COMPARING LUNG FUNCTION OF TEXTILE WORKERS WITH THE HEALTHY PAKISTANI POPULATION

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Pulmonary Medicine
• Environmental Health

Background:

• Textile industry workers face potential respiratory risks.
• Assessing lung function in specific occupational groups is crucial for health monitoring.
• Pakistani population-specific lung function data is needed.

Purpose of the Study:

• Compare lung function in Pakistani textile workers versus the general healthy population.
• Evaluate the accuracy of European Respiratory Society (ERS) equations for Pakistani textile workers.
• Develop new predictive equations for lung function in Pakistani textile workers.

Main Methods:

• Secondary analysis of existing survey data.
• Spirometry conducted following American Thoracic Society guidelines.
• Statistical analysis using independent sample t-tests and multivariate linear regression.

Main Results:

• Textile workers exhibited significantly lower FVC, FEV1, and FEV1/FVC ratios compared to healthy men.
• ERS equations underestimated abnormal lung function in textile workers (16.9% vs. 25.3%).
• Novel predictor equations for Pakistani textile workers were successfully developed.

Conclusions:

• Occupational exposure in the textile industry is linked to reduced lung function.
• ERS reference equations are not optimal for interpreting lung function in Pakistani textile workers.
• Region- and occupation-specific lung function equations are necessary for accurate diagnosis.