Prevalence, pattern and factors associated with ocular disorders in small-scale welders in Katwe, Kampala

Abstract

Background Welders are at an increased risk of eye disorders as a result of their occupation, leading to enormous vocational and economic consequences. With limited published studies among welders in low resource settings, we sought to determine the prevalence, pattern and factors associated with ocular disorders among small-scale welders in Katwe, Kampala. Methods In a field-based cross-sectional study, we recruited 343 small-scale welders. Simple random sampling was done to select the study participants. A pretested questionnaire was used to collect information on demographics, ocular, general history, systemic and ocular examination. The proportion of small-scale welders with ocular disorders (defined as any abnormal finding on eye examination) was determined. The bivariate and multivariate analyses were carried out, using logistic regression methods at a level of significance of 0.05. Results The mean age of the participants was 36 years (SD ± 12). The overall prevalence of ocular disorders was found to be 59.9%. The common ocular disorders included conjunctiva disorders (32%) and presbyopia (27%). There was a statistically significant relationship between females (OR = 4.279, P -value = 0.007), age 35 and above (OR = 4.244, P -value< 0.001), history of foreign body removal (OR = 1.677, P -value = 0.041), and ocular disorders. Conclusions There is a high prevalence of ocular disorders among small-scale welders. Conjunctiva disorders, presbyopia and myopia were the commonest. Being female, age 35 and above and foreign body removal, were significantly associated with ocular disorders among welders. Policies should be put in place to ensure all welders use proper personal -protective equipment (welding helmets), and also receive regular eye checkup and health education. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12886-019-1150-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Knowledge, attitude and practices related to the use of personal protective equipment among welders in small-scale metal workshops in Nansana Municipality, Wakiso District, Uganda

“…Welders in the small-scale metal workshops in Uganda engage in high-risk activities such as heavy lifting, cutting, polishing and joining metal parts, which predispose them to physical, chemical and ergonomic hazards (Atukunda et al, 2019 ; Itiakorit et al, 2021 ). The commonest technologies used in these workshops are electric arc and oxy-fuel gas welding which produce welding fumes that are detrimental to health (Joseph et al, 2017 ).…”

“…The commonest technologies used in these workshops are electric arc and oxy-fuel gas welding which produce welding fumes that are detrimental to health (Joseph et al, 2017 ). Besides the fumes, welders in small-scale metal workshops are exposed to noise, dust, intense light, heat, electric shock, fires, vibrations from machinery, repetitive work and heavy lifting, whose risk can be exacerbated by the non-usage of personal protective equipment (PPE) and lack of administrative controls (Alexander et al, 2016 ; Atukunda et al, 2019 ; Oluwole et al, 2018 ). Despite this risk, there is limited evidence of their knowledge, attitude and practices toward the use of PPE.…”

“…Despite this risk, there is limited evidence of their knowledge, attitude and practices toward the use of PPE. Existing studies in Uganda have particularly focused on determining the prevalence of occupational injuries and disorders and associated factors (Atukunda et al, 2019 ; Itiakorit et al, 2021 ), with limited attention on the knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) related to PPE use.…”

Ocular Protection Practice and Associated Factors Among Ethiopian Welders: Institution-Based Cross-Sectional Study

“…In the current study, the proportion of a good level of ocular protection practice was 56.8% (95% CI: 52.8, 61.9) which was lower than the studies conducted in South Africa 89.0%, 19 Nigeria 96.6% 20 and Uganda 89.0%. 32 This difference might be due to variations in accessing occupational health information, work experience in welding, duration of working time per day, measurement of outcome variable, and sample size. For instance, long working experienced participants and those with short working time per day could have a good-level utilization of eye protective devices.…”

The pooled effect of Factors Contributing to Occupational Injury among Workers in the Construction, Manufacturing, and Mining Industries in Africa: A systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

“…Working in the industry is commonly associated with a combination of personal and environmental health and safety risks [43][44][45][46]. However, studies on factors associated with occupational injury from different African countries are inconsistent and not inclusive.…”