Table 3.
Prevalence of Workplace Exposures and Tasks in Current Job a by Current Asthma and Wheeze.
| All participants N (%) n = 347 | Participants with current asthma N (%) n = 61 | Participants with wheeze N (%) n = 123 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sterilize or disinfect medical instruments | 18 (5.2) | 5 (8.2) | 8 (6.5) |
| Clean or disinfect equipment, environmental, or fixed surfaces | 177 (51.0) | 38 (62.3) | 75 (61.0) |
| Use chemicals in laboratory or patient/chemical preparation areas | 18 (5.2) | 2 (3.3) | 6 (4.9) |
| Use chemicals, adhesives, antiseptics, alcohols, or solvents on patients | 111 (32.0) | 25 (41.0) | 54 (43.9) |
| Administer aerosolized medications to patients | 37 (10.7) | 10 (16.4) | 16 (13.0) |
| Mold, dampness, construction material exposure (any) | 247 (71.2) | 49 (80.3) | 93 (75.6) |
| Water damage | 170 (49.0) | 33 (54.1) | 70 (56.9) |
| Condensation | 73 (21.0) | 16 (26.2) | 37 (30.1) |
| Wet carpet | 74 (21.3) | 11 (18.0) | 37 (30.1) |
| Mold growth | 32 (9.2) | 7 (11.5) | 13 (10.6) |
| Mold, mildew, musty odor | 74 (21.3) | 16 (26.2) | 35 (28.5) |
| Renovation or construction | 189 (54.5) | 40 (65.6) | 74 (60.2) |
| Painting | 174 (50.1) | 37 (60.7) | 65 (52.9) |
| Removing/replacing interior materials | 147 (42.4) | 35 (57.4) | 65 (52.9) |
| Cleaning and disinfecting products (any) | 171 (49.3) | 37 (60.7) | 72 (58.5) |
| Alcohol | 111 (32.0) | 22 (36.1) | 47 (38.2) |
| Bleach | 77 (22.2) | 14 (23.0) | 38 (30.9) |
| Glass cleaner | 29 (8.4) | 8 (13.1) | 16 (13.0) |
| Detergent | 51 (14.7) | 39 (13.6) | 26 (21.1) |
| Quaternary ammonium compounds | 111 (32.0) | 19 (31.2) | 45 (36.6) |
| Other chemicals b | 52 (15.0) | 6 (9.8) | 21 (17.1) |
| Cleaning or disinfecting tasks (any) | 168 (48.4) | 36 (59.0) | 72 (58.5) |
| Clean equipment and environmental surfaces | 159 (45.8) | 36 (59.0) | 69 (56.1) |
| Clean spills or blood | 93 (26.8) | 17 (27.9) | 43 (35.0) |
| Clean bathroom | 16 (4.6) | 3 (4.9) | 9 (7.3) |
| Spraying products | 40 (11.5) | 7 (11.5) | 19 (15.5) |
| Floor cleaning and maintenance | 40 (11.5) | 12 (19.7) | 25 (20.3) |
| Other tasks | 21 (6.1) | 4 (6.6) | 13 (10.6) |
a
Workplace exposures or tasks are reported for current job. Dampness and mold, construction material exposure are reported for the two year period prior to the survey.
b
Other chemicals include formaldehyde, hydrogen peroxide, acid, ammonia, phenolics, floor wax stripper, ethylene oxide, glutaraldehyde, ortho-phthalaldehydes, peracetic acid, and enzymatic cleaners.