Work

Reported chemical sensitivities in a health survey of United Kingdon military personnel

Year: 2002

Type: article

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To report the prevalence of self reported chemical sensitivities in three cohorts of United Kingdom service personnel. METHOD: Cross sectional postal survey of three cohorts of United Kingdom military personnel comprising Gulf veterans (n=3531), those who had served in Bosnia (n=2050), and those serving during the Gulf war but not deployed there (Era cohort, n=2614). RESULTS: Sensitivity to at least one everyday chemical was reported by a considerable proportion of all three cohorts, and particularly by veterans of the Gulf war (Era: 14%; Bosnia: 13%; Gulf: 28%). CONCLUSION: Reported chemical sensitivities were common in all three military cohorts. Our understanding of chemical sensitivities remains limited and objective evidence for a causal link between low level exposures to chemicals and reported symptoms is lacking. Given their frequency in the population, further work in this area is necessary.

Source: Occupational and Environmental Medicine

DOI: 10.1136/oem.59.3.196

Authors: S Reid, M Hotopf, L Hull, K Ismail, C Unwin, S Wessely

Institutions: King's College London, St Mary's Hospital, King's College Hospital

Language: English

Topic: Indoor Air Quality and Microbial Exposure

Subfield: Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: bronze

OpenAlex ID: W2125979232