Work-related asthma among adults with current asthma in 33 states and DC: evidence from the asthma call-back survey, 2006-2007

Details

• Personal Author:
  Knoeller GE ; Mazurek JM ; Moorman JE ; Knoeller GE ; Mazurek JM ; Moorman JE
• Description:
  Asthma is associated with a variety of physical, chemical, and biological stimuli including those found in the workplace. The term "work-related asthma" (WRA), representing a subset of all asthma, encompasses both occupational asthma (OA), which is asthma that is caused by workplace exposure to a sensitizing or irritant substance, and work-exacerbated asthma (WEA), which is asthma that is worsened by work-related factors. WRA is a preventable and underdiagnosed occupational lung disease associated with adverse social and economic outcomes, disability, and mortality. Workers who leave their jobs due to WRA often experience loss in income and/or unemployment. A French study followed workers with WRA for an average of 3.1 years after diagnosis. At follow-up, 44% had left their jobs, 25% were unemployed, and 46% had experienced loss in income. Among adults with asthma, those with WRA have a lower quality of life and more frequent emergency department and doctors' visits for worsening asthma. WRA caused by a number of workplace agents may also lead to death. An estimated 6.7% of adults aged greater than or equal to 18 years in the United States have current asthma. The American Thoracic Society has cited estimates that 4%-58% (median = 15%) of adults with asthma have WRA. Estimates of the proportion of adults with OA range from 10% to 15%, and estimates of WEA range from 14% to 58% (median = 21%). However, few such estimates have been published at the state level. The Adult Asthma Call-Back Survey (ACBS), part of the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), offers a unique opportunity to provide this information for a large number of states. To determine the proportion of asthma that is work-related, we analyzed data from the 2006 and 2007 ACBS for each participating state. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Behavior Environmental Monitoring Immune System Irritants Lung Lung Diseases Mortality Occupational Health Respiratory Hypersensitivity Respiratory System Respiratory Tract Diseases Safety Workplace

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• Keywords:
  Behavior-patterns Exposure-assessment Immune-reaction Immune-system-disorders Injuries Injury-prevention Lung-disorders Lung-irritants Mortality-data Mortality-rates Pulmonary-system-disorders Quantitative-analysis Respiratory-hypersensitivity Respiratory-irritants Respiratory-system-disorders Statistical-analysis Surveillance Work-environment Worker-health Workplace-studies

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• ISSN:
  0033-3549
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article ; Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Georgia ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 4 ; West Virginia
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) ; National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DRDS - Division of Respiratory Disease Studies ; DRDS - Division of Respiratory Disease Studies
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health ; Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America ; North America
• Volume:
  126
• Issue:
  4
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20039029
• Citation:
  Public Health Rep 2011 Jul-Aug; 126(4):603-611
• Contact Point Address:
  Gretchen E. Knoeller, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, DRDS, 1095 Willowdale Rd., MS H-2800, Morgantown, WV 26505
• Email:
  ipb8@cdc.gov
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2011
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  Public Health Reports
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:5972ae853193ca504b11998d55873bff7ea115edb47647fa46b73af625a3b020d60305d9d8cffec332073a003d30b1b88a7680636754c7f7a297166e923d286e
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/192523/cdc_192523_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 5.57 MB ]