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Updated: May 10, 2026

A Traditional Chinese Medicine Characteristic Therapy for Bronchial Asthma: Moxibustion
Published on: May 12, 2023
Occupation held at the time of asthma symptom development
Gretchen E Knoeller1, Jacek M Mazurek, Eileen Storey
1Division of Respiratory Disease Studies, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Morgantown, WV, USA. gknoeller@cdc.gov
Background:
Examining occupations other than those held when asthma symptoms first developed may not correctly identify occupations with higher risk of asthma onset.
Methods:
To determine the occupation held when individuals first developed asthma symptoms, we examined 2010 National Health Interview Survey data for working adults with current asthma.
Results:
Overall 37.1% of working adults with current asthma developed asthma while employed. Of these, the highest proportions of individuals identified office and administrative support (13.3%), sales and related (9.4%), and management (8.5%) as the occupation held when asthma first developed; 37.8% had a different current occupation than at asthma onset, and estimates of a change in occupation were highest for those who developed asthma while working in business and financial operations (49.3%), sales and related (48.6%), and healthcare support (43.8%) occupations.
Conclusion:
Future population-based studies should further examine associations between asthma and occupation held at time of asthma onset.
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