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| 4. |
- Skjoth, Carsten, et al.
(författare)
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Identifying urban sources as cause of elevated grass pollen concentrations using GIS and remote sensing
- 2013
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Ingår i: Biogeosciences. - : Copernicus GmbH. - 1726-4189. ; 10:1, s. 541-554
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We examine here the hypothesis that during flowering, the grass pollen concentrations at a specific site reflect the distribution of grass pollen sources within a few kilometres of this site. We perform this analysis on data from a measurement campaign in the city of Aarhus (Denmark) using three pollen traps and by comparing these observations with a novel inventory of grass pollen sources. The source inventory is based on a new methodology developed for urban-scale grass pollen sources. The new methodology is believed to be generally applicable for the European area, as it relies on commonly available remote sensing data combined with management information for local grass areas. The inventory has identified a number of grass pollen source areas present within the city domain. The comparison of the measured pollen concentrations with the inventory shows that the atmospheric concentrations of grass pollen in the urban zone reflect the source areas identified in the inventory, and that the pollen sources that are found to affect the pollen levels are located near or within the city domain. The results also show that during days with peak levels of pollen concentrations there is no correlation between the three urban traps and an operational trap located just 60 km away. This finding suggests that during intense flowering, the grass pollen concentration mirrors the local source distribution and is thus a local-scale phenomenon. Model simulations aimed at assessing population exposure to pollen levels are therefore recommended to take into account both local sources and local atmospheric transport, and not to rely only on describing regional to long-range transport of pollen. The derived pollen source inventory can be entered into local-scale atmospheric transport models in combination with other components that simulate pollen release in order to calculate urban-scale variations in the grass pollen load. The gridded inventory with a resolution of 14m is therefore made available as supplementary material to this paper, and the verifying grass pollen observations are additionally available in tabular form.
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| 5. |
- Triebner, K., et al.
(författare)
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Menopause Is Associated with Accelerated Lung Function Decline
- 2017
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Ingår i: American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. - : AMER THORACIC SOC. - 1073-449X .- 1535-4970. ; 195:8, s. 1058-1065
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Rationale: Menopause is associated with changes in sex hormones, which affect immunity, inflammation, and osteoporosis and may impair lung function. Lung function decline has not previously been investigated in relation to menopause. Objectives: To study whether lung function decline, assessed by FVC and FEV1, is accelerated in women who undergo menopause. Methods: The population-based longitudinal European Community Respiratory Health Survey provided serum samples, spirometry, and questionnaire data about respiratory and reproductive health from three study waves (n = 1,438). We measured follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone and added information on menstrual patterns to determine menopausal status using latent class analysis. Associations with lung function decline were investigated using linear mixed effects models, adjusting for age, height, weight, pack-years, current smoking, age at completed full-time education, spirometer, and including study center as random effect. Measurements and Main Results: Menopausal status was associated with accelerated lung function decline. The adjusted mean FVC decline was increased by -10.2 ml/yr (95% confidence interval [CI], -13.1 to -7.2) in transitional women and -12.5 ml/yr (95% CI, -16.2 to -8.9) in post-menopausal women, compared with women menstruating regularly. The adjusted mean FEV1 decline increased by -3.8 ml/yr (95% CI, -6.3 to -2.9) in transitional women and -5.2 ml/yr (95% CI, -8.3 to -2.0) in post-menopausal women. Conclusions: Lung function declined more rapidly among transitional and post-menopausal women, in particular for FVC, beyond the expected age change. Clinicians should be aware that respiratory health often deteriorates during reproductive aging.
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| 6. |
- Accordini, S., et al.
(författare)
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A three-generation study on the association of tobacco smoking with asthma
- 2018
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Ingår i: International Journal of Epidemiology. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0300-5771 .- 1464-3685. ; 47:4, s. 1106-1117
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Mothers' smoking during pregnancy increases asthma risk in their offspring. There is some evidence that grandmothers' smoking may have a similar effect, and biological plausibility that fathers' smoking during adolescence may influence offspring's health through transmittable epigenetic changes in sperm precursor cells. We evaluated the three-generation associations of tobacco smoking with asthma. Methods: Between 2010 and 2013, at the European Community Respiratory Health Survey III clinical interview, 2233 mothers and 1964 fathers from 26 centres reported whether their offspring (aged <= 51 years) had ever had asthma and whether it had coexisted with nasal allergies or not. Mothers and fathers also provided information on their parents' (grandparents) and their own asthma, education and smoking history. Multilevel mediation models within a multicentre three-generation framework were fitted separately within the maternal (4666 offspring) and paternal (4192 offspring) lines. Results: Fathers' smoking before they were 15 [relative risk ratio (RRR) = 1.43, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01-2.01] and mothers' smoking during pregnancy (RRR = 1.27, 95% CI: 1.01-1.59) were associated with asthma without nasal allergies in their offspring. Grandmothers' smoking during pregnancy was associated with asthma in their daughters [odds ratio (OR) = 1.55, 95% CI: 1.17-2.06] and with asthma with nasal allergies in their grandchildren within the maternal line (RRR = 1.25, 95% CI: 1.02-1.55). Conclusions: Fathers' smoking during early adolescence and grandmothers' and mothers' smoking during pregnancy may independently increase asthma risk in offspring. Thus, risk factors for asthma should be sought in both parents and before conception.
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| 7. |
- Accordini, S., et al.
(författare)
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Prenatal and prepubertal exposures to tobacco smoke in men may cause lower lung function in future offspring: a three-generation study using a causal modelling approach
- 2021
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Ingår i: European Respiratory Journal. - : European Respiratory Society (ERS). - 0903-1936 .- 1399-3003. ; 58:4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Mechanistic research suggests that lifestyle and environmental factors impact respiratory health across generations by epigenetic changes transmitted through male germ cells. Evidence from studies on humans is very limited. We investigated multigeneration causal associations to estimate the causal effects of tobacco smoking on lung function within the paternal line. We analysed data from 383 adult offspring (age 18-47 years; 52.0% female) and their 274 fathers, who had participated in the European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS)/Respiratory Health in Northern Europe, Spain and Australia (RHINESSA) generation study and had provided valid measures of pre-bronchodilator lung function. Two counterfactual-based, multilevel mediation models were developed with: paternal grandmothers' smoking in pregnancy and fathers' smoking initiation in prepuberty as exposures; fathers' forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC), or FEV1/FVC z-scores as potential mediators (proxies of unobserved biological mechanisms that are true mediators); and offspring's FEV1 and FVC, or FEV1/FVC z-scores as outcomes. All effects were summarised as differences (Delta) in expected z-scores related to fathers' and grandmothers' smoking history. Fathers' smoking initiation in prepuberty had a negative direct effect on both offspring's FEV1 (Delta z-score -0.36, 95% CI -0.63--0.10) and FVC (-0.50, 95% CI -0.80--0.20) compared with fathers' never smoking. Paternal grandmothers' smoking in pregnancy had a negative direct effect on fathers' FEV1/FVC -0.57, 95% CI -1.09--0.05) and a negative indirect effect on offspring's FEV1/FVC (-0.12, 95% CI -0.21--0.03) compared with grandmothers' not smoking before fathers' birth nor during fathers' childhood. Fathers' smoking in prepuberty and paternal grandmothers' smoking in pregnancy may cause lower lung function in offspring. Our results support the concept that lifestyle-related exposures during these susceptibility periods influence the health of future generations.
