Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., Volume 157, Number 2, February 1998, 512-517

Pulmonary Ventilatory Defects and Occupational Exposures in a Population-based Study in Spain

JORDI SUNYER, MANOLIS KOGEVINAS, HANS KROMHOUT, JOSEP M. ANTÓ, JOSEP ROCA, AURELIO TOBIAS, ROEL VERMEULEN, FELIX PAYO, JOSÉ A. MALDONADO, JESUS MARTINEZ-MORATALLA, NEREA MUNIOZGUREN, and the Spanish Group of the European Community Respiratory Health Survey ^*

Respiratory and Environmental Health Research Unit, IMIM, Barcelona, Spain; Pneumology, Clinic Hospital, Barcelona, Spain; Instituto Nacional de Silicosis, Oviedo, Spain; Pneumology, Hospital General de Huelva, Huelva; Hospital General de Albacete, Albacete, Spain; Epidemiology, Dirección de Salud de Vizcaya, Bilbao, Spain; and Epidemiology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands

We assessed the association between occupational exposures and symptoms of chronic bronchitis and pulmonary ventilatory defects in a general population-based study of five areas in Spain. This study forms part of the European Community Respiratory Health Study (ECRHS). Subjects (n = 1,735; age range, 20-44 yr; 52.4% of those initially selected) completed a respiratory questionnaire on symptoms and occupation and underwent baseline spirometry. Occupation was translated with an ad hoc developed job-exposure matrix (JEM) into none, low, and high exposure to biological dust, mineral dust, and gases and fumes. Exposure to high levels of biological dust was associated with cough for more than 3 mo (odds ratio [OR], 1.9; p = 0.07), a reduction in FEF_25-75 to 478 ml/s (SD 178), and a reduction in FEV₁ to 151 mL (SD 71). These associations remained after excluding subjects with asthma symptoms or bronchial responsiveness. Smokers tended to have a higher risk for respiratory symptoms, but smoking did not modify the association of occupation with pulmonary function. Exposure to mineral dust and gases/fumes was less consistently related to pulmonary function or to respiratory symptoms and this association further decreased after excluding subjects with asthma. In conclusion, exposure to high levels of biological dust in young adults is associated with symptoms of chronic bronchitis and pulmonary ventilatory defects, independently of asthma and smoking.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				American Thoracic Society Statement: Occupational Contribution to the Burden of Airway Disease Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., March 1, 2003; 167(5): 787 - 797. [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Schwartz, C. Schindler, E. Zemp, A. P. Perruchoud, J.-P. Zellweger, B. Wuthrich, P. Leuenberger, and U. Ackermann-Liebrich Predictors of Methacholine Responsiveness in a General Population* Chest, September 1, 2002; 122(3): 812 - 820. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. S. Bakke, R. Hanoa, and A. Gulsvik Relation of Occupational Exposure to Respiratory Symptoms and Asthma in a General Population Sample: Self-reported versus Interview-based Exposure Data Am. J. Epidemiol., September 1, 2001; 154(5): 477 - 483. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J.-P. ZOCK, J. SUNYER, M. KOGEVINAS, H. KROMHOUT, P. BURNEY, J. M. ANTO, and The ECRHS Study Group Occupation, Chronic Bronchitis, and Lung Function in Young Adults . An International Study Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., June 1, 2001; 163(7): 1572 - 1577. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				W. S. Beckett Occupational Respiratory Diseases N. Engl. J. Med., February 10, 2000; 342(6): 406 - 413. [Full Text] [PDF]

				N Le Moual, P Bakke, E Orlowski, D Heederik, H Kromhout, S M Kennedy, B Rijcken, and F Kauffmann Performance of population specific job exposure matrices (JEMs): European collaborative analyses on occupational risk factors for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with job exposure matrices (ECOJEM) Occup. Environ. Med., February 1, 2000; 57(2): 126 - 132. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. C. F. Pain Causes of Chronic Airway Disease Chest, January 1, 1999; 115(1): 4 - 6. [Full Text] [PDF]