Table 3.
Risk of respiratory symptoms in 2013 in a population exposed to the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull volcanic eruption, by exposure level
| Non-exposed 2013 (n=365) |
Low exposure 2013* (n=90) |
Medium exposure 2013* (n=428) |
High exposure 2013* (n=267) |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OR (95% CI)† | Per cent (n/N) | OR (95% CI)† | Per cent (n/N) | OR (95% CI)† | Per cent (n/N) | OR (95% CI)† | Per cent (n/N) | |
| ECRHS | ||||||||
| Wheezing (past 12 months) | 1 (ref) | 11.4 (40/351) | 1.42 (0.64 to 2.98) | 14.9 (13/87) | 1.88 (1.13 to 3.21) | 17.1 (71/416) | 2.20 (1.29 to 3.83) | 19.0 (48/253) |
| 1 (ref) | 1.34 (0.70 to 2.76) | 1.59 (0.81 to 3.35) | ||||||
| If yes, breathlessness at the same time | 1 (ref) | 7.1 (25/351) | 1.36 (0.74 to 2.55) | 9.2 (8/87) | 1.05 (0.39 to 2.54) | 10.1 (42/416) | 1.49 (0.79 to 2.87) | 10.7 (27/253) |
| 1 (ref) | 1.33 (0.60 to 3.37) | 1.50 (0.65 to 3.90) | ||||||
| If yes, do you wheeze without a cold? | 1 (ref) | 8.0 (28/351) | 1.78 (0.98 to 3.48) | 12.6 (11/87) | 1.65 (0.69 to 3.79) | 12.3 (51/416) | 2.35 (1.27 to 4.47) | 15.0 (38/253) |
| 1 (ref) | 1.08 (0.53 to 2.39) | 1.46 (0.70 to 3.3) | ||||||
| Nocturnal chest tightness (past 12 months) | 1 (ref) | 10.4 (37/357) | 0.43 (0.12 to 1.16) | 4.6 (4/87) | 1.31 (0.77 to 2.25) | 12.9 (54/420) | 1.40 (0.80 to 2.49) | 13.2 (34/252) |
| 1 (ref) | 3.09 (1.21 to 10.46) | 3.42 (1.30 to 11.79) | ||||||
| Breathlessness at rest | 1 (ref) | 7.9 (28/355) | 0.68 (0.22 to 1.81) | 7.0 (6/86) | 0.90 (0.47 to 1.75) | 7.9 (33/417) | 0.77 (0.38 to 1.56) | 7.1 (18/253) |
| 1 (ref) | 1.39 (0.56 to 4.23) | 1.18 (0.44 to 3.72) | ||||||
| Coughing without a cold | 1 (ref) | 19.0 (67/353) | 1.31 (0.69 to 2.44) | 24.1 (21/87) | 1.64 (1.07 to 2.55) | 25.2 (107/424) | 2.01 (1.28 to 2.44) | 29.1 (74/254) |
| 1 (ref) | 1.26 (0.73 to 2.28) | 1.53 (0.86 to 2.82) | ||||||
| Nocturnal cough (past 12 months) | 1 (ref) | 19.4 (69/355) | 0.85 (0.43 to 1.61) | 17.4 (15/86) | 1.18 (0.77 to 1.82) | 21.6 (91/421) | 1.30 (0.83 to 2.07) | 22.6 (57/252) |
| 1 (ref) | 1.40 (0.78 to 2.68) | 1.55 (0.83 to 3.03) | ||||||
| Morning winter cough | 1 (ref) | 10.8 (38/351) | 1.17 (0.48 to 2.64) | 11.0 (9/82) | 1.44 (0.82 to 2.56) | 12.3 (51/416) | 1.24 (0.67 to 2.30) | 10.7 (27/253) |
| 1 (ref) | 1.25 (0.60 to 2.85) | 1.08 (0.49 to 2.58) | ||||||
