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- Svanes, O., et al.
(författare)
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Respiratory Health in Cleaners in Northern Europe: Is Susceptibility Established in Early Life?
- 2015
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Ingår i: Plos One. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 10:7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Rationale There is some evidence that maternal smoking increases susceptibility to personal smoking's detrimental effects. One might question whether early life disadvantage might influence susceptibility to occupational exposure. In this cross-sectional study we investigated respiratory symptoms, asthma and self-reported chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) as related to working as a cleaner in Northern European populations, and whether early life factors influenced susceptibility to occupational cleaning's unhealthy effects. The RHINE III questionnaire study assessed occupational cleaning in 13,499 participants. Associations with respiratory symptoms, asthma and self-reported COPD were analysed with multiple logistic regressions, adjusting for sex, age, smoking, educational level, parent's educational level, BMI and participating centre. Interaction of occupational cleaning with early life disadvantage (maternal smoking, severe respiratory infection < 5 years, born during winter months, maternal age at birth > 35 years) was investigated. Among 2138 ever-cleaners the risks of wheeze (OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.3-1.6), adult-onset asthma (1.5 [1.2-1.8]) and self-reported COPD (1.7 [1.3-2.2]) were increased. The risk increased with years in occupational cleaning (adult-onset asthma: <= 1 year 0.9 [0.7-1.3]; 1-4 years 1.5 [1.1-2.0]; >= 4 years 1.6 [1.2-2.1]). The association of wheeze with cleaning activity >= 4 years was significantly stronger for those with early life disadvantage than in those without (1.8 [1.5-2.3] vs. 1.3 [0.96-1.8]; pinteraction 0.035). Occupational cleaners had increased risk of asthma and self-reported COPD. Respiratory symptom risk was particularly increased in persons with factors suggestive of early life disadvantage. We hypothesize that early life disadvantage may increase airway vulnerability to harmful exposure from cleaning agents later in life.
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- Amin, H., et al.
(författare)
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Indoor Airborne Microbiome and Endotoxin: Meteorological Events and Occupant Characteristics Are Important Determinants
- 2023
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Ingår i: Environmental Science and Technology. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0013-936X .- 1520-5851. ; 57:32, s. 11750-11766
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Minimal research exists onthe factors influencing the indoorbacterial community. Despite their proposed importance for health,here we report environmental factors influencing the composition ofthe indoor bacterial communities. Airborne bacteria and endotoxin may affect asthma andallergies.However, there is limited understanding of the environmental determinantsthat influence them. This study investigated the airborne microbiomesin the homes of 1038 participants from five cities in Northern Europe:Aarhus, Bergen, Reykjavik, Tartu, and Uppsala. Airborne dust particleswere sampled with electrostatic dust fall collectors (EDCs) from theparticipants' bedrooms. The dust washed from the EDCs'clothes was used to extract DNA and endotoxin. The DNA extracts wereused for quantitative polymerase chain (qPCR) measurement and 16SrRNA gene sequencing, while endotoxin was measured using the kineticchromogenic limulus amoebocyte lysate (LAL) assay. The results showedthat households in Tartu and Aarhus had a higher bacterial load anddiversity than those in Bergen and Reykjavik, possibly due to elevatedconcentrations of outdoor bacterial taxa associated with low precipitationand high wind speeds. Bergen-Tartu had the highest difference (ANOSIM R = 0.203) in & beta; diversity. Multivariate regressionmodels showed that & alpha; diversity indices and bacterial and endotoxinloads were positively associated with the occupants' age, numberof occupants, cleaning frequency, presence of dogs, and age of thehouse. Further studies are needed to understand how meteorologicalfactors influence the indoor bacterial community in light of climatechange.
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- Dratva, J., et al.
(författare)
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Validation of self-reported figural drawing scales against anthropometric measurements in adults
- 2016
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Ingår i: Public Health Nutrition. - : Cambridge University Press (CUP). - 1368-9800 .- 1475-2727. ; 19:11, s. 1944-1951
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: The aim of the present study was to validate figural drawing scales depicting extremely lean to extremely obese subjects to obtain proxies for BMI and waist circumference in postal surveys. Design: Reported figural scales and anthropometric data from a large population-based postal survey were validated with measured anthropometric data from the same individuals by means of receiver-operating characteristic curves and a BMI prediction model. Setting: Adult participants in a Scandinavian cohort study first recruited in 1990 and followed up twice since. Subjects: Individuals aged 38-66 years with complete data for BMI (n 1580) and waist circumference (n 1017). Results: Median BMI and waist circumference increased exponentially with increasing figural scales. Receiver-operating characteristic curve analyses showed a high predictive ability to identify individuals with BMI > 25.0 kg/m(2) in both sexes. The optimal figural scales for identifying overweight or obese individuals with a correct detection rate were 4 and 5 in women, and 5 and 6 in men, respectively. The prediction model explained 74% of the variance among women and 62% among men. Predicted BMI differed only marginally from objectively measured BMI. Conclusions: Figural drawing scales explained a large part of the anthropometric variance in this population and showed a high predictive ability for identifying overweight/obese subjects. These figural scales can be used with confidence as proxies of BMI and waist circumference in settings where objective measures are not feasible.