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| 9. |
- Amid Hägg, Shadi, et al.
(författare)
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Smokers with insomnia symptoms are less likely to stop smoking
- 2020
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Ingår i: Respiratory Medicine. - : Elsevier BV. - 0954-6111 .- 1532-3064. ; 170
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objectives: Smoking is associated with sleep disturbances. The aim of this study was to analyze whether sleep disturbances are predictors of smoking cessation and whether continued smoking is associated with the development of sleep disturbances. Methods: A questionnaire was sent to randomly selected men and women in Northern Europe in 1999-2001 (RHINE II) and was followed up by a questionnaire in 2010-2012 (RHINE III). The study population consisted of 2568 participants who were smokers at baseline and provided data on smoking at follow-up. Insomnia symptoms were defined as having difficulty initiating and/or maintaining sleep and/or early morning awakening >= 3 nights/week. Multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to calculate odds ratios (OR). Results: Subjects with difficulty initiating sleep (adjusted odds ratio; 95% confidence interval: 0.6; 0.4-0.8), difficulty maintaining sleep (0.7; 0.5-0.9), early morning awakening (0.6; 0.4-0.8), any insomnia symptom (0.6; 0.5-0.8) or excessive daytime sleepiness (0.7; 0.5-0.8) were less likely to achieve long-term smoking cessation after adjustment for age, BMI, pack-years, hypertension, diabetes, chronic bronchitis, rhinitis, asthma, gender and BMI difference. There was no significant association between snoring and smoking cessation. In subjects without sleep disturbance at baseline, continued smoking increased the risk of developing difficulty initiating sleep during the follow-up period compared with those that had quit smoking (adj. OR 1.7, 95% CI 1.2-2.3). Conclusions: Insomnia symptoms and excessive daytime sleepiness negatively predict smoking cessation. Smoking is a risk factor for the development of difficulty initiating sleep. Treatment for sleep disturbances should be included in smoking-cessation programs.
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| 10. |
- 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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| 12. |
- Bengtsson, Caroline, et al.
(författare)
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Incident chronic rhinosinusitis is associated with impaired sleep quality: Results of the RhiNE study
- 2019
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Ingår i: Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. - : American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM). - 1550-9389 .- 1550-9397. ; 15:6, s. 899-905
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Study Objectives: Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a common inflammatory disease of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses. Associations between CRS and poor sleep quality have been reported. This 10-year follow-up study investigates possible associations between incident CRS and sleep quality. Methods: A questionnaire was sent to 16,500 individuals in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland and Estonia in 2000. It included questions on airway diseases, age, sex, body mass index, smoking habits, comorbidities, education and sleep quality. In 2010, a second questionnaire was sent to the same individuals, with a response rate of 53%. A subgroup of 5,145 individuals without nasal symptoms in 2000 was studied. Multiple logistic regression was performed to examine associations between CRS (defined according to the European position paper on rhinosinusitis and nasal polyps epidemiological criteria) at follow-up and sleep quality, with adjustment for potential confounders. Individuals with the respective sleep problem at baseline were excluded. Results: Over 10 years, 141 (2.7%) of the individuals without nasal symptoms in 2000 had developed CRS. CRS was associated with difficulties inducing sleep (adjusted odds ratio 2.81 [95% CI 1.67–4.70]), difficulties maintaining sleep (2.07 [1.35–3.18]), early morning awakening (3.03 [1.91–4.81]), insomnia (2.21 [1.46–3.35]), excessive daytime sleepiness (2.85 [1.79–4.55]), and snoring (3.31 [2.07–5.31]). Three insomnia symptoms at baseline increased the risk of CRS at follow-up by 5.00 (1.93–12.99). Conclusions: Incident CRS is associated with impaired sleep quality and excessive daytime sleepiness. Insomnia symptoms may be a risk factor for the development of CRS. © 2019 American Academy of Sleep Medicine. All rights reserved.
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| 13. |
- Bergqvist, Joel, et al.
(författare)
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Non-infectious rhinitis is more strongly associated with early-rather than late-onset of COPD: data from the European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS)
- 2020
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Ingår i: European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0937-4477 .- 1434-4726. ; 277, s. 1353-1359
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with several co-morbidities and non-infectious rhinitis (NIR) has emerged as a new possible co-morbidity. The primary aim of this study is to confirm a previously reported association between NIR and COPD in a multicentre population over time. The secondary aim is to investigate the course over time of such an association through a comparison between early- and late-onset COPD. Methods This study is part of the European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS). A random adult population from 25 centres in Europe and one in Australia was examined with spirometry and answered a respiratory questionnaire in 1998-2002 (ECRHS II) and in 2008-2013 (ECRHS III). Symptoms of non-infectious rhinitis, hay fever and asthma, and smoking habits were reported. Subjects reporting asthma were excluded. COPD was defined as a spirometry ratio of FEV1/FVC < 0.7. A total of 5901 subjects were included. Results Non-infectious rhinitis was significantly more prevalent in subjects with COPD compared with no COPD (48.9% vs 37.1%, p < 0.001) in ECRHS II (mean age 43) but not in ECHRS III (mean age 54). In the multivariable regression model adjusted for COPD, smoking, age, BMI, and gender, non-infectious rhinitis was associated with COPD in both ECRHS II and III. Conclusion Non-infectious rhinitis was significantly more common in subjects with COPD at a mean age of 43. Ten years later, the association was weaker. The findings indicate that NIR could be associated with the early onset of COPD.
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| 14. |
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| 15. |
- Bertelsen, R. J., et al.
