Eva Hnizdo, Patricia
A. Sullivan, Ki Moon Bang and Gregory Wagner
American Journal of Epidemiology
Using data
from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey,
NIOSH researchers found construction trades among occupations with
increased risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary (lung) disease,
or COPD |
From the Division of Respiratory Disease Studies, National Institute
for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, Morgantown, WV.
Data from the US population-based Third National Health and Nutrition
Examination Survey, conducted from 1988 to 1994, were used to estimate
the population prevalence, prevalence odds ratios, and attributable
fractions for the association of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
(COPD) with employment by industry and occupation. The aim was to identify
industries and occupations at increased risk of COPD. COPD was defined
as forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1)/forced vital
capacity <70% and FEV1 <80% predicted. The authors used SUDAAN
software (Research Triangle Institute, Research Triangle Park, North
Carolina) to estimate the weighted population prevalence and odds ratios
using 9,823 subjects aged 30-75 years who underwent lung function tests.
Odds ratios for COPD, adjusted for age, smoking status, pack-years of
smoking, body mass index, education, and socioeconomic status, were
increased for the following industries: rubber, plastics, and leather
manufacturing; utilities; office building services; textile mill products
manufacturing; the armed forces; food products manufacturing; repair
services and gas stations; agriculture; sales; construction; transportation
and trucking; personal services; and health care. Occupations associated
with increased odds ratios for COPD were freight, stock, and material
handlers; records processing and distribution clerks; sales; transportation-related
occupations; machine operators; construction trades; and waitresses.
The fraction of COPD attributable to work was estimated as 19.2% overall
and 31.1% among never smokers.
Key Words: airway obstruction; occupational diseases; occupational exposure;
prevalence
Abbreviations: CI, confidence interval; COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease; FEV1, forced expiratory volume in 1 second; FVC, forced vital
capacity; NHANES III, Third National Health and Nutrition Examination
Survey; OR, odds ratio; RR, relative risk.
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