Respiratory ill-health in Dental Laboratory Technicians: A Comparative Study of GP Consultation Rates

Eighteen Royal Air Force dental laboratory technicians (DLTs)and 69 Service controls matched for age, sex and smoking statuswere compared by means of incidence rates of GP consultationfor respiratory, and all other, illness. By retrospectively calculating for each individual the timeserved (man-years at risk) at the RAF Station concerned, togetherwith the number of consultations that fell into each of thestudy categories, it was possible to produce an incidence rate,per man-year at risk, of consultations for both study and controlgroups. By calculating a relative risk (RR) it was observedthat DLTs were nearly three times (RR=2·95. Cl 1·69–5·13),more likely to attend their GP with respiratory problems thanmembers of the control group, and 1·7 times (RR=1·71.Cl 0·98–3·01) more likely to attend theirGP with other problems. Comparison of the numbers of individuals continuing to use bronchodilatortherapy in each of the two groups suggested that DLTs have ahigher prevalence of conditions that require this form of therapyas treatment. Requests for reprints should be addressed to: Squadron Leader R. Guest, Senior Medical Officer, Royal Air Force Kinloss, Forres, Moray IV36 0UJ, Scotland