RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Occupational dust or gas exposure and prevalences of respiratory symptoms and asthma in a general population JF European Respiratory Journal JO Eur Respir J FD European Respiratory Society SP 273 OP 278 DO 10.1183/09031936.93.04030273 VO 4 IS 3 A1 P Bakke A1 GE Eide A1 R Hanoa A1 A Gulsvik YR 1991 UL http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/4/3/273.abstract AB The relationship of occupational airborne, exposure to respiratory symptoms and asthma was examined using a self-administered questionnaire in a cross-sectional survey of a random sample (n = 4,992 subjects) of the general population aged 15-70 yrs of Hordaland county, Norway. The response rate was 90%. Twenty nine percent of the population had a history of occupational dust or gas exposure, 5% reported having been exposed to asbestos at work, and 4% reported quartz exposure. A history of occupational dust or gas exposure was associated with morning cough, chronic cough, phlegm when coughing, breathlessness on exercise, occasional wheezing and a physician's diagnosis of asthma after adjusting for sex, age, smoking habits and urban-rural area of residence. The adjusted relative odds ratios for the respiratory disorders in subjects exposed to dust or gas ranged from 1.6-1.9. The population attributable risk of occupational dust or gas exposure for the respiratory disorders ranged from 11-19%. The study indicates that respiratory disorders are independently associated with occupational airborne exposure in a Norwegian general population sample.