 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
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| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Jennifer Flattery, MPH1, Eleana Martysh, BS2, Florence Reinisch, MPH1, and Robert Harrison, MD, MPH1. (1) Occupational Health Branch, California Department of Health Services, 1515 Clay Street, Suite 1901, Oakland, CA 94612, 510-622-4388, jflatter@dhs.ca.gov, (2) Public Health Institute, 1515 Clay Street, Suite 1901, Oakland, CA 94612
The California Department of Health Services has been tracking cases of work-related asthma (WRA) since 1993 as part of the NIOSH Sentinel Event Notification System for Occupational Risks (SENSOR). Health care providers submit Doctor's First Reports of Occupational Injury or Illness to the state via workers compensation insurance carriers. From 1993 through 2000 2,580 cases of WRA were identified through the surveillance system. Rates calculated by industry and occupation were found to be 2.4 /100,000 workers. Industries with particularly elevated rates included local transit (13.9), manufacturing of lumber and wood products (7.8) and electric, gas and sanitary services (7.4). Occupations with significantly elevated rates included firefighters (28.6), correctional officers (27.7), and welfare eligibility clerks (20.1). Additional case finding using supplemental data suggests an undercount of WRA cases and that the true overall rate may be 8.0/100,000 workers. Based on information from telephone interviews, cases were classified using the SENSOR standardized case definition. Of the 1,044 cases interviewed, 63% were classified as new onset and 37% as work-aggravated asthma. The most common exposures included dust, indoor air, mold, unclassifiable chemicals, and cleaning materials. The most frequently reported established asthmagens included formaldehyde, isocyanates, latex, redwood dust, and glutaraldehyde. Data show that work-related asthma has serious consequences for workers, including both economic and health impacts. Agents from the indoor office environment are a significant contributor to work-related asthma in California, in addition to well-characterized classic asthmagens.
Learning Objectives:
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.