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Occupational Exposure Influences on Gender Differences in Respiratory Health

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Abstract

Background

The aim of this study was to evaluate gender differences in the respiratory health of workers exposed to organic and inorganic dusts.

Methods

Meta-analysis techniques incorporating logistic regression were applied to a combined file of 12 occupational health studies.

Results

Meta-analysis of data on 1,367 women and 4,240 men showed that women had higher odds of shortness of breath whether exposed to inorganic dust or having no occupational exposure, with an overall odds ratio (OR) of 2.07 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.57–2.73) adjusted for smoking status, age, body mass index (BMI), ethnic status, atopy, and job duration. Inorganic dust exposure was associated with the highest odds of asthma (adjusted OR = 8.38, 95% CI = 1.72–40.89) for women compared to men, but no differences were found for unexposed workers. With organic dust exposure, men had elevated odds for occasional wheeze and worse lung function compared to women.

Conclusion

Within the limitations of this analysis, gender differences in respiratory health, as suggested by population-based studies, were confirmed in our analysis of occupational health studies, with the general type of exposure, organic or inorganic, generally determining the extent of differences. The higher risks for women compared to men for shortness of breath were robust regardless of work exposure category, with the highest odds ratios found for asthma.

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Acknowledgments

This study was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Institute of Gender and Health (IGH), and Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health (ICRH). The authors appreciate the support of members of the Interdisciplinary Capacity Enhancement: Bridging Excellence in Respiratory Disease and Gender Studies (ICEBERGS) team at the University of British Columbia for their encouragement to create the combined data set and evaluate occupational influences on gender differences in respiratory health.

Conflict of interest

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Respiratory Division, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada

    Helen Dimich-Ward, Kris Beking, Anne DyBuncio & Moira Chan-Yeung

  2. UBC Department of Medicine, VGH Research Pavilion, 390-828 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 1L8, Canada

    Helen Dimich-Ward

  3. School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada

    Weiwei Du, Barbara Karlen & Susan M. Kennedy

  4. Department of Physical Therapy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada

    Pat G. Camp

  5. James Hogg Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada

    Pat G. Camp

Authors
  1. Helen Dimich-Ward
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  2. Kris Beking
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  3. Anne DyBuncio
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  4. Moira Chan-Yeung
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  5. Weiwei Du
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  6. Barbara Karlen
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  7. Pat G. Camp
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  8. Susan M. Kennedy
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Helen Dimich-Ward.

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Dimich-Ward, H., Beking, K., DyBuncio, A. et al. Occupational Exposure Influences on Gender Differences in Respiratory Health. Lung 190, 147–154 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00408-011-9344-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00408-011-9344-x

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