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Table 1 Demographic characteristics and baseline pulmonary function in the tea worker and comparison groups

From: Pulmonary function, respiratory symptoms, and dust exposures among workers engaged in early manufacturing processes of tea: a cohort study

Characteristics

Tea Workers (N = 91)

Comparison (N = 32)

p

Age (year) (mean ± SD)

40.6 ± 10.4

41.1 ± 9.1

0.81

Height (cm) (mean ± SD)

167.7 ± 6.3

169.5 ± 5.1

0.15

Weight (kg) (mean ± SD)

67.2 ± 8.1

69.6 ± 8.2

0.14

Education level*

  

< 0.01

   Elementary

18 (19.8%)

0 (0.0%)

 

   Junior high

27 (29.7%)

0 (0.0%)

 

   Senior high

45 (49.5%)

26 (81.3%)

 

   University

1 (1.1%)

6 (18.7%)

 

Race

  

0.80

   Han

83 (91.2%)

30 (93.8%)

 

   Aboriginal

7 (7.7%)

2 (6.2%)

 

   Hakka

1 (1.1%)

0 (0.0%)

 

Smoking

  

0.86

   Never

31 (34.1%)

10 (31.2%)

 

   Ex-smoker

16 (17.6%)

7 (21.9%)

 

   Current

44 (48.3%)

15 (46.9%)

 

Tea-drinking*

  

< 0.01

   Never

3 (3.3%)

8 (25.0%)

 

   Occasional

22 (24.2%)

11 (34.4%)

 

   Habitual

66 (72.5%)

13 (40.6%)

 

Baseline pulmonary function†

   

   FVC (L) (mean ± SD)

4.05 ± 0.68

4.15 ± 0.58

0.41

   FVC (%pred‡) (mean ± SD)

89.10 ± 10.38

89.42 ± 7.27

0.85

   FEV1 (L) (mean ± SD)

3.66 ± 0.64

3.77 ± 0.59

0.39

   FEV1 (%pred) (mean ± SD)

97.47 ± 12.63

98.30 ± 9.47

0.70

   FEV1/FVC (mean ± SD)

90.47 ± 4.81

90.60 ± 4.67

0.90

   MMF (L/S) (mean ± SD)

4.93 ± 1.29

4.99 ± 1.12

0.79

   MMF (%pred) (mean ± SD)

123.78 ± 30.37

123.44 ± 23.73

0.95

  1. *p value < 0.05 for two-sample t test, chi-square test, or Fisher's exact test
  2. †FVC: forced vital capacity, FEV1: 1-second forced expiratory volume, MMF: maximal mid-expiratory flow rate; ‡pred = predicted value