Quality of life in relation to upper and lower respiratory conditions among retired 9/11-exposed firefighters with pulmonary disability

Details

• Personal Author:
  Al-Othman F ; Berninger A ; Cohen HW ; Gustave J ; Kelly K ; Lee R ; Prezant DJ ; Weakley J ; Webber MP ; Zeig-Owens R ; Al-Othman F ; Berninger A ; Cohen HW ; Gustave J ; Kelly K ; Lee R ; Prezant DJ ; Weakley J ; Webber MP ; Zeig-Owens R
• Description:
  PURPOSE: To examine health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and World Trade Center (WTC) cough syndrome conditions in male firefighters who retired due to a 9/11-related pulmonary disability. METHODS: From 3/1/2008 to 1/31/2009, we contacted 275 disability-retired firefighters and compared their HRQoL and current aerodigestive conditions to those from WTC-exposed non-disabled retired and active firefighters. Relationships between HRQoL and explanatory variable(s) were examined using multivariable linear regression models. RESULTS: Mean physical component summary (PCS) scores were lowest in disabled retirees compared with non-disabled retirees and actives: 36.4 (9.6), 49.4 (8.7), and 53.1 (5.1), respectively (P < 0.0001). Mean mental component summary (MCS) scores were closer: 44.5 (11.9), 48.1 (8.5), and 48.7 (7.4), respectively (P < 0.0001). In multivariable models, after adjustment for many factors, PCS scores were not associated with early WTC arrival, but were inversely associated with disability retirement and all WTC cough syndrome conditions. MCS scores were inversely associated with early WTC arrival and most WTC cough syndrome conditions, but were not associated with disability retirement. CONCLUSION: WTC cough syndrome conditions predict lower HRQoL scores even 8 years after exposure, independent of retirement status. These data suggest that monitoring physical conditions of individuals with occupational exposures might help identify those at risk for impaired HRQoL. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Firefighters Lung Lung Diseases Occupational Health Respiratory System Respiratory Tract Diseases Safety
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Respiratory Health Disability Retirement Fire-fighters Occupational Medicine Pulmonary-disorders Pulmonary-function Pulmonary-system Pulmonary-system-disorders Quality Of Life Respiratory-system-disorders
• ISSN:
  0962-9343
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant ; Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Journal Article ; Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  New York ; OSHA Region 2
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) ; National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health ; Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America ; North America
• Volume:
  19
• Issue:
  10
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20038462
• Citation:
  Qual Life Res 2010 Dec; 19(10):1467-1476
• Contact Point Address:
  Mayris P. Webber, Fire Department of the City of New York, Bureau of Health Services, 9 Metrotech Center, Brooklyn, NY 11201, USA
• Email:
  webberm@fdny.nyc.gov
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2011
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  Quality of Life Research
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:2e10ab91312cdc49ac7a5916b12a82d8e69c7eec03aa7215973089d69c888dd1044df49f62e6354fe278bef1fa14dd48fd70d8cba41885c148aaa32fa5ad8047
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/192169/cdc_192169_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 222.48 KB ]