Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Chronic respiratory symptoms and lung function parameters in large-scale wood factory workers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: a comparative cross-sectional study

  • Original Article
  • Published:
International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

Occupational wood dust causes chronic respiratory health problems as well as a decline in lung function. However, data on the prevalence of chronic respiratory symptoms and lung function parameters among large-scale wood factories workers in Ethiopia producing furniture are limited. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of chronic respiratory symptoms, lung function measures, and associated factors among large-scale wood industry workers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Methods

An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 232 wood workers and 232 controls. Participants for the study were selected using stratified and systematic sampling from soft drink and wood factories. The chronic respiratory symptoms were assessed using a modified American Thoracic Society (ATS) questionnaire, and lung function tests were performed using an Easy on PC spirometer in accordance with the ATS standards for spirometry. The data were imported into Epi-data version 4.4.2 and analyzed with SPSS version 23. Poisson regression, Multivariate linear regression and multivariable logistic regression analysis were used.

Results

The prevalence ratio of overall chronic respiratory symptoms was significantly higher among woodworkers (65.7%) compared to controls (23.3%) in this study (PR = 2.17, 95% CI: 1.51–3.12). Current chronic respiratory symptoms were associated with gender, and previous chronic respiratory disease. Woodworkers had significantly lower Forced vital capacity (FVC) and Forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1) when compared to controls.

Conclusion

Woodworkers had a higher prevalence of chronic respiratory symptoms and lower lung function measures, which lowered lung capacity when compared to controls. To reduce workers' exposure to wood dust, engineering control methods should be implemented.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Data availability

The data used to support the results of this study are available from the corresponding author upon request.

Abbreviations

AAU:

Addis Ababa University

AOR:

Adjusted odds ratio

ATS:

American Thoracic Society

COR:

Crude odds ratio

FVC:

Forced vital capacity

FEV1:

Forced Expiratory Volume in one second

RPD:

Respiratory protective device

SPSS:

Statistical Packages for Social Science

References

  • Alonso-Sardón M, Chamorro A-J, Hernández-García I et al (2015) Association between occupational exposure to wood dust and cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS ONE 10:e0133024

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Asgedom AA, Bråtveit M, Moen BE (2019) High prevalence of respiratory symptoms among particleboard workers in Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study. Int J Environ Res Public Health 16:2158

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Awoke TY, Takele AK, Mekonnen WT et al (2021) Assessment of dust exposure and chronic respiratory symptoms among workers in medium scale woodwork factories in Ethiopia; a cross sectional study. BMC Public Health 21:1–12

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ayalew E, Gebre Y, De Wael K (2015) A survey of occupational exposure to inhalable wood dust among workers in small-and medium-scale wood-processing enterprises in Ethiopia. Ann Occup Hyg 59:253–257

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Badirdast P, Azari MR, Salehpour S et al (2017) The effect of wood aerosols and bioaerosols on the respiratory systems of wood manufacturing industry workers in Golestan Province. Tanaffos 16:53

    Google Scholar 

  • Bhatti P, Newcomer L, Onstad L et al (2011) Wood dust exposure and risk of lung cancer. Occup Environ Med 68:599–604

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bislimovska D, Petrovska S, Minov J (2015) Respiratory symptoms and lung function in never-smoking male workers exposed to hardwood dust. Open Access Macedonian J Med Sci 3:500

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bosan I, Okpapi J (2004) Respiratory symptoms and ventilatory function impairment among wood workers in the Savannah Belt of Northern Nigeria

  • Chaiear N, Ngoencharee J, Saejiw N (2018) Respiratory symptoms and pulmonary function among workers in a rubber wood Sawmill Factory in Thailand. Am J Public Health Res 6:65–71

    Google Scholar 

  • Edwards S (2010) Ethiopian Environment (Internet). https://www.phe-ethiopia.org/pdf/Ethiopian_Environment_Review.pdf

  • Ennin IE, Adzaku FK, Dodoo D et al (2015) A study of lung function indices of woodworkers at the Accra timber market in Ghana. Donnish J Med Med Sci 2:120–124

