Assess factors influencing the quality of life of employees recognised for occupational asthma in a Tunisian population.
Methods:
Cross-sectional study including all employees recognised for an occupational asthma in the center region of Tunisia during 6 years (2008 — 2013). The quality of life was evaluated according to the Asthma Quality of Life questionnaire (AQLQ). The later was filled by interviewing the employees. This questionnaire contains 32 items divided into 4 areas of interest: symptoms, activity's limitation, emotional statue, environmental stimuli.
Results:
Overall, 87 cases of recognised occupational asthma were included in the study. The mean employee's age was 35 ± 6 years. The sex ratio was 0.65. The most implicated fields were textile and clothing (84.1%). Allergic rhinitis was associated to asthma in 35% of cases. The mean rate of indemnity was 27.1 ± 11%. Half of employees were left at the same work station. A professional reclassification was needed in 25% of cases. Eighteen employees were sent back (17%), 9.5% left voluntarily their job and 2.5% of them have an early retirement. The quality of life score was established among 63 patients. The mean score was 3.52 ± 0.8. The score was less than 4 or a "poor" quality of life among 61 employees. The maintenance of the work station was correlated with a "poor" quality of life (p = 0.04) and with a lower indemnity rate (p = 10-6). The reclassification or the lay out from the work station was correlated with a higher quality of life score (p = 10-3). The symptoms resolution was influenced by the work in the textile field (p = 0.04) and the association of rhinitis to the occupational asthma (p = 0.02). The activity limitation depended on the age (p = 0.006).
Conclusions:
According to our study, the low rate of indemnity was proportional to the rate of the work station maintenance and so, a better employee's quality of life. We focus on the need to improve the prevention procedures among the exposed employees by strengthening the technical prevention measures and by developing appropriate institutions of the employee's rehabilitation. A systematic reevaluation of the indemnity rates within the legal period of reevaluation (5 years) is needed to follow the evolution of the employee's quality of life.