Do hospital workers experience a higher risk of respiratory symptoms and loss of lung function?
2022
Heibati, Behzad | Jaakkola, Maritta S. | Lajunen, Taina K. | Ducatman, Alan | Veysi, Rahmat | Karimi, Ali | Jaakkola, Jouni J. K. | Ilmatieteen laitos | Finnish Meteorological Institute
Background: Hospital work environment contains various biological and chemical exposures that can afect indoor air quality and have impact on respiratory health of the staf. The objective of this study was to investigate potential efects of occupational exposures on the risk of respiratory symptoms and lung function in hospital work, and to evaluate potential interaction between smoking and occupational exposures. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 228 staf members in a hospital and 228 employees of an ofce building as the reference group in Shiraz, Iran. All subjects completed a standardized ATS respiratory questionnaire and performed a spirometry test. Results: In Poisson regression, the adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) among the hospital staf were elevated for cough (aPR 1.90, 95%CI 1.15, 3.16), phlegm production (aPR 3.21, 95%CI 1.63, 6.32), productive cough (aPR 2.83, 95%CI 1.48, 5.43), wheezing (aPR 3.18, 95%CI 1.04, 9.66), shortness of breath (aPR 1.40, 95%CI 0.93, 2.12), and chest tightness (aPR 1.73, 95%CI 0.73, 4.12). Particularly laboratory personnel experienced increased risks of most symptoms. In linear regression adjusting for confounding, there were no signifcant diferences in lung function between the hospital and ofce workers. There was an indication of synergism between hospital exposures and current smoking on FEV1/FVC% (interaction term β=−5.37, 95% CI−10.27,−0.47). Conclusions: We present signifcant relations between hospital work, especially in laboratories, and increased risks of respiratory symptoms. Smoking appears to enhance these efects considerably. Our fndings suggest that policymakers should implement evidence-based measures to prevent these occupational exposures.
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