(författare)
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Clinical markers of asthma and IgE assessed in parents before conception predict asthma and hayfever in the offspring
- 2017
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Ingår i: Clinical and Experimental Allergy. - : Wiley. - 0954-7894 .- 1365-2222. ; 47:5, s. 627-638
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Mice models suggest epigenetic inheritance induced by parental allergic disease activity. However, we know little of how parental disease activity before conception influences offspring's asthma and allergy in humans.Objective: We aimed to assess the associations of parental asthma severity, bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR), and total and specific IgEs, measured before conception vs. after birth, with offspring asthma and hayfever.Methods: The study included 4293 participants (mean age 34, 47% men) from the European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS) with information on asthma symptom severity, BHR, total and specific IgEs from 1991 to 1993, and data on 9100 offspring born 1972–2012. Adjusted relative risk ratios (aRRR) for associations of parental clinical outcome with offspring allergic disease were estimated with multinomial logistic regressions.Results: Offspring asthma with hayfever was more strongly associated with parental BHR and specific IgE measured before conception than after birth [BHR: aRRR = 2.96 (95% CI: 1.92, 4.57) and 1.40 (1.03, 1.91), respectively; specific IgEs: 3.08 (2.13, 4.45) and 1.83 (1.45, 2.31), respectively]. This was confirmed in a sensitivity analysis of a subgroup of offspring aged 11–22 years with information on parental disease activity both before and after birth.Conclusion & Clinical Relevance: Parental BHR and specific IgE were associated with offspring asthma and hayfever, with the strongest associations observed with clinical assessment before conception as compared to after birth of the child. If the hypothesis is confirmed in other studies, parental disease activity assessed before conception may prove useful for identifying children at risk for developing asthma with hayfever.
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| 16. |
- Bjornsdottir, E., et al.
(författare)
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Respiratory symptoms are more common among short sleepers independent of obesity
- 2017
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Ingår i: Bmj Open Respiratory Research. - : BMJ. - 2052-4439. ; 4:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Introduction Sleep length has been associated with obesity and various adverse health outcomes. The possible association of sleep length and respiratory symptoms has not been previously described. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between sleep length and respiratory symptoms and whether such an association existed independent of obesity. Methods This is a multicentre, cross-sectional, population-based study performed in 23 centres in 10 different countries. Participants (n=5079, 52.3% males) were adults in the third follow-up of the European Community Respiratory Health Survey III. The mean +/- SD age was 54.2 +/- 7.1 (age range 39-67 years). Information was collected on general and respiratory health and sleep characteristics. Results The mean reported nighttime sleep duration was 6.9 +/- 1.0 hours. Short sleepers (<6 hours per night) were n=387 (7.6%) and long sleepers (>= 9 hours per night) were n=271 (4.3%). Short sleepers were significantly more likely to report all respiratory symptoms (wheezing, waking up with chest tightness, shortness of breath, coughing, phlegm and bronchitis) except asthma after adjusting for age, gender, body mass index (BMI), centre, marital status, exercise and smoking. Excluding BMI from the model covariates did not affect the results. Short sleep was related to 11 out of 16 respiratory and nasal symptoms among subjects with BMI >= 30 and 9 out of 16 symptoms among subjects with BMI <30. Much fewer symptoms were related to long sleep, both for subjects with BMI <30 and >= 30. Conclusions Our results show that short sleep duration is associated with many common respiratory symptoms, and this relationship is independent of obesity.
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| 17. |
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| 18. |
- Bonde, J. P. E., et al.
(författare)
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Occupational risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection: a nationwide register-based study of the Danish workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020-2021
- 2023
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Ingår i: Occupational and Environmental Medicine. - : BMJ. - 1351-0711 .- 1470-7926. ; 80:4, s. 202-208
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- ObjectiveMost earlier studies on occupational risk of COVID-19 covering the entire workforce are based on relatively rare outcomes such as hospital admission and mortality. This study examines the incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection by occupational group based on real-time PCR (RT-PCR) tests. MethodsThe cohort includes 2.4 million Danish employees, 20-69 years of age. All data were retrieved from public registries. The incidence rate ratios (IRRs) of first-occurring positive RT-PCR test from week 8 of 2020 to week 50 of 2021 were computed by Poisson regression for each four-digit Danish Version of the International Standard Classification of Occupations job code with more than 100 male and 100 female employees (n=205). Occupational groups with low risk of workplace infection according to a job exposure matrix constituted the reference group. Risk estimates were adjusted by demographic, social and health characteristics including household size, completed COVID-19 vaccination, pandemic wave and occupation-specific frequency of testing. ResultsIRRs of SARS-CoV-2 infection were elevated in seven healthcare occupations and 42 occupations in other sectors, mainly social work activities, residential care, education, defence and security, accommodation and transportation. No IRRs exceeded 2.0. The relative risk in healthcare, residential care and defence/security declined across pandemic waves. Decreased IRRs were observed in 12 occupations. DiscussionWe observed a modestly increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection among employees in numerous occupations, indicating a large potential for preventive actions. Cautious interpretation of observed risk in specific occupations is needed because of methodological issues inherent in analyses of RT-PCR test results and because of multiple statistical tests.
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| 19. |
- Boudigaard, S. H., et al.
(författare)
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A follow-up study of occupational styrene exposure and risk of autoimmune rheumatic diseases
- 2020
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Ingår i: Occupational and Environmental Medicine. - : BMJ. - 1351-0711 .- 1470-7926. ; 77:2, s. 64-69
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objectives Increased risk has been suggested for autoimmune rheumatic diseases following solvent exposure. The evidence for specific solvents is limited, and little is known about exposure-response relations. Styrene is an aromatic, organic solvent and the objective of this study was to analyse the association between occupational styrene exposure and autoimmune rheumatic diseases in men and women. Methods We followed 72 212 styrene-exposed workers of the Danish reinforced plastics industry from 1979 to 2012. We modelled full work history of styrene exposure from employment history, survey data and historical styrene exposure measurements. We identified cases in the national patient registry and investigated gender-specific exposure-response relations by cumulative styrene exposure for different exposure time windows adjusting for age, calendar year and educational level. Results During 1 515 126 person-years of follow-up, we identified 718 cases of an autoimmune rheumatic disease, of which 73% were rheumatoid arthritis. When adjusting for potential confounders and comparing the highest with the lowest styrene exposure tertile, we observed a statistically non-significantly increased risk of systemic sclerosis among women (incidence rate ratio (IRR)=2.50; 95% CI 0.50 to 12.50) and men (IRR=1.86; 95 % CI 0.50 to 7.00), based on 9 and 22 cases, respectively. Results were inconsistent for the other autoimmune rheumatic diseases examined. Conclusion This study suggests an association between occupational styrene exposure and systemic sclerosis in men as well as in women but based on few cases. This is a new finding and has to be replicated before conclusions can be drawn.
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| 20. |
- Boudigaard, S. H., et al.
