Disability Among Adults With Asthma

To identify risk factors for work disability among adults with asthma treated by pulmonary and allergy specialists.

BACKGROUND: Disability among those with asthma is common and costly. Little is known about the causes of disability in asthma; experience with other chronic diseases suggests that illness severity alone does not adequately predict disability. There is a theoretical and experimental basis upon which to postulate that other variables, including factors such as job flexibility, asthma self-efficacy, social supports, and cigarette smoking may be predictors of disability in asthma. The study helped to explain the inter-relationships among illness severity, other co-factors and disability in asthma, addressing a major research gap. DESIGN NARRATIVE: The study was a cross-sectional survey, including retrospective work history data. A random sample was conducted of 40 board certified pulmonologists in Northern California enrolling persons with asthma. Pulmonologists maintained a log of all persons meeting a clinical definition of asthma presenting to their offices for treatment over a one month period. A total of 601 subjects with any history of laborforce participation were interviewed by a trained survey worker in order to assess severity of disease using a severity scale based on symptoms, medications, and past-asthma history. The computer-assisted, telephone-administered interviews used established survey instruments to assess psychosocial variables, smoking exposure and work history. The study completion date listed in this record was obtained from the "End Date" entered in the Protocol Registration and Results System (PRS) record.

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