TABLE 2.
Comparison of descriptive characteristics for clinical and epidemiological cases of work-exacerbated asthma
| Characteristic |
Cases
|
P* | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clinical | Epidemiological | ||
| n | 53 | 47 | NA |
| Male | 30 (57) | 18 (38) | 0.10 |
| Caucasian | 49 (92) | 46 (98) | 0.37 |
| Body mass index, mean ± SEM | 28.2±0.7 | 30.6±1.1 | 0.07 |
| Age, years | |||
| Minimum, maximum | 19, 61 | 21, 46† | NA |
| Mean ± SEM | 42.5±1.6 | 37.2±1.0 | 0.006 |
| Asthma onset | |||
| Years since asthma onset, mean ± SEM | 7.1±1.5 | 22.8±1.7 | <0.0001 |
| >12 years of age at onset | 46 (88) | 23 (49) | <0.0001 |
| Smoking status | |||
| Never | 13 (25) | 27 (57) | Reference |
| Former | 22 (42) | 10 (21) | 0.005 |
| Current | 18 (34) | 10 (21) | 0.02 |
| Pack-years in ever smokers, mean ± SEM | 18.1±3.1 | 14.2±2.9 | 0.42 |
| Conditions at home | |||
| Water damage at home | 8 (15) | 8 (17) | 1.0 |
| Mouldy odour at home | 9 (17) | 9 (19) | 0.98 |
Data presented as n (%) unless otherwise indicated.
*
Based on Student’s t test for continuous data, and continuity corrected χ2 or Fisher’s exact test for categorical data;
†
The oldest participant was 44 years of age, by design, when first identified in the medical records as a potential participant, and 46 when tested. NA Not applicable