(författare)
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Occupational exposure to respirable crystalline silica and risk of autoimmune rheumatic diseases: a nationwide cohort study
- 2021
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Ingår i: International Journal of Epidemiology. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0300-5771 .- 1464-3685. ; 50:4, s. 1213-1226
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Exposure to respirable crystalline silica is suggested to increase the risk of autoimmune rheumatic diseases. We examined the association between respirable crystalline silica exposure and systemic sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus and small vessel vasculitis. Methods: In a cohort study of the total Danish working population, we included 1 541 505 male and 1 470 769 female workers followed since entering the labour market 1979-2015. Each worker was annually assigned a level of respirable crystalline silica exposure estimated with a quantitative job exposure matrix. We identified cases of autoimmune rheumatic diseases in a national patient register and examined sex-specific exposure-response relations by cumulative exposure and other exposure metrics. Results: We identified 4673 male and 12 268 female cases. Adjusted for age and calendar year, men exposed to high levels of respirable crystalline silica compared with non-exposed showed increased incidence rate ratio (IRR) for the four diseases combined of 1.53 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.39-1.69], for systemic sclerosis of 1.62 (1.08-2.44) and rheumatoid arthritis of 1.57 (1.41-1.75). The overall risk increased with increasing cumulative exposure attained since entering the workforce [IRR: 1.07 (1.05-1.09) per 50 mu g/m(3)-years]. Female workers were less exposed to respirable crystalline silica, but showed comparable risk patterns with overall increased risk with increasing cumulative exposure [IRR: 1.04 (0.99-1.10) per 50 mu g/m(3)-years]. Conclusions: This study shows an exposure-dependent association between occupational exposure to respirable crystalline silica and autoimmune rheumatic diseases and thus suggests causal effects, most evident for systemic sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis.
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| 21. |
- Campbell, B, et al.
(författare)
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The effects of growing up on a farm on adult lung function and allergic phenotypes : an international population-based study
- 2017
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Ingår i: Thorax. - : BMJ. - 0040-6376 .- 1468-3296. ; 72:3, s. 236-244
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- RATIONALE: Evidence has suggested that exposure to environmental or microbial biodiversity in early life may impact subsequent lung function and allergic disease risk.OBJECTIVES: To investigate the influence of childhood living environment and biodiversity indicators on atopy, asthma and lung function in adulthood.METHODS AND MEASUREMENTS: The European Community Respiratory Health Survey II investigated ∼10 201 participants aged 26-54 years from 14 countries, including participants' place of upbringing (farm, rural environment or inner city) before age 5 years. A 'biodiversity score' was created based on childhood exposure to cats, dogs, day care, bedroom sharing and older siblings. Associations with lung function, bronchial hyper-responsiveness (BHR), allergic sensitisation, asthma and rhinitis were analysed.MAIN RESULTS: As compared with a city upbringing, those with early-life farm exposure had less atopic sensitisation (adjusted OR 0.46, 95% CI 0.37 to 0.58), atopic BHR (0.54 (0.35 to 0.83)), atopic asthma (0.47 (0.28 to 0.81)) and atopic rhinitis (0.43 (0.32 to 0.57)), but not non-atopic outcomes. Less pronounced protective effects were observed for rural environment exposures. Women with a farm upbringing had higher FEV1 (adjusted difference 110 mL (64 to 157)), independent of sensitisation and asthma. In an inner city environment, a higher biodiversity score was related to less allergic sensitisation.CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to report beneficial effects of growing up on a farm on adult FEV1. Our study confirmed the beneficial effects of early farm life on sensitisation, asthma and rhinitis, and found a similar association for BHR. In persons with an urban upbringing, a higher biodiversity score predicted less allergic sensitisation, but to a lesser magnitude than a childhood farm environment.
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| 22. |
- 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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| 23. |
- Gyawali, S., et al.
(författare)
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Maternal and paternal tuberculosis is associated with increased asthma and respiratory symptoms in their offspring: a study from Northern Europe
- 2023
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Allergy. - : Frontiers Media S.A.. - 2673-6101. ; 4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BackgroundGiven the profound impact of tuberculosis (TB) on immunity and given murine studies suggesting that infections may influence immunity across generations, we hypothesize that parental TB might impact health and disease in future offspring.ObjectiveThis study investigated the impact of maternal and paternal TB on offspring asthma and respiratory symptoms.MethodsWe included data from the third follow-up of the Respiratory Health in Northern Europe study (RHINE). Information on own asthma status, asthma-like symptoms and other respiratory symptoms, as well as information about parental TB and asthma, were collected using standardized questionnaires. The associations between parental TB and RHINE participants' asthma and respiratory symptoms were analyzed using multiple logistic regression, with adjustment for parental education, smoking habits and asthma.ResultsOf 8,323 study participants, 227 (2.7%) reported only paternal TB, 282 (3.4%) only maternal TB, and 33 (0.4%) reported that both parents had TB. We found a higher risk of asthma (aOR: 1.29, 95% CI: 1.05-1.57) in offspring with a history of parental TB as compared to offspring without parental TB., Parental TB was significantly associated with allergic asthma in offspring (aOR: 1.58, 95% CI: 1.29-2.05), while no significant association between parental TB and asthma without allergy (aOR: 1.00, 95% CI: 0.76-1.32) in offspring was observed.ConclusionResults from this study indicate that parental TB might be a risk factor for offspring's asthma and respiratory symptoms. We raise the hypothesis that the immunological impact of infections might be transmitted to influence offspring phenotype in humans.
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| 24. |
- Heldin, J., et al.
(författare)
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Clinical Remission of Asthma and Allergic Rhinitis- in a Longitudinal Population Study
- 2022
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Ingår i: Journal of Asthma and Allergy. - 1178-6965. ; 15, s. 1569-1578
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Although asthma and allergic rhinitis are chronic diseases, some patients experience periods of remission. Information on prognostic factors associated with the remission of asthma and allergic rhinitis is valuable in resource prioritization. This study investigated factors associated with the clinical remission of asthma and allergic rhinitis.Methods: In the Respiratory Health In Northern Europe (RHINE) study, data was collected with questionnaires in stage one (RHINE I, 1989-1992) and two follow-ups (RHINE II, 1999-2001 and RHINE III, 2010-2012) from Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland and Estonia. Clinical remission was defined as having reported asthma or allergic rhinitis in RHINE I or RHINE II but not in RHINE III.Results: Of 13,052 participants, 975 (7.5%) reported asthma in RHINE I or RHINE II, and 3379 (25.9%) allergic rhinitis. Clinical remission of asthma and allergic rhinitis was found in 46.4% and 31.8%, respectively. Living in Estonia (OR (95% CI) 2.44 (1.22- 4.85)) and living in an apartment (1.45 (1.06-1.98)) were related to remission of asthma, while subjects reporting allergic rhinitis (0.68 (0.51-0.90)), asthma onset <= 12 years of age (0.49 (0.35-0.68)), receiving treatment with antibiotics for respiratory illness (0.64 (0.47- 0.87)) were less likely to have asthma remission. Factors related to a higher likelihood of remission of allergic rhinitis were no asthma at baseline, age >= 58 years in RHINE III, allergic rhinitis onset after 12 years of age, living in rural areas as a child, having only a primary school education and not being pregnant.Conclusion: Clinical remission was found in almost one-half of those with asthma and one-third of persons with allergic rhinitis. Coexisting allergic symptoms were associated with less clinical asthma remission. Age, asthma symptoms and environmental factors in childhood, such as living in a rural area, were found to influence the clinical remission of allergic rhinitis.
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| 25. |
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| 26. |
- Holm, Mathias, 1969, et al.
