Use of the COPD Assessment Test (CAT) to screen for COPD in dairy farmers: AIRBAg study

People at risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can benefit from appropriate medical management before severe symptoms appear. This study assesses the value of the COPD Assessment Test (CAT) questionnaire for screening dairy farmers, who tend to be slow or reluctant to seek health care.

During the time period 2012-2017, 2089 randomly selected dairy farmers in Brittany (France) were invited to complete self-administered questionnaires (including the CAT) and to undergo an occupational health check-up using an electronic mini-spirometer and conventional spirometry. Those showing symptoms suggestive of COPD and/or a ratio FEV₁ /FEV₆ < 80% were sent to a pulmonologist for a further check-up, including spirometry with a reversibility test. Multivariate logistic models based on CAT scores and socio-demographic or work-related factors were developed to predict COPD.

The 1231 farmers who underwent the occupational health check-up included 1203 who met the inclusion/exclusion criteria. Pulmonologist identified 16 (1.3%) cases of COPD. A multivariate logistic regression model (covariates: CAT sum score, on-farm time, BMI, smoking status, free-stall mulching) provided an area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.87 (95% CI: 0.75-0.98). Using a cut-off of 0.007 gave a sensitivity of 93.8% and a specificity of 62.4%. Another model that included CAT breathlessness and the same covariates performed marginally better (AUC = 0.88, 95% CI: 0.77-0.98).

Our predictive models can both benefit dairy farmers by providing early diagnosis and management of their COPD and avoid unnecessary, costly spirometry during the screening process.