A review of the healthy worker effect in occupational epidemiology

Datos Bibliográficos

ID23337490
AutoresChung-Yi Li (0000-0002-0321-8908, Fu Jen Catholic University, autor de correspondencia), F-C Sung
Año1999
Volumen49
Número4
Páginas225-229
Fecha de publicación1999-01-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessNo
TipoARTICLE
RevistaOccupational Medicine (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0962-7480 • E-ISSN: 1471-8405
EditorialOxford University Press (OUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1093/occmed/49.4.225
PMID10474913
OpenAlexW2158364693
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas90
Referencias citadas2

This review article aims to anatomize sources of the healthy worker effect (HWE) and to summarize advantages and limitations of several approaches frequently proposed to eliminate the HWE. Although the HWE is frequently addressed in the context of selection bias, our review suggests that the selection of occupational cohorts with advantageous health status would preferably be addressed as a source of confounding biases. The authors also conclude that the exclusion of unhealthy workers at employment and the study of active workers are the two main sources of HWE, and that the use of the general population as a comparison group in occupational epidemiology should be avoided if possible. The authors encourage investigators to make distinctions between the underlying factors related to the use of the general population as the comparison group in occupational epidemiology.

Confounding · Context (archaeology) · Environmental health · Geography · Occupational exposure · Occupational medicine · Pathology · Population · Selection (genetic algorithm) · Selection bias · Epidemiology · Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Research · Medicine · Occupational Health and Safety Research · Workplace Health and Well-being