Summary characteristics of the 12 longitudinal population-based studies included in the systematic review that examined the association between occupational exposures (ever and cumulative) and lung function decline
| First author (year) | Location and study name | Sample size | Duration of follow-up (year) | Age at inception (years, mean±SD) | Method of exposure assessment | Summary of the studies | Confounders adjusted |
| Studies used pre-bronchodilator | |||||||
| Skaaby et al.30 (2021) | Denmark; Copenhagen City Heart Study | 8202 | 9 | 48±7 | ACE JEM and lifetime work history | No associations were observed between exposure to biological dust, mineral dust, gases/fumes and VGDF and lung function decline | Sex, smoking height, education, weights and baseline FEV1 |
| Skaaby et al.30 (2021) | Denmark; Copenhagen General Population Study | 7942 | 9 | 47±5 | ACE JEM and lifetime work history | ||
| Faruque et al.24 (2020) | Netherlands; Lifelines Cohort Study | 13 759 | 4.5 | 44±12 | ALOHA plus JEM and current or last held job | Men and smokers are at higher risk of having a lower lung function than women and non-smokers | Age, sex, smoking, pack-years, height, education, monthly income |
| Alif et al.1 (2019) | Australia; TAHS Study | 767 | 6 (2004–2010) | 44.8±0.8 | ALOHA plus JEM and lifetime work history | Aromatic solvents, gases/fumes and metals were associated with lung function decline in middle age | Sex, smoking, pack-years; height, socioeconomic status, childhood asthma, current asthma and co-exposures |
| Liao et al.28 (2015) | USA; Framingham Heart Study | 1332 | 17 | 47.4±10.6 | JEM (modified from UCSF COPD JEM) and current job | Dust exposure related to the loss of FEV1 but not FEV1/FVC ratio | Sex, age, smoking, pack-years, height |
| de Jong et al.2 (2014) | Netherlands; Vlagtwedde-Vlaardingen Study | 2527 | 25 (1965–1990) | 35 (median) | ALOHA plus JEM and current job | Pesticide exposure was associated with annual decline in lung function | Sex, age, pack-years, level of lung function and co-exposures |
| Sunyer et al.31 (2005) | ECRHS study | 8263 | 9 (1991/93–1998/02) | Male 34.01, female 33.94 (mean) | JEM and current job | Exposed to dust, gases and fumes were not related to change in lung function in a population of relatively young participants | Age, smoking, number of cigarettes, height, body mass index, change in body mass index, length of follow-up |
| Humerfelt et al.26 (1993) | Norway, population registry of Bergen | 951 (only male) | 23 (1965/70–1988/90) | 38±8.8 | Self-reported jobs at follow-up | Exposures to gases and metals were associated with decline in FEV1 | Age, smoking, height |
| Krzyzanowiski et al.27 (1985) | Poland, Krakow study | 1864 | 13 (1968–1981) | 19–70 (range) | Self-reported at baseline and follow-up | Exposed to dust in men increased the decline in FEV1 | Age, smoking, height |
| Studies used post-bronchodilator | |||||||
| Tagiyeva et al.32 (2017) | UK; WHEASE cohort | 237 | 25 (1989–2014) | 60.6±1.5 | ACE JEM and lifetime work history | Exposed to biological dust and vapours increased the risk of reduced lung function over 50 years in people who did not have childhood wheezing | Sex, age, pack-years of smoking, educational status |
| Harber et al.25 (2007) | USA, Canada; multicentre lung health study | 5724 | 5 (1986–1991) | Male 48.4, female 48.5 (mean) | Self-reported jobs at baseline and follow-up | Exposure to fumes was associated with the rate of decline in lung function in men with early COPD | Age, smoking status (cigarettes per day, yes/no), height, race |
| Studies used both pre-bronchodilator and post-bronchodilator | |||||||
| Bui et al.23 (2019) | Australia; TAHS study | 857 | 8 (2008–2016) | 53.1±0.7 | ALOHA plus JEM and lifetime work history | Exposure to VGDF was associated with lung function decline | Sex and socioeconomic status |
| Study used without bronchodilator | |||||||
| Lytras et al. 29 (2020) | ECRHS and SAPALDIA | 17 833 | 16.3 (1991/93–2010/12 and 1991–2001/11) | 56.9 (mean) | ALOHA plus JEM and lifetime work history | Long-term occupational exposures to biological dust, mineral dust and metals were associated with an accelerated decline in FEV1 and the FEV1/FVC ratio | Age, sex, height, current asthma, smoking status (current, lifetime, pack-year), socioeconomic status, asthma (maternal, paternal, childhood) |
ACE JEM, Airborne Chemical Exposure Job Exposure Matrix; ALOHA, A Lot of Occupational Hygiene Assumptions; ECRHS, European Community Respiratory Health Survey Study; FEV1, Forced Expiratory Volume in 1 sec; FVC, Forced Vital Capacity; GPJEM, General Population Job Exposure Matrix; JEM, Job Exposure Matrix; SAPALDIA, Swiss Cohort Study on Air Pollution and Lung Disease in Adults; TAHS, Tasmanian Longitudinal Health Study; VGDF, Vapours, Dust, Gases and Fumes; VGDFFiM, Vapours, Dust, Gases, Fumes, Fibers and Mists; WHEASE, What Happens Eventually to Asthmatic children: Sociologically and Epidemiologically.