Chest
Volume 103, Issue 3, March 1993, Pages 702-709
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Clinical Investigations
Respiratory Health of Swine Producers: Focus on Young Workers

https://doi.org/10.1378/chest.103.3.702Get rights and content

In this report, we compare the respiratory health of swine producers, grain farmers, and nonfarming control subjects, separately in all age groups and in young subjects. We examined 249 swine producers (age 37.7 years), 251 grain farmers (age 44.7 years), and 263 nonfarming subjects (age 40.7 years). Swine producers had significantly more symptoms of chronic bronchitis (15.3 percent) than did grain farmers (7.2 percent) or nonfarming men (5.7 percent). After controlling for age, height, and smoking, the functional indices of airflow (FEV1, FEV1/FVC, FEF25-75, V˙max50, and V˙max25) were slightly but significantly lower in swine producers than in grain farmers. In comparison with nonfarming subjects, swine producers also had significantly lower FEV1/FVC, FEF25-75, and V˙max50. Respiratory symptoms were associated with the number of hours of work per day. This indirect index of exposure was also inversely associated with FVC (p<0.01) and FEV1 (p=0.06), after adjustment for age, height, smoking, and dust mask usage. A relative excess of respiratory symptoms and lower lung function variables were found in swine producers aged 26 to 35 years. Also in this age group, a multivariate analysis revealed statistically significant effects of daily duration of work on FVC and FEV1. The results confirm that working in swine confinement units is a risk factor for chronic respiratory symptoms and minor lung function changes. An increased risk in young workers may reflect more intense occupational exposure in this subgroup of swine producers.

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.

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