ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Respiratory status in dairy farmers in France; cross sectional and longitudinal analyses

H Chaudemanche¹, E Monnet², V Westeel¹, D Pernet¹, A Dubiez¹, C Perrin¹, J-J Laplante³, A Depierre¹, J-C Dalphin¹

¹ Department of Chest Diseases, University Hospital, Besançon, France
² Department of Public Health, University Hospital, Besançon, France
³ Medical Department of the "Mutualité Sociale Agricole du Doubs", Besançon, France

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Prof. J-C Dalphin
Dept of Chest Diseases, CHU–Hôpital Jean Minjoz, Boulevard Fleming, 25030 Besançon CEDEX, France; jean-charles.dalphin{at}ufc-chu.univ-fcomte.fr

Aims: To compare respiratory status in dairy farmers with that of non-farming controls.

Methods: Longitudinal study in the Doubs (France). From a cohort constituted in 1994 (T1), 215 (81.1%) dairy farmers and 110 (73.8%) controls were reevaluated in 1999 (T2). The protocol comprised a medical and occupational questionnaire, spirometric tests at both evaluations, allergological tests at T1, and a non-invasive measure of blood oxygen saturation (SpO₂) at T2.

Results: In 1999 analyses, the prevalence of chronic bronchitis was higher (p = 0.013), and FEV₁/VC (p < 0.025) and SpO₂ (-0.7%, p < 0.01) lower in dairy farmers than in controls. In a multiple linear regression model, farming, age, and smoking were significantly and inversely correlated with SpO₂. In the whole population, the mean annual decline in FEV₁ and FEV₁/VC was -13.4 ml and -0.30%, respectively. Farming was associated with an accelerated decline in FEV₁/VC (p < 0.025) after adjustment for covariates. No relation between allergy and respiratory function changes was observed, except for FEF_25–75.

Conclusions: This prospective study shows that dairy farming is associated with an excess of chronic bronchitis, with a moderate degree of bronchial obstruction and a mild decrease in SpO₂.

Keywords: farming; longitudinal study of respiratory function; oxygen saturation

Abbreviations: CPOD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; CS, current smoker; ES, ex-smoker; FEF_25–75, forced mid-expiratory flow; FEV₁, forced expiratory volume in one second; NS, non-smoker; Spo₂, blood oxygen saturation; VC, vital capacity

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