<abstract xml:lang="en" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>This cross-sectional study compares respiratory symptoms, lung function, and bronchial responsiveness between 27 office cleaning women exposed to environmental tobacco smoke at work and 57 unexposed controls. The age range of both groups was 24 to 56 years, and none of the women had ever smoked. Information on respiratory symptoms, cleaning work history, and passive smoking in the workplace were obtained with a questionnaire. The subjects also took a skin prick test to common inhalant allergens, a lung function test, and a histamine challenge. Despite smoking restriction in indoor environments, we found a high prevalence of passive smokers in the workplace (32.1 %). In these subjects we found a significantly higher prevalence of wheezing with breathlessness (25.9 % vs. 8.8 %; P=0.036), wheezing without cold (25.9 % vs. 7.0 %; P=0.016), and breathlessness after effort (29.6 % vs. 8.8 %; P=0.014) than in control subjects. Objective measurements showed a significantly lower MEF<sub>25</sub> (53.6 % vs. 63.7 %; P=0.001) and a significantly higher prevalence of borderline bronchial hyperresponsiveness (22.2 % vs. 7.0 %; P=0.044) in the passive smokers in the workplace. This study provides evidence of adverse respiratory effects in office cleaning women associated with passive smoking in the workplace. Our findings support a stricter implementation of the current national law to protect respiratory health of all workers.</p></abstract>

This cross-sectional study compares respiratory symptoms, lung function, and bronchial responsiveness between 27 office cleaning women exposed to environmental tobacco smoke at work and 57 unexposed controls. The age range of both groups was 24 to 56 years, and none of the women had ever smoked. Information on respiratory symptoms, cleaning work history, and passive smoking in the workplace were obtained with a questionnaire. The subjects also took a skin prick test to common inhalant allergens, a lung function test, and a histamine challenge. Despite smoking restriction in indoor environments, we found a high prevalence of passive smokers in the workplace (32.1 %). In these subjects we found a significantly higher prevalence of wheezing with breathlessness (25.9 % vs. 8.8 %; P=0.036), wheezing without cold (25.9 % vs. 7.0 %; P=0.016), and breathlessness after effort (29.6 % vs. 8.8 %; P=0.014) than in control subjects. Objective measurements showed a significantly lower MEF25 (53.6 % vs. 63.7 %; P=0.001) and a significantly higher prevalence of borderline bronchial hyperresponsiveness (22.2 % vs. 7.0 %; P=0.044) in the passive smokers in the workplace. This study provides evidence of adverse respiratory effects in office cleaning women associated with passive smoking in the workplace. Our findings support a stricter implementation of the current national law to protect respiratory health of all workers.

Effects of Passive Smoking at Work on Respiratory Symptoms, Lung Function, and Bronchial Responsiveness in Never-Smoking Office Cleaning Women

Institute of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Skopje, Macedonia

Archives of Industrial Hygiene and Toxicology

This cross-sectional study compares respiratory symptoms, lung function, and bronchial responsiveness between 27 office cleaning women exposed to environmental...

Effects of Passive Smoking at Work on Respiratory Symptoms, Lung Function, and Bronchial Responsiveness in Never-Smoking Office Cleaning Women

Publié en ligne: 29 sept. 2009

Pages: 327 - 334

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/10004-1254-60-2009-1941

Mots clés
duhanski dim u okolišu, zdravstveni učinci na dišni sustav, žene

This content is open access.

Effects of Passive Smoking at Work on Respiratory Symptoms, Lung Function, and Bronchial Responsiveness in Never-Smoking Office Cleaning Women

Publié en ligne: 29 sept. 2009

Pages: 327 - 334

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/10004-1254-60-2009-1941

Mots clésduhanski dim u okolišu, zdravstveni učinci na dišni sustav, žene

This content is open access.

Mots clés
duhanski dim u okolišu, zdravstveni učinci na dišni sustav, žene