Indian Institute of Public Health-Delhi, Public Health Foundation of India, IN.
Public Health Foundation of India, IN.
Ann Glob Health. 2023 Jul 4;89(1):47. doi: 10.5334/aogh.4089. eCollection 2023.
Cement dust is a significant source of occupational exposure affecting lung function and respiratory health. A higher burden of respiratory morbidity is known among factory workers involved in cement production. Globally or from India, there are no estimates of this burden from informal workers exposed to cement dust.
To assess difference in lung function and respiratory symptoms among informal workers exposed to cement and those unexposed, using a comparative community based cross-sectional study from purposively selected areas in Delhi, India.
Using a portable spirometer we measured lung function and collected respiratory symptoms from conveniently sampled informal workers (n = 100) exposed to cement dust, 50 indoor informal workers (tailors), and 50 outdoor (vegetable) vendors. Regression analyses were performed to compare respiratory symptom score and lung function parameters, adjusted for age, body mass index, smoking, socioeconomic status, and years of occupational exposure.
Exposed workers had significantly lower lung function (PEF = -750 ml/s and -810 ml/s and FEV1/FVC (%) = -3.87 and -2.11) compared to indoor and outdoor groups, with three times higher chronic respiratory symptoms when compared to the unexposed groups. The cement dust exposure was observed to be associated with PEF (mean difference (MD) = -0.75L, 95%CI = -1.36 to -0.15, p = 0.01), %FEV1/FVC (MD = -3.87, 95%CI = -6.77 to -0.96, p = 0.03) and respiratory symptoms (p < 0.001).
This study generates evidence regarding the respiratory burden of occupational exposure among vulnerable informal workers. There is an urgent need for policy reforms to safeguard health from occupational exposures, especially among informal workers.
水泥尘是职业暴露的重要来源，会影响肺部功能和呼吸道健康。从事水泥生产的工厂工人患呼吸道疾病的负担更大。无论是在全球范围内还是在印度，都没有针对接触水泥尘的非正规工人的这种负担的估计。
使用来自印度德里有针对性选择的地区的基于社区的横断面比较研究，评估接触水泥和未接触水泥的非正规工人之间的肺功能和呼吸道症状差异。
我们使用便携式肺活量计测量了肺功能，并从方便抽样的接触水泥尘的非正规工人（n=100）、50 名室内非正规工人（裁缝）和 50 名室外（蔬菜）摊贩中收集了呼吸道症状。回归分析用于比较呼吸症状评分和肺功能参数，调整了年龄、体重指数、吸烟、社会经济地位和职业暴露年限。
与室内和室外组相比，暴露组的肺功能明显更低（PEF=-750ml/s 和-810ml/s，FEV1/FVC（%）=-3.87 和-2.11），与未暴露组相比，慢性呼吸道症状高出三倍。水泥尘暴露与 PEF（平均差异（MD）=-0.75L，95%CI=-1.36 至-0.15，p=0.01）、%FEV1/FVC（MD=-3.87，95%CI=-6.77 至-0.96，p=0.03）和呼吸道症状（p<0.001）有关。
本研究提供了关于弱势非正规工人职业暴露的呼吸道负担的证据。迫切需要政策改革来保护健康免受职业暴露的影响，尤其是在非正规工人中。