| Nocturnal or daytime winter cough | 1 (ref) | 9.3 (32/345) | 1.34 (0.56 to 3.02) | 14.1 (12/85) | 1.18 (0.65 to 2.20) | 10.1 (42/415) | 0.99 (0.51 to 1.96) | 8.6 (21/245) |
| 1 (ref) | 0.90 (0.44 to 2.01) | 0.76 (0.34 to 1.77) | ||||||
| If yes, is it chronic‡ | 1 (ref) | 5.2 (18/345) | 1.73 (0.83 to 3.82) | 8.2 (7/85) | 1.13 (0.34 to 3.32) | 7.7 (32/415) | 1.69 (0.76 to 3.89) | 7.3 (18/245) |
| 1 (ref) | 1.56 (0.62 to 4.77) | 1.51 (0.57 to 4.8) | ||||||
| Morning winter phlegm | 1 (ref) | 12.0 (42/349) | 1.79 (0.87 to 3.59) | 18.6 (16/86) | 1.89 (1.14 to 3.21) | 19.8 (81/410) | 1.94 (1.14 to 3.38) | 20.4 (51/250) |
| 1 (ref) | 1.08 (0.60 to 2.05) | 1.09 (0.59 to 2.14) | ||||||
| Nocturnal or daytime winter phlegm | 1 (ref) | 7.4 (26/349) | 0.85 (0.29 to 2.17) | 7.1 (6/85) | 1.68 (0.92 to 3.19) | 12.7 (52/408) | 1.63 (0.86 to 3.18) | 12.9 (31/241) |
| 1 (ref) | 2.02 (0.88 to 5.46) | 1.97 (0.83 to 5.47) | ||||||
| If yes, is it chronic?‡ | 1 (ref) | 6.3 (22/349) | 1.83 (0.95 to 3.68) | 3.5 (3/85) | 0.51 (0.11 to 1.65) | 11.0 (45/408) | 1.92 (0.97 to 3.95) | 12.0 (29/241) |
| 1 (ref) | 3.64 (1.26 to 15.42) | 3.87 (1.31 to 16.63) | ||||||
| Dyspnoea | 1 (ref) | 10.1(36/355) | 0.47 (0.13 to 1.28) | 5.7 (5/88) | 1.15 (0.65 to 2.08) | 10.6 (44/415) | 1.06 (0.57 to 2.0) | 10.6 (26/246) |
| 1 (ref) | 2.66 (1.02 to 9.11) | 2.45 (0.91 to 8.59) | ||||||
| Nasal allergy and hay fever | 1 (ref) | 19.0 (66/348) | 0.86 (0.42 to 1.66) | 16.7 (14/84) | 1.10 (0.71 to 1.73) | 19.4 (79/408) | 1.19 (0.73 to 1.92) | 19.8 (49/247) |
| 1 (ref) | 1.28 (0.70 to 2.5) | 1.38 (0.72 to 2.76) | ||||||
| Allergic rhinitis | 1 (ref) | 27.6 (96/348) | 0.72 (0.40 to 1.29) | 23.5 (20/65) | 1.11 (0.76 to 1.62) | 30.8 (126/409) | 1.45 (0.97 to 2.18) | 37.6 (92/245) |
| 1 (ref) | 1.57 (0.92 to 2.78) | 2.03 (1.16 to 3.67) | ||||||
| Physician diagnosed conditions§ | ||||||||
| Asthma | 1 (ref) | 10.3 (36/349) | 0.99 (0.43 to 2.14) | 12.8 (11/86) | 0.99 (0.57 to 1.73) | 11.9 (49/412) | 0.97 (0.53 to 1.76) | 11.8 (29/246) |
| 1 (ref) | 1.00 (0.50 to 2.21) | 0.97 (0.46 to 2.21) | ||||||
| Asthma diagnosis was confirmed by a doctor | 1 (ref) | 9.2 (32/349) | 1.01 (0.57 to 1.83) | 12.8 (11/86) | 1.12 (0.48 to 2.47) | 11.2 (46/412) | 0.94 (0.50 to 1.76) | 10.6 (26/246) |
| 1 (ref) | 0.90 (0.44 to 1.98) | 0.83 (0.38 to 1.90) | ||||||
