Airflow obstruction attributable to work in industry and occupation among U.S. race/ethnic groups: a study of NHANES III data.
OBJECTIVE
To estimate the fraction of airflow obstruction attributable to workplace exposure by U.S. race/ethnic group.


METHODS
U.S. population-based third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) data on 4,086 Caucasians, 2,774 African-Americans, and 2,568 Mexican-Americans, aged 30-75, were studied. Airflow obstruction was defined as FEV1/FVC<75% and FEV1<80% predicted. Weighted prevalence, and prevalence odds ratios (OR) adjusted for the effect of age, smoking status, pack-years, body mass index, education, and socio-economic status were estimated using SUDAAN software.


RESULTS
Industries with the most cases of airflow obstruction attributable to workplace exposure include: armed forces; rubber, plastics, and leather manufacturing; utilities; textile mill manufacturing; health care; food products manufacturing; sales; construction; and agriculture. The fraction of cases with airflow obstruction associated with work in industry varied by race/ethnic group and was estimated as 22.2% (95% CI 9.1-33.4) among Caucasians, 23.4% (95% CI 2.2-40.0) among African-Americans, and 49.6% (32.1-62.6) among Mexican-Americans.


CONCLUSIONS
This study found differences in the fraction of airflow obstruction cases associated with employment pattern among major U.S. race/ethnic population groups.
Hnizdo
Eva
E
Division of Respiratory Disease Studies, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Morgantown, West Virginia 26505, USA. exh6@cdc.gov
Sullivan
Patricia A
PA
Bang
Ki Moon
KM
Wagner
Gregory
G
D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000368:Aged; D006801:Humans; D017058:Mexican Americans / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000208:ethnology*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009790:Occupations / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015995:Prevalence; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000208:ethnology*; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*