title: Occupation and adult-onset asthma among Chinese women in a population-based cohort.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Exposure to industrial irritants is believed to have contributed to the increasing prevalence of asthma worldwide. We examined the associations between occupation and asthma among women in a case-control study nested in the population-based Shanghai Women's Health Study cohort in China.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cases were 1,050 women who reported a physician-diagnosed asthma as adults. Controls were 4,200 women matched to the cases by year of birth and age at diagnosis. Lifetime occupational histories were obtained. Logistic regression was applied to estimate odds ratios (ORs) adjusting for smoking, education, family income, and concurrent chronic bronchitis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Asthma is more prevalent in production industries for metal tools (OR = 2.4; 1.3-4.7), metal products for everyday use (OR = 1.6; 1.1-2.4), ships (OR = 2.6; 1.0-6.8), and clocks (OR = 1.9; 1.0-3.4), and in occupations as farm workers (OR = 4.0; 1.2-13.0), laboratory technicians and analyzers (OR = 2.2; 1.2-3.9), and installation and maintenance workers for weaving and knitting machineries (OR = 2.4; 1.1-5.4). Other associations less commonly reported were identified for electricians (OR = 2.1; 1.1-4.1), performers (OR = 3.2; 1.4-7.4), administrative workers in organizations and enterprises (OR = 1.8; 1.1-2.8), and postal and telecommunication workers (OR = 3.5; 1.6-7.6).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest that occupational exposures contribute to the development of asthma in women.
authors.affiliation: Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, NIH, DHHS, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA.
authors.forename: Srmena
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Krstev
authors.forename: Bu-Tian
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.forename: Xiao-Ou
authors.initials: XO
authors.lastname: Shu
authors.forename: Aaron
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Blair
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Jay
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lubin
authors.forename: Roel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vermeulen
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hauptmann
authors.forename: Nathaniel
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rothman
authors.forename: Yu-Tang
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Dosemeci
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mustafa
authors.forename: Wong-Ho
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Chow
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003906:Developing Countries; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016272:Occupational Health; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors