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Respiratory health of municipal solid waste workers
M Athanasiou1, G Makrynos, G Dounias
1Department of Occupational and Industrial Hygiene, National School of Public Health, 196 Alexandras Avenue, Athens 11521, Greece. mar_athanasiou@yahoo.gr
Background:
There is an increasing evidence that the incidence of work-related pulmonary problems is greater in waste collectors than in the general workforce.
Aims:
To evaluate the respiratory health of municipal solid waste workers (MSWWs).
Methods:
One hundred and eighty-four municipal employees of Keratsini (104 MSWWs and 80 controls) participated in a cross-sectional study. All participants were asked to fill in a slightly modified version of the Medical Research Council questionnaire. Lung function was evaluated by spirometry.
Results:
Spirometry revealed reduced mean forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in 1 s (as a percentage of predicted values) in MSWWs compared with controls. After adjustment for smoking status, only the decline in FVC was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Prevalence of all respiratory symptoms was higher in MSWWs than in controls. After adjustment for confounding factors, the difference reached statistical significance (P < 0.05) for morning cough, cough on exertion and sore throat.
Conclusions:
The results of this cross-sectional study indicate a higher prevalence of respiratory symptoms and a greater decrease in lung function in MSWWs. A number of limitations such as the relatively small size of population and the 'healthy worker' effect should be taken into account.
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