Table 2 Risk of chronic bronchitis, COPD and lung function decline in farmers working with large animals: studies from 2000
From: Respiratory diseases and allergy in farmers working with livestock: a EAACI position paper
References/country | Study design | Subjects (n) | Participation rate (%) | Age (years) | Animal exposure | Methods for defining chronic bronchitis | Methods for defining bronchial obstruction | Risk factors | Chronic bronchitis OR in exposed to large animals (95% CI) unless otherwise stated | Bronchial obstruction/COPD OR in exposed to large animals (95% CI) unless otherwise stated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Iversen and Dahl [30] Denmark 2000 | Longitudinal FU = 7 years | 177 | 76 | 43 Baseline | Swine confinement and dairy farmers | Not done | Lung function§ | Work exclusively with pigs or dairy | Not done | Swine confinement farmers: accelerated decline in FEV1 53 mL year−1 vs. 36 mL year−1 in dairy non-smoking farmers, (p = 0.02) |
Chaudemanche et al. [31]/France 2003 | Longitudinal FU = 6 years | 215 | 81 | 52 FU | Dairy farmers | Questionnaire | Lung function§ | Chronic bronchitis and bronchial obstruction: dairy farming | Higher prevalence of chronic bronchitis in dairy farmers (7.5%) than in controls (1.8%, p < 0.02) PRR = 4.2 | Decline in FEV1/VC ratio was significantly higher in dairy farmers than in controls -0.3 (SE 0.13) year−1 in a multiple linear regression correcting for smoking height, age, sex and altitude and initial value |
Gainet et al. [32]/France 2007 | Longitudinal FU = 12 years | 157 farmers 159 controls | 77 Calculated | 51 FU | Dairy farmers |  | Lung function§ |  |  | Farming Accelerated decline in FEV1/VC -1.2 ± 0.07% year−1 (p < 0.01) Corr. smoking height, age, sex and altitude |
Thaon et al. [22]/France 2011 | Longitudinal FU = 12 years | 219 LF: 157 | 83 | 58 FU | Dairy farmers | Questionnaire | Lung function decline inFEV1/FV§ | Usual morning phlegm: handling hay, straw and animal feed | Dairy farming: Morning phlegm: 4.3 (1.4–13) chronic bronchitis: 4.7 (0.5–41) | Dairy farming Accelerated decline in FEV1/FVC -0.21 ± 0.08% year−1 (p = 0.01) Animal feed: Accelerated decline in FEV1 9.12 ± 4.7 ml year−1 (p = 0.05) Corr. For smoking height, age, sex and altitude |
Bolund et al. [29]/Denmark 2015 | Longitudinal FU = 15 yrs | 1134 | 52 | 18.7 baseline | Farmers Swine and or dairy | Interview | lln§ | Dairy, swine, LPS, Dust Farm upbringing | Not done | Current farming Accelerated decline in z-scores ∆FEV1 − 0.12 (− 0.2 to − 0.1) year−1 and ∆FEV1/FVC − 0.15 (− 0.3 to − 0.04) year−1. Corrected for smoking, second hand smoking, sex, being raised on a farm, baseline BHR and follow-up BMI Farm upbringing protective for decline in ∆FEV1 & ∆FEV1/FVC |
Magarolas et al. [21]/Spain 2000 | Cross-sectional | 808 | 68 | Not stated | Sheep workers Dairy farming | Questionnaire | Not done | Dairy farming | Chronic bronchitis: dairy farming 1.8 (1.1–2.9) | Not done |
Kimbell-Dunn et al. [24]/New Zealand 2001 | Cross-sectional | 1706 | 78 | Not stated | Beef/dairy cattle farmers 75%* Sheep 50%* Horses 15% | Postal questionnaire | Not done | Chronic bronchitis: horses, smoking, atopy | Chronic bronchitis: working with horses 1.6 1.1–2.5) | Not done |
Radon and Winter [17]/Germany 2003 | Cross-sectional | 325 | 82 | 50 | Sheep and other animals 37% Sheep shearing 24% Use of sheep dip 27% Use of chemical footbaths 66% | Questionnaire | Not done | Chronic bronchitis: sheep breeding ODTS: sheep breeding & footbaths | Chronic bronchitis: full time farmers 1.9 (0.9–3.9) | Not done |
