Respiratory symptoms and some related factors in waste collection workers at 2 branches in Hanoi, 2017

Abstract

Objectives: Describe the current situation of respiratory symptoms in waste collection workers at 2 branches in Hanoi and some related factors, 2017 Methods: The cross-sectional study was implemented in the first 6 months of 2017. The study was performed on 796 waste collection workers at 2 branches of Hanoi Urban Environment Company Limited. The study used the American Thoracic Society and the Division of Lung Disease-1978 adult (ATS - DLD - 78a) questionnaire to collect and assess workers' respiratory symptoms. Results: Common respiratory symptoms in waste collection workers were: Cough (27.8%), phlegm (18.3%) and wheezing (15.2%). 10.8% of workers have at least one chronic respiratory symptom; 4.6% and 5.4% of workers had wheezing both day and night and wheezing to the point of difficulty breathing. The proportion of reporting respiratory symptoms in workers over 45 years old was 1.93 times that of workers younger than 45 years. Conclusions: Workers exposed to occupational hazards had a higher prevalence proportion of chronic respiratory symptoms than those who were not exposed. However, a significant association between exposure to occupational harmful factor and chronic respiratory symptoms has not been established. Keywords: respiratory symptoms, worker, waste collection

Assessing the Factors Associated with the Respiratory Health of Children Working in Waste Management Activities: A Cross-Sectional Observational Study in Dhaka, Bangladesh

“…A study conducted in Sri Lanka [22] and another in Egypt [6] further emphasized the significance of exposure to harmful substances such as dust as a risk factor for respiratory problems. These studies expressly point out that exposure to bioaerosols, dust, chemicals, decaying organic matter, microorganisms, exhaust fumes, and diesel exhaust pollution are factors that can have immediate and long-term detrimental effects on the respiratory health of children engaged in waste management activities [2,13,22,31]. These results highlight the importance of taking key measures to prevent this, such as effectively using personal protective equipment to safeguard children's respiratory health in the waste management sector.…”