A Case-Control Study of Airways Obstruction Among Construction Workers [final grant report]

Details

• Personal Author:
  Dement, John M. ; Quinn P ; Ringen K ; Welch L
• Description:
  Background: While smoking is the major cause of COPD, occupational exposures to vapors, gases, dusts, and fumes (VGDF) increase COPD risk. This case-control study estimated the risk of COPD associated with occupational exposures experienced by construction workers. Methods: The study population included 834 cases and 1243 controls participating in a national medical screening program for older construction workers. A telephone questionnaire obtained a lifetime occupational and exposure history, including frequency doing 90 specific constructionrelated tasks known to generate VGDF exposures. Qualitative exposure indices were developed for a list of 14 specific exposures experienced by construction workers based on lifetime taskspecific exposure histories in combination with task exposure intensities estimated by a panel of experienced industrial hygienists. COPD risk associated with specific agents and VGDF combined was assessed using unconditional logistic regression controlling for demographics, cigarette smoking, and other risk factors. Principal component analyses investigated correlations among exposures and effects of combined exposures on COPD risk. The joint effects of exposure agents and smoking were evaluated for departure from additive interactions between specific exposures and cigarette smoking. Results: Cumulative exposure indices for Asbestos; Silica; Cement Dust; Engine Exhausts; Acids and Caustics; Welding, Thermal Cutting, Soldering, Brazing; Metal Cutting, Grinding, and Machining Aerosol; Isocyanates; Organic Solvents; Wood Dust; Molds and Spores; and Particulates not otherwise regulated (PNOR) were significantly associated with risk of COPD. Additionally, the exposure index for all VGDF exposures combined was a strong predictor of COPD risk. Approximately 18% (95% CI=2-24%) of COPD risk was estimated to be attributable to construction-related exposures. Among never smokers, the attributable fraction for construction-related exposures was 32% (95% CI=6-42%). The effects of smoking and the occupational exposures studied did not depart significantly from additivity. Conclusions: Construction workers are at increased risk of COPD as a result of broad and complex effects of many exposures acting independently or interactively. The VGDF exposure metric is a reasonable exposure measure for assessment of COPD risk in complex exposure environments and regulatory approaches should take this into account. Control methods should be implemented to prevent worker exposures and smoking cessation should be promoted. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Acids Aerosols Aging Air Pollutants, Occupational Air Pollution, Indoor Aluminum Silicates Asbestos Construction Industry Demography Dust Fungi Inorganic Chemicals Isocyanates Lung Lung Diseases Men Metals Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Particulate Matter Respiratory System Respiratory Tract Diseases Risk Assessment Risk Factors Safety Smokers Solvents Surveys And Questionnaires Tobacco Products Vehicle Emissions Welding Wood Workplace

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• Keywords:
  Age-groups Air-contamination Airway-obstruction Airway-resistance Asbestos-dust Asbestos-products Cements Cigarette-smoking Construction Construction-industry Construction-workers Demographic-characteristics Dust-exposure Dusts Employee-exposure Exhaust-gases Fumes Gases Humans Lung-disorders Lung-function Metal-compounds Metallic-compounds Molds Organic-compounds Particulate-dust Particulates Pulmonary-clearance Pulmonary-system-disorders Questionnaires Respiratory-system-disorders Risk-factors Silicates Smoking Soldering Vapors Wood-dusts Wood-products Work-environment Worker-health

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• Series:
  Grant Final Reports
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Final Grant Report
• Place as Subject:
  North Carolina ; OSHA Region 10 ; OSHA Region 4 ; Washington
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  OEP - Office of Extramural Programs
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1-45
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20047258
• NTIS Accession Number:
  PB2016-101850
• Citation:
  Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, R01-OH-009943, 2015 Oct; :1-45
• Email:
  John.Dement@Duke.edu
• CAS Registry Number:
  Asbestos (CAS RN 1332-21-4) ; Silica (CAS RN 7631-86-9)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2016
• Performing Organization:
  Duke University
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20110901
• End Date:
  20150831
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:4816e023733fdf84e292c3834b9ae76854ff426887ee81b3f417ace276ea99e7263fcac78cd47e88efe88d7be655947a9b0902fcd7bac01ce6ddf397ad419632
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/218614/cdc_218614_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.16 MB ]