Acute respiratory symptoms among sisal workers in Tanzania

Abstract

Background Few studies have focused on respiratory health effects among sisal workers. AimTo report on the prevalence of acute respiratory symptoms among sisal processors. MethodsWe interviewed 163 dust-exposed brushing and decortication workers and 31 low-exposed security workers from six sisal estates in Tanzania using a modified symptom score questionnaire to determine the prevalence of acute respiratory symptoms during work. Groups were compared using chi-square tests, Fisher's exact tests, t-tests and logistic regression, adjusting for confounding factors. ResultsAfter the first working day of the week, 73% of the brushing workers reported dry cough, 66% sneezing, 65% productive cough, 63% running nose and 34% stuffy nose. Brushing workers had a significantly higher prevalence of these symptoms than decortication workers. Brushing and decortication workers had significantly more dry cough and sneezing than the control group of security workers, when adjusting for age, smoking, past respiratory diseases and residence.Conclusion Processors of sisal fibre have a high prevalence of acute respiratory symptoms. More detailed studies on work and health in sisal estates are needed, including exposure studies.

Determinants of Chronic Respiratory Symptoms among Pharmaceutical Factory Workers

“…This result is in line with the study done in United States and China [ 14 , 15 ]. This statistical significance could be because the workers might have previously worked in dusty jobs identified to cause respiratory problems including organic dust [ 16 ], cement dust exposure [ 17 ], and aerosol and sisal fiber dust [ 18 ]. Exposures to inorganic and organic dust may lead to interstitial lung disease that presents with a restrictive pattern and a decreased diffusing capacity.…”

Cooking fuels and respiratory symptoms in kitchen workers in Morogoro Municipality, Tanzania

“…Charcoal and kerosene are other fuels widely used after biomass fuels and are skewed towards urban areas while biomass fuels are heavily used in rural areas (MEM, 2003). Few studies in Tanzania are available for respiratory infections among different groups or workers (Kayumba et al, 2007;Kilabuko et al 2007a,b) and there have been no previous investigations on kitchen workers of a possible association between exposure to cooking fumes and respiratory infections. The aim of this study was to find out various respiratory symptoms in kitchen workers using different cooking fuels in Morogoro Municipality.…”

Agave as a model CAM crop system for a warming and drying world

“…As has been mentioned, sisal production is labor intensive, but workers have also been documented to be exposed to health and safety hazards while harvesting and processing the fibers (Brockway, 1979 ; Sabea, 2001 ; Kayumba et al, 2007 , 2008a , b , 2009 , 2011 ). While some might consider this to be an issue that will eventually disappear with the overall decline of the industry, sisal fiber production has increased in recent years due to the development of new uses for sisal.…”

“…However, prices of sisal fibers have in large measure not accounted for the aforementioned human capital costs and health risks of laborers, which are primarily located in developing nations (Brockway, 1979 ). While processing sisal, workers are exposed to high levels of dust, and have had high incidences of respiratory symptoms, which have led to reduced lung function (Stott, 1958 ; Mustafa et al, 1978 ; Baker et al, 1979 ; Zuskin et al, 1994 ; Kayumba et al, 2007 , 2008a , 2009 , 2011 ). If the sisal industry is to be revived, efforts need to be made to ensure safe working conditions for laborers.…”