Reducing attenuation in exposure-response relationships by exposure modeling and grouping: the relationship between wood dust exposure and lung function.
BACKGROUND
In a study of wood dust exposure and lung function, we tested the effect on the exposure-response relationship of six different exposure metrics using the mean measured exposure of each subject versus the mean exposure based on various methods of grouping subjects, including job-based groups and groups based on an empirical model of the determinants of exposure.


METHODS
Multiple linear regression was used to examine the association between wood dust concentration and forced expiratory volume in 1s (FEV(1)), adjusting for age, sex, height, race, pediatric asthma, and smoking.


RESULTS
Stronger point estimates of the exposure-response relationships were observed when exposures were based on increasing levels of aggregation, allowing the relationships to be found statistically significant in four of the six metrics. The strongest point estimates were found when exposures were based on the determinants of exposure model.


CONCLUSIONS
Determinants of exposure modeling offers the potential for improvement in risk estimation equivalent to or beyond that from job-based exposure grouping.
Teschke
Kay
K
Department of Health Care and Epidemiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. teschke@interchange.ubc.ca
Spierings
Judith
J
Marion
Stephen A
SA
Demers
Paul A
PA
Davies
Hugh W
HW
Kennedy
Susan M
SM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004391:Dust / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D062665:Epidemiological Monitoring; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume; D006801:Humans; D007221:Industry; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008452:Maximum Allowable Concentration; D008875:Middle Aged; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010316:Particle Size; D011336:Probability; D012120:Respiration Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D017678:Sex Distribution; D020711:Threshold Limit Values; D014934:Wood
D004391:Dust