Magnitude of Misclassification Bias When Using a job-exposure Matrix

A job-exposure matrix constructed in Southampton, the United Kingdom, was assessed with the use of 1205 occupational histories collected for a case-referent study on primary liver cancer in Finland. The odds ratios calculated on the basis of the matrix and an assessment by occupational hygienists we...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment ＆ Health Vol. 18; no. 2; pp. 105 - 112
Main Authors:	Kauppinen, Timo P, Mutanen, Periti O, Seitsamo, Jorma T
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Helsinki Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment ＆ Health 01-04-1992 National Institute of Occupational Health (Sweden) Institute of Occupational Health (Finland) National Institute of Occupational Health (Denmark) National Institute of Occupational Health (Norway) Scandinavian journal of work, environment & health
Subjects:	Amines Bias Biological and medical sciences Case control studies Cross-Sectional Studies England - epidemiology Epidemiology Female Fumes General aspects Humans Incidence Industrial hygiene Liver cancer Liver Neoplasms - epidemiology Liver Neoplasms - etiology Male Medical sciences Men Methodology Models, Statistical Myocardial Infarction - epidemiology Myocardial Infarction - etiology Occupational Diseases - epidemiology Occupational Diseases - etiology Occupational Exposure - classification Odds Ratio Public health. Hygiene Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine Referents Retrospective Studies Risk Factors Solvents Statistical significance Stomach Neoplasms - epidemiology Stomach Neoplasms - etiology Welding Europe Finland specificity prevalence of exposure sensitivity Human Methodology Liver Digestive diseases Malignant tumor Risk analysis Occupational exposure Epidemiology Occupational medicine Public health
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Summary:	A job-exposure matrix constructed in Southampton, the United Kingdom, was assessed with the use of 1205 occupational histories collected for a case-referent study on primary liver cancer in Finland. The odds ratios calculated on the basis of the matrix and an assessment by occupational hygienists were compared. The ability of the matrix to detect excess risk was generally satisfactory for chemical and physical agents to which about 10% or more of the studied population was exposed. If only probable exposure at a high level was assigned to the category of the exposed, an excess risk was usually detectable also when the prevalence of exposure was below 10%. This assessment indicates that the British job-exposure matrix is an acceptably valid screening tool also outside the United Kingdom, provided that the misclassification characteristics of the matrix and the significant differences in exposure between the countries are taken into account.
ISSN:	0355-3140 1795-990X
DOI:	10.5271/sjweh.1604