[Development of an epidemiological study in a polluted site: the unexpected contribution of sociological and medico-legal approaches].
The article discusses the evolution of an occupational cohort study carried out in a polluted site. The authors highlight the need to define goals for the epidemiological characterization of polluted sites: a) retrospective health impact assessment, b) contribution to the definition of priorities for remediation activities, c) definition of epidemiological surveillance programs. They also advocate for an interdisciplinary approach to relate epidemiology to other branches of knowledge, especially qualitative sociology. Qualitative studies can be carried out both ex ante, prior to the epidemiological investigation, and ex post, to verify limits of the analysis itself. Useful and unintended elements for the epidemiological investigation are likely to emerge in the course of a study. During the process of epidemiological characterization, the outputs of each investigation should be considered as indices (or pointers). Indications for further research, operative decisions, public communication, should result from the collected indices as a whole.
Dipartimento di ambiente e connessa prevenzione primaria, Istituto superiore di sanità, viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Roma. roberto.pasetto@iss.it
Roberto
R
Pasetto
Pietro
P
Saitta
Carlo
C
Bracci
D002617:Chemical Industry; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004787:Environmental Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016021:Epidemiologic Studies; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D016365:Liability, Legal; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000401:mortality; D010578:Petroleum / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011159:Population Surveillance; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012802:Sicily / Q000453:epidemiology; D012961:Sociology
D010578:Petroleum