title: Wheezing in tobacco farm workers in southern Brazil.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Tobacco workers are exposed to several respiratory occupational sensitizers.
  
  
  METHODS
  A representative cross-sectional study was carried out on 2469 tobacco family farming growers. Gender-stratified multivariate analyses evaluated the association between wheezing and socio-demographic, behavioral, and occupational variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Wheezing prevalence was 11.0% with no difference between genders. Among men, age, smoking, strenuous work, pesticide use, contact with vegetable dust and dried tobacco dust, lifting sticks with tobacco leaves to the curing barns, and green tobacco sickness (GTS) were risk factors for wheezing. Among women, family history of asthma, tying hands of tobacco, strenuous work, contact with chemical disinfectants, and GTS were positively associated with wheezing. Harvesting lower tobacco leaves was a protective factor for the outcome in both genders.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pesticides, dusts exposure, and GTS were risk factors for wheezing. The synergic effect of these factors needs to be better evaluated to improve prevention.
authors.affiliation: Social Medicine Department, Postgraduate Program in Epidemiology, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Brazil.|Takemi Program in International Health, Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Nadia Spada
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Fiori
authors.affiliation: Social Medicine Department, Postgraduate Program in Epidemiology, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Brazil.
authors.forename: Anaclaudia Gastal
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Fassa
authors.affiliation: Municipal Health Department of Bento Gonçalves, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
authors.forename: Neice Muller Xavier
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Faria
authors.affiliation: Social Medicine Department, Postgraduate Program in Epidemiology, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rodrigo Dalke
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Meucci
authors.affiliation: Social Medicine Department, Postgraduate Program in Epidemiology, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Brazil.
authors.forename: Vanessa Iribarrem
authors.initials: VI
authors.lastname: Miranda
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: David C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Christiani
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000382:Agricultural Workers' Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D000383:Agriculture / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001249:Asthma / Q000150:complications; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004391:Dust; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects; D015995:Prevalence; D012135:Respiratory Sounds / Q000209:etiology*; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D019460:Tobacco Industry / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult; D014026:Nicotiana
chemical_list: D004391:Dust
keywords: asthma; occupational diseases; prevalence; rural health; tobacco; wheezing