Relationship of North Slope Oil and Gas Development to Lung Cancer Mortality

Lung cancer mortality rates among populations in Alaska remain a predominant health concern. Epidemiologic studies to help determine risk factors associated with exposure to oil and gas activities are limited among residents of North Slope Alaska. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between residential exposure to oil and gas development and lung cancer mortality among Alaskan residents on the North Slope of Alaska. The theoretical framework supporting this quantitative investigation of secondary data was the advanced epidemiologic triangle. This study used indirect standardized mortality ratio (SMRi), Cox proportional hazard (CPH), and Poisson regression analysis. Lung cancer survival curves did not differ among the North Slope Borough; Nome, Alaska; and Northwest Arctic regions during the study period (1997–2010; p = 0.198). There was a 40% increased risk of lung cancer death in Nome when compared to the North Slope Borough (RR = 1.4; 95% CI = 1.09–1.71). SMR analysis showed significantly higher lung cancer deaths among males aged ≥ 65 in all 3 study populations when compared to the Alaska standard population during the same period, though these results are limited by the lack of data on smoking prevalence as it relates to gender. Lung cancer survival times among the North Slope population, as computed using CPH, were shorter for males and Alaskan Natives, suggesting a need for additional research. Future actions promoting positive social change and public health protection during resource development planning efforts in Alaska are recommended. The results from this study may serve as a catalyst for future research exploring relationships between exposure to oil and gas activities and lung cancer mortality among populations in Alaska.