Lung function decline, chronic bronchitis, and occupational exposures in young adults.
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.
Sunyer
Jordi
J
Respiratory and Health Research Unit, Medical Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain. jsunyer@imim.es
Zock
Jan Paul
JP
Kromhout
Hans
H
Garcia-Esteban
Raquel
R
Radon
Katja
K
Jarvis
Deborah
D
Toren
Kjell
K
Künzli
Nino
N
Norbäck
Dan
D
d'Errico
Angelo
A
Urrutia
Isabel
I
Payo
Félix
F
Olivieri
Mario
M
Villani
Simona
S
Van Sprundel
Marc
M
Antó
Josep M
JM
Kogevinas
Manolis
M
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
D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational