Capacidad de predicción del tiempo de exposición para el desarrollo de neumoconiosis de los mineros del carbón en dos departamentos de Colombia, 2015
Thesis
Background: Mining is an important economic activity in Colombia and the risk of pneumoconiosis in coal miners depends on determinants such as time of exposure to coal dust. Therefore, we set out to determine the predictability of time of exposure to coal dust for the development of pneumoconiosis in workers in underground mines in two departments of Colombia in 2015.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in companies with underground coal mining, which included the application of questionnaires to workers and making chest radiographs according to criteria of the International Labour Organization (ILO). The dose-response relationship and the predictability of the exposure time for the development of pneumoconiosis in coal miners in Cundinamarca and Boyacá in 2015 was estimated.Results: 447 workers were evaluated, with an average age of 43.1 ± 10.1 years and an average working time in mining of 19.4 ± 9.2 years. 35.9% (n = 160) presented findings consistent with pneumoconiosis according to ILO criteria with an average time of disease onset of 23.1 ± 8.9 years. The predictability of pneumoconiosis to 18.5 years of exposure to coal dust was 70.2%; this was taken as the cutoff point of higher sensitivity and specificity (64.4% and 66.8% respectively). The risk of pneumoconiosis in coal workers increases when the time of exposure to coal dust is more than 18.5 years (OR 3.9, p <0.001, 95% CI 2.553-5.957) and when considering the job of faceworker which corresponds to the front line of work (OR 2.8, p =0.047, 95% CI 1.012-8.168).Conclusions: This study shows the predictability of time of exposure to coal dust for the development of pneumoconiosis in Colombia, indicating the need to consider this variable in the formulation of occupational epidemiological surveillance systems in coal mining.
