142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

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297842
Prevalence of Work-Related Asthma in Kentucky

142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition (November 15 - November 19, 2014): http://www.apha.org/events-and-meetings/annual
Sunday, November 16, 2014

Deepa Valvi, MD, DrPH, MPH , Prevention and Quality Improvement, Chronic Diseases and Prevention Branch, Department for Public Health, Frankfort, KY
David Mannino, MD , Preventive Medicine and Environmental Health, University of Kentucky, College of Public Health,, Lexington, KY
INTRODUCTION: Work related asthma (WRA) is asthma caused or aggravated due to occupational triggers at workplace. Information on the proportion of asthma that is WRA is limited in Kentucky. The objective of this study is to estimate the proportion of asthma that is work -related

METHODS: We analyzed data from the 2011 Kentucky Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Adult Asthma Call Back Survey, with a sample size of 551 adults with asthma. Six questions to monitor WRA among Kentucky adults were analyzed to estimate proportion of adult asthma that is caused or aggravated among ever employed or currently employed adults. Statistical analyses were performed in SAS 9.3 using SURVEYFREQ procedure.

RESULTS: Asthma caused or made worse by current job in currently employed adults was 40.7% Asthma caused or made worse by previous job in ever-employed adults was 43.8%. Among these respondents reporting WRA, 10.8% was doctor diagnosed WRA in ever-employed adults and 15.5% was self-identified WRA in ever-employed adults.

CONCLUSIONS: WRA is a commonly reported occupational lung disease in the United States, but can often be an unknown health problem. We conclude that work related asthma is a prevalent problem among adults in Kentucky. WRA needs to be further addressed by increasing surveillance, target interventions and prevention efforts to reduce the burden of WRA in Kentucky.

Learning Areas:

Epidemiology
Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
Explain the proportion of Work-related asthma in Kentucky. Demonstrate the importance of work-related asthma burden in Kentucky, and name prevention strategies for work-related asthma.

Keyword(s): Asthma, Epidemiology

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been the Asthma Epidemiologistof federally funded grants focussing on epidemiology of asthma. I have a doctoral degree in public health focussing on epidemiology. I also hold a doctoral degree in preventive and social medicine. Of my scientific interests, one has been describing the epidemiology of asthma.
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.

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