Work-related asthma (WRA) has worst socioeconomic status, quality of life and asthma control: a brazilian study

WRA accounts for 15-20% of asthma in adults. The aim is to assess socioeconomic and quality of life (QoL) impact of WRA in a middle-income country. Methods: 201 patients from a referral hospital were evaluated, 101 asthma patients with no relation to work (NWRA) and 100 WRA cases. All subjects had occupational histories taken, socioeconomic status determined and responded to asthma control questionnaires (ACQ6 and ACT), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and Juniper Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ). Results: The most prevalent occupations in the NWRA group was in the administrative services sector, while WRA patients worked mostly in cleaning services. NWRA group had more women (p=0.04), more asthma family history (p=0.04) and more rhinitis (p=0.036) while WRA group was older (p Indviduals with WRA had a decrease in wage and family income (p Conclusion: Individuals with WRA showed negative socioeconomic impact since diagnosis, and when compared to NWRA group they had worst asthma control, QoL and psychological outcomes.