Citation

Newman KL, Leon JS, Newman LS. J. Occup. Environ. Med. 2015; 57(7): 718-725.

Affiliation

From the Department of Epidemiology (Ms Newman), Rollins School of Public Health and Laney Graduate School; Hubert Department of Global Health (Dr Leon), Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Ga; and Center for Worker Health and Environment (Dr Newman), Colorado School of Public Health and School of Medicine, University of Colorado Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2015, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1097/JOM.0000000000000476

PMID

25970031

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: The study provides a novel model and more comprehensive estimates of the burden of occupational morbidity and mortality in food-related industries, using a farm-to-table approach.

METHODS: The authors analyzed 2008 to 2010 US Bureau of Labor Statistics data for private industries in the different stages of the farm-to-table model (production, processing, distribution and storage, and retail and preparation).

RESULTS: The morbidity rate for food system industries was significantly higher than the morbidity rate for nonfood system industries (rate ratio = 1.62; 95% confidence interval = 1.30 to 2.01). Furthermore, the occupational mortality rate for food system industries was significantly higher than the national nonfood occupational mortality rate (rate ratio = 9.51; 95% confidence interval = 2.47 to 36.58).

CONCLUSIONS: This is the first use of the farm-to-table model to assess occupational morbidity and mortality, and these findings highlighting specific workplace hazards across food system industries.

Language: en