Mortality in the Bedouin Population and Proximity to a Regional Industrial Complex
Background The study was initiated by public concern about exposure to an industrial park (IP) emission. The study examined whether mortality in the Bedouin population in the southern part of Israel is associated with the residential distance to the IP. Material and Methods Ecological study during 1...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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SAGE Publishing
2008-01-01
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| Series: | Environmental Health Insights |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.4137/EHI.S891 |
| _version_ | 1818131604090912768 |
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| author | Isabella Karakis Arkady Bolotin Ella Kordysh Ilana Belmaker Batia Sarov |
| author_facet | Isabella Karakis Arkady Bolotin Ella Kordysh Ilana Belmaker Batia Sarov |
| author_sort | Isabella Karakis |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background The study was initiated by public concern about exposure to an industrial park (IP) emission. The study examined whether mortality in the Bedouin population in the southern part of Israel is associated with the residential distance to the IP. Material and Methods Ecological study during 1995-2001 included the entire Bedouin population. Mortality data was obtained from the Central Bureau of Statistics. As an indirect measurement of exposure we used residential distance to the IP (with 20 km radius as a cut-of-point) based on residents’ complaints about odor related to the IP. Differences in mortality rates by distance were assessed by the Mantel-Haenszel relative risk (M-H RR) within the 95% CI. The country Arab population served as a reference for calculation of the age-adjusted standardized mortality ratio (SMR). Results Increased mortality rates due to symptoms/ill-defined conditions and non-external causes were observed in the Bedouin population of both sexes, residing up to 20 km from the IP, compared to those living in more remote areas. Corresponding M-H RR (plus 95% CI) were 1.66 (1.17-2.36), 1.24 (1.06-1.44) in females, and 1.55 (1.15-2.10), 1.32 (1.15-1.52) in males. Conclusions The study results suggest an association between residential proximity to the regional IP and increased mortality rates in the Negev Bedouin population. These findings have been accepted by the authorities as an issue for community health protection. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T08:23:34Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d7211ff7ee164517bbfa601af7b1dc7b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1178-6302 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T08:23:34Z |
| publishDate | 2008-01-01 |
| publisher | SAGE Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environmental Health Insights |
| spelling | doaj.art-d7211ff7ee164517bbfa601af7b1dc7b2022-12-22T01:14:36ZengSAGE PublishingEnvironmental Health Insights1178-63022008-01-01110.4137/EHI.S891Mortality in the Bedouin Population and Proximity to a Regional Industrial ComplexIsabella Karakis0Arkady Bolotin1Ella Kordysh2Ilana Belmaker3Batia Sarov4School of Public Health, Haifa University, Haifa, Israel.Department of Epidemiology and Health Services Evaluation, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheba, Israel.Department of Epidemiology and Health Services Evaluation, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheba, Israel.Southern Regional Health Department of the Israeli Ministry of Health, Beersheba, Israel.Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, U.S.A.Background The study was initiated by public concern about exposure to an industrial park (IP) emission. The study examined whether mortality in the Bedouin population in the southern part of Israel is associated with the residential distance to the IP. Material and Methods Ecological study during 1995-2001 included the entire Bedouin population. Mortality data was obtained from the Central Bureau of Statistics. As an indirect measurement of exposure we used residential distance to the IP (with 20 km radius as a cut-of-point) based on residents’ complaints about odor related to the IP. Differences in mortality rates by distance were assessed by the Mantel-Haenszel relative risk (M-H RR) within the 95% CI. The country Arab population served as a reference for calculation of the age-adjusted standardized mortality ratio (SMR). Results Increased mortality rates due to symptoms/ill-defined conditions and non-external causes were observed in the Bedouin population of both sexes, residing up to 20 km from the IP, compared to those living in more remote areas. Corresponding M-H RR (plus 95% CI) were 1.66 (1.17-2.36), 1.24 (1.06-1.44) in females, and 1.55 (1.15-2.10), 1.32 (1.15-1.52) in males. Conclusions The study results suggest an association between residential proximity to the regional IP and increased mortality rates in the Negev Bedouin population. These findings have been accepted by the authorities as an issue for community health protection.https://doi.org/10.4137/EHI.S891 |
| spellingShingle | Isabella Karakis Arkady Bolotin Ella Kordysh Ilana Belmaker Batia Sarov Mortality in the Bedouin Population and Proximity to a Regional Industrial Complex Environmental Health Insights |
| title | Mortality in the Bedouin Population and Proximity to a Regional Industrial Complex |
| title_full | Mortality in the Bedouin Population and Proximity to a Regional Industrial Complex |
| title_fullStr | Mortality in the Bedouin Population and Proximity to a Regional Industrial Complex |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mortality in the Bedouin Population and Proximity to a Regional Industrial Complex |
| title_short | Mortality in the Bedouin Population and Proximity to a Regional Industrial Complex |
| title_sort | mortality in the bedouin population and proximity to a regional industrial complex |
| url | https://doi.org/10.4137/EHI.S891 |
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