Key findings abstracted from Section 9, "Work-Related Asthma" of the WoRLD Surveillance Report 2002 are based on three data sources: NIOSH SENSOR Program, NCHS multiple-cause-of-death data, and the NCHS National Health Interview Survey. These findings and their data sources are summarized below.
NIOSH SENSOR data:
- Over 2,500 cases of work-related asthma were identified for the period 1993–1999 in the four NIOSH SENSOR states.
- 80% represented new-onset asthma caused by occupational exposure, including reactive airways dysfunction syndrome.
- 20% represented work-aggravated asthma (i.e., preexisting asthma aggravated by occupational exposure).
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- The three primary industries with the greatest number of work-related asthma cases in the four states were: health services (16%), educational services (9%), and transportation equipment manufacturing (19%).
| California |
Massachusetts |
Michigan |
New Jersey |
| Health services (17.0%) |
Health services (29.3%) |
Transportation equipment (42.5%) |
Health services (16.1%) |
| Educational services (14.0%) |
Educational services (13.3%) |
Health services (10.6%) |
Chemicals and allied products (10.6%) |
| Justice, public order, and safety (7.5%) |
Chemicals and allied products (4.9%) |
Fabricated metal products except machinery and transportation equipment (4.7%) |
Educational services (7.8%)
Food and kindred products (7.8%) |
| Social services (4.0%) |
Justice, public order, and safety (4.1%) |
Rubber and miscellaneous plastics products (4.2%) |
Construction, special trade contractors (6.7%) |
Executive, legislative, general government, except finance (2.9%)
Business services (2.9%) |
Industrial and commercial machinery and computer equipment (3.5%)
Administration of economic programs(3.5%) |
Educational services (3.6%) |
Primary metal industries (3.9%)
Paper and allied products (3.9%) |
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- Work-related asthma cases were most frequently attributed to the following agent categories: miscellaneous chemicals; cleaning materials; mineral & inorganic dust; indoor air pollutants; pyrolysis products; isocyanates; solvents; hydrocarbons, n.o.s.; polymers; and welding exposures.
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NCHS multiple-cause-of-death data
- Among the 11 usual industries with significantly elevated mortality for asthma, three were associated with healthcare, two with education, and two with agricultural industries.
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- Similarly, among the 21 occupations with significantly elevated asthma mortality, healthcare-related jobs accounted for nine, education jobs for three, and agriculture for two.
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NCHS National Health Interview Survey data
- Based on the NHIS data, elementary and secondary
schools and colleges was
the one current industry sector having a clearly elevated asthma
prevalence among nonsmokers (10.8% vs. 8.4% for all industries).
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