    Google Scholar 

  • Færden K, Brit Lund M, Mogens Aaløkken T et al (2014) Hypersensitivity pneumonitis in a cluster of sawmill workers: a 10-year follow-up of exposure, symptoms, and lung function. Int J Occup Environ Health 20:167–173

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fedotov (2011) ILO. Action towards prevention of occupational and non-communicable diseases (Internet). http://www.worldpsi.org/sites/default/files/attachment/news/ilo_presenation.pdf. Accessed

  • Fentie D, Mulat E, Reta W (2019) Assessment of respiratory symptoms among woodworkers in Jimma Town, Southwest Ethiopia, a comparative cross-sectional study. Biomed J Sci Tech Res 18:13425–13430

    Google Scholar 

  • Hämäläinen P, Takala J, Kiat TB (2017) Global estimates of occupational accidents and work-related illnesses 2017. World 2017:3–4

    Google Scholar 

  • Health and Safety Excutive (2017) Occupational lung disease in Great Britain (Internet). http://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/causdis/respiratory-diseases.pdf

  • Hosseini KD, Malekshahi Nejad V, Sun H et al (2020) Prevalence of respiratory symptoms and spirometric changes among non-smoker male wood workers. PLoS ONE 15:e0224860

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jacobsen G, Schlünssen V, Schaumburg I et al (2008) Longitudinal lung function decline and wood dust exposure in the furniture industry. Eur Respir J 31:334–342

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jacobsen G, Schlünssen V, Schaumburg I et al (2009) Increased incidence of respiratory symptoms among female woodworkers exposed to dry wood. Eur Respir J 33:1268–1276

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kacha Y, Nayak Y, Varu M et al (2014) Effects of wood dust on respiratory functions in saw mill workers. Int J Basic Appl Physiol 3:122–128

    Google Scholar 

  • Kauppinen T, Vincent R, Liukkonen T et al (2006) Occupational exposure to inhalable wood dust in the member states of the European Union. Ann Occup Hyg 50:549–561

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kumie A, Amera T, Berhane K et al (2016) Occupational health and safety in Ethiopia: a review of situational analysis and needs assessment. Ethiopian J Health Dev 30:17–27

    Google Scholar 

  • Liard R, Neukirch F (2000) Questionnaires: a major instrument for respiratory epidemiology. Eur Respir Monograph 5:154–166

    Google Scholar 

  • Löfstedt H, Hagström K, Bryngelsson I-L et al (2017) Respiratory symptoms and lung function in relation to wood dust and monoterpene exposure in the wood pellet industry. Upsala J Med Sci 122:78–84

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Magagnotti N, Nannicini C, Sciarra G et al (2013) Determining the exposure of chipper operators to inhalable wood dust. Ann Occup Hyg 57:784–792

    Google Scholar 

  • Mahmood N, Karadaky K, Hussain SA et al (2016) Respiratory function among sawmill workers in different areas of Sulaimani city. Int J 5:351

    Google Scholar 

  • Martin JR, Zalk DM (1997) Carpenter shop wood dust control: practical experience to reduce hardwood dust exposures below the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists Threshold Limit Values. Appl Occup Environ Hyg 12:595–605

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miller MR, Hankinson J, Brusasco V et al (2005) Standardisation of spirometry. Eur Respir J 26:319–338

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Neghab M, Jabari Z, Kargar Shouroki F (2018) Functional disorders of the lung and symptoms of respiratory disease associated with occupational inhalation exposure to wood dust in Iran. Epidemiol Health 40:e2018031. https://doi.org/10.4178/epih.e2018031

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Omole JO, Fabunmi AA, Akosile CO (2018) Respiratory function of sawmill workers and their relationship to duration of exposure to wood dust seen in Nigeria. J Environ Occup Health 7:9–16

    Google Scholar 

  • Osman E, Pala K (2009) Occupational exposure to wood dust and health effects on the respiratory system in a minor industrial estate in Bursa/Turkey. Int J Occup Med Environ Health 22:43

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rosenberg C, Liukkonen T, Kallas-Tarpila T et al (2002) Monoterpene and wood dust exposures: work-related symptoms among Finnish sawmill workers. Am J Ind Med 41:38–53

