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Epidemiology is the study of the distribution and determinants of disease in human populations. At one time, epidemiologic studies were conducted solely by physicians and public health practitioners for the use of their professional colleagues. The numbers and types of users of the data derived from epidemiologic studies have changed, however, and now include a spectrum of users on the periphery of the health care industry. Increasingly, nonskilled persons are entering into the research arena, producing data that are inadequate, at best, and potentially dangerous, when improperly interpreted and applied. Various federal agencies, cognizant of this problem, have called for improvements and standards, and issued governing procedures. The Environmental Protection Agency issued final rules calling for 'good laboratory practice standards' for the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, Rodenticide Act and the Toxic Substances Control Act. This was recently expanded to include epidemiologic studies, where such studies are intended to identify chemical exposure risks. The Chemical Manufacturers Association (CMA), a professional industrial trade organization, developed the Epidemiology Resource and Information Center to improve industrial epidemiologic programs. The guidelines suggested by the CMA cover: I. organization and personnel; II. facilities, resource commitment and contractors; III. protocol; IV. review and approval; V. study conduct; VI. communication; VII. archiving; VIII. quality assurance. The areas included in each overall category are described. The guidelines are recommendations, rather than directives, and lay the groundwork for cooperative association between the investigator and those supporting the studies. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Many employers offer preventative medical programs to their employees. These programs usually are geared toward prevention and early detection of disease. They are also voluntary, and the number of employees who take advantage of them varies greatly. People who do not respond to health surveys tend to be in poorer health than those who do respond. In this study, the death rates and causes of death were compared for male employees at a Dow Chemical plant who either did or did not participate in the health program at work. Of 18,071 employees, 11,156 (61.7 percent) participated in the program at least once between February 1967 and January 1978. Results showed that when adjustments for age were made, the death rate (mortality) was higher among the nonparticipants, particularly during the first five years of follow-up. The mortality was 23 percent higher among the nonparticipants, a significant difference. Mortality was higher among nonparticipants for all causes of death examined, but was especially high for deaths related to alcohol abuse and smoking. These results indicate that, as a group, the nonparticipants are in poorer health and have poorer health habits than those who do participate in work-related health programs. Efforts are needed to design more effective means to improve the health of this population. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)