title: The estimated prevalence of exposure to asthmagens in the Australian workforce, 2014.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is very little information available on a national level as to the number of people exposed to specific asthmagens in workplaces.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a national telephone survey in Australia to investigate the prevalence of current occupational exposure to 277 asthmagens, assembled into 27 groups. Demographic and current job information were obtained. A web-based tool, OccIDEAS, was used to collect job task information and assign exposure to each asthmagen group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the Australian Workplace Exposure Study - Asthma (AWES- Asthma) we interviewed 4878 participants (2441 male and 2437 female). Exposure to at least one asthmagen was more common among men (47%) than women (40%). Extrapolated to the Australian population, approximately 2.8 million men and 1.7 million women were estimated to be exposed. Among men, the most common exposures were bioaerosols (29 %) and metals (27%), whilst the most common exposures among women were latex (25%) and industrial cleaning and sterilising agents (20%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provides information about the prevalence of exposure to asthmagens in Australian workplaces which will be useful in setting priorities for control and prevention of occupational asthma.
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Perth, Western Australia, 6845, Australia. lin.fritschi@curtin.edu.au.
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fritschi
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Perth, Western Australia, 6845, Australia.
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Crewe
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Perth, Western Australia, 6845, Australia.
authors.forename: Ellie
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Darcey
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Perth, Western Australia, 6845, Australia.
authors.forename: Alison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Reid
authors.affiliation: Monash Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health & Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Deborah C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Glass
authors.affiliation: Monash Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health & Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Geza P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Benke
authors.affiliation: Sydney School of Public Health, University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Driscoll
authors.affiliation: School of Population Health, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Peters
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Perth, Western Australia, 6845, Australia.
authors.forename: Si
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Si
authors.affiliation: Monash Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health & Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Abramson
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Perth, Western Australia, 6845, Australia.
authors.forename: Renee N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Carey
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000336:Aerosols; D000818:Animals; D001181:Arthropods; D059366:Asthma, Occupational / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D003902:Detergents; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007221:Industry; D007840:Latex; D008297:Male; D008670:Metals; D008875:Middle Aged; D008925:Mites; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015995:Prevalence; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000336:Aerosols; D003902:Detergents; D007840:Latex; D008670:Metals
keywords: Occupational asthma; Surveillance; Workplace exposure