title: Underground Coal Mining: Relationship between Coal Dust Levels and Pneumoconiosis, in Two Regions of Colombia, 2014.
abstract: In Colombia, coal miner pneumoconiosis is considered a public health problem due to its irreversibility, high cost on diagnosis, and lack of data related to its prevalence in the country. Therefore, a cross-sectional study was carried out in order to determine the prevalence of pneumoconiosis in underground coal mining workers in two regions of Colombia. The results showed a 35.9% prevalence of pneumoconiosis in the study group (42.3% in region 1 and 29.9% in region 2). An association was found between a radiologic diagnosis of pneumoconiosis and a medium risk level of exposure to carbon dust (OR: 2.901, 95% CI: 0.937, 8.982), medium size companies (OR: 2.301, 95% CI: 1.260-4.201), length of mining work greater than 25 years (OR: 3.222, 95% CI: 1.806-5.748), and a history of smoking for more than one year (OR: 1.479, 95% CI: 0.938-2.334). These results establish the need to generate an intervention strategy aimed at preventing the identified factors, as well as a timely identification and effective treatment of pneumoconiosis in coal miners, in which the commitment of the General Health and Social Security System and the workers compensation system is ensured.
authors.affiliation: Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia.
authors.forename: Carlos Humberto
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Torres Rey
authors.affiliation: Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia.
authors.forename: Milciades
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ibañez Pinilla
authors.affiliation: Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia.
authors.forename: Leonardo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Briceño Ayala
authors.affiliation: Instituto Nacional de Salud, Bogotá, Colombia.
authors.forename: Diana Milena
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Checa Guerrero
authors.affiliation: Positiva ARL, Bogotá, Colombia.
authors.forename: Gloria
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Morgan Torres
authors.affiliation: Universidad de Los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia.
authors.forename: Helena
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Groot de Restrepo
authors.affiliation: Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia.
authors.forename: Marcela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Varona Uribe
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003031:Coal / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003032:Coal Mining; D003105:Colombia; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies / Q000379:methods; D004391:Dust; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects; D011009:Pneumoconiosis / Q000235:genetics*; D015995:Prevalence; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D003031:Coal; D004391:Dust