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- Lytras, T., et al.
(författare)
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Cumulative Occupational Exposures and Lung-Function Decline in Two Large General-Population Cohorts
- 2021
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Ingår i: Annals of the American Thoracic Society. - New York : American Thorax Society. - 1546-3222 .- 2329-6933 .- 2325-6621 .- 1943-5665. ; 18:2, s. 238-246
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Rationale: Few longitudinal studies have assessed the relationship between occupational exposures and lung-function decline in the general population with a sufficiently long follow-up. Objectives: To examine the potential association in two large cohorts: the ECRHS (European Community Respiratory Health Survey) and the SAPALDIA (Swiss Cohort Study on Air Pollution and Lung and Heart Diseases in Adults). Methods: General-population samples of individuals aged 18 to 62 were randomly selected in 1991-1993 and followed up approximately 10 and 20 years later. Spirometry (without bronchodilation) was performed at each visit. Coded complete job histories during follow-up visits were linked to a job-exposure matrix, generating cumulative exposure estimates for 12 occupational exposures. Forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC) were jointly modeled in linear mixed-effects models, fitted in a Bayesian framework, taking into account age and smoking. Results: A total of 40,024 lung-function measurements from 17,833 study participants were analyzed. We found accelerated declines in FEV1 and the FEV1/FVC ratio for exposure to biological dust, mineral dust, and metals (FEV1 = -15.1 ml, -14.4 ml, and -18.7 ml, respectively; and FEV1/FVC ratio = -0.52%, -0.43%, and -0.36%, respectively; per 25 intensity-years of exposure). These declines were comparable in magnitude with those associated with long-term smoking. No effect modification by sex or smoking status was identified. Findings were similar between the ECRHS and the SAPALDIA cohorts. Conclusions: Our results greatly strengthen the evidence base implicating occupation, independent of smoking, as a risk factor for lung-function decline. This highlights the need to prevent or control these exposures in the workplace.
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- Lytras, T., et al.
(författare)
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Occupational exposures and 20-year incidence of COPD: the European Community Respiratory Health Survey
- 2018
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Ingår i: Thorax. - : BMJ. - 0040-6376 .- 1468-3296. ; 73:11
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background Occupational exposures have been associated with an increased risk of COPD. However, few studies have related objectively assessed occupational exposures to prospectively assessed incidence of COPD, using postbronchodilator lung function tests. Our objective was to examine the effect of occupational exposures on COPD incidence in the European Community Respiratory Health Survey. Methods General population samples aged 20-44 were randomly selected in 1991-1993 and followed up 20 years later (2010-2012). Spirometry was performed at baseline and at follow-up, with incident COPD defined using a lower limit of normal criterion for postbronchodilator FEV1/FVC. Only participants without COPD and without current asthma at baseline were included. Coded job histories during follow-up were linked to a Job-Exposure Matrix, generating occupational exposure estimates to 12 categories of agents. Their association with COPD incidence was examined in log-binomial models fitted in a Bayesian framework. Findings 3343 participants fulfilled the inclusion criteria; 89 of them had COPD at follow-up (1.4 cases/1000 person-years). Participants exposed to biological dust had a higher incidence of COPD compared with those unexposed (relative risk (RR) 1.6, 95% CI 1.1 to 2.3), as did those exposed to gases and fumes (RR 1.5, 95% CI 1.0 to 2.2) and pesticides (RR 2.2, 95% CI 1.1 to 3.8). The combined population attributable fraction for these exposures was 21.0%. Interpretation These results substantially strengthen the evidence base for occupational exposures as an important risk factor for COPD.
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- Lytras, T., et al.
(författare)
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Occupational exposures and incidence of chronic bronchitis and related symptoms over two decades: The European Community Respiratory Health Survey
- 2019
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Ingår i: Occupational and environmental medicine. - : BMJ. - 1351-0711 .- 1470-7926. ; 76:4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objectives: Chronic bronchitis (CB) is an important chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)-related phenotype, with distinct clinical features and prognostic implications. Occupational exposures have been previously associated with increased risk of CB but few studies have examined this association prospectively using objective exposure assessment. We examined the effect of occupational exposures on CB incidence in the European Community Respiratory Health Survey. Methods: Population samples aged 20-44 were randomly selected in 1991-1993, and followed up twice over 20 years. Participants without chronic cough or phlegm at baseline were analysed. Coded job histories during follow-up were linked to the ALOHA Job Exposure Matrix, generating occupational exposure estimates to 12 categories of chemical agents. Their association with CB incidence over both follow-ups was examined with Poisson models using generalised estimating equations. Results: 8794 participants fulfilled the inclusion criteria, contributing 13 185 observations. Only participants exposed to metals had a higher incidence of CB (relative risk (RR) 1.70, 95% CI 1.16 to 2.50) compared with non-exposed to metals. Mineral dust exposure increased the incidence of chronic phlegm (RR 1.72, 95% CI 1.43 to 2.06). Incidence of chronic phlegm was increased in men exposed to gases/fumes and to solvents and in women exposed to pesticides. Conclusions: Occupational exposures are associated with chronic phlegm and CB, and the evidence is strongest for metals and mineral dust exposure. The observed differences between men and women warrant further investigation. © Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2019.
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