Health and socioeconomic consequences of occupational respiratory allergies: a pilot study using workers' compensation data.

Growing evidence suggests that individuals with occupational allergies have long-term health and employment problems. Workers' compensation claims for allergic respiratory disease allowed in Ontario 1975-1981 were reviewed for demographic, risk factor, and exposure data. Diagnoses listed in these 244 claims were reassessed for consistency with criteria for occupational respiratory allergies. Twenty-eight percent of the 154 claimants who met the criteria were granted a permanent disability award from the workers' compensation board (WCB). In response to a questionnaire mailed 2-8 years after claim allowance, 77% of those traced reported improvement, but 59% still required medication and 85% still suffered symptoms. Seventy-six percent of claimants left their employer. Seventy-five percent of those who left did so due to their allergic condition; 95% suffered long-term income loss. The unemployment rate for this cohort was 36%, well above that for the general population. Older workers with longer duration of symptoms and longer duration of exposure prior to the claim had the worst prognoses. The data were consistent with previous studies in suggesting that occupational respiratory allergies may result in serious health and socioeconomic consequences. Exploring the feasibility, acceptability, and potential usefulness of WCB data, it is suggested that this source merits further consideration both for descriptive as well as prognostic studies.