Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/88272
Title: Occupation and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis risk : a case-control study in the isolated island population of Malta
Authors: Farrugia Wismayer, Maia
Borg, Rebecca M.
Farrugia Wismayer, Andrew
Bonavia, Karl
Vella, Malcolm
Pace, Adrian
Vassallo, Neville
Cauchi, Ruben J.
Keywords: Exercise -- Malta
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis -- Malta
Population -- Malta
Issue Date: 2021
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Citation: Farrugia Wismayer, M., Borg, R., Farrugia Wismayer, A., Bonavia, K., Vella, M., Pace, A., Vassallo, N., & Cauchi, R.J. (2021). Occupation and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis risk: a case-control study in the isolated island population of Malta. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Degeneration, 22(7-8), 528-534
Abstract: Objective: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a mostly sporadic neurodegenerative disease. The role of environmental factors has been extensively investigated but associations remain controversial. Considering that a substantial proportion of adult life is spent at work, identifying occupations and work-related exposures is considered an effective way to detect factors that increase ALS risk. This process may be further facilitated in population isolates due to environmental and genetic homogeneity. Our study investigated occupations and occupational exposures potentially associated with ALS risk in the isolated island population of Malta, using a case-control study design. Methods: Patients with ALS and randomly identified matched controls (1:1) were recruited throughout a four-year window, from 2017 through 2020. Data on educational level, residence, main occupation, smoking, and alcohol history were collected. Results: We found that compared to controls (44.4%), a higher percentage (73.7%) of ALS patients reported a blue-collar job as their main occupation (OR 2.04, 95% CI 1.2-3.72; p = 0.0072). Through regression analysis, craft and related trades occupations such as carpentry and construction (ISCO-08 major group 7), were found to be positively associated with ALS, with patients in this occupational category found to be more prone to develop bulbar-onset ALS (p = 0.0297). Overall, patients with ALS reported a significantly higher exposure to work-related strenuous physical activity (OR 2.35, 95% CI 1.53-3.59; p = 0.0002). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that manual workers particularly those working in the carpentry and construction industries have an increased ALS risk, possibly due to a history of intense or sustained physical activity.
URI: https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/88272
Appears in Collections:Scholarly Works - FacM&SPB

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