Asthma Prevalence in Leather Tannery Workers
Author Information
Author(s): Shahzad Khurram, Akhtar Saeed, Mahmud Sadia
Primary Institution: Aga Khan University
Hypothesis
What is the prevalence and what are the risk factors of asthma in adult male leather tannery workers in Karachi, Pakistan?
Conclusion
The study found a high prevalence of asthma among leather tannery workers, linked to factors like education, ethnicity, smoking, glove use, and perceived allergies.
Supporting Evidence
- The prevalence of asthma was found to be 10.8% among the workers.
- Illiteracy was associated with a higher likelihood of asthma.
- Pathan workers had a significantly higher risk of asthma compared to Punjabis.
- Not using gloves during work increased the risk of asthma.
- Ever smoking was linked to a higher prevalence of asthma.
Takeaway
This study shows that many leather tannery workers in Karachi have asthma, and things like not using gloves and being less educated can make it worse.
Methodology
A cross-sectional study with face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire.
Potential Biases
Recall bias may have occurred, with asthmatic workers more likely to remember allergic episodes.
Limitations
Asthma diagnosis was based on self-reported symptoms and physician diagnosis, which may inflate cases; potential healthy worker effect may have led to underestimation.
Participant Demographics
Participants were male leather tannery workers, predominantly Punjabi and Pathan ethnicities, with a mean age of 27 years.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.02
Confidence Interval
95% CI: 1.17–3.88 for illiteracy; 95% CI: 1.35–5.36 for Pathan ethnicity; 95% CI: 1.72–6.26 for glove use; 95% CI: 1.19–4.29 for perceived allergy at 8 years of work; 95% CI: 1.98–6.79 for perceived allergy at 13 years of work.
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Want to read the original?
Access the complete publication on the publisher's website