Attribution of physical complaints to the air disaster in Amsterdam by exposed rescue workers: an epidemiological study using historic cohorts

Table 2 Prevalence of physical complaints according to the extent of attribution

	Attribution:†	Skin:‡	Fatigue:§	Joint:#	Back¶	Respiratory complaints \|\|	Headache^
Firefighters with physical complaints (n = 243)	No (n = 125)	52 %	7.2 %	44 %	30 %	29 %	32 %
	Weak (n = 89)	65 %	23 %*	61 %*	42 %	44 %*	45 %*
	(Very) strong (n = 18)	89 %*	44 %*	78 %*	33 %	56 %*	33 %
Police officers with physical complaints (n = 580)	No (n = 310)	47 %	14 %*	34 %	27 %	29 %	36 %
	A little (n = 175)	74 %*	31 %*	39 %	29 %	45 %*	53 %*
	(Very) strong (n = 60)	82 %*	42 %*	47 %	37 %	52 %*	62 %*
Hangar workers with physical complaints (n = 178)	No (n = 91)	58 %	14 %	37 %	36 %	34 %	40 %
	A little (n = 68)	72 %	29 %*	62 %*	31 %	50 %*	49 %
	(Very) strong (n = 19)	74 %	63 %*	68 %*	58 %	47 %	47 %

†Attribution: No, a weak, and a (very) strong relationship between physical complaints and the air disaster in Amsterdam, including its aftermath, respectively.
‡Skin: any of 13 listed skin complaints (such as eczema, skin infections, or "other skin complaints"): yes versus no.
§Fatigue: Checklist Individual Strength, total score >76: yes versus no.
#Joint: pain in any joints (except low back pain), for at least three consecutive months: yes versus no.
¶Back: low back pain for at least three consecutive months: yes versus no.
||One of six respiratory symptoms (such as shortness of breath and chronic cough): yes versus no.
^Having been distressed by headaches in the past 7 days: a little through extremely versus not at all.
*p < 0.05 compared to no attribution, using logistic regression (complaint yes versus no).

ISSN: 1471-2458