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Table 1 Work History and Employment Status, by Disease Group

From: Work life of persons with asthma, rhinitis, and COPD: A study using a national, population-based sample

 

Work History

Employment Status at Interview or Age 64

Disease Group

Never

Ever 3

Employed

Not Employed 4

Any Respiratory Condition 1

54 (7%)

687 (93%)

253 (37%)

434 (63%)

    COPD

32 (9%)

334 (91%)

105 (31%)

229 (69%)

    Asthma

9 (7%)

115 (93%)

46 (40%)

69 (60%)

    Rhinitis

9 (5%)

185 (95%)

84 (45%)

101 (56%)

Non-respiratory Conditions 2

65 (10%)

597 (90%)

265 (44%)

332 (56%)

No Chronic Conditions

61 (10%)

541 (90%)

301 (56%)

240 (44%)

Total

176 (9%)

1772 (91%)

801 (45%)

971 (55%)

  1. 1 Includes sleep apnea and lung cancer, in addition to COPD, asthma, and rhinitis.
  2. 2 Non-respiratory conditions include arthritis, diabetes, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease or heart attack.
  3. 3 There were no significant differences in work history by disease group.
  4. 4 All disease groups had significantly (p < 0.05) lower employment rates at interview (or age 64) than the group with no chronic conditions. Additionally, the COPD group had significantly lower employment rates than the rhinitis and non-respiratory condition groups. There were no other significant differences by disease group.
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Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology

ISSN: 1745-6673