Work-related asthma and employment status – 38 states and District of Columbia, 2006–2009

Details

• Alternative Title:
  J Asthma
• Personal Author:
  White, Gretchen E. ; Mazurek, Jacek M. ; Moorman, Jeanne E.
• Description:
  Objectives
  
  To examine differences in current employment status between persons with health professional-diagnosed work-related asthma and non-work-related asthma and to examine factors associated with unemployment in these groups.
  
  Methods
  
  We analyzed the 2006–2009 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Asthma Call-back Survey for ever-employed adults (excluding those who were retired, homemakers and students at the time of the interview) with current asthma in 38 states and District of Columbia (N = 25 680). We calculated prevalence ratios (PRs) adjusted for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education and income.
  
  Results
  
  Among adults with current asthma, individuals with work-related asthma were less likely to be currently employed for wages (PR = 0.89; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.84–0.95) and more likely to be unable to work (PR = 1.44; 95% CI = 1.24–1.67) than those with non-work-related asthma. Among adults with current asthma who were unemployed at the time of the interview, adults with work-related asthma did not differ from those with non-work-related asthma in naming disability as reason for unemployment (PR = 1.09; 95% CI = 0.94–1.26). However, those with work-related asthma were more likely to be unable to work for health reasons other than disability (PR = 1.46; 95% CI = 1.01–2.12) than adults with non-work-related asthma.
  
  Conclusions
  
  Additional studies are needed to determine what health reasons prevent individuals with work-related asthma from working and if the health reasons are asthma-related.
  
  
• Subjects:
  Adult Asthma, Occupational Employment Female Humans Interviews As Topic Logistic Models Male Multivariate Analysis Occupational Diseases Prevalence Socioeconomic Factors

  More +
• Source:
  J Asthma. 50(9):954-959.
• Pubmed ID:
  23889492
• Pubmed Central ID:
  PMC4664048
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• Funding:
  CC999999/Intramural CDC HHS/United States
• Place as Subject:
  United States
• Volume:
  50
• Issue:
  9
• Collection(s):
  CDC Public Access
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha256:a90e61fe3e16c219a1e4d935e946ea72af758635be31134bc5d7ccfc2deb8bec
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/36719/cdc_36719_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 228.09 KB ]