Authors

Jesús González Sánchez

Position

Doctor en Enfermería. Especialista en Enfermería del Trabajo. Departamento de Medicina del Trabajo.  MC Sociedad de Prevención, Salamanca.

Contact address

MC Sociedad de Prevención. Plz. Mariseca, s/n, bajo. 37003 Salamanca.

Contact email: jesusgonzsan@gmail.com

Abstract

Objective: to analyze the exposure and factors associated to carcinogenic materials at work, in the working population of the Salamanca province, protected by external prevention services.
Method: transversal descriptive epidemiological study. The sample was selected through stratified randomized sampling proportional to each prevention service. The variables collected were: socio-demographics, exposure to carcinogenic materials at work and protection measures, using as information source the work-related clinical
histories. A descriptive analysis was conducted; and subsequently,
a multivariate model of logistical regression, in order to assess the influence of factors associated to carcinogenic materials in the workplace.
Results: a 32% of the 835 workers studied was exposed to some carcinogenic material at work. Women were more exposed in the service sector, and men in the agriculture and cattle sector. Besides, using the binary logistic regression, it was found that the use of a “face mask” (OR= 13.19; CI 95%:9.12-19.07), “specific clothes” (OR= 11.67; CI 95%:7.71-17.68) and “gloves” (OR= 10.69; CI 95%:7.24-15.78) was a significant predictor of exposure to some carcinogenic material in the workplace.
Conclusions: the exposure to carcinogenic materials by workers protected by some external prevention service was different to that detailed in the latest study conducted at a national level. The use of specific individual protection equipment or the presence of jobs with shifts are factors which should be taken into account when conducting interventions for preventing cancer at work.

Keywords:

Work-related health; work-related cancer; risk factors; prevention services; individual protection equipment; research; Descriptive Study

Versión en Español

Título:

Factores asociados a la exposición a cancerígenos en el trabajo