Factors affecting lung capacity in male employees at the AAEC Research Establishment.

Abstract

In 1976 a detailed analysis was made of the influence of age, height, weight, smoking habits, occupation and birthplace of male employees at the AAEC Research Establishment, Lucas Heights, on two measures of human lung capacity - forced expiratory volume after one second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC). The analysis was performed on medical data accumulated over ten years. The most important determinants of lung capacity are age and height; age explains more of the variation in FEV and height explains more of the variation in FVC. Regression equations have been based on these variables. The analyses also supported the hypothesis that smoking habits and occupation have comparatively small, but nevertheless distinct, effects on lung capacity. Results indicate that smoking has the greater effect of FEV1 and occupation has the greater effect on FVC, but it is difficult to quantify these effects and incorporate them into the prediction equations. Making allowance for birthplace and weight did not increase the reliability of the predictions, the latter because of its high correlation with height.