Comparison of vocational trainees in school-based training programmes (included in the analyses) and high school students (excluded from the analyses)
| Vocational trainees# | High school students# | |
| Subjects n | 504 | 912 |
| Age yrs*** | 16.8±0.7 | 16.4±0.7 |
| Sex | ||
| Male* | 253 (50.2) | 404 (44.3) |
| City | ||
| Dresden*** | 314 (62.3) | 402 (44.1) |
| Nationality | ||
| German | 461 (91.5) | 851 (93.5) |
| Parental asthma | 36 (7.3) | 86 (9.5) |
| Doctor-diagnosed asthma | ||
| Noncurrent | 41 (8.4) | 76 (8.5) |
| Current | 30 (6.1) | 48 (5.4) |
| Asthma severity during previous 12 months | ||
| >3 asthma attacks | 16 (55.2) | 28 (59.6) |
| ≥1 emergency room visit | 3 (10.3) | 5 (10.6) |
| Use of asthma medication | 26 (86.7) | 39 (81.3) |
| Doctor-diagnosed allergic rhinitis | ||
| Noncurrent | 38 (7.7) | 49 (5.5) |
| Current | 91 (18.5) | 172 (19.4) |
| Doctor-diagnosed atopic dermatitis | ||
| Noncurrent | 59 (12.3) | 144 (16.4) |
| Current | 38 (7.9) | 57 (6.5) |
| Preferred job choice*** | ||
| Reference | 225 (44.6) | 603 (66.1) |
| Low asthma risk | 114 (22.6) | 104 (11.4) |
| High asthma risk | 165 (32.7) | 205 (22.5) |
| Preferred job choice influenced by allergies or breathing problems+,* | 22 (4.4) | 21 (2.3) |
| Subjects with current symptoms of allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis or asthma whose preferred job choice was influenced by allergies or breathing problems+ | 12 (8.8)¶ | 17 (7.8)¶ |
Data presented as mean±sd or n (%). Data numbers may not add up to the total sample size for the group due to missing data. #: Never had a job for 8 h per week, for a minimum of 1-month and preferred job choice reported; +: based upon the response to the questionnaire item “Did/do allergies or breathing problems influence your preferred job choice?”; ¶: percentage of the total number of subjects with current symptoms of allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis or asthma (n = 136 vocational trainees, n = 219 high school students). *: p<0.05; ***: p<0.001.