Work-related exacerbation of asthma among adults treated by pulmonary specialists.

Abstract

The most common chronic occupational lung disease is occupational asthma. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of work-related respiratory symptoms (WRS) in asthmatic adults at pulmonary clinics. A cross-sectional study was performed. Current employed subjects were subdivided into 2 groups by WRS status according to questionnaire mainly based on one developed by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Subjects' occupation and workplace exposures were evaluated by asthma-specific job exposure matrix (JEM). Thirty-nine of 179 current employed asthmatics had WRS. Subjects with WRS were more likely to have self-reported allergy and exposure to low-molecular-weight antigens (prevalence ratio [PR]: 2.7). The 2 most frequent occupational classes for asthmatics with WRS were trades, transport and equipment operators, and processing and manufacturing. Self-reported allergy, high-risk exposures, and occupations unique to processing, manufacturing, and utilities were estimated to be risk factors of WRS.