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Health-related quality of life of firefighters and police officers 8.5 years after the air disaster in Amsterdam

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An Erratum to this article was published on 06 March 2007

Abstract

Background

In 1992 a cargo aircraft crashed into apartment buildings in Amsterdam. In the troublesome aftermath rumours emerged on potential toxic exposures and health consequences. The aim of this study is to assess the long-term impact of this disaster on the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of professional assistance workers.

Methods

Historic cohort study, using questionnaires to assess occupational disaster exposure, HRQoL (SF36), and background variables, at on average 8.5 years post-disaster. Participating were the exposed professional firefighters (n = 334) and police officers (n = 834) who reported disaster-related task(s), and their non-exposed colleagues who did not report such tasks (n = 194, and n = 634, respectively).

Results

Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that exposed workers reported a significantly lower physical HRQoL and vitality than non-exposed workers. Exposed police officers also reported a lower mental HRQoL. Among exposed workers, a lower HRQoL was reported significantly more often by workers who had a close one affected by the disaster; by firefighters who rescued people, cleaned-up, or witnessed the immediate disaster scene; and by police officers who supported the injured. Exposed police officers who perceived the disaster as ‘not bad’ reported a lower HRQoL less often than those to whom it was ‘the worst ever’.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates that professional disaster assistance workers are at risk for a lower HRQoL, even after years.

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Abbreviations

ESADA:

Epidemiologic study air disaster in Amsterdam

HRQoL:

Health-related quality of life

P25:

25th percentile

SF36:

36-item Medical outcome study short form

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Acknowledgements

The study was funded by the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport; the City of Amsterdam; the Amsterdam–Amstelland regional police force; and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. The funding sources had no role in the collection, analysis, or interpretation of the data, or in the decision to submit a manuscript for publication.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. EMGO Institute, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands

    Pau line Slottje, Jos W. R. Twisk, Nynke Smidt, Anja C. Huizink, Anke B. Witteveen, Willem van Mechelen & Tjabe Smid

  2. Department of Public and Occupational Health, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands

    Pau line Slottje, Anja C. Huizink, Willem van Mechelen & Tjabe Smid

  3. Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands

    Jos W. R. Twisk

  4. Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands

    Nynke Smidt

  5. Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands

    Anja C. Huizink

  6. Department of Medical Psychology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands

    Anke B. Witteveen

  7. KLM Health Services, Schiphol, the Netherlands

    Tjabe Smid

  8. Department Public and Occupational Health, VU University Medical Center, EMGO Institute, Van der Boechorststraat 7, 1081, BT Amsterdam, the Netherlands

    Tjabe Smid

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  1. Pau line Slottje
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Correspondence to Tjabe Smid.

Additional information

An erratum to this article can be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11136-006-9165-1

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Slottje, P.l., Twisk, J.W.R., Smidt, N. et al. Health-related quality of life of firefighters and police officers 8.5 years after the air disaster in Amsterdam. Qual Life Res 16, 239–252 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-006-9006-2

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