Abstract
Evaluate associations of nasal and sinus and related symptoms, as well as selected health conditions which produce those symptoms, with total lost productive time (LPT) at work in the past 2 weeks.Methods:We used a cross-sectional analysis of 2402 currently working subjects. Self-reported physician diagnoses, condition statuses measured with standardized instruments, and symptom-based factor scores from an exploratory factor analysis were used in survey weighted log-binomial regression.Results:Pain and pressure, nasal blockage and discharge, and asthma and constitutional symptom factor scores as well as self-reported allergic rhinitis were associated with higher total LPT. Individuals who met operationalized criteria for multiple health conditions, especially chronic rhinosinusitis, had the greatest total LPT.Conclusions:Better management of these symptoms, and awareness of how they impact an individual's ability to perform job-functions in the workplace, could improve overall productivity.
Original language | English (US) |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | E333-E339 |
Journal | Journal of occupational and environmental medicine |
Volume | 61 |
Issue number | 8 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Aug 1 2019 |
Funding
This study was supported in part by grant U19AI106683 (Chronic Rhinosinusitis Integrative Studies Program [CRISP]) from the National Institutes of Health, and by a grant from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (T42 OH0008428) to the Johns Hopkins University Education and Research Center for Occupational Safety and Health.
Keywords
- ENT
- epidemiology
- productivity
- symptoms
- workplace
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health