RESPIRATORY SURVEY FINDINGS AS PREDICTORS OF DISABILITY FROM RESPIRATORY-DISEASES

Abstract

Male employees of 2 East Coast [USA] telephone companies who participated in standardized respiratory surveys from 1961 to 1969 were followed to ascertain days of disability resulting from respiratory illnesses that lasted > 1 wk. Subjects were 1386 white males between aged 40-65 yr who had had no disabling chest illnesses in the 3 yr period prior to examination. Several survey findings were predictive of subsequent days lost from work. Listed in order of importance, these were diminished forced expiratory volume, a history of ever having had asthma, marked shortness of breath, chronic cough and phlegm, and chronic wheeze. A history of ever having had hay fever was associated with a diminished risk of lost time because of respiratory illness.