(författare)
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Incidence and prevalence of chronic bronchitis: impact of smoking and welding. The RHINE study.
- 2012
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Ingår i: The international journal of tuberculosis and lung disease : the official journal of the International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease. - Paris, France : International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease. - 1815-7920 .- 1027-3719. ; 16:4, s. 553-7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- To investigate the prevalence and incidence rate of chronic bronchitis (CB) in relation to smoking habits and exposure to welding fumes in a general population sample.
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| 27. |
- Johannessen, A., et al.
(författare)
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Being overweight in childhood, puberty, or early adulthood: Changing asthma risk in the next generation?
- 2020
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Ingår i: Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0091-6749 .- 1097-6825. ; 145:3
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Overweight status and asthma have increased during the last decades. Being overweight is a known risk factor for asthma, but it is not known whether it might also increase asthma risk in the next generation. Objective: We aimed to examine whether parents being overweight in childhood, adolescence, or adulthood is associated with asthma in their offspring. Methods: We included 6347 adult offspring (age, 18-52 years) investigated in the Respiratory Health in Northern Europe, Spain and Australia (RHINESSA) multigeneration study of 2044 fathers and 2549 mothers (age, 37-66 years) investigated in the European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS) study. Associations of parental overweight status at age 8 years, puberty, and age 30 years with offspring's childhood overweight status (potential mediator) and offspring's asthma with or without nasal allergies (outcomes) was analyzed by using 2-level logistic regression and 2-level multinomial logistic regression, respectively. Counterfactual-based mediation analysis was performed to establish whether observed associations were direct or indirect effects mediated through the offspring's own overweight status. Results: We found statistically significant associations between both fathers' and mothers' childhood overweight status and offspring's childhood overweight status (odds ratio, 2.23 [95% CI, 1.45-3.42] and 2.45 [95% CI, 1.86-3.22], respectively). We also found a statistically significant effect of fathers' onset of being overweight in puberty on offspring's asthma without nasal allergies (relative risk ratio, 2.31 [95% CI, 1.23-4.33]). This effect was direct and not mediated through the offspring's own overweight status. No effect on offspring's asthma with nasal allergies was found. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that metabolic factors long before conception can increase asthma risk and that male puberty is a time window of particular importance for offspring's health. © 2019 The Authors
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| 28. |
- Johansson, Henrik, 1965-, et al.
(författare)
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Prevalence, progression and impact of chronic cough on employment in Northern Europe
- 2021
-
Ingår i: European Respiratory Journal. - : European Respiratory Society (ERS). - 0903-1936 .- 1399-3003. ; 57:6
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We investigated the prevalence of chronic cough and its association with work ability and sick leave in the general population. Data were analysed from the Respiratory Health In Northern Europe (RHINE) III cohort (n=13 500), of which 11 252 participants had also participated in RHINE II 10 years earlier, a multicentre study in Northern Europe. Participants answered a questionnaire on chronic cough, employment factors, smoking and respiratory comorbidities. Nonproductive chronic cough was found in 7% and productive chronic cough in 9% of the participants. Participants with nonproductive cough were more often female and participants with productive cough were more often smokers and had a higher body mass index (BMI) than those without cough. Participants with chronic cough more often reported >7 days of sick leave in the preceding year than those without cough (“nonproductive cough” 21% and “productive cough” 24%; p<0.001 for comparisons with “no cough” 13%). This pattern was consistent after adjusting for age, sex, BMI, education level, smoking status and comorbidities. Participants with chronic cough at baseline reported lower work ability and more often had >7 days of sick leave at follow-up than those without cough. These associations remained significant after adjusting for cough at follow-up and other confounding factors. Chronic cough was found in around one in six participants and was associated with more sick leave. Chronic cough 10 years earlier was associated with lower work ability and sick leave at follow-up. These associations were not explained by studied comorbidities. This indication of negative effects on employment from chronic cough needs to be recognised. © 2021 European Respiratory Society. All rights reserved.
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| 29. |
- Kisiel, Marta, 1984-, et al.
(författare)
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The risk of respiratory tract infections and antibiotic use in a general population and among people with asthma
- 2021
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Ingår i: ERJ Open Research. - : European Respiratory Society (ERS). - 2312-0541. ; 7:4
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aim The aim of this study was to investigate occupational, environmental, early life and other risk factors associated with respiratory infections and antibiotics use in a general population and among asthmatic individuals. Method This study included 15842 participants of the Respiratory Health in Northern Europe (RHINE) study aged 25–54 years from five Nordic countries, who answered a questionnaire covering respiratory outcomes, exposures, demographic characteristics and numbers of infections and courses of antibiotics in the last 12 months. Multiple logistic regression with and without adjustment for age, sex, smoking status, body mass index and centre were used to study the risk of infection and antibiotics in relation to asthma, and also the association between infection and antibiotics and occupations. Results In the whole population, 11.6% reported having three or more respiratory infections, and 14.7% had used antibiotics because of respiratory tract infections within the last year. Asthmatic participants reported tripled odds for such infections (adjusted OR 2.98, 95% CI 2.53–3.52) and antibiotics use (adjusted OR 3.67, 95% CI 3.18–4.24) as compared to non-asthmatic participants. Both in the general and the asthmatic population, female sex, obesity and exposure to building dampness were associated with respiratory infections. Female sex and current smoking and living in Tartu were associated with antibiotic use. The use of antibiotics was doubled in people hospitalised for severe respiratory infection in childhood. Conclusion In this study we identified several factors associated with increased respiratory infections and use of antibiotics in a general population and among asthmatic individuals. The frequency of respiratory infections and subsequent antibiotic treatment were increased among those with asthma. © The authors 2021.
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| 30. |
- Kitaba, N. T., et al.
(författare)
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Fathers' preconception smoking and offspring DNA methylation
- 2023
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Ingår i: Clinical Epigenetics. - : BioMed Central (BMC). - 1868-7075 .- 1868-7083. ; 15:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background Experimental studies suggest that exposures may impact respiratory health across generations via epigenetic changes transmitted specifically through male germ cells. Studies in humans are, however, limited. We aim to identify epigenetic marks in offspring associated with father's preconception smoking.Methods We conducted epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS) in the RHINESSA cohort (7-50 years) on father's any preconception smoking (n = 875 offspring) and father's pubertal onset smoking < 15 years (n = 304), using Infinium MethylationEPIC Beadchip arrays, adjusting for offspring age, own smoking and maternal smoking. EWAS of maternal and offspring personal smoking were performed for comparison. Father's smoking-associated dmCpGs were checked in subpopulations of offspring who reported no personal smoking and no maternal smoking exposure.Results Father's smoking commencing preconception was associated with methylation of blood DNA in offspring at two cytosine-phosphate-guanine sites (CpGs) (false discovery rate (FDR) < 0.05) in PRR5 and CENPP. Father's pubertal onset smoking was associated with 19 CpGs (FDR < 0.05) mapped to 14 genes (TLR9, DNTT, FAM53B, NCAPG2, PSTPIP2, MBIP, C2orf39, NTRK2, DNAJC14, CDO1, PRAP1, TPCN1, IRS1 and CSF1R). These differentially methylated sites were hypermethylated and associated with promoter regions capable of gene silencing. Some of these sites were associated with offspring outcomes in this cohort including ever-asthma (NTRK2), ever-wheezing (DNAJC14, TPCN1), weight (FAM53B, NTRK2) and BMI (FAM53B, NTRK2) (p < 0.05). Pathway analysis showed enrichment for gene ontology pathways including regulation of gene expression, inflammation and innate immune responses. Father's smoking-associated sites did not overlap with dmCpGs identified in EWAS of personal and maternal smoking (FDR < 0.05), and all sites remained significant (p < 0.05) in analyses of offspring with no personal smoking and no maternal smoking exposure.Conclusion Father's preconception smoking, particularly in puberty, is associated with offspring DNA methylation, providing evidence that epigenetic mechanisms may underlie epidemiological observations that pubertal paternal smoking increases risk of offspring asthma, low lung function and obesity.
