Current asthma: Estimated prevalence among former cigarette smokers by occupation and sex, U.S. working adults aged ≥18 years, NHIS 2004–2011

Occupation	Total			Male			Female
Occupation	Estimated Population	Prevalence (%)	95% Confidence Interval	Estimated Population	Prevalence (%)	95% Confidence Interval	Estimated Population	Prevalence (%)	95% Confidence Interval
Management
Chief executives; general and operations managers; legislators	518,030	5.4	2.8–7.9	407,331	4.1*	1.7–6.6	110,699	9.9*	1.9–17.8
Advertising, marketing, promotions, public relations, and sales managers	159,429	6.6*	1.3–11.8	97,710	6.8*	1.2–12.4	61,719	†	†
Operations specialties managers	571,583	7.2	4.5–9.9	327,512	6.0	3.0–9.0	244,071	8.9	4.5–13.2
Other management occupations	1,773,378	7.5	5.8–9.2	1,176,164	6.5	4.6–8.4	597,214	9.5	6.0–13.0
Business and Financial Operations
Business operations specialists	703,509	8.7	5.8–11.5	346,368	4.4	1.8–7.1	357,141	12.8	7.9–17.7
Financial specialists	584,775	6.0	3.9–8.1	278,566	3.3*	1.0–5.7	306,209	8.4	5.0–11.8
Computer and Mathematical
Computer specialists	672,015	8.3	5.3–11.3	521,488	7.1	4.0–10.2	150,527	12.5*	4.6–20.4
Mathematical science occupations	31,777	†	†	13,463	†	†	18,314	–	–
Architecture and Engineering
Architects, surveyors, and cartographers	49,631	†	†	42,251	†	†	7,380	–	–
Engineers	360,699	4.0*	1.5–6.6	333,224	4.4*	1.6–7.1	27,475	–	–
Drafters, engineering, and mapping technicians	155,186	4.9*	1.1–8.7	143,381	5.3*	1.2–9.4	11,806	–	–
Life, Physical, and Social Science
Life scientists	85,659	†	†	54,435	–	–	31,224	†	†
Physical scientists	64,450	13.0*	3.3–22.6	46,541	†	†	17,909	21.7*	1.0–42.4
Social scientists and related workers	117,730	8.0*	2.8–13.1	48,996	†	†	68,734	8.0*	2.1–13.9
Life, physical, and social science technicians	60,696	9.8*	0.5–19.1	41,752	†	†	18,944	23.9*	1.3–46.4
Community and Social Services
Counselors, social workers, and other community and social service specialists	365,732	9.6	5.9–13.2	106,087	7.6*	1.0–14.2	259,645	10.4	6.0–14.8
Religious workers	113,725	†	†	90,370	†	†	23,355	†	†
Legal
Lawyers, judges, and related workers	236,581	8.4	4.0–12.8	158,596	6.6*	1.5–11.7	77,985	11.9*	3.5–20.4
Legal support workers	125,677	4.2*	0.5–7.9	32,414	–	–	93,263	5.7*	0.7–10.6
Education, Training, and Library
Postsecondary teachers	260,781	7.9	4.5–11.3	136,553	8.1*	3.0–13.3	124,229	7.7*	2.6–12.8
Primary, secondary, and special education school teachers	805,821	9.4	6.9–11.8	187,432	5.3*	1.4–9.3	618,389	10.6	7.7–13.5
Other teachers and instructors	137,971	6.9*	2.6–11.3	62,152	†	†	75,819	10.4*	3.0–17.9
Librarians, curators, and archivists	58,550	11.4*	2.5–20.2	11,014	†	†	47,536	12.4*	2.2–22.7
Other education, training, and library occupations	184,349	13.4	7.3–19.5	17,425	–	–	166,924	14.8	8.2–21.5
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
Art and design workers	246,192	7.0	2.9–11.1	128,705	†	†	117,487	7.7*	2.5–13.0
Entertainers and performers, sports and related workers	116,826	5.1*	0.9–9.2	79,537	†	†	37,289	†	†
Media and communication workers	157,550	10.7	5.3–16.1	81,659	5.3*	0.7–9.8	75,892	16.5*	6.7–26.4
Media and communication equipment workers	60,942	†	†	36,302	†	†	24,639	†	†
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
Health diagnosing and treating practitioners	896,607	9.3	6.8–11.7	258,473	3.0*	0.5–5.5	638,134	11.8	8.7–15.0
Health technologists and technicians	391,505	10.8	6.9–14.8	92,462	†	†	299,043	13.6	8.5–18.7
Other healthcare practitioners and technical	12,391	–	–	8,253	–	–	4,139	–	–
Healthcare Support
Nursing, psychiatric, and home health aides	253,547	14.5	10.0–19.1	48,206	†	†	205,341	17.0	11.4–22.5