| Heart disease | 1 (ref) | 8.7 (31/356) | 1.49 (0.65 to 3.30) | 13.8 (12/87) | 0.69 (0.35 to 1.34) | 6.5 (27/417) | 0.93 (0.48 to 1.84) | 8.8 (22/251) |
| 1 (ref) | 0.46 (0.22 to 1.00) | 0.63 (0.29 to 1.41) | ||||||
| Disorders associated with chronic airway obstruction¶ | 1 (ref) | 5.5 (20/365) | 2.90 (1.23 to 6.83) | 13.3 (12/90) | 1.86 (0.95 to 3.83) | 8.4 (36/428) | 1.77 (0.86 to 3.78) | 8.2 (22/267) |
| 1 (ref) | 0.64 (0.32 to 1.36) | 0.61 (0.29 to 1.34) | ||||||
| Other respiratory symptoms** | ||||||||
| Shortness of breath | 1 (ref) | 5.7 (19/334) | 0.62 (0.14 to 2.07) | 3.6 (3/84) | 1.52 (0.73 to 3.29) | 6.7 (27/401) | 2.10 (0.99 to 4.64) | 9.4 (22/233) |
| 1 (ref) | 2.40 (0.80 to 10.37) | 3.56 (1.16 to 15.54) | ||||||
| Feeling of tightness in chest | 1 (ref) | 3.3 (11/333) | 0.56 (0.08 to 2.4) | 2.4 (2/84) | 1.01 (0.39 to 2.76) | 3.8 (15/399) | 1.08 (0.39 to 3.03) | 4.3 (10/234) |
| 1 (ref) | 1.80 (0.47 to 11.84) | 2.05 (0.50 to 13.79) | ||||||
| Other respiratory symptoms** | ||||||||
| Cough | 1 (ref) | 9.4 (31/331) | 1.24 (0.48 to 2.98) | 9.2 (8/87) | 2.05 (1.13 to 3.86) | 12.4 (50/404) | 2.28 (1.21 to 4.42) | 13.9 (33/238) |
| 1 (ref) | 1.69 (0.80 to 4.06) | 1.85 (0.84 to 4.54) | ||||||
| Phlegm | 1 (ref) | 7.5 (25/333) | 1.03 (0.35 to 2.69) | 7.1 (6/84) | 1.86 (1.0 to 3.64) | 11.1 (45/404) | 2.81 (1.48 to 5.55) | 16.0 (38/237) |
| 1 (ref) | 1.80 (0.78 to 4.91) | 2.72 (1.16 to 7.50) | ||||||
| Dry throat | 1 (ref) | 7.9 (27/340) | 0.18 (0.03 to 0.67) | 2.4 (2/84) | 0.86 (0.46 to 1.63) | 9.1 (37/408) | 1.04 (0.54 to 2.01) | 11.0 (26/236) |
| 1 (ref) | 4.66 (1.36 to 29.30) | 5.71 (1.62 to 36.26) | ||||||
*Regions are seen in figure 1.
†OR and 95% CI from multivariate logistic regression adjusted for age category, gender, education and smoking status.
‡Answers ‘yes to a moderate extent’ or ‘yes, to much extent’ to the question ‘Have any of the following symptoms disturbed your daily activities during the last month’.
§Answering ‘yes’ to ‘Has physician ever told you that you had (the disease)?’
¶Three items from ECRHS (if participant has had COPD, emphysema or chronic bronchitis confirmed by a doctor) were combined into one item (disorders associated with chronic airway obstruction).
**Chronic: more than 3 months/year.
COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; ECRHS, European Community Respiratory Health Survey.