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Industry‐wide medical surveillance of California flavor manufacturing workers: Cross‐sectional results
Author(s) -
Kim Thomas J.,
Materna Barbara L.,
Prudhomme Janice C.,
Fedan Kathleen B.,
Enright Paul L.,
Sahakian Nancy M.,
Windham Gayle C.,
Kreiss Kathleen
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
american journal of industrial medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.7
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1097-0274
pISSN - 0271-3586
DOI - 10.1002/ajim.20858
Subject(s) - medicine , cross sectional study , environmental health , occupational exposure , occupational medicine , pathology
Abstract Background Two cases of bronchiolitis obliterans in flavor manufacturing workers prompted California health and labor agencies to initiate industry‐wide surveillance. Methods Companies' physicians submitted cross‐sectional questionnaire and spirometry data for 467 workers in 16 workplaces. We compared prevalence ratios of respiratory symptoms, diagnoses, and abnormal spirometry to a general population sample. We calculated odds ratios for risk factors for spirometric obstructive abnormality. Results Flavoring workers were 2.7 times more likely than the general population to have severe airways obstruction. Risk factors identified for 18 cases with obstruction from six companies included younger age, Hispanic ethnicity, liquid and powder production work, greater company diacetyl usage, and having a coworker with obstruction. Severity of obstruction was related to tenure. At least 12 workers had probable occupational fixed airways obstruction. Conclusions The flavoring industry risk of severe lung disease justifies lowering flavoring exposures and medical screening for secondary prevention until worker safety is demonstrated. Am. J. Ind. Med. 53:857–865, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.