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Asthma in apprentice workers The birth cohort parallel: Using apprentices as a powerful cohort design for studying occupational asthma

  • Chapter
Occupational Asthma

Part of the book series: Progress in Inflammation Research ((PIR))

Abstract

This chapter presents a review of longitudinal studies of apprentices in trades and professions entailing substantial risks for the development of occupational asthma (OA). Prospective studies of OA enable the assessment of host characteristics before apprentices/workers enter a particular workforce, thus before being exposed to a suspected etiological agent, as well as the early detection of sensitization to a specific work-related antigen and the evaluation of bronchial responsiveness before onset of symptoms of asthma. Since 1973, several cohort studies have been conducted in Europe and Canada among apprentices exposed to high- and low-molecular-weight agents. The investigated outcomes were, apart from OA, work-aggravated asthma, bronchial hyperresponsiveness, work-related symptoms and specific sensitization. The rate of onset of the relevant outcomes was high even after 1 year of training; the implications for setting timing of surveillance programs would be to screen for sensitization and symptoms in the first 2–3 years of apprenticeship. Several host factors assessed at baseline were identified as risk factors for the incidence of work-related outcomes. However, more investigations are needed to explore the extent to which the risk of work-related allergy and asthma increases with exposure characteristics during apprenticeship. Directions for research in the existing cohorts and in future ones are suggested.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Axe de recherche en santé respiratoire, Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal, 5400 Gouin Blvd West, Montreal, Canada, H4J 1C5

    Denyse Gautrin & Jean-Luc Malo

Authors
  1. Denyse Gautrin
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  2. Jean-Luc Malo
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Public Health Dept. of Environmental and Occupational Medicine, Aarhus University, Bartholin Allé 2, 8000, Århus C, Denmark

    Torben Sigsgaard

  2. Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences Division of Environmental and Occupational Health, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 2, 3508 TD, Utrecht, Netherlands

    Dick Heederik

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Gautrin, D., Malo, JL. (2010). Asthma in apprentice workers The birth cohort parallel: Using apprentices as a powerful cohort design for studying occupational asthma. In: Sigsgaard, T., Heederik, D. (eds) Occupational Asthma. Progress in Inflammation Research. Birkhäuser Basel. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7643-8556-9_13

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7643-8556-9_13

  • Publisher Name: Birkhäuser Basel

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-7643-8555-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-7643-8556-9

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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