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Document ID (ISN)111706
CIS number 11-0399
ISSN - Serial title 0271-3586 - American Journal of Industrial Medicine
Year 2011
Convention or series no.
Author(s) Dimich-Ward H., Beking K.J., Dybuncio A., Bartlett K.H., Karlen B.J., Chow Y., Chan-Yeung M.
Title Respiratory health of two cohorts of terminal grain elevator workers studied 30 years apart
Bibliographic information 2011, Vol.54, p.263-268. Illus. 23 ref.
Abstract This study evaluated the respiratory health of two cohorts of Canadian grain terminal elevator workers who participated in one of either respiratory health surveys undertaken in 1978 and 2008. Questionnaire and spirometry data from 584 workers from the 1978 survey and 215 workers from the 2008 survey were compared using logistic regression and general linear modeling. The geometric means of area samples of grain dust averaged 8.28 mg/m3 in 1978 and 2.06 mg/m3 in 2008. Workers in the 1978 survey had a significantly higher prevalence of respiratory symptoms (with the largest adjusted odds ratio of 3.78 for shortness of breath), a lower prevalence of atopic conditions and lower mean lung function. Current grain workers had a lower risk of respiratory health consequences and a greater prevalence of atopic conditions than workers surveyed 30 years prior, most likely associated with reduced exposure to grain dust in the terminal elevator environment.
Descriptors (primary) grain dust; grain elevators; symptoms; respiratory diseases; exposure evaluation; risk factors
Descriptors (secondary) Canada; spirometry; comparative study; questionnaire survey; cohort study; statistical evaluation; individual susceptibility
Document type D - Periodical articles
Subject(s) Agriculture, fishing, animal husbandry
Occupational pathology
Broad subject area(s) Chemical safety
Occupational medicine, epidemiology
Browse category(ies) Agriculture
Diseases of the respiratory system (except for pneumoconiosis & similar)