| Current occupational exposure assessment methods, such as the American Industrial Hygiene Association Exposure Assessment Strategies Model, describe ways to evaluate levels of airborne contaminants in the workplace. However, these protocols may not detect potential low-level inhalation exposures associated with illnesses or diseases with long latency periods. Occupational epidemiologists have supported the need to develop comprehensive data collection methods to detect these lower level thresholds. The purposes of this research were to identify current industrial hygiene practice for occupational exposure assessments of airborne contaminants and discover the relationship between the choice of methodology and the collection of exposure determinants. Specifically, this cross-sectional study was an evaluation of (a) the relationships among current occupational exposure assessment methodologies for inhalation exposures, (b) the types of exposure data collected by a random sample of certified industrial hygienists, and (c) the characteristics of that sample that influence the data collection process. Binary logistic regression analysis revealed differences in the sample characteristics with respect to the dependent variables. Results indicated that age is a statistically significant predictor for specific epidemiological data collection. Implications for positive social change include recommendations to occupational epidemiologists and industrial hygienists for improvements to global assessments for occupational inhalation exposures, improved health and greater protection of the workforce through more rigorous occupational epidemiology studies, and increased collaboration between and among health disciplines. |
