The Effect Of Occupational Exposure To Wood Dust And Cigarette Smoking On Pulmonary Function

Author : Erik Joseph Rodriquez
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9781267759924
Total Pages : pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (599 download)

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Download or read book Pulmonary Function and Cigarette Smoking Among Latinos in California and the United States written by Erik Joseph Rodriquez and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Lung disease and cigarette smoking are among the leading causes of death in the United States. Additionally, there is speculation that Latinos face disproportionate risk of occupational respiratory illness due to their high employment in occupations such as agricultural work. In California, agricultural exposures, such as dust, can adversely affect an individual's pulmonary function and differ by what the farm produces and what job is performed. Despite the potentially increased risks, little research has been conducted on the respiratory health of hired farm workers. A related issue to respiratory health in this population is the phenomenon of low-level smoking (1-5 cigarettes per day (CPD)). Although the prevalence of cigarette smoking is low among Latinos, the prevalence of low-level smoking is high and characteristics and risk factors of low-level smoking among Latinos have not been examined. An introduction to these public health concerns are provided in Chapter 1. Chapters 2 and 3 examined data from a prospective cohort study of hired farm workers residing in an agricultural community in California to address both occupational risks associated with respiratory health and low-level smoking. In Chapter 4 data from the 2009 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) and the 2007-2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were analyzed to further explore low-level smoking patterns in Latinos. Chapter 5 summarizes key findings, addresses their public health implications, and recommends areas for future research.In Chapter 2, statistical analyses using interviewer administered questionnaire and spirometry data from the Mexican Immigration to California: Agricultural Safety and Acculturation (MICASA) farm worker cohort: 1) quantified dust exposure by crop type and job task and 2) examined the associations between the percent time spent working in specific crops and tasks in the past twelve months with pulmonary function outcomes including FEV1, FEF25-75%, FVC, FEV6, FEV1/FVC, and FEV1/FEV6. Multiple linear regression assessed relationships between specific crop types and jobs tasks with decreased pulmonary outcomes, adjusted for age, sex, height squared, and current smoking. In Chapter 3, interview data from the MICASA cohort were analyzed to establish demographic, migration-related, and psychosocial characteristics and risk factors of low-level smoking. Multiple logistic regression examined sex, marital status, years lived in the U.S., acculturation level, depressive symptoms, and frequent mental distress with low-level smoking compared to smoking 6+ CPD. Then, multinomial logistic regression evaluated these exposures, modeling low-level smoking and smoking 6+ CPD, separately, against never and former smoking combined. In Chapter 4, multiple logistic regression models examining demographic, ethnic, and migration-related characteristics and risk factors of low-level smoking were conducted separately for Latinos in the CHIS and NHANES. All models were adjusted for age, sex, marital status, and education. Primary findings in Chapter 2 indicted that asparagus and lettuce were the least dusty crops, greater percent time spent supervising was associated with worse pulmonary function, and greater percent time spent cleaning was associated with improved pulmonary function. Greater percent time spent working in cotton, lettuce, and asparagus was associated with improved pulmonary function. Results were generally supported by existing knowledge of dust exposure and particulate matter in agriculture. Chapter 3 results found that low-level smokers did not smoke for as many days during the past month compared to those who smoked 6+ CPD. Low-level smokers were less likely than never and former smokers to be married but more likely to experience frequent mental distress. In Chapter 4, low-level Latino smokers in both the CHIS and NHANES were found to be less likely to be daily smokers than those who smoked 6+ CPD. Among NHANES smokers, those born in Mexico or with shorter residencies in the U.S. were more likely to be low-level smokers. Among CHIS smokers, those born in a Spanish-speaking country or who spent smaller percentages of their life in the U.S. were more likely to be low-level smokers. Demographic factors in both surveys were not associated with low-level smoking.Chapter 2 results provide further evidence of the role that dust exposure plays in the associations between agricultural work and pulmonary function. These findings can be used to encourage farms to invest in sufficient respiratory protection for workers. Chapter 2 sets low-level smokers apart from non-smokers and heavier smokers with respect to marital status and frequent mental distress. In addition, foreign birth and shorter residencies in the U.S. among low-level Latino smokers in Chapter 4 demonstrates shared common characteristics and risk factors between the CHIS and NHANES respondents. Along with Chapter 3, these observations increase our understanding of low-level smokers and promote modifications to smoking education and cessation programs targeted at Latinos.