Severity and control of work-related asthma

Within work-related asthma, a distinction is made between occupational asthma and work-aggravated asthma. About 25% of adulthood asthma would appear to be work-related asthma. The frequency of work-aggravated asthma would appear to vary in the range 36% to 58% of work-related asthma. While it is known that asthmatics (in general) are more likely to have days off sick than non-asthmatics, little research has been done into the consequences of work-related asthmas on employment. However, it would seem that occupational asthma is harmful to employment. The breakdown of work-related asthma depending on severity and on control is not known and could vary as a function of factors of exposure to allergens, in particular occupational allergens.
Four hundred sufferers of work-related asthma will be recruited by the Centres de Consultations de Pathologies Professionnelles (Occupational Pathology Consultation Centres) and four hundred sufferers of asthma unrelated to work will be recruited by the same occupational physicians who have sent employees having work-related asthma to those centres, under supervision from the Occupational Epidemiology Division. Questionnaires will gather the characteristics of the sufferers, their prior respiratory diseases, their smoking habits, their career history, the severity and the control of their asthma, and the symptoms associated with their occupational activity. This study aims to describe and compare the breakdown of severity and of control of asthma in cases of occupational asthma, of work-aggravated asthma, and of asthma unrelated to work. It will also make it possible to describe the role of occupational exposure and of occupational factors, such as smoking, on the severity and control of work-related asthma.
Such knowledge will make it possible to identify trades, branches, or sectors in which prevention of respiratory pathologies needs to be reinforced, and to persuade employees and employers of this necessity, often in very small to medium-sized enterprises. It could encourage ways to be found for improving the extent to which asthmatics can stay at work.
Publications will appear in peer-reviewed international journals and in journals for OSH specialists or for professionals in industry.