title: Estimated burden of disease attributable to selected occupational exposures in the United Arab Emirates.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  As part of an effort to strengthen occupational safety and health programs, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) commissioned a study to estimate the burden of disease attributable to occupational exposure to carcinogens, particulate matter, and noise.
  
  
  METHODS
  We developed an innovative simulation model to estimate the occupational disease burden and facilitate future assessments as more field-based quantitative data become available.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We determined that, in 2008, an estimated 46 deaths (95% CI: 27-71) and 17,000 health-care facility visits (95% CI: 16,000-18,000), along with 4,500 cases of noise-induced hearing loss, were attributable to the occupational risk factors covered in this study. Lung cancer and leukemia were associated with the highest number of deaths (38), whereas asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease contributed most to the health-care facility visits (nearly 16,900). The highest estimated occupational disease burden is in construction.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results will help the UAE to institute new policies for environment, health, and safety management.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7431, USA.
authors.forename: Tiina J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Folley
authors.forename: Leena A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Nylander-French
authors.forename: Darren M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Joubert
authors.forename: Jacqueline Macdonald
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Gibson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002273:Carcinogens; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality; D009622:Noise / Q000009:adverse effects; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016272:Occupational Health; D012306:Risk; D014479:United Arab Emirates / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D002273:Carcinogens