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Association between occupational exposure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and respiratory symptoms in the
Eduardo Loeb1, Jan-Paul Zock2, Marc Miravitlles3
1Departamento de Medicina, Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona (UAB), Barcelona, Spain; Servicio de Neumología, Centro Médico Teknon, Grupo Quironsalud, Barcelona, Spain.
Introduction:
The aim of this study was to analyze the impact of occupational exposure on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and respiratory symptoms in the general Spanish population.
Methods:
This was a study nested in the Spanish EPISCAN II cross-sectional epidemiological study that included participants who had completed a structured questionnaire on their occupational history, a questionnaire on respiratory symptoms, and forced spirometry. The data were analyzed using Chi-square and Student's t tests and adjusted models of multiple linear regression and logistic regression.
Results:
We studied 7502 subjects, 51.1% women, with a mean age of 60±11 years. Overall, 53.2% reported some respiratory symptoms, 7.9% had respiratory symptoms during their work activity, 54.2% were or had been smokers, and 11.3% (851 subjects) met COPD criteria on spirometry. A total of 3056 subjects (40.7%) reported exposure to vapors, gases, dust or fumes (VGDF); occupational exposure to VGDF was independently associated with the presence of COPD (OR 1.22, 95% CI: 1.03-1.44), respiratory symptoms (OR 1.45, 95%: CI 1.30-1.61), and respiratory symptoms at work (OR 4.69, 95% CI: 3.82-5.77), with a population attributable fraction for COPD of 8.2%.
Conclusions:
Occupational exposure is associated with a higher risk of COPD and respiratory symptoms in the Spanish population. These results highlight the need to follow strict prevention measures to protect the respiratory health of workers.
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