Skip to main content

Table 2 Health Characteristics at Time of Interview, Demographic Characteristics, and Work Characteristics at Longest Held Job among Persons with Work History, by Disease Group

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

Kind of Characteristic

Total

COPD

Asthma

Rhinitis

Non-Respiratory Chronic Conditions 1

No Chronic Conditions

p-value

 

n = 1772

n = 334

n = 115

n = 185

n = 597

n = 541

 

Health Characteristics at Time of Interview

       

   SF-12 Physical Component Score, mean (± sd)

45 (± 12)

36 (± 13)

41 (± 13)

46 (± 12)

44 (± 12)

52 (± 7)

p < 0.001

   SF-12 Mental Component Score, mean (± sd)

54 (± 9)

50 (± 11)

52 (± 10)

53 (± 10)

55 (± 8)

56 (± 7)

p < 0.001

   Comorbid conditions, mean (± sd)

0.8 (± 1.0)

1.3 (± 1.1)

1.0 (± 1.1)

0.8 (± 0.9)

0.4 (± 0.7)

----

p < 0.001

   Smoking Status, n (%)

       

Never Smoked

674 (38%)

60 (18%)

51 (44%)

86 (46%)

243 (41%)

234 (43%)

p < 0.001

Former Smoker

751 (42%)

165 (49%)

50 (44%)

72 (39%)

261 (44%)

203 (38%)

 

Current Smoker

347 (20%)

109 (33%)

14 (12%)

27 (15%)

93 (15%)

104 (19%)

 

Demographic Characteristics

       

   Age at Interview, mean (± sd)

64 (± 6)

64 (± 6)

63 (± 6)

63 (± 6)

65 (± 6)

63 (± 6)

p < 0.001

   Male, n (%)

784 (44%)

127 (38%)

38 (33%)

76 (41%)

275 (46%)

268 (50%)

p < 0.001

   Race/Ethnicity, n (%)

       

White, not of Hispanic Origin, and Other

1585 (89%)

296 (89%)

106 (92%)

165 (89%)

521 (88%)

492 (91%)

p = 0.11*

Hispanic

104 (6%)

13 (4%)

6 (5%)

13 (7%)

42 (7%)

30 (6%)

 

African-American

83 (5%)

25 (7%)

3 (3%)

7 (4%)

29 (5%)

19 (3%)

 

   Marital Status, n (%)

       

Never Married

61 (3%)

13 (4%)

5 (4%)

3 (2%)

17 (3%)

23 (4%)

p = 0.40

Ever Married

1711(97%)

321 (96%)

110 (96%)

182 (98%)

58 (97%)

518 (96%)

 

   Education, n (%)

       

< HS

220 (13%)

65 (19%)

13 (11%)

20 (11%)

76 (13%)

46 (9%)

p < 0.001

HS Grad

484 (27%)

106 (32%)

25 (22%)

27 (15%)

193 (32%)

133 (25%)

 

Some College

567 (32%)

96 (29%)

36 (31%)

65 (35%)

189 (32%)

181 (33%)

 

College Grad

271 (15%)

37 (11%)

14 (12%)

32 (17%)

79 (13%)

109 (20%)

 

Post-Grad

230 (13%)

30 (9%)

27 (24%)

41 (22%)

60 (10%)

72 (13%)

 

Work Characteristics at Longest Held Job

       

   Self-Reported Exposure to Vapors, Gases, Dust, or Fumes, n (%)

709 (40%)

183 (55%)

50 (43%)

67 (36%)

216(36%)

193 (36%)

p < 0.001

   Occupation, n (%)

       

Professional or Managerial

532 (30%)

81 (24%)

44 (38%)

79 (43%)

141 (24%)

187 (35%)

p < 0.001

Sales, Administrative, Technical Support

532 (30%)

95 (28%)

30 (26%)

54 (29%)

200 (33%)

153 (28%)

 

Manual Labor, Operatives, Crafts

424 (24%)

92 (28%)

25 (22%)

32 (17%)

149 (25%)

126 (23%)

 

Services

284 (16%)

66 (20%)

16 (14%)

20 (11%)

1107 (18%)

75 (14%)

 

   Industry, n (%)

       

Goods-Producing

376 (21%)

89 (27%)

20 (17%)

36 (19%)

118 (20%)

113 (21%)

p = 0.09

Services

1396 (79%)

245 (73%)

95 (83%)

149 (81%)

479 (80%)

428 (79%)

 
  1. 1 Non-respiratory conditions include arthritis, diabetes, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease or heart attack.