Dietary assessment of coal miners in southern Illinois

A survey was conducted in southern Illinois with a population of 46 coal miners and ex-coal miners ranging in age from 42 to 86 years. All the subjects were suffering from some degree of respiratory insufficiency. Three 24-hr dietary recalls were obtained from each participant and the mean daily intakes of 11 nutrients and calories were calculated by computer. Selected hematological analyses of blood were performed. Dietary intakes of calcium, vitamin A, and vitamin C were lowest within the population sample. The mean blood values indicative of iron status were within normal range. Physical inactivity among some of the miners accompanied by inadequate calcium intakes could predispose them to calcium-related skeletal infirmities. Inadequate intakes of vitamin A by the majority of subjects were particularly significant in this population. The role of vitamin A in maintaining healthy epithelial tissues is discussed and its possible association with a coal miner's susceptibility to pulmonary complications resulting from chronic exposure to coal dust. The results emphasize the value of assessing the nutritional status of individual coal miners and the need for personal dietary counseling.