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Current asthma and asthma-like symptoms among workers at a Veterans Administration Medical Center
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Sep 05 2017
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Source: Int J Hyg Environ Health. 220(8):1325-1332.
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Alternative Title:Int J Hyg Environ Health
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Description:Introduction
Healthcare workers are at increased risk for respiratory disorders. The purpose of our respiratory health survey was to estimate the prevalence of current asthma and asthma-like symptoms and their association with workplace exposures and tasks among healthcare workers at a Veterans Administration (VA) Medical Center.
Material and methods
Information on respiratory health and work characteristics, including tasks performed, products used, and exposures, were collected by questionnaire from a convenience sample of workers employed at the VA Medical Center during 2012–2014. Associations of asthma and asthma-like symptoms with cleaning and disinfecting tasks and products as well as exposure to dampness and molds, and construction dust were evaluated using log-binomial regression.
Results
The prevalence of current asthma was 17.6% and almost half of all workers reported asthma-like symptoms. We observed elevated prevalence of current asthma among the VA healthcare workers compared to the U.S. general and working adult populations. Asthma and asthma-like symptoms were significantly associated with mold, dampness, and construction material exposures; cleaning and disinfecting products; and cleaning or disinfecting tasks.
Conclusions
Workplace exposures and tasks associated with current asthma and asthma-like symptoms were identified but further research is needed to investigate the temporal association between workplace exposures and current asthma and asthma-like symptoms.
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Pubmed ID:28923472
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Pubmed Central ID:PMC5965269
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