Occup Environ Med 2000;57:635-641 ( September )

Development of an asthma specific job exposure matrix and its application in the epidemiological study of genetics and environment in asthma (EGEA)

Susan M Kennedy^{a b}, Nicole Le Moual^b, Dominique Choudat^c, Francine Kauffmann^b

^a School of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene, University of British Columbia, 2206 East Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z3, ^b INSERM U472 (Epidemiology and Biostatistics), Villejuif, France, ^c Service de Pathologie Professionnelle, Hôpital Cochin, Paris, France

Correspondence to: Dr S M Kennedy kennedy{at}interchange.ubc.ca

Accepted 18 May 2000

OBJECTIVESTo develop a method suitable for estimating exposure risks in population studies of asthma from job titles and international codes, by combining a new job exposure matrix (JEM) with the expert judgement approach. The method was applied in the French epidemiological study of the genetics and environment in asthma (EGEA).
METHODSThe JEM contains 22 exposure groups including 18 high risk groups based on known risk factors for occupational asthma, divided into high molecular weight agents, low molecular weight agents, and mixed environments. After applying the JEM to job codes, exposure estimates for each subject were re-evaluated by examining job title texts. Three high risk exposure estimates for asthma were compared: firstly, applying the JEM to original codes (from different coders in each study centre); secondly, applying the JEM to revised codes (from one experienced coder); and thirdly, after reviewing JEM exposure estimates in the light of job title texts.
RESULTSThe study comprised 173 cases with asthma and 285 controls (age 18-65). Odds ratios (ORs) for asthma for high risk jobs were 1.0 (95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.6 to 1.7), applying the JEM to original codes; 1.4 (95% CI 0.8 to 2.3), applying the JEM to revised codes; and 1.7 (95% CI 1.1 to 2.7), applying the JEM and subsequently re-evaluating exposure estimates from job title texts. Asthma ORs were 1.4 (95% CI 0.6 to 2.9) for high molecular weight agents, 2.3 (95% CI 1.2 to 4.4) for low molecular weight agents, and 2.1 (95% CI 0.9 to 5.2) for mixed environments.
CONCLUSIONSThis asthma JEM, when enhanced by expert re-evaluation of exposure estimates from job title texts, may be a useful tool in general population studies of asthma. In this study, a 1.7-fold increase in prevalence odds of high risk exposures was found among asthmatic workers compared with controls, with risk magnitude varying for different classes of exposure.


Keywords: job exposure matrix; asthma; occupational exposure; epidemiological methods; case-control

