Association of Childhood Respiratory Status with Adult Occupational Exposures in a Birth Cohort

Autor: Philip Harber, Melissa Furlong, Debra A. Stern, Wayne J. Morgan, Anne L. Wright, Stefano Guerra, Fernando D. Martinez
Rok vydání: 2023
Předmět:
Zdroj: Annals of the American Thoracic Society. 20:390-396
ISSN: 2325-6621
2329-6933
Popis: People with better early life respiratory health may be more likely to work in occupations with high workplace exposures in adult life, compared to people with poor respiratory health. This may manifest as a healthy worker effect bias potentially confounding the analysis of environmental exposure studies.To evaluate associations between lung function in adolescence and occupational exposures at initial adult employment.The Tucson Children's Respiratory Study is a long-term prospective study of respiratory health beginning at birth. Associations between respiratory function at age 11 years and occupational exposures at first job at age 26 years were evaluated with logistic regression. We calculated percent-predicted values for forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), FEV1/FVC ratio, and forced expiratory flow from 25 to 75% of vital capacity (FEF) at age 11. At the 26 year visit, participants self-reported occupational exposures to dust, smoke, and fumes/gas at first job in a standardized interview.FEF and FEV1/FVC Ratio at age 11 were positively associated with dust workplace exposures at the first job. Each 10% increase in percent predicted pre-bronchodilator FEV1/FVC ratio was associated with 30% higher odds of workplace dust exposure (ORs for 1% increases: OR=1.03, (95% CI: 1.00, 1.06), p=0.045). Similar associations were observed for FEV1 and FVC with workplace smoke exposures. We also observed modification by time at job: associations were stronger for those who remained in the job longer than 12 months. In addition, those with better function at age 11 were more likely to stay in their job longer than 12 months if their first job involved exposure to dust.Childhood lung function affects initial career choice. This study supports the premise of the healthy worker effect.
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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