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Association of environmental tobacco smoke at work and forced expiratory lung function among never smoking asthmatics and non-asthmatics = Zusammenhang zwischen Passivrauchbelastung am Arbeitsplatz und forcierter expiratorischer Lungenfunktion bei Nichtrauchenden mit und ohne Asthma

Künzli, Nino ; Schwartz, Joel ; Zemp Stutz, Elisabet ; Ackermann-Liebrich, Ursula ; Leuenberger, Philippe

In: Sozial- und Präventivmedizin, 2000, vol. 45, no. 5, p. 208-217

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    Title
    • Association of environmental tobacco smoke at work and forced expiratory lung function among never smoking asthmatics and non-asthmatics
    Translated Title ()
    • Zusammenhang zwischen Passivrauchbelastung am Arbeitsplatz und forcierter expiratorischer Lungenfunktion bei Nichtrauchenden mit und ohne Asthma
    Author
    • Künzli, Nino. Institute for Social and Preventive Medicine, University Basle, Basle, Switzerland
    • Schwartz, Joel. Harvard School of Public Health, Boston
    • Zemp Stutz, Elisabet. Institute for Social and Preventive Medicine, University Basle, Basle, Switzerland
    • Ackermann-Liebrich, Ursula. Institute for Social and Preventive Medicine, University Basle, Basle, Switzerland
    • Leuenberger, Philippe. Division of Pulmonology, CHUV, Lausanne
    Document Type
    • Postprint
    Language
    • English
    Published in
    • Sozial- und Präventivmedizin, 2000, vol. 45, no. 5, p. 208-217. Birkhäuser-Verlag
    Other Version
    OAI-PMH Identifier
    • oai:doc.rero.ch:315087
    Summary
    Inconsistencies across studies on the association of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) and pulmonary function may be dlarified addressing potentially susceptible subgroups. We determined the association of ETS exposure at work with FVC, FEV1, and FEF 25-75% in life-time never smokers (N=3534) of the SAPALDIA random population sample (age 18-60). We considered sex, bronchial reactivity, and asthma status as a priori indicators to identify susceptible riskgroups. The multivariate regression models adjusted for height, age, education, dustlaerosol exposure, region, and ETS at home. Overall, ETS was not significantly associated with FVC (0.7%; −0.4 to +1.8), FEV1 (−0.1%; 95% Cl:−1.3 to +1.1) or FEF 25-75% (−1.9%;−4.2 to +0.5). Effects were observed among asthmatics (n=325), FEV1 (−4.8%; 0 to−9.2); FEF 25-75% (−12.4%; −3.7 to −20.4); FVC; (−1.7%; +2.1 to −5.5), particularly in asthmatic women (n=183): FVC −4.4% (−9.6 to +1.1); FEV1: −8.7% (−14.5 to −2.5); FEF 25-75%; −20.8% (−32 to −7.6), where duration of ETS exposure at work was associated with lung function (FEV 1-6% per hour of ETS exposure at work (p=0.01); FEF 25-75%: −3.4%/h (p<0.05). In non-asthmatic women (n=1963) and in men no significant effect was observed. The size of the observed effect among susceptible subgroups has to be considered clinically relevant. However, due to inherent limitations of this cross-sectional analysis, selection or information biases may not be fully controlled. For example, asthmatic women reported higher ETS exposure at work than asthmatic men. Given the public health importance to identify susceptible subgroups, these results ought to be replicated