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| 31. |
- Knudsen, G. T. M., et al.
(författare)
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Parents' smoking onset before conception as related to body mass index and fat mass in adult offspring: Findings from the RHINESSA generation study
- 2020
-
Ingår i: Plos One. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 15:7
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Emerging evidence suggests that parents' preconception exposures may influence offspring health. We aimed to investigate maternal and paternal smoking onset in specific time windows in relation to offspring body mass index (BMI) and fat mass index (FMI). We investigated fathers (n = 2111) and mothers (n = 2569) aged 39-65 years, of the population based RHINE and ECRHS studies, and their offspring aged 18-49 years (n = 6487, mean age 29.6 years) who participated in the RHINESSA study. BMI was calculated from self-reported height and weight, and FMI was estimated from bioelectrical impedance measures in a subsample. Associations with parental smoking were analysed with generalized linear regression adjusting for parental education and clustering by study centre and family. Interactions between offspring sex were analysed, as was mediation by parental pack years, parental BMI, offspring smoking and offspring birthweight. Fathers' smoking onset before conception of the offspring (onset >= 15 years) was associated with higher BMI in the offspring when adult (beta 0.551, 95%CI: 0.174-0.929, p = 0.004). Mothers' preconception and postnatal smoking onset was associated with higher offspring BMI (onset <15 years: beta 1.161, 95%CI 0.378-1.944; onset >= 15 years: beta 0.720, 95%CI 0.293-1.147; onset after offspring birth: beta 2.257, 95%CI 1.220-3.294). However, mediation analysis indicated that these effects were fully mediated by parents' postnatal pack years, and partially mediated by parents' BMI and offspring smoking. Regarding FMI, sons of smoking fathers also had higher fat mass (onset <15 years beta 1.604, 95%CI 0.269-2.939; onset >= 15 years beta 2.590, 95%CI 0.544-4.636; and onset after birth beta 2.736, 95%CI 0.621-4.851). There was no association between maternal smoking and offspring fat mass. We found that parents' smoking before conception was associated with higher BMI in offspring when they reached adulthood, but that these effects were mediated through parents' pack years, suggesting that cumulative smoking exposure during offspring's childhood may elicit long lasting effects on offspring BMI.
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| 32. |
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| 33. |
- Kuiper, I. N., et al.
(författare)
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Agreement in reporting of asthma by parents or offspring - the RHINESSA generation study
- 2018
-
Ingår i: Bmc Pulmonary Medicine. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1471-2466. ; 18:122
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Self-report questionnaires are commonly used in epidemiology, but may be susceptible to misclassification, especially if answers are given on behalf of others, e.g. children or parents. The aim was to determine agreement and analyse predictors of disagreement in parents' reports of offspring asthma, and in offspring reports of parents' asthma. Methods: In the Respiratory Health in Northern Europe, Spain and Australia (RHINESSA) generation study, 6752 offspring (age range 18-51 years) and their parents (age range 39-66 years) reported their own and each other's asthma status. Agreement between asthma reports from offspring and parents was determined by calculating sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value and Cohen's kappa. The participants' own answers regarding themselves were defined as the gold standard. To investigate predictors for disagreement logistic regression analyses were performed to obtain odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) for sex, smoking status, education, comorbidity and severity of asthma. Results: Agreement was good for parental report of offspring early onset asthma (< 10 years, Cohen's kappa 0.72) and moderate for offspring later onset asthma (Cohen's kappa 0.46). Specificity was 0.99 for both, and sensitivity was 0.68 and 0.36, respectively. For offspring report of maternal and paternal asthma the agreement was good (Cohen's kappa 0.69 and 0.68), specificity was 0.96 and 0.97, and sensitivity was 0.72 and 0.68, respectively. The positive predictive value (PPV) was lowest for offspring report of maternal asthma (0.75), and highest for parents' report of early onset asthma in the offspring (0.83). The negative predictive value (NPV) was high for all four groups (0.94-0.97). In multivariate analyses current smokers (OR = 1.46 [95% CI 1.05, 2.02]) and fathers (OR = 1.31 [95% CI 1. 08, 1.59]) were more likely to report offspring asthma incorrectly. Offspring wheeze was associated with reporting parental asthma incorrectly (OR = 1.60 [95% CI 1.21, 2.11]), both under- and over reporting. Conclusions: Asthma reports across generations show moderate to good agreement, making information from other generations a useful tool in the absence of direct reports.
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| 34. |
- Lonnebotn, M., et al.
(författare)
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Parental Prepuberty Overweight and Offspring Lung Function
- 2022
-
Ingår i: Nutrients. - : MDPI AG. - 2072-6643. ; 14:7
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In a recent study we found that fathers' but not mothers' onset of overweight in puberty was associated with asthma in adult offspring. The potential impact on offspring's adult lung function, a key marker of general and respiratory health, has not been studied. We investigated the potential causal effects of parents' overweight on adult offspring's lung function within the paternal and maternal lines. We included 929 offspring (aged 18-54, 54% daughters) of 308 fathers and 388 mothers (aged 40-66). Counterfactual-based multi-group mediation analyses by offspring's sex (potential moderator) were used, with offspring's prepubertal overweight and/or adult height as potential mediators. Unknown confounding was addressed by simulation analyses. Fathers' overweight before puberty had a negative indirect effect, mediated through sons' height, on sons' forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) (beta (95% CI): -144 (-272, -23) mL) and forced vital capacity (FVC) (beta (95% CI): -210 (-380, -34) mL), and a negative direct effect on sons' FVC (beta (95% CI): -262 (-501, -9) mL); statistically significant effects on FEV1/FVC were not observed. Mothers' overweight before puberty had neither direct nor indirect effects on offspring's lung function. Fathers' overweight starting before puberty appears to cause lower FEV1 and FVC in their future sons. The effects were partly mediated through sons' adult height but not through sons' prepubertal overweight.
