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Screening questionnaires for bakers' asthma--are they worth the effort?
S B Gordon1, A D Curran, J Murphy
1Department of Medicine and Pharmacology, University of Sheffield, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, UK. s.gordon@sheffield.ac.uk
Occupational Medicine (Oxford, England)
|August 1, 1997
Summary
Annual respiratory screening questionnaires for UK bakery workers may underestimate asthma prevalence. Combining questionnaires with other methods like sick note reviews and workplace observations is crucial for accurate occupational asthma detection.
Area of Science:
- Occupational Health
- Respiratory Medicine
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Annual respiratory screening questionnaires are recommended for UK bakery workers.
- Previous methods for detecting asthmatic symptoms in this population require further evaluation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare questionnaire screening with alternative methods for detecting asthmatic symptoms in flour-exposed bakery workers.
- To assess the significance of symptoms through clinical investigation and follow-up.
- To explore reasons for questionnaire failures in identifying affected workers.
Main Methods:
- A questionnaire was administered to 362 flour-exposed bakery workers.
- Positive respondents and workers identified through attendance records/sick notes underwent occupational nurse interviews.
- Referrals to a chest clinic involved clinical assessment, spirometry, peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) analysis, and radioallergosorbent testing (RAST).
Main Results:
- The questionnaire identified 68 workers with symptoms; 21 proceeded to assessment, with 5 diagnosed with asthma (1 bakers' asthma).
- Additionally, 11 workers with negative questionnaires were referred, and 5 were diagnosed with asthma.
- The study highlighted potential underestimation of asthmatic symptoms by questionnaires alone.
Conclusions:
- Respiratory screening questionnaires may underestimate the prevalence of asthmatic symptoms in bakery workers.
- A multi-faceted approach, including clinical assessment and other screening methods, is necessary for comprehensive workplace screening.
- Accurate detection of occupational asthma requires robust diagnostic protocols beyond initial symptom questionnaires.