Intervention | Controls | |||
Baseline | Follow-up | Baseline | Follow-up | |
Current symptoms at work# | 59 (72.8) | 47 (58.0)* | 10 (41.7)ƒ | 10 (41.7) |
Daily stable working hours h | 3.6±0.2 | 3.5±0.2 | 3.7±0.3 | 3.8±0.3 |
Use of protective measures | 69 (85.2) | 71 (87.7) | 17 (70.8) | 17 (70.8) |
Wear work clothes inside home | 7 (8.6) | 5 (6.2) | 2 (8.3) | 0 (0.0) |
Wear headgear during stable work | 62 (76.5) | 76 (93.8)** | 19 (79.2) | 21 (87.5) |
Wash hair before going to bed | 34 (42.0) | 31 (38.3) | 10 (41.7) | 13 (54.2) |
Bedlinen changing interval weeks | 2.4±0.2 | 2.6±0.1 | 2.4±0.3 | 2.4±0.3 |
Dog inside home | 8 (9.9) | 8 (9.9) | 2 (8.3) | 2 (8.3) |
Cat inside home | 24 (29.6) | 19 (23.5) | 9 (37.5) | 9 (37.5) |
Current smoking | 1 (1.2) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (4.2) |
Inhaled corticosteroids | 49 (60.5) | 52 (64.2) | 11 (45.8) | 10 (41.7) |
Long-acting β2-agonists | 36 (44.4) | 37 (45.7) | 8 (33.3) | 7 (29.2) |
FeNO¶ ppb | 28.2 (1.1) | 25.7 (1.1)* | 25.6 (1.2) | 27.7 (1.1) |
FeNO if baseline >35 ppb¶,+ ppb | 59.7 (1.1) | 49.2 (1.1)** | 49.5 (1.1) | 48.1 (1.1) |
FVC§ % pred | 98.6±2.1 | 99.9±2.2 | 98.8±3.7 | 98.6±3.5 |
FEV1§ % pred | 91.1±2.4 | 93.1±2.5 | 90.7±4.7 | 91.4±4.4 |
FEV1/FVC§ % pred | 93.8±1.4 | 94.8±1.5 | 91.7±3.4 | 92.4±3.1 |
Data are presented as n (%) or mean±sem, unless otherwise indicated. FeNO: exhaled nitric oxide fraction: FVC: forced vital capacity; % pred: % predicted; FEV1: forced expiratory volume in one second. #: at least one of shortness of breath, cough with or without phlegm, wheeze and nasal irritation; ¶: given as geometric mean (sem) due to data distribution; the sem was calculated on a logarithmic scale and then antilogged; +: n = 32 in intervention group and n = 10 in control group; §: n = 72 in intervention group and n = 21 in control group; 12 participants were unable to perform satisfactory manoeuvres at both time points. *: p<0.05; **: p<0.01 versus baseline; ƒ: p<0.01 versus intervention baseline.