Restrictive spirometry pattern among construction trade workers.

Area of Science:

• Occupational Medicine
• Pulmonary Medicine
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Spirometry studies often overlook restrictive spirometry pattern (RSP) in occupational lung disease.
• Focus has primarily been on obstructive or mixed patterns.
• The association between RSP, occupation, and mortality requires investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if restrictive spirometry pattern (RSP) is associated with specific occupations.
• To investigate the link between RSP and increased mortality risk.
• To identify risk factors for RSP in a working population.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of spirometry, demographic, smoking, and mortality data from 18,145 workers.
• Prevalence of RSP examined across demographic, clinical variables, and trades.
• Log-binomial and Cox regression models used to assess risk factors and mortality.

Main Results:

• Restrictive spirometry pattern (RSP) prevalence was high at 28.6%.
• RSP was linked to significantly elevated mortality hazard ratios for all causes (1.50), cardiovascular (1.86), respiratory (2.31), and lung cancer (1.66).
• Construction trades, excluding painters, machinists, and roofers, showed increased RSP risk; RSP correlated with chest X-ray findings.

Conclusions:

• Construction workers face a heightened risk of RSP, independent of obesity.
• Individuals with RSP have a significantly increased risk of all-cause mortality and mortality from respiratory, cardiovascular diseases, and lung cancer.
• Restrictive spirometry pattern (RSP) warrants greater attention in occupational medicine and epidemiology.