Source: Annual Congress 2010 - Occupational asthma
Disease area: Airway diseases

Abstract

It is likely that the fraction of asthma causally related to occupation varies according to local employment patterns. Uncertainty may also arise due to incorrect asthma diagnosis and exposure assessment, particularly if based on self-report. A UK-wide postal survey of 8535 registered asthmatics was conducted. Cases, who had experienced onset of asthma or worsening of pre-existing childhood asthma within 2 years of starting a new job, were compared to controls with equivalent onset or deterioration more than 2 years from the start of a job.
Of those targeted, 3115 (37%) returned a completed questionnaire; 38.4% experienced deterioration or whilst working; 441 were cases and 757 controls. A priori risk analyses using an asthma-specific JEM, ECRHS ‘high risk occupations‘ and UK SWORD surveillance data did not suggest increased risk of asthma within 2 years of starting a high risk job.

A priori risk estimates

exposure definition	cases at high risk	controls at high risk	adjusted OR	95% CI	p=
JEM	81	172	0.76	0.55-1.04	0.08
ECRHS	109	215	0.90	0.68-1.19	0.46
SWORD	9	31	0.49	0.23-1.04	0.06

Increased risk of asthma within 2 years of starting a new job was seen among health professionals, secretarial, personal care, sales and elementary occupations. A priori risk assessment does not identify occupation as a significant cause of asthma in this contemporary adult workforce in the UK. Jobs which do appear to increase risk are not those typically associated with an excess risk of asthma. These findings highlight the disparity between epidemiological and clinical assessments of asthma related to occupation, and the need to consider novel occupations as a cause of asthma.

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Citations should be made in the following way:
J. Szram, S. Schofield, S. MacNeill, R. Ghosh, P. Cullinan (United Kingdom). UK Prevalence of asthma related to occupation. Eur Respir J 2010; 36: Suppl. 54, 1474

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