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A cross‐sectional survey of respiratory and general health outcomes among semiconductor industry workers
Author(s) -
McCurdy Stephen A.,
Pocekay Dennis,
Hammond S. Katharine,
Woskie Susan R.,
Samuels Steven J.,
Schenker Marc B.
Publication year - 1995
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.4700280616
Subject(s) - medicine , confidence interval , relative risk , confounding , cross sectional study , environmental health , occupational medicine , occupational exposure , pathology
As part of the Semiconductor Health Study, we performed a cross‐sectional survey to assess prevalence of specific nonreproductive health outcomes and their association with occupational exposures. A total of 3,175 persons from eight manufacturing sites across the U.S. completed a health and work questionnaire (78% participation rate). After adjusting for confounders, responses from fabrication room (fab) workers indicated a greater risk than those of nonfab workers for upper respiratory symptoms (relative risk [RR] = 1.08; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.03‐1.13); a dose‐response effect with hours per day spent in fabs was observed. Fab workers also had greater prevalence for persistent wheezing (RR = 1.82; 95% CI = 1.15‐2.87), Dermatitis within the past year (RR = 1.19; 95% CI = 1.04‐1.35), and alopecia (RR = 1.73; 95% CI = 1.16‐2.54). Female sex, a somatization index score, and smoking were important nonoccupational covariates. Increased respiratory symptoms MAy result from occupational exposures in fabs; further research is needed to identify causal agents and develop prevention strategies.