Characteristics of Work Related Asthma: Results from a Population Based Survey

Details

• Personal Author:
  Breton CV ; Davis, Letitia ; Hunt PR ; Pechter E ; Zhang Z
• Description:
  Objectives: Many risk factors for asthma have been investigated, one of which is the workplace. Work- related asthma is a frequently reported occupational respiratory disease yet the characteristics which distinguish it from non-work-related asthma are not well understood. The purpose of this study was to examine differences between work-related and non-work-related asthma with respect to health care use and asthma control characteristics. Methods: Data from the Massachusetts Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System for 2001 and 2002 were used for this analysis. Work-related status of asthma was determined by self-report of ever having been told by a physician that his or her asthma was work-related. Health care measures evaluated were emergency room visits and physician visits for worsening asthma and for routine care. Characteristics of asthma control evaluated were frequency of asthma symptoms, asthma attacks, difficulty sleeping, and asthma medication usage in the last 30 days and limited activity in the past 12 months. Results: The prevalence of lifetime and current asthma in Massachusetts were 13.0% and 9.2%, respectively. Approximately 6.0% (95% CI 4.8 - 7.3) of lifetime and 6.2% (95% CI 4.7 - 7.8) of current asthma cases were work-related. In the past 12 months, individuals with work-related current asthma were 4.8 times (95% CI: 2.0 - 11.6) as likely to report having an asthma attack, 4.8 times (95% CI: 1.8 - 13.1) as likely to visit the emergency room at least once, and 2.5 times (95% CI: 1.1 - 6.0) as likely to visit the doctor at least once for worsening asthma compared to individuals with non-work-related asthma. Conclusions: Work-related asthma is associated with increased frequency of asthma attacks and use of health care services. A better understanding of factors that contribute to differences in health care use and asthma control is needed to improve prevention and control strategies for individuals suffering from the disease. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Asthma Asthma, Occupational Epidemiology Lung Diseases Occupational Health Respiratory Tract Diseases Risk Assessment Risk Factors Safety
• Keywords:
  Bronchial-asthma Lung-disease Lung-disorders Pulmonary-system-disorders Respiratory-system-disorders Risk-analysis Risk-factors Statistical-analysis Surveillance-programs
• ISSN:
  1351-0711
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Massachusetts ; OSHA Region 1
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  411-415
• Volume:
  63
• Issue:
  6
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20030137
• Citation:
  Occup Environ Med 2006 Jun; 63(6):411-415
• Contact Point Address:
  Carrie Breton, MPH, Harvard School of Public Health, Department of Environmental Health, Building I, Room 1420, 665 Huntington Ave., Boston MA 02115
• Email:
  cbreton@hsph.harvard.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2006
• NORA Priority Area:
  Disease and Injury: Traumatic Injuries
• Performing Organization:
  Massachusetts State Department of Public Health
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20040930
• Source Full Name:
  Occupational and Environmental Medicine
• End Date:
  20060929
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:31f3a4644f049d416dd75f887768cb1fdf5e0c54e01fbc2f01be34c9894171d3e9b5c755bf51dc2b461158f75d3d1969ec5e8735f70dcb15baab4d6695eceb2b
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/190953/cdc_190953_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 103.67 KB ]