Occupational and physical therapist assistants and aides	6,234	–	–	†	nc	nc	5,640	–	–
Other healthcare support occupations	176,169	6.6	3.0–10.2	26,844	†	†	149,325	7.4	3.2–11.6
Protective Service
First-line supervisors/managers, protective service workers	67,926	†	†	55,487	†	†	12,439	–	–
Fire fighting and prevention workers	65,381	†	†	63,235	†	†	2,146	–	–
Law enforcement workers	235,113	4.9*	1.7–8.2	191,497	5.7*	1.8–9.6	43,616	†	†
Other protective service workers	215,461	7.8	3.7–12.0	175,250	6.4*	1.9–10.9	40,211	14.1*	3.8–24.3
Food Preparation and Serving Related
Supervisors, food preparation, and serving workers	149,436	10.5*	4.2–16.7	89,681	9.0*	1.5–16.4	59,755	12.7*	1.9–23.5
Cooks and food preparation workers	309,473	4.8	2.5–7.1	164,773	3.6*	0.6–6.5	144,700	6.2	2.8–9.7
Food and beverage serving working	322,580	9.5	5.2–13.9	112,341	†	†	210,239	11.3	5.7–16.9
Other food preparation and serving related workers	77,240	†	†	44,876	†	†	32,364	†	†
Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance
Supervisors, building and grounds cleaning and maintenance workers	111,384	10.1*	2.8–17.4	93,572	†	†	17,812	29.8*	5.6–53.9
Building cleaning and pest control workers	616,081	9.2	6.5–11.9	360,654	7.5	4.4–10.6	255,427	11.6	6.5–16.7
Grounds maintenance workers	232,893	6.7*	1.7–11.6	212,728	7.2*	1.8–12.6	20,165	†	†
Personal Care and Service
Supervisors, personal care and service workers	25,981	–	–	5,538	–	–	20,443	–	–
Animal care and service workers	39,612	†	†	12,053	†	†	27,559	–	–
Entertainment attendants and related workers	45,304	21.6*	1.0–42.1	33,335	26.8*	0.5–53.1	11,969	†	†
Funeral service workers	†	–	–	†	nc	nc	–	nc	nc
Personal appearance workers	197,885	7.3*	2.9–11.7	27,577	†	†	170,308	7.9*	2.9–12.9
Transportation, tourism, and lodging attendants	32,616	†	†	21,515	–	–	11,101	†	†
Other personal care and service workers	379,253	6.7	4.1–9.4	43,300	–	–	335,953	7.6	4.6–10.5
Sales and Related
Supervisors, sales workers	745,778	5.0	3.1–6.9	503,214	3.1	1.3–4.9	242,564	8.8	4.1–13.6
Retail sales workers	889,791	5.9	3.9–7.8	412,663	3.1*	1.0–5.2	477,129	8.2	5.2–11.3
Sales representatives, services	405,825	3.5	1.5–5.4	268,524	2.6*	0.4–4.8	137,301	5.1*	1.2–9.1
Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing	276,605	5.0*	1.7–8.4	222,609	5.8*	1.7–9.9	53,996	†	†
Other sales and related workers	399,735	5.9	3.5–8.4	208,276	4.5*	1.4–7.6	191,458	7.5	3.6–11.4
Office and Administrative Support
Supervisors, office and administrative support workers	318,668	10.7	6.7–14.7	98,079	†	†	220,589	13.2	8.0–18.5
Communications equipment operators	11,588	†	†	†	nc	nc	9,032	†	†
Financial clerks	559,401	12.0	7.4–16.6	79,894	7.7*	0.4–15.0	479,507	12.7	7.6–17.9
Information and record clerks	815,076	7.5	5.4–9.6	195,263	5.7*	0.8–10.6	619,813	8.1	5.8–10.4
Material recording, scheduling, dispatching, and distributing workers	600,427	8.3	5.6–11.0	382,043	5.8	3.1–8.4	218,384	12.7	6.6–18.7
Secretaries and administrative assistants	570,870	9.1	6.2–11.9	33,888	†	†	536,982	9.5	6.5–12.5
Other office and administrative support workers	467,984	9.1	6.1–12.0	111,159	†	†	356,824	11.0	7.3–14.6
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry
Supervisors, farming, fishing, and forestry workers	19,776	–	–	18,184	–	–	†	nc	nc
Agricultural workers	106,968	†	†	92,438	†	†	14,530	†	†
Fishing and hunting workers	11,278	–	–	11,278	–	–	–	nc	nc
Forest, conservation, and logging workers	8,752	†	†	8,752	†	†	–	nc	nc
Construction and Extraction
Supervisors, construction and extraction workers	183,304	†	†	181,626	†	†	1,678	–	–
Construction trades workers	1,287,215	4.4	3.0–5.8	1,258,568	4.1	2.7–5.4	28,647	18.3*	1.8–34.8
Helpers, construction trades	9,087	†	†	9,087	†	†	–	nc	nc
