Office Work Exposures and Adult-Onset Asthma
Author Information
Author(s): Jaakkola Maritta S., Jaakkola Jouni J.K.
Primary Institution: Institute of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, University of Birmingham
Hypothesis
What is the relationship between exposure to carbonless copy paper, paper dust, and fumes from photocopiers and printers and the development of adult-onset asthma?
Conclusion
Exposures to paper dust and carbonless copy paper in office work are related to an increased risk of adult-onset asthma.
Supporting Evidence
- Exposures to paper dust were associated with a 97% increased risk of adult-onset asthma.
- Exposure to carbonless copy paper was linked to a 66% increased risk of asthma.
- An exposure-response relationship was observed for paper dust exposure.
Takeaway
Working in an office with paper dust and certain types of paper can make people more likely to get asthma.
Methodology
A population-based incident case-control study was conducted with 521 asthma cases and 1,016 controls, focusing on office workers.
Potential Biases
Potential reporting bias was minimized by using a population-based design.
Limitations
The study relied on self-reported exposure data, which may introduce some misclassification.
Participant Demographics
Participants were adults aged 21-63, with a higher proportion of women and more current smokers among cases than controls.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.05
Confidence Interval
1.25–3.10 for paper dust; 1.03–2.66 for carbonless copy paper
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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