Assessment of prevalence of chronic Respiratory Symptoms and lung function among fuel station workers in Addis Abeba, Ethiopia.
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2019-10
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Addis Abeba University
Abstract
Background: Fuel station workers are continuously exposed to organic and inorganic
chemicals present in the petrol and diesel fuel. Occupational exposure of petroleum
product and its exhaust are causing significant health damage to the airways and the
lung tissue. Respiratory health study among exposed fuel station workers is not
available in Ethiopia.
Objective: To assess prevalence of chronic respiratory symptoms and associated factors
and determining the lung function status among fuel station and security service giving
agency workers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Methods: Comparative cross-sectional study was conducted from February–April
2019. A total of 394 workers from fuel station and security service giving agency were
interviewed using standard questionnaire to assess chronic respiratory symptoms.
Spirometer test was performed for 100 workers. Four companies; National Oil Ethiopia,
Total Ethiopia, Libiya Oil Ethiopia and Yetebaberut were identified to select study unit.
The sample size of the study proportionally distributed to each of the company’s based
on their number of workers they had at the time of the data collection. Individual gas
stations were selected randomly by each stratum of Oil Company. All workers, from the
selected station, those fulfilled the inclusion criteria were included in the study
population. For the comparison group; one security service giving agency was selected
and study participant was selected by using systematic random sampling from the pay
roll list. Data was entered using Epi info version 7.2. Data cleaning and analysis was
performed by using SPSS version 23.
Result The mean age of fuel station and security service giving agency workers were
34.47±8.2 and 32.98 ±9.94 respectively. Fuel station workers had significantly higher
prevalence rate of chronic respiratory symptoms than security service giving agency
workers (48.7%; PR= 2.1, 95 % CI, 1.43-3.1). Chronic respiratory symptoms among
study participant were associated significantly with past exposure to dust and petrol
vapour (AOR= 2.4, 95 % CI = 1.24-4.7), history of past respiratory illness (AOR =
9.54, 95 % CI, 3.91-23.28) and passive smoking (AOR = 4.21, 95 %CI, 1.19-14.86).
Significant reduction in the lung function parameter value of FEV1 and FVC were
observed among fuel station workers compared to security service giving agency
workers.
Conclusion and recommendation: prevalence of chronic respiratory symptom among
fuel station workers was higher when compared with security service giving agency
x
workers. Past exposure to dust and petrol vapour, past respiratory illness and passive
smoking significantly associated with development of at least one chronic respiratory
symptom. Lung function parameters; forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory
volume at one second (FEV1) also decrease significantly among fuel station workers
relative to comparative group. The results suggest that there is need to improve health
status and reduce the exposure level of the workers.
Description
Keywords
Respiratory Symptoms , lung function