Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2006 Apr;48(4):400-7.
doi: 10.1097/01.jom.0000199437.33100.cf.

Case-by-case assessment of adult-onset asthma attributable to occupational exposures among members of a health maintenance organization

Susan R Sama  1 , Donald K Milton, Phillip R Hunt, E Andres Houseman, Paul K Henneberger, Richard A Rosiello
Affiliations

Case-by-case assessment of adult-onset asthma attributable to occupational exposures among members of a health maintenance organization

Susan R Sama et al. J Occup Environ Med. 2006 Apr.

Abstract

Objective: In a general population of employed persons with health insurance, what proportion of adult-onset asthma is caused by occupational exposures?

Method: We conducted a 2-year prospective study to identify adult-onset asthma among health maintenance organization (HMO) members. Telephone interviews regarding occupational exposures, symptoms, medication use, and triggers were used to assess likelihood of work-related asthma for each case. Weighted estimating equations were used to adjust the proportion of asthma attributable to workplace exposures for factors associated with interview participation.

Results: Overall, 29% (95% confidence interval, 25-34%) of adult-onset asthma was attributable to workplace exposures; 26% (21-30%) and 22% (18-27%) of cases had asthma attributable to occupational irritant and sensitizer exposures, respectively.

Conclusions: Occupational exposures, including irritants, are important causes of adult-onset asthma.

PubMed Disclaimer

Publication types