Occupational asthma in the city of São Paulo, 1995-2000, with special reference to gender analysis.
BACKGROUND
Occupational asthma (OA) is the leading occupational respiratory disease in the area of São Paulo Municipality. Understanding its characteristics can provide useful information for better interventions.


METHODS
From a joint registry of OA from five outpatient public clinics for occupational respiratory diseases, data on occupation, with job titles corrected by an expert evaluation, agents, exposure and symptom duration, and spirometry were analyzed by gender. Data on employment for São Paulo Municipality were used to calculate expected ratios for men/women in broad economical sectors.


RESULTS
Three hundred and ninety four OA cases were reported with a ratio of men/women of 1.5. Women had significantly shorter exposure duration (5.6 +/- 5.2 vs. 8.9 +/- 9.0 years, P = 0.0005), shorter symptoms duration (2.6 +/- 3.7 vs. 3.2 +/- 3.5 years, P = 0.1270), and higher prevalence of previous atopy (27.0 vs. 18.4%, P = 0.0485). The main occupations related to OA cases were cleaning activities, working in plastics manufacture and in chemical and pharmaceutical plants. Women reported significantly more exposures to cleaning products, biologic agents, and textile fibers, whereas men reported more exposures to isocyanates, metal dusts and fumes, oil mists, wood dusts and anhydrides. Women presented an increased risk of OA in the service sector (odds ratio (OR) = 1.77, confidence interval (CI) = 1.61-1.96).


CONCLUSIONS
Cleaning services was the main reported occupation and cleaning products the main reported agents. Women had significantly shorter exposure duration possibly due to difference in exposures, previous atopy, and behavior. There was an excess of cases of women in the service sector.
Mendonça
Elizabete Medina Coeli
EM
Division of Medicine, FUNDACENTRO, Ministry of Labour and Employment, São Paulo, Brazil.
Algranti
Eduardo
E
de Freitas
Jefferson Benedito Pires
JB
Rosa
Edna Aparecida
EA
dos Santos Freire
José Antônio
JA
de Paula Santos Ud
Ubiratan
U
Pinto
Jarina
J
Bussacos
Marco Antônio
MA
D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012042:Registries; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D013147:Spirometry; D014797:Vital Capacity / Q000502:physiology