Monsò et al. [26]/Europe 2004 | Cross-sectional | 105 non-smokers | 85 | 45 | Confinement buildings: Pig farmers 78%* Beef/veal f. 30%* Dairy f. 22%* Poultry f. 31%* | Questionnaire | Lung function | COPD: organic dust (dose–response relationship) | Not reported | COPD in non-smoking farmers working inside confinement buildings: organic dust 6.6 (1.1–39.5) |
Schenker et al. [19]/USA 2005 | Cross- sectional | 1947 1751Â m 196 f | 80 by contact 43 by target pop | 54Â m 54f | Livestock 13% | Questionnaire | Not done | Â | Chronic bronchitis prevalence: female swine farmers 3.9% Asthma related to livestock last 12Â months 12% | Â |
Senthilselvan et al. [23]/Canada 2007 | Cross-sectional | 374 | 70 | 36 | Full time swine farmers | Questionnaire | Lung function | Chronic bronchitis: full time swine farming and female sex | Chronic bronchitis: Female sw farmers 4.3 (1.9–9.7) Male sw farmers 3.2 (1.8–5.9) | No differences in lung function among swine farmers and controls and among females and males |
Gallagher et al. [25]/NZ 2007 | Cross-sectional | 475 318 | 72 64 | 53.3 49.4 | 475 horse trainers 318 vegetable growers | Questionnaire | Not done | Chronic bronchitis | Chronic bronchitis prev. 8 vs 3% OR for CB increased in horse tr 2.3 (1.1–5.2) c f age, gender, smoking, family history of atopic conditions, and dust exposures outside of work |  |
Eduard et al. [20]/Norway 2009 | Cross-sectional | 4469 | 90 | 15–29 years 1496 30–49 years 1647 50–70 years 1326 | Livestock farmers | Questionnaire | Lung function | Livestock farming, ammonia, hydrogen sulfide dust and atopy | Chronic bronchitis: 1.9 (1.4–2.6) | COPD: 1.4 (1.1–2.6) FEV1 was significantly reduced |
Elfman et al. [143]/2009 Sweden 2009 | CS Tox | 13 | ?? |  | Horse grooms visited 3 times spring–summer spring 2004–2005 | Questionnaire NAL | Too small to see effects |  |  |  |
Tual et al. [144]/France 2013 | Cross-sectional | 14,441 | 99 | 65 | Cattle farmers 68%* Poultry f. 30%* Pigs f. 24%* | Questionnaire | Not done | Cattle raising Small-scale cattle raising | Chronic bronchitis: cattle farmers 1.2 (1.03–1.5) Non-smoking cattle farmers 1.5 (1.1–5.9) | Not done |
Viegas et al. [145]/Poland 2013 | Cross-sectional | 33 70 |  |  | Swine barn workers Persons with no ag work | Interviews |  | Swine barns | Asthma n = 3 (12%) Wheezing n = 10 (35%) Coughing n = 12 (41%) Dose response for symptoms | Not done |
Rodriquez et al. [146]/USA 2014 | Cross-sectional | 450 Hispanics | na | 22–70 | Hired farm workers | Interview | Lung function | Farming | Dairy farming |  |
Mitchell et al. [147]/USA 2015 | Cross-sectional |  | 205 45 | 91 92 | Parlor workers Processing plant (pepper) Workers | Questionnaire | Lung function |  |  | Years worked in agr associated with ↓ FEV1/FEV6 |
Guillien et al. [28]/France 2016 | Cross sectional | 3787 | 41 | 40–75 | Cattle breeders Swine breeders Poultry breeders Breeders of 2 + livestock types | Questionnaire | Lung function | Animal farming Geographical area | Not reported | COPD: cattle 1.8 (1.1–3.0) Swine 2.3 (1.1–4.9) Poultry 2.6 (1.0–4.1) |
Marescaux et al. [27]/France 2016 | Cross sectional | 590 | 72 | COPD lln − 53.9 + 59.0 | Dairy farmers Doubs region | Questionnaire | Lung function | Farm size and modernity Smoking (sm) | Not reported | COPD lln Traditional Farm 5.20 (1.73–15.6) Interaction analysis Non-sm/modern 1 Sm/modern 1.33 (0.2–10) Non-sm/trad 5.39 (1.2–25) Sm/trad 8.29 (1.9–37) |
Nonnenmann et al. [148]/USA 2017 | Cross sectional | 62 | na | 32 [10] | Milking cows | Interview | Not done | Â | Â | Â |