Abstract
Chronic respiratory symptoms and reduction in lung function has been described as a common health problem among textile workers in low- and middle-income countries. The objective of this study was to measure lung function and respiratory symptoms among workers from an integrated textile factory. A comparative cross-sectional study design with a cross-shift lung function measurement was performed in 306 cotton dust exposed workers from an integrated textile factory and 156 control workers from a water bottling factory. An integrated textile factory typically has four main production departments (spinning, weaving, finishing, and garment) that process raw cotton and manufacture clothes or fabrics. Respiratory symptoms were assessed by adopting the standard American Thoracic Society questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and logistic and linear regression analysis were used. The prevalence of respiratory symptoms was significantly higher among textile workers (54%) than in controls (28%). Chronic cough, chest tightness, and breathlessness were significantly higher among textile workers (23%, 33%, and 37%, respectively) than in the control group (5%, 17% and 6%, respectively). Breathlessness was the most prevalent chronic respiratory symptom with highest adjusted odds ratio 9.4 (95% CI 4.4–20.3). A significantly higher cross-shift lung function reduction was observed among textile workers (123 mL for FEV1 and 129 mL for FVC) compared with the control group (14 mL for FEV1 and 12 mL for FVC). Thus, workers’ respiratory health protection programs should be strengthened in textile factories.
Highlights
The textile and clothing industries are major sources for economic growth and social development in developing countries
The aim of this study was to measure the cross-shift lung function and respiratory symptoms among workers in an integrated textile factory compared to a control group of workers with low exposure to dust
A comparative cross-sectional study of respiratory symptoms and cross-shift lung function measurements were conducted from November 2017 to January 2018 among workers in an integrated textile factory and among control workers from two water bottling and soft drink factories
Summary
The textile and clothing industries are major sources for economic growth and social development in developing countries. In some low-income countries, the sector accounts for up to 15% of the Gross. Domestic Product (GDP) and creates employment for 35%–90% of the total number of workers in manufacturing industries [1]. The textile sector is one of the key components of the development agenda in the Ethiopian Growth and Transformation Plan and is expected to create increasing job opportunities [2]. Several studies have reported that workers in the textile industry have been vulnerable to and suffer from respiratory health problems [3,4,5,6]. A recent study from a textile factory in Ethiopia. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 2741; doi:10.3390/ijerph17082741 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph
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