MOJ Public Health Research Article Open Access Dust exposure and byssinosis among cotton textile workers in Dar es salaam, Tanzania Abstract Volume 9 Issue 6 - 2020 Background: Cotton dust exposure increases the risk of developing lung diseases including Luco P Mwelange, Simon Mamuya, Gloria Byssinosis. The prevalence of byssinosis is more in developing countries compare to developed countries. For the past forty years there are little information known about the Sakwari, Witness John Axwesso Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, prevalence of byssinosis and its associated risk factors among textile workers in Tanzania. Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Tanzania Objective: The study aimed to assess dust exposure and associated risk factors among textile workers, in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Correspondence: Luco P Mwelange, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Tanzania, Tel+255655049524, Material and methods: The study design was descriptive cross sectional study conducted Email from March to August 2019. Stratified sampling technique was used to obtain 325 participants (exposed 164 and control 161) respectively. A modified British Medical Received: October 29, 2020 | Published: November 30, 2020 Research Council (BMRC) questionnaire and Side Kick Casella Pump were used for data collection. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science software 23 versions. Chi square test and Binary logistic regression were performed to check for association. A 95% confidence Interval with a significance expressed in P˂0.05 was used. Results: Prevalence of byssinosis in the exposed group was 18.9% and 6.2% in the control group. Respiratory symptoms such as Coughing more days in three consecutive months (P˂0.001), wheezing (P˂0.02), dyspnoea I (P˂0.03), dyspnoea II (P˂0.007), and dyspnoea III (P˂0.002), were higher among exposed group compare to control group and the differences were statistically significant. The department of weaving had higher dust level of arithmetic mean of 2.20 mg/m3 (SD =0.32). Working experience (P˂0.02), previously respiratory symptoms (P˂0.001), were significant risk factors for byssinosis. Conclusion: In conclusion, our study shows that workers who are exposed cotton dust have higher prevalence of byssinosis and other respiratory symptoms. Awareness of the byssinosis disease, and necessary preventive measure need to be highlighted among stakeholders. Keywords: cotton textiles workers, byssinosis, respiratory symptoms, inhalable dust, tanzania Abbreviations: BMRC, british medical research council; A study by Ismail et al showed that education level is associated with ACGIH, american conference of governmental industrial hygienists; byssinosis,3,6 however a study done by Mansouri et al.,7 showed that TLV, threshold limit values; PVC, polyvinyl chloride; SKC, side kick education level is not associated with byssinosis. casella Processing of cotton generate a lot of dust, the concentration of respirable cotton dust differ from section to section. The section with Introduction high dust exposure concentration is associated with high byssinosis The textile industry is among the industries that employ many prevalence.5,8 workers. It is estimated that more than 60 million people globally In Tanzania, little is known about the prevalence of byssinosis and work in the cotton textile industry.1 Tanzania is among the country it is not clear which risk factors are associated with byssinosis because in Africa which manufactures textile products and employ a lot of the last study in Tanzania was done almost 40 years ago 1979.9 workers. Report on textile industries status of 2004 shows that 50 textile industries were established by the year 2002.2 Cotton In order to develop effective control measures, it is important to dust exposure has a significant contribution to the increase in the understand the magnitude of the problem and risk factors associated occupational burden of diseases globally.3 with byssinosis among textile workers. Therefore the aim of this study was to assess the cotton dust exposure, prevalence of byssinosis and Byssinosis is a respiratory disease associated with exposure associated factors so as to portray the clear health status of workers in to cotton dust. Some of its symptoms are chest tightness that is textile industry in Dar es Salaam. worst for being out of work for 48 hours and on the first day of the working week. Although it improves when you are on holiday, this Material and methods differentiates byssinosis from occupational asthma.3,4 This was a cross sectional study conducted in Dar es Salaam, Factors influencing byssinosis have been investigated in several Tanzania among cotton textile workers between March and August studies. A study done in Turkey indicated that age, sex, smoking 2019. The study participants were workers from the cotton textiles status, working history in a dusty place, working in divisions with industry who have worked for at least 1 year and above and the control 5 the high risk of dust exposure were not associated with byssinosis. were the workers from pure drinking water industry. Submit Manuscript | http://medcraveonline.com MOJ Public Health. 