TY - JOUR
T1 - The association of respiratory problems in a community sample with self- reported chemical intolerance
AU - Baldwin, C. M.
AU - Bell, I. R.
AU - O'Rourke, M. K.
AU - Lebowitz, M. D.
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was presented in part at the 4th International Congress of Behavioral Medicine, Washington, DC, 13–16 March, 1996. This work was supported by NIH/NHLBI SCOR Grant HL14136. We wish to offer our appreciation to the participants, their families, and the research team members who made this study possible. We would also like to gratefully acknowledge the Kluwer Editorial Staff for their diligence, particularly Naomi Roest, and to the reviewers of this manuscript for their very thoughtful comments and suggestions. The authors extend their sincere thanks.
PY - 1997
Y1 - 1997
N2 - This epidemiological study evaluated respiratory histories in those individuals reporting chemical intolerance (CI) in a community population sample. The subsample of 181 completed standard Respiratory Health Questionnaires. CI was determined from self-ratings of feeling 'moderately' to 'severly' ill from exposure to at least three of five common chemicals (paint, pesticides, car exhaust, new carpet, and perfume); the prevalence rate was 22.7%. The comparison group (CN) (31.5% of the sample) were selected from their reports of 'never' feeling ill from the same chemicals. The prevalence rate of CI in females was over twice that in males (28% vs 12.9%), a significant difference. There were no significant differences in smoking, age, or education between CI and CN. Prevalence rates for symptoms and Relative Risk Ratios (RR) indicated that the CI were significantly more likely to report chronic cough, phlegm, wheeze, chest tightness, exertional dyspnea, acute respiratory illnesses, hay fever, child respiratory trouble, and physician confirmed asthma. Several of these respiratory symptoms were significantly, though differentially, related to 'current' asthma and hay fever reports. Results suggest a potential vulnerability to and greater interference from respiratory illness for the CI, which have implications for women's health and quality of life.
AB - This epidemiological study evaluated respiratory histories in those individuals reporting chemical intolerance (CI) in a community population sample. The subsample of 181 completed standard Respiratory Health Questionnaires. CI was determined from self-ratings of feeling 'moderately' to 'severly' ill from exposure to at least three of five common chemicals (paint, pesticides, car exhaust, new carpet, and perfume); the prevalence rate was 22.7%. The comparison group (CN) (31.5% of the sample) were selected from their reports of 'never' feeling ill from the same chemicals. The prevalence rate of CI in females was over twice that in males (28% vs 12.9%), a significant difference. There were no significant differences in smoking, age, or education between CI and CN. Prevalence rates for symptoms and Relative Risk Ratios (RR) indicated that the CI were significantly more likely to report chronic cough, phlegm, wheeze, chest tightness, exertional dyspnea, acute respiratory illnesses, hay fever, child respiratory trouble, and physician confirmed asthma. Several of these respiratory symptoms were significantly, though differentially, related to 'current' asthma and hay fever reports. Results suggest a potential vulnerability to and greater interference from respiratory illness for the CI, which have implications for women's health and quality of life.
KW - Chemical intolerance
KW - Epidemiology
KW - Quality of life
KW - Relative risk ratio
KW - Respiratory health
KW - Women's health
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U2 - 10.1023/A:1007341813396
DO - 10.1023/A:1007341813396
M3 - Article
C2 - 9258567
AN - SCOPUS:0030740345
SN - 0393-2990
VL - 13
SP - 547
EP - 552
JO - European Journal of Epidemiology
JF - European Journal of Epidemiology
IS - 5
ER -