173322 Incense burning exposure and decline of pulmonary function in Taiwanese women: A health-care based study

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Chia-Fang Wu , Graduate Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Inn-Wen Chong , Division of Pulmonology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Chien-Hung Lee , School of Public Health, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Jhi-Jhu Hwang , Division of Pulmonology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Chia-Tsuan Huang , Department of Family Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Chung-Ying Lee , Department of Family Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Ming-Tsang Wu , Graduate Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Incense burning is one of the important indoor pollutant in Taiwanese families. This study was to investigate whether incense burning exposure can deteriorate pulmonary function in Taiwanese women. Using Taiwan's National Health Insurance Bureau claims data, we collected 300 potential cases who were diagnosed with chronic bronchitis at least twice in 1999, and 300 age- and district-matched potential controls during 2000-2006. After adjusting for other covariates, the mean FEV1 decrease was 86 mL (p = 0.01) in incense burning exposure (meanąSD: 1.52ą0.46 L, n = 332 ) compared to those not exposed to incense burning (meanąSD: 1.62ą0.47 L, n = 227 ). In addition, the mean FEV1 decrease was 105 mL (p = 0.004) in incense burning exposure at least twice a day (meanąSD: 1.50ą0.47 L, n = 265) compared to those not exposed to incense burning. In conclusion, exposure to incense burning can impair pulmonary function among women in Taiwan.

Learning Objectives:
1. Identify the hazards of incense burning. 2. Recognize the associtation between incense burning and pulmonary function impairment. 3. Discuss the home environment can reduce the hazards of incense burning.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: there is no conflict of interest for the authors or funders of the manuscript
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

See more of: Environmental Epidemiology Poster Session
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