title: Quality-of-life, psychological, and cost outcomes 2 years after diagnosis of occupational asthma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the association between clinical and socioeconomic variables and their influence on psychological and cost outcomes in patients with occupational asthma (OA).
  
  
  METHODS
  Longitudinal study of 60 subjects who claimed compensation for OA in Quebec. Besides clinical markers of asthma, quality of life (QOL), psychological distress (PD) measures, and an instrument to diagnose mental disorders were used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The QOL and PD parameters had moderate correlations with clinical markers of OA. Asthma severity, employment, marital status, income, and the length of employment with the employer showed the strongest associations with QOL and PD. More-impaired QOL was associated with higher direct costs for compensation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Impaired QOL and PD are frequent among subjects with OA receiving compensation and are associated with clinical markers of OA and socioeconomic factors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chest Medicine, Sacré-Coeur Hospital and Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Miedinger
authors.forename: Kim L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Lavoie
authors.forename: Jocelyne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: L'Archevêque
authors.forename: Heberto
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ghezzo
authors.forename: Maria Victoria
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Zunzunuegui
authors.forename: Jean-Luc
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Malo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000191:economics* / Q000523:psychology*; D016085:Bronchoconstrictor Agents; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D016210:Methacholine Chloride; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000191:economics* / Q000523:psychology*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011788:Quality of Life; D011792:Quebec; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012882:Skin Tests; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013147:Spirometry; D013183:Sputum / Q000737:chemistry; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014942:Workers' Compensation
chemical_list: D016085:Bronchoconstrictor Agents; D016210:Methacholine Chloride