Table 2.

Symptoms at spill response associated with dispersant exposure (GuLF STUDY, 2011–2013).

Symptom	Exposed [$n$ (%)]	Unexposed [$n$ (%)]	aPR (95% CI)a
Coughb	534 (25%)	2,642 (10%)	1.41 (1.28, 1.55)
Wheezeb	426 (20%)	2,050 (8%)	1.36 (1.23, 1.52)
Tightness in chestb	305 (14%)	1,248 (5%)	1.58 (1.38, 1.81)
Shortness of breathb	387 (18%)	1,827 (7%)	1.41 (1.26, 1.58)
Burning in nose, throat, lungsb	367 (17%)	1,325 (5%)	1.61 (1.42, 1.83)
Burning eyesc	512 (23%)	2,261 (8%)	1.49 (1.35, 1.64)
Itching eyesc	659 (29%)	3,362 (12%)	1.35 (1.24, 1.46)
Skin irritationd	548 (53%)	4,345 (16%)	1.34 (1.25, 1.43)

Note: aPR, adjusted prevalence ratio; CI, confidence interval.

^aAll models adjusted for gender, age, race, education. Skin irritation models further adjusted for contact with oil/tar, contact with cleaning chemicals, and dispersant/oil interaction. Respiratory and eye irritation models at spill further adjusted for smoking, residential proximity to oil spill, level of oil exposure (total hydrocarbons, THC), use of decontamination chemicals, and preexisting lung disease (respiratory models).

^b$n=\mathrm{28,636}$ (2,178 exposed, 26,458 unexposed).

^c$n=\mathrm{29,468}$ (2,238 exposed, 27,230 unexposed).

^d$n=\mathrm{27,659}$ (1,039 exposed, 26,620 unexposed).