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Scheeper B, Kromhout H, Boleij JS (1995) Wood-dust exposure during wood-working processes. Ann Occup Hyg 39:141–154

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schlünssen V, Schaumburg I, Andersen N et al (2002) Nasal patency is related to dust exposure in woodworkers. Occup Environ Med 59:23–29

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schulze J, Brüning T, Donhuijsen K et al (2003) Comments on the recommendation of the Scientific Committee on Occupational Exposure Limits (SCOEL) for wood dust. Gefahrstoffe Reinhalt Luft 63:99–104

    Google Scholar 

  • Soongkhang I, Laohasiriwong W (2015) Respiratory tract problems among wood furniture manufacturing factory workers in the northeast of Thailand. Kathmandu Univ Med J 13:125–129

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tamhane AR, Westfall AO, Burkholder GA et al (2016) Prevalence odds ratio versus prevalence ratio: choice comes with consequences. Stat Med 35:5730–5735

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thepaksorn P, Fadrilan-Camacho VFF, Siriwong W (2017) Respiratory symptoms and ventilatory function defects among Para rubber wood sawmill workers in the South of Thailand. Hum Ecol Risk Assess Int J 23:788–797

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tobin EA, Ediagbonya TF, Okojie OH, Asogun DA (2016) Occupational exposure to wood dust and respiratory health status of sawmill workers in South-South Nigeria. J Pollut Eff Cont 4:154. https://doi.org/10.4172/2375-4397.1000154

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ugheoke AJ, Ebomoyi MI, Iyawe VI (2006) Influence of smoking on respiratory symptoms and lung function indices in sawmill workers in Benin City, Nigeria. Niger J Physiol Sci 21(1–2):49–54. https://doi.org/10.4314/njps.v21i1-2.53957

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Vallières E, Pintos J, Parent M-E et al (2015) Occupational exposure to wood dust and risk of lung cancer in two population-based case–control studies in Montreal, Canada. Environ Health 14:1–9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wiggans R, Evans G, Fishwick D et al (2016) Asthma in furniture and wood processing workers: a systematic review. Occup Med 66:193–201

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • World Health Organization (1995) IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risk to Humans, Wood Dust and Formaldehyde (Internet). http://monographs,iarc,fr/ENG/Monographs/vol62/volume62.pdf.

Download references

Acknowledgements

We kindly thank the wood factory management teams and data collectors, Workers for their permission to conduct the study and for participating in the study heart fully.

Funding

Addis Ababa University. “The funder has no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, preparation of the manuscript”.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Infection Prevention and Control, Ministry of Health Saint Peter Specialized Hospital, P.O. Box 30178, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

    Belayneh Jabur

  2. School of Public Health, College of Health Science and Medicine, Dilla University, P.O. Box 419, Dilla, Ethiopia

    Zemachu Ashuro

  3. Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Addis Ababa University, P.O. Box 9086, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

    Samson Wakuma Abaya

Authors
  1. Belayneh Jabur
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Zemachu Ashuro
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Samson Wakuma Abaya
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

BJ designed the study, conducted fieldwork, analyze the data, interpret the data, and wrote the manuscript SW supervised the development of the proposal, data analysis, and procedure of spirometer measurement and ZA contributed to the interpretation and reviewing of results and drafting the manuscript. All authors read the manuscript and agreed to its content.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Zemachu Ashuro.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

All authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Ethical approval and concent

We conduct the study after having an ethical clearance from the Institutional Review Board of the College of Health Sciences of Addis Ababa University. In addition, permission to conduct the study was also obtained from the factory managers. Before performing the lung function tests, written informed consent was obtained from each participant, and participants were informed that they have full right to refuse and withdraw at any time in the study. The study participants with lung function impairments were advised and linked to the nearest health facility.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Jabur, B., Ashuro, Z. & Abaya, S.W. Chronic respiratory symptoms and lung function parameters in large-scale wood factory workers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: a comparative cross-sectional study. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 95, 1221–1230 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-022-01857-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-022-01857-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation