Objective: To estimate the prevalence and to evaluate the current status for management of asthma among employees in chemical plants in Beijing area.
Methods: A general survey was conducted among 12694 employees in 6 large chemical plants in Beijing area by face to face interview and physical examination.
Results: The prevalence of asthma was 1.13% (143/12694), 1.09% (78/7164) for male and 1.18% (65/5530) for female. The incidence of asthma was different among various chemical plants. 91.61% of the patients had received drug therapy in acute exacerbation stage, however, only 8.39% of them persevered drug therapy in remission stage.
Conclusion: Atopy and exposure to some chemical substances are risk factors for asthma. Treatment of asthma among this population by far fails to accord with the demands of the recommeded regimen for asthma.