Abstract
The study was based on the recognition that although the health conditions of the human population is vital to sustainable living and productivity, some studies have found that road traffic emissions continue to give rise to infectious and chronic diseases. As a result, the study aimed at assessing the implications of vehicle emissions on the health of traders in Madina in the La Nkwantanang Municipality of Ghana where road traffic is very congested and traders are directly exposed to vehicle emissions. To achieve this objective, 300 traders, made up of 150 traders within a distance of 50 meters and 150 traders within a distance beyond 50 meters of the main road were purposively selected to participate in the survey. Data obtained was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings show that although a significant proportion of the respondents had good knowledge about the health consequences of their exposure to emissions, they were reluctant to relocate due to their inability to afford a different location and scarcity of urban space. More importantly, frequent coughing, nausea, poor visibility and difficulty in breathing were among the major self-reported health outcomes. The study also found statistically significant difference in the distribution of self-reported health outcomes by distance of respondents from source of vehicle emission. Also, years spent in the occupation and average daily work hours per week were among factors that related significantly with reported cases of respiratory diseases by respondents.
Highlights
The health of the world’s population is of crucial importance and this underpins every development agenda across the globe (WHO, 2002)
The independent variables considered in the model include age of respondents (Age), average daily hours spent at their designated point of trade (HSD), years spent in the occupation at the designated point of trade (YSD), their educational level (EDU), gender (Gen) and distance from highway pollution (Disp)
This study has examined the knowledge and practices with regards to emissions and respiratory diseases and symptoms among traders in Madina who are exposed to traffic emissions
Summary
The health of the world’s population is of crucial importance and this underpins every development agenda across the globe (WHO, 2002) It forms the basis for assessing progress on human development and growth (Cohen, 2010; Bloom, Canning & Sevilla 2004; Spence & Lewis, 2009). According to the IEA (2016: 125), efforts related to air pollution control in the United States of America date back to early 1960s and have resulted in significant reduction in air pollution by 70 percent between 1970 to date. Dimitriou, and Christidou (2011) linked the fundamental drivers of global air pollution to both natural and anthropogenic factors. The latter, according to them, accounts for more than 90 percent of air pollution worldwide today. Further studies point to emissions from energy consumption jsd.ccsenet.org
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have