GEE model (approach 2): Effect estimates for longitudinal change of lung function parameters in relationship with concentration (in mg/m<sup>3</sup>) and duration (in dust-years) of coal mine dust exposure and covariables. No. of subjects = 1343.

Table 3B: GEE model (approach 2): Effect estimates for longitudinal change of lung function parameters in relationship with concentration (in mg/m³) and duration (in dust-years) of coal mine dust exposure and covariables. No. of subjects = 1343.

	VC_max (liters)			FEV₁ (liters)			FEV₁/VC_max (%)
Covariable	Estimate	Std.Err	P > \|z\|	Estimate	Std.Err	P > \|z\|	Estimate	Std.Err	P > \|z\|
Approach 2
Coal mine dust concentration^*	0.012	0.013	0.370	0.014	0.014	0.329	0.108	0.186	0.563
Duration of exposure ^**	0.007	0.003	0.021	0.007	0.003	0.021	0.019	0.040	0.629
Height (in cm)	0.063	0.002	< 0.001	0.049	0.002	< 0.001	-0.057	0.025	0.023
Weight (in kg)	-0.005	0.001	< 0.001	-0.004	0.001	< 0.001	-0.006	0.010	0.532
Age ≤ 25	-0.037	0.004	< 0.001	-0.035	0.003	< 0.001	-0.126	0.039	0.001
Age > 25	-0.031	0.004	< 0.001	-0.034	0.003	< 0.001	-0.193	0.037	< 0.001
Non-German nationality^***	-0.176	0.045	< 0.001	-0.195	0.042	< 0.001	-1.268	0.490	0.010
Active smoker^***	-0.148	0.022	< 0.001	-0.092	0.021	< 0.001	0.202	0.252	0.424
Former smoker^***	-0.109	0.030	< 0.001	-0.020	0.028	0.458	0.918	0.345	0.008
Cumulative packyears	-0.004	0.001	0.008	-0.007	0.001	< 0.001	-0.097	0.016	< 0.001
Coking coal^***	0.247	0.031	< 0.001	0.069	0.030	0.021	-2.457	0.361	< 0.001
Custovit^***	0.118	0.012	< 0.001	-0.032	0.011	0.004	-2.467	0.169	< 0.001
Vitalograph^***	0.350	0.022	< 0.001	0.385	0.022	< 0.001	1.179	0.311	< 0.001
Year of measurements	0.008	0.004	0.047	0.019	0.004	< 0.001	0.236	0.044	< 0.001

Statistics: Hazard ratio with standard error, Wald test: z-value, two-sided p-value. ^*unit: In mg/m³; ^** unit: dust-years; ^***Reference: German nationality; gas and flaming coal; non-smoker; body plethysmograph.