AB1492 CONSTRUCTION AND VALIDATION OF AN OCCUPATIONAL HISTORY QUESTIONNAIRE FOR JOB CODING AND OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE ASSESSMENT IN SYSTEMIC AUTOIMMUNE RHEUMATIC DISEASES
Authors: A. C. Dens
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (2024)

<h3>Background:</h3> Systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases develop in individuals with a susceptible genetic background upon exposure to environmental triggers, including occupational exposure to respirable crystalline silica particles (RCS). In general population-based studies, job history taking is an important step in assigning exposure. <h3>Objectives:</h3> We aimed to create and validate a self-administered occupational history questionnaire that allows for International Standard Classification of Occupation (ISCO)-68 job coding and exposure assessment, reducing time-investment and expenses in epidemiological research. <h3>Methods:</h3> Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (N=70) were asked to participate in a standardised telephone interview and to complete an expert-developed, self-administered occupational history questionnaire, designed for this study. Participants were asked to contact two gender- and age-matched family member controls. Two independent observers assigned ISCO-68 codes to the reported jobs. A job exposure matrix linked each job to RCS exposure. Response rate to the questionnaire, observed percentage of agreement of reported working years and consensus of ISCO-68 job codes were estimated between the questionnaire and interview. We calculated Cohen's κ for binary ever/never RCS exposure (comparing interview to questionnaire) and for interobserver variability of ISCO codes (based on the questionnaire), and intraclass correlation for cumulative RCS exposure. <h3>Results:</h3> The response rate of patients and family members was 77% and 6.45%, respectively. Agreement was 91% for reported working years, 71% for ISCO-68 coding and Cohen's κ for ever/never RCS exposure was strong (0.87) when the telephone interview was compared to the questionnaire. Intraclass correlation for cumulative RCS exposure between 2 observers was excellent (0.91). <h3>Conclusion:</h3> Our questionnaire is a valid, cost- and time-saving alternative to a telephone interview to assess occupational history and consequently estimate exposure via a job-exposure matrix. <h3>REFERENCES:</h3> [1] Celen H, Dens A, Ronsmans S et al. Airborne pollutants as potential triggers of systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases: a narrative review. Acta Clin Belg. 2022;77(5):874-882. [2] Teschke K, Olshan A, Daniels J. Occupational exposure assessment in case–control studies: opportunities for improvement. Occup and Environ Med. 2002;59(9):575-594. [3] Sauvé J, Friesen M. Using Decision Rules to Assess Occupational Exposure in Population-Based Studies. Curr Environ Health Rep. 2019;6(3):148-159. [4] Fritschi U, Siemiatycki J, Richardson L. Self-assessed Versus Expert-assessed Occupational Exposures. Am J Epidemiol. 1996;144:521-5217. [5] Offermans N, Vermeulen R, Burdorf A, et al. Comparison of expert and job-exposure matrix-based retrospective exposure assessment of occupational carcinogens in the Netherlands Cohort Study. Occup Environ Med. 2012;69:745–751. [6] Boudigaard S, Schlünssen V, Vestergaard J, et al. Occupational exposure to respirable crystalline silica and risk of autoimmune rheumatic diseases: a nationwide cohort study. Int J Epidemiol. 2021;50(4):1213-1226. <h3>Acknowledgements:</h3> <b>NIL.</b> <h3>Disclosure of Interests:</h3> <b>None declared.</b>