The Shift Toward Race-Neutral Spirometry

The Shift Toward Race-Neutral Spirometry

By Charlene Mhangami , V-Core Senior Product Specialist, Vitalograph

Published 29 November 2025

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In occupational health, spirometry is a vital tool used to protect and monitor workers in job roles that may put respiratory health at risk, due to exposure to various workplace respiratory hazards. It is commonly used to:

• Establish baseline lung function
• Monitor changes over time
• Determine eligibility for specific job roles
• Support evaluations for work-related disability compensation

Measured values obtained from spirometry are compared to predicted values which are estimated lung function values expected in a healthy person of the same age, birth sex, height and historically ethnicity. This comparison helps determine whether a worker’s lung function is within the normal range. The predicted values are calculated using reference equations, which are based on collection of large datasets from healthy, non-smoking individuals.

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Read the full article here on the iOH website.