Authors : A.J. Ugheoke , K.W. Wahab and G.E. Erhabor
Abstract: Studies elsewhere have shown that exposure to sawdust increases susceptibility to development of pulmonary symptoms but there is paucity of information on this in Benin City, Nigeria where, there are many sawmill factories. The objective of this study, was to determine the prevalence of respiratory symptoms in sawmill workers in Benin City, Nigeria. This was a cross-sectional study, in which the British Medical Research Council Questionnaire was used to obtain information on respiratory symptoms in a standardized manner in sawmill workers, who met the inclusion criteria for the study and age-matched controls. Two hundred and twenty eight sawmill workers and 371 controls with mean ages of 33.1±7.3 and 32.9±7.2 years, respectively were studied. Symptoms like cough, sputum production, breathlessness and wheeze were more common in sawmill workers compared to controls (p<0.05). Respiratory symptoms are more prevalent in sawmill workers compared to controls. Use of appropriate protective devices is advocated in order to reduce this preventable morbidity.
A.J. Ugheoke , K.W. Wahab and G.E. Erhabor , 2009. Prevalence of Respiratory Symptoms among Sawmill Workers in Benin City, Nigeria. International Journal of Tropical Medicine, 4: 1-3.