You are here

Article Text

Article menu
Download PDFPDF
Workplace
Short report
Prevalence of spirometry-defined airflow obstruction in never-smoking working US coal miners by pneumoconiosis status
  1. Laura Kurth,
  2. Anthony S Laney,
  3. David J Blackley,
  4. Cara N Halldin
  1. Respiratory Health Division, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Morgantown, West Virginia, USA
  1. Correspondence to Dr Laura Kurth, NIOSH, CDC, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA; vrz6{at}cdc.gov

Abstract

Introduction This study estimated the prevalence of spirometry-defined airflow obstruction and coal workers’ pneumoconiosis (CWP) among never-smoking coal miners participating in the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Coal Workers’ Health Surveillance Program (CWHSP).

Methods Data were from working miners screened by a CWHSP mobile unit who had valid spirometry and chest radiography results. Spirometry-defined airflow obstruction was determined when the ratio of forced expiratory volume in the first second to forced vital capacity is less than the lower limit of normal. Chest radiographs were classified according to the International Labour Office system to identify pneumoconiosis, including the most severe form of pneumoconiosis, progressive massive fibrosis (PMF).

Results Prevalence of airflow obstruction among never-smoking coal miners in this sample was 7.7% overall, 16.4% among miners with CWP and 32.3% among miners with PMF. Airflow obstruction was significantly associated with CWP and PMF.

Conclusions There was a higher prevalence of airflow obstruction among never-smoking coal miners with pneumoconiosis compared with those without pneumoconiosis. These findings support prior research on airflow obstruction and smoking and show pneumoconiosis might present with an obstructive pattern regardless of smoking status.

  • airflow obstruction
  • occupational exposure
  • prevalence
  • pneumoconiosis

https://doi.org/10.1136/oemed-2019-106213

Statistics from Altmetric.com

    Request Permissions

    If you wish to reuse any or all of this article please use the link below which will take you to the Copyright Clearance Center’s RightsLink service. You will be able to get a quick price and instant permission to reuse the content in many different ways.

    View Full Text

    Footnotes

    • Contributors LK: analysed and interpreted the data, led writing of the report and takes responsibility for its content. ASL, DJB, CNH: assisted with data interpretation and writing the report.

    • Funding The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) supported the salaries of the authors.

    • Disclaimer The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. This paper was prepared and written by NIOSH employees as part of their employment.

    • Competing interests None declared.

    • Patient consent for publication Not required.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.

    • Data availability statement No data are available. Data include PII that can not be released without the permission of participating individuals.