TY - JOUR
T1 - Respiratory symptoms among residents of a heavy-industry province in China
T2 - Prevalence and risk factors
AU - Wilson, Donald
AU - Takahashi, Ken
AU - Pan, Guowei
AU - Chan, Chang Chuan
AU - Zhang, Shujuan
AU - Feng, Yiping
AU - Hoshuyama, Tsutomu
AU - Chuang, Kai Jen
AU - Lin, Ro Ting
AU - Hwang, Jing Shiang
N1 - Funding Information:
Research funded by Grant 2001229001 from the Liaoning Provincial Department of Science and Technology.
PY - 2008/11
Y1 - 2008/11
N2 - Objective: In China, significant levels of environmental pollution, substandard worksite quality and high rates of smoking predispose the population to potentially high risks of respiratory illnesses and other diseases. We assessed the prevalence of respiratory symptoms and their risks in relation to personal, occupational and environmental risk factors in a heavy-industry province of northeastern China. Methods: Lifestyle, health, residential and occupational data were obtained in 2002 from 31,704 adults of six cities in Liaoning, China, using self-assessment questionnaires. General linear and multi-level models were used to evaluate prevalence rates and risks of respiratory symptoms, related to both individual and combined exposures to environmental and occupational risk factors. Results: The crude prevalence rates (PRs) for persistent cough, persistent phlegm, wheeze and asthma were 2.3, 3.8, 2.1 and 1.0%, respectively. The odds ratios (ORs) of all four respiratory symptoms examined were increased by: smoking (ORs from 2.06 to 5.02), occupational dust (ORs from 1.35 to 1.72), occupational gas (ORs from 1.48 to 1.72) and presence of irritating smoke during cooking (ORs from 1.54 to 2.22). An index combining proximity of residence to road, factory or chimney, indoor coal use and presence of irritating smoke during cooking was associated with up to 3.9-fold increased risks of all symptoms. Increasing values of each risk factor were generally associated with dose-response trends in prevalence rates and risks (all p for trend <0.01). Conclusion: The crude PRs of symptoms were lower than those reported by European and American studies but closer to those of previous Chinese studies. The risks of respiratory symptoms in this population were increased by smoking, occupational exposures to dust and gas, and combined residence-related exposures such as living close to a main road, factory or chimney, indoor coal use and the presence of irritating smoke during cooking, among other risk factors.
AB - Objective: In China, significant levels of environmental pollution, substandard worksite quality and high rates of smoking predispose the population to potentially high risks of respiratory illnesses and other diseases. We assessed the prevalence of respiratory symptoms and their risks in relation to personal, occupational and environmental risk factors in a heavy-industry province of northeastern China. Methods: Lifestyle, health, residential and occupational data were obtained in 2002 from 31,704 adults of six cities in Liaoning, China, using self-assessment questionnaires. General linear and multi-level models were used to evaluate prevalence rates and risks of respiratory symptoms, related to both individual and combined exposures to environmental and occupational risk factors. Results: The crude prevalence rates (PRs) for persistent cough, persistent phlegm, wheeze and asthma were 2.3, 3.8, 2.1 and 1.0%, respectively. The odds ratios (ORs) of all four respiratory symptoms examined were increased by: smoking (ORs from 2.06 to 5.02), occupational dust (ORs from 1.35 to 1.72), occupational gas (ORs from 1.48 to 1.72) and presence of irritating smoke during cooking (ORs from 1.54 to 2.22). An index combining proximity of residence to road, factory or chimney, indoor coal use and presence of irritating smoke during cooking was associated with up to 3.9-fold increased risks of all symptoms. Increasing values of each risk factor were generally associated with dose-response trends in prevalence rates and risks (all p for trend <0.01). Conclusion: The crude PRs of symptoms were lower than those reported by European and American studies but closer to those of previous Chinese studies. The risks of respiratory symptoms in this population were increased by smoking, occupational exposures to dust and gas, and combined residence-related exposures such as living close to a main road, factory or chimney, indoor coal use and the presence of irritating smoke during cooking, among other risk factors.
KW - Childhood respiratory disease
KW - China
KW - Indoor pollution
KW - NO
KW - Occupational dust exposure
KW - Occupational gas exposure
KW - Parental history of respiratory disease
KW - Prevalence rates
KW - Residence-related pollution
KW - Respiratory symptoms
KW - Risk factors
KW - SO
KW - Smoking
KW - TSP
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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=55549091701&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.rmed.2008.06.010
DO - 10.1016/j.rmed.2008.06.010
M3 - Article
C2 - 18684604
AN - SCOPUS:55549091701
SN - 0954-6111
VL - 102
SP - 1536
EP - 1544
JO - Respiratory Medicine
JF - Respiratory Medicine
IS - 11
ER -
