Health-related quality of life among adults with work-related asthma in the United States

The objective of this study was to examine health-related quality of life among adults with work-related asthma. We analyzed 2006-2009 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Asthma Call-back Survey data for ever-employed adults with current asthma from 38 states and District of Columbia. Individuals with work-related asthma had been told by a doctor or other health professional that their asthma was related to any job they ever had. Health-related quality of life indicators included poor self-rated health, impaired physical health, impaired mental health, and activity limitation. We calculated prevalence ratios (PRs) adjusted for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, income, employment, and health insurance. Of ever-employed adults with current asthma, an estimated 9.0 % had work-related asthma, 26.9 % had poor self-rated health, 20.6 % had impaired physical health, 18.2 % had impaired mental health, and 10.2 % had activity limitation. Individuals with work-related asthma were significantly more likely than those with non-work-related asthma to have poor self-rated health [PR, 1.45; 95 % confidence interval (CI), 1.31-1.60], impaired physical health (PR, 1.60; 95 % CI, 1.42-1.80), impaired mental health (PR, 1.55; 95 % CI, 1.34-1.80), and activity limitation (PR, 2.16; 95 % CI, 1.81-2.56). Future research should examine opportunities to improve health-related quality of life among individuals with work-related asthma.