TABLE 2.
UNIVARIATE ANALYSIS BETWEEN INDEPENDENT VARIABLES, AS ASSESSED BY A JOB-EXPOSURE MATRIX, AND QUESTIONNAIRE FOR LONGEST HELD JOB AMONG TEXAS HEALTH CARE WORKERS, AND TWO ASTHMA OUTCOMES, WEIGHTED BY SURVEY SAMPLE SIZE IN THE ANALYTIC SAMPLE
| Reported Asthma*
|
BHR-related Symptoms†
|
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Variable | Odds Ratio (95% CI) | p Value | Odds Ratio (95% CI) | p Value |
| Sociodemographics | ||||
| Age (per 10-yr increments) | 1.18 (1.00–1.38) | 0.05 | 0.88 (0.79–0.98) | 0.02 |
| Sex (male) | 1.00 | 1.00 | ||
| Female | 2.31 (1.35–3.94) | 0.002 | 2.28 (1.73–3.01) | < 0.001 |
| Race/ethnicity (non-Hispanic white) | 1.00 | 0.006‡ | 1.00 | 0.04‡ |
| Hispanic | 1.62 (0.86–3.04) | 0.70 (0.46–1.07) | ||
| Non-Hispanic black | 0.20 (0.07–0.58) | 1.23 (0.69–2.20) | ||
| Other | 1.13 (0.49–2.63) | 0.56 (0.34–0.92) | ||
| Obesity (BMI ⩾ 30 kg/m2) | 2.03 (1.23–3.34) | 0.002 | 1.59 (1.18–2.13) | 0.005 |
| Smoking | ||||
| Nonsmokers | 1.00 | 1.00 | ||
| Current smokers | 1.16 (0.52–2.61) | 0.75‡ | 0.95 (0.60–1.51) | 0.86‡ |
| Former smokers | 1.22 (0.71–2.10) | 1.08 (0.80–1.45) | ||
| Atopy | 3.31 (1.99–5.48) | < 0.001 | 8.80 (6.22–12.45) | < 0.001 |
| Occupational exposures§ | ||||
| Seniority (quartiles) | ||||
| 0–9 yr | 1.00 | 0.03‡ | 1.00 | 0.15‡ |
| 10–16 yr | 2.08 (0.64–6.73) | 0.67 (0.45–1.02) | ||
| 17–26 yr | 3.37 (1.10–10.26) | 0.78 (0.52–1.16) | ||
| ⩾ 27 yr | 4.10 (1.39–12.11) | 0.66 (0.45–0.96) | ||
| Professional group (physicians) | 1.00 | 0.02‡ | 1.00 | < 0.001‡ |
| Occupational therapists | 1.06 (0.63–1.78) | 2.32 (1.80–2.98) | ||
| Nurses | 1.89 (1.18–3.03) | 1.95 (1.51–2.52) | ||
| Respiratory therapists | 1.30 (0.78–2.17) | 2.01 (1.55–2.61) | ||
| Spill at work | 1.32 (0.58–2.99) | 0.51 | 1.82 (1.16–2.85) | 0.01 |
| Cleaning agents | ||||
| Patient care | 1.43 (0.19–10.81) | 0.73 | 0.72 (0.29–1.75) | 0.47 |
| Instrument cleaning | 2.07 (1.29–3.33) | 0.003 | 1.40 (1.09–1.79) | 0.01 |
| Building surfaces | 1.87 (1.14–3.05) | 0.01 | 1.74 (1.34–2.26) | < 0.001 |
| Latex gloves | ||||
| < 1992 | 1.84 (0.84–4.06) | 0.13 | 1.02 (0.72–1.45) | 0.91 |
| 1992–2000 | 1.94 (1.15–3.28) | 0.01 | 1.36 (1.03–1.79) | 0.03 |
| > 2000 | 0.51 (0.16–1.65) | 0.26 | 0.71 (0.42–1.21) | 0.21 |
| Aerosolized medications | 1.66 (1.03–2.66) | 0.04 | 1.57 (1.22–2.01) | < 0.001 |
| Adhesives/solvents/gases | ||||
| Patient care | 1.67 (1.01–2.77) | 0.05 | 1.86 (1.42–2.44) | < 0.001 |
| On surfaces | 0.58 (0.36–0.93) | 0.02 | 1.25 (0.98–1.59) | 0.08 |
| Miscellaneous/other | 0.52 (0.32–0.84) | 0.008 | 0.74 (0.57–0.95) | 0.02 |
Definition of abbreviations: BHR = bronchial hyperresponsiveness; BMI = body mass index; CI = confidence interval.
Total n = 2,738 in the analytic sample.
Self-reported history of physician-diagnosed asthma, with onset after entry into the health care profession.
Eight-item predictor for BHR, PC20 ⩽ 4 mg/ml.
Based on F-test for categorical variables for sample survey data.
All exposures as assessed by external job-exposure matrix (low or high probability of exposure), except seniority and spill at work, which were self-reported through questionnaire. Except where indicated, reference category for all exposure variables is the absence of such exposure.