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| 35. |
- Lytras, T., et al.
(författare)
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Cumulative Occupational Exposures and Lung-Function Decline in Two Large General-Population Cohorts
- 2021
-
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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| 36. |
- Lytras, T., et al.
(författare)
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Occupational exposures and 20-year incidence of COPD: the European Community Respiratory Health Survey
- 2018
-
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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| 37. |
- 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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| 38. |
- Macsali, F., et al.
(författare)
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Menstrual Cycle and Respiratory Symptoms in a General Nordic-Baltic Population
- 2013
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Ingår i: American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. - 1073-449X .- 1535-4970. ; 187:4, s. 366-373
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Rationale :Thereislittleknowledgeofvariationsinrespiratorysymp- tomsduringthemenstrualcycleinageneralpopulation,andpoten- tial modifying factors are not investigated. Objectives : To investigate menstrual cycle variation in respiratory symptomsinalargegeneralpopulation,usingchronobiologymeth- odology, and stratifying by body mass index (BMI), smoking, and asthma status. Methods : A total of 3,926 women with regular cycles less than or equal to 28 days and not taking exogenous sex hormones answered a postalquestionnaire regarding the first day of their last menstrua- tion and respiratory symptoms in the last 3 days. Moving 4-day meanswerecomputedto smoothunevenrecordsof dailysampling; best-fitting 28-day composite cosine curves were applied to each time series to describe rhythmicity. Measurements and Main Results : Significant rhythmic variations over themenstrualcyclewerefoundineachsymptomforallsubjectsand subgroups. Wheezing was higher on cycle Days 10–22, with a mid- cycle dip near the time of putative ovulation (approximately Days 14–16) in most subgroups. Shortness of breath was higher on days 7–21,withadipjustbeforemidcycleinmanysubgroups.Coughwas higher just after putative ovulation for subjects with asthma, BMI greater than or equal to 23 kg/m 2 , and smokers, or just before ovu- lation and menses onset for low symptomatic subgroups. Conclusions : Respiratory symptoms varied significantly during the menstrual cycle and were most frequent from the midluteal to mid- follicular stages, often with a dip near the time of ovulation. The patternsvariedbyBMI,smoking,andasthmastatus.Theserelations linkrespiratorysymptomswithhormonalchangesthroughthemen- strual cycle and imply a potential for individualized chronotherapy for respiratory diseases.
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| 39. |
- Madsen, M. K., et al.
(författare)
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The effect of farming environment on asthma; time dependent or universal?
- 2022
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Ingår i: European Journal of Epidemiology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0393-2990 .- 1573-7284. ; 37:8, s. 779-788
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The increasing prevalence of asthma is linked to westernization and urbanization. Farm environments have been associated with a lower risk of asthma development. However, this may not be universal, as the association differs across birth cohorts and farming methods. The aim of this study was to investigate the associations of farm upbringing with asthma in different generations and at different times in history. The study population consisted of three generations: 13,868 subjects participating in the ECRHS in 2010, their 9,638 parents, and their 8,885 offspring participating in RHINESSA in 2013. Information on place of upbringing and self-reported ever asthma was provided via questionnaires. Logistic regression was performed including subgroup analysis stratified by generation and birthyear into ten-year-intervals. The prevalence of asthma increased from 8% among grandparents to 13% among parents and to 18% among offspring. An overall analysis showed an inverse association of farm upbringing on the risk of asthma (OR = 0.64; 95%CI 0.55-0.74). Subgroup analysis stratified into ten-year-intervals showed a tendency towards a more pronounced inverse association between growing up on a farm and asthma among subjects born in the 1940s (0.74; 0.48-1.12), 1950s (0.70; 0.54-0.90) and 1960s (0.70; 0.52-0.93). For subjects born in 1970 and thereafter this association appeared less consistent. While growing up on a farm was associated with a reduced risk of developing asthma in participants born between 1945-1999, this was mainly driven by generations born from 1945 to 1973.
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| 40. |
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| 41. |
- Mindus, Stephanie, et al.
(författare)
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Asthma and COPD overlap (ACO) is related to a high burden of sleep disturbance and respiratory symptoms: Results from the RHINE and Swedish GA(2)LEN surveys
- 2018
-
Ingår i: Plos One. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 13:4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background The term Asthma and COPD Overlap (ACO) describes a condition where asthma and COPD overlap. We aimed to investigate associations between ACO and insomnia and respiratory symptoms, and to investigate the prevalence of ACO and the characteristics of subjects with ACO in two Northern European population studies. The study comprised 25 429 subjects aged >40 years who participated in one of two Northern European general population surveys. Both surveys included questions on asthma, COPD, respiratory and sleep-related symptoms, including difficulty initiating sleep, difficulty maintaining sleep, early-morning awakening, and excessive daytime sleepiness. ACO was defined as having both self-reported asthma and COPD. The prevalence of ACO was 1.0%. The group with ACO had a higher prevalence of both insomnia and respiratory symptoms than subjects with only asthma or COPD. Having ACO was independently associated with a 2-3 times higher probability of having sleep-related symptoms as compared with the group without asthma or COPD, after adjustment for age, sex, BMI, smoking history and educational level (adjusted odds ratio 2.14-3.36, 95% CI). Subjects with ACO have a high prevalence of insomnia and respiratory symptoms. To our knowledge, this is the first study to assess the association between sleep-related symptoms and ACO.
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| 42. |
- Norbäck, Dan, et al.
(författare)
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Building dampness and mold in European homes in relation to climate, building characteristics and socio-economic status : The European Community Respiratory Health Survey ECRHS II
- 2017
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Ingår i: Indoor Air. - : Hindawi Limited. - 0905-6947 .- 1600-0668. ; 27:5, s. 921-932
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We studied dampness and mold in homes in relation to climate, building characteristics and socio-economic status (SES) across Europe, for 7127 homes in 22 centers. A subsample of 3118 homes was inspected. Multilevel analysis was applied, including age, gender, center, SES, climate, and building factors. Self-reported water damage (10%), damp spots (21%), and mold (16%) in past year were similar as observed data (19% dampness and 14% mold). Ambient temperature was associated with self-reported water damage (OR=1.63 per 10°C; 95% CI 1.02-2.63), damp spots (OR=2.95; 95% CI 1.98-4.39), and mold (OR=2.28; 95% CI 1.04-4.67). Precipitation was associated with water damage (OR=1.12 per 100 mm; 95% CI 1.02-1.23) and damp spots (OR=1.11; 95% CI 1.02-1.20). Ambient relative air humidity was not associated with indoor dampness and mold. Older buildings had more dampness and mold (P<.001). Manual workers reported less water damage (OR=0.69; 95% CI 0.53-0.89) but more mold (OR=1.27; 95% CI 1.03-1.55) as compared to managerial/professional workers. There were correlations between reported and observed data at center level (Spearman rho 0.61 for dampness and 0.73 for mold). In conclusion, high ambient temperature and precipitation and high building age can be risk factors for dampness and mold in homes in Europe.
