Table 2 Odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) for atopic diseases by age 14–18 according to maternal occupational categories in pregnancy.
| Occupational group | N | Wheezing | Asthma diagnosis | Hay fever diagnosis | Atopic eczema diagnosis | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n | OR | OR* | CI* | n | OR | OR* | CI* | n | OR | OR* | CI* | n | OR | OR * | CI* | ||
| Clerical workers | 286 | 42 | ref | ref | 23 | ref | ref | 37 | ref | ref | 41 | ref | ref | ||||
| Life sciences technicians‡ | 123 | 18 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 0.6–1.9 | 11 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 0.6–2.6 | 14 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 0.5–1.9 | 23 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 0.8–2.5 |
| Surveyors | 41 | 8 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 0.6–3.2 | NA | NA | NA | NA | 4 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.3–2.3 | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Engineering technicians NEC† | 78 | 10 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 0.4–1.9 | 12 | 2.1 | 2.4 | 1.1–5.1 | 9 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 0.4–2.0 | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Medical doctors | 70 | 8 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.3–1.9 | 7 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 0.4–2.9 | 10 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 0.5–2.8 | 10 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.4–2.2 |
| Medical assistants | 956 | 154 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 0.9–1.9 | 101 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 0.8–2.2 | 142 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 0.9–1.9 | 136 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 0.7–1.6 |
| Dental assistants‡ | 106 | 29 | 2.3 | 2.4 | 1.4–4.2 | 13 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 0.9–3.7 | 15 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 0.6–2.2 | 20 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 0.8–2.6 |
| Physiotherapists and occupational therapists | 113 | 11 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 0.4–1.6 | 9 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.4–2.3 | 15 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 0.7–2.5 | 11 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.4–1.6 |
| Dieticians and public health nutritionists | 26 | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | 4 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 0.4–4.1 | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Medical, dental, veterinary, and related workers NEC† | 76 | 12 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 0.6–2.4 | 6 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.4–2.7 | 17 | 1.9 | 2.1 | 1.1–4.1 | 10 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 0.4–1.9 |
| Social workers | 634 | 98 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 0.8–1.9 | 78 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.0–2.7 | 93 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 0.9–2.1 | 118 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 1.1–2.4 |
| Other professional, technical, and related workers | 69 | 8 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 0.4–2.1 | 7 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 0.5–3.0 | 10 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 0.6–3.0 | 10 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 0.5–2.6 |
| Systems analysts | 30 | 5 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 0.4–3.1 | 5 | 2.3 | 2.4 | 0.8–7.0 | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Philologists, translators, and interpreters | 62 | 8 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 0.3–1.8 | 5 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.4–2.8 | 8 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 0.5–2.6 | 8 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 0.4–2.3 |
| Teachers | 473 | 69 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 0.8–2.0 | 39 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.6–1.8 | 55 | 0.9 | 1.1 | 0.7–1.8 | 91 | 1.5 | 1.7 | 1.1–2.7 |
| Librarians, archivists, and curators | 68 | 11 | 1.2 | 1.5 | 0.7–3.1 | 10 | 1.9 | 2.2 | 1.0–5.1 | 9 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 0.6–2.8 | 12 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 0.8–3.3 |
| Bookkeepers and cashiers | 106 | 21 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 0.9–2.8 | 12 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 0.7–3.3 | 16 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 0.7–2.5 | 13 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 0.5–1.8 |
