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was among paraquat users who smoked. The relative risk or odds ratio for
paraquat users who smoked was 7.47(95% CI = 2.9-19). From this, an additive
effect of paraquat use and smoking can be postulated.
The attributable risk or maximum proportion of chronic bronchitis that can be
attributed to paraquat use in the study sample corresponds to 84 cases per
1 000 people. Consequently, for the population (21 932) from which the study
sample was taken, it can be extrapolated that there are 1116 cases of chronic
bronchitis in the community resulting from paraquat use.
Because the reference values used in Colombia for lung function tests are for
people 15-70 years of age, these tests were done only for the 486 men in this
age group (Table 4). Women were excluded from this analysis because only
six used paraquat.
Paraquat users in Carmen de Viboral suffered from pulmonary obstructive
lung disease in greater proportion than nonusers. The figures displayed give
users of paraquat an odds ratio for COPD of 3.11 (95% CI = 1.41-6.78).
Controlling for exposure to dust and other irritants, 5.6% of paraquat users
who were smokers were found to have COPD compared with no smoking
nonusers (Table 5). The odds ratio of developing COPD for paraquat users
who smoked was 16.6 (95% CI 0.9-298). Statistically significant differences
Table 4. Lung condition of men, 15-70 years old, who use paraquat
compared with nonusers.
Users Nonusers
Lung function No. % NO.a
Restrictive 6 5.4 16 4.3
Obstructive 12 10.8 14 3.7
Both 2 1.8 2 0.5
Normal 91 82.0 342 91.4
Total 111 100 374 99.9
a No diagnosis for one person.
Table 5. Number (and %) of male smokers and nonsmokers, 15-70 years old, with
impaired lung function among those using paraquat compared with nonusers.
Smokers Nonsmokers
Lung function Users Nonusers Users Nonusers
Restrictive 1 (2.2) 4 (9.5) 5 (9.6) 2 (4.7)
Obstructive 7 (16.5) 0 3 (5.8) 3 (7.0)
Both 1 (2.2) 1 (2.4) 1 (1.9) 0
Normal
Total
36 (80.0)
45a (100)
37 (88.1)
42 (100)
43 (82.7)
52 (100)
38 (88.4)
43b
(100)
a One person not diagnosed.
b
Three people not diagnosed.
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