Respiratory Morbidity among Indian Tea Industry Workers

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Pulmonology
• Environmental Health

Background:

• Indian tea industry workers experience diverse workplace exposures.
• Occupational exposures in the tea industry can impact respiratory health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the respiratory health status of Indian tea industry workers.
• To identify differences in respiratory symptoms and lung function between garden and factory workers.

Main Methods:

• A respiratory questionnaire and lung function tests were administered to workers from 34 tea gardens and 46 tea factories.
• Correlation matrices were used to analyze the association between respiratory symptoms and lung function parameters.

Main Results:

• Garden workers reported shortness of breath significantly more often than factory workers.
• Factory workers exhibited higher total and peripheral airway resistance, alongside a higher prevalence of nasal allergy.
• Respiratory symptoms were inversely associated with airway obstruction (FEV1/FVC ratio) and positively correlated with increased airway reactance.

Conclusions:

• Occupational exposures in the Indian tea industry contribute to respiratory symptoms and increased allergen susceptibility.
• Routine surveillance of workplace air quality and health monitoring is crucial for tea industry workers.