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Individual and occupational characteristics associated with respiratory symptoms among latino horse farm workers
Author(s) -
Swanberg Jennifer E.,
Clouser Jessica Miller,
Gan Wenqi,
Mannino David M.,
Flunker John C.
Publication year - 2015
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.22452
Subject(s) - medicine , respiratory system , environmental health , logistic regression , barn , occupational medicine , odds ratio , odds , demography , occupational exposure , civil engineering , sociology , engineering
Background Latino workers are likely exposed to a variety of respiratory hazards in the horse barn, yet the potential impact of these exposures on respiratory health has not been investigated. Methods Using a community‐based sample of 225 Latino horse farmworkers we investigated the prevalence of upper and lower respiratory symptoms and occupational characteristics associated with them. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with respiratory symptomology. Results Upper respiratory symptoms prevalence ranged from 24% to 45%. Half of workers reported lower respiratory symptoms. Workers with symptoms were more likely to be female and have lower levels of English understanding. Workers who never/rarely used dust masks while working in the barn experienced over two times the odds of reporting upper respiratory symptoms. Conclusions Many Latino horse workers experienced upper and lower respiratory symptoms. Dust mask use may protect workers in this and other enclosed livestock operations from respiratory symptoms. Am. J. Ind. Med. 58:679–687, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.