Multiple chemical sensitivity and workplace discrimination: The national EEOC ADA research project

Work. 2007;28(4):391-402.

Multiple chemical sensitivity and workplace discrimination: The national EEOC ADA research project.

Vierstra CV, Rumrill PD, Koch LC, McMahon BT.

Kent State University, Department of Educational Foundations & Special Services, Kent, OH, USA.

Information from the Integrated Mission System of the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) was used to investigate the employment discrimination experiences of Americans with multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) in comparison to Americans in a general disability group with allergies, asthma, HIV, gastrointestinal impairment, cumulative trauma disorder and tuberculosis. Specifically, the researchers examined demographic characteristics of the charging parties; the industry designation, location, and size of employers against whom allegations were filed; the nature of discrimination (i.e., type of adverse action) alleged to occur; and the legal outcomes or resolutions of these allegations. Findings indicate that persons with MCS were, on average, older than the comparison group and comparatively overrepresented by Caucasians and women. People with MCS were proportionally more likely than the comparison group to allege discrimination related to reasonable accommodations. People with MCS were proportionally more likely than the comparison group to file allegationsagainst employers in the manufacturing and public administration industries, employers with 201-500 workers, and employers in the Western Census region. People with MCS were proportionally more likely than the comparison group to receive non-merit resolutions as a result of the EEOC's Americans with Disabilities Act Title I investigatory process. Implications for policy and advocacy are addressed.

PMID: 17522460 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=17522460&itool=iconabstr&itool=pubmed_DocSum

Classification of patients complaining of sick house syndrome and/or multiple chemical sensitivity

Tohoku J Exp Med. 2007 Mar;211(3):223-33.

Classification of patients complaining of sick house syndrome and/or multiple chemical sensitivity.

Ishibashi M, Tonori H, Miki T, Miyajima E, Kudo Y, Tsunoda M, Sakabe K, Aizawa Y.

Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Kitasato University School of Medicine, Kanagawa, and Environmental Medical Center, Kitasato Institute Hospital, Tokyo, Japan. dm03005c@st.kitasato-u.ac.jp

Sick house syndrome (SHS) is a Japanese concept derived from sick building syndrome (SBS), however SHS includes a broader scope of sickness than does SBS. Symptoms of SHS/SBS disappear after leaving the sick house/building, while symptoms of multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) are elicited by the chance of chemical exposure after leaving the sick house/building. To establish the concept of SHS, we propose to introduce a new classification for SHS. A total of 214 patients complaining of SHS and/or MCS were independently classified using a new classification by clinical ecologists who are experienced physicians with expert knowledge of clinical ecology and general physicians according to disease pathogenesis from clinical records. The classification is as follows: type 1 (symptoms of chemical intoxication), type 2 (symptoms developed possibly due to chemical exposure), type 3 (symptoms developed not because of chemical exposure but rather because of psychological or mental factors), and type 4 (symptoms developed due to allergies or other diseases). The agreements on the classification made by clinical ecologists and general physicians reached 77.1% (Cohen's kappa=0.631), suggesting that this new classification was both apt and accurate. Relations between SHS and allergy/MCS were also studied. The cases classified as SHS type 4 more frequently had allergic past histories than did other types. The proportion of possible MCS cases was higher in the chemical induced SHS group (types 1 and 2) than in other types among male patients. For the universal use in clinical practice, it is necessary to prepare helpful diagnostic criteria of this SHS classification based on pathogenesis and carry our study forward all over the country.

PMID: 17347547 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=17347547&itool=iconfft&itool=pubmed_DocSum