Relationship between job category and lung function for those beginning their employment pre-2003 (cohort 1) by sex and racial group
| Variable | Non-Asian males (n=302) | Asian males (n=47) | Non-Asian females (n=181) | |||
| Estimated change in % predicted FEV1 (p-value) | Estimated change in % predicted FVC (p-value) | Estimated change in % predicted FEV1 (p-value) | Estimated change in % predicted FVC (p-value) | Estimated change in % predicted FEV1 (p-value) | Estimated change in % predicted FVC (p-value) | |
| Pack-years of smoking | −0.30 (<0.01) | −0.13 (<0.01) | −0.13 (0.27) | −0.03 (0.76) | −0.31 (<0.01) | −0.16 (0.05) |
| Current smoker# | −0.37 (0.56) | −0.08 (0.88) | −0.91 (0.70) | 2.9 (0.21) | −0.90 (0.32) | 0.15 (0.86) |
| BMI at first PFT | −0.38 (<0.01) | −0.62 (<0.01) | −0.66 (0.12) | −1.13 (<0.01) | −0.14 (0.35) | −0.38 (<0.01) |
| BMI change since first PFT | −0.45 (<0.01) | −0.43 (<0.01) | −0.39 (0.36) | −0.38 (0.35) | −0.2 (0.01) | −0.27 (<0.01) |
| Time since first PFT | −0.57 (<0.01) | −0.55 (<0.01) | −0.39 (0.51) | 0.75 (0.19) | −0.30 (0.02) | −0.23 (0.04) |
| Mixer | −7.92 (<0.01) | −1.78 (0.46) | −13.7 (<0.01) | −9.94 (0.02) | 4.13 (0.44) | −0.70 (0.89) |
| Intermittent mixer | 2.74 (0.10) | 2.63 (0.07) | 6.19 (0.15) | 6.70 (0.12) | 2.47 (0.65) | 2.03 (0.69) |
| QA | 2.05 (0.79) | 4.06 (0.55) | NA | NA | −1.38 (0.70) | −2.12 (0.52) |
| Interaction mixer×time since first PFT¶ | 0.02 (0.96) | −0.16 (0.64) | 0.68 (0.62) | 0.72 (0.59) | 0.00 (0.99) | 0.40 (0.43) |
| Interaction intermittent mixer×time since first PFT¶ | 0.41 (0.06) | 0.27 (0.17) | 0.88 (0.34) | −0.12 (0.90) | −0.77 (0.12) | −0.61 (0.18) |
| Interaction QA×time since first PFT¶ | 1.3 (0.29) | 1.3 (0.26) | NA | NA | −0.71 (0.06) | −0.75 (0.04) |
Non-Asian males: mixers (n=27), intermittent mixers (n=111), quality assurance operators (QA) (n=3), other (n=161); Asian males: mixers (n=7), intermittent mixers (n=6), QA (n=0), other (n=34); non-Asian females: mixers (n=8), intermittent mixers (n=8), QA (n=20), other (n=145). FEV1: forced expiratory volume in 1 s; FVC: forced vital capacity; BMI: body mass index; PFT: pulmonary function test; NA: not applicable.#: compared with never- and ex-smokers. ¶: compared to “others” defined as employees without employment as pre-2003 mixer, pre-2003 intermittent mixer (maintenance and supervisors) or pre-2003 QA operator.