Lung status in young Danish rurals: the effect of farming exposure on asthma-like symptoms and lung function

The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of asthma (self-reported ) and relate this to lung function and factors associated with asthma in yo ung farmers. Two hundred and ten female and 1,691 male farming students together with 40 7 males controls were studied. Each subject underwent a medical interview; forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FV C) were recorded using a dry wedge spirometer, Histamine bronchial reactivi ty was measured using the Yan method. Skin prick testing was performed usin g inhalant allergens. Nonsmokers had lower prevalence of asthma (5.4-10.8%) than smokers (11.3-21 .0%) (p<0.05). Females reported symptoms of asthma nearly twice as often as males. Sex, smoking and a family history of asthma/allergy were significan tly associated with asthma, Controls had higher standardized FEV1 and FVC r esiduals than male students, both nonsmokers (0.21 and 0.24) versus (-0.06 and -0.05) and smokers (0.29 and 0.33) versus (-0.11 and 0.13) (p<0.032). B ronchial hyperresponsiveness, asthma, siblings with allergy and working wit h cattle (controls only) were significantly associated with reduced lung fu nction. In conclusion, the prevalence of asthma was significantly related to smokin g, female sex, family history of asthma and allergy. Whilst bronchial hyper responsiveness was associated with reduced lung function and lung function was slightly reduced in the male farming students, there was no association found between occupational farming exposure and either lung symptoms or lu ng function.