ackground: The correlation between asthma and work disability has been demonstrated in previous surveys. Changing job for respiratory problems often defines respiratory work disability. Little is known about occupations of asthmatics with respiratory work disability after they were forced to change job. This study investigates factors associated to respiratory work disability in asthmatics, focusing on occupational outcomes. Methods: 342 adults in working age with asthma, diagnosed by GINA criteria and methacoline challenge or bronchodilator response, answered to a questionnaire. Subjects with occupational asthma were excluded. Respiratory work disability was defined as to have changed job/task because of asthma. Information about pulmonary function tests and skin prick tests were obtained from medical records. Results: 22 subjects reported respiratory work disability. Age, sex, smoking, atopy, were not risk factors for changing work. Patients with work disability referred more often uncontrolled asthma (72.7% vs 60.5%), regular use of asthma controllers (81.1% vs 66.6%) and asthma relievers, even if these differences were not significant. Workers that have changed job because of asthma were still prone to work exacerbated asthma in the last year (81.8% vs 35.3%; OR 5.75, CI 95% 1.77-18.71) and work exacerbated rhinitis in the last year (61.9% vs 31.6%; OR 2.90, CI 95% 1.07-7.02), remaining exposed to known asthmogens (63.6% vs 54.1%). Conclusions: In this study atopy did not predict job change. Maybe because the current economical situation, workers with respiratory work disability did not move to more safe occupations, remaining at risk of work exacerbated asthma.
Respiratory work disability and occupational outcomes in adults with asthma and bronchial hyperresponsiveness
N. Murgia
;
2011
Abstract
ackground: The correlation between asthma and work disability has been demonstrated in previous surveys. Changing job for respiratory problems often defines respiratory work disability. Little is known about occupations of asthmatics with respiratory work disability after they were forced to change job. This study investigates factors associated to respiratory work disability in asthmatics, focusing on occupational outcomes. Methods: 342 adults in working age with asthma, diagnosed by GINA criteria and methacoline challenge or bronchodilator response, answered to a questionnaire. Subjects with occupational asthma were excluded. Respiratory work disability was defined as to have changed job/task because of asthma. Information about pulmonary function tests and skin prick tests were obtained from medical records. Results: 22 subjects reported respiratory work disability. Age, sex, smoking, atopy, were not risk factors for changing work. Patients with work disability referred more often uncontrolled asthma (72.7% vs 60.5%), regular use of asthma controllers (81.1% vs 66.6%) and asthma relievers, even if these differences were not significant. Workers that have changed job because of asthma were still prone to work exacerbated asthma in the last year (81.8% vs 35.3%; OR 5.75, CI 95% 1.77-18.71) and work exacerbated rhinitis in the last year (61.9% vs 31.6%; OR 2.90, CI 95% 1.07-7.02), remaining exposed to known asthmogens (63.6% vs 54.1%). Conclusions: In this study atopy did not predict job change. Maybe because the current economical situation, workers with respiratory work disability did not move to more safe occupations, remaining at risk of work exacerbated asthma.I documenti in SFERA sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
