HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS REGISTER		Author Keyword(s) Vol Page [Advanced]

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this link to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Add article to my folders Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Chaudemanche, H Articles by Dalphin, J-C Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Chaudemanche, H Articles by Dalphin, J-C

Respiratory status in dairy farmers in France; cross sectional and longitudinal analyses

¹ Department of Chest Diseases, University Hospital, Besançon, France
² Department of Public Health, University Hospital, Besançon, France
³ Medical Department of the "Mutualité Sociale Agricole du Doubs", Besançon, France

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Prof. J-C Dalphin
Dept of Chest Diseases, CHU–Hôpital Jean Minjoz, Boulevard Fleming, 25030 Besançon CEDEX, France; jean-charles.dalphin{at}ufc-chu.univ-fcomte.fr

Aims: To compare respiratory status in dairy farmers with that of non-farming controls.

Methods: Longitudinal study in the Doubs (France). From a cohort constituted in 1994 (T1), 215 (81.1%) dairy farmers and 110 (73.8%) controls were reevaluated in 1999 (T2). The protocol comprised a medical and occupational questionnaire, spirometric tests at both evaluations, allergological tests at T1, and a non-invasive measure of blood oxygen saturation (SpO₂) at T2.

Results: In 1999 analyses, the prevalence of chronic bronchitis was higher (p = 0.013), and FEV₁/VC (p < 0.025) and SpO₂ (-0.7%, p < 0.01) lower in dairy farmers than in controls. In a multiple linear regression model, farming, age, and smoking were significantly and inversely correlated with SpO₂. In the whole population, the mean annual decline in FEV₁ and FEV₁/VC was -13.4 ml and -0.30%, respectively. Farming was associated with an accelerated decline in FEV₁/VC (p < 0.025) after adjustment for covariates. No relation between allergy and respiratory function changes was observed, except for FEF_25–75.

Conclusions: This prospective study shows that dairy farming is associated with an excess of chronic bronchitis, with a moderate degree of bronchial obstruction and a mild decrease in SpO₂.

Keywords: farming; longitudinal study of respiratory function; oxygen saturation

Abbreviations: CPOD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; CS, current smoker; ES, ex-smoker; FEF_25–75, forced mid-expiratory flow; FEV₁, forced expiratory volume in one second; NS, non-smoker; Spo₂, blood oxygen saturation; VC, vital capacity

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. Gainet, I. Thaon, V. Westeel, H. Chaudemanche, A. G. Venier, A. Dubiez, J. J. Laplante, and J-C. Dalphin Twelve-year longitudinal study of respiratory status in dairy farmers Eur. Respir. J., July 1, 2007; 30(1): 97 - 103. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Goldberg, A. Leclerc, S. Bonenfant, J. F. Chastang, A. Schmaus, N. Kaniewski, and M. Zins Cohort profile: the GAZEL Cohort Study Int. J. Epidemiol., February 1, 2007; 36(1): 32 - 39. [Full Text] [PDF]