Medication use among individuals with work-related asthma, Asthma Call-back Survey, 2012-2013

Details

• Personal Author:
  Dodd KE ; Mazurek JM
• Description:
  Rationale: National guidelines for treatment of asthma were established to improve asthma therapy and outcomes, including long-term control medications to achieve and maintain control of persistent asthma and rescue medications for treatment of acute symptoms and exacerbations. Work-related asthma (WRA) is asthma that is caused or made worse by exposures at work and is associated with poorer asthma control and more severe symptoms than non-WRA. Medication use has not been examined among adults with WRA. Objective: To assess asthma medication use among adults with WRA, possible WRA, and no WRA. Methods: Data from the 2012.2013 Asthma Call-back Survey for ever-employed adults (.18 years) with current asthma from 29 states collecting landline and cellular telephone household data were analyzed. Persons with WRA had been told by a physician that their asthma was work-related. Persons with possible WRA had asthma caused or made worse by their current or previous job, but did not have WRA. Asthma medications taken in the last 3 months were classified as controller and rescue medications based on National Asthma Education and Prevention Program's Expert Panel Report 3 guidelines. Seven drug classes: corticosteroids, anti-inflammatory, anti-cholinergics, short acting beta-agonists, long acting beta-agonists, leukotriene modifiers, and methylxanthines were examined. Differences in mean number of rescue and controller medications and prevalence ratios (PRs) adjusted for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, and asthma severity were assessed. Results: Among an estimated 11 million ever-employed adults with current asthma in 29 states, 14.1% had WRA and an additional 39.8% had possible WRA. Compared with adults with no WRA, persons with WRA and possible WRA, on average, took more controller (0.62 vs 0.46, p-value<0.0001; 0.53 vs 0.46, p-value<0.0001, respectively) and rescue (0.89 vs 0.60, p-value<0.0001; 0.75 vs 0.60, p-value<0.0001, respectively) medications. Furthermore, those with WRA were more likely to use anti-cholinergic medications (PR=2.10, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.19.3.72) and leukotriene modifier medications (PR=1.38, 95%CI=1.01.1.89) and those with possible WRA were more likely to use methylxanthine medications (PR=2.54, 95%CI=1.24.5.21) than those with no WRA. Conclusions: Individuals with WRA were prescribed more medications, corroborating previous research indicating WRA symptoms are more severe and potentially more difficult to treat than non-WRA. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Aging Agriculture Antibodies Asthma Environmental Exposure Forestry Hunting Hypersensitivity Immune System Irritants Lung Occupational Health Respiratory System Respiratory Tract Diseases Risk Assessment Risk Factors Safety Workplace

  More +
• Keywords:
  Age Groups Agricultural Industry Bronchial Asthma Environmental Exposure Exposure Levels Fishing Industry Forestry Workers Immunoglobulins Lung Function Risk Factors Sensitization Statistical Analysis Surveillance Work Environment Workers

  More +
• ISSN:
  1073-449X
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Abstract or Summary
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 3 ; West Virginia
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  RHD - Respiratory Health Division
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  193
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20048514
• Citation:
  Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2016 May; 193(Abstract Issue):A2785
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2016
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Source Full Name:
  American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine
• Supplement:
  Abstract Issue
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:c89693ae55fc1c2f1ea31b1cbedb8e6cd439c6de77014bf24965ced1e4db4e59f883dc20eb41b8b8dbaa1dcbbda139ddf8c17c9979bfc26c688b608f4bc84d60
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/203255/cdc_203255_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 17.69 KB ]