Awoke Tegegnework Yitayew, Takele Abera Kumie, Mekonnen Worku Tefera, Abaya Samson Wakuma, Zele Yifokire Tefera, Alemseged Embay Amare, Abay Bezayit Girma
Addis Ababa City Administration Food, Medicine and Healthcare Administration and Control Authority, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
BMC Public Health. 2021 Feb 6;21(1):309. doi: 10.1186/s12889-021-10357-z.
Wood dust in a form of inhalable particulates can penetrate the lung tissues and affect respiratory health. Woodwork factory workers are at a greater risk of developing respiratory health problems because of exposure in their working environment, but existing data were few. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of chronic respiratory symptoms, associated factors, and concentration of personal total wood dust level among medium-scale woodwork factory workers.
An institutional based cross-sectional study was conducted among 506 woodwork factory workers. We selected study participants using a simple random sampling technique. We assessed chronic respiratory symptoms using the British Medical Research Council respiratory symptoms questionnaire with a few modifications. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to identify the factors. Forty dust measurements were collected from 20 randomly selected workers using a closed-face cassette (CFC) personal sampler. We analyzed the dust samples gravimetrically using a standard microbalance scale.
We recruited a random sample of 506 workers in the study with a response rate of 98%. The prevalence of chronic respiratory health symptoms among woodworkers was 69.8% with a prevalence of cough (54.6%), phlegm (52.2%), wheezing (44.6%), breathlessness (42.1%), and chest pain (42.9%). Past occupational dust exposure history (AOR = 2.09, 95% CI; 1.09-4.01), work experience > 5 years (AOR = 9.18, 95% CI; 5.27-16.00), using bio-fuel as energy for cooking (AOR = 2.42, 95% CI; 1.44-4.07), and having no occupational safety and health training (AOR = 3.38, 95% CI; 1.20-9.49) were factors that significantly associated with chronic respiratory symptoms among woodwork workers. The geometric mean (GM) of dust exposure level among woodworkers was 10.27 mg/m, which exceeded the limit of 10 mg/m set by the ACGIH.
High prevalence of chronic respiratory symptoms was reported from woodwork factory workers. Increased work- experience, using bio-fuel as an energy source for cooking, past occupational dust exposure history, and having no occupational safety and health training were identified risk factors. The measured average personal wood dust exposure level was above the recommended occupational threshold limit value. Therefore, workers' wood dust exposure reduction and control methods and respiratory health awareness programs should be implemented.
可吸入颗粒形式的木屑粉尘能够穿透肺组织并影响呼吸健康。木制品工厂工人因其工作环境中的接触而面临更高的患呼吸健康问题风险，但现有数据较少。本研究的目的是评估中型木制品工厂工人慢性呼吸道症状的患病率、相关因素以及个人总木屑粉尘水平的浓度。
在506名木制品工厂工人中开展了一项基于机构的横断面研究。我们使用简单随机抽样技术选择研究参与者。我们使用经过一些修改的英国医学研究理事会呼吸症状问卷评估慢性呼吸道症状。采用多变量逻辑回归模型来确定相关因素。使用封闭式采样盒（CFC）个人采样器从20名随机选择的工人中收集了40份粉尘测量样本。我们使用标准微量天平对粉尘样本进行重量分析。
我们在研究中随机招募了506名工人，应答率为98%。木工中慢性呼吸道健康症状的患病率为69.8%，其中咳嗽患病率为54.6%，咳痰为52.2%，喘息为44.6%，呼吸急促为42.1%，胸痛为42.9%。过去的职业粉尘接触史（调整后比值比[AOR]=2.09，95%置信区间[CI]：1.09 - 4.01）、工作经验>5年（AOR = 9.18，95% CI：5.27 - 16.00）、使用生物燃料作为烹饪能源（AOR = 2.42，95% CI：1.44 - 4.07）以及未接受职业安全与健康培训（AOR = 3.38，95% CI：1.20 - 9.49）是与木制品工人慢性呼吸道症状显著相关的因素。木工中粉尘接触水平的几何均值（GM）为10.27毫克/立方米，超过了美国政府工业卫生学家会议（ACGIH）设定的10毫克/立方米的限值。
木制品工厂工人报告的慢性呼吸道症状患病率较高。工作经验增加、使用生物燃料作为烹饪能源、过去的职业粉尘接触史以及未接受职业安全与健康培训被确定为风险因素。所测量的个人木屑粉尘接触平均水平高于推荐的职业阈值限值。因此，应实施减少和控制工人木屑粉尘接触的方法以及呼吸健康意识项目。
