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Few patients communicate with clinicians about job-related asthma

A small proportion of patients with asthma communicated with health professionals that their asthma was work related, according to recent study results.

Researchers with the CDC examined the 2006 to 2010 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Asthma Call-Back Survey data from 40 states and the District of Columbia to identify 50,433 ever-employed adults (aged at least 18 years; 63% women) with asthma. The participants were employed full time or part time when surveyed. Factors associated with communication with a health professional about asthma and work were identified through multivariable logistic regression analyses.

There were 9.1% of the adults (95% CI, 8.6%-9.7%) with asthma who reported having been diagnosed with work-related asthma (WRA), while 11.7% (95% CI, 11.1%-12.3%) had ever told a physician or health care provider that their asthma had been related to a job.

“When the responses to the two questions were combined, the proportion of those who communicated with a health professional about asthma and work was 14.7%,” the researchers wrote.

Possible WRA was estimated in 45.9% of ever-employed adults, with 24.3% of those patients telling a health professional that their asthma was job related, and 18.6% receiving a diagnoses of WRA. Age, race, education, income, employment, insurance and urgent treatment for worsening asthma were associated with communication with a clinician about asthma and work.

“Patients should be encouraged to discuss the possible association between their asthma and work to identify and avoid exposures at the workplace and better manage their disease,” the researchers concluded. “Health providers should take an occupational history in all patients with new-onset or worsening asthma to identify and appropriately manage patients with WRA.”

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.