Work-related asthma is fast becoming one of the most commonly diagnosed occupational respiratory diseases in this country, new study findings show.
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Download NowMoreover, people who work in certain industries may run a higher risk than others. Specifically, men and women who work in printing or publishing, furniture or lumber, health care, entertainment and recreation may be most likely to be diagnosed with asthma, as are those who work for automobile dealers and gas stations.
"This study stresses that workers employed in these industries need to be informed by the employer and aware that they are potentially exposed to asthmagens and the seriousness of their effect," study author Dr. Ki Moon Bang of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), told the Reuters news agency. NIOSH is part of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
Reuters reports that Bang and colleagues identified the industries associated with an increased risk of asthma by reviewing the information provided by 20,991 men and women who participated in the 2001 National Health Interview survey.
Overall, 6.5 percent of survey respondents reported having been diagnosed with asthma, which represents about 8.6 million individuals among 133 million adult workers in the United States, the researchers report in this month's issue of the American Journal of Industrial Medicine.
Asthma was most prevalent among:
- whites
- females
- automobile dealers
- gasoline station workers
- those in the durable goods field.
The industries associated with a greater risk of asthma varied by race, the report indicates.
White men who worked in printing, publishing and allied industries, were 2.4 times more likely to be diagnosed with asthma than those in the comparison group who worked in finance, public administration, communication and other office-related industries. The increased risk of asthma was possibly due to the men's exposure to acrylic resins, dyes, glues and sealants at their workplace, the report indicates.
White women who worked in the health care industry were 30 percent more likely than their peers in the comparison group to be diagnosed with asthma, possibly due to their exposure to certain detergents, latex and other agents.
On the other hand, black women who worked in the furniture, lumber and wood industry had a nearly six-fold increased risk of being diagnosed with asthma in comparison to their peers, potentially due to their exposure to formaldehyde, wood dust and other agents. Those who worked in the entertainment and recreation industry were four times more likely to be diagnosed with asthma, possibly because of their exposure to certain art materials, cleaning chemicals, and photographic development chemicals.
Black men who worked in the construction industry or in chemicals and allied products had a more than five-fold increased of being diagnosed with the condition, while those who worked in durable goods; furniture, lumber and wood; eating and drinking places; and other personal services, respectively, were up to four times more likely to be diagnosed with asthma than were their peers.
Men and women who worked in elementary, secondary schools, and colleges and those who worked in the utilities and sanitary industry were also at an increased risk for asthma, the researchers said.
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