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| 43. |
- Olivieri, M., et al.
(författare)
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The risk of respiratory symptoms on allergen exposure increases with increasing specific IgE levels
- 2016
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Ingår i: Allergy. European Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. - : Wiley. - 0105-4538 .- 1398-9995. ; 71:6, s. 859-868
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: The relation between IgE sensitization and allergic respiratory symptoms has usually been evaluated by dichotomizing specific IgE levels. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between specific IgE levels and risk of symptoms on allergen-related exposure, with special reference to allergen-related asthma-rhinitis comorbidity.Methods: We considered 6391 subjects enrolled within the European Community Respiratory Health Survey 2, having information on cat/grass/D. pteronyssinus IgE levels and symptoms on exposure to animals/pollen/dust. The risk of oculonasal/asthmalike/both symptoms was evaluated by a multinomial logistic model.Results: A clear positive association was observed between specific IgE levels to cat/grass/mite and the risk of symptoms on each allergen-related exposure (test for trend with P < 0.001). This trend was particularly pronounced when considering the coexistence of asthmalike and oculonasal symptoms. Compared to nonsensitized subjects, subjects with specific IgE to cat >= 3.5 kU/l presented relative risk ratios of 11.4 (95% CI 6.7-19.2), 18.8 (8.2-42.8), and 55.3 (30.5-100.2) when considering, respectively, only oculonasal symptoms, only asthmalike symptoms, or both. A similar pattern was observed when considering specific IgE to grass/mite and symptoms on exposure to pollen/dust. Also the proportion of people using inhaled medicines or visiting a general practitioner for breathing problems in the previous year increased with increasing sum of specific IgE to cat/grass/mite.Conclusion: Specific IgE level is the most important predictor of allergen-related symptoms. The risk of both oculonasal/asthmalike symptoms increases with specific IgE levels, suggesting that specific IgE contributes to the 'united airways disease'.
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| 44. |
- Otelea, M. R., et al.
(författare)
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The value of fractional exhaled nitric oxide in occupational diseases - a systematic review
- 2022
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Ingår i: Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1745-6673. ; 17:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) is a non-invasive biomarker of respiratory tract inflammation, originally designated to identify eosinophilic airway inflammation and to predict steroid response. The main field of application of this biomarker is asthma, but FeNO has also been used for other allergic and non-allergic pulmonary disorders such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hypersensitivity pneumonitis and interstitial lung disease. A substantial part of respiratory diseases are related to work, and FeNO, a safe and easy measure to conduct, is a potential valid examination in an occupational setting. This systematic review assesses the value of measuring FeNO related to three types of airborne exposures: allergens, irritants, and respiratory particles inhaled during occupational activities. The review covers results from longitudinal and observational clinical studies, and highlights the added value of this biomarker in monitoring effects of exposure and in the diagnostic criteria of occupational diseases. This review also covers the possible significance of FeNO as an indicator of the efficacy of interventions to prevent work-related respiratory diseases. Initially, 246 articles were identified in PUBMED and SCOPUS. Duplicates and articles which covered results from the general population, symptoms (not disease) related to work, non-occupational diseases, and case reports were excluded. Finally, 39 articles contributed to this review, which led to the following conclusions: a) For occupational asthma there is no consensus on the significant value of FeNO for diagnosis, or on the magnitude of change needed after specific inhalation test or occupational exposure at the workplace. There is some consensus for the optimal time to measure FeNO after exposure, mainly after 24 h, and FeNO proved to be more sensitive than spirometry in measuring the result of an intervention. b) For other occupational obstructive respiratory diseases, current data suggests performing the measurement after the work shift. c) For interstitial lung disease, the evaluation of the alveolar component of NO is probably the most suitable.
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| 45. |
- Pape, K., et al.
(författare)
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Parental occupational exposure pre- and post-conception and development of asthma in offspring
- 2020
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Ingår i: International journal of epidemiology. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0300-5771 .- 1464-3685. ; 49:6, s. 1856-1869
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: While direct effects of occupational exposures on an individual's respiratory health are evident, a new paradigm is emerging on the possible effects of preconception occupational exposure on respiratory health in offspring. We aimed to study the association between parental occupational exposure starting before conception and asthma in their offspring (at 0-15 years of age). Methods: We studied 3985 offspring participating in the Respiratory Health in Northern Europe, Spain and Australia (RHINESSA) generation study. Their mothers or fathers (n = 2931) previously participated in the European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS). Information was obtained from questionnaires on parental job history pre- and post-conception which was linked to an asthma-specific job-exposure matrix (JEM). We assessed the association between parental occupational exposure and offspring asthma, applying logistic regression models, clustered by family and adjusted for study centre, offspring sex, parental characteristics (age, asthma onset, place of upbringing, smoking) and grandparents' level of education. Results: Parental occupational exposure to microorganisms, pesticides, allergens or reactive chemicals pre-conception or both pre- and post-conception was not related to offspring asthma; in general, subgroup analyses confirmed this result. However, maternal exposure both pre- and post-conception to allergens and reactive chemicals was associated with increased odds for early-onset asthma in offspring (0-3 years of age); odds ratio 1.70 (95% CI: 1.02-2.84) and 1.65 (95% CI: 0.98-2.77), respectively. Conclusions: This study did not find evidence that parental occupational exposure, defined by an asthma JEM before conception only or during pre- and post-conception vs non-exposed, was associated with offspring asthma.
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| 46. |
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| 47. |
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| 48. |
- Rui, F., et al.
(författare)
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Occupational Asthma: The Knowledge Needs for a Better Management
- 2022
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Ingår i: Annals of work exposures and health. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 2398-7308 .- 2398-7316. ; 66:3, s. 287-290
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The management of occupational asthma (OA) may be influenced by several factors and removal from exposure is the main tertiary prevention approach, but it is not always feasible without personal and socioeconomic consequences. Reducing the delay between the onset of suggestive symptoms of OA and the diagnosis of OA is associated with a better prognosis. Workers' education to increase awareness to trigger agents and a medical surveillance program directed especially at at-risk workers could be helpful in reducing this latency time. An early identification of workers who develop rhinitis and conjunctivitis which often precede the onset of asthma symptoms could be important for an early identification of OA. This is particularly important for cases of asthma caused by high-molecular-weight sensitizers and in the early years of employment. The availability of financial support and compensation measures for workers with OA may influence the latency time before diagnosis and, consequently, may influence the OA outcomes. In conclusion, there is a need for high-quality cohort studies that will increase knowledge about risk factor that may influence the timing of diagnosis of OA. This knowledge will be useful for implementation of future surveillance and screening programs in workplaces. © 2021 The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Occupational Hygiene Society.
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| 49. |
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