Table 2.
Prevalence of Current Asthma and Asthma-like Symptoms Overall and by Select Occupational Groups.
| All participants N (%) n = 347 | Participants with current asthma N (%) n = 61 | Clinical nurses N (%) n = 105 | Office and administrative support N (%) n = 95 | Patient care N (%) n = 51 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current asthma | 61 (17.6) | 61 (100.0) | 23 (21.9) | 21 (22.1) | 9 (17.6) |
| Positive allergic status a | 221 (63.7) | 54 (88.5) | 66 (62.9) | 73 (76.8) | 31 (60.8) |
| Asthma-like symptoms, past 12 months | |||||
| Wheeze | 123 (35.5) | 56 (91.8) | 41 (39.1) | 33 (34.7) | 14 (27.5) |
| Chest tightness, awoken with | 70 (20.2) | 34 (55.7) | 25 (23.8) | 23 (24.2) | 6 (11.8) |
| Shortness of breath at rest | 64 (18.4) | 33 (54.1) | 20 (19.1) | 19 (20.0) | 9 (17.7) |
| Shortness of breath after exercise | 79 (22.8) | 35 (57.4) | 28 (26.7) | 21 (22.1) | 10 (19.6) |
| Shortness of breath, awoken by | 45 (13.0) | 23 (37.7) | 15 (14.3) | 12 (12.6) | 5 (9.8) |
| Asthma-like symptoms, past 4 weeks | |||||
| Wheeze | 62 (17.9) | 30 (49.2) | 22 (21.0) | 18 (19.0) | 7 (13.7) |
| Chest tightness, awoken with | 34 (9.8) | 17 (27.9) | 11 (10.5) | 10 (10.5) | 2 (3.9) |
| Shortness of breath at rest | 38 (11.0) | 21 (34.4) | 14 (13.3) | 8 (8.4) | 4 (7.8) |
| Shortness of breath after exercise | 49 (14.1) | 27 (44.3) | 20 (19.1) | 10 (10.5) | 6 (11.8) |
| Shortness of breath, awoken by | 22 (6.3) | 14 (23.0) | 8 (7.6) | 6 (6.3) | 1 (2.0) |
| Symptom groups | |||||
| No/low symptoms | 193 (55.6) | 14 (23.0) | 62 (59.1) | 47 (49.5) | 34 (66.7) |
| Upper chest symptoms | 51 (14.7) | 7 (11.5) | 11 (10.5) | 16 (16.8) | 6 (11.8) |
| Lower chest symptoms | 53 (15.3) | 25 (41.0) | 19 (18.1) | 17 (17.9) | 5 (9.8) |
| Mixed symptoms | 50 (14.4) | 15 (24.6) | 13 (12.4) | 15 (15.8) | 6 (11.8) |
| Breathing problems b | 166 (47.8) | 60 (98.4) | 53 (50.4) | 45 (47.4) | 19 (37.3) |
| Improved away from work | 61 (38.4) | 24 (40.7) | 27 (50.9) | 11 (24.4) | 9 (47.4) |
N, number.
a
Positive allergic status was defined as at least one of the following reported conditions: atopic dermatitis, allergic eye symptoms, or seasonal allergic rhinitis.
b
In all participants, 6 participants were missing data for status of breathing problems when away from work. The percentage for Improved away from work is calculated using the number with breathing problems reporting the status of breathing problems when away from work as the denominator specific to each column.