Chest
Clinical InvestigationsRespiratory Health of Swine Producers: Focus on Young Workers
Section snippets
Sampling Frame
The survey area was located in the central part of the province of Saskatchewan, between the towns of Lloydminster in the West, Carrot River in the East, Prince Albert in the North, and Moose Jaw in the South. All swine operations characterized by annual sales of at least 200 hogs in 1988 were identified from documentation provided by the Saskatchewan Pork Producers Marketing Board and were included in the sample population.
After exclusion of Hutterite Colonies, the sample population consisted
Respiratory Symptoms and Lung Function in Swine Producers, Grain Farmers, and Nonfarming Control Subjects
The analysis was based on findings obtained in 249 swine producers, 251 grain farmers, and 263 nonfarming control subjects. All subjects were men aged 18 to 80 years. The mean age of grain farmers was significantly higher than that of swine producers or nonfarming control subjects (Table 1). The group of nonfarming control subjects included significantly more smokers than did the two other groups. Swine producers had significantly more symptoms of chronic bronchitis than did grain farmers or
DISCUSSION
Our findings confirm that work in swine confinement buildings is a risk factor for chronic bronchitis and minor pulmonary dysfunction.
The criteria for chronic bronchitis were met by 15.3 percent of subjects and this frequency is lower than the prevalence of 23 percent found in Danish pig farmers.18 The prevalence of chronic expectoration among Dutch pig farmers ranged from 1.6 to 11.9 percent,4 and the prevalence of standard symptoms of chronic bronchitis was 7 percent in Swedish swine
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors acknowledge the valuable assistance of the following persons: Dr. S. Gomez, Dr. J. Kania, Dr. K. Luo, Ms. L. Hagel, and Ms. M. Gillis-Cipywnyk.
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This study was sponsored by grants from Health and Welfare Canada and the Saskatchewan Lung Association.
Manuscript received March 12; revision accepted July 17.