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Socioeconomic and occupational groups and risk of asthma in Sweden

Li, Xinjun LU ; Sundquist, Jan LU and Sundquist, Kristina LU (2008) In Occupational Medicine 58(3). p.161-168
Abstract

AIM: To investigate possible associations between hospitalization for asthma and socioeconomic status and occupation.

METHODS: A nationwide database was constructed by linking Swedish Census data to the Hospital Discharge Register (1987-2004). The hospital diagnoses of asthma were based on the International Classification of Diseases. Standardized incidence ratios were calculated for different socioeconomic and occupational groups. Ninety-five per cent confidence intervals were calculated assuming a Poisson distribution.

RESULTS: A total of 13,202 male and 11,876 female hospitalizations for asthma were retrieved at ages >30 years. The socioeconomic groups with < 9 years of education were associated with a significantly... (More)

AIM: To investigate possible associations between hospitalization for asthma and socioeconomic status and occupation.

METHODS: A nationwide database was constructed by linking Swedish Census data to the Hospital Discharge Register (1987-2004). The hospital diagnoses of asthma were based on the International Classification of Diseases. Standardized incidence ratios were calculated for different socioeconomic and occupational groups. Ninety-five per cent confidence intervals were calculated assuming a Poisson distribution.

RESULTS: A total of 13,202 male and 11,876 female hospitalizations for asthma were retrieved at ages >30 years. The socioeconomic groups with < 9 years of education were associated with a significantly increased risk of hospitalization for asthma. Among male occupations, increased risks were noted for farmers, mechanics and iron and metal workers, welders, bricklayers, workers in food manufacture, packers, loaders and warehouse workers, waiters and chimney sweeps with prolonged exposures in two censuses. For female occupations, increased risks were observed among assistant nurses, religious, juridical and other social science-related workers, drivers, mechanics and iron and metalware workers and wood workers.

CONCLUSIONS: The present study suggests that socioeconomic status (low educational level) and occupation have an effect on the population's risk of hospitalization for asthma.

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author
; and
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
keywords
Adult, Age Distribution, Asthma/epidemiology, Confidence Intervals, Educational Status, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Hospitalization/statistics & numerical data, Humans, Incidence, Male, Middle Aged, Occupational Diseases/epidemiology, Occupations, Registries, Risk, Sex Distribution, Socioeconomic Factors, Sweden/epidemiology
in
Occupational Medicine
volume
58
issue
3
pages
8 pages
publisher
Oxford University Press
external identifiers
  • pmid:18296686
  • scopus:65849203732
ISSN
0962-7480
DOI
10.1093/occmed/kqn009
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
ebcfa014-ba1a-43bd-8797-3a0e2d2ac28b
date added to LUP
2019-01-30 11:02:57
date last changed
2024-03-02 18:36:02
@article{ebcfa014-ba1a-43bd-8797-3a0e2d2ac28b,
  abstract     = {{<p>AIM: To investigate possible associations between hospitalization for asthma and socioeconomic status and occupation.</p><p>METHODS: A nationwide database was constructed by linking Swedish Census data to the Hospital Discharge Register (1987-2004). The hospital diagnoses of asthma were based on the International Classification of Diseases. Standardized incidence ratios were calculated for different socioeconomic and occupational groups. Ninety-five per cent confidence intervals were calculated assuming a Poisson distribution.</p><p>RESULTS: A total of 13,202 male and 11,876 female hospitalizations for asthma were retrieved at ages &gt;30 years. The socioeconomic groups with &lt; 9 years of education were associated with a significantly increased risk of hospitalization for asthma. Among male occupations, increased risks were noted for farmers, mechanics and iron and metal workers, welders, bricklayers, workers in food manufacture, packers, loaders and warehouse workers, waiters and chimney sweeps with prolonged exposures in two censuses. For female occupations, increased risks were observed among assistant nurses, religious, juridical and other social science-related workers, drivers, mechanics and iron and metalware workers and wood workers.</p><p>CONCLUSIONS: The present study suggests that socioeconomic status (low educational level) and occupation have an effect on the population's risk of hospitalization for asthma.</p>}},
  author       = {{Li, Xinjun and Sundquist, Jan and Sundquist, Kristina}},
  issn         = {{0962-7480}},
  keywords     = {{Adult; Age Distribution; Asthma/epidemiology; Confidence Intervals; Educational Status; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Hospitalization/statistics & numerical data; Humans; Incidence; Male; Middle Aged; Occupational Diseases/epidemiology; Occupations; Registries; Risk; Sex Distribution; Socioeconomic Factors; Sweden/epidemiology}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{161--168}},
  publisher    = {{Oxford University Press}},
  series       = {{Occupational Medicine}},
  title        = {{Socioeconomic and occupational groups and risk of asthma in Sweden}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/occmed/kqn009}},
  doi          = {{10.1093/occmed/kqn009}},
  volume       = {{58}},
  year         = {{2008}},
}