Association between occupational exposure to dusts and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: Examination of data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007--2010

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a debilitating respiratory condition affecting more than 15 million Americans for a prevalence of 6.2%. Relatively few studies have investigated the association of occupational exposures and COPD in the general public. The objective of this study was to determine the association of occupational exposure to mineral and organic dust with COPD. This study used secondary data from the National Health and Examination Survey 2007--2010. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to calculate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals adjusted for age, gender, race, poverty-to-income ratio, body mass index, exposure to fumes, smoking status, and second hand smoke. The odds of COPD were 1.84 times greater (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.36--2.50) for respondents exposed to mineral dust as compared to those who were not exposed to mineral dust. Compared to those who were never exposed to mineral dust, the odds of COPD increased from 1.66 (95%CI: 1.16--2.38) for respondents exposed for less than 10 years to 2.20 (95%CI: 1.25--3.88) for those who were exposed for 30 years or more, but no dose-response pattern was observed. Similarly, occupational exposure to organic dust was associated with 1.12 times the odds (95% CI: 0.87--1.44) of developing COPD. No dose-response pattern was evident for increasing number of years of exposure to organic dust. Appropriate intervention measures should be used at workplaces to minimize exposures to dust to preserve workers' respiratory health.