[Evaluation of the epidemiological evidence of the association between specific causes of mortality and exposure].

SENTIERI Project is aimed at assessing IPSs residents’ health status through the analysis of mortality for the period 1995-2002, to set priorities in remediation intervention and so prevent environment-related diseases. SENTIERIWG agreed that the epidemiological evaluation of the evidence here bestowed, will be used to comment and interpret results; their reading will focus on the causes of death for which it is established or reasonably assumed an etiological role of the environmental exposures in IPSs, also considering the potential etiologic effect of these other exposures. The added value of the epidemiological evidence evaluation is the chance to categorise the etiological hypotheses persuasiveness when epidemiological studies of polluted sites are carried out. The a priori account of assumptions allows to contain the problems related to post hoc observations and multiple comparisons and, more generally, grants the increase of confidence in interpreting causes for the observed associations.