Association of respiratory symptoms and asthma with occupational exposures: findings from a population-based cross-sectional survey in Telemark, Norway.
The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of respiratory symptoms and physician-diagnosed asthma and assess the impact of current occupational exposure.



Cross-sectional analyses of the prevalence of self-reported respiratory health and association with current occupational exposure in a random sample of the general population in Telemark County, Norway.



In 2013, a self-administered questionnaire was mailed to a random sample of the general population, aged 16-50, in Telemark, Norway. The overall response rate was 33%, comprising 16 099 responders.



The prevalence for respiratory symptoms and asthma, and OR of respiratory symptoms and asthma for occupational groups and exposures were calculated. Occupational exposures were assessed using self-reported exposure and an asthma-specific job-exposure matrix (JEM).



The prevalence of physician-diagnosed asthma was 11.5%. For the occupational groups, the category with agriculture/fishery workers and craft/related trade workers was associated with wheezing and asthma attack in the past 12 months, showing OR 1.3 (1.1 to 1.6) and 1.9 (1.2 to 2.8), respectively. The group including technicians and associated professionals was also associated with wheezing OR 1.2 (1.0 to 1.3) and asthma attack OR 1.4 (1.1 to 1.9). The JEM data show that exposure to flour was associated with wheezing OR 3.2 (1.4 to 7.3) and woken with dyspnoea OR 3.5 (1.3 to 9.5), whereas exposures to diisocyanates, welding/soldering fumes and exposure to vehicle/motor exhaust were associated with dyspnoea OR 2.9 (1.5 to 5.7), 3.2 (1.6 to 6.4) and 1.4 (1.0 to 1.8), respectively.



The observed prevalence of physician-diagnosed asthma was 11.5%. The 'manual' occupations were associated with respiratory symptoms. Occupational exposure to flour, diisocyanates, welding/soldering fumes and vehicle/motor exhaust was associated with respiratory symptoms in the past 12 months and use of asthma medication. However, prospective data are needed to confirm the observed associations.
Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Telemark Hospital, Skien, Norway.|Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
R
R
Abrahamsen
Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Telemark Hospital, Skien, Norway.
A K M
AK
Fell
Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Telemark Hospital, Skien, Norway.
M V
MV
Svendsen
Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Institute of Medicine, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
E
E
Andersson
Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Institute of Medicine, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
K
K
Torén
Respiratory Health Division, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Morgantown, West Virginia, USA.
P K
PK
Henneberger
Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.|Department of Respiratory Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
J
J
Kongerud
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015995:Prevalence; D012135:Respiratory Sounds; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
EPIDEMIOLOGY; Job exposure matrix; Occupational; Population-based study; Questionaire; respiratory disease