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Quality of life of adults with workplace exacerbation of asthma

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Abstract

Objective

A cross-sectional study collecting demographic, work history, disease, and quality-of-life (QOL) data from adults with asthma was explored for a relationship between workplace exacerbation of asthma (WEA) and QOL.

Study design and setting

The study population of adults with asthma was drawn from adults affiliated with Fallon Community Health Plan, a health maintenance organization serving Massachusetts.

Results

The sample consisted of 598 adults with asthma. Based on univariate analyses, study participants with WEA had a statistically significant higher Total QOL score, indicating a worse quality of life, than participants whose asthma was not work-related (2.43 vs. 1.74, P ≤ 0.001), and also higher scores on the instrument’s four subscales for Breathlessness, Mood Disturbance, Social Disruptions, and Health Concerns. After controlling for covariates using multiple linear regression, the relationship between WEA and the Total QOL score was statistically significant (P = 0.0004) with a coefficient of 0.54. The coefficient for WEA was also statistically significant based on regression models for all the subscales with the exception of the Breathlessness score (P = 0.08).

Conclusion

In summary, WEA was associated with a worse QOL. Ideally, employees and employers would work together to minimize the conditions at work that contribute to WEA, which should decrease the frequency of WEA and related degradation of QOL.

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Abbreviations

QOL:

Quality-of-life

WEA:

Workplace exacerbation of asthma

NIOSH:

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

FCHP:

Fallon Community Health Plan

J-AQLQ:

Juniper Asthma Quality-of-Life Questionnaire

Mini J-AQLQ:

A shortened version of the Juniper Asthma Quality-of-Life Questionnaire

M-AQLQ:

Mark’s Asthma Quality-of-Life Questionnaire

Breathlessness:

Breathlessness subscale

Mood:

Mood Disturbance subscale

Social:

Social Disruptions subscale

Concerns:

Health Concerns subscale

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Respiratory Disease Studies, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Morgantown, WV, USA

    Elizabeth P. Lowery & Paul K. Henneberger

  2. Fallon Clinic Research Department, Worcester, MA, USA

    Richard Rosiello & Peggy Preusse

  3. Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA

    Susan R. Sama

  4. Department of Work Environment, University of Massachusetts, Lowell, MA, USA

    Don K. Milton

Authors
  1. Elizabeth P. Lowery
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  2. Paul K. Henneberger
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  3. Richard Rosiello
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  4. Susan R. Sama
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  5. Peggy Preusse
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  6. Don K. Milton
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Correspondence to Paul K. Henneberger.

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Lowery, E.P., Henneberger, P.K., Rosiello, R. et al. Quality of life of adults with workplace exacerbation of asthma. Qual Life Res 16, 1605–1613 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-007-9274-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-007-9274-5

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