Saf Health Work.
2024 Dec;15(4):412-418. 10.1016/j.shaw.2024.07.002.
Asthma Among Manitoba Workers: Results from the Manitoba Occupational Disease Surveillance System
- Affiliations
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- 1School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- 2Department of Oncology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- 3Manitoba Centre for Health Policy, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
- 4Partnership for Work, Health, and Safety, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- 5Occupational Cancer Research Centre, Ontario Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
- 6Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- 7BC Centre for Disease Control, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- 8BC Cancer, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- 9Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
- 10Department of Community Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
- KMID: 2564496
- DOI: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.shaw.2024.07.002
Abstract
- Background
This study characterized the risk of new-onset asthma among workers in Manitoba, Canada.
Methods
Accepted time loss claims from the Workers' Compensation Board of Manitoba from 2006 to 2019, containing workers' occupations and industries, were linked with administrative health data from 1996 to 2020. After restricting the cohort to the first claim per person in an occupation and applying age and coverage exclusions, the cohort comprised 142,588 person–occupation combinations. Asthma cases were identified if workers had at least two medical records for asthma (International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, 493) within a 12-month period, within the 2 years before 3 years after cohort entry. New-onset asthma was identified using a 3-year washout period. Asthma hazard ratios by occupation and industry were estimated using Cox proportional hazard models, adjusted for age, and stratified by sex.
Results
Increased asthma risk was observed among workers with known asthmagen exposure, including male veterinary and animal health technologists and technicians (hazard ratio 3.97, 95% CI 1.78–8.86), male fish processing workers (3.40, 1.53–7.57), and male machining tool operators (2.91, 1.72–4.92). Increases were also observed for occupations with unknown or suspected allergens, including gas station attendants, drivers, mail/postal and related workers, public works and maintenance laborers, mine laborers and crane operators, and some indoor worker groups. Decreased risks were observed among nurses and residential and commercial installer and servicers.
Conclusion
This database linkage study successfully identified occupations and industries with known sensitizing agents or irritants, and several occupation and industries not typically associated with work-related asthma, warranting further investigation.
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