Occupational exposure to lignite and impact on respiratory system among heavy industry personnel

Prevalence of current and former smoking in industrial workers worldwide: a systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVES

One of the health problems in recent decades is the prevalence of smoking in the world. In this study, the global prevalence of smoking in industrial workers was investigated using meta-analysis.

METHOD

The method of the present study was a systematic review and meta-analysis. Three scientific sources, PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus, were selected for the search, and these databases were searched until September 2020. Random effects method was used for the analysis and then the analysis was performed for the type of smoking (Current, Former), gender, and continent. Heterogeneity was examined in all analyses.

RESULT

A total of 88 studies were included in the meta-analysis. The prevalence of smoking in industrial workers was 41% also the confidence interval was 35-48%. The prevalence of current smoking in industrial workers was 39% also the confidence interval was 29-48%. The prevalence of former smoking in industrial workers was 18% also the confidence interval was 13-22%. I² heterogeneity test was 99.9%.

DISCUSSION

From the findings of the present study, it can be seen that industrial workers are more exposed to smoking compared to the general population, and this can put their health at greater risk.

Prevalence of lung function impairment among Greek cement production workers: a cross-sectional study

Greece is a significant cement producing country. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and risk factors of lung function impairment among Greek cement workers. One hundred thirty- seven cement production workers participated in this study. In addition, 110 employees not exposed to cement dust comprised the control group. The concentration of cement total dust at workplace varied from 1.1 to 11.6 mg/m³. In only one of the measurements, the Threshold Limit Level of 10 mg/m³ has been exceeded. Cement production workers presented a higher prevalence of FEV1<80% in comparison to controls (13.9% vs. 2.7%; Chi-Square Test; p=0.002). Multivariate analysis has shown that cement production workers have recorded an almost 5 fold risk of low lung function, as expressed by FEV1<80%, in comparison to the reference population OR=4.92; 95% C.I.=1.22-12.62). Current smoking was associated with an almost 4- fold increased risk of FEV1<80% (OR=3.91;95% C.I.=1.32-11.56). In conclusion, we found a high prevalence of impaired lung function among Greek cement production workers, despite the fact that total and inhalable dust levels were below the occupational exposure limits.

Prevalence and determinants of current and secondhand smoking in Greece: results from the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) study

OBJECTIVES

Greece is one of the leading tobacco-producing countries in European Union, and every year over 19 000 Greeks die from tobacco-attributable diseases. The aim of the present study was to provide nationally representative estimates on current and secondhand smoking prevalence in Greece and their determinants.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional.

SETTING

Greece.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 4359 individuals participated in the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS), a household survey of adults ≥15 years old (overall response rate 69%). They were selected through a multistage geographically clustered sampling design with face-to-face interview.

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES

In 2013, we investigated the prevalence of current and secondhand smoking and their determinants. Univariate and logistic regression analysis was used in order to identify possible risk factors associated with the prevalence of current and secondhand smoking.

RESULTS

The prevalence of current smoking was 38.2% (95% CI 35.7% to 40.8%), and the mean number of cigarettes smoked per day was 19.8. Multivariate analysis confirmed that male gender (OR=3.24; 95% CI 2.62 to 4.00), age groups (25-39, OR=4.49; 95% CI 3.09 to 8.46 and 40-54, OR=3.51; 95% CI 1.88 to 5.87) and high school education (OR=1.97; 95% CI 1.41 to 2.74) were independently associated with the current smoking. Remarkably, responders with primary or less education had the lowest prevalence of current smoking (p<0.001). The prevalence of exposure to secondhand smoke at work, home and restaurants, was 52.3%, 65.7% and 72.2%. In total, 90.0% (95% CI 87.8% to 91.9%) of Greek population is exposed to tobacco smoke (current smoking and secondhand smoke).

CONCLUSIONS

Our results revealed an extremely high prevalence of current smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke among the adult population and a positive gradient between education and current smoking. These findings are alarming and implementation of comprehensive tobacco control and prevention strategies could be impactful in fighting the tobacco epidemic in Greece.

Pattern of smoking habit among Greek blue and white collar workers

The aim of our study was to investigate the prevalence of smoking in a Greek working population. A questionnaire regarding smoking habit was collected from 1,005 out of 1,200 blue and white-collar employees (response rate: 84%). The overall smoking prevalence was 48.4% and did not differ by sex, age, education, and occupation. The mean cigarette consumption per day was 25.54, with no difference observed by occupation. The above-mentioned findings, if confirmed by further research, are alarming and inconsistent with the prevalent pattern of smoking habits in the West.