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COPD prevalence and characteristics among sample of working population
Sasho Stoleski1, Jordan Minov1, Dragan Mijakoski1
1Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Occupational Health of R. North Macedonia, WHO CC, GA2LEN CC, Ss. Cyril and Methodius, University in Skopje, Skopje, North Macedonia.
Introduction:
COPD is a global public health problem, causing a very high rates of morbidity, mortality, and work disability in the last decades worldwide.
Objective:
To determine the prevalence and characteristics COPD in a random sample of workers form the city of Skopje, and its relation to occupational exposures.
Methods:
A cross-sectional study was conducted including 1,867 workers (959 males and 908 females) from the city of Skopje. Afterwards, the study subjects were divided into exposed (1.287/68.9%) and unexposed (580/31.1%) groups based on their current job exposure to noxious particles and gasses. All study participants completed a questionnaire and underwent pre-and post-bronchodilator spirometry.
Results:
COPD prevalence was 3.9% among all workers. COPD prevalence in exposed workers was significantly higher compared to unexposed (4.7% vs. 2.4%). Significant difference was found in exposed workers with exposure duration longer than 20 years as compared to those with shorter duration of exposure (6.0 vs. 3.2%). COPD prevalence in workers who smoked was significantly higher than in non-smoking workers in both exposed (6.0% vs. 3.9%, p = 0.037) and unexposed (3.9% vs. 1.8%, p = 0.000) groups. The difference between workers with COPD in terms of use of solid and liquid bio fossil fuels at home and central heating/electricity is not significant (5.0% vs. 3.6%), both in exposed (5.4% vs. 4.3%), as well as non-exposed workers (3.8% vs. 1.9%).
Conclusion:
Our findings confirmed the role of occupational exposures in COPD prevalence indicating a need of more effective preventive activities in order to reduce the overall disease burden.
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