Poultry processing work and respiratory health of Latino men and women in North Carolina.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate associations between poultry processing work and respiratory health among working Latino men and women in North Carolina. METHODS Between May 2009 and November 2010, 402 poultry processing workers and 339 workers in a comparison population completed interviewer-administered questionnaires. Of these participants, 279 poultry processing workers and 222 workers in the comparison population also completed spirometry testing to provide measurements of forced expiratory volume in 1 second and forced vital capacity. RESULTS Nine percent of poultry processing workers and 10% of workers in the comparison population reported current asthma. Relative to the comparison population, adjusted mean forced expiratory volume in 1 second and forced vital capacity were lower in the poultry processing population, particularly among men who reported sanitation job activities. CONCLUSIONS Despite the low prevalence of respiratory symptoms reported, poultry processing work may affect lung function.