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Mortality of a municipal worker cohort: III. Police officers

Mortality of a municipal worker cohort: III. Police officers Very little is known about the long‐term health risks associated with the high stress police officer occupation. We report here on a retrospective cohort of 2,376 ever‐employed white male police officers employed between January 1950 and October 1979. Vital status was obtained for 96%, the officers accumulating a total of 39,462 person‐years. Six‐hundred sixty‐one deaths were observed. Total mortality from all causes was comparable to that of the overall U.S. white male population (standardized mortality ratio [SMR] = 106). Significantly increased mortality was seen for all malignant neoplasms combined (SMR = 127), cancer of the esophagus (SMR = 286), and cancer of the colon (SMR = 180). Significantly lower than expected mortality was seen for infectious diseases (SMR = 26), respiratory diseases (SMR = 64), and accidents (SMR = 60). Internal cohort comparisons revealed that policemen exhibited significantly higher mortality from suicide compared to all other municipal employees (rate ratio = 2.9). Analysis of mortality by length of service as a police officer showed that those employed 10–19 years were at significantly increased risk of digestive cancers and cancers of the colon and lymphatic and hematopoietic tissues and decreased risk for all diseases of the circulatory system. Policemen employed more than 40 years had significantly elevated SMRs for all causes, all malignant neoplasms combined, digestive cancers, cancers of the bladder and lymphatic and hematopoietic tissues, and arteriosclerotic heart disease. Risk of mortality from arteriosclerotic heart disease tended to increase with increasing years employed. These findings are discussed in light of the police stress literature. The hypotheses generated in this study must be tested through study of the role of important confounders including reactions to stress on the job. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png American Journal of Industrial Medicine Wiley

Mortality of a municipal worker cohort: III. Police officers

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References (45)

Publisher
Wiley
Copyright
Copyright © 1986 Wiley Subscription Services
ISSN
0271-3586
eISSN
1097-0274
DOI
10.1002/ajim.4700100406
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Very little is known about the long‐term health risks associated with the high stress police officer occupation. We report here on a retrospective cohort of 2,376 ever‐employed white male police officers employed between January 1950 and October 1979. Vital status was obtained for 96%, the officers accumulating a total of 39,462 person‐years. Six‐hundred sixty‐one deaths were observed. Total mortality from all causes was comparable to that of the overall U.S. white male population (standardized mortality ratio [SMR] = 106). Significantly increased mortality was seen for all malignant neoplasms combined (SMR = 127), cancer of the esophagus (SMR = 286), and cancer of the colon (SMR = 180). Significantly lower than expected mortality was seen for infectious diseases (SMR = 26), respiratory diseases (SMR = 64), and accidents (SMR = 60). Internal cohort comparisons revealed that policemen exhibited significantly higher mortality from suicide compared to all other municipal employees (rate ratio = 2.9). Analysis of mortality by length of service as a police officer showed that those employed 10–19 years were at significantly increased risk of digestive cancers and cancers of the colon and lymphatic and hematopoietic tissues and decreased risk for all diseases of the circulatory system. Policemen employed more than 40 years had significantly elevated SMRs for all causes, all malignant neoplasms combined, digestive cancers, cancers of the bladder and lymphatic and hematopoietic tissues, and arteriosclerotic heart disease. Risk of mortality from arteriosclerotic heart disease tended to increase with increasing years employed. These findings are discussed in light of the police stress literature. The hypotheses generated in this study must be tested through study of the role of important confounders including reactions to stress on the job.

Journal

American Journal of Industrial MedicineWiley

Published: Jan 1, 1986

Keywords: ; ;

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