title: [Status of lung function in females of a North Rhine-Westphalia rural and urban-industrial area].
abstract: A comparative investigation of the pulmonary function status was carried out in women, aged between 52 and 56 years, from a rural and a municipal industrial area in North Rhine Westphalia. A questionnaire that the subjects had to complete themselves, provided us with information on personal medical history, smoking habits, the nature of domestic heating, and social status (education). The function tests were performed in a mobile pulmonary function laboratory (Jäger, Inc.). The airway resistance (Raw) and the intrathoracic gas volume (ITGV) were measured with the aid of a constant-volume body plethysmograph; a pneumotachographic system was employed to measure the ventilatory pulmonary function. All lung volumes were recalculated in terms of BTPS, and expressed as a percentage of the predicted values. Women from Leverkusen complained somewhat more frequently of hay fever, allergies of all kinds, and non-respiratory disturbances, than did women from Borken. In contrast, respiratory symptoms were indicated equally frequently in both areas. In the case of the Leverkusen group, a mean Raw of 0.323 +/- 0.183 kPa.1-1.s, was obtained, and in the case of the Borken group, a mean Raw of 0.258 +/- 0.182 kPa.1-1.s; this difference is statistically significant (p less than 0.05). On average, the women from Leverkusen also had a significantly higher SRaw (p less than 0.005) and ITGV (p less than 0.05) than did the women from Borken. These results argue in favour of a negative influence of air pollution on the pulmonary function.
authors.affiliation: Medizinisches Institut für Umwelthygiene an der Universität Düsseldorf.
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Islam
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dolgner
authors.forename: H W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Schlipköter
mesh_terms: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D005860:Germany, West; D006801:Humans; D008173:Lung Diseases, Obstructive / Q000209:etiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000209:etiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population; D014505:Urban Population
chemical_list: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational
vernacular_title: Lungenfunktionsstatus von Frauen in einem ländlichen und einem städtisch-industriellen Gebiet Nordrhein-Westfalens.