Occupational Risk Factors and Asthma among Health Care Professionals

Rationale: Recent U.S. data suggest an increased risk of work-related asthma among health care workers, yet only a few specific determi-nants have been elucidated. Objectives: To evaluate associations of asthma prevalence with oc-cupational exposures in a cross-sectional survey of health care professionals. Methods: A detailed questionnaire was mailed to a random sample (n 5,600) of all Texas physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists, and occupational therapists with active licenses in 2003. Informa-tion on asthma symptoms and nonoccupational asthma risk factors obtained from the questionnaire was linked to occupational expo-sures derived through an industry-specific job-exposure matrix. Measurements:Therewere twoaprioridefinedoutcomes: (1)physician-diagnosed asthmawith onset after entry into health care (“reported asthma”) and (2) “bronchial hyperresponsiveness–related symp