---

© 2000 by Occupational and Environmental Medicine
CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Mirabelli, M. C., Zock, J.-P., D'Errico, A., Kogevinas, M., de Sanjose, S., Miligi, L., Seniori Costantini, A., Vineis, P. (2009). Occupational Exposure to High Molecular Weight Allergens and Lymphoma Risk Among Italian Adults. Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev. 18: 2650-2654 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Brouwers, M M, van Tongeren, M, Hirst, A A, Bretveld, R W, Roeleveld, N (2009). Occupational exposure to potential endocrine disruptors: further development of a job exposure matrix. Occup. Environ. Med. 66: 607-614 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Suarthana, E, Heederik, D, Ghezzo, H, Malo, J-L, Kennedy, S M, Gautrin, D (2009). Risks for the development of outcomes related to occupational allergies: an application of the asthma-specific job exposure matrix compared with self-reports and investigator scores on job-training-related exposure. Occup. Environ. Med. 66: 256-263 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Quinlan, P J, Earnest, G, Eisner, M D, Yelin, E H, Katz, P P, Balmes, J R, Blanc, P D (2009). Performance of self-reported occupational exposure compared to a job-exposure matrix approach in asthma and chronic rhinitis. Occup. Environ. Med. 66: 154-160 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Rage, E, Siroux, V, Kunzli, N, Pin, I, Kauffmann, F, on behalf of the Epidemiological Study on the Gene, (2009). Air pollution and asthma severity in adults. Occup. Environ. Med. 66: 182-188 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Delclos, G. L., Gimeno, D., Arif, A. A., Benavides, F. G., Zock, J.-P. (2009). Occupational Exposures and Asthma in Health-Care Workers: Comparison of Self-Reports With a Workplace-Specific Job Exposure Matrix. Am J Epidemiol 169: 581-587 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Blanc, P D, Iribarren, C, Trupin, L, Earnest, G, Katz, P P, Balmes, J, Sidney, S, Eisner, M D (2009). Occupational exposures and the risk of COPD: dusty trades revisited. Thorax 64: 6-12 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Lope, V., Perez-Gomez, B., Aragones, N., Lopez-Abente, G., Gustavsson, P., Plato, N., Zock, J.-P., Pollan, M. (2008). Occupation, Exposure to Chemicals, Sensitizing Agents, and Risk of Multiple Myeloma in Sweden. Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev. 17: 3123-3127 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Tarlo, S. M., Balmes, J., Balkissoon, R., Beach, J., Beckett, W., Bernstein, D., Blanc, P. D., Brooks, S. M., Cowl, C. T., Daroowalla, F., Harber, P., Lemiere, C., Liss, G. M., Pacheco, K. A., Redlich, C. A., Rowe, B., Heitzer, J. (2008). Diagnosis and Management of Work-Related Asthma: American College of Chest Physicians Consensus Statement. Chest 134: 1S-41S [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Radon, K, Gerhardinger, U, Schulze, A, Zock, J-P, Norback, D, Toren, K, Jarvis, D, Held, L, Heinrich, J, Leynaert, B, Nowak, D, Kogevinas, M, for the occupational group of the ECRHS study, (2008). Occupation and adult onset of rhinitis in the general population. Occup. Environ. Med. 65: 38-43 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Le Moual, N., Kauffmann, F., Eisen, E. A., Kennedy, S. M. (2008). The Healthy Worker Effect in Asthma: Work May Cause Asthma, but Asthma May Also Influence Work. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. 177: 4-10 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Riu, E., Dressel, H., Windstetter, D., Weinmayr, G., Weiland, S., Vogelberg, C., Leupold, W., von Mutius, E., Nowak, D., Radon, K. (2007). First months of employment and new onset of rhinitis in adolescents. Eur Respir J 30: 549-555 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Delclos, G. L., Gimeno, D., Arif, A. A., Burau, K. D., Carson, A., Lusk, C., Stock, T., Symanski, E., Whitehead, L. W., Zock, J.-P., Benavides, F. G., Anto, J. M. (2007). Occupational Risk Factors and Asthma among Health Care Professionals. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. 175: 667-675 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Delclos, G L, Arif, A A, Aday, L, Carson, A, Lai, D, Lusk, C, Stock, T, Symanski, E, Whitehead, L W, Benavides, F G, Anto, J M (2006). Validation of an asthma questionnaire for use in healthcare workers.. Occup. Environ. Med. 63: 173-179 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Medina-Ramon, M, Zock, J P, Kogevinas, M, Sunyer, J, Torralba, Y, Borrell, A, Burgos, F, Anto, J M (2005). Asthma, chronic bronchitis, and exposure to irritant agents in occupational domestic cleaning: a nested case-control study. Occup. Environ. Med. 62: 598-606 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Le Moual, N., Siroux, V., Pin, I., Kauffmann, F., Kennedy, S. M., on behalf of the Epidemiological Study on the Gene, (2005). Asthma Severity and Exposure to Occupational Asthmogens. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. 172: 440-445 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Le Moual, N., Kennedy, S. M., Kauffmann, F. (2004). Occupational Exposures and Asthma in 14,000 Adults from the General Population. Am J Epidemiol 160: 1108-1116 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Kogevinas, M., Zock, J.-P., Alvaro, T., Garcia-Villanueva, M., Domingo-Domenech, E., Kennedy, S., Martinez-Maza, O., de Sanjose, S. (2004). Occupational Exposure to Immunologically Active Agents and Risk for Lymphoma. Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev. 13: 1814-1818 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• BURGESS, G. L., DIPPNALL, W. M., RAVANDI, M. R. G., CHERRY, N. M. (2004). Retrospective Noise Estimates for British Nuclear Workers Using an Alternative Approach. ANN OCCUP HYG 48: 117-127 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Mannetje, A 't, Kromhout, H (2003). The use of occupation and industry classifications in general population studies. Int J Epidemiol 32: 419-428 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• The European Community Respiratory Health Survey I, (2002). The European Community Respiratory Health Survey II. Eur Respir J 20: 1071-1079 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Teschke, K, Olshan, A F, Daniels, J L, De Roos, A J, Parks, C G, Schulz, M, Vaughan, T L, Kromhout, H (2002). Occupational exposure assessment in case-control studies: opportunities for improvement. Occup. Environ. Med. 59: 575-594 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Liss, G M, Tarlo, S M (2002). Work related asthma. Occup. Environ. Med. 59: 503-504 [Full Text]