In a pilot study to investigate the health effects of swine confinement work on the respiratory tract pulmonary function tests and a questionnaire for respiratory symptoms were used. Complete data, including qualitative exposure information, were gathered for 132 owners of fattening, breeding, or closed pig farms. All measured pulmonary function values, except the FVC, were on average lower than the reference values of the European Committee for Coal and Steel. There were no significant associations between duration of exposure and pulmonary function. About 28% of the farmers had respiratory or flu-like symptoms during or shortly after confinement work; 14% reported symptoms four to eight hours after work. For the fattening farm the following elements of confinement management were negatively correlated with pulmonary function: fully slatted floor, an automatic feeding system, natural ventilation, and the use of dust masks. A significant association between lung disease of the pigs and pulmonary function of the pig farmers was observed.In the past 20 years pig farming has been one of the fastest growing agrarian professions in The Netherlands, especially in the southern and eastern regions, with sandy soils, where traditionally farms were small.Few Dutch data were available about work related health effects of swine confinement work. '
In 1983 we distributed a postal questionnaire with 30 questions about the locomotor system, respiratory tract, the skin, and general health condition and about health hazards in the work environment to a sample of farmers. In addition, we asked the farmers to express their opinion about what they experienced as the main health hazards in their work environment.The questionnaire was sent to 1,895 randomly selected farmers. Main occupation is farming in one of the eight categories; the farmers were registered by the Agricultural Economic Institute. The random sample was stratified into eight categories for farm size. The age of the farmers was between 40 and 60 years. The final response rate was approximately 70%, and there was no significant difference in response rate between the different categories of farmers.Pig farming and poultry husbandry had the largest number of health problems. The pig farmers scored high, especially for respiratory symptoms, and they complained often about dust exposure Willems et al, 19841.Lung function was measured according to the ECCS standard [Quanjer, 19831 in a population of 174 pig farmers 25-65 years old. Additional information was gathered with a questionnaire on respiratory symptoms, qualitative exposure, farm characteristics, and confounding factors. Ultimately, the population used for analysis consisted of 132 persons Pongers, 19841. Based on the expected differences in types of pig farms, we divided the population into three groups: 1) farmers fattening pigs (n = 62), 2) farmers breeding pigs (n = 42), and 3) farmers both breeding and fattening pigs (closed pig farm) (n = 28).
The association between pulmonary function and exposure to tobacco smoke in the home was investigated in a sample of adult, non-smoking women living in a rural area. The women were all participants in a large longitudinal survey on the natural history and determinants of chronic non-specific lung disease. On cross-sectional analysis, several pulmonary function parameters were found to be significantly associated with exposure to tobacco smoke in the home. There was no association between exposure and pulmonary function decline.
The association between nitrogen dioxide levels in homes and pulmonary function of 97 non-smoking adult women was investigated in a rural area in the Netherlands. The study population was a sub-sample of a longitudinal field study on chronic non-specific lung diseases which was started in 1965. Pulmonary function tests were performed at three-yearly intervals. NO2 was measured for one week in the winter in kitchen, living room and bedroom of each home. Cross-sectional analyses showed negative associations between NO2 exposure and several pulmonary function parameters as measured in the 1982 study. No significant association could be found between NO2 exposure and pulmonary function decline since the start of the study.
The potential effects of indoor NO2 and tobacco smoke on the respiratory system were studied using pulmonary function data from a longitudinal study. In 1982, NO2 was measured in 163 homes of non-smoking adult women and detailed information on smoking inside the house was gathered over the period 1965-1982. Personal exposure to NO2 was calculated from the measured levels and the activity pattern of the study population (range 11-139 micrograms NO2/m3). Historical exposure was estimated using regression models of NO2 on house characteristics. It is shown that estimation of historical exposure to indoor NO2 on the basis of house characteristics only is, at present, too inaccurate for use in epidemiological studies. Actual measurement of NO2 is unavoidable for exposure assessment in health effect studies of indoor exposure to NO2.
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