Concrete work and myocardial infarction

Abstract

A total of 8,973 male building construction workers 41 to 61 yr of age in greater Stockholm were asked to participate in a psychosocial questionnaire study. A 2 yr follow up study of myocardial infarctions was subsequently performed with official hospital and death registers as the sources of data. Furthermore, specific death rates in the studied sample were compared with those in the male 40- to 65 yr old population in greater Stockholm. Building construction workers had a higher incidence of 'violent' death than the 40- to 65-yr old male population of greater Stockholm. Otherwise the studied workers did not differ significantly from the population with regard to causes of death. Concrete workers 51 to 61 yr of age had a significantly higher incidence of myocardial infarction than other building construction workers of the same age. Concrete workers as a group were also demonstrated to differ significantly from other workers in the study with regard to many psychosocial characteristics such as childhood circumstances, education, living conditions, smoking habits, alcohol habits and financial conditions. However, the association between concrete work and myocardial infarction was demonstrated to exist even when a number of socioeconomic and psychosocial factors were held constant. Possible explanations for the association between the work situation and the incidence of myocardial infarction among the 52- to 61 yr old concrete workers are discussed.