Being a flight attendant sure looks like fun. However, aside from their safety throughout a flight, flight attendants are also putting their health at risk. According to the latest research by Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health’s Department of Environmental Health, flight attendants are at bigger risk of cancer than the general population.
Researchers observed 5.366 flight attendants who participated in a data collection regarding their flight schedules and health diagnosis. The data was then compared to those of other professions with similar educational backgrounds and revenues.
The research shows that flight attendants are at bigger risk of cancer in comparison to the general population. Flight attendants are at risk of different types of cancer such as breast, cervical, skin, thyroid, uterus, and digestive cancers. A female flight attendant has a 51% higher risk of breast cancer, and twice and fourth times the risk of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers in comparison to the general population.
The research explains that the higher risk of cancer is caused by the high level of exposure to carcinogens that flight attendants experience during a flight. Cosmic radiation level at certain altitudes is also very high. This type of radiation can destroy the DNA directly and is one of the causes of breast and non-melanoma skin cancers.
Although the research only observed flight attendants, there is also a possibility that a pilot is also exposed to similar risks.
Text by Anggie Triana
Stock photos from rd.com
Source(s):
- Flight Attendants Have Higher Rates of Many Cancers, Study Says (2018). http://time.com/5319989/cancer-risk-flight-attendants/, July 4, 2018
- McNeely, E., Mordukhovich, I., Staffa, S. et all (2018). Cancer Prevalence among flight attendants compared to the general population. Environmental Health, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12940-018-0396-8.
- Pramugari Berisiko Lebih Besar Terkena Kanker (2018). https://www.cnnindonesia.com/gaya-hidup/20180626124459-255-309084/pramugari-berisiko-lebih-besar-terkena-kanker, July 4, 2018.