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Evaluation of specific occupational asthma risks in a community-based study with special reference to single and multiple exposures

Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology volume 14, pages 397–403 (2004)Cite this article

Abstract

Objectives:

To compare two job exposure matrices (JEMs) for the evaluation of asthma risks related to specific occupational exposures in a community-based study. Methods: A questionnaire on self-reported asthma, respiratory symptoms and current occupation was sent to the participants of the European Community Respiratory Health Survey in five areas in Spain. Both an asthma-specific JEM, including expert judgment steps and a general JEM, were applied to occupational codes. Risks of current asthma symptoms and wheeze in the last year associated with the obtained exposure estimates were evaluated. Correlations between specific exposures were investigated using explanatory factor analysis. Results: Occupational exposures to the high-molecular-weight (MW) agents flour dust, enzymes, mites and animal-derived proteins as obtained by the asthma-specific JEM were positively associated with asthma outcomes. The effect of additional expert judgment steps was limited. High exposures to biological dust assessed by the general JEM without expert judgment was also associated with asthma. Many of the exposed individuals worked in environments with multiple exposures. Conclusions: Asthma risks associated with occupational exposures to specific high-MW agents could be identified from a population-based study using an asthma-specific JEM. Application of JEMs can be a useful tool to estimate asthma risks attributable to specific occupational exposures in the general population. However, these specific exposure risks should be interpreted in connection with the whole of concomitant exposures constituting the work environment.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the National Institutes of Health, USA (NORA Grant Number 1R01HL62633-01); the Spanish Ministry of Health (FIS-97/0035/01), the Catalan Government (CIRIT-1999SGR 00241); the Health Institute Carlos III, Ministry of Health (Grant 00/0316); and the Spanish Foundation of Respiratory Pathology (FEPAR Grant, 1998). We thank Xavier Basagaña for statistical assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Respiratory and Environmental Health Research Unit, Municipal Institute of Medical Research, Barcelona, Spain

    Jan-Paul Zock, Jordi Sunyer, Ángeles Jaén, Josep M Antó & Manolis Kogevinas

  2. National Institute of Occupational Safety and Hygiene, Barcelona, Spain

    Núria Cavallé

  3. Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands

    Hans Kromhout

  4. School of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada

    Susan M Kennedy

  5. Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Spain

    Jordi Sunyer & Josep M Antó

  6. Public Health Department of Bizkaia, Epidemiology Unit, Basque Country, Spain

    Nerea Muniozguren

  7. National Institute of Silicosis, Oviedo, Spain

    Félix Payo

  8. Epidemiology Unit, Autonomous Health Council of Castilla-La Mancha, Albacete, Spain

    Enrique Almar

  9. Pulmonology Unit, General Hospital “Juan Ramón Jiménez”, Huelva, Spain

    José L Sánchez

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  1. Jan-Paul Zock
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  2. Núria Cavallé
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  3. Hans Kromhout
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  4. Susan M Kennedy
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  8. Félix Payo
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  10. José L Sánchez
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  11. Josep M Antó
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  12. Manolis Kogevinas
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Correspondence to Jan-Paul Zock.

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Zock, JP., Cavallé, N., Kromhout, H. et al. Evaluation of specific occupational asthma risks in a community-based study with special reference to single and multiple exposures. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol 14, 397–403 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jea.7500337

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jea.7500337

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