1. Objectives, designs and populations of the European Asclepios study on occupational hazards to male reproductive capability.
- Author
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Bonde JP, Joffe M, Danscher G, Apostoli P, Bisanti L, Giwercman A, Kolstad HA, Thonneau P, Roeleveld N, and Vanhoorne M
- Subjects
- Adult, Agricultural Workers' Diseases chemically induced, Agricultural Workers' Diseases epidemiology, Agricultural Workers' Diseases prevention & control, Biomarkers, Denmark epidemiology, Europe epidemiology, Female, Humans, Infertility, Male epidemiology, Infertility, Male prevention & control, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Middle Aged, Occupational Exposure analysis, Occupational Exposure prevention & control, Paternal Exposure prevention & control, Pregnancy statistics & numerical data, Research Design, Risk Factors, Semen physiology, Time Factors, Fungicides, Industrial adverse effects, Infertility, Male chemically induced, Lead adverse effects, Occupational Exposure adverse effects, Paternal Exposure adverse effects, Styrene adverse effects
- Abstract
The main objective of the Asclepios program was to examine occupational risk factors for the male reproductive system. The program focused on occupational exposure to fungicides (farmers, greenhouse workers, and vineyard workers), styrene (laminators in the reinforced plastics industry) and inorganic lead (battery workers, foundry workers, and lead smelters). Questionnaire studies of time to pregnancy were combined with longitudinal and cross-sectional studies of semen quality. The 8 data-collecting centers addressed 6553 male workers and contributed time-to-pregnancy values on the 3077 most recent pregnancies. Data collection was by interview or self-collection. The average response rate across all exposures and centers was 69.8%. The Asclepios project is the first international multicenter research project on environmental risks to male reproductive function. A protocol for epidemiologic research on occupational risk factors to the male reproductive system was developed, and links between epidemiologic and experimental units were established. The majority, but not all, of the studies was completed within the given time frame.
- Published
- 1999