en Occupational Medicine Occupational Medicine Original Research Original Research <p> <b> Background </b>:Asthma is the most common respiratory disease with an increasing prevalence. On the other hand, obesity is also a challenging disease compromising health in human communities. This study sought to assess the correlation of asthma and body mass index (BMI) in occupational setting. </p><p> <b> Methods </b>: This study was conducted in a cable manufacturing company in 2012. A total of 551 workers from the production (exposed group) and non-production (unexposed group) units were studied. A questionnaire specifically designed for this purpose was filled out for study subjects and then all workers with respiratory symptoms suggestive of asthma thoroughly examined by a physician and medical history was taken from them. Complementary diagnostic tests were also carried out. </p><p> <b> Results </b>: A total of 11.6% of our understudy subjects had asthma. The prevalence of asthma in exposed subjects with BMI ³ 25 kg/m² was found to be significantly higher than in exposed workers with BMI< 25 kg/m² (p< 0.01). However, no significant differences existed in prevalence of asthma between the two subgroups of BMI ³ 25 kg/m² and BMI< 25 kg/m²in the unexposed group (p>0.05). After adjusting for confounding factors significant associations were observed between BMI and asthma at cut points of 30 kg/m²and 25 kg/m² (OR: 8.53 and 2.41, respectively). </p><p> <b> Conclusion </b>: Our study results showed that prevalence of asthma might be higher in workers with higher BMI who are exposed to occupational asthmogens. This finding highlights the necessity of offering weight loss recommendations in periodic examinations to workers with exposure to occupational asthmogens. </p> Asthma, BMI, Occupational exposure. 378 385 http://mjiri.iums.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-1-693&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Seyed Mohammad Seyedmehdi mseyedmehdi@gmail.com 200319475328460012743 200319475328460012743 No Chronic Respiratory Diseases Research Center, National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (NRITLD), ShahidBeheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Mohammad Reza Masjedi mrmasjedi@gmail.com 200319475328460012744 200319475328460012744 No Telemedicine Research Center, National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (NRITLD), ShahidBeheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Faezeh Dehghan drfdehghan@gmail.com 200319475328460012745 200319475328460012745 No Occupational Medicine Department, AJA University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Rahim Roozbahani rahimroozbahani@yahoo.com 200319475328460012746 200319475328460012746 No Clinical Tuberculosis and Epidemiology Research Center, National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (NRITLD), ShahidBeheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Zargham Sadeghi ranomrc@gmail 200319475328460012747 200319475328460012747 No Occupational Medicine Specialist, Petroleum Industry Health Organization (PIHO), Tehran, Iran. Baharak Bahadori bahadori_baharak@yahoo.com 200319475328460012748 200319475328460012748 No Occupational Medicine Department, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Mirsaeed Attarchi msattarchi@yahoo.com 200319475328460012749 200319475328460012749 Yes Occupational Medicine Department, Iran University of Medical Sciences & Brain and Spinal Injury Research Center (BASIR), Imam Khomeini Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.