Table 4 Unadjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for work‐related airway symptoms and current daily tasks performed and use of cleaning products, São Paulo Metropolitan Area, 2003.
| Women (n = 245) | Men (n = 96) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reference* | Asthma†/rhinitis‡ | Reference* | Asthma†/rhinitis‡ | |||||||
| All cases | Work‐related§ | All cases | Work‐related§ | |||||||
| n = 143 | n = 102 | OR (95% CI) | n = 28 | OR (95% CI) | n = 66 | n = 30 | OR (95% CI) | n = 6 | OR (95% CI) | |
| Cleaning tasks performed: | ||||||||||
| Dusting/sweeping/vacuum cleaning/rug beating | 119 (83) | 81 (79) | 0.9 (0.6 to 1.2) | 23 (82) | 0.9 (0.4 to 2.3) | 42 (64) | 23 (77) | 1.6 (0.8 to 3.3) | 4 (67) | 1.1 (0.2 to 5.8) |
| Mopping/wet cleaning/damp wiping | 126 (88) | 83 (81) | 0.8 (0.5 to 1.1) | 25 (89) | 1.1 (0.4 to 3.3) | 40 (6) | 21 (70) | 1.3 (0.7 to 2.6) | 3 (50) | 0.7 (0.2 to 3.1) |
| Cleaning the toilet bowl | 115 (80) | 58 (57) | 0.5 (0.4 to 0.7) | 21 (75) | 0.8 (0.4 to 1.7) | 34 (52) | 16 (53) | 1.1 (0.6 to 1.9) | 2 (33) | 0.5 (0.1 to 2.6) |
| Polishing, waxing | 53 (37) | 22 (22) | 0.6 (0.4 to 0.9) | 6 (21) | 0.5 (0.2 to 1.2) | 10 (15) | 1 (10) | 0.7 (0.3 to 2.0) | 0 (–) | – |
| Cleaning windows or mirrors | 54 (38) | 32 (31) | 0.9 (0.6 to 1.2) | 12 (43) | 1.2 (0.6 to 2.4) | 28 (42) | 11 (37) | 0.9 (0.5 to 1.6) | 2 (33) | 0.7 (0.1 to 3.6) |
| Washing clothes by hand | 23 (16) | 15 (15) | 0.9 (0.6 to 1.4) | 4 (14) | 0.9 (0.3 to 2.4) | 26 (39) | 8 (27) | 0.7 (0.3 to 1.3) | 2 (33) | 0.8 (0.2 to 4.0) |
| Using cleaning products: | ||||||||||
| Acids | 23 (16) | 13 (13) | 0.9 (0.5 to 1.4) | 5 (18) | 1.1 (0.5 to 2.7) | 16 (24) | 9 (30) | 1.2 (0.6 to 2.3) | 3 (50) | 2.8 (0.6 to 12.7) |
| Chlorine/bleach | 130 (91) | 93 (91) | 1.0 (0.6 to 1.7) | 25 (89) | 0.9 (0.3 to 2.5) | 45 (68) | 25 (83) | 1.9 (0.8 to 4.3) | 5 (83) | 2.2 (0.3 to 17.8) |
| Ethyl alcohol | 84 (59) | 50 (49) | 0.8 (0.6 to 1.1) | 13 (46) | 0.7 (0.3 to 1.3) | 17 (26) | 8 (27) | 1.0 (0.5 to 2.0) | 0 ( to ) | – |
| Ammonium | 11 (8) | 2 (2) | 0.4 (0.1 to 1.3) | 0 (–) | – | 3 (5) | 2 (7) | 1.3 (0.4 to 4.0) | 2 (33) | 6.7 (1.6 to 28.1) |
| Degreaser | 14 (10) | 1 (1) | 0.2 (0.0 to 1.0) | 1 (4) | 0.4 (0.0 to 2.6) | 3 (5) | 4 (13) | 2.0 (1.0 to 4.0) | 1 (17) | 3.4 (0.5 to 22.6) |
| Disinfectant | 123 (86) | 73 (72) | 0.6 (0.5 to 0.9) | 24 (86) | 1.0 (0.4 to 2.6) | 44 (67) | 18 (60) | 0.8 (0.5 to 1.5) | 2 (33) | 0.3 (0.1 to 1.4) |
