Respiratory symptoms and lung function among workers in swine confinement buildings: a cross-sectional...

To study possible chronic respiratory problems of people working in swine confinement buildings, a cross-sectional epidemiological study was initiated. A cohort of swine confinement workers was matched for age, sex, and smoking history with nonconfinement swine producers. Pulmonary function studies and a survey questionnaire for chronic respiratory disease symptoms (the American Thoracic Society, Epidemiologic Standardization Project Questionnaire) were performed on both groups. Compared to controls, the confinement workers experienced significantly higher prevalence of chronic bronchitis and wheezing, (odds ratio 7 and 4, respectively). There were, however, no significant differences in baseline pulmonary functions. Based on the high prevalence of chronic respiratory disease symptoms, this study emphasizes an emerging occupational concern in agriculture to the estimated 500,000 persons working in swine confinement operations and the estimated 500,000 additional persons who work in poultry, veal, beef, or dairy confinement operations. It is important to study a representative population of these workers prospectively to determine if a progressive loss in lung function is evident.