Occupational asthma in apprentice adolescent car painters.

Occupational asthma (OA) is one of the leading causes of pulmonary diseases and has been extensively studied in adults. Childhood employment, a significant problem in many developing countries, should be studied to determine and evaluate its effects on psychosocial and lung health. In order to investigate the presence of work-related asthma-like symptoms and OA in apprentice adolescent car painters, 72 adolescents between the ages of 15-20 yr studying in Vocational Training Centres of Ankara were investigated using questionnaire, pulmonary function test (PFT), serial peak expiratory flow (PEF) measurements and methacholine inhalation tests. As a control group, 72 adolescents studying in Industrial and Commercial Training Centres located in the same environment were investigated with questionnaire and PFT. Almost 50% of the study group had work-related asthma-like symptoms for which occupational dermatitis history was predictive [odds ratio: 2.9 (1.026-8.13) (95% confidence interval)]. Seventeen of 22 with serial PEF measurements showed a variability of > or =20% and three (4.2%) of 12 tested with methacholine inhalation test had a PC20 < or = 8 mg/ml, which led to the diagnosis of OA. There was no statistically significant difference between study and control groups in terms of PFT. In conclusion, the high prevalence of work-related asthma-like symptoms among adolescent car painters clearly indicates the need for routine follow-up of adolescent workers for lung health.