title: Gender Differences in the Association of Individual and Contextual Exposures with Lung Function in a Rural Canadian Population.
abstract: To investigate the association of individual and contextual exposures with lung function by gender in rural-dwelling Canadians.
  
  
  
  A cross-sectional mail survey obtained completed questionnaires on exposures from 8263 individuals; a sub-sample of 1609 individuals (762 men, 847 women) additionally participated in clinical lung function testing. The three dependent variables were forced expired volume in one second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), and FEV1/FVC ratio. Independent variables included smoking, waist circumference, body mass index, indoor household exposures (secondhand smoke, dampness, mold, musty odor), occupational exposures (grain dust, pesticides, livestock, farm residence), and socioeconomic status. The primary analysis was multiple linear regression, conducted separately for each outcome. The potential modifying influence of gender was tested in multivariable models using product terms between gender and each independent variable.
  
  
  
  High-risk waist circumference was related to reduced FVC and FEV1for both genders, but the effect was more pronounced in men. Greater pack-years smoking was associated with lower lung function values. Exposure to household smoke was related to reduced FEV1, and exposure to livestock, with increased FEV1. Lower income adequacy was associated with reduced FVC and FEV1.
  
  
  
  High-risk waist circumference was more strongly associated with reduced lung function in men than women. Longitudinal research combined with rigorous exposure assessment is needed to clarify how sex and gender interact to impact lung function in rural populations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health & Epidemiology, University of Saskatchewan, Health Science Building, 107 Wiggins Road, Saskatoon, SK, S7N-5E5, Canada. bonnie.janzen@usask.ca.
authors.forename: Bonnie
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Janzen
authors.affiliation: Canadian Centre for Health and Safety in Agriculture, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada.
authors.forename: Chandima
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Karunanayake
authors.affiliation: Canadian Centre for Health and Safety in Agriculture, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada.|College of Nursing, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada.
authors.forename: Donna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rennie
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Sciences, Queens University, Kingston, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Pickett
authors.affiliation: Canadian Centre for Health and Safety in Agriculture, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada.|Department of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada.
authors.forename: Joshua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lawson
authors.affiliation: Canadian Centre for Health and Safety in Agriculture, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada.
authors.forename: Shelley
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kirychuk
authors.affiliation: Canadian Centre for Health and Safety in Agriculture, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada.
authors.forename: Louise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hagel
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
authors.forename: Ambikaipakan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Senthilselvan
authors.affiliation: Canadian Centre for Health and Safety in Agriculture, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada.
authors.forename: Niels
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Koehncke
authors.affiliation: Canadian Centre for Health and Safety in Agriculture, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dosman
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health & Epidemiology, University of Saskatchewan, Health Science Building, 107 Wiggins Road, Saskatoon, SK, S7N-5E5, Canada.|Canadian Centre for Health and Safety in Agriculture, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada.
authors.forename: Punam
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pahwa
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000383:Agriculture; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor; D000818:Animals; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004391:Dust; D002523:Edible Grain; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume; D005658:Fungi; D006801:Humans; D058751:Livestock; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D010575:Pesticides; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012424:Rural Population; D012525:Saskatchewan; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution; D014797:Vital Capacity; D055105:Waist Circumference; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004391:Dust; D010575:Pesticides; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution
keywords: Gender; Lung function; Rural; Sex