Table 1.
Demographic characteristics, exposure history, and clinical profiles of the insulators.
| N = 990 | |
|---|---|
| Demographics | |
| Sex (male), n (%) | 875 (88) |
| Age (years), mean (SD) | 45 (14) |
| 1st quartile (n = 239) | 28 (4) |
| 2nd quartile (n = 237) | 39 (4) |
| 3rd quartile (n = 256) | 51 (3) |
| 4th quartile (n = 258) | 62 (6) |
| BMI (kg/m2), mean (SD) | 29.3 (5.5) |
| Ethnicity, n (%) | |
| Caucasian | 792 (80) |
| African/Afro-American | 63 (6) |
| Asian/Middle-Eastern | 38 (4) |
| Hispanic | 65 (7) |
| Aboriginal | 32 (3) |
| Education, n (%) | |
| Up to high school | 163 (16) |
| Trade school | 490 (50) |
| College or beyond | 337 (34) |
| Marital status, n (%) | |
| Married/common law-partner | 592 (60) |
| Smoking history | |
| Never smokers, n (%) | 332 (34) |
| Overall pack-years, median (IQR) | 4.7 (0, 18) |
| Job history (years), median (IQR) | 13 (4, 29) |
| Passively smoke exposure at childhood, n (%) | 661 (67) |
| Parental lung disease, n (%) | 250 (25) |
| Family history of cancer, n (%) | 285 (29) |
| Clinical features | |
| Allergies, n (%) | |
| Any allergies | 416 (42) |
| Hay fever † | 111 (11) |
| Eczema † | 46 (5) |
| Hives † | 36 (4) |
| Other allergies † | 340 (34) |
| FEV1 (% predicted), mean (SD) | 94.0 (15.8) |
| FVC (% predicted), mean (SD) | 100.3 (15.1) |
| FEV1/FVC, mean (SD) | 76.7 (8.5) |
| Exposure details | |
| Ever exposed to asbestos, n (%) | 547 (55) |
| Ever exposed to aerogel, n (%) | 392 (40) |
| Ever exposed to calcium silicate, n (%) | 877 (89) |
| Ever exposed to carbon fibers, n (%) | 597 (60) |
| Ever exposed to fiberglass, n (%) | 849 (86) |
| Ever exposed to mineral fibers, n (%) | 950 (96) |
| Ever exposed to refractory ceramic fibers, n (%) | 632 (64) |
| Use of PPE for | |
| Asbestos, n (%) | 276 (28) |
| Aerogels, n (%) | 303 (31) |
| Calcium silicate, n (%) | NA |
| Carbon fibers, n (%) | NA |
| Fiberglass, n (%) | 105 (11) |
| Mineral fibers, n (%) | 148 (15) |
| Refractory ceramic fibers, n (%) | NA |
| Respiratory conditions | |
| Having a chest infection within past 3 years, n (%) | 457 (46) |
| Frequency of chest infection within past 3 years, median (IQR) ‡ | 2 (1, 3) |
| COPD, n (%) | 156 (16) |
| Asthma, n (%) | 40 (4) |
Data presented as frequency (%), mean (standard deviation: SD), or median (interquartile range: IQR), unless otherwise specified. † these different allergies do not add up to 100% (any allergies) due to multiple nonexclusive response. ‡ those who had a chest infection at least once in the past 3 years (n = 457). Abbreviations: BMI: body mass index; COPD: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; FEV1: forced expiratory volume in 1 s; FVC: forced vital capacity; PPE: personal protective equipment; and NA: data not available.