Association between ever exposure and fixed airflow obstruction, chronic bronchitis and respiratory symptoms
| Exposures | Fixed AO-GOLD | Fixed AO-LLN | Chronic bronchitis | Chronic cough | Chronic phlegm | Dyspnoea | ||||||||||||
| No 1222 | Yes 113 | RR (95% CI) * | No 1223 | Yes 112 | RR (95% CI) | No 1075 | Yes 246 | RR (95% CI) | No 1131 | Yes 185 | RR (95% CI) | No 1146 | Yes 171 | RR (95% CI) | No 1107 | Yes 226 | RR (95% CI) | |
| Biological dust | ||||||||||||||||||
| Not exposed | 541 | 37 | Ref. | 541 | 37 | Ref. | 483 | 87 | Ref. | 511 | 59 | Ref. | 508 | 61 | Ref. | 504 | 74 | Ref. |
| Exposed | 681 | 76 | 1.58 (1.01 to 2.48) | 681 | 75 | 1.56 (1.00 to 2.45) | 592 | 159 | 0.99 (0.67 to 1.48) | 620 | 126 | 1.24 (0.83 to 1.84) | 639 | 109 | 0.98 (0.66 to 1.46) | 603 | 152 | 1.32 (0.95 to 1.85) |
| Mineral dust | ||||||||||||||||||
| Not exposed | 585 | 42 | Ref. | 586 | 42 | Ref. | 522 | 98 | Ref. | 555 | 64 | Ref. | 563 | 57 | Ref. | 544 | 84 | Ref. |
| Exposed | 636 | 71 | 1.29 (0.81 to 2.04) | 637 | 70 | 1.29 (0.81 to 2.04) | 554 | 148 | 1.10 (0.72 to 1.67) | 576 | 121 | 1.62 (1.06 to 2.48) | 583 | 114 | 1.51 (1.00 to 2.30) | 563 | 143 | 1.57 (1.10 to 2.23) |
| Gases/fumes | ||||||||||||||||||
| Not exposed | 352 | 22 | Ref. | 353 | 22 | Ref. | 314 | 57 | Ref. | 335 | 33 | Ref. | 336 | 33 | Ref. | 327 | 48 | Ref. |
| Exposed | 869 | 91 | 1.50 (0.88 to 2.54) | 870 | 90 | 1.47 (0.87 to 2.51) | 762 | 189 | 0.91 (0.58 to 1.45) | 796 | 152 | 1.25 (0.80 to 1.98) | 810 | 138 | 1.20 (0.76 to 1.90) | 780 | 179 | 1.31 (0.89 to 1.91) |
| VGDF | ||||||||||||||||||
| Not exposed | 300 | 21 | Ref. | 301 | 21 | Ref. | 273 | 45 | Ref. | 293 | 23 | Ref. | 290 | 26 | Ref. | 281 | 41 | Ref. |
| Exposed | 921 | 92 | 1.29 (0.73 to 2.17) | 922 | 91 | 1.25 (0.72 to 2.15) | 803 | 201 | 0.95 (0.58 to 1.55) | 838 | 162 | 1.69 (1.01 to 2.84) | 856 | 145 | 1.31 (0.80 to 2.17) | 826 | 186 | 1.29 (0.86 to 1.93) |
| All pesticides | ||||||||||||||||||
| Not exposed | 1024 | 85 | Ref. | 1024 | 85 | Ref. | 916 | 183 | Ref. | 961 | 134 | Ref. | 971 | 124 | Ref. | 940 | 169 | Ref. |
| Exposed | 198 | 28 | 1.74 (1.00 to 3.07) | 199 | 27 | 1.63 (0.91 to 3.07) | 160 | 63 | 1.81 (1.12 to 2.93) | 170 | 51 | 1.77 (1.04 to 3.01) | 175 | 47 | 2.06 (1.23 to 3.47) | 167 | 58 | 1.95 (1.23 to 3.09) |
| Herbicides | ||||||||||||||||||
| Not exposed | 1061 | 87 | Ref. | 1061 | 87 | Ref. | 947 | 191 | Ref. | 993 | 141 | Ref. | 1002 | 132 | Ref. | 966 | 182 | Ref. |
| Exposed | 161 | 26 | 2.09 (1.18 to 3.70) | 162 | 25 | 1.95 (1.08 to 3.49) | 129 | 55 | 1.81 (1.08 to 3.02) | 138 | 44 | 1.79 (1.04 to 3.09) | 144 | 39 | 1.62 (0.93 to 2.83) | 141 | 45 | 1.44 (0.89 to 2.34) |
| Insecticides | ||||||||||||||||||
| Not exposed | 1060 | 91 | Ref. | 1060 | 91 | Ref. | 947 | 194 | Ref. | 996 | 141 | Ref. | 1002 | 135 | Ref. | 970 | 181 | Ref. |
| Exposed | 162 | 22 | 1.70 (0.93 to 3.10) | 163 | 21 | 1.56 (0.84 to 2.90) | 129 | 52 | 1.64 (1.00 to 2.72) | 135 | 44 | 1.74 (1.00 to 3.05) | 144 | 36 | 1.62 (0.93 to 2.84) | 137 | 46 | 1.58 (0.97 to 2.57) |
The bolded text identifies results reaching statistical significance (p≤0.05).
*Adjusted for sex, smoking, pack-years, childhood and adulthood socioeconomic status, and childhood and adulthood asthma. The analyses with biological dust, mineral dust, gases/fumes and VGDF were additionally adjusted for all pesticides, whereas the analyses with all pesticides, herbicides and insecticides were additionally adjusted for VGDF exposure.
AO, airflow obstruction;GOLD, Global Obstructive Lung Disease; LLN, lower limit of normal; RR, relative risk; VGDF, vapour, gases, dust and fumes.