coefficients, was fair to good for cadmium (κ = 0.46), chlorinated solvents (κ = 0.59), cobalt (κ = 0.54), glycol ethers (κ = 0.50), nickel compounds (κ = 0.65), oil mists (κ = 0.63), and Stoddard Solvent (κ = 0.55); PAHs (κ = 0.24) and elemental nickel (κ = 0.37) had poor agreement. After a consensus conference resolved disagreements, an additional 4962 jobs were evaluated. Inter-rater reliability improved or stayed the same for cadmium (κ = 0.51), chlorinated solvents (κ = 0.81), oil mists (κ = 0.63), PAHs (κ = 0.52), and Stoddard solvent (κ = 0.92) in the second job set. Inter-rater reliability varied by exposure agent and prevalence, demonstrating the importance of measuring reliability in studies using a multiple expert rater method of exposure assessment.

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    Article: Maternal occupational exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: effects on gastroschisis among offspring in the National Birth Defects Prevention Study.
    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
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    ABSTRACT: Exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) occurs in many occupational settings. There is evidence in animal models that maternal exposure to PAHs during pregnancy is associated with gastroschisis in offspring; however, to our knowledge, no human studies examining this association have been conducted. Our goal was to conduct a case-control study assessing the association between estimated maternal occupational exposure to PAHs and gastroschisis in offspring. Data from gastroschisis cases and control infants were obtained from the population-based National Birth Defects Prevention Study for the period 1997-2002. Exposure to PAHs was assigned by industrial hygienist consensus, based on self-reported maternal occupational histories from 1 month before conception through the third month of pregnancy. Logistic regression was used to determine the association between estimated occupational PAH exposure and gastroschisis among children whose mothers were employed for at least 1 month during the month before conception through the third month of pregnancy. The prevalence of estimated occupational PAH exposure was 9.0% in case mothers (27 of 299) and 3.6% in control mothers (107 of 2,993). Logistic regression analyses indicated a significant association between occupational PAHs and gastroschisis among mothers ≥ 20 years of age [odds ratio (OR) = 2.53; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.27, 5.04] after adjusting for maternal body mass index, education, gestational diabetes, and smoking. This association was not seen in mothers < 20 years (OR = 1.14; 95% CI: 0.55, 2.33), which is notable because although young maternal age is the strongest known risk factor for gastroschisis, most cases are born to mothers ≥ 20 years. Our findings indicate an association between occupational exposure to PAHs among mothers who are ≥ 20 years and gastroschisis. These results contribute to a body of evidence that PAHs may be teratogenic.
    Environmental Health Perspectives 02/2012; 120(6):910-5. · 7.04 Impact Factor
Data provided are for informational purposes only. Although carefully collected, accuracy cannot be guaranteed. The impact factor represents a rough estimation of the journal's impact factor and does not reflect the actual current impact factor. Publisher conditions are provided by RoMEO. Differing provisions from the publisher's actual policy or licence agreement may be applicable.

Keywords

7729 retrospective jobs
 
additional 4962 jobs
 
chlorinated solvents
 
cobalt
 
direct measurements
 
exposure agent
 
glycol ethers
 
independent industrial hygienists
 
Inter-rater reliability
 
Inter-rater reliability varied
 
job histories
 
jobs
 
multiple expert raters
 
National Birth Defects Prevention Study
 
occupational exposures
 
oil mists
 
population-based case-control studies
 
quality control step
 
second job
 
Stoddard solvent