Table 2 Self-reported work exposure during the past 12 months and Job Exposure matrix (JEM)
From: Impact of occupational exposures on exacerbation of asthma: a population-based asthma cohort study
Study population (n = 1356) | Asthma exacerbation | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mild (n = 107) | Moderate (n = 118) | Severe (n = 133) | Overall (n = 358) | ||||||
N (%) | N (%) | p-value* | N (%) | p-value* | N (%) | p-value* | N (%) | p-value* | |
Self-reported work exposure in the past 12 months | |||||||||
Gas, smoke or dust | 593 (44.6) | 52 (50.0) | 0.22 | 48 (40.7) | 0.49 | 69 (53.5) | 0.03 | 169 (48.2) | 0.15 |
Smell of frying | 179 (13.7) | 16 (15.8) | 0.44 | 18 (15.4) | 0.50 | 20 (15.6) | 0.50 | 54 (15.6) | 0.25 |
Car exhaust fumes/engine fumes | 311 (23.7) | 23 (23.0) | 0.86 | 26 (22.2) | 0.71 | 31 (24.2) | 0.88 | 80 (23.2) | 0.82 |
Mineral dust | 154 (11.7) | 12 (12.1) | 0.99 | 14 (12.0) | 0.98 | 13 (10.2) | 0.57 | 39 (11.3) | 0.71 |
Organic dusta | 461 (34.9) | 34 (34.0) | 0.88 | 41 (35.3) | 0.68 | 60 (46.5) | <0.01 | 135 (39.1) | 0.05 |
Inorganic dustb | 211 (16.0) | 17 (16.7) | 0.93 | 18 (15.4) | 0.81 | 19 (15.0) | 0.74 | 54 (15.6) | 0.75 |
Welding or metal smoke | 166 (12.6) | 12 (11.9) | 0.79 | 16 (13.6) | 0.78 | 14 (11.1) | 0.61 | 42 (12.2) | 0.76 |
Chemicalsc | 512 (38.9) | 46 (45.5) | 0.17 | 46 (39.3) | 0.88 | 52 (40.6) | 0.67 | 144 (41.6) | 0.28 |
Animals | 157 (11.9) | 16 (15.5) | 0.28 | 6 (5.2) | 0.02 | 19 (15.2) | 0.24 | 41 (12.0) | 0.97 |
Dampness and moldd | 299 (22.6) | 23 (22.3) | 0.96 | 22 (18.8) | 0.46 | 42 (32.3) | <0.01 | 87 (24.9) | 0.30 |
Cold (in cold store/outside during the winter) | 314 (23.7) | 26 (25.2) | 0.57 | 29 (25.0) | 0.58 | 40 (30.8) | 0.05 | 95 (27.2) | 0.10 |
Physically strenuous jobe | 649 (48.8) | 54 (52.4) | 0.41 | 50 (42.4) | 0.21 | 73 (56.6) | 0.06 | 177 (50.6) | 0.45 |
Job Exposure Matrix (JEM) by the job in the last 12 months | |||||||||
Unexposed any of exposure below | 704 (51.9) | 50 (46.7) | 0.21 | 59 (50.0) | 0.63 | 66 (49.6) | 0.58 | 175 (49.0) | 0.17 |
Asthmagensf | 530 (39.1) | 50 (46.7) | 0.07 | 48 (40.7) | 0.69 | 54 (40.6) | 0.71 | 152 (42.5) | 0.13 |
High molecular weight agents (HMW) | 235 (17.3) | 25 (23.4) | 0.09 | 20 (17.0) | 0.91 | 23 (17.3) | 0.99 | 68 (19.0) | 0.34 |
Low molecular weight agents (LMW) | 100 (7.4) | 12 (11.2) | 0.14 | 8 (6.8) | 0.74 | 8 (6.0) | 0.53 | 28 (7.8) | 0.71 |
Irritating agents | 286 (21.1) | 22 (20.6) | 0.99 | 29 (24.6) | 0.32 | 30 (22.6) | 0.66 | 81 (22.6) | 0.41 |
Accidental peak exposure to irritants | 15 (1.1) | 3 (2.8) | N.A | 1 (0.9) | N.A | 2 (1.5) | N.A. | 6 (1.7) | 0.27 |
Uncertain/low exposed | 132 (9.7) | 7 (6.5) | 0.26 | 11 (9.3) | 0.89 | 14 (10.5) | 0.75 | 32 (8.9) | 0.58 |