Kalpana Chandra1, Vijay Kumar Arora2. 1. Santosh University, Ghaziabad, Delhi NCR, India. Electronic address: drkalpanachandra@gmail.com. 2. Formerly Vice Chancellor, Professor and Head Od Department of TB and Chest Diseases, Santosh University, Ghaziabad, Delhi NCR, India. Electronic address: vijaykumar1945@gmail.com.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Sewage management is hazardous due to chronic exposure to chemical gases, bioaerosols and micro-organisms through inhalation; accidental oral intake and penetration through skin or mucous membranes through injuries or breech in personal protective equipment. While there has been some research on isolated infections and multisystem symptom profiling of sewage workers, there is little research on the burden of chronic illnesses like Tuberculosis and Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs). METHODS: A cross sectional observational study was conducted on chronic comorbidity profile of sewage workers with more than five years of occupational experience and employed in three contiguous districts of NCT of Delhi. RESULTS: The study sample consisted of 104 sewage workers with mean age of 50.71 (±8.43) years, an average of 7.35 (±3.75) years of formal education and an average occupational exposure to sewage work of 21.28 (±10.54) years. 21.15% sewage workers had Tuberculosis and 92.31% had at least one of the chronic respiratory diseases (COPD, Asthma or ACOS). 85.6% of participants were smokers. The most common NCD was Hypertension (67.3%) followed by Dyslipidaemia (50%) and Diabetes Mellitus (43.3%). There was clustering of NCDs with 53.85% subjects having three or more chronic disorders. Less than 5% of study participants were free from all the investigated chronic diseases. CONCLUSION: The sewage workers have an adverse chronic morbidity profile for both Tuberculosis and NCDs. There is an urgent need for epidemiological research and targeted screening and public health intervention for Tuberculosis and other NCDs in sewage workers as an occupational group.
BACKGROUND: Sewage management is hazardous due to chronic exposure to chemical gases, bioaerosols and micro-organisms through inhalation; accidental oral intake and penetration through skin or mucous membranes through injuries or breech in personal protective equipment. While there has been some research on isolated infections and multisystem symptom profiling of sewage workers, there is little research on the burden of chronic illnesses like Tuberculosis and Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs). METHODS: A cross sectional observational study was conducted on chronic comorbidity profile of sewage workers with more than five years of occupational experience and employed in three contiguous districts of NCT of Delhi. RESULTS: The study sample consisted of 104 sewage workers with mean age of 50.71 (±8.43) years, an average of 7.35 (±3.75) years of formal education and an average occupational exposure to sewage work of 21.28 (±10.54) years. 21.15% sewage workers had Tuberculosis and 92.31% had at least one of the chronic respiratory diseases (COPD, Asthma or ACOS). 85.6% of participants were smokers. The most common NCD was Hypertension (67.3%) followed by Dyslipidaemia (50%) and Diabetes Mellitus (43.3%). There was clustering of NCDs with 53.85% subjects having three or more chronic disorders. Less than 5% of study participants were free from all the investigated chronic diseases. CONCLUSION: The sewage workers have an adverse chronic morbidity profile for both Tuberculosis and NCDs. There is an urgent need for epidemiological research and targeted screening and public health intervention for Tuberculosis and other NCDs in sewage workers as an occupational group.
Authors: Hlengiwe N Mtetwa; Isaac D Amoah; Sheena Kumari; Faizal Bux; Poovendhree Reddy Journal: BMC Public Health Date: 2022-01-20 Impact factor: 3.295
Authors: Hemali Harish Oza; Madison Gabriella Lee; Sophie Boisson; Frank Pega; Kate Medlicott; Thomas Clasen Journal: Int J Hyg Environ Health Date: 2021-12-20 Impact factor: 5.840