Abstract |
Under NIOSH-funded SENSOR grants, NJDHSS conducted surveillance and intervention activities for silicosis and work-related asthma (WRA), which are among the 13 priority health conditions identified for surveillance by the NIOSH-States Surveillance Planning Work Group (NIOSH, 2001). Selection by the work group was based on the criteria of magnitude, severity, intervention potential, effectiveness/preventability, emergent conditions, public concern, economic impact, and feasibility of surveillance. Nationally, a total of 16,131 silicosis-associated deaths were recorded during 1968-2001 (CDC, 2003). Statistics show that more than 250 workers die each year from silicosis in the U.S. (Mahoney, 1999). However, due to underreporting and under recognition, these numbers may actually be higher. A 1995 study found that the potential average years of life lost associated with silicosis was 22.1 years and the potential cumulative years of work lost due to silicosis was 983,185 years (Zhong, 1995). The American Thoracic Society estimates that 15% of adults with asthma have acquired asthma from a workplace exposure, and applying this estimate to New Jersey BRFSS data (450,000 adults with asthma) suggests that there are approximately 67,500 adults in New Jersey who may have asthma caused or aggravated by their job (NJDHSS, 2003).These data can also be used to assess the burden of WRA to plan and target diverse intervention activities at the state level. |