2020;9(6):217‒221. 217 ©2020 Mwelange et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and build upon your work non-commercially. Copyright: Dust exposure and byssinosis among cotton textile workers in Dar es salaam, Tanzania ©2020 Mwelange et al. 218 Sample size estimation and sampling procedure version 23. The continuous variables were checked for normality in order to determine the suitable statistical test to be used. The Simple random sampling technique was used to select the textile significance level was set to p < 0.05. Data were presented in tables, industry from the list obtain from Tanzania Board’s Textile sector frequencies, and percentages. Continuous variables were compared development unit. Stratified sampling technique was used to select by using Mean and standard deviation. Categorical responses were participants from each department of the textile industry. This sample tested by using Chi-square test; for an expected number less than 5 procedure was used to obtain sample size for assessment of reported Fisher’s exact test was used. Univariable and multivariable binary respiratory health systems. Participants for personal total dust logistics regression analyses were done to examine factors associated assessment were selected from three department of the textile industry 10 with byssinosis. All independent variables and other variables with P by using NIOSH guideline. The similar exposure group from a job value < 0.25 at bivariate analysis, were taken into the binary logistics section was made based on similarity of task performed. regression analysis. The measure of statistical association was Data collection the odds ratio, and the measure of statistical significance was 95% confidence level expressed in P-value < 0.05. A standardized British medical research council (BMRC) questionnaire modified to suit the Tanzanian environment was used Ethical clearance 11 to asses respiratory health symptoms. Interviews were conducted Ethical clearance was provided by the Muhimbili University of and observation checklists were used to assess the use of personal Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS) Ethical Committee, with respiratory protective equipment at each industry. reference number Ref.No.DA.287/298/01A,issued on March 2019. Personal sampler used were 35mm diameter ,0.8µm pore size Informed consents were obtained from the participants after clear PVC filters places on SKC three piece cassette with 0.4mm orifice explanation on the aim of the study and their confidentiality was mounted on SKC pumps which were operated at a flow rate of 2l/ ensured at all stages of the study. min. Before pre and post weighing of the filters, they were placed in a desiccator for 72 hours to remove humidity. During these processes, Results 0 0 the temperatures were maintained between 24 C to 25 C and relative Demographic and social characteristics of the study humidity maintained between 50 to 51%. The pre-weighed filters population were inserted into the cassettes, given identification code ready to be taken to the field. The study involved 325 participants, 164 were exposed group and 161 were control. Most of the study participants were males 103 Calibration of the flow rate was done prior to and post sampling. (62.8%) among exposed and 130 (80.7%) among control. A deviation of more than ±5% between pre and post-calibration was the criterion to discard the sample. Personal samples were taken under The overall prevalence of byssinosis in the study population was normal work conditions from the breathing zone of the participants. 18.9% in the exposed group and 6.2% in the control group. Among the Gravimetric analyses of the filter was done at MUHAS laboratory exposed group, it was observed that the prevalence of byssinosis was using micro balance (Mettle Toledo xp 205, capacity of 0.01mg-220g) higher in Finishing department (26.2%) than those in spinning and weaving departments in which their prevalence was 19.5% and 14.8% Data analysis respectively (Table 1). The data were cleaned, coded, entered and analyzed using SPSS Table 1 Demographic and social characteristics of the study participants (N=325) Variables Exposed n (%) Control n (%) Total n (%) Sex Male 103 (62.8) 130 (80.7) 233 (71.7) Female 61 (37.2) 31 (19.3) 92 (28.3) Age (years) 18 - 27 8 (4.9) 98 (60.9) 106 (32.6) 28 - 37 15 (9.1) 47 (29.2) 62 (19.1) 38 - 47 22 (13.4) 12 (7.5) 34 (10.5) 48 - 57 73 (44.5) 3 (1.9) 76 (23.4) Above 58 46 (28.0) 1 (0.6) 47 (14.5) Education level Informal education 0 (0.0) 4 (2.5) 4 (1.2) Primary school 142 (86.6) 51 (31.7) 193 (59.4) Secondary school 21 (12.8) 92 (57.1) 113 (34.8) Diploma College 0 (0.0) 7 (4.3) 7 (2.2) University 1 (0.6) 7 (4.3) 8 (2.5) Citation: Mwelange LP, Mamuya S, Sakwari G, et al.