[Predictive factors of physical disability in a cohort of retired persons in Paris followed during 10 years]. / Facteurs prédictifs d'incapacité physique dans une cohorte de retraités parisiens suivis pendant dix ans.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the present study was to examine predictors of physical disability in a survey of retired men and women living in the Paris area followed-up longitudinally for 10 years. METHODS: Subjects were randomly selected in a supplementary retirement pension fund. In all 627 subjects took part in the first phase of the survey (1982-83) and 392 in the follow-up phase (1992-93). At the 10-year follow-up, there were 185 confirmed deaths and 50 subjects refused to participate or could not be traced. Physical disability was measured by difficulties reported by the subjects for seven basic activities of daily life. Possible predictors, socio-demographic, impairments, physical activities, working conditions during working life were explored at T1. RESULTS: The incidence of physical disability was 41.4% for men and 57.6% for women. For disability in mobility, the incidence was 37.1% for men and 54.7% for women. In multivariate analysis, predictors of physical disability were social category (clerks), no physical activities, use of medicine, mental impairment. The predictors of disability in mobility were sex (women), social category (clerks), use of medicine, cardio-respiratory and sensory impairments. On the contrary, subjects with mental impairment had a lower incidence of disability in mobility than subjects without mental impairment. CONCLUSION: The results confirm the two poles of disability: biomedical and social. Working conditions during working life do not seem to play a direct part in incidence of disability at ten years follow-up.

Physical diability after retirement and occupational risk factors during working life: a cross sectional epidemiological study in the Paris area.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: The aim was to examine the relationship between exposure to occupational risk factors during working life and physical disability after retirement. DESIGN: The study was a cross sectional epidemiological survey of a representative sample of retired subjects belonging to a supplementary pension fund in the Paris area. SETTING: The study took place in the general community. PATIENTS: 307 men and 320 women (63.1% of those approached) answered a questionnaire during home interviews. Their average age was 69 (SD4) years at the beginning of the survey. Whether or not subjects had been exposed to occupational risks was determined from their statements concerning the presence or absence of eight harmful environmental conditions while at work. Physical disability was defined as difficulty in carrying out seven basic activities of daily life. MAIN RESULTS: The results of univariate analyses showed significant relationships between exposure during working life to occupational risks including noise, heat, dust, carrying heavy loads, and awkward postures on the one hand, and the presence of a physical disability after retirement on the other. Multivariate analysis based on logistic regression models that took account of age, sex, and health impairments revealed a specific link between exposure to carrying heavy loads and physical disability after retirement. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that occupational risk factors might be important in determining such disability in retired people.

[Development in health status of a group of retired subjects in the Paris region according to their practice of physical activity]. / Evolution de l'état de santé d'un groupe de retraités de la région parisienne selon la pratique d'une activité physique.

The relation between physical activity and health among retired people aged 65 and over was studied in a sample of 993 subjects, men and women, living at home in the Paris area and randomly selected from a pension fund roll. In 1982-1983 (T1), 627 subjects were interviewed. Five years later (T2), 464 subjects participated in the survey. Health was measured by the number and types of impairments and disability. The incidence of cardiorespiratory impairment and the incidence of disability were weaker among subjects with physical activity in T1 than among subjects without physical activity. These findings were unchanged after adjustment for age, sex, socioeconomic status, cigarette smoking, body mass index, uncomfortable housing, living alone and hard physical conditions during working life. This result suggests the beneficial effect of physical activity in promoting health among retired people aged 65 and over.

[Locomotor and cardiorespiratory impairments after retirement in relation to certain occupational exposures during working life]. / Déficiences locomotrice et cardiorespiratoire après la retraite en relation avec certaines expositions professionnelles durant la vie active.

The relationships between locomotor and cardiorespiratory impairments and occupational exposures during working life were examined, using a sample of 627 retired persons in the greater Paris area. Among men, there was a significant statistical association between carrying heavy weights and locomotor impairment. There were also significant associations between exposure to toxic products, tiring postures and vibrations and cardiorespiratory impairment among men. Concerning women, associations between exposure to dust and tiring postures during working life and cardiorespiratory impairment were observed. These results were obtained after adjusting for age, socio-professional status, tobacco use, living alone and after adjusting also for the other occupational exposures. These results are compatible with the hypothesis of long-term effects of occupational exposures on the principal health characteristics of the aged.

[Impairments, disabilities and handicaps in a group of retired people in the Paris metropolitan area in relation to their socio-occupational status]. / Déficience, incapacité et handicap dans un groupe de retraités de la Région Parisienne en relation avec la catégorie socio-professionnelle.

Interviewers using a questionnaire carried out a home survey among 627 retired persons (62.7% of the sample) in the greater Paris area for the purpose of exploring relationships between disablement (impairments, disabilities, and handicaps) and socio-professional status. The subjects were randomly selected from a pension fund roll. Among men, manual laborers had higher rates of disablement than did white-collar employees and executives. Among women, laborers, office workers and those in the services had similar disablement rates, while rates among executive women were lower. Overall, women had higher rates than men. But no relationship between age and disablement was observed. The examination of disablement indicates that socioeconomic differences--earlier shown to exist with regard to mortality and morbidity--also have their effect in retirement.

[Teaching of epidemiology applied to occupational health hazards]. / L'enseignement de l'épidémiologie appliquée aux risques professionnels.

Courses offered students in occupational medicine, ergonomics, occupational hygiene are generally brief, sometimes more substantial but too theoretical and not sufficiently specific. Graduate courses are more specific, more pertinent and probably more efficient.

[Respiratory pathology in occupational medicine: evaluation of 3 methods of data collection and research on risk factors]. / Pathologie respiratoire en médecine du travail: évaluation de trois modes de recueil des données et recherche des facteurs de risque.

Three methods of gathering data of respiratory symptoms (using a self questionnaire, a detailed interview and a shortened interview) were compared in 4.206 construction workers in different branches of their profession. There was non significant difference between the replies given, in either sex, to the self questionnaire and those given in the detailed interview by employees of the research bureau. The comparison between the long and the short interview, carried out on the painters, plumbers, carpenters and brick-layers did not show any difference for those questions asked in the same manner in the two documents. On the other hand the question relating to intrathoracic wheezing, which was more condensed in the shortened interview, did not have the same degree of affirmative replies. The replies concerning cough and expectoration obtained by the two methods enabled a comparison to be made between prevalance of chronic bronchitis in the different occupations. This pathology was most frequently seen amongst bricklayers and painters. Other factors (nationality, age, smoking habits) were also linked to chronic bronchitis. Taking all these factors into account has not weakened the link between chronic bronchitis and occupation.

[Double blind test with a protective ointment (Ivosin) on the hands of cement workers]. / Doppelblindversuch mit einer Schutzsalbe (Ivosin) an den Händen von Zementarbeitern

56 builder's labourers manipulating lime cement applied a protective cream on their hands and 57 used a placebo in a double blind test of two months' duration. The labourers, the doctors who surveyed the condition of their hands, and the statistician who analyzed the results knew only that one cream had a blue label, and the other a green one. Before and after the test, the presence or the absence of certain symptoms on the hands were objectively examined, while the subjective opinion of the labourers was registered at the end of the test. As usual in tests of that kind, the great majority of the labourers (more than 75%) were satisfied, 62% of them acknowledged an improvement. That percentage justified a comparative double-blind study that revealed a much higher quota (86% of the test persons) of satisfaction among the labourers treated with Ivosin than in the placebo group (66%). That difference was statistically significant. On the other hand, no objective difference could be revealed between the two groups. It was impossible to discover among the symptoms studied, any objective cause of that subjective difference.