Kanko, Tesfaye (2016) Respiratory Status of Workers Exposed to Cotton Dust in a Textile Mill, a Case of Arba Minch Textile Factory, Southern Ethiopia. Masters thesis, Addis Ababa University.
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Abstract
Background: Textile industry is considered as a number one priority sector by the Ethiopian government‘s industrial development strategy. In many of the textile industries, workers are largely exposed to cotton dust, which can leave workers with respiratory disorders. In low and middle income countries including Ethiopia, occupational respiratory symptoms and diseases are very high due to the expansion of investments and high unemployment rate; workers are probably more likely to continue working even when having poor health status and old machines that are producing excessive dust to work environment are still used for production purpose. Therefore, studies on cotton dust effects have been highly useful in understanding the risks of working in textile mills and the prevalence of respiratory symptoms and lung function impairment in the textile factory workers. This is important to minimize the occurrence of highly rising occupational respiratory problems in peoples working in textile mills. Objective: The present study was conducted to evaluate respiratory status of workers exposed to cotton dust in Arba Minch textile factory. Materials and methods: A comparative cross sectional study was done, 51 workers exposed to cotton dust in the factory and 51age and sex matched controls were investigated. Their lung function was measured with a pocket size digital Spirometer (Spiro-Pro JAEGER). A standardized questionnaire based on British Medical Research Council Questionnaire was used to assess respiratory system symptoms and use of personal protective devices. Results: The study revealed that the percentage prevalence of cough, phlegm, wheeze, breathlessness and chest tightness was 64.7%, 55%, 39%, 41% and 43% for exposed respondents, respectively and 25.5%, 14%, 8%, 6% and 0% for control subjects, respectively. Among exposed subjects percentage prevalence of respiratory symptoms were higher among workers in spinning department than weaving. Percentage prevalence of respiratory symptoms were higher in blowing, carding and ring frame sections of spinning department and in loom shed or weaving section of weaving department. Lung function indices such as, FVC, FEV1, PEFR& FEF25-75% were higher in control respondents than in exposed respondents and the mean difference was found to be statistically significant (p<0.05) and the mean difference of predicted percentage values of FVC and FEV1 between the groups were found statistically significant (P<0.05). FEV1% was higher in control group than in exposed group, but the mean difference was insignificant (p>0.05). Conclusion and recommendations: Respiratory symptoms and lung function impairments were high among exposed workers in the factory. Therefore, the factory management should provide PPDs to exposed employees and should train them how to use it properly.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Masters) |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Cotton dust, Textile, Lung functions, Respiratory symptoms |
| Subjects: | Q Science > QP Physiology R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine > RA0421 Public health. Hygiene. Preventive Medicine |
| Divisions: | Africana |
| Depositing User: | Emmanuel Ndorimana |
| Date Deposited: | 09 Aug 2018 11:48 |
| Last Modified: | 09 Aug 2018 11:48 |
| URI: | http://thesisbank.jhia.ac.ke/id/eprint/8199 |
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