Table 1 Chronic respiratory symptoms in exposed female and male workers in food processing, textile and farming industries
Group | Sex | N | Mean age (yrs) | Mean exposure (yrs) | Smoking habit pack year | Chronic cough % | Chronic phlegm % | Chronic bronchitis % | Occupational asthma % | Dyspnea grade 3&4 % | Nasal catarrh % | Sinusitis % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
All food processing workers | F | 746 | 33 | 10 | 5.0 | 24.9 | 19.1 | 14.9 | 2.4 | 21.4 | 16.3 | 19.8 |
| Â | M | 259 | 35 | 10 | 14.4 | 39.3 | 36.4 | 29.4 | 1.8 | 25.4 | 30.1 | 18.6 |
All textile workers | F | 381 | 31 | 9 | 6.0 | 27.2 | 16.8 | 14.3 | 4.9 | 20.8 | 27.3 | 16.5 |
| Â | M | 173 | 35 | 11 | 13.8 | 43.1 | 32.8 | 29.9 | 4.2 | 20.4 | 18.5 | 13.9 |
All farmers | F | 252 | 39 | 11 | 8.4 | 21.6 | 14.3 | 9.6 | 2.3 | 24.4 | 21.1 | 17.1 |
| Â | M | 1200 | 36 | 11 | 16.8 | 31.8 | 27.6 | 24.4 | 1.6 | 13.3 | 18.6 | 18.0 |