Asthma negatively impacts productivity

This is a photo of two Asian men clocking in at work.

A Swedish study has concluded that people who have asthma and are overweight are more likely to be less productive at work and absent more frequently. The study, “Asthma is Associated With Increased Sickness Absence Among Young Adults,” was published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice.

The study looked at 2,391 employed participants (age 24) from the Swedish population-based cohort BAMSE (Barn/Child, Allergy, Milieu, Stockholm, Epidemiology). Researchers examined data on asthma-related absences of 14 days or more in 2020 or 2021. Asthma was defined with a doctor-confirmed diagnosis, breathing difficulties and/or asthma medication use within the last 12 months. Participant BMI, physical activity (low, moderate, vigorous), smoking, education level and depression diagnoses were also included.

Of the participants, 11.4% fulfilled the definition of asthma. Sickness absence was more common among those with asthma than those without (15.1% versus 8.7%). Further analyses showed that the association tended to be stronger for persistent asthma, uncontrolled asthma and asthma in combination with rhinitis. No consistent differences were observed across phenotypes related to allergic sensitization or inflammation. The association tended to be stronger among those who were overweight than those at a normal weight. 

The study suggests the societal costs of asthma and the health consequences of the disease are notable, according to lead author Sandra Ekström, PhD, of the department of clinical science and education at Södersjukhuset, Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm. The effect is even more noticeable in asthma patients who are overweight, the authors wrote.

The causes for illness-related absences varied. Only 33 participants with asthma had available data on diagnosis. Among them, 18.2% had “diseases of the respiratory system,” compared with 5.9% without asthma.

Study authors emphasized that due to these results, health care providers should focus on helping patients control their asthma and reduce their symptoms to minimize the negative health consequences and costs of asthma.

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