Adult onset asthma in non-allergic women working in dampness damaged buildings: A retrospective cohort study
2019 (English)In: American Journal of Industrial Medicine, ISSN 0271-3586, E-ISSN 1097-0274, Vol. 62, no 4, p. 357-363Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
BACKGROUND: There is still no consensus about the association between working in dampness-damaged buildings and new onset of asthma among adults. The purpose of this study was to assess asthma in the staff of two psychiatric clinics where some premises were suffering from dampness.
METHODS: A 20-year retrospective cohort study was performed using questionnaires.
RESULTS: Incidence rate ratios (IRR) for asthma were non-significantly elevated (IRR = 2.3) among exposed individuals. The risk was greater among females (IRR = 3.5, 95% CI 1.0-16). IRR for non-atopic women was 8.8 (95% CI 1.4-196). Adjusting for smoking habits weakened the risks marginally (IRR = 7.3, 95% CI 1.1-167). The number of male participants was too low to draw conclusion regarding the risk for men.
CONCLUSION: The results suggest that working in dampness-damaged buildings might be a possible health hazard. This finding is most pronounced in non-atopic females.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Wiley-Liss Inc. , 2019. Vol. 62, no 4, p. 357-363
Keywords [en]
Asthma, dampness damaged buildings, retrospective cohort study, susceptible groups
National Category
Occupational Health and Environmental Health
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:oru:diva-71850DOI: 10.1002/ajim.22952ISI: 000460561500010PubMedID: 30677156Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85060620336OAI: oai:DiVA.org:oru-71850DiVA, id: diva2:1288094
Note
Funding Agency:
Medical Research Council of Southeast Sweden FORSS-10103
2019-02-122019-02-122020-12-01Bibliographically approved