Breathing and Work Study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Breathing and Work Study
IRAS ID
141414
Contact name
David Fishwick
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Research summary
Asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases (COPD) are common breathing problems that have considerable impact on patients’ lives. Workplace exposures to inhaled fumes, dusts and gases have been shown to cause a proportion of both of these conditions. Patients with these conditions can report difficulty working happily and efficiently (also called presenteeism), particularly if their breathing problem is worsened by workplace conditions. Whilst quite a lot is known about workplace inhaled agents being able to cause respiratory illnesses, relatively little is known about how workers with these conditions cope at work. In particular, it is not understood whether they are disadvantaged at work, and what levels of protection current workplaces supply to help those with breathing problems.
We aim therefore to ask our existing patients with asthma and COPD about their experiences of work, using a self reported questionnaire. The questionnaire used will be one developed by our research team, with the majority of the questions previously well validated. Indeed our team has just completed a study of these issues in two worker populations predominantly without asthma, and these data will be used to compare with the asthma and COPD patients. Other questions will be asked to help us identify if workplaces were proactive in trying to help those with breathing problems (for example by carrying out risk assessments, supplying respiratory protection where necessary).
The outputs of this research will be shared with the scientific community but also shared with patient groups, with third sector organisations such as the British Lung Foundation, and also with HSE based policy makers, in order to achieve a better workplace consideration for workers with breathing problems.
REC name
North East - York Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/NE/1061
Date of REC Opinion
26 Jun 2014
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion