Workplace indoor environmental quality and asthma-related outcomes in healthcare workers

Details

• Alternative Title:
  Am J Ind Med
• Personal Author:
  Rollins, Steven M. ; Su, Feng-Chiao ; Liang, Xiaoming ; Humann, Michael J. ; Stefaniak, Aleksandr B. ; LeBouf, Ryan F. ; Stanton, Marcia L. ; Virji, Mohammed A. ; Henneberger, Paul K.
• Description:
  Background:
  
  Asthma-related health outcomes are known to be associated with indoor moisture and renovations. The objective of this study was to estimate the frequency of these indoor environmental quality (IEQ) factors in healthcare facilities and their association with asthma-related outcomes among workers.
  
  Methods:
  
  New York City healthcare workers (n = 2030) were surveyed regarding asthma-related symptoms, and moisture and renovation factors at work and at home during the last 12 months. Questions for workplace moisture addressed water damage (WD), mold growth (MG), and mold odor (MO), while for renovations they addressed painting (P), floor renovations (FR), and wall renovations (WR). Regression models were fit to examine associations between work and home IEQ factors and multiple asthma-related outcomes.
  
  Results:
  
  Reports of any moisture (n = 728, 36%) and renovations (n = 1412, 70%) at work were common. Workplace risk factors for asthma-related outcomes included the moisture categories of WD by itself, WD with MO (without MG), and WD with MG and MO, and the renovation category with the three factors P, FR, and WR. Reports of home IEQ factors were less frequent and less likely to be associated with health outcomes. Data analyses suggested that MG and/or MO at work and at home had a synergistic effect on the additive scale with a symptom-based algorithm for bronchial hyperresponsiveness.
  
  Conclusions:
  
  The current study determined that moisture and renovation factors are common in healthcare facilities, potentially putting workers at risk for asthma-related outcomes. More research is needed to confirm these results, especially prospective studies.
  
  
• Subjects:
  Adult Air Pollution, Indoor Asthma, Occupational Female Health Personnel Hospital Design And Construction Humans Humidity Male Middle Aged New York City Occupational Exposure Regression Analysis Risk Factors Workplace

  More +
• Keywords:
  Healthcare Indoor Environmental Quality Mold Renovations Work-related Asthma
• Source:
  Am J Ind Med. 63(5):417-428
• Pubmed ID:
  32154609
• Pubmed Central ID:
  PMC7437141
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• Funding:
  CC999999/ImCDC/Intramural CDC HHSUnited States/ ; OH/NIOSH CDC HHSUnited States/
• Volume:
  63
• Issue:
  5
• Collection(s):
  CDC Public Access
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha256:dac0ad55e561b9dfdde458ae9773e9d093f6052ca1fbcc680446d7988e9f4b40
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/92336/cdc_92336_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 132.16 KB ]