Background: Despite the high rates, the consequences of new onset asthma among the World Trade Center (WTC) responders in terms of the change in job status have not been studied.
Methods: This study consists of a cohort of 8132 WTC responders out of the total 25 787 responders who held a full-time job at the baseline visit, and participated in at least one follow-up visit.
Results: Overall, 34% of the study cohort changed their job status from full-time at a follow-up visit. Multivariable models showed that asthmatics were respectively 27% and 47% more likely to have any job status change and get retired, and twice as likely to become disabled as compared to non-asthmatics.
Conclusions: With asthma incidence from WTC exposure, negative job status change should be considered as a potential long-term consequence of WTC exposure.
Keywords: WTC responders; asthma; job status change; socioeconomic status; world trade center.
© 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.