Prevalence of irritation symptoms among the food industry cleaners (n = 175) and controls (n = 70) stratified by exposure index Σ and exposure duration
| Exposure group | Eye, % (n) | Nose, % (n) | Sore throat, % (n) | Dry cough, % (n) | At least one sign, % (n) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| *Logistic regression analysis. | |||||
| Group definition: non-exposed group: exposure index Σ = 0 and exposure duration in the food industry = 0; group 1 = exposure index Σ <5.24; group 2 = exposure index Σ⩾5.24; duration 1 = exposure duration in the food industry ⩽6 years; duration 2 = exposure duration in the food industry >6 years. | |||||
| Non-exposed group, n = 70 | 5.7 (4) | 1.4 (1) | 2.9 (2) | 1.4 (1) | 10 (7) |
| Group 1, n = 90 | 33.3 (30) | 22.2 (20) | 21.1 (19) | 15.6 (14) | 53.3 (48) |
| Group 2, n = 85 | 48.2 (41) | 38.8 (33) | 27.1 (23) | 27.1 (23) | 67 (57) |
| p value* | <0.0001 | 0.0002 | 0.003 | 0.002 | <0.0001 |
| Non-exposed group, n = 70 | 5.7 (4) | 1.4 (1) | 2.9 (2) | 1.4 (1) | 10 (7) |
| Duration 1, n = 89 | 30.3 (27) | 20.2 (18) | 14.6 (13) | 15.7 (14) | 46.1 (41) |
| Duration 2, n = 86 | 51.2 (44) | 40.7 (35) | 33.7 (29) | 26.7 (23) | 74.4 (64) |
| p value* | <0.0001 | <0.0001 | <0.0001 | 0.004 | <0.0001 |