Ijadunola K T, Erhabor G E, Onayade A A, Ijadunola M Y, Fatusi A O, Asuzu M C
Department of Community Health, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.
Am J Ind Med. 2005 Oct;48(4):308-17. doi: 10.1002/ajim.20219.
The impact of grain dust exposure on lung functions of grain handlers in Nigeria has remained largely undocumented. Lung functions of wheat flourmill workers and control subjects were assessed, and the prevalence of lung function abnormalities was compared among the occupational groups.
Study subjects consisted of 91 flour-millers, 30 matched internal controls from the maintenance unit of the same flourmill factory and 121 matched external controls. A cross-sectional analytical design is utilized; data were collected using structured interviews, anthropometric measurements, spirometry, and area dust sampling.
The flour-millers recorded significantly lower mean lung functions compared with control subjects (P < 0.05), for FEV(1) and FVC, when observed values were expressed as percentages of predicted normal values. Furthermore, 29% of flour-millers, compared with 15% of external controls and 10% of internal controls, presented with at least one abnormal test result of ventilatory function.
The study concluded that wheat flour-mill workers in Nigeria are at an increased risk of developing abnormalities of lung functions compared with control subjects, and the dominant pattern of respiratory disease among them is airway obstruction.
在尼日利亚，谷物粉尘暴露对谷物加工工人肺功能的影响在很大程度上仍未得到记录。评估了面粉厂工人和对照对象的肺功能，并比较了职业组之间肺功能异常的患病率。
研究对象包括91名面粉厂工人、来自同一家面粉厂维修部门的30名匹配的内部对照以及121名匹配的外部对照。采用横断面分析设计；通过结构化访谈、人体测量、肺活量测定和区域粉尘采样收集数据。
当将观察值表示为预测正常值的百分比时，面粉厂工人的第一秒用力呼气容积（FEV₁）和用力肺活量（FVC）的平均肺功能明显低于对照对象（P < 0.05）。此外，29%的面粉厂工人至少有一项通气功能异常测试结果，相比之下，外部对照中有15%，内部对照中有10%。
该研究得出结论，与对照对象相比，尼日利亚的面粉厂工人肺功能出现异常的风险增加，其中呼吸系统疾病的主要模式是气道阻塞。
