TABLE 3.

DETERMINANTS OF ANNUALIZED 5-YEAR CHANGES IN FEV₁ (ml/yr) OVER 15 YEARS OF FOLLOW-UP FOR COTTON AND SILK WORKERS

	Estimate (95% CI)	P Value*
Age, yr	−0.11 (−0.41 to 0.62)	0.69
Height, cm	−0.07 (−0.78 to 0.65)	0.86
Male sex	−10.88 (−18.06 to −3.70)	0.03
Smoking	−0.01 (−0.02 to 0.01)	0.74
Cotton vs. silk	−9.70 (−16.77 to −2.63)	0.005
ΔFEV1 drop, 10 ml	−1.43 (−1.78 to −1.07)	<0.0001

Definition of abbreviations: CI = confidence interval; ΔFEV₁ = cross-shift change in FEV₁.

A generalized estimating equation model was used, in which all variables but sex and exposure status are time dependent.

^*Tests for whether coefficients are different from zero.