Other construction and related workers	92,903	†	†	92,485	†	†	†	nc	nc
Extraction workers	27,169	†	†	27,169	†	†	–	nc	nc
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair
Supervisors of installation, maintenance, and repair workers	96,003	4.9*	0.6–9.2	92,103	†	†	†	nc	nc
Electrical and electronic equipment mechanics, installers, and repairers	197,354	†	†	177,306	†	†	20,048	–	–
Vehicle and mobile equipment mechanics, installers, and repairers	395,795	2.2*	0.6–3.7	393,658	2.2*	0.6–3.8	2,137	–	–
Other installation, maintenance, and repair occupations	518,450	5.9	2.9–8.9	506,674	6.0	2.9–9.1	11,776	–	–
Production
Supervisors, production workers	205,592	5.3*	1.1–9.5	176,336	4.8*	0.3–9.3	29,256	†	†
Assemblers and fabricators	237,270	5.8*	2.3–9.2	164,274	†	†	72,996	11.2*	2.9–19.5
Food processing workers	70,182	8.9*	2.1–15.6	47,130	9.5*	0.8–18.1	23,052	†	†
Metal workers and plastic workers	382,965	6.3	3.6–9.0	343,589	6.5	3.6–9.3	39,376	†	†
Printing workers	88,746	7.1*	1.3–12.9	65,795	†	†	22,951	†	†
Textile, apparel, and furnishings workers	118,158	†	†	58,624	†	†	59,534	†	†
Woodworkers	32,002	†	†	30,947	†	†	1,055	–	–
Plant and system operators	75,717	†	†	73,409	†	†	2,308	–	–
Other production occupations	576,520	5.1	3.1–7.2	433,985	3.9	2.0–5.9	142,535	8.8*	3.3–14.3
Transportation and Material Moving
Supervisors, transportation and material moving workers	52,655	†	†	38,783	†	†	13,872	–	–
Air transportation workers	40,619	†	†	32,133	†	†	8,487	34.8*	1.0–68.7
Motor vehicle operators	974,404	4.7	3.2–6.1	863,430	3.7	2.2–5.1	110,974	12.5	5.9–19.1
Rail transportation workers	21,767	†	†	20,260	†	†	†	nc	nc
Water transportation workers	9,296	–	–	9,296	–	–	–	nc	nc
Other transportation workers	43,221	†	†	33,115	†	†	†	nc	nc
Material moving workers	514,387	4.5	2.3–6.6	455,727	3.7	1.6–5.7	58,661	11.1*	1.4–20.8
Millitary	38,272	†	†	24,273	†	†	13,999	†	†
Refused, Not Ascertained, Don’t Know	484,798	2.9	1.4–4.5	312,038	2.1*	0.4–3.9	172,760	4.3*	1.2–7.4
TOTAL	26,626,600	6.9	6.5–7.3	15,725,229	4.7	4.3–5.1	10,901,371	10.0	9.3–10.7

nc - not calculated

* Estimates with a relative standard error of >30% and ≤50% are statistically unstable due to small sample size and should be used with caution as they do not meet the standards of reliability.

† Estimates with a relative standard error of >50% are suppressed.

– No estimates due to no cases or no respondents.

Note:

Numbers presented are average annual estimates for the period 2004–2011. Prevalence estimates are weighted and are not age-adjusted. Estimated totals may not add up due to rounding/suppression.

Current asthma is defined as those who have ever been told by a doctor or other health professional that they had asthma and currently still have asthma at the time of the survey. Former cigarette smokers are those who reported smoking ≥100 cigarettes in their lifetime and at the time of the interview did not smoke. Working adults are those who were employed in the week prior to the survey. Estimated populations represent current U.S. workers aged ≥18 years.

See Appendix for more details.

Source:

National Center for Health Statistics National Health Interview Surveys 2004 to 2011.

Citation:

NIOSH 2015. Work-Related Lung Disease Surveillance System (eWoRLD). 2015-872 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Respiratory Health Division, Morgantown, WV. Available at: <https://wwwn.cdc.gov/eWorld/Data/872> April 25, 2024.

Reference Number: 2015-872

Date Posted: October 2015

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Page last reviewed: October 23, 2015

Content source: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)