Table 2.
Basic data about the population, separated into all subjects and the overlapping groups of workers exposed to super absorbent polymer (SAP) or paper dust.
| All | Exposed to superabsorbent polymer (SAP)1 | Exposed to paper dust1 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| All | 1043 | 689 | 804 |
| Men | 589 (56.5%) | 414 (60.1%) | 472 (58.7%) |
| Women | 454 (46.5%) | 275 (39.9%) | 332 (41.3%) |
| Age, yrs | 44.8 (11.3) | 42.7 (10.4) | 44.0 (10.8) |
| Never smokers | 523 (50.1%) | 361 (52.4%) | 405 (50.4%) |
| Ex-smokers | 330 (31.7%) | 207 (30.0%) | 254 (31.6%) |
| Current smokers | 190 (18.2%) | 121 (17.6%) | 145 (18.0%) |
| Atopy | 197 (18.9%) | 148 (21.5%) | 160 (19.9%) |
| Physician-diagnosed adult-onset asthma | 71 (6.8%) | 40 (5.8%) | 50 (6.2%) |
| Current asthma | 112 (10.7%) | 72 (10.5%) | 84 (10.5%) |
| Rhinitis | 471 (45.2%) | 322 (46.7%) | 378 (47.0%)3 |
| Nasal blockage | 349 (33.5%) | 252 (36.6%)2 | 283 (35.2%)3 |
| Nasal crusts | 442 (42.4%) | 313 (45.4%)2 | 362 (45.0%)2 |
| Nose-bleeding | 465 (44.6%) | 332 (48.2%)2 | 387 (48.1%)2 |
| Conjunctivitis | 235 (22.3%) | 162 (23.5%) | 188 (23.4%) |
| Hand eczema | 134 (12.9%) | 89 (12.9%) | 104 (12.9%) |
1. Overlapping groups
2. p < 0.01
3. p < 0.05