GEE model (approach 1): Effect estimates for longitudinal change of lung function parameters in relationship with cumulative exposure of quartz dust (in 0.1 mg/m3-years) and co-variables. No. of subjects = 1343.

Table 4A: GEE model (approach 1): Effect estimates for longitudinal change of lung function parameters in relationship with cumulative exposure of quartz dust (in 0.1 mg/m³-years) and co-variables. 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 1
Cumulative quartz dust^*	0.007	0.002	0.001	0.004	0.002	0.088	-0.034	0.026	0.192
Height (in cm)	0.063	0.002	< 0.001	0.049	0.002	< 0.001	-0.056	0.025	0.024
Weight (in kg)	-0.005	0.001	< 0.001	-0.005	0.001	< 0.001	-0.007	0.010	0.462
Age ≤ 25	-0.036	0.004	< 0.001	-0.034	0.003	< 0.001	-0.121	0.038	0.002
Age > 25	-0.030	0.003	< 0.001	-0.033	0.003	< 0.001	-0.187	0.036	< 0.001
Non-German nationality^***	-0.178	0.045	< 0.001	-0.192	0.042	< 0.001	-1.183	0.488	0.015
Active smoker^***	-0.145	0.022	< 0.001	-0.090	0.021	< 0.001	0.193	0.251	0.442
Former smoker^***	-0.107	0.030	< 0.001	-0.020	0.028	0.468	0.909	0.344	0.008
Cumulative packyears	-0.004	0.001	0.007	-0.008	0.001	< 0.001	-0.098	0.016	< 0.001
Coking coal^***	0.284	0.031	< 0.001	0.095	0.029	0.001	-2.502	0.338	< 0.001
Custovit^***	0.125	0.012	< 0.001	-0.026	0.011	0.019	-2.458	0.167	< 0.001
Vitalograph^***	0.363	0.023	< 0.001	0.393	0.023	< 0.001	1.154	0.313	< 0.001
Year of measurements	0.009	0.004	0.017	0.021	0.003	< 0.001	0.263	0.041	< 0.001

Statistics: Hazard ratio with standard error, Wald test: z-value, two-sided p-value. ^*unit: In 0.1 mg/m³-years; ^**Reference: German nationality; thermal coal; non-smoker; body plethysmograph.