Prevalence of Airway Obstruction among Garment Workers Employed in Tirupur, India

D.S.Padmini; Dr.A.Venmathi; Dr.K.Bommusamy; Dr.A.K.Ganguli; Dr.M.R.Duraisamy

Volume : V, Issue : XII, December - 2015

Prevalence of Airway Obstruction among Garment Workers Employed in Tirupur, India

D. S. Padmini, Dr. A. Venmathi, Dr. K. Bommusamy, Dr. A. K. Ganguli, Dr. M. R. Duraisamy

Abstract :

Garment workers are continuously exposed to cotton dust which might decline in pulmonary functions and lead to occupational lung disorders. The selected 200 subjects working in garment industries were considered as experimental group while 50 subjects who were not workers in garment industries, as control group. Both experimental group and control group were interviewed by a pre–tested questionnaire and Spirometry was done before and after onchodilator inhalation. For the assessment of COPD, Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) guidelines were used. The aim of the study were to assess the prevalence of airway obstruction among the workers based on post–onchodilator spirometry, to examine the association between socio–economic variables, occupational history and clinical history with COPD and to find the effectiveness of onchodilator inhalation. Statistical analysis used were Percentage, Average and Chi–square analyses and student ‘t’ test. Out of 200 workers, 114 male and 86 female workers with a mean age 42.7 (±15.81) years and work experience 19.2 (±12.07) years employed in the garment industries were experimental group while 32 male and 18 female with a mean age 36.4 (±11.66) years and work experience 11.9 (±9.32) years were control group. The prevalence of COPD as per severity was Moderate (81.5%), Severe (17.5%) and Very Severe (1%) among experimental group while all control group had Mild COPD. When levels of COPD with its risk factors were associated, a significant difference at one per cent was found among experimental group for particulars namely shortness of eath and chest tightness and number of years of work experience whereas non–significant among control group. Also, a high significant difference at one per cent level was found between experimental group and control group indicating onchodilator inhalation to be effective in the early diagnosis of COPD.