Comparison of self-reported occupational exposure with a job exposure matrix in an international community-based study on asthma.
BACKGROUND
Self-reports are frequently used to assess occupational exposures in epidemiological studies on asthma, but the validity and influence of asthma status on performance is unclear.


METHODS
Data on self-reported exposure to air pollutants were obtained for 16,752 randomly selected working individuals from 40 study centers, and compared to exposures obtained by a job exposure matrix (JEM). The influence of current asthma symptoms or medication was investigated.


RESULTS
Specificity of self-reports amounted to 0.83 and 0.87, and sensitivity 0.48 and 0.42 for asthmatics and non-asthmatics, respectively, when compared with the JEM. Self-reported exposure, but not exposure assessed by the JEM, was more prevalent in areas with a higher community prevalence of asthma.


CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of self-reported occupational exposures seems to depend on asthmatic health status at both the individual and the community level. Associations between self-reports and asthma are likely to be biased, especially in pooled analyses combining different areas with varying prevalence rates of asthma.
de Vocht
Frank
F
Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Environmental and Occupational Health Group, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Zock
Jan-Paul
JP
Kromhout
Hans
H
Sunyer
Jordi
J
Antó
Josep M
JM
Burney
Peter
P
Kogevinas
Manolis
M
D000328:Adult; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D015982:Bias; D002170:Canada / Q000453:epidemiology; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis*; D009790:Occupations / Q000145:classification; D015995:Prevalence; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods; D012650:Self Disclosure; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
D000393:Air Pollutants