| Bookkeepers and cashiers and related workers NEC† | 195 | 30 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 0.7–2.0 | 21 | 1.4 | 1.5 | 0.8–2.8 | 31 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 0.8–2.3 | 35 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 0.8–2.2 |
| Bookkeeping and calculating machine operators | 16 | NA | NA – | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | 5 | 3.0 | 3.2 | 1.0–9.9 | 5 | 2.7 | 3.2 | 1.0–9.9 |
| Transport and communications supervisors NEC† | 114 | 23 | 1.5 | 1.6 | 0.9–2.8 | 13 | 1.5 | 1.7 | 0.8–3.5 | 22 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 1.0–3.3 | 10 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.3–1.3 |
| Working proprietors (wholesale and retail trade) | 419 | 42 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.4–1.0 | 55 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.1–3.1 | 73 | 1.4 | 1.5 | 0.9–2.3 | 73 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 0.9–2.2 |
| Working proprietors (wholesale and retail trade) NEC† | 41 | 7 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 0.6–3.3 | 4 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 0.4–3.9 | 5 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 0.4–2.7 | 4 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.2–2.1 |
| Cooks | 146 | 22 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 0.6–1.9 | 15 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 0.7–2.8 | 17 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 0.5–1.9 | 27 | 1.4 | 1.5 | 0.8–2.6 |
| Waiters, bartenders, and related workers | 29 | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | 6 | 1.6 | 2.1 | 0.8–5.5 |
| Maids and related housekeeping service workers NEC† | 18 | 4 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 0.4–4.7 | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Other cooks, waiters, bartenders, maids, and related housekeeping service workers | 272 | 40 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 0.6–1.7 | 35 | 1.7 | 1.5 | 0.8–2.8 | 35 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 0.7–2.1 | 39 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 0.7–2.1 |
| Charworkers, cleaners, and related workers | 132 | 26 | 1.5 | 1.4 | 0.8–2.5 | 14 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 0.6–2.6 | 15 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 0.5–2.0 | 21 | 1.1 | 1.5 | 0.8–2.7 |
| Hairdressers, barbers, beauticians | 60 | 11 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 0.7–3.1 | 8 | 1.8 | 1.9 | 0.8–4.6 | 6 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.3–2.1 | 9 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 0.5–2.6 |
| Nursery workers and gardeners | 89 | 12 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 0.4–1.8 | 12 | 1.8 | 1.7 | 0.8–3.7 | 7 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.3–1.6 | 15 | 1.2 | 1.5 | 0.8–2.9 |
| Butchers and meat preparers | 23 | 5 | 1.8 | 1.6 | 0.5–4.6 | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Bakers, pastry cooks, and confectionary makers | 10 | NA | NA | NA | NA | 4 | 7.5 | 11.7 | 2.6–51.5 | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Sewers and embroiders | 47 | 11 | 1.8 | 1.7 | 0.8–3.8 | 4 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 0.3–3.2 | 7 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 0.6–3.5 | 13 | 2.4 | 3.1 | 1.4–6.6 |
| Electrical and electronic assemblers‡ | 28 | 6 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 0.6–4.8 | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | 7 | 2.0 | 2.5 | 1.0–6.3 |
| Bookbinders and related workers‡ | 11 | 5 | 5.4 | 5.1 | 1.4–18.8 | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Other production and related workers‡ | 120 | 17 | 1.0 | 0.9 | 0.4–1.7 | 15 | 1.6 | 1.5 | 0.7–3.2 | 8 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.3–1.3 | 17 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 0.6–2.4 |
| Dockers and freight handlers | 47 | 9 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 0.5–2.8 | 4 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 0.3–3.0 | 5 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 0.3–2.5 | 6 | 0.9 | 1.1 | 0.4–2.7 |
| Other dockers and freight handlers | 13 | 4 | 2.7 | 2.2 | 0.6–7.7 | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Labourers NEC†‡ | 72 | 7 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.3–1.7 | 10 | 1.8 | 1.7 | 0.8–4.0 | 15 | 1.7 | 2.3 | 1.2–4.7 | 14 | 1.4 | 1.8 | 0.9–3.6 |
NA, not applicable (number of cases <4; odds ratios and confidence intervals not calculated).
*Adjusted for socioeconomic group, maternal education, maternal age, gender, parity, maternal smoking in pregnancy, postnatal smoking by parents, and breast feeding.
†NEC, not elsewhere classified.
‡Includes one or more occupational categories considered exposed to solvents <TLV.