Table 2.
Risk of chronic bronchitis, COPD and lung function decline in farmers working with large animals: studies from 2000
| References/country | Study design | Subjects (n) | Participation rate (%) | Age (years) | Animal exposure | Methods for defining chronic bronchitis | Methods for defining bronchial obstruction | Risk factors | Chronic bronchitis OR in exposed to large animals (95% CI) unless otherwise stated | Bronchial obstruction/COPD OR in exposed to large animals (95% CI) unless otherwise stated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iversen and Dahl [30] Denmark 2000 |
Longitudinal FU = 7 years |
177 | 76 |
43 Baseline |
Swine confinement and dairy farmers | Not done | Lung function§ | Work exclusively with pigs or dairy | Not done | Swine confinement farmers: accelerated decline in FEV1 53 mL year−1 vs. 36 mL year−1 in dairy non-smoking farmers, (p = 0.02) |
| Chaudemanche et al. [31]/France 2003 |
Longitudinal FU = 6 years |
215 | 81 |
52 FU |
Dairy farmers | Questionnaire | Lung function§ | Chronic bronchitis and bronchial obstruction: dairy farming |
Higher prevalence of chronic bronchitis in dairy farmers (7.5%) than in controls (1.8%, p < 0.02) PRR = 4.2 |
Decline in FEV1/VC ratio was significantly higher in dairy farmers than in controls -0.3 (SE 0.13) year−1 in a multiple linear regression correcting for smoking height, age, sex and altitude and initial value |
| Gainet et al. [32]/France 2007 |
Longitudinal FU = 12 years |
157 farmers 159 controls |
77 Calculated |
51 FU |
Dairy farmers | Lung function§ |
Farming Accelerated decline in FEV1/VC -1.2 ± 0.07% year−1 (p < 0.01) Corr. smoking height, age, sex and altitude |
|||
| Thaon et al. [22]/France 2011 |
Longitudinal FU = 12 years |
219 LF: 157 |
83 |
58 FU |
Dairy farmers | Questionnaire | Lung function decline inFEV1/FV§ | Usual morning phlegm: handling hay, straw and animal feed | Dairy farming: Morning phlegm: 4.3 (1.4–13) chronic bronchitis: 4.7 (0.5–41) |
Dairy farming Accelerated decline in FEV1/FVC -0.21 ± 0.08% year−1 (p = 0.01) Animal feed: Accelerated decline in FEV1 9.12 ± 4.7 ml year−1 (p = 0.05) Corr. For smoking height, age, sex and altitude |
| Bolund et al. [29]/Denmark 2015 |
Longitudinal FU = 15 yrs |
1134 | 52 | 18.7 baseline |
Farmers Swine and or dairy |
Interview | lln§ |
Dairy, swine, LPS, Dust Farm upbringing |
Not done |
Current farming Accelerated decline in z-scores ∆FEV1 − 0.12 (− 0.2 to − 0.1) year−1 and ∆FEV1/FVC − 0.15 (− 0.3 to − 0.04) year−1. Corrected for smoking, second hand smoking, sex, being raised on a farm, baseline BHR and follow-up BMI Farm upbringing protective for decline in ∆FEV1 & ∆FEV1/FVC |
| Magarolas et al. [21]/Spain 2000 | Cross-sectional | 808 | 68 | Not stated |
Sheep workers Dairy farming |
Questionnaire | Not done | Dairy farming | Chronic bronchitis: dairy farming 1.8 (1.1–2.9) | Not done |
| Kimbell-Dunn et al. [24]/New Zealand 2001 | Cross-sectional | 1706 | 78 | Not stated |
Beef/dairy cattle farmers 75%* Sheep 50%* Horses 15% |
Postal questionnaire | Not done | Chronic bronchitis: horses, smoking, atopy | Chronic bronchitis: working with horses 1.6 1.1–2.5) | Not done |
| Radon and Winter [17]/Germany 2003 | Cross-sectional | 325 | 82 | 50 |
Sheep and other animals 37% Sheep shearing 24% Use of sheep dip 27% Use of chemical footbaths 66% |
Questionnaire | Not done |
Chronic bronchitis: sheep breeding ODTS: sheep breeding & footbaths |
Chronic bronchitis: full time farmers 1.9 (0.9–3.9) | Not done |
| Monsò et al. [26]/Europe 2004 | Cross-sectional | 105 non-smokers | 85 | 45 |
Confinement buildings: Pig farmers 78%* Beef/veal f. 30%* Dairy f. 22%* Poultry f. 31%* |
