Respiratory problems among cotton textile mill workers in Ethiopia

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Environmental Medicine
• Pulmonary Medicine

Background:

• Cotton textile mill workers are at risk of respiratory diseases from dust exposure.
• Byssinosis, chronic bronchitis, and asthma are common occupational lung conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of respiratory problems, particularly byssinosis, in an Ethiopian cotton textile mill.
• To identify factors associated with respiratory disease occurrence in this population.
• To assess the impact of cotton dust exposure on lung function.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 595 randomly selected textile workers.
• Administration of a respiratory questionnaire and pre/post-shift spirometry (FVC, FEV1).
• Measurement of airborne cotton dust concentrations and analysis of exposure-duration relationships.

Main Results:

• Byssinosis prevalence was high (43.2% in blowers, 37.5% in carders).
• Prevalence of chronic bronchitis (17.6-47.7%) and asthma (8.5-20.5%) was significant across sections.
• Workers with respiratory diseases showed greater across-shift decrements in FEV1 and FVC.
• A significant dose-response relationship between cotton dust exposure and respiratory illness was identified.

Conclusions:

• High prevalence of byssinosis and other respiratory diseases exists among Ethiopian textile workers.
• Cotton dust exposure is a significant risk factor for respiratory problems and reduced lung function.
• Urgent implementation of preventive measures and further nationwide research are recommended.