Table 4.

Subhazard Ratios (SHRs)¹ for incident chronic lung disease for in workers, by reported industry/occupation and exposure to chemicals, 1992 HRS Cohort²

	Reported industry or occupation (I/O)	Reported exposure	Number in category	COPD cases in category	SHR compared to workers unexposed to agent and not in I/O (95% CI)
Industry(3-digit 1980 U.S. Census code)
Blast furnaces, steelworks, rolling & finishing mills (270)3	yes	no	42	8	1.41 (0.75–2.67)
Asbestos	no	yes	277	63	1.70 (1.30–2.21)
Both	yes	yes	8	5	5.08 (3.16–8.15)
None	no	no	7,144	1,100	1.00
Automotive Repair Shops (751)4	yes	no	43	10	1.30 (0.66–2.58)
Aerosol paint	no	yes	154	21	0.70 (0.43–1.14)
Both	yes	Yes	15	8	2.69 (1.33–5.43)
None	no	no	7,259	1,137	1.00
Occupation
Material moving equipment operators (843–859)5	yes	no	83	16	1.41 (0.86–2.32)
Dust and ash, n.e.c.	no	yes	268	56	1.28 (0.92–1.77)
Both	yes	yes	14	5	2.17 (1.14–4.13)
None	no	no	7,142	1,105	1.00
Farm Workers (479)	yes	no	46	10	1.42 (0.73–2.73)
Pesticides	no	yes	250	46	1.21 (0.88–1.67)
Both	yes	yes	20	5	3.40 (1.40–8.23)
None	no	no	7,191	1,121	1.00
Laborers, except construction (889)	yes	no	37	8	1.68 (0.86–3.28)
Dust and ash, n.e.c.	no	yes	273	56	1.23 (0.90–1.69)
Both	yes	yes	9	5	3.83 (1.89–7.75)
None	no	no	7,188	1,113	1.00

Italics indicate statistically significant results.

CI = confidence interval; n.e.c = not elsewhere classified

¹Subhazard ratios reported as of 2016 interview adjusted for cohort, sex, race, ethnicity, education, household income, and smoking

²Members of 1992 HRs cohort who were employed by 1972, still working in 1992, had not been diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at baseline survey, and responded to at least one follow-up survey

³Exposures to acids were also reported by workers in the industry, but exposed n<5

⁴Exposures to organic solvents and exhaust from cars, trucks, etc. were reported by workers in the industry, but exposed n<5

⁵Exposures to asbestos were reported by workers in the occupation, but exposed n<5