Center for Environmental and Respiratory Health Research, and Biocenter, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
Center for Environmental and Respiratory Health Research, University of Oulu, Aapistie 5B, P.O.Box 5000, 90014, Oulu, Finland.
BMC Pulm Med. 2023 Apr 25;23(1):140. doi: 10.1186/s12890-023-02413-8.
Work environments are potential areas for spreading respiratory infections. We hypothesized that certain occupations increase susceptibility to respiratory infections among adults with asthma. Our objective was to compare the occurrence of respiratory infections among different occupations in adults with newly diagnosed asthma.
We analysed a study population of 492 working-age adults with newly diagnosed asthma who were living in the geographically defined Pirkanmaa Area in Southern Finland during a population-based Finnish Environment and Asthma Study (FEAS). The determinant of interest was occupation at the time of diagnosis of asthma. We assessed potential relations between occupation and occurrence of both upper and lower respiratory tract infections during the past 12 months. The measures of effect were incidence rate ratio (IRR) and risk ratio (RR) adjusted for age, gender, and smoking habits. Professionals, clerks, and administrative personnel formed the reference group.
The mean number of common colds in the study population was 1.85 (95% CI 1.70, 2.00) infections in the last 12 months. The following occupational groups showed increased risk of common colds: forestry and related workers (aIRR 2.20, 95% CI 1.15-4.23) and construction and mining (aIRR 1.67, 95% CI 1.14-2.44). The risk of lower respiratory tract infections was increased in the following groups: glass, ceramic, and mineral workers (aRR 3.82, 95% CI 2.54-5.74), fur and leather workers (aRR 2.06, 95% CI 1.01-4.20) and metal workers (aRR 1.80, 95% CI 1.04-3.10).
We provide evidence that the occurrence of respiratory infections is related to certain occupations.
工作环境是呼吸道传染病传播的潜在区域。我们假设某些职业会增加成年人哮喘患者患呼吸道感染的易感性。我们的目的是比较不同职业成年人中哮喘新诊断患者呼吸道感染的发生率。
我们分析了居住在芬兰南部地理定义的皮卡拉地区的 492 名工作年龄成年人哮喘的研究人群，这些成年人是在基于人群的芬兰环境与哮喘研究（FEAS）期间新诊断出患有哮喘的。感兴趣的决定因素是哮喘诊断时的职业。我们评估了职业与过去 12 个月中上呼吸道和下呼吸道感染之间发生的潜在关系。效应的衡量标准是发病率比（IRR）和调整年龄、性别和吸烟习惯后的风险比（RR）。专业人员、职员和行政人员形成了参考组。
研究人群中普通感冒的平均数量为 1.85（95%CI 1.70，2.00），即在过去 12 个月中患有感冒。以下职业群体患普通感冒的风险增加：林业及相关工人（aIRR 2.20，95%CI 1.15-4.23）和建筑和采矿（aIRR 1.67，95%CI 1.14-2.44）。以下群体的下呼吸道感染风险增加：玻璃、陶瓷和矿物工人（aRR 3.82，95%CI 2.54-5.74）、皮毛和皮革工人（aRR 2.06，95%CI 1.01-4.20）和金属工人（aRR 1.80，95%CI 1.04-3.10）。
我们提供的证据表明，呼吸道感染的发生与某些职业有关。
