Prevalence of allergic rhinitis based on the SACRA questionnaire among Japanese nursing professionals with asthma.

Although adult asthma is attributable to occupational factors and asthma and rhinitis are related, relatively few studies have investigated the prevalence of occupational rhinitis based on occupation, and knowledge of occupational rhinitis in Japan is currently limited. The objective of this cross-sectional study was to estimate the prevalence of allergic rhinitis among Japanese nursing professionals with asthma. A postal survey was conducted from October to December 2013 using translated versions of the European Community Respiratory Health Survey for the prevalence of asthma and State of the Impact of Allergic Rhinitis on Asthma Control questionnaire for the prevalence of rhinitis. Of 4,634 Japanese nursing professionals, 497 subjects had asthma, and 270 of these 497 subjects had allergic rhinitis (54.3%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 49.7-58.7). Latex allergy was significantly associated with allergic rhinitis (odds ratio, 1.77; 95% CI, 1.21-2.60). There was no relationship between employment period and prevalent allergic rhinitis. The results of this study provide fundamental information regarding occupational health among Japanese nursing professionals, including the prevalence of allergic rhinitis among Japanese nursing professionals with asthma and latex allergy as a potential risk factor for prevalent allergic rhinitis.

Asthma and Wheeze Prevalence among Nursing Professionals in Western Japan: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Although adult asthma is attributable to occupational factors, few reports are available on asthma prevalence among health care workers in Japan. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of asthma and wheeze among Japanese nursing professionals. A cross-sectional study was conducted by postal survey using a translated version of the European Community Respiratory Health Survey questionnaire from April to June 2013. The analysis included 4634 nursing professionals (257 men and 4377 women) and the overall response rate was 84.8%. The prevalence of current asthma and wheeze were 10.7% (95% confidence interval (CI), 9.9%-11.7%) and 15.6% (95% CI, 14.5%-16.6%), respectively. More than one year of work experience as a nursing professional and more than one year of experience with bed-making tasks were associated with odds ratios (ORs) of 1.95 (95% CI, 1.12-3.39) and 1.64 (95% CI, 1.15-2.23) for wheeze, respectively. Current smoking was significantly associated with the presence of wheeze, with ORs of 2.27 for men (95% CI, 1.11-4.64) and 2.01 for women (95% CI, 1.54-2.64). Among female nurses, latex allergy was associated with wheeze (OR, 1.87; 95% CI, 1.56-2.23), as was body mass index ≥30 (OR, 2.76; 95% CI, 1.65-4.62). This study has provided the prevalence of asthma and wheeze among Japanese nursing professionals. Employment period, bed-making tasks, latex allergy, obesity, and smoking may be risk factors for prevalent wheeze among nursing professionals.