Among All Miners, Coal Miners Demonstrate a Disproportionately High Prevalence of Obstructive Spirometric Abnormality and Chronic Bronchitis.

Abstract

To compare the prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) between miners extracting coal versus other minerals. The study population was based on New Mexico miners, mostly Hispanic and American Indian, attending a rural community-based mobile screening clinic program between 1989 and 2014. We compared self-reported symptoms, lung diseases, and spirometric patterns between 1353 coal miners and 4140 non-coal miners. Obstruction was the most common abnormal spirometric pattern among all miners (16.9%). Coal miners were more likely to demonstrate an obstructive pattern and report chronic bronchitis symptoms than non-coal miners (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 1.24, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.03, 1.48; and OR = 1.47, 95% CI: 1.24, 1.75, respectively). These associations remained significant among never smoking miners. The prevention and management of COPD among coal miners deserves greater emphasis by rural health care delivery systems.