Prevalence of obstructive lung diseases and respiratory symptoms in relation to living environment and socio-economic group

Summary, in English

We wanted to test whether living environment, occupation and social position are risk factors for asthma and chronic bronchitis/emphysema (CBE). The prevalence of bronchial asthma, CBE, respiratory symptoms and smoking habits in a random sample of 12,071 adults aged 20-59 years was assessed in a postal survey with a slightly modified questionnaire previously used in central and northern Sweden (The OLIN studies). Occupation was coded according to a socio-economic classification system. Six different living environment areas were defined; city-countryside, seaside-not seaside and living close to heavy traffic-not living close to heavy traffic. Multiple logistic regression analysis (forward conditional) was applied to estimate the association between the proposed set of risk factors and self-reported obstructive lung diseases and lower respiratory symptoms controlling for age, gender and smoking. After two reminders, the response rate was 70.1% (n=8469); 33.8% of the responders were smokers. In all, 469 subjects (5.5%) stated that they had asthma and 4.6% reported CBE. Besides smoking, which was a risk for both asthma and CBE, there were different risk patterns for self-reported asthma and CBE. In the economically active population there was a tendency that CBE was more common among 'unskilled and semi-skilled workers'. This fact was further emphasized when the population was merged into the two groups 'low social position' and 'middle/high social position', with 'low social position' as a risk for CBE (OR=1.35, 95% CI=1.06-1.72). No social risk factors were identified for asthma. Living close to heavy traffic was a risk factor for asthma (OR=1.29, 95% CI=1.02-1.62) but not for CBE. Apart from this no living environmental risk factors for obstructive pulmonary diseases were identified. Asthma symptoms and long-standing cough were more common among those subjects living close to heavy traffic compared to those not living close to heavy traffic. To conclude, low social position was a risk factor for CBE and living close to heavy traffic was a risk factor for asthma.

• Författare: Peter Montnemery; P Bengtsson; A Elliot; L H Lindholm; Per Nyberg; Claes-Göran Löfdahl
• Avdelning/ar: Geriatric Medicine; Institutionen för hälsovetenskaper; Lungmedicin, allergologi och palliativ medicin
• Publiceringsår: 2001
• Språk: Engelska
• Sidor: 744-752
• Publikation/Tidskrift/Serie: Respiratory Medicine
• Volym: 95
• Issue: 9
• Länkar: http://dx.doi.org/10.1053/rmed.2001.1129
• Dokumenttyp: Artikel i tidskrift
• Förlag: Elsevier
• Ämne: Respiratory Medicine and Allergy
• Nyckelord: asthma; chronic bronchitis; environmental factors; postal questionnaire; respiratory symptoms; smoking; socio-economy.
• Status: Published
• Forskningsgrupp: Geriatric Medicine
• ISBN/ISSN/Övrigt: ISSN: 1532-3064