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Ethnic differences in the prevalence of nonmalignant respiratory disease among uranium miners.

D W Mapel, D B Coultas, D S James, W C Hunt, C A Stidley and F D Gilliland

Epidemiology and Cancer Control Division, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque 87131-5306, USA.

OBJECTIVES: This study (1) investigates the relationship of nonmalignant respiratory disease to underground uranium mining and to cigarette smoking in Native American, Hispanic, and non-Hispanic White miners in the Southwest and (2) evaluates the criteria for compensation of ethnic minorities. METHODS: Risk for mining-related lung disease was analyzed by stratified analysis, multiple linear regression, and logistic regression with data on 1359 miners. RESULTS: Uranium mining is more strongly associated with obstructive lung disease and radiographic pnuemoconiosis in Native Americans than in Hispanics and non-Hispanic Whites. Obstructive lung disease in Hispanic and non-Hispanic White miners is mostly related to cigarette smoking. Current compensation criteria excluded 24% of Native Americans who, by ethnic-specific standards, had restrictive lung disease and 4.8% who had obstructive lung disease. Native Americans have the highest prevalence of radiographic pneumoconiosis, but are less likely to meet spirometry criteria for compensation. CONCLUSIONS: Native American miners have more nonmalignant respiratory disease from underground uranium mining, and less disease from smoking, than the other groups, but are less likely to receive compensation for mining-related disease.

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Environmental racism and public health.

M E Northridge and P M Shepard
AJPH 1997 87: 730-732. [PDF]  

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