title: Cage Versus Noncage Laying-Hen Housings: Worker Respiratory Health.
abstract: The objective of this study was to compare respiratory health of poultry workers in conventional cage, enriched cage and aviary layer housing on a single commercial facility, motivated by changing requirements for humane housing of hens. Three workers were randomly assigned daily, one to each of conventional cage, enriched cage, and aviary housing in a crossover repeated-measures design for three observation periods (for a total of 123 worker-days, eight different workers). Workers' exposure to particles were assessed (Arteaga et al. J Agromedicine. 2015;20:this issue) and spirometry, exhaled nitric oxide, respiratory symptoms, and questionnaires were conducted pre- and post-shift. Personal exposures to particles and endotoxin were significantly higher in the aviary than the other housings (Arteaga et al., 2015). The use of respiratory protection was high; the median usage was 70% of the shift. Mixed-effects multivariate regression models of respiratory cross-shift changes were marginally significant, but the aviary system consistently posted the highest decrements for forced expiratory volume in 1 and 6 seconds (FEV1 and FEV6) compared with the enriched or conventional housing. The adjusted mean difference in FEV1 aviary - enriched cage housing was -47 mL/s, 95% confidence interval (CI): (-99 to 4.9), P = .07. Similarly, for FEV6, aviary - conventional housing adjusted mean difference was -52.9 mL/6 s, 95% CI: (-108 to 2.4), P = .06. Workers adopting greater than median use of respiratory protection were less likely to exhibit negative cross-shift pulmonary function changes. Although aviary housing exposed workers to significantly higher respiratory exposures, cross-shift pulmonary function changes did not differ significantly between houses. Higher levels of mask use were protective; poultry workers should wear respiratory protection as appropriate to avoid health decrements.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Public Health Sciences and Center for Health and the Environment , University of California, Davis , Davis , California , USA.
authors.forename: Diane
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.forename: Veronica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Arteaga
authors.forename: Tracey
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Armitage
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mitloehner
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tancredi
authors.forename: Nicholas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kenyon
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schenker
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens; D000067565:Farmers; D005260:Female; D006799:Housing, Animal; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D016272:Occupational Health; D011897:Random Allocation; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012134:Respiratory Protective Devices / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Laying-hen housing; occupational health; poultry workers; pulmonary function; respiratory exposure