Occupational asthma in New South Wales (NSW): a population-based study
Cooperative Research Centre for Asthma, Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, NSW, Australia
Background The proportion of asthma in adults that is due to occupational exposures is not known.
Aim To examine the contribution of workplace exposures to the development of asthma in adults in New South Wales (NSW) in a cross sectional, population-based study.
Methods A randomly selected population of 5331 18- to 49-year olds completed and returned a mailed questionnaire (response rate 37%). In adult-onset asthmatics we examined the association of asthma with reported exposure, within 1 year of asthma onset, to a list of occupations and exposures known to be at risk for occupational asthma (high-risk jobs and exposures).
Results Among 910 subjects (18%) with asthma, 383 (7%) subjects reported adult-onset disease. After adjusting for sex, age and smoking, working in any high-risk job or exposure at the time of asthma onset was significantly associated with adult-onset asthma (OR 1.51, 95% CI 1.19–1.92). The population attributable risk (PAR) of adult-onset asthma for either a high-risk job or an exposure was 9.5%. Sudden onset, irritant or reactive airways dysfunction syndrome type exposures were associated with adult-onset asthma (OR 4.65, 95% CI 1.64–13.2). The PAR of adult-onset asthma for these exposures was 0.2%.
Conclusion Reported adult onset of asthma is common and occupational exposures may be associated with 9.5% of prevalent cases of adult-onset asthma in NSW.
Keywords Irritant-induced asthma; occupational asthma; occupational exposures; prevalence
Correspondence to: A. Johnson, Dust Diseases Board, 14/82 Elizabeth Street, Sydney, New South Wales 2000, Australia. Tel: 61 2 8223 6600; fax: 61 2 8223 6677; e-mail: anthonyj{at}ddb.nsw.gov.au