Incident chronic obstructive pulmonary disease associated with occupation, industry, and workplace exposures in the Health and Retirement Study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Chronic health effects from accumulated occupational exposures manifest as the workforce ages. The Health and Retirement Study (HRS), a panel survey of U.S. adults nearing/in retirement, allows assessment of associations among industry and occupation (I/O), workplace exposures, and incident chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Methods

The study population comprised respondents from the 1992 HRS cohort employed in 1972 or later and not diagnosed with COPD as of initial interview. We examined associations with incident COPD through 2016 and: (1) broad and selected detailed I/O, (2) workplace exposures, and (3) exposures within I/O. Given the cohort's baseline age (50-62), we calculated subhazard ratios (SHRs) for COPD accounting for competing risk of death.

SUBMITTER: Silver SR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7736507 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature