Work-related asthma-like symptoms among florists.
OBJECTIVE
In this study, we evaluated the prevalence of work-related asthma-like symptoms and possible risk factors among florists in Turkey.


METHODS
We collected questionnaire data from 128 florists, and investigated occupational history and respiratory, ocular, dermal, and nasal symptoms. We evaluated pulmonary function tests with spirometry and atopy by using the skin-prick test. Possible risk factors were analyzed by age-adjusted, smoking-adjusted, and gender-adjusted logistic regression models comparing symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals.


RESULTS
The prevalence of work-related asthma-like symptoms was 14.1% (18 patients). We observed excess risk with a high work intensity (odds ratio [OR], 7.3; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1 to 51.8) and long work duration (OR, 5.1; 95% CI, 1.2 to 21.6). Florists with work-related asthma-like symptoms were 5.9 times more likely (95% CI, 1.4 to 24.3) to have a positive skin test response to a flower mix allergen. We also observed an excess risk for work-related asthma-like symptoms among those with allergic rhinitis (OR, 13.2; 95% CI, 3.1 to 56.4) and conjunctivitis (OR, 8.4; 95% CI, 2.4 to 29.2).


CONCLUSIONS
The most prominent risk factors in florists were work intensity, work duration, and specific atopy.
Akpinar-Elci
Muge
M
Division of Respiratory Diseases Studies, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, WV, USA. mra8@cdc.gov
Elci
Omur Cinar
OC
Odabasi
Aygul
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000485:Allergens / Q000009:adverse effects; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D002648:Child; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005260:Female; D035264:Flowers / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000276:immunology; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010328:Patch Tests; D015995:Prevalence; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017678:Sex Distribution; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology
D000485:Allergens