Questionnaire | Lung function | COPD: organic dust (dose–response relationship) | Not reported | COPD in non-smoking farmers working inside confinement buildings: organic dust 6.6 (1.1–39.5) |
| Schenker et al. [19]/USA 2005 | Cross- sectional |
1947 1751 m 196 f |
80 by contact 43 by target pop |
54 m 54f |
Livestock 13% | Questionnaire | Not done |
Chronic bronchitis prevalence: female swine farmers 3.9% Asthma related to livestock last 12 months 12% |
||
| Senthilselvan et al. [23]/Canada 2007 | Cross-sectional | 374 | 70 | 36 | Full time swine farmers | Questionnaire | Lung function | Chronic bronchitis: full time swine farming and female sex |
Chronic bronchitis: Female sw farmers 4.3 (1.9–9.7) Male sw farmers 3.2 (1.8–5.9) |
No differences in lung function among swine farmers and controls and among females and males |
| Gallagher et al. [25]/NZ 2007 | Cross-sectional |
475 318 |
72 64 |
53.3 49.4 |
475 horse trainers 318 vegetable growers |
Questionnaire | Not done | Chronic bronchitis |
Chronic bronchitis prev. 8 vs 3% OR for CB increased in horse tr 2.3 (1.1–5.2) c f age, gender, smoking, family history of atopic conditions, and dust exposures outside of work |
|
| Eduard et al. [20]/Norway 2009 | Cross-sectional | 4469 | 90 |
15–29 years 1496 30–49 years 1647 50–70 years 1326 |
Livestock farmers | Questionnaire | Lung function | Livestock farming, ammonia, hydrogen sulfide dust and atopy | Chronic bronchitis: 1.9 (1.4–2.6) |
COPD: 1.4 (1.1–2.6) FEV1 was significantly reduced |
| Elfman et al. [143]/2009 Sweden 2009 | CS Tox | 13 | ?? | Horse grooms visited 3 times spring–summer spring 2004–2005 | Questionnaire NAL | Too small to see effects | ||||
| Tual et al. [144]/France 2013 | Cross-sectional | 14,441 | 99 | 65 |
Cattle farmers 68%* Poultry f. 30%* Pigs f. 24%* |
Questionnaire | Not done |
Cattle raising Small-scale cattle raising |
Chronic bronchitis: cattle farmers 1.2 (1.03–1.5) Non-smoking cattle farmers 1.5 (1.1–5.9) |
Not done |
| Viegas et al. [145]/Poland 2013 | Cross-sectional |
33 70 |
Swine barn workers Persons with no ag work |
Interviews | Swine barns |
Asthma n = 3 (12%) Wheezing n = 10 (35%) Coughing n = 12 (41%) Dose response for symptoms |
Not done | |||
| Rodriquez et al. [146]/USA 2014 | Cross-sectional | 450 Hispanics | na | 22–70 | Hired farm workers | Interview | Lung function | Farming | Dairy farming | |
| Mitchell et al. [147]/USA 2015 | Cross-sectional |
205 45 |
91 92 |
Parlor workers Processing plant (pepper) Workers |
Questionnaire | Lung function | Years worked in agr associated with ↓ FEV1/FEV6 | |||
| Guillien et al. [28]/France 2016 | Cross sectional | 3787 | 41 | 40–75 |
Cattle breeders Swine breeders Poultry breeders Breeders of 2 + livestock types |
Questionnaire | Lung function |
Animal farming Geographical area |
Not reported |
COPD: cattle 1.8 (1.1–3.0) Swine 2.3 (1.1–4.9) Poultry 2.6 (1.0–4.1) |
| Marescaux et al. [27]/France 2016 | Cross sectional | 590 | 72 |
COPD lln − 53.9 + 59.0 |
Dairy farmers Doubs region | Questionnaire | Lung function |
Farm size and modernity Smoking (sm) |
Not reported |
COPD lln Traditional Farm 5.20 (1.73–15.6) Interaction analysis Non-sm/modern 1 Sm/modern 1.33 (0.2–10) Non-sm/trad 5.39 (1.2–25) Sm/trad 8.29 (1.9–37) |
| Nonnenmann et al. [148]/USA 2017 | Cross sectional | 62 | na | 32 [10] | Milking cows | Interview | Not done |
Lln lower limit of normal, na not available, COPD chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, OR odd ratio, PRR proportional reporting ratio, FU follow up period, LPS Lipopolysaccharides
* Not mutually exclusive
§No post dilatation lung function performed