Occupational asthma in New Zealanders: a population based study.

D Fishwick, N Pearce, W D'Souza, S Lewis, I Town, R Armstrong, M Kogevinas, J Crane

Wellington Asthma Research Group, Wellington School of Medicine, New Zealand.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the effect of occupation on respiratory symptoms in a randomly selected adult population aged 20-44 years. METHODS: It is based on the phase II sampling of the New Zealand part of the European Community respiratory health survey. 1609 people (63.9% response rate) completed a detailed respiratory questionnaire. Of those responding, 1174 (73%) underwent skin tests and 1126 (70%) attended to undergo methacholine bronchial challenge. Current occupation was recorded and a previous occupation was also recorded if it had led to respiratory problems. 21 occupational groups were used for analysis for the five definitions of asthma wheezing in the previous 12 months; symptoms related to asthma; bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR); BHR with wheezing in the previous 12 months; and BHR with symptoms related to asthma. RESULTS: Prevalence odds ratios (ORs) were significantly increased for farmers and farm workers (OR 4.16, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.33 to 13.1 for the combination of wheezing and BHR). Increased risks of prevalence of asthma were also found for laboratory technicians, food processors (other than bakers), chemical workers, and plastic and rubber workers. Workers had also been divided into high and low risk exposure categories according to relevant publications. The prevalence of wheezing was greater in the high risk group (OR 1.57, 95% CI 0.83 to 2.95) than in the low risk group. Atopy was associated with asthma, but the prevalence of atopy did not differ significantly between occupational exposure groups. The attributable risk of wheezing that occurred after the age of 15 years and that was estimated to be due to occupational exposure (based on the defined high risk group) was 1.9%, but this increased to 3.1% when farmers and food processors (other than bakers) were also included in the high risk group. CONCLUSIONS: This population based study has identified certain occupations significantly associated with combinations of asthmatic symptoms and BHR.

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Caldeira, R D, Bettiol, H, Barbieri, M A, Terra-Filho, J, Garcia, C A, Vianna, E O (2006). Prevalence and risk factors for work related asthma in young adults. Occup. Environ. Med. 63: 694-699 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Johnson, A., Toelle, B. G., Yates, D., Belousova, E., Ng, K., Corbett, S., Marks, G. (2006). Occupational asthma in New South Wales (NSW): a population-based study.. Occup Med (Lond) 56: 258-262 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Hoppin, J. A., Umbach, D. M., London, S. J., Alavanja, M. C. R., Sandler, D. P. (2004). Diesel Exhaust, Solvents, and Other Occupational Exposures as Risk Factors for Wheeze among Farmers. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. 169: 1308-1313 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Eduard, W, Douwes, J, Omenaas, E, Heederik, D (2004). Do farming exposures cause or prevent asthma? Results from a study of adult Norwegian farmers. Thorax 59: 381-386 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Jaakkola, J. J. K., Piipari, R., Jaakkola, M. S. (2003). Occupation and Asthma: A Population-based Incident Case-Control Study. Am J Epidemiol 158: 981-987 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Gautrin, D., Newman-Taylor, A.J., Nordman, H., Malo, J-L. (2003). Controversies in epidemiology of occupational asthma. Eur Respir J 22: 551-559 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Hoppin, J A, Umbach, D M, London, S J, Alavanja, M C R, Sandler, D P (2003). Animal production and wheeze in the Agricultural Health Study: interactions with atopy, asthma, and smoking. Occup. Environ. Med. 60: e3-3 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Eagan, T. M. L., Gulsvik, A., Eide, G. E., Bakke, P. S. (2002). Occupational Airborne Exposure and the Incidence of Respiratory Symptoms and Asthma. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. 166: 933-938 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Arif, A A, Whitehead, L W, Delclos, G L, Tortolero, S R, Lee, E S (2002). Prevalence and risk factors of work related asthma by industry among United States workers: data from the third national health and nutrition examination survey (1988-94). Occup. Environ. Med. 59: 505-511 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• HOPPIN, J. A., UMBACH, D. M., LONDON, S. J., ALAVANJA, M. C. R., SANDLER, D. P. (2002). Chemical Predictors of Wheeze among Farmer Pesticide Applicators in the Agricultural Health Study. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. 165: 683-689 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Karjalainen, A., Martikainen, R., Karjalainen, J., Klaukka, T., Kurppa, K. (2002). Excess incidence of asthma among Finnish cleaners employed in different industries. Eur Respir J 19: 90-95 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Douwes, J, Pearce, N, Heederik, D (2002). Does environmental endotoxin exposure prevent asthma?. Thorax 57: 86-90 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Janson, C., Anto, J., Burney, P., Chinn, S., de Marco, R., Heinrich, J., Jarvis, D., Kuenzli, N., Leynaert, B., Luczynska, C., Neukirch, F., Svanes, C., Sunyer, J., Wjst, M. (2001). The European Community Respiratory Health Survey: what are the main results so far?. Eur Respir J 18: 598-611 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• JOHNSON, A. R., DIMICH-WARD, H. D., MANFREDA, J., BECKLAKE, M. R., ERNST, P., SEARS, M. R., BOWIE, D. M., SWEET, L., CHAN-YEUNG, M. (2000). Occupational Asthma in Adults in Six Canadian Communities. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. 162: 2058-2062 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Malo, J.-L. (2000). How Much Adult Asthma Can Be Attributed to Occupational Factors (Revisited)?. Chest 118: 1232-1234 [Full Text]  
• Kennedy, S. M, Le Moual, N., Choudat, D., Kauffmann, F. (2000). Development of an asthma specific job exposure matrix and its application in the epidemiological study of genetics and environment in asthma (EGEA). Occup. Environ. Med. 57: 635-641 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• BLANC, P. D., ELLBJÄR, S., JANSON, C., NORBÄCK, D., NORRMAN, E., PLASCHKE, P., TORÉN, K. (1999). Asthma-related Work Disability in Sweden . The Impact of Workplace Exposures. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. 160: 2028-2033 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• (1999). Provocative factors in asthma. CMAJ 161: s8-14 [Full Text]  
• Blanc, P. D., Eisner, M. D., Israel, L., Yelin, E. H. (1999). The Association Between Occupation and Asthma in General Medical Practice. Chest 115: 1259-1264 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Schenker, M. (1998). Respiratory Health Hazards in Agriculture. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. 158: S1-S76 [Full Text]  
• FORASTIERE, F., BALMES, J., SCARINCI, M., TAGER, I. B. (1998). Occupation, Asthma, and Chronic Respiratory Symptoms in a Community Sample of Older Women. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. 157: 1864-1870 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• FISHWICK, D., BRADSHAW, L. M., D'SOUZA, W., TOWN, I., ARMSTRONG, R., PEARCE, N., CRANE, J. (1997). Chronic Bronchitis, Shortness of Breath, and Airway Obstruction by Occupation in New Zealand. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. 156: 1440-1446 [Abstract] [Full Text]