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BMC Infectious Diseases

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Open Access 01-12-2016 | Research article

Working conditions and tuberculosis mortality in England and Wales, 1890–1912: a retrospective analysis of routinely collected data

Authors: Charlotte Jackson, Joanna H. Mostowy, Helen R. Stagg, Ibrahim Abubakar, Nick Andrews, Tom A. Yates

Published in: BMC Infectious Diseases | Issue 1/2016

Abstract

Background

Modelling studies suggest that workplaces may be important sites of Mycobacterium tuberculosis transmission in high burden countries today. Contemporary data on tuberculosis by occupation from these settings are scarce. However, historical data on tuberculosis risk in different occupations are available and may provide insight into workplace transmission. We aimed to ascertain whether, in a high burden setting, individuals working in crowded indoor environments (exposed) had greater tuberculosis mortality than individuals employed elsewhere (unexposed).

Methods

The Registrar General’s Decennial Supplements from 1890–2, 1900–2 and 1910–2 contain data on mortality from tuberculosis by occupation for men in England and Wales. In these data, the association between occupational exposure to crowded indoor environments and tuberculosis mortality was assessed using an overdispersed Poisson regression model adjusting for socioeconomic position, age and decade.

Results

There were 23,962 deaths from tuberculosis during 14.8 million person-years of follow-up among men working in exposed occupations and 28,483 during 19.9 million person-years of follow-up among men working in unexposed occupations. We were unable to categorise a large number of occupations as exposed or unexposed. The adjusted rate ratio for death from tuberculosis was 1.34 (95 % confidence interval 1.26–1.43) comparing men working in exposed occupations to those in unexposed occupations.

Conclusions

Tuberculosis mortality in England and Wales at the turn of the 20th century was associated with occupational exposure to crowded indoor environments. The association between working conditions and TB in contemporary high burden settings requires further study.

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Title: Working conditions and tuberculosis mortality in England and Wales, 1890–1912: a retrospective analysis of routinely collected data
Authors: Charlotte Jackson
Joanna H. Mostowy
Helen R. Stagg
Ibrahim Abubakar
Nick Andrews
Tom A. Yates
Publication date: 01-12-2016
Publisher: BioMed Central
Published in: BMC Infectious Diseases / Issue 1/2016
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2334
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12879-016-1509-z

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Working conditions and tuberculosis mortality in England and Wales, 1890–1912: a retrospective analysis of routinely collected data

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Background

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Conclusions

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