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. 2017 Nov;220(8):1325-1332.
doi: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2017.09.001. Epub 2017 Sep 5.

Current asthma and asthma-like symptoms among workers at a Veterans Administration Medical Center

Laura Kurth  1 , Mohammed Abbas Virji  2 , Eileen Storey  2 , Susan Framberg  3 , Christa Kallio  3 , Jordan Fink  3 , Anthony Scott Laney  2
Affiliations

Current asthma and asthma-like symptoms among workers at a Veterans Administration Medical Center

Laura Kurth et al. Int J Hyg Environ Health. 2017 Nov.

Abstract

Introduction: Healthcare workers are at increased risk for respiratory disorders. The purpose of our respiratory health survey was to estimate the prevalence of current asthma and asthma-like symptoms and their association with workplace exposures and tasks among healthcare workers at a Veterans Administration (VA) Medical Center.

Material and methods: Information on respiratory health and work characteristics, including tasks performed, products used, and exposures, were collected by questionnaire from a convenience sample of workers employed at the VA Medical Center during 2012-2014. Associations of asthma and asthma-like symptoms with cleaning and disinfecting tasks and products as well as exposure to dampness and molds, and construction dust were evaluated using log-binomial regression.

Results: The prevalence of current asthma was 17.6% and almost half of all workers reported asthma-like symptoms. We observed elevated prevalence of current asthma among the VA healthcare workers compared to the U.S. general and working adult populations. Asthma and asthma-like symptoms were significantly associated with mold, dampness, and construction material exposures; cleaning and disinfecting products; and cleaning or disinfecting tasks.

Conclusions: Workplace exposures and tasks associated with current asthma and asthma-like symptoms were identified but further research is needed to investigate the temporal association between workplace exposures and current asthma and asthma-like symptoms.

Keywords: Asthma; Asthma-like symptoms; Healthcare workers; Hospital; Respiratory.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Prevalence ratios (95% CI) of current asthma and wheeze by workplace exposure and tasks, (n = 347). PCA, Principal components analysis.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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