| Air refreshing | 62 (43) | 32 (31) | 0.7 (0.5 to 1.0) | 14 (50) | 1.3 (0.6 to 2.5) | 16 (24) | 9 (30) | 1.2 (0.7 to 2.3) | 3 (50) | 2.8 (0.6 to 12.7) |
| Detergent/soap | 102 (71) | 83 (81) | 1.4 (1.0 to 2.1) | 22 (79) | 1.4 (0.6 to 3.2) | 49 (74) | 17 (57) | 0.6 (0.3 to 1.1) | 4 (67) | 0.7 (0.1 to 3.6) |
| Waxes | 18 (13) | 10 (10) | 0.8 (0.5 to 1.4) | 5 (18) | 1.4 (0.6 to 3.3) | 5 (8) | 1 (3) | 0.5 (0.1 to 3.2) | 0 (–) | – |
| Carpet cleaner | 37 (26) | 16 (16) | 0.7 (0.4 to 1.1) | 4 (14) | 0.5 (0.2 to 1.4) | 8 (12) | 4 (13) | 1.1 (0.5 to 2.6) | 1 (17) | 1.4 (0.2 to 10.7) |
| Glass cleaner | 16 (11) | 7 (7) | 0.7 (0.4 to 1.3) | 2 (7) | 0.7 (0.2 to 2.5) | 16 (24) | 4 (13) | 0.6 (0.2 to 1.5) | 1 (17) | 0.7 (0.1 to 5.2) |
| All‐purpose cleaner | 130 (91) | 82 (80) | 0.7 (0.5 to 0.9) | 25 (89) | 0.9 (0.3 to 2.5) | 35 (53) | 13 (43) | 0.8 (0.4 to 1.4) | 2 (33) | 0.5 (0.1 to 2.4) |
| Furniture polish | 98 (69) | 64 (63) | 0.9 (0.6 to 1.2) | 18 (64) | 0.9 (0.4 to 1.7) | 13 (20) | 4 (13) | 0.7 (0.3 to 1.8) | 0 (–) | – |
| Metal polish | 9 (6) | 2 (3) | 0.6 (0.2 to 1.6) | 0 (–) | – | 7 (11) | 1 (3) | 0.4 (0.1 to 2.4) | 0 (–) | – |
| Soap bar | 94 (66) | 68 (67) | 1.0 (0.8 to 1.4) | 21 (75) | 1.5 (0.7 to 3.2) | 25 (38) | 8 (27) | 0.7 (0.4 to 1.4) | 0 (–) | – |
| Washing powder | 36 (25) | 25 (25) | 1.0 (0.7 to 1.4) | 8 (29) | 1.2 (0.6 to 2.4) | 8 (12) | 5 (17) | 1.3 (0.6 to 2.7) | 1 (17) | 1.4 (0.2 to 0.7) |
| Soapy materials | 68 (48) | 35 (34) | 0.7 (0.5 to 1.0) | 9 (32) | 0.6 (0.3 to 1.2) | 19 (29) | 10 (33) | 1.2 (0.6 to 2.2) | 1 (17) | 0.5 (0.1 to 4.2) |
| Sodium hydroxide | 0 (–) | 1 (1) | – | 0 (–) | – | 1 (2) | 0 (–) | – | 0 (–) | – |
| Solvent/stain remover | 8 (6) | 2 (2) | 0.5 (0.1 to 1.6) | 0 (–) | – | 7 (11) | 0 (–) | – | 0 (–) | – |
Low exposure level was taken as exposure reference from two categories of exposure levels (fixed cut‐off level of 3 times/week).
Number (%), OR and 95% CI compared with reference.
*Subjects without symptoms.
†Score ⩾5.20
‡Self‐reported sneezing or runny or blocked nose, without cold or flu over the past 12 months.
§Work‐related asthma: asthmatic with new‐onset wheezing after starting as non‐domestic cleaning worker, and cleaning‐related lower airway symptoms. Work‐related rhinitis: rhinitic with new‐onset nasal symptoms after starting as non‐domestic cleaning worker, and cleaning‐related upper airway symptoms.