title: Lung function decline, chronic bronchitis, and occupational exposures in young adults.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Occupational exposures to vapors, gas, dust, or fumes have been shown to be a risk factor of airway obstruction in cross-sectional studies in the general population.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Our aim was to study the relationships between specific occupations and occupational exposures during a 9-yr follow-up period and changes in lung function and symptoms of chronic bronchitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects from the general population aged 20 to 45 yr were randomly selected in 1991-1993 within the European Community Respiratory Health Survey. Follow-up took place from 1998 to 2002 among 4,079 males and 4,461 females in 27 study centers. A total of 3,202 men and 3,279 women twice completed lung function measurements. Job history during follow-up was linked to a job exposure matrix and consequently translated into cumulative exposure estimates.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Individuals exposed to dusts, gases, and fumes during the period of follow-up did not have a steeper decline of FEV1 than did individuals with consistently white-collar occupations without occupational exposures (relative change among men and women, + 1.4 and -3.1 ml/yr, respectively; p > 0.2), nor an increase of prevalence or incidence of airway obstruction defined as an FEV1/FVC ratio of less than 0.7. The incidence of chronic phlegm increased in men exposed to mineral dust (relative risk, 1.94 [1.29-2.91]) and gases and fumes (relative risk, 1.53 [0.99-2.36]), which was not modified by smoking.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Occupational exposures to dusts, gases, and fumes occurring during the 1990s are associated with incidence of chronic bronchitis, although these did not impair lung function in a population of relatively young age.
authors.affiliation: Respiratory and Health Research Unit, Medical Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain. jsunyer@imim.es
authors.forename: Jordi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sunyer
authors.forename: Jan Paul
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Zock
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kromhout
authors.forename: Raquel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Garcia-Esteban
authors.forename: Katja
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Radon
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jarvis
authors.forename: Kjell
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Toren
authors.forename: Nino
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Künzli
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Norbäck
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: d'Errico
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Urrutia
authors.forename: Félix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Payo
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Olivieri
authors.forename: Simona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Villani
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Van Sprundel
authors.forename: Josep M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Antó
authors.forename: Manolis
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kogevinas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000009:adverse effects*; D029481:Bronchitis, Chronic / Q000209:etiology*; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume / Q000502:physiology; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D009790:Occupations; D012307:Risk Factors; D014797:Vital Capacity / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational