Methacholine bronchial challenge (MBC) test among the food industry cleaners stratified by exposure index Σ and exposure duration
| MBC+ % (n) | Dose-response slope [1/(slope+2.5)] (mean (SD) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| MBC+, positive methacholine bronchial challenge test positive. | |||
| 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 = 68 | 3.4 (8) | 0.285 (0.08) |
| Group 1 | n = 89 | 7.7 (18) | 0.266 (0.09) |
| Group 2 | n = 76 | 6 (14) | 0.258 (0.10) |
| p value | 0.19 | 0.17 | |
| Non-exposed group | n = 68 | 3.4 (8) | 0.285 (0.08) |
| Duration 1 | n = 83 | 7.3 (17) | 0.253 (0.09) |
| Duration 2 | n = 82 | 6.4 (15) | 0.271 (0.10) |
| p value | 0.11 | 0.03 | |