title: Choosing populations to study the health effects of low-dose ionizing radiation.
abstract: In January 1978, the United States Congress requested information about the utility of additional epidemiologic studies for quantifying the health effects of low-dose ionizing radiation. In our judgment, no single population can be recommended for study on purely scientific grounds, since the largest group offers only a small chance to obtain a definitive result. On the other hand, if social pressures and regulatory agencies mandate that such studies be attempted, we would recommend prospective cohort studies of occupational populations. We propose that a national worker registry be developed using ionizing radiation as the prototype for studying other occupational exposures. The problems related to studying low-level radiation are not unique, but apply equally to investigations dealing with a great variety of toxic agents. A national plan for collecting information on workers' exposure and health could provide a cost-efficient means to answer public health questions posed by the Congress, scientists and the public.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003625:Data Collection; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D006077:Government Agencies; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008498:Medical Record Linkage; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